Today was the day of the perfumers meeting. Riri followed behind the perfumers led by Mokuren. She walked up the stairs that led from the gravel garden to the palace hall.
She wore the same purple hanfu as the other perfumers, and had her hair tied up in a ponytail. Mokuren prepared this hanfu for her since he felt it would be inappropriate for her to attend the perfumers meeting in a dazzling outfit.
In the hall, dozens of men dressed in black government uniforms were standing in a row on the polished floor that didn’t have a scratch on it.
She looked to the left and right at the men who were bowing their heads down while facing the front while following Mokuren and the other perfumers to the bamboo blind.
Mokuren and the perfumers kneeled in front of the bamboo blind, so she did the same.
The Grand Chancellor, Jin Koudoku, sat in front of the bamboo blind, and said in a polite tone.
“Raise your heads. Today, His Majesty the Emperor will personally address the perfumers. This is a great honour. Please don’t be rude. His Majesty is very interested in the concoction of the treasured incense. Answer sincerely.”
(I can’t believe His Majesty will be speaking to us! As expected from a national event.)
A figure was reflected from behind the bamboo blind. Her fingers trembled with nervousness when she thought that it was His Majesty, Ju Reibun.
(Kousho-sama said that His Majesty is the only Emperor in this kingdom’s long history who hasn’t gone to war. I also heard that even though there are constant quarrels with Koran over the mining rights, His Majesty puts a lot of effort into diplomacy and has kept Koran in check through talks alone.)
It is said that Ju Reibun’s diplomatic skills are so good that even the enemy, Koran, is impressed by it. If there was a war, then those living in the downtown area will be affected by it too. People downtown could live peacefully even though they were poor thanks to the Emperor’s excellent diplomacy skills. All the nobles gathered in the hall looked at the bamboo blinds with respect.
When the Grand Chancellor gave the signal, the servant respectfully raised the bamboo blinds.
Behind the bamboo blinds was an elderly man sitting in a golden chair on a raised floor.
He had a stern face with deeply etched wrinkles. His red hair, which had grey streaks in them, was tied up and his body looked stronger than his age. On the robe he wore was a dragon ascending to heaven.
It was a design that only the royal family, the descendants of the dragon, were allowed to wear.
“Thank you all for gathering here today.”
His voice made Riri tense and struck a chord in her stomach. When she looked up front at the Emperor again while flustered, she saw that Kousho and Garan were next to him. The two of them were kneeling on both sides of the Emperor.
“Sei Mokuren of the Department of Incenses, and the perfumers. I have something I lack. Do you know what that is?”
The Emperor looked around at the perfumers. Mokuren, who was in front of the perfumers, bowed his head.
“With all due respect, there is nothing that Your Majesty lacks…”
“That’s not the answer I want to hear. Is there anyone who can tell me?”
When the Emperor looked at the perfumers again, he could tell that they were nervous. Seeing that no one was answering in the quiet hall, Riri took a deep breath. It took her great courage to speak up.
“I believe there is one thing that you lack, Your Majesty.”
She tried to keep her voice as calm as possible even though she was suffocating from tension and fear.
“Wasn’t that a woman’s voice just now?”
The people in the hall started whispering to each other as they looked around the room. The Emperor’s gaze turned towards Riri.
“Silence, all of you! … You’re the girl that Kousho has specially allowed to participate in the perfumers meeting.”
She felt like she was going to stop breathing from fear as he gave her a sharp look. But she managed to keep her wits about her and met his gaze head on. In fact, she had a plan for this perfumers meeting. In order to succeed, it would be best if she left an impression on the Emperor. Her lips and fingertips were trembling, but she mustered up the courage to make her dream come true.
“I am. It is an honour to meet you. My name is Ou Riri. My father was Ou Saido. Thank you for allowing me to participate in this perfumers meeting even though I am not a perfumer.”
Everyone started talking again. Her father had presented the completed treasured incense to the Emperor, but he had failed, and had to leave the palace. This happened six years ago, so many of the officials must still remember this incident.
In fact, it was problematic for her to reveal her name since she had entered the inner palace under false pretences. But yesterday, a servant had come to deliver a letter from Kousho. The letter stated that he had reported to the Emperor that he had allowed Ou Saido’s daughter to participate in the perfumers meeting. So, she didn’t have to hide her identity while in attendance.
When she introduced herself, the Emperor’s expression softened slightly.
“I heard about your identity from Kousho. I also remember Saido well. He was an excellent perfumer. His incenses saved my life many times when my body wasn’t feeling well.”
It seemed that the Emperor had good memories of her father. She glanced at Kousho and he nodded slightly. She thought that Kousho was right in telling her to reveal that she was Saido’s daughter since the Emperor had good memories of her father. It would seem suspicious if a mere girl, who was not a perfumer, participated in a big event like the perfumers meeting. However, she didn’t have to worry about being kicked out if the Emperor knew that she was Ou Saido’s daughter since he was the head of the Department of Perfumers and had researched the treasured incense.
“Riri. Do you know what I lack?”
“With all due respect, I believe what Your Majesty lacks is a master perfumer with the Kirin title. The Emperor is the dragon, the person who protects the kingdom is the Phoenix and the person with a benevolent heart is the Kirin. It is said that when all three people come together, the kingdom will flourish and have the power to control the world. Furthermore, it is said that the treasured incense made by a master perfumer has the power to repel any enemy.”
“Restrain yourself. You can’t talk like that to His Majesty…!”
One of the Emperor’s close aides stood up, but the Emperor stopped him with his hand.
“It’s fine… Riri. You’re correct. You are outspoken like your father. Saido also spoke frankly to me. That honest man isn’t around me anymore.”
The Emperor narrowed his eyes nostalgically and took a deep breath.
“The power of the treasured incense is tremendous. If we have a master perfumer who can make the treasured incense, then our kingdom will be safe. No enemy is to be feared in the face of the treasured incense. And the master perfumer will be given the Kirin title.”
The Emperor turned his attention to Kousho, who was standing to his right.
“I will not be around for much longer. I want together all three people with the auspicious beast titles before I hand over the throne to Kousho. The auspicious beasts have been an emotional support for the people in Shinzui since long ago. The people will surely be delighted when they see these three people wearing the robes of their respective titles and vow to protect the kingdom. The nation’s strength will increase if the people are united. I can’t die until I see that…! Ugh, cough!”
The Emperor suddenly coughed, and Kousho stood up in a panic.
“Father, if you get too excited…”
“I’m fine… Perfumers. You are recognised as the best in this kingdom. I hope you have prepared something that will satisfy me for this perfumers meeting.”
Mokuren was at a loss for words and bowed his head down again.
“That’s…”
Riri had just heard from Mokuren that the Department of Incenses hadn’t succeeded in preparing the treasured incense.
She couldn’t get the details out of him, but it seemed that the Department of Incenses couldn’t even narrow down which ingredients to use.
When Mokuren was unsure of how to respond, a soldier in armour sitting in front of the bamboo blinds spoke up.
“I’m sorry for interrupting your conversation. You’re pulling quite the long face, but you could say that the Department of Incenses was established to create the treasured incense, but you’re not going to tell us that you couldn’t produce any results after having so much sacred bamboo wood prepared for the department once every twenty years.”
The soldier stood up and bowed to the Emperor before turning his attention to Mokuren again.
“Mokuren-dono, if you report to His Majesty that you have failed in making the treasured incense, then it’s the same as you saying that the Department of Incenses has no use. Do we really need such a department?”
The people who were nodding their heads in agreement were mostly soldiers.
(This is bad. If things continue like this, then they’ll probably start talking about shutting down the Department of Incenses.)
As she watched them nervously, the soldier continued to speak with an exaggerated tone and gesture.
“Your Majesty, the palace doesn’t need a Department of Incenses that can’t make the treasured incense. Rather than the invisible power of incenses, our army, which works and trains hard every day, will protect Shinzui.”
She feared that the Department of Incenses would be destroyed if they couldn’t make the treasured incense by the time of the perfumers meeting.
This was about to become reality. She didn’t want the Department of Incenses to disappear since she had memories with her father there.
“The treasured incense exists. My father made it!”
All eyes were focused on her when she raised her voice. She was almost seized with fear by their curious looks, but she managed to keep her wits about her. The soldier from earlier glared at her.
“Foolish. Your father is Ou Saido, is he not? I saw how he failed to show the Emperor the treasured incense that he had made. Could it be that you’re also lying to get into the Emperor’s good grace?”
“Please wait, Senshin-sama.”
Mokuren was about to stand up, but the soldier named Senshin glared at him.
“What are you saying when you can’t even make the treasured incense? If you want to give your opinion, then why don’t you wait until you have achieved something?”
Those sarcastic words made Mokuren put on a troubled expression. Senshin must have a higher status than Mokuren. The Department of Incenses situation would get worse if Mokuren were to go against him. Therefore, Mokuren held back his remark. Riri was scared, but she knew that flinching was the same as admitting that her father had failed, so she mustered up her courage.
“I am not trying to get into his good grace. Besides, my father succeeded in making the treasured incense.”
“Then prove it.”
Riri pursed her lips together at those words. Senshin sighed when he saw that she wasn’t speaking.
“You can’t, can you? It’s not easy to make the treasured incense, after all. I heard that you’re not working for the Department of Incenses and were mixing your own incenses at the palace. I heard that you mixed the treasured incense without knowing what effects it has because you can’t enter the Department of Incenses since you’re a woman.”
The whole hall buzzed with whispers. Senshin smiled triumphantly.
“You can’t possibly make the treasured incense when you don’t even know what its effects are. You don’t even know anything about it, so how can you say that your father had made the treasured incense?”
Senshin sneered and Riri looked at him seriously.
“No. I tried making the treasured incense by remembering what my father had done. Then, I realised what the treasured incense could do.”
“What?!”
After seeing Senshin’s surprised expression, she caught her breath and turned her attention to the Emperor.
“Your Majesty, I came here to prove that my father was right. I’ve already studied the effects of the incense that I made while remembering my father’s concoctions. If those effects are the same as the effects of the treasured incense, then this will prove that my father created the treasured incense.”
She was still worried about whether she was correct or not.
That was how unexpected the effects of the treasured incense was. But she kept her confident expression and tone. If she got scared here, then she would never get involved in making the treasured incense again.
“… Riri, if the effects of the incense you made according to your memory is indeed the same as the effects of the treasured incense, then this will prove that Saido succeeded in creating the treasured incense. Kousho, give me your hand.”
“Your Majesty, please don’t push yourself. If you need to talk to her, then you can call her here.”
“It’s fine. I’m always in my room nowadays. It’s been a long time since I’ve had the chance to see everyone’s faces up close.”
The Emperor stood up. She was worried that his condition really wasn’t that good since he had to have Kousho’s help to stand, but he walked up to her firmly. She shivered at his presence as he stood close to her and looked down at her.
(Don’t be afraid. I’ll be one step closer to my dream if I can get through this.)
“Riri, the effects of the treasured incense is a national secret only known to a few people. Speaking about it in public is not allowed. So, whisper to me the effects of the incense that you made by remembering your father’s concoction.”
Riri nodded, stood up and whispered in the Emperor’s ears while trembling in fear.
“…”
She finished speaking, kneeled down once more and bowed her head.
This answer was the result of creating an incense which was close to the treasured incense that her father had made, and the change that it had made in Ryouka when it had burnt.
Ryouka’s life wasn’t in danger. However, there was a big change in her.
Perhaps it was fortunate that she had noticed the change early and dispersed the scent, but Ryouka returned back to her normal state the next day. The change that had occurred in Ryouka was extraordinary, and in a way, it was a fitting effect for the treasured incense. The Emperor stayed silent for a while after Riri whispered in his ear. The silence felt long.
(Why isn’t he saying anything…? Am I right? Am I wrong? Which is it?)
She endured the long silence with her head down while feeling uneasy.
“… Riri. You can be proud of your father.”
That sentence filled her heart with joy. She quickly looked up and was greeted by the Emperor’s gentle face.
“The effects of the treasured incense is as you said. If you got this answer by making the incense as you remembered, then Saido made the treasured incense, or he was very close to making it. Riri, were you able to recreate the treasured incense?”
The Emperor looked at her with expectation, and she steeled herself for what was to come.
“I am sorry. I worked very hard and didn’t sleep much to make it, but I didn’t succeed.”
As soon as she spoke honestly, Senshin regained his arrogance.
“As expected of Saido’s daughter. You’re both similar even in the way you fail.”
She tried to keep her voice as calm as possible while enduring his snide remark.
“It’s true that I didn’t succeed in making the treasured incense, but I’m a step closer to succeeding. Your Majesty, can I try to make it again?”
Riri saw that the Emperor was nodding and whispered in his ear again.
Then, she told him the effects of the incense that Ryouka had tried three days ago.
“… Oh, I see. Are you saying you made that incense?”
“Yes, I did. It was only after I made that incense that I realised what the effects of the treasured incense is. My maid tried it, and it worked. However, I don’t think that’s the complete product. I will need to create an incense with the opposite effect. When the effects of these two incenses combine, I think it can be called the treasured incense.”
The effect of the treasured incense is a national secret. Therefore, she chose her words so that other people wouldn’t know what that effect is.
“It’s dangerous to even use the incense that I had made. I need to create an incense with the opposite effect. But that will take some time. I can definitely complete the treasured incense if I had more time and materials. Please. Please give me another chance to make it!”
She pleaded. She had promised Kousho that she would make the treasured incense by the time of the perfumers meeting.
She knew that she would be punished since she hadn’t made the incense in time. But she didn’t want Ryouka and Mokuren to get punished. If she got permission from the Emperor here to make the treasured incense, then everyone’s lives will be spared. The Emperor crossed his arms and looked up at the ceiling as if he was praying and remained silent for a while.
“――― The incense that you said you made is incomplete as the treasured incense. But the Department of Incenses couldn’t even make that. In other words, you are the closest person who might be able to create the treasured incense, after your father.”
“Your Majesty. Then… will you give me the opportunity to make it?”
She stared up at him with hope in her eyes and his face turned stern.
“It’s the opposite. You seem to be very talented, but I gave the perfumers the order to create the treasured incense before the perfumers meeting. But, neither you nor Mokuren were able to complete it by today. Once a deadline has been set, it is the duty of the vassal to produce results according to the deadline. Postponing the deadline is unacceptable.”
She was unable to refute, and Kousho turned his attention to them.
“But Father. It’s true that Riri is close to making the treasured incense that no one has succeeded in making for hundreds of years. Although she didn’t meet the deadline, I’m certain it’s because she was making it by herself at the inner palace. I believe that it would be good to give her another chance.”
Riri hadn’t expected that Kousho, who had told her that she would be punished if she couldn’t produce the treasured incense by the time of the perfumers meeting, to offer her a helping hand. She widened her eyes in surprise and Kousho continued.
“Why don’t you try the incense that Riri said is close to the treasured incense first? If she really did make it, then she could make something with the opposite effect. Father, perhaps you can get the treasured incense that you’ve been dreaming off and gather together three people with the auspicious titles.”
The Emperor seemed a little moved by those words. He sighed slowly.
“… What Kousho said is reasonable. Hmm, what should I do?”
Senshin stared at Riri in a panic.
“Your Majesty, this girl isn’t a perfumer. How can you test someone who hasn’t even passed the imperial exam? It’s questionable whether this girl can really make incenses. She told a complete lie and could have heard about the effects of the treasured incense from Mokuren. She was brought here by Mokuren after all.”
“I didn’t ask Mokuren what the effect of the treasured incense is. It’s true that I haven’t passed the imperial exam, but that’s because women aren’t allowed to take the exam…”
She struggled to speak and Senshin snorted.
“Of course not. There’s no way a woman would take the imperial exam.”
She couldn’t help but be frustrated by his words. The Emperor moved his gaze to observe the situation.
“… I know what you both are saying. It’s true that Riri’s mixing skills are questionable, since she’s not a perfumer who has taken the imperial exam. But I also understand Riri’s complaint about not being able to take the exam because she is a woman. So, how about I ask you to burn an incense that I want right here and now to see if you are really as good as you say you are.”
Riri’s eyes widened at the Emperor’s sudden request. The Emperor continued to speak.
“Riri. The incense in question is dangerous. I can’t try it out myself. However, I want to know firsthand how good you are. So, burn the incense that I want.”
Riri nodded since this was the best she could ask for.
“Yes, Your Majesty. It would be a great honour to be able to mix an incense for you. Please let me do this.”
“That’s a good answer. Then, I’ve been coughing a lot lately, so burn me an incense that would help me breath easier and stop my coughing. If the effects of your incense are great, then I will give you permission to try and mix the incense in question. If you really produce something that is close to the effects of the treasured incense, then I will consider whether or not you can continue to make the treasured incense.”
(Yay! If it’s an incense to help him breathe and stop coughing, then I can use the incense that I always bring to the clinic. I’m used to making it and I have the ingredients. If I can succeed, then I might be able to make the treasured incense. Then, everyone will be saved…!)
“Then, I’ll start mixing right away.”
“Okay. Being quick is a sign of a good perfumer. Now, go prepare.”
The servants moved quickly and brought Riri an incense burner and tools. Riri sat down near the incense burner and the Emperor.
(His Majesty is so close…! I’m nervous, but I’ll be fine as long as I mix it like I always do.)
She was so frightened that her hands trembled. She scolded herself, mixed the materials together as usual and put them into the mortar.
After crushing the materials together with a pestle and kneading them into nectar, the pastille was completed. She put the pastille into the incense burner and lit it with a flint. Soon, a gentle and sweet fragrance drifted in the air.
(Alright, it’s the same aroma as always. It should help His Majesty breathe easier and subside his coughing.)
It was nice to be able to heal people with incenses even under such circumstances. The Emperor took the incense burner and smelled the fragrance with a gesture that looked as if he was drinking tea. The formal way of smelling incenses was majestic and wonderful.
“It smells good. This… Ugh!”
The incense burner rolled onto the floor with a thud. Before she knew what was happening, the Emperor was pressing down on his throat.
As the Emperor groaned and fell over, a scream came from around him.
“Father!”
Kousho quickly held the Emperor in his arms and turned him over, then he saw that blood was flowing out from the Emperor’s mouth.
“This is…! It’s poison, the Emperor’s been poisoned! Woman, you used a poisonous incense!”
Senshin yelled before running up to Riri, then he roughly grabbed her arm.
“What?! I didn’t! I…”
“Shut up! You tried to assassinate the Emperor with a poisonous incense. I’ll kill you right here and now!”
Senshin put his hand on the sword that was at his waist.
“Wait!”
Kousho let out in a low voice. He left the Emperor in the hands of the rushing doctors and stood up.
“Kousho-sama. I’m innocent!”
There was no way that there was poison in the incense that the Emperor had smelled. She had made it with the same procedure as always and even the amount she had used was the same. Even her sense of smell, which could detect the slightest difference in aroma, told her that it was the same incense as always.
Kousho stared at her.
“… I can’t ask you if you tried to kill the Emperor here. Take her to jail, Garan.”
She opened her eyes in astonishment at Kousho’s words.
(I said I’m innocent… But he doesn’t believe me.)
She had never done anything to make him believe her, but she was strangely convinced that he would believe her.
She was amazed at herself, wondering how she was so convinced about this.
But her confidence was shattered. Garan approached her as his phoenix designed robes fluttered behind him.
“Garan, take her directly to the prison. Things will be complicated if we lose the opportunity to listen to her side of the story. Don’t let anyone touch her.”
Garan glared at Senshin while nodding at Kousho’s order.
“Senshin-dono, bring her here.”
“Garan. The army is too big to be controlled by a youngster like you…”
“That is irrelevant right now. Uncle. I have formally inherited the family and the title of the Phoenix. You lost the right to rule our family. My status is higher than yours right now. Now, bring Riri here.”
He had acted overbearing on purpose. Senshin looked regretful and applied force on Riri’s body.
“Kyah!”
She was thrown at Garan. Garan’s expression didn’t change as he caught her.
“Come.”
She probably wouldn’t be killed straight away, but she couldn’t be relieved. She let Garan drag her away as she pondered about what to do. But she couldn’t think of anything since her mind had gone blank.
How long had it been since she was put in this dark and damp prison?
Riri sat with her knees folded up and recalled the incident that had happened in the hall over and over again.
“The incense I made was definitely the same as always. If there it had mixed with a poisonous incense, then my sense of smell wouldn’t have failed to detect it. And yet, His Majesty was in pain. Why?”
If things continue like this, then she wouldn’t be able to make the treasured incense and will be executed for attempting to assassinate the Emperor.
She wanted to prove her innocence, but she couldn’t figure out where or how the Emperor was poisoned.
“His Majesty didn’t eat anything in the hall. Did he eat something poisonous before he came to the hall…?”
“He didn’t.”
The voice came from through the wooden bars at the entrance of the prison.
There was a soldier standing there moments ago, but now it was Garan standing there with his arms folded.
“The poison tester tastes everything His Majesty eats. It’s impossible for him to eat poisonous food. Moreover, according to the doctor, His Majesty’s symptoms were caused by smelling a poisonous incense.”
Shocked by what she had heard, Riri ran over to him and tightly gripped the wooden bars.
“Is His Majesty alright?”
“It was a close call, but he survived.”
“That’s a relief…”
She weakly fell to her knees. Garan also bent down when he saw this.
“It’s not the time to be relieved. You’re the suspect. Everyone in the palace is saying that you’re the culprit.”
“I would never! The situation may seem suspicious, but I have no reason to assassinate His Majesty…”
“You do. You’re Ou Riri. Saido’s daughter.”
Riri widened her eyes and Garan nodded quietly.
“Your father was forced to leave the palace after he failed to present the treasured incense. I heard that he passed away after that. People suspect that you hold a grudge against His Majesty because your father had died since he lost all hope when he was forced to leave the palace, so in order to get revenge, you entered the palace and made His Majesty smell a poisonous incense.”
Riri widened her eyes at what she had just heard and then quickly shook her head.
“I… I’m not the culprit. I want to restore my father’s honour, but I was going to prove that he had made the treasured incense by making it myself. And more importantly, I would never use incenses to torment people!”
Incenses have been a part of her life for as long as she could remember. Smelling incenses reminded her of her father and made her feel happy. She felt delighted to see people being healed by the incenses she made. Incenses are an irreplaceable part of her life.
Garan probably wouldn’t believe her even if she shouted with a trembling voice. She suddenly realised that the reason he had sent the soldier away was because he might secretly kill her here. Neither Garan nor that man, Senshin, made it a secret that they hate perfumers. She couldn’t help but give him a frightened look.
“I’m not the culprit. You may not believe me, but I swear…”
Her head was full of thoughts about how she could calmly explain this and make him understand.
“Yeah, you’re not the culprit. I know.”
“I said, I’m not the culprit… Wait, what?!”
She didn’t understand what Garan was saying for a moment and let out a hysteric voice.
“I said that I don’t think you’re the culprit.”
He looked sour, but his words weren’t as harsh as they were before.
“Do you believe me, Garan-sama?!”
“You don’t have to add -sama. You’re my benefactor, Riri.”
She blinked. She was confused. Garan suddenly grabbed the collar of his robe and turned around.
“Ah…!”
Garan had stripped himself to the waist, and she saw that he had a rather large scar running from his shoulders to his back.
“This happened ten years ago. I almost died, but I managed to survive. But the wound would hurt a lot on cold or rainy days.”
It was normal for a wound this large. But now, Garan wasn’t exuding sweat that smelled as if he was enduring pain.
“Does it not hurt right now? It’s really cold today.”
It wasn’t cold enough to snow, but it had gotten quite cold lately.
“Ah. It’s thanks to your incense that it doesn’t hurt.”
She stared at Garan, who was fixing his robe, and recalled.
She gave him incense that had a pain killing effect since she could tell from the scent of his sweat that he was in pain.
“You used it?”
“Yes. I knew that you weren’t lying since you said you wanted to become a perfumer who healed people. I don’t like perfumers or incenses, but your eyes were shining so brightly that I felt like I could trust you. So, I humoured you and used the incense.”
His face told her that he had been unwilling to do so, but she was sure that he was someone who wouldn’t lie.
He was a righteous man who could give fair assessments even if it was for something he didn’t like.
“I couldn’t sleep recently because of the ache, but after burning the incense, I slept well until morning. It’s been a long time since I’ve slept this well… I didn’t want to rely on incenses or medicine.”
She was certain that he meant what he had said in the last sentence.
“I think you can rely on incenses and medicine when you need them. You only live once, so I think it’s better to use what you can to live a happy and relaxing life rather than suffer from poor conditions. You may harm your body if you use medicine too much, but incenses aren’t harmful to your body no matter how many times you use it.”
“That may be true, but I feel that relying on incenses and medicine is a sign of weakness.”
“Garan-sama… I’m sure you’re a strong person, Garan. But I think you should rely on what you can rely on and use that strength for something else.”
Garan blinked several times. Then, he laughed.
“I’ve never heard someone say that before. But you may be right. When you’re in pain, you’re so occupied with yourself, so you can’t think of others. Instead, it’s better to use what you can to have more room in your heart.”
When the usually stern General smiles, he is a refreshing and charming man.
“At any rate, I’m curious as to how you knew that I was in pain. No one noticed I was since I didn’t let it show in my face or in my attitude.”
“Actually, my sense of smell is very special.”
She told Garan about her super olfaction, and how she was able to detect that he was in pain from the scent of his sweat.
“… It’s unbelievable. But it’s true that you noticed that I was in pain. And I don’t think you would lie.”
Garan was confused, but he seemed convinced. Riri smiled at him.
“Thank you for believing me, Garan.”
“I believe you, but the court does not. Everyone thinks that you’re the culprit.”
Garan sighed and folded his arms. The incident in the hall replayed in Riri’s mind.
“But it’s not easy to make a poisonous incense. Incenses are originally meant to heal people. You need a very special method to mix poisonous incenses…”
As she thought about this, a word suddenly popped into her mind.
“… Dark Perfumers?”
“Why do you know those words?!”
Garan’s expression suddenly became stern. She was confused and searched through her memories.
“… I don’t know. They’re just words that suddenly popped into my head when I was thinking about poisonous incenses. What are Dark Perfumers? From the way you asked me that question, you must know what they are, right?”
The word ‘Dark Perfumers’ left such a strong impression on her that she couldn’t get it out of her head once she thought about it. Her heart was filled with anxiety. She knew those words, but she couldn’t figure out what it meant. But every time she thought of the words ‘Dark Perfumers’, she felt a shiver run down her spine, so she knew that she was frightened by those words.
“You said those words without knowing what they mean? What’s the meaning of this?”
“I think I might have heard it from Father. Actually, my memories of him are fuzzy. I was ten when he passed away, so I think I should remember more about him, but I can’t even remember what he looks like. I think the shock of his death was so strong that my memories of him became fuzzy.”
Garan pondered for a while then turned his attention to her.
“… Alright. I’ll tell you about the Dark Perfumers. But this is one of the national secrets. Don’t tell anyone about this. I’m telling you because you’re being framed for assassination.”
She nodded seriously and Garan sighed.
“Dark Perfumers are those who specialise in poisonous incenses. We don’t know how many of them there are or what they’re like, but they’re… they’re an assassination squad.”
“An assassination squad?! So, they’re criminals? Why haven’t they been arrested?”
Garan looked grim.
“We wouldn’t be having this much trouble if they were easy to catch. We are currently investigating them in secret for various reasons. I suspect that the Dark Perfumers are involved in this matter.”
Riri was curious about what those reasons were. But she probably couldn’t ask about it since he hadn’t told her about them.
“Riri, those who don’t know about the existence of the Dark Perfumers think that you’re the culprit. You know about incenses and you could hold a grudge against His Majesty since he expelled your father from court. It’s natural for them to think that you concocted your own poisonous incense and made His Majesty smell it.”
“I do know about incenses, but I can’t make poisonous incenses… I’m really an amateur who hasn’t even passed the Imperial Exam.”
She didn’t want to say this, but she knew she had to confess this in order to prove her innocence, so she spoke heavily.
“An amateur? Ridiculous. You made an incense that took away my pain. You said that you created an incense that was close to the treasured incense, didn’t you? That’s something that the best perfumers of the Department of Incenses couldn’t do no matter how many are there.”
Garan laughed as if he didn’t believe her, but when he saw that she had her head hung down with a gloomy expression on her face, he looked at her through the wooden bars as if panicking.
“Wait. You’re serious? What do you mean by that?”
“Actually, the only incenses that I can make that have any real effects are the ones I made while remembering how my father made them. My nose remembers the scents of my father’s incenses, and I can make the same painkillers and cough suppressant incenses as he did. But I can’t create new incenses myself…”
The main role of a perfumer was to create different mixing methods and create incenses with new effects.
The Imperial Exam for perfumers included a written and practical test in which they demonstrated the incense that they had created.
“For example, let’s say I create an incense that is effective for healing your sore throat using my own mixing methods. But the incense I would end up with would have a different effect, for instance, making you lose your voice instead of relieving the pain.”
She recalled the failed incenses she had made so far. She had made an incense for curing sore throats before. In fact, instead of losing her own voice, her voice turned into the low, harsh tone of a man’s. This went on for a month, and she lived everyday half in tears while trying not to speak and wondering what she would do if her real voice never returned.
Honestly, this was also the fatal weakness that Kousho had pointed out to her when she asked him to let her participate in the perfumers meeting.
(Like Kousho-sama said, I’m an amateur perfumer. I can only make incenses that Father used to make…)
“Really? You confidently said in front of His Majesty that you could make the treasured incense.”
“If you think I’m lying, then you could ask Mokuren. He will testify that I have a good nose and can make incenses, but I’m not good at making new incenses.”
Garan’s dumbfounded look was painful.
“That’s why I’m not good enough as a perfumer to create poisonous incenses. But I really wanted to prove that Father had created the treasured incense. I feel bad for pushing my way into the inner palace even though I’m only an amateur…”
Her words gradually got quieter and quieter. The dumbfounded Garan took a deep breath.
“If what you say is true, then you’re certainly not capable of assassination. And I know very well that you want to heal people with incenses. And I know very well that you want to heal people with incenses. There’s no way you would kill His Majesty with your precious incenses.”
Garan’s eyes became gentle. She was relieved that he believed she was innocent.
Then, she said something that had been bothering her ever since she was locked in this prison.
“I’m changing the topic, but do you know what happened to my maid, Kyouka? I was worried that she would be suspected as well since I’ve been locked up.”
Ryouka knew that Riri was going to enter the inner palace under false pretences and came with her. She didn’t want to cause any trouble for Ryouka.
“Oh, the soldiers seized the maid.”
“No way…! Ryouka has nothing to do with this. Please let her go!”
Riri gasped since the situation was as she had feared. She was so worried about Ryouka that she almost stopped breathing.
“It’s alright. I’ve put her in a different prison, but the guards have been ordered not to handle her roughly. I will take full responsibility for her safety.”
She relaxed after hearing those words and collapsed on the spot.
“Riri, leave the culprit to me. You and your maid will be released immediately after the real culprit is caught. I’ll prove your innocence.”
Garan patted Riri’s head through the wooden bars. The warmth and size of his hand almost brought tears to her eyes.
“… Thank you very much. But please let me do something too.”
“No, you stay here and behave yourself. Alright?”
He emphasised and she could only nod reluctantly.
Garan left the prison, and the soldier was back as if they were changing places.
Riri looked at the soldier who was standing with his back towards her and sorted what she knew in her mind.
(From what Garan was saying earlier, there’s a high possibility that the culprit is a Dark Perfumer. But when and where did they plant the poisonous incense for His Majesty to smell? The incense I burnt definitely didn’t contain any poison.)
Her nose, which she prided herself in, can detect even the slightest difference in fragrance. If there were any poisons mixed in her incense, then she would definitely know. If so, where had His Majesty smelt the incense?
(The area where His Majesty was sitting first might be suspicious. It was far away, and the hall was open and well ventilated. There were more than a hundred people in the hall, and their scents were mixed together, so if someone had burnt a poisonous incense in the area where His Majesty had been sitting, then even my super olfaction wouldn’t be able to detect it. I might be able to find something if I look around that place.)
She was sure that she would be able to detect traces of poison with her olfaction. But the longer it took, the fainter the scent became. If she delayed her search any longer, then she wouldn’t be able to smell the traces of the poison at all.
She looked at the soldier again. She didn’t think that he would let her out if she asked. She might be able to get out if she asked the soldier to get Garan and explained her idea to him, but the traces of the poisonous incense will disappear.
(Since it’s like this…)
She reached into her chest and pulled out a small, portable incense burner that she had hidden. She always had this incense burner, materials and a flint with her at all times. She was subjected to a physical examination when she was taken to jail, but the soldiers had been reluctant to touch her since they had been taught strictly to be afraid to even speak to women from the inner palace. Thanks to that, they didn’t examine her chest area and her incense tools were somehow safe.
(I wonder if I can make a useful incense with the materials that I have now… Oh, that’s right! I can make that incense with the materials that I have. But…)
The incense she came up with was a ‘sleeping incense’. She had made incenses that made people drowsy many times before, but this was a unique version of it that made you fall asleep as if you had just fainted just by smelling it. She had made it to help people who were suffering from insomnia, but if she could put the soldier to sleep with this incense, then she could escape.
(The problem is that my own incense concoctions have rarely been successful. The sleeping incense doesn’t make me feel sleepy at all.)
The odds of it succeeding were pretty slim, but she knew she couldn’t just sit here and do nothing. She thought about how she could improve the sleeping incense and calculated the ingredients and measurements she needed in order to make it. She mixed the ingredients together and put them into the incense burner in a way that went unnoticed by the soldier. Then, she screamed with all her might.
“Kyah! It’s a rat!”
“What? Where?”
“It’s running down the hall! People say that rats bring plagues, so we have to get rid of it quickly.”
She pointed at the corridor outside of the prison. The soldier rushed to the end of the corridor.
When she was sure that he was out of sight, she struck the flint and lit the incense burner.
“It seems like it ran away.”
She hid the incense burner behind her back and the soldier returned. Then, he turned his back towards her and kept watch again.
(Alright. I got it lit. This is an odourless incense, so he shouldn’t be able to detect the smell.)
She watched her surroundings, then approached the wooden bars, and put the incense burner near the soldier.
She stepped back so that she wouldn’t inhale the scent, and lightly fanned the smoke with her sleeve so that it would go towards the soldier.
(It should have an immediate effect, so if I could just hold my breath for a while…)
She prayed and looked at the soldier. When the smoke reached the soldier on the other side of the wooden bars, he suddenly bent down.
“Uooah…!”
“Yay! Did it go well…?!”
She cheered for a moment. The soldier, who should have fallen asleep, turned towards her.
The soldier’s eyes were shining, he was breathing really heavily. Then, he roared.
“Uoooah! I’m on fire-!”
She looked at the soldier who was banging his head against the wooden bars and was troubled that she had made the same mistake as before.
“Why are you getting excited instead of falling asleep?! Isn’t that the exact opposite effect-?!”
Actually, she was too embarrassed to admit this to Garan, but her own incenses often had the opposite effect of what she was aiming for. She tried to change the amount, but she failed again this time.
“What should I do? What if he doesn’t fall asleep…? Hmm?”
The soldier ran back and forth through the narrow corridor of the prison. The cell that Riri was in was at the very end with a wall to her left. The soldier rushed into the wall.
“Uooah! Gaah!”
Perhaps the soldier ran too fast since he couldn’t stop and crashed into the wall with a tremendous thud.
He slumped down in front of her. She reached out at him through the wooden bars and found that he seemed to have fainted.
“I’m sorry for burning a weird incense. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. I can’t escape like this… Huh? That’s the key to this cell on your hip, isn’t it?”
The soldier had fainted near the bars, and the key was within her reach.
“Hmmm. I didn’t mean for things to turn out like this. I was supposed to put him to sleep with the sleeping incense, and then make a quick escape from this cell with the key. How can I be an inspiring perfumer when I had failed to make the incense I wanted…? The soldier just happened to faint nearby so I could get the key.”
She didn’t know whether to be happy or sad, but for now, she had to get out of here and find out more about the poisonous incense. She almost cried about how unskilled she was, but she reached out and took the key.
“I’m sorry, I’ll be borrowing this.”
She struck her hand out of the wooden bars and unlocked the door. She sneaked out through the open door.
“Get yourself together. I can’t accept this but it’s fine. Now, I have to hurry and get out into the corridor.”
She took a deep breath and started running outside.
The sun was setting when Riri emerged from the prison. She headed towards the hall, being careful not to be seen.
“Who is it?!”
As she was running through the garden, she heard a voice from behind her. At the same time, a light shone on her.
This is bad, she yelled in her mind as she quickly turned the corner.
“Wait! Suspicious person!”
She looked back as she ran and saw that two soldiers were chasing after her. Not wanting to be caught here, she ran as fast as she could while gasping. After a while, she saw a familiar building.
(It’s the Beautiful Flower Palace! Only the royal family and authorised guards are allowed to enter there.)
She went inside through the backdoor and ran up the corridor. She noticed the storage room in front of her after running for a while.
“If it’s there…”
She had run too much and reached her limit. She went into the storage room, closed the door and held her breath.
“They must have gone this way.”
The voice sounded very close. Her pursuers had unexpectedly entered the inner palace.
“We’ve just had an assassination attempt on His Majesty. We’ve been ordered to capture anyone who looks suspicious. Find them!”
The soldier sounded as if he was panicking.
“I can’t go out. I guess I’ll have to hide here until night falls.”
The more time passed, the fainter the scent of the poisonous incense would become. She didn’t have time to wait until nightfall. As she sat there, holding her breath, she heard the footsteps of the soldiers moving away.
“Thank god… It seems they’ve gone somewhere else.”
The door suddenly opened while she was feeling relieved. It was so sudden that she didn’t have time to hide.
She braced herself to see if the soldiers had found her, but it was Hisui who was standing there.
“So, it is you. I heard you got arrested for trying to assassinate His Majesty.”
Hisui had on a poker face like always. Riri stood up quickly and shook her head frantically.
“No, I’m not the culprit. I escaped from my cell to catch the real culprit…”
Hisui hadn’t supported Juka and Ranran’s bullying, but she didn’t stop them either. She was sure Hisui didn’t like her, so it was pointless to say anything here, but she wanted Hisui to pretend that she hadn’t seen Riri here.
“Who’s there?!”
Riri heard the soldier’s voice. They seemed to have returned. There was only one door in the storage room.
Hisui was standing at the door. Even if Riri pushed Hisui out of the way and ran, there was a good chance that the soldiers would catch her.
(I’m doomed…!)
She shut her eyes and heard a rattling sound. She opened her eyes in surprise and saw that the door was closed.
“What’s going on?”
Before Riri could comprehend the situation, she heard Hisui’s voice from the other side of the door. She was talking to the soldier. Riri thought that Hisui was going to hand her over to the soldiers but wondered why she had closed the door if that was the case.
“We saw someone enter the inner palace and are pursuing them.”
“I saw a strange woman running that way.”
(What? Why are you lying when I’m right here?)
She heard the soldier’s voice from outside the door while she was puzzled.
“Really?”
The soldier seemed doubtful, but Hisui raised her voice coldly.
“Yes. I am Jin Hisui. Are you saying that I, as the daughter of the Grand Chancellor, would lie? Oh yes, as you probably know, this is the Beautiful Flower Palace, Kousho-sama’s inner palace. If a man enters the inner palace without permission, then they will be executed. Won’t you be prosecuted for entering the inner palace without permission even if you’re chasing a suspicious person?”
“Consort Hisui…?! I, I’m sorry! We were rushing, but it was a mistake to enter the inner palace without permission. I will immediately inform the guards of the inner palace about the suspicious person and leave.”
The soldier’s attitude changed at once and he apologised earnestly. Then, Riri heard Hisui’s gentle voice.
“You’re just doing your job. It’s alright. Hurry up and leave.”
Riri heard the footsteps of the soldier moving away. The door opened as she widened her eyes in confusion and Hisui stepped into the storage room again. She widened her eyes in disbelief. She had thought that Hisui would turn her into the soldiers, but she had actually covered for her instead.
“You want to know why I saved you? I’m afraid I don’t know why myself.”
Hisui looked beautiful even when she was troubled. Hisui sighed softly.
“I thought you were someone who I didn’t have to worry about. Juka and Ranran didn’t seem like they like you, but if you ran away from their bullying then you aren’t suited for the inner palace. It doesn’t matter to me if you’re gone, so I thought I should just let them do what they want.”
Riri remembered that Hisui always looked at Juka, Ranran and herself with cold eyes.
“But I was shocked when you said that we should make our own dreams come true. Ever since I was a child, I was taught that the happiness of women in this kingdom is to become the wife of a virtuous person. That’s what I’ve been told my whole life…”
Hisui choked on her words then. Her expression changed for the first time.
“But the truth is, I really hated being told this…!”
Her face contorted and tears welled up in her eyes. The beautiful Hisui was always expressionless.
Riri had thought she looked like a doll, but her crying face was cute and appropriate for her age.
“I’ve been in love with Kousho-sama since the first time I saw him. I would love to be his wife, but I wouldn’t like to be the wife of another man, no matter how virtuous he may be. It’s my life. I want to marry the person I love.”
This was something that Hisui kept deep within her.
“I actually wanted to study more. I always hated being told that all women should do is dress up and smile.”
Hisui was a proud woman, so she couldn’t stand being controlled.
“I wanted to learn the same things that my brothers are learning. But I was told to restrain myself because I’m a girl. I was told that men don’t like women who are smarter than they are. I thought I had to live like I was told to, but after hearing your words, I realised that maybe I could choose a different path.”
Hisui stared at Riri with her tear-filled eyes.
“You’re a woman, yet you said your dream is to become a perfumer… I’m jealous since I’m not allowed to have a dream or even talk about my dreams.”
Hisui was born into a high ranked noble family. Riri thought that Hisui was pretty and lived a life without any problems. However, different people have different ideas about what made them happy. Happiness to Hisui is using her talents and living her own life rather than living under protection.
“… Consort Hisui. As I’ve said before, dreams are meant to be fulfilled. No matter how difficult it may seem, you are free to set it as your goal. Everyone can dream. It doesn’t matter if you’re a man or a woman. I don’t think it’s bad for you to have a dream and to say it out loud.”
Riri smiled and Hisui bit her lip.
“It’s not that easy. It is my fate as the daughter of the Grand Chancellor… Go.”
Hisui suddenly strained her expression and raised her voice in a dignified manner. Then, she pointed at the door.
“I don’t think you tried to kill His Majesty. Since it’s you, I’m sure you want to investigate this yourself. This is also something you need to do in order to achieve your dream, so do what you want. But the soldiers might catch you if you’re dressed like that, so why don’t you change into a maid’s uniform? I’ll bring you the robes.”
“Are you sure? If they find out you helped me then even you will be charged as my accomplice.”
“Our situation will go bad if it turns out that there’s a criminal in the Beautiful Flower Palace. At the very least, catch the real culprit and prove your innocence. I’ll help you do that.”
Riri couldn’t help but smile as Hisui raised her head aloofly.
“Thank you very much…!”
“Don’t get me wrong. I really like Kousho-sama. So, this is the only time I’ll be helping you. Find the culprit and return to the Beautiful Flower Palace as soon as you can.”
“I’ll definitely come back. Let’s work together to achieve our dreams, Consort Hisui.”
Hisui smiled softly. Riri bowed her head deeply in gratitude as Hisui closed the door behind her and left.