It had been raining lightly since morning. Riri opened the window to her room and looked at the garden which was facing the corridor.
The stones in the garden were wet and a white mist covered the area from the rain.
“I can’t burn incenses in the rear garden today.”
She closed the door while sighing and sat down in front of her desk.
“I want to make the treasured incense as soon as I can…”
She had promised the Emperor that she would have the treasured incense ready by the time Kousho took over the throne in 10 months time. She had been working every day to make the treasured incense, but it hasn’t been going well.
She had been trying to secretly make the treasured incense at the Beautiful Flower Palace, but it smelled bad sometimes when she burnt the incenses that she had made. The Ministry of Incense had rooms that were specially designed to prevent fragrances from leaking out of the room, but that wasn’t the case with the Beautiful Flower Palace. There are times when the stench bothered the people around her.
Therefore, she usually went to the secluded rear garden to make the treasured incense, but she had no choice but to suspend her work when it was raining.
“There’s nothing I can do. I’ll just mix today and burn the incenses outside tomorrow after the rain stops. It won’t stink if I don’t burn incenses, so I won’t bother the people around me.”
She turned her attention to the mortar on her desk. It was an old mortar with scratches and stains on it. She had been given a new mortar when she had entered the inner palace, but she had been using this one for a long time and was used to it, so she had only been using her old mortar to make incenses lately. In the ceramic mortar was a pastille made from mixing several materials. She added a bit of aloes wood and sandalwood to the pastille and mixed it all together.
Her current goal was to make something that smelled exactly like the treasured incense that her late father had made, using her sense of smell that can detect the emotions of others through their sweat. A small difference in ingredients can create a completely different scent. That was why she paid the most attention to the mixture of ingredients.
She kneaded the mixed fragrance with honey again to harden it and put the finished black pastille, which was the size of the tip of her pinkie, onto a white parcel. She really wanted to burn it right away to check the fragrance, but she held back.
She suddenly remembered something as she placed the white parcel onto her desk.
“Oh, I wanted to read some books on materials. It’s a nice day to read since it’s raining. I’ll take my time and read. I’m sure I put it over here…”
She approached the cabinet on the wall. She was certain that she had put the book that she had asked Kousho to get her in here, but she couldn’t find it. She tilted her head in confusion.
“Riri-sama, I’ve brought you some tea.”
It was Ryouka. I turned around and replied, “Come in,” and she came in carrying a tray of tea utensils on it.
“You can leave the tea there… Oh yeah, I’ve made the incense that you asked me to make for easing pain. It’s over there. You can take it.”
She said to Ryouka as she searched through the cabinet again.
“Thank you very much. My teeth have been aching since yesterday.”
“Really? Then, you can burn it now.’
The incense pastille was always placed on the shelf built into the wall. She had written Ryouka’s name on the paper that the incense was wrapped in it, so she thought that Ryouka would know which one it was straight away.
“Ah, this? I’m borrowing your incense burner.”
She listened to Ryouka’s voice coming from her back as she smiled when she spotted the book she wanted at the back of the cabinet.
“Here it is! … Huh?”
An unpleasant smell hit her nose as soon as she talked.
She turned pale and turned back at the terrible stench. It smelled as if fish had gone bad.
“Ryouka! That’s not the right incense…!”
Ryouka was burning the incense that Riri had just finished making.
Ryouka quickly tried to cover the incense burner, but it was too late.
“It stinks…!”
She was weak against bad smells because of her strong sense of smell. She managed to hold back the nausea that was rising up in her by holding her nose.
Ryouka also held her mouth and nose and her eyes turned red.
“Ughh…!”
Riri immediately rushed over and covered the incense burner that was emitting white smoke, but the stench had already spread throughout the room. She couldn’t do anything about the scent, so she opened the door wide open.
Then she took a deep breath of clean air.
“What the hell?! What’s this smell?!”
The door to her right was open wide, startling her. A beautiful woman who was a little older than Riri came out of the door. Her beautiful face was coloured in anger as she approached Riri.
“It’s you again, Consort Riri! I told you not to mix incenses in your room!”
The door to her left also opened and a woman dressed in a blue hanfu came running out.
“Consort Riri! You were allowed to enter the Beautiful Flower Palace because you can mix incenses, correct? Why do you keep burning those disgusting scents?! How many times do I have to tell you that it’s a nuisance?!”
The two women shouted at her, and she quickly kneeled down with her hands on the floor.
“I’m so sorry!”
Ryouka also kneeled down and bowed her head.
“It was a mistake. I burnt the wrong incense…”
“It doesn’t matter if it was a mistake or not. The problem is that the incense you burnt smells really bad! Listen, Consort Riri. Don’t ever make incenses in that room again.”
“But…!”
It was a secret that she was trying to make the legendary treasured incense, so she couldn’t tell them what was going on. The ladies stood in front of Riri with their hands on their hips while she was baffled.
“My nose is going to drive me crazy if I always have to smell these horrible scents! I heard that you have permission from Kousho-sama to make incenses, but we’re all annoyed by this stench, so I’m going to complain about you. I’m sure Kousho-sama will take our words into consideration.”
The ladies who have gathered at the Beautiful Flower Palace are from good families. Kousho will not be able to ignore them if they all complain together. Riri was burning repugnant-smelling incenses, so she was definitely bothering the ladies.
“I’ll let you off the hook this time, but if you make it stink again, then I’ll really complain. Keep that in mind.”
The ladies returned to their rooms in anger. When they were out of sight, Ryouka and Riri stood up and walked back into the room while looking down in despair.
“I’m sorry, Riri-sama. It’s all because I burnt the wrong incense.”
“It’s not your fault. It’s my fault for leaving the wrong incense on the desk. I should have told you that the incense I made for you was on the shelf, but I was busy trying to find my book. But this is bad. I guess I can’t burn incenses in my room anymore.”
“It’s supposed to be sunny tomorrow, so you can continue to mix your incenses in the rear garden.”
“That’s all I can do for now. But it’s not a good idea for me to mix in the rear garden since I’m supposed to be making the incense in secret. It also depends on the weather… I guess I really do have to excel in the beauty pageant so that I can be chosen as one of the Four Consorts and get my own palace.”
Even so, she didn’t believe that she could compete with ladies from good families and win.
Riri heard a voice from outside while pondering.
“Riri, are you there?”
It was a man’s voice even though they were in the Beautiful Flower Palace.
When Ryouka opened the door, Riri saw a tall man wearing an iron breastplate standing in the corridor.
“What’s wrong, Garan?”
He was Gou Garan. He had short black hair, a large build and a manly face. He was the general who was in charge of the Shinzui army, and he was also in charge of protecting the palace. He was the only man outside of the royal family who was allowed to enter the inner palace without permission.
The large cloth that he wore over his shoulders was sewn with a golden winged phoenix, who was revered as a lucky omen in Shinzui. Garan held the title of Phoenix, which is said to be the second highest position after the Emperor. He stared at Riri with his sharp black eyes.
Normally, she would be afraid to speak to him, but they had become friends now, and they called each other by name.
Garan beckoned at her. Although he was allowed to enter the inner palace without permission, he couldn’t enter a lady’s room without reason. Riri walked out into the corridor with Ryouka, then Garan spoke quietly.
“Riri, the details of the beauty pageant have been announced. Have you heard anything?”
“Really? I haven’t heard anything. Can you tell me about it?”
Garan folded his arms and nodded.
“The beauty pageant will first hold a preliminary screening. The preliminary screening tests a lady’s mannerism, and their knowledge on the history and politics of Shinzui. The judges are divided into two groups and they will interview each of the ladies. Then, they will narrow the ladies down to ten before choosing four ladies to become the Four Consorts.”
She felt her hands tremble with nervousness at the thought of the beauty pageant finally being held.
She suppressed that feeling and looked up at Garan.
“So, I’ll have to make it through two rounds, the preliminary screening and the final round. First is the preliminary screening.”
Ryouka leaned forward as she was thinking.
“I think you have a good chance of getting excellent grades for your mannerism. I’ve been working in the palace since I was a child, and I’ve seen all kinds of ladies, but I’ve always thought that your mannerisms are beautiful. You’re not too pushy and you don’t overdo it.”
It was Riri’s first time hearing such a compliment. When she stared at Ryouka in surprise, Ryouka continued.
“It might sound disrespectful for me to say this, but I think mannerism and etiquette should be trained from a young age. From the first time I met you, I thought that you must have been trained well by your parents.”
(Both Mother and Father were very strict about mannerisms. Mother was still very strict about it even when we lived in poverty downtown. She said that manners are very important.)
Perhaps the fruits of her parent’s hard work in disciplining her have finally shown results.
“In my opinion, it’s not just a dream for you to pass the preliminary screening if you can get an excellent score in the exam that tests your knowledge.”
Ryouka’s words filled Riri with confidence since she had seen many ladies before.
“I think I can handle the mannerism part of the screening then, but the problem is my knowledge. I know a lot about incenses, but I need to learn more about this kingdom.”
She saw Garan look stern as she was thinking.
“But there are only three days left until the preliminary rounds. I’m not sure you can study everything on your own by then.”
“Huh?! It’s in three days?!”
She raised her voice and Garan nodded.
“I’m sure the preliminary process will take a few days, so you may have a little more time depending on the order of the interviews. But you should assume that you will be interviewed on the first day. Noble ladies from good families participate in the beauty pageant, so it’s natural for them to be able to do it. While everyone is able to do it, the judges are seeing how beautiful their mannerisms are and how much knowledge they have.”
“Woah! That sounds tough. I wonder if it’s possible for me to obtain enough knowledge to beat the other ladies in three days?”
“Riri, I’m actually here to make a suggestion. I can give you lectures on Shinzui and national politics if you want. I know the person who makes the question for the preliminary round, so I can predict the questions he’s likely to give, so I can give you lectures that cover those areas. You can get through the preliminaries if you memorize these things well.”
The smile on his face coupled with his manly features almost captivated Riri for a moment.
“Really? I’d love that, but I know you’re busy with work. I can’t ask you to take time out of your busy schedule to help me.”
“I don’t mind. Kousho-sama wants you to become one of the Four Consorts and has ordered me to teach you. Besides, you’re my friend. I want to help you as much as I can.”
(Kousho-sama did…? I see. He said he wanted me to become one of the Four Consorts to buy time until he could meet his first love.)
He must have thought of some way for this to happen and sent Garan to help her.
Riri smiled, put her hand to her chest and looked up at Garan.
“Thanks. I might have hope of winning if you can help me. Please teach me.”
She bowed and Garan nodded. Then, Garan looked around and lowered his voice.
“There’s also something else I want to ask you, it’s about Mokuren.”
Her heart almost stopped when she heard Mokuren’s name. Ryouka, who was standing beside her, looked up with a frown.
Mokuren was her incense master. He was also Riri and Ryouka’s benefactor.
She trusted him and loved him.
However, he is the head of the Dark Perfumers who are trying to rebel against the Emperor by starting a revolution.
The Dark Perfumers were originally an assassination squad that directly reported to the Emperor.
However, they were banished from the palace due to a certain failure.
They resented the Emperor for abandoning them and were now watching vigilantly to get their hands on this kingdom.
Ryouka looked down and let out a trembling voice.
“Why did Mokuren-sama do something as terrible as trying to assassinate the Emperor?”
The Emperor’s attempted assassination took place last month. At the perfumers meeting, the Emperor, Ju Reibun, smelled an incense, vomited blood and fainted. People suspected that Riri had used a poisonous incense and the people in court thought she was the culprit.
However, the real culprit was Mokuren. He left the palace after the whole assassination attempt was revealed to Kousho.
Since Mokuren’s incident involved the Dark Perfumers, who are a national secret, only those involved knew the full details of what happened. Ryouka knew that Mokuren had caused that incident, but she didn’t know the exact details. Garan softly looked down.
“It appears that Mokuren was originally trying to remind Riri about how to prepare the treasured incense. He was going to pretend that he had made the treasured incense after he learnt how to make it, so that he could receive the ‘Qilin’ title and bring about a revolution.”
The Emperor who rules the kingdom receives the ‘Dragon’ title, the General who is said to be the Emperor’s guardian deity and is in charge of the army receives the ‘Phoenix’ title, and the Master Perfumer who is said to protect the kingdom with a benevolent heart receives the ‘Qilin’.
Those who hold the ‘Phoenix’ and ‘Qilin’ titles are supposed to govern the kingdom in accordance to how the Emperor rules.
The ‘Dragon’ and ‘Phoenix’ titles have been given to those who have become emperors and generals for generations.
However, the ‘Qilin’ title was only given to those who could make the treasured incense, regardless of their rank or birth.
“Why does Mokuren-sama want to start a horrible revolution…?”
Ryouka was in tears. Garan kneeled down and made eye contact with her.
“Mokuren said that he holds the dark ‘Nine-Tailed Fox’ title as the head of the Dark Perfumers. The Nine-Tailed Fox is the imperial family’s guardian deity, but it is said that they encourage revolution when they deem their master lacks virtue. He told Kousho-sama that he would start a revolution according to the meaning of the dark title he holds.”
Ryouka let out a sob. Riri gently put a hand on her shoulder.
Riri had heard that directly from Mokuren. She strongly wanted to stop him.
“Garan… Do you know where Mokuren is?”
She wanted to cry with Ryouka, but she held it in. Garan shook his head.
“No. We’re still looking for him. I mobilised a large number of soldiers to find him, but we still can’t find a trace of him after he left the palace. You and Ryouka were close to him, right? I was wondering if you might have any idea where he might be.”
Ryouka and Riri looked at each other, then Ryouka turned to face Garan.
“I haven’t heard from him since he left the palace and I rarely meet him outside of the palace, so I have no idea where he might be. I’m sorry I can’t be of any help…”
Ryouka looked down and Garan raised a hand in panic.
“I’m sorry to remind you of something painful. I just asked you two because we haven’t been able to find any clues about where he might be. Mokuren’s goal is to retrieve the memory that Riri has of how to prepare the treasured incense. I’m sure he’ll try again. So, I wanted to catch him as soon as possible.”
The treasured incense could manipulate a person’s memory and could have terrifying effects depending on how it is used.
The ‘Memory Erasing Incense’ and the ‘Memory Restoring Incense’ make the treasured incense. When Riri was younger, her father, who was the head of the Ministry of Incense, used to sneak her into the palace, and she watched him make the treasured incense then.
However, her memories of that time were erased by the treasured incense that her father had made. Her father passed away six years ago, so the only way for her to find out how to make the treasured incense was to recall the memories that lay dormant in her head.
Garan gave her a worried look.
“If Riri regains her memory, and Mokuren finds out how to prepare the treasured incense then the worst case scenario will happen, and this kingdom will be shaken. I want to capture Mokuren before that happens.”
Ryouka gripped the hand that was resting on her knee.
“If there’s anything I can do to help, then I’ll do it. Mokuren-sama saved my sick mother with his incense. He’s a very kind and good person. I don’t want him to do something terrible like cause a revolution.”
Riri nodded at Ryouka’s words.
“Yes. Mokuren isn’t a bad person. He helped me a lot when I was younger. Mokuren said he was kind to me because he wanted to find out how to make the treasured incense…”
Riri felt as if her heart was being squeezed tight when she thought about Mokuren.
“But I can’t dislike him. There will come a day when we can understand each other.”
Mokuren said he wanted to create a kingdom where men, women and even statuses were equal. That was also her ideal world. However, she believed that it was possible to create this ideal kingdom without fighting if she could create the treasured incense. If she could create the treasured incense and become a Master Perfumer, then she could create a kingdom where women could work in central roles.
She believed that she could change the kingdom without having to start a revolution if she could do that.
Her idea was supported by the next Emperor, Kousho, as well as General Garan, who held the Phoenix title.
“Let’s capture Mokuren first to save him from his sad fate of seeking out revenge. I’ll take care of that. Riri, you go ahead and make the treasured incense.”
Riri nodded at Garan. Thanks to Kousho, she had the precious materials and tools needed for making the treasured incense.
Next, she needed an environment where she could concentrate on concocting.
The effects of the treasured incense were a national secret and only the royal family and a few perfumers knew what it did.
She had discussed with the Emperor and Kousho that it would be better to keep the fact that she was trying to make it a secret.
That was why she was in the Beautiful Flower Palace where people wouldn’t see her rather than the Ministry of Incense.
Garan slowly smiled.
“You need a palace so you can concentrate on concocting incenses. But Riri, you should only think about how to become one of the Four Consorts first. I’ll support you as much as I can.”
She didn’t believe that she could win against more than 100 noble ladies, but she might be able to since Garan and Ryouka were supporting her. The thought of them helping her gave her courage.
“Thanks, Garan and Ryouka.”
She looked at Garan and Ryouka who nodded.
“How’s Riri?”
Kousho was sitting on an upholstered chair. The unadorned chair might be considered plain for a Crown Prince to use, but he liked it because it was comfortable and practical.
He always questioned the dazzling decorations in the palace since he was a child, so he decorated his room in a calm colour scheme. He turned his attention to Garan, who was kneeling beside him. Garan bowed.
“I’m guarding her under the pretext of teaching her, but there haven’t been any signs of her being targeted so far.”
Kousho felt relieved when he heard that. He recalled the Tsubaki mochi that Riri said he had sent to her. He also felt a surge of anger at the same time.
“I don’t know who wrote that the sweets were from me. How dare they bring poisoned sweets in the Beautiful Flower Palace.”
Kousho became suspicious when he saw the Tsubaki mochi. He didn’t remember giving her such a gift. He had a bad feeling about it, so he talked her out of eating them. When he took the Tsubaki mochi and had them examined, he found out that they had been poisoned, just as he had expected them to be.
She was well-protected, but she was going to eat the poisonous Tsubaki mochi. If he hadn’t noticed this then she probably wouldn’t be in this world right now.
The thought of that made him shiver with fear and he closed his eyes.
It had been six years since he had first met her. It was just after his mother had passed away.
At that time due to his position as Crown Prince, he was unable to express his sorrow over his mother’s death and his heart was filled with bitterness. Riri’s olfaction noticed his sorrow even though his father hadn’t noticed it.
‘I can smell a scent of sadness in you,’ she had said. Then, she cried with him since she realised the feelings that he had been holding back. He was able to cry honestly in front of her.
She was his first love.
She had forgotten about that time because of the treasured incense.
If he forced her to remember then her life might be in danger, so he was keeping an eye on her
Riri was important to him. He had been thinking about her for six years. He found out someone was targeting her when he wanted to get closer to her and restore her memories.
If he had been the one targeted, then he would have been aggressive and turned the tables on his attacker, but he felt uneasy since it was Riri who was targeted.
He wanted to protect Riri no matter what.
“But there is one strange thing. Riri’s olfaction should have been able to detect the poison. Her sense of smell is so keen that she would tell how something is made just by smelling it. So why didn’t she notice that the Tsubaki mochi had been poisoned?”
Kousho tilted his head and Garan looked up.
“I had the Ministry of Medicine examine the mochi and they found that the poison was odourless and tasteless.”
“I’m sure it’s a special type of poison since even Riri’s olfaction couldn’t detect it. It wouldn’t have been easy to obtain. Either someone who has special knowledge is the culprit or someone paid a lot of money to buy the poison.”
Garan was about to say something, but he hesitated and turned his head slightly.
“What’s wrong?”
“… This is just a guess, but I think it’s possible that one of the consorts in the Beautiful Flower Palace did it. I think they knew that Riri would be participating in the beauty pageant and that’s why they tried to poison her. Pardon me for saying this, but you spoke to Riri a lot after the perfumers meeting. I think the consorts may have noticed this.”
“So, one of the consorts thought I liked Riri and tried to poison her out of jealousy?”
It’s possible, he thought. At the same time, the nightmare of a few years ago flashed through his mind.
Just remembering that incident made his fists tremble with anger and sadness.
“Yes. I think it’s exactly the same as that situation.”
Garan’s voice wavered as if he was at a loss. He had been in the palace since he was a child and was one of the people who saw that tragic incident. He took a deep breath and suppressed his emotions.
“… I was a child back then and had no power. But I’m different now. I won’t let it happen again. I’ll definitely protect Riri… Garan, analyzw the poison and find the culprit.”
Garan nodded as he kneeled down. Kousho looked at him and softened his voice.
“However, the search for the culprit must be kept a secret. It’s fortunate that Riri didn’t notice the poison. Don’t tell her that there was poison in the mochi. You’re going to stay with Riri and guard her under the pretext of teaching her.”
Kousho didn’t want to make Riri feel uneasy. He wanted to protect her from any danger.
She was ‘special’ to him.
“Understood.”
Garan bowed and left the room without making a sound.
“I might put her in danger by keeping her by my side. But the most important thing I need to do in order to protect Riri right now is…”
It was a hard choice for him to make, but he decided that he had no choice but to carry out his plan.
Riri was so nervous that her heart almost skipped a beat. It was the fourth day of the preliminary screening process. She was fortunate enough to be interviewed on the last day, so for the last seven days, she had been brushing up on her mannerism and learning about history and national politics from Garan.
Finally, today was the day where she could be interviewed for the beauty pageant.
The ladies were summoned one by one to the hall where their greetings and mannerisms were observed, then they would meet the officials in charge of the deliberations and answer questions one at a time. Riri saw Garan behind the open door with his arms folded as she was waiting in the room.
“Take a deep breath, Riri. Your face and body are tense.”
Ryouka, who was in front of Riri, also agreed with him.
“I know, but I’m nervous. What should I do? What if I fail? … Oh. At times like this!”
There was a small incense burner on the desk to her right.
She took a cloth bag from the shelf, put the pastille into the incense burner and lit it.
“This is a calming incense. If I burn this then…”
Ryouka’s face turned into relief as white smoke rose from the incense burner.
“Wow, it smells sweet and sour.”
“Yes. I don’t think the neighbours will complain about this.”
Riri took a deep breath.
She felt her shoulders relax as she breathed in the incense.
“This incense is supposed to help you sleep well, cleanse your body and mind, unify your spirit and ward off disasters. Incenses can be used all the time without harm unlike medicine… My heart isn’t pounding anymore. My body is also starting to relax.”
She suddenly heard a voice while she was closing her eyes and immersing in the scent.
“Consort Riri, the Vice-Chancellor wants to see you.”
She opened her eyes to find an attendant kneeling in the corridor. She took a deep breath and straightened her back.
“I’ll be there.”
She slowly stood up and looked at Garan and Ryouka, then she nodded and left the room.
The tension that had been suffocating her was gone thanks to the incense.
Riri went into the corridor and bowed in front of the door.
“Excuse me.”
When she bowed, a voice could be heard from inside of the room.
“Come in.”
There were three officials in black robes inside of the room. She almost stopped breathing when they all looked at her.
(Calm down. Don’t be afraid. Don’t be too imposing either. Take your time and don’t panic.)
“You are Ren Riri? Please have a seat.”
“Thank you.”
Even her fingertips were tense, but she was able to relax thanks to the incense.
She gracefully stepped forward and sat down, then the man sitting in the middle of the officials spoke.
“I am the head of the Ministry of Palace Affairs, Mei Kourin. This is the first time that we’ve met.”
The Ministry of Palace Affairs is a department in the palace that manages the inner palace. The head of the Ministry of Palace Affairs, Mei Kourin, was in his early forties, and his black hair was neatly tied up in a bun. His thin, piercing eyes stared at her, making her more nervous.
“Yes, it’s nice to meet you.”
She was normally afraid to talk to the head of the Ministry of Palace Affairs as a talented person in Beautiful Flower Palace. When she looked up, she saw that the edges of Kourin’s lips were slightly raised up.
“How is life at the Beautiful Flower palace?”
“Everyone has been very kind to me.”
She thought it was best not to say too much, so she replied briefly to keep the smile on his face.
“The beauty pageant is held to select the Four Consorts who will serve the next emperor, Kousho-sama. The Four Consorts will be in charge of running the Beautiful Flower Palace. Beauty and etiquette are required of the Four Consorts, but they also need the ability to manage over a hundred consorts. Can you take on that responsibility?”
It would be quite difficult to manage a group of high status ladies. She wanted to become one of the Four Consorts, so that she could have her own palace, but she realised once again that it was a difficult role.
“… Yes. I want to serve Kousho-sama with all my heart and soul.”
That wasn’t a lie. Kousho had said that he wanted to create a world where even women can become perfumers when he becomes the emperor. She wanted to live up to his expectations.
“That’s a good answer. I see you’re quite strong-willed. You will have all kinds of temptations when you become one of the Four Consorts. I believe that the Four Consorts must have a strong-will to resist those temptations.”
Kourin’s voice was indifferent. Riri had heard about him from Ryouka.
‘He drove away a consort in the Wing Dance Palace who tried to bribe him’, Ryouka had said.
That consort’s father was said to have a high rank in the palace, but Kourin had stubbornly refused to accept the bribe. He must be tempted a lot since he made various decisions about the inner palaces.
(He seems very scary, but he also seems reasonable from what Ryouka said…)
His features were sharp, and she thought he resembled a snake.
She felt as if he was glaring at her when his narrow eyes fixed on her.
She tried to stop herself from being frightened and straightened her back.
“I will keep what you said in mind. When I become one of the Four Consorts, I will do everything I can to make the Beautiful Flower Palace prosperous for Kousho-sama and the development of Shinzui without giving into temptations.”
She agreed seriously and Kourin smiled slightly. He looked surprisingly kind when he smiled.
“It seems like you have some good points… Come to think of it, there was someone who I respected a long time ago.”
Riri blinked at the sudden change of conversation.
“He was the head of the Ministry of Incense, and he helped people who were suffering from illness by making different incenses. I was also one of the people who he saved. He also devoted his life to making incenses without giving into temptations… You resemble him a lot.”
Riri immediately knew that Kourin was talking about her father, Ou Saido.
Although she had entered the Beautiful Flower Palace under a false identity, her father’s name was known to those who had attended the perfumers meeting. Of course, Kourin knew that Saido was her father as well.
Of course, she wanted to clear her father’s regrets, but she also wanted an environment where she could create the treasured incense in order to realise her dream of becoming a perfumer.
She needed to get through this preliminary round no matter what.
“I also like to make incenses. I want to devote myself to making incenses so that I don’t lose to him. The power of incenses is unlimited. I would like to use that power to help Kousho-sama.”
Kourin nodded in satisfaction.
“I see. I’m relieved to hear that. Now let us begin.”
“Yes.”
Riri replied quietly, she motivated herself and began the preliminary round.
Kourin asked Riri quite a few questions, but she thought she answered them reasonably well even though her answers weren’t perfect. She sighed as a way to get rid of some of her tension.
“… Then, this will be the last question.”
Riri kept her face stiff but felt relieved.
“This question is about Shinzui. What kingdoms are around Shinzui?”
Garan had explained this to her many times. He told her to remember this because she would definitely get this question.
She thanked Garan and stared straight at Kourin.
“To the east, south and north of Shinzui, which is located on the east side of the continent, is the sea, and to the west is Koran. On the west side of the continent across from Koran is Sairin.”
“Then, so you know about the mines that lie between us and Koran?”
“Yes. There’s a lot of gold in the mines. Our neighbouring kingdom, Koran, has been arguing with us over the rights of the mine. However, there hasn’t been a single war since His Majesty, Ju Reibun, started ruling. His Majesty maintained friendly relations with Koran through diplomacy.”
“Which side has the rights to the mines right now?”
“Shinzui. Shinzui has agreed to give a quarter of the mined gold to Koran. The agreement that His Majesty secured at the Three Kingdom Peace Conference 20 years ago will be passed down for years to come.”
Kourin nodded in admiration when she summarised what Garan had taught her.
“Oh, you know about the Three Kingdom Peace Conference as well. Then, I would like you to talk about the conference.”
“The emperors of Shinzui, Koran and Sairin gathered together for the Three Kingdom Peace Conference 20 years ago. Emperor Ju Reibun had just been crowned. In order to resolve the long-running disagreement between Shinzui and Koran, he formally obtained the mining concession on the condition that the Koran Emperor would receive a quarter of the mined gold.”
In words, it sounded simple enough.
However, Koran wouldn’t peacefully give up on mines where gold can be extracted.
That was why there had been a long history of war between Shinzui and Koran.
The things that the three emperors discussed during the conference are not known to the public.
However, the rumours said that Emperor Ju Reibun had allied with the Emperor of Sairin and they drove the Emperor of Koran into a corner. Kourin, who had been expressionless, smiled slightly.
“… That’s a pretty good answer. The Four Consorts support the emperor. They must have a good understanding of state affairs in order to talk with the emperor.”
Kourin put the paper he was holding onto the desk and put his hands on his knees.
“That concludes the interview. The results will be announced tomorrow, so please wait until then.”
“Yes.”
(He said that my answers were good. He was complimenting me, right? I’m glad…!)
She was happy but she didn’t let it show on her face and bowed her head.
“Then, please excuse me.”
She quietly left the room, not letting her guard down until the end.
She closed the door softly and took a deep breath.
She knew she couldn’t be careless even though Kourin had praised her.
There was no way she could easily beat the noble ladies who have been honing their intelligence and beauty since childhood.
Still, she hoped for the best and headed to the back garden where Ryouka and Garan were waiting.
Riri walked up to Ryouka and Garan who were waiting for her in a small pavilion in the back garden.
Ryouka stood up and ran out of the pavilion.
“How was it, Riri-sama?”
“I answered what I could.”
Garan stood in front of her while looking worried.
“How were the questions? Did I guess them right?”
“Yes. You were spot on. Thanks. I managed to answer the questions thanks to you.”
“You were able to answer the questions because you remembered the content well, Riri. That’s good to hear.”
She was happy to hear that. Many of the questions posed by Kourin were quite difficult, but she was able to answer them calmly thanks to the calming incense that she had burnt just before her interview.
She was relieved that she had done her best.
“The results will be announced tomorrow. I just have to wait for them.”
Garan raised his eyebrow slightly.
“I wanted to come with you to hear the results, but I can’t. I just got a message from one of my men, so I’m going to be busy tomorrow. I can’t go with you to hear the results; will you be alright?”
“Yes, I’m fine, but what happened?”
She was worried since the general who was in charge of the army would be busy.
She tilted her head curiously and he looked troubled.
“Actually, I heard that Koran’s Crown Prince will be visiting our kingdom for a few days. He’s here in secret and will be visiting the palace tomorrow.”
Riri couldn’t help but stare at Garan who had his arms folded.
“Koran? The neighbouring kingdom?”
Garan nodded and Ryouka and Riri looked at each other.
“Koran has been at odds with Shinzui over the mines at the border, right? Kourin-sama asked me a question about this earlier.”
“Yeah. We have been able to avoid going to war with them thanks to the Emperor’s diplomatic skills, but we’re still in a tense situation where anything can happen. It will be extremely problematic if something were to happen to Koran’s Crown Prince in our kingdom.”
Ju Reibun is the only Emperor in the long history of Shinzui who has never been to war. He is a wise emperor who worked hard for peace and was respected by kingdoms on the continent where Shinzui is located as well as kingdoms on the other side of the sea where Shinzui traded with by ship. Garan sighed.
“We could have found a way to stop him before he came into the palace if we had known he was coming earlier, but we have no choice but to let him in now since he will be arriving tomorrow. We can’t stop him from entering the palace. But I honestly don’t want him to be here. I want to yell at him and tell him not to come.”
“No way, joking like that doesn’t suit you Garan.”
Riri tried to laugh but she froze when she saw his expression.
“You look scary right now Garan. Were you serious?”
Garan is a polite and serious person. There was no way he would talk like this about the Crown Prince of a neighbouring kingdom.
However, Garan nodded.
“Yeah, I’m serious. I’ve met Koran’s Crown Prince several times, and although this sounds disrespectful, he’s not someone who I’d want to get close to. Kousho-sama and Koran’s Crown Prince have never gotten along, and it’s my job to mediate between them. Frankly, I’m sick of it.”
Riri thought that Koran’s Crown Prince must be a very difficult person to deal with because Garan never spoke like this about someone.
“What does Koran’s Crown Prince want to do in the palace?”
“He’s inspecting the Ministry of Incense. There are perfumers in Koran, but their status isn’t as high as the ones in Shinzui. I’ve heard that their incenses aren’t as developed as they are in Shinzui. He wants to see what the Ministry of Incense is like since they also use incenses to treat the sick in Koran.”
Riri had never been to Koran, but she heard that they had beautiful mountains and lakes. Garan sighed loudly.
“Anyway, I must ask Kousho-sama to refrain from using his poisonous tongue. Of course, I want Koran’s Crown prince to return unharmed, but I also don’t want him to feel uncomfortable. We don’t know how Koran’s Emperor would twist things. We have to be overly cautious.”
Garan was really depressed.
“That sounds tough. Just let me know if there’s anything I can do to help.”
Garan finally smiled kindly.
“Thanks. I’m just happy to hear you say that.”
Riri and Garan smiled at each other, then Garan’s gaze went over her head.
“Kousho-sama.”
Riri turned around at the sound of Garan’s voice and she saw Kousho walking over with four or five noble ladies.
She tilted her head in confusion when she saw this.
(This is rare. I can’t believe he’s in his inner palace, and he’s smiling at the ladies. He always says that he doesn’t want his own inner palace and avoided the ladies.)
Her head was filled with questions, but she kneeled down first. Kousho is the Crown Prince, and the noble ladies had a higher status than her. She had to pay her respects to them.
Garan also got down on one knee and bowed.
“Koran’s Crown Prince will be here tomorrow.”
“I know. Give him the best welcome we can, then get him to leave.”
“Oh my, Kousho-sama. That’s mean.”
The ladies giggled and Kousho smiled at them.
“Koran’s Crown Prince is quite a womanizer. Don’t be tempted by him. I’ll be lonely.”
(What?! What’s with those words?! It was his voice, but it didn’t sound like something he would say.)
Riri stared at him in surprise, but he kept smiling at the noble ladies.
She hadn’t misheard him. Garan also widened his eyes in surprise.
Kousho put his hands around the ladies’ shoulders.
“Now, let’s go, my ladies.”
One of the ladies raised her voice as Kousho was about to step forward.
“Kousho-sama. How about you invite Consort Riri to tea, I heard she’s your favourite.”
Ranran was smiling, but her eyes weren’t. She didn’t approve of Riri entering the Beautiful Flower Palace because she had low status and thought of Riri as an enemy. Kousho glanced at Riri.
“There’s a rumour like that? I can’t believe people are saying that this unattractive, half-developed girl is my favourite. Please stop spreading those rumours since it’ll look like I have bad taste. I occasionally talk to her because I think her nose is handy.”
Riri didn’t understand what he had said for a second and her eyes widened in surprise. She stared at him, and he snorted.
He took the ladies with him as he left. She was dumbfounded as she stared at them leave.
(What’s wrong with him? The way he said that was pretty harsh…)
He had given her sweets and a peach the other day. His attitude was completely different from when he did that.
She knew that Kousho had a sharp tongue, but his current attitude was completely different from how he acted previously.
(He sounded as if he hated me. But why is he acting like that when he asked me to become one of the Four Consorts? Is there a reason behind his actions…?)
She didn’t know what Kousho was thinking. She believed that he was a generous man even though he often spoke coldly. He must have a reason for suddenly changing his attitude.
She thought that it would be bad to ask him for the reason since he hadn’t mentioned it.
After thinking about it, she decided to ask him what was going on the next time she saw him.