The banquet finally began in the Beautiful Flower Palace’s reception hall.
Riri stood at the back entrance of the hall and opened the door slightly to see what was going on inside.
The banquet, which was being held in the hall and decorated with large flowers, was a great success.
Hundreds of nobles were gathered for the banquet, and they were enjoying drinks and a lavish meal. A platform had been constructed at the back of the hall, and Emperor Ju Reibun, Kousho and Seirai were sitting down and drinking near the platform.
Tonight’s banquet was attended by the most noted nobles in Shinzui.
The thought of having many spectators made her nervous, but she managed to calm herself down.
Riri went to the next room where the consorts were waiting and opened the door.
The quiet little room was filled with a suffocating sense of tension. As soon as she saw the consorts preparing themselves in the mirror, she was overwhelmed by their beauty and stopped in her tracks.
The gold masks worn by the lead dancer were shaped like a bird spreading its wings.
The consorts had the area around their eyes hidden by masks, and they wore pale peach dresses made of light fabric that didn’t look heavy at all. The sleeves and hems of their outfits spread out gracefully as they spun around while practicing. Their tied-up hair was decorated with real red peonies.
Today’s performance was the Ranryou.
It was said that Ranryou hid his beauty behind a mask while fighting and won.
The music for Ranryou’s entry into battle, which everyone was dancing to, was the symbol of his bravery as he faced his great enemy with only a few men while wearing masks and won.
Ranryou was often danced by men, but sometimes it was danced by women, perhaps because of the beauty and grace of his face.
“Consort Riri? You’re supposed to be dancing. Why haven't you changed?”
Ranran said. Riri was wearing the same red quju that she always wore.
Juka stood up and approached Riri.
“You show up now and haven’t even prepared. Are you even motivated? You didn’t show up to rehearsal once. We’re really troubled. We were expecting you to show up for the last rehearsal at least, but you didn’t even show up. What are you trying to do?”
“I’m sorry about that.”
She was planning on attending the last rehearsal session, but she couldn’t make it because Seirai had kidnapped her. The 10 people here were dancing together, so everyone needed to know where they would stand.
She had caused trouble for everyone even though she had her own reasons for not showing up to the last rehearsal session.
“You can’t just sweep this away with an apology. Everyone moves in unison around the lead dancer. There’s no way we can dance in unison with someone who has never been to rehearsal. I know you want to become one of the Four Consorts, but from our point of view…”
“I… will not be dancing.”
It took a lot of courage for Riri to say those words. She strained her voice and Juka and Ranran stopped moving.
“What’d you say?!”
“As Consort Juka said, the Ranryou requires everyone to move in unison. I was practicing alone because I’ve never danced before, but I wasn’t able to attend the last rehearsal. I will be a liability if I were to dance now.”
“But you want to become one of the Four Consorts, right? You’ll never become one if you don’t dance.”
Riri knew that. She wanted to become one of the Four Consorts so that she could have an environment in which she could make incenses and to buy time for Kousho to meet his first love.
However, when she saw Hisui practice, she strongly believed that even if she practiced hard for a few days, it would be impossible for her to dance with the other consorts who have practiced since young.
Even so, she was going to attend the last rehearsal and try to move in unison with the others before deciding what to do, but that didn’t happen either.
She came to the conclusion that she should withdraw from the dance after looking at the situation calmly and thinking it over.
“This banquet is meant to welcome the guest of honour, Seirai-sama. Some noted nobles from Shinzui will also be attending the banquet. Beautiful Flower Palace is a newly established inner palace and is still not well known compared to His Majesty’s inner palace, the Wing Dance Palace.”
Riri clenched her fists tightly after saying this.
“To tell you the truth, I’ve been practicing all night and I want to dance with everyone. But I think the important thing right now for Beautiful Flower Palace is for this dance to succeed.”
She turned her attention to the consorts in the room.
All of them have been practicing dance and etiquette since they were young in order to become Kousho’s Empress. Riri would ruin the dance if she couldn’t keep up with the others.
“I believe that everyone here has worked hard to achieve their dreams in Beautiful Flower Palace. I think I will interfere with your dreams if I were to dance as I am now, that’s why I’m withdrawing. However, I would like to help liven up the dance.”
“Help, you say?”
“How would you help?”
The consorts started muttering. Then, Hisui, dressed in the red costume that only the lead dancer wore, stood up.
“Calm down everyone. Let’s listen to what Riri has to say. She talked to me about this earlier and I think her proposal will help everyone.”
Everyone quietened down when Hisui, who had the highest position in the Beautiful Flower Palace, spoke.
“Then, I’ll tell you all my plan. I want to become a perfumer and I’m still studying about incenses. This dance is not only for the final selection of the beauty pageant, but also to welcome the Koran’s Crown Prince, Seirai-sama. I’ve been thinking about how to make him satisfied with the dance.”
Riri punctuated her words and looked at everyone one by one.
“The dance is the Ranryou. You’re going to dance one of the acts. I have prepared an incense to match with the mood of the dance. I’m going to burn it near the stage. I think the incense will help lift the spirits of the people who are watching.”
Hisui nodded after listening.
“I thought it was a good idea when I heard about it earlier. The reputation of the Beautiful Flower Palace would increase if the dance performed at the banquet for a state guest gets lively. The Beautiful Flower Palace needs to have the momentum to catch up with and surpass His Majesty’s inner palace, the Wing Dance Palace.”
The consorts listened intently to what Hisui had to say.
“There are many famous consorts in the Wing Dance Palace. I want to make the impression that the Beautiful Flower Palace has even better consorts than the Wing Dance Palace for the sake of the next emperor, Kousho-sama. What does the Beautiful Flower Palace have that the Wing Dance Palace doesn’t? We have Riri, who can make incenses.”
Hisui turned to look at Riri. Riri nodded and took over the conversation.
“The power of incenses is limitless. I have prepared an incense that when inhaled, will excite people and simulate the excitement of battle. I’m sure the audience will be so excited that they will believe that they’re drinking the alcohol of victory.”
“Can you really experience something like that just by inhaling an incense?”
Ranran asked suspiciously.
“Yes, incenses have a variety of effects from calming you down to making you excited. The incense was formulated to create a moderate state of excitement. If people inhale this incense while watching the dance, then I’m sure they’ll get emotionally involved with the dance which features Ranryou who defeated his great enemy with a few allies.”
Riri crossed her arms and continued speaking as the consorts looked at her puzzlingly.
“I’m not good at dancing, but I’m good at making incenses. Please trust me and allow me to burn this incense.”
If she had burnt the incense without permission, then she would break the consorts’ concentration.
She wanted to get everyone’s permission before she burnt the incense. Hisui looked at everyone.
“I’m sure everyone here hopes that the reputation of the Beautiful Flower Palace improves. I want to go along with Riri’s suggestion, what about you?”
Hisui looked around and the consorts looked at each other in confusion.
“If Consort Hisui says so…”
Ranran said.
“Yeah. It won’t be a loss for us if it’s not a strange aroma. Consort Riri, I hope that you were able to make an incense that is suitable for the dance.”
Riri nodded at Juka.
“I’m sure it’ll make the dance more exciting. Then, I’ll burn the incense at the corner of the hall, so please do your best everyone.”
She gave them words of support, then the door opened and one of the servants came in.
“The dance is about to start. Consorts, please get ready.”
The consorts stood up with nervous expressions on their faces. Riri watched them walk out of the room. The consort’s pale peach-coloured outfits fluttered beautifully as they moved.
Ryouka had fixed her own outfit since it was too big.
She wanted to wear that outfit and dance with everyone. She swallowed her true feelings.
“I’ll do what I can.”
She was jealous of the consorts who were about to perform, but she knew that she wasn’t good enough to dance with them.
The consorts, who wanted to be empress since they were children, danced.
And Riri, who wanted to become a perfumer since childhood, burnt incenses. That was the right thing to do.
Of course, she was disappointed, but she had no regrets about withdrawing.
Eight consorts wearing gold masks formed a group and spread their hands on the platform set up in the hall. The sounds of erhu (Chinese flute) and biwa (Japanese lute) began to play, and the girls turned their backs and tilted their heads. The dance began with the eight consorts spinning in unison as their outfits fluttered softly in the air. Riri realised that she had made the right decision as she watched them from the corner of the hall.
“Everyone’s really good…! I would have definitely been unable to keep up with everyone’s movements if I had been there and would have ruined the dance.”
She reaffirmed that she had made the right decision. Then, she placed the incense burner on a small table by the wall and turned her attention back to the stage. The golden stage was illuminated by softly glowing torches.
The consorts danced nimbly on the stage. It was a fantastic sight and made Riri feel as if she was dreaming.
She could see Ryouka and Nene waiting in the corner of the hall when she looked around.
The hall was quite large, filled with people and the aroma of alcohol and food. She didn’t believe that one incense burner would be enough, so she asked Ryouka and Nene to burn the same incense pastille in different places.
She nodded to signal them, and they each lit their incense burners.
After watching them, she took the torch on the wall and burnt the pastille in the burner.
The pastille was lit, and white smoke slowly rose from it. At the same time, an emotionally uplifting and refreshing aroma hit her nose. She breathed in the aroma and the image of a brave general with a gold mask on his face flashed through her mind.
He must have been happy to have won the battle, but he looked sad when he took off his mask for some reason.
She was surprised to see that his face looked just like Kousho’s.
(I see. Just because he won the war doesn’t mean that everything will go well. There would have been casualties and he would have had to choke back his tears and give painful orders… I’m sure Kousho-sama would feel the same way Ranryou did if he had to fight a war.)
Riri knew very well that Kousho wanted to protect the peace that Emperor Ju Reibun had created.
She also wanted to do what she could to help him achieve this.
Kousho would surely become a handsome and brave emperor like Ranryou.
However, if war broke out, then he would hide his sad expression from thinking of the victims under his mask.
She didn’t want him to make a sad expression. She felt this strongly from the bottom of her heart.
She didn’t know why she felt so strongly towards someone who she had only known for a short amount of time.
SHANG!
The sound of the gong startled her. It was time for the main dancer, Hisui, to appear.
A gasp escaped from the audience as Hisui, who was dressed in a fiery red outfit, appeared on the stage.
The consorts lined up behind Hisui and they danced to the music.
“It smells so good. I don’t know why I’m feeling so nervous. It’s a beautiful dance…”
Riri heard a whisper from a nearby guest.
She looked towards the person who had whispered and saw that the man had forgotten about his drink and his eyes were glued to the stage.
The man next to him and the other guests who she could see were all flushed.
(The incenses seem to be working well. Everyone’s excited. If this continues...,)
She was happy that she was able to use the incense she had created to assist the other consorts.
She entered the Beautiful Flower Palace because she wanted to be a perfumer.
She wanted to help the raise the rating of the dance with her incense rather than dance.
I should be myself and devote myself more than ever down the path of incenses, she thought as she watched the consorts dance.
The Ranryou dance was a great success. The banquet was a huge success and there were shouts of praises from nobles everywhere even after the dance was over.
Riri recalled the banquet from yesterday and was relieved that it had been a success.
Finally, it was time to announce the results for the beauty pageant, and all the consorts gathered in the hall where the banquet had been held yesterday. Riri sat at the very back and looked around.
(I withdrew, but I still want to see who will become the Four Consorts.)
After a while, the head of the Ministry of Palace Affairs, Mei Kourin and Kousho entered the hall. Over a hundred consorts bowed their heads in unison and Kourin turned his face towards them.
“Consorts. Thank you for your hard work yesterday. Seirai-sama enjoyed the banquet very much thanks to the consorts’ beautiful dance. We enjoyed the dance while selecting those who are worthy of becoming the Four Consorts.”
Kousho, who was standing next to Kourin, looked the same as usual.
Riri couldn’t directly look at him.
(Kousho-sama asked me to become one of the Four Consorts but I withdrew. I didn’t live up to his expectations even though he had asked me to buy him time so he can meet his first love.)
She was apologetic. She wanted to apologise to him in person, but she hadn’t had the chance to talk to him after the banquet ended, and there was another problem.
(I could have had my own palace if I became one of the Four Consorts, but there’s no hope for that now since I withdrew. I wanted a place where I could concentrate on making the treasured incense…)
It was a shame, but she didn’t regret withdrawing. Even if she did dance with the others, she would have done nothing but ruin the dance. Kourin continued while she was thinking.
“The Four Consorts will be in charge of the Beautiful Flower Palace. The Beautiful Flower Palace has only just been built. The inner palaces of the imperial family are often talked about in other kingdoms. I hope that you not only support Kousho-sama, but also aim to create an inner palace that the other kingdoms can be proud of when you become one of the Four Consorts. I will now call the names of the consorts who will become the Four Consorts.”
Kourin said and tension ran through the consorts.
“First, the Noble Consort, Jin Hisui.”
“Yes.”
Hisui replied and politely lowered her head. The highest position among the Four Consorts was occupied by Hisui. All the consorts here agreed. Kourin spoke again.
“Pure Consort, Kan Ranran.”
“Yes!”
Ranran was the next to be chosen and she raised her voice happily. Her father had a high status, and she was quite good looking, though not as beautiful as Hisui. She smiled widely and straightened her posture.
“Virtuous Consort, Ei Juka.”
“Kyaaa…! I, I’m sorry. Yes.”
Juka shrieked, then she quickly straightened her posture and replied.
The three of them had entered the Beautiful Flower Palace early and were superior to the others in terms of their beauty and family background.
Even with dancing, the three of them danced so well that it made people gasp, so it was natural they would be selected.
“Lastly, the Worthy Consort… Tei Shoei.”
“Yes.”
A petite girl in the front answered. She was Tei Shoei. She didn’t look that much older or younger than Riri. Her face was quite defined, though not as much as Hisui’s, and she looked more cute than pretty. She was probably one of the consorts who had recently joined the Beautiful Flower Place. Riri had seen her before, but she had never spoken to her.
“These consorts have been given the honour of becoming the Four Consorts. Please continue to work on your beauty and intellect for Kousho-sama.”
“Yes.”
Riri couldn’t help but sigh as she listened to the consorts’ replies.
(The announcement is over. What should I do now? First, I have to apologise to Kousho-sama for not meeting his expectations, then I have to somehow find a place where I can make incenses…)
She felt a hint of panic coming from Kourin while she was thinking and looking down.
“Y-your…!”
“Hmm.”
She raised her head when she heard his surprised voice, and saw that the Emperor, Ju Reibun, had entered the hall with his attendants.
“Your Majesty…! How may I help you?”
He hadn’t expected the Emperor to come. Kourin quickly bowed his head.
He quickly presented the Emperor with a chair. The Emperor sat down on it and looked at the consorts.
“I’m sorry to have disturbed you all. Consorts, yesterday’s dance was wonderful. I’ve come to tell you that in person.”
Kourin quickly glanced at Hisui. Hisui, who was sitting at the front, looked up.
“I have received the title of Noble Consort of the Beautiful Flower Palace. My name is Hisui. I am extremely delighted due to your compliments.”
“Oh, Noble Consort Hisui? So, you’re in charge of the Beautiful Flower Palace now. I’ll remember you. Everyone should get along with Noble Consort Hisui.”
It was the duty of the Four Consorts to accompany the royal family when they came. The Emperor looked around at the other consorts.
“Yesterday’s dance was beautiful and powerful, but the incense that accompanied the dance was also wonderful. My heart filled with excitement when I smelled the aroma. It was as if I was experiencing being on the battlefield. Seirai-dono also agreed with me and was very pleased with the performance.”
Riri smiled when she heard that.
(I’m glad to hear that the incense I made was useful.)
“Consort Riri, I heard that you prepared the incense.”
The Emperor’s eyes turned to Riri. She was surprised, but she bowed.
“Yes. I burnt the incense during the dance with everyone’s consent.”
“Hmm. It was a nice fragrance, and well suited for the dance. Aside from Seirai-dono, there were also many noted nobles at the banquet. They complimented the dance as well as the fragrance.”
Even though she couldn’t become one of the Four Consorts, she was proud that the Emperor had approved of her incense.
“Thank you very much.”
“Consort Riri, you ranked quite high in the preliminary screening for your knowledge and mannerism, and you also acted as a guide for our state guest, Seirai-dono. The fact that you were able to guide and satisfy Seirai-dono, Koran’s Crown Prince, means that you played a role in diplomacy with Koran.”
She hadn’t expected to hear that. The Emperor continued.
“I appreciate that. I want the other kingdoms to know that there is a consort named Riri in the Beautiful Flower Palace who can manipulate incenses. If the other kingdoms find out that we built an inner palace that can produce incenses, which is unique to our kingdom, then the fame of the Beautiful Flower Palace and its owner, Kousho will rise. So…”
The Emperor leaned forward slightly.
“I would like to give Consort Riri a palace where she can devote herself to mixing as a reward.”
Riri widened her eyes. The other consorts started talking among themselves, but Hisui spoke up quietly.
“Everyone, please be quiet. You’re in the presence of His Majesty.”
She warned them quietly and they stopped talking. Kourin remained on his knees as he spoke.
“Your Majesty. I haven’t heard about this…”
“Yeah, I made my decision when I saw the dance yesterday. I can’t give her a palace, Kourin?”
Kourin glanced at Riri. He looked down slightly, then he looked back up again.
“If that is your wish, Your Majesty.”
The Emperor nodded in satisfaction when Kourin said this, then looked around at the consorts in front of him.
“The Beautiful Flower Palace has only just been built. You must have a lot of concerns since you’re not familiar with the Beautiful Flower Palace, but Consort Riri’s incenses has the power to eliminate physical and mental afflictions. I would like you all to take care of your health with her incenses. What do you think about this, Consort Riri?”
Her heart and body trembled as he spoke to her. She felt a mixture of happiness, fear and many other feelings.
“I’m very honoured to receive your words. I’d like to help everyone if it’s alright with you.”
She wanted to become a perfumer who healed people. She was more than happy to take on this role at the Beautiful Flower Palace.
“Then, I’ll give Consort Riri a palace so that you can work hard on mixing incenses without any worries. You can continue to use your incenses to help Kousho and the consorts of Beautiful Flower Palace.”
She gasped since she couldn’t believe what the Emperor had just said.
“Yes. Thank you very much!”
She bowed her head and thanked him. She was so happy that a big smile appeared on her face. Her eyes met with Kousho’s for a second when she lifted her face. He didn’t seem surprised, probably because he had already known about this. The Emperor knew that she was trying to make the treasured incense, so maybe that was why he came up with an excuse so that she could have a place where she could concentrate on mixing.
She sincerely wanted to respond to their feelings of support.
“Riri, I heard you got a palace.”
Seirai opened the door as Riri was putting away her mixing tools.
“Seirai-sama, you’ll be in trouble again if you come to the inner palace without permission.”
“It’s fine. I’m going back to Koran today. It’ll take me half a month to get to Koran on a horse drawn palanquin. The journey will be boring.”
She quickly went out into the corridor when she saw Seirai sigh.
It wasn’t a good idea to let him in the room, so the two of them went to the garden which was facing the corridor.
She walked to a thicket a little further away and turned to Seirai.
“Seirai-sama. Thank you for getting Kousho-sama at that time. I didn’t tell Mokuren about the treasured incense thanks to you.”
She bowed her head again and Seirai shrugged.
“I’m the one who kidnapped you. How can you thank me?”
“I don’t know what would have happened to me had you not informed Seirai-sama about my whereabouts… I think you’re a great Crown Prince. You reconsidered cooperating with Mokuren for the sake of your kingdom and its people. You made a splendid decision as a Crown Prince.”
“I’m not too happy to hear you praise me like that. I wanted to get the treasured incense and bring back the mining concession for my father.”
Seirai’s expression didn’t change, but his brown eyes were shaking slightly.
“Are you worried about Princess Keika?”
Seirai was planning on offering the mining concessions to his father, the Emperor of Koran, to stop his younger sister from marrying a rural noble who was much older than her, but he lost this opportunity when he saved her.
“Well, I have a lot of siblings with different mothers, but Keika is the only one who has the same mother and father as me. I want her to be happy, but I’m the Crown Prince of Koran. I can’t put my people in danger to save my sister.”
He had made up his mind, but his voice was a little shaky. Riri leaned forward towards him.
“Seirai-sama, I told you I had an idea. If things go well, you might be able to stop Princess Keika from getting married.”
Seirai looked at Riri curiously.
“You were serious? I thought you were just making it up to save your life.”
“I wasn’t. I’m not going to lie at a critical moment like that. Here you go.”
She took out a cloth bag from her pocket. She had been carrying it around with her with the intention of giving it to Seirai when she saw him.
“What’s this?”
“It’s an incense made from ambergris. Please give it to Koran’s Emperor.”
Seirai tilted his head in confusion.
“If this incense is as valuable as the treasured incense, then I can use it as a bargaining chip to stop my sister’s marriage, but this isn’t the treasured incense, is it?”
“It isn’t.”
“Then it’s not worth enough to make my father consider my sister’s marriage.”
“No, it is. This incense is worth it for the Emperor of Koran.”
Seirai’s eyes widened when he heard this.
“What do you mean?”
“This is an incense that my late father used to make a lot so that it can be used as medicine. I’m the only person who knows how to make it. Do you know that ambergris is used as medicine for heart disease?”
Seirai looked up in surprise.
“I’ve heard about that, but it’s never been used as medicine in Koran since we have no oceans and thus therefore can’t get ambergris.”
It wasn’t easy to obtain ambergris in Shinzui too since it was extracted from whales and there weren’t any oceans near Shinzui.
Riri had a small amount of it on hand to make the treasured incense, but it wasn’t enough, so she asked Kousho for some ambergris from the Ministry of Incense.
“The incense that my father made using ambergris can soothe seizures. The effect of the incense is tremendous. I used to mix and sell incenses to clinics downtown before I entered the Beautiful Flower Palace, and this incense for seizures was quite effective.”
Ambergris was hard to find downtown. But Doctor Choumei had received some from a rich patient and she made some of this incense using that.
An old man who was suffering from frequent hard attacks was so happy to burn this incense because it had relieved his suffering.
“I heard that the Emperor of Koran has a bad heart and often has seizures. If you burn this incense during his seizure, then it can soothe his heart.”
Seirai looked at the cloth bag which contained the pastille as if he couldn’t believe this.
“My father does suffer from seizures. He has medication for it, but it doesn’t work right away, so he says he suffers a lot. Do you really think that burning this incense can stop his seizures?”
“Yes. How about using this as a bargaining chip to stop Princess Keika’s marriage? People with heart disease are always afraid of getting seizures. An incense that keeps you healthy is worth as much as the treasured incense or mining concessions.”
There was no such thing as a person who didn’t get sick. The emperor was the same as commoners in the face of disease.
Everyone was struggling to get healthy, no matter their status.
“Won’t you be able to stop Princess Keika’s marriage if you give this present to the Emperor as a gift and successfully persuade him?”
Seirai looked at her puzzlingly, then he suddenly smiled.
“… Thanks. I’m sorry for thinking that you were lying to me. You made this incense because you were concerned about my sister. I’m grateful.”
Seirai accepted the cloth bag. She was happy that she could help him.
“I’ll just take a horse and deliver this to my father straight away rather than taking my time on a palanquin, and I’ll make sure to stop my sister’s marriage. Riri, I’ll never forget this favour.”
The cheerful expression on his face also made her feel happy.
“I only made the incense you wanted as your guide. Please be careful on your journey home.”
She was about to bow her head, when he suddenly put a hand on his chin, then he made her look up slightly.
She wondered what was going on and he kissed her on the cheek.
“Wah…!”
She was stunned.
“I’m just thanking you. It’s a shame. I’d like to stay here and flirt with you more, but I have to do something about my sister’s situation first. I’ll be back soon, so wait for me.”
Seirai left with a bewitching smile and one eye closed.
Confused by the feel of his lips on her cheek, she watched him as he left and prayed that he would be able to successfully persuade the Emperor.
Mokuren believed that the palace, decorated with gold and vermillion, was a symbol of the Emperor’s authority.
He gazed at the palace from his high position and remembered his childhood vow of never stopping until he had defeated the enemy from within. A long time had passed since then.
Of course, the vow he had made back then was still on his mind. And yet… he quietly lowered his eyes and clenched his fists. It was unexpected that someone could threaten that vow.
He suddenly felt a presence behind him. When he turned around, he saw a palanquin pulled by a horse coming towards him.
The soldier on the horse was familiar. The palanquin stopped in front of him, and the soldier kneed down on the spot.
“… Mokuren, you failed. That’s why I told you that Seirai isn’t a man stupid enough to be easily manipulated.”
A muffled voice came from the palanquin. He knew the owner of the voice. He honestly felt that this was the last person he wanted to see right now. He really didn’t want to get involved with him, but there was something that was bothering him, so he spoke.
“Seirai told me that Kousho was looking for the culprit who gave Riri sweets. Kousho suspects that the culprit is among the consorts of the Beautiful Flower Palace…”
He turned his sharp gaze to the palanquin door which was still closed.
“According to what Seirai found out, it seems that Riri almost ate poisoned sweets, but Kousho realised this and confiscated the sweets. I realised something was strange when I heard this. Riri’s sense of smell is special. It would be difficult even for me to make a tasteless and odourless poison that she wouldn’t notice.”
Even Mokuren, who freely handles poisonous incenses as a member of an assassination squad, couldn’t make a poison that would go unnoticed by Riri, so it was unbelievable that a consort from the Beautiful Flower Palace could get access to such a special poison.
He only knew one person that could make a poison that even Riri wouldn’t notice.
“That’s right. I planted the poison and sent it to her. I’m well versed in medicines as well as incense.”
I knew it, he thought. He racked his brains for a way to answer.
“Why did you do that?”
“To kill her, of course. I’m the one who will make the treasured incense, not her.”
His voice was full of confidence. He was a genius when it came to incenses and medicine. Even Mokuren recognised this.
He knew that if anyone could make the treasured incense, it would be either Riri or this man.
“I’m angry that she completed the treasured incense first, so I decided to kill her.”
He never backed down once he made up his mind. Mokuren was well aware of how he was. Therefore, he thought of how to persuade him to stop attacking Riri while trying not to let it show on his face.
“Riri is…”
“But I’m not going to kill her anymore.”
Mokuren opened his mouth to persuade him, but his eyes widened when he heard his words.
“What do you mean?”
Mokuren heard a chuckle from the palanquin.
“I would rather have her be useful than kill her. You know that I made the incense that brings back memories.”
“I was told that you weren’t complete.”
“I finished it.”
His voice lowered a pitch. Mokuren was almost frightened by how confident he sounded.
“I finished it, but I haven’t confirmed that it works. I can’t experiment with the memory retrieving incense without someone who has been exposed to the memory erasing incense.”
Mokuren was surprised when he said that.
“Don’t tell me…”
“Yes. Riri’s father used the memory erasing incense on her. That’s why she’s forgotten that her father made the treasured incense as well as other things. If I can make her remember those things with my memory retrieving incense, then that will prove that the incense I made is complete.”
“Wait. That’s…”
Mokuren didn’t want Riri to remember. Of course, he wanted to know how to make the treasured incense.
That’s why he wanted Riri to regain her memories as the head of the Dark Perfumers.
But he was certain that she would hate him if she were to remember.
Even while they were on opposite sides, there was a small part of him that didn’t want her to hate him.
“You don’t like this? ――― I see, you don’t want her to remember the past. Because six years ago you…”
“Stop.”
Mokuren commanded in a low voice, and the man from the palanquin stopped talking.
After a few moments of silence, a voice came from the palanquin again.
“Mokuren. Isn’t it too much of you to ask her not to hate you now?”
The cold voice made Mokuren shudder.
“You are the head of the Dark Perfumers and the Nine-Tailed Fox. It is the duty of the Nine-Tailed Fox to abolish an Emperor who has no virtue. You haven’t forgotten that duty, have you?”
“I haven’t.”
Mokuren was well aware of this, so he spoke with determination.
“Then that’s fine. I’ll ask Riri to be my test subject, then I’ll make her recall her memories and prove that I have perfected the memory retrieving incense. I can just get the memory erasing incense from her, then the treasured incense will be complete. The Qilin title will be mine.”
His excited voice sounded like that of a child.
Mokuren tried to speak in order to stop him, but he couldn’t find the right words to say.
He glanced down at the palace from his high position.
A great storm will soon hit the palace, and Riri will surely be caught up in the middle of it.
His mind was torn between wanting to protect her and wanting to follow his destiny and sacrifice her in order to destroy the royal family.
He couldn’t calm himself down and bit his lip in agony.
Mokuren remembered Riri’s smile and closed his eyes.