Volume 5, Chapter 13: Who is the Mastermind? Latter Part (1/2)

The room she was shown into was stark but well tidied. This would have to be an unused guest room. The furniture seemed to be high-class, seeing as though they were imported goods, but they had seen better days. It was pretty much the same as what was in the room where she had a conversation with the former family heads just then, but there was newer stuff there. Those were rather plain though.

The meal tasted okay. They didnt use any bad ingredients. There was both meat and fish, but the fish was a little on the salty side. It must have been salt-pickled. It was common to preserve seafood in salt when you move inland. The fish used in imperial court cuisine were freshly caught, brought over on a fast horse before it spoiled, so those werent pickled in salt.

That weirdo tactician and Rahan actually did provide them with sufficient living expenses. They had enough to employ servants for housework, but not to buy high-class furniture and eat extravagantly.

She thought that these measures were sufficiently generous. It would be humiliating for people who had once lived in luxury in the capital though.

And as they endured with this humiliation for many years, they might explode given some push.  What could that push be?

Maomao recalled the white cord Rahans mother was wearing. The snake-like white cord that resembled those warding ropes.

It would be good if she had remembered wrong, but she thought up something unpleasant.

When she sat on the bed and crossed her arms, there was a knock on the door.

I have arrived with hot water.

She heard a servants voice. Maomao opened the door. A man bearing a large wooden pail entered. He lowered it slowly to avoid spillage, then set down a basket with a towel beside it. It also contained a change of clothes. They were typical clothes for this season, made from linen. They were neither gaudy nor crude.

She thought that it would be a woman who would bring the tub regardless of its weight for this occasion, but it turned out otherwise. In a normal situation, a lone man wouldnt enter the room of a female guest. He would have women accompanying him at least. The servant retreated from the room with his head bowed.

Maomao felt a sense of discomfort, but not for long. When she picked up a towel from the basket, a piece of paper fell out. It was blank paper. Fine quality paper that had been properly made rather than those of inferior make. It had flowers pressed into it.

(I see, huh.)

The corners of Maomaos lips raised up into a grin and she dropped the paper into the tub.

The previous family heads had looked baffled from the rude way Maomao treated the weirdo tactician. It wasnt baffling; there were times where blood ties were weaker than ties with other people.  Conversely, it could also be seen as hateful. The people in question were like that, and yet they were trying to demand something from Maomao. Honestly, their attempts to take the weirdo tactician and his ward as hostages to have Maomao listen to them was more worthless than a mooncake dropped into a puddle.

It was just annoying to be captured like so, thus she decided to cooperate with them for a little while.

Maomao was only just abducted.

It can be said that her job was fully accomplished with just that.

When Maomao was lying on the bed yawning, she heard a loud sound.

(Just in time, huh)

Maomao looked at the crumpled paper in the rubbish bin. Being low-quality paper, it had disintegrated as soon as it touched the water. Good paper would retain its shape for longer.

Maomao opened the door. It wasnt locked; no guards stood outside either. She would walk around on her own, but since she had no idea where she was, she returned to her room and decided to take a nap. They will come to wake her up if they need her.

Oi, wake up

She woke up with her hair being messed about. There was a meddlesome middle-aged man. It was Ukyou, the head manservant.

Maomao yawned. Youre late.

Thats not the case. Ukyou was wearing dark-coloured clothes. It was the perfect colour to sneak in through the side door of the estate at night. It was tough, you know, he said. I needed to tell the granny first and then theres the personnel. Also, its not like I could leave when Chouu wasnt going to sleep.

For one who was saying that it was tough, he was making a cool expression.

In other words, the talks had been settled ever since Rikuson showed up at Maomaos place. The other party must have been aiming for Maomaos capture while letting Rikuson go. It seems they known about her as a rumour but might not have known who exactly she was. Even when Maomao having a conversation at the pharmacy she hadnt noticed, but there must have been people who were keeping a lookout.

And so, Maomao made a situation where it was easy for them to know and easy for her to be captured.

After that conversation, the perceptive Ukyou would understand the reason Maomao secluded herself alone in the shack at least, she thought.

Hes a very well-balanced man. Its really wasteful that hes working as a manservant in the pleasure district.

.

Hm? Whats wrong?

Since Maomao was staring at Uykou, he peered back at her with a mystified expression.

nothing. And so, what happened? Maomao asked.

Fox-dono and his nephew are in another room. They had the free time to draw a go board on the table with ink and play on it. They even went as far as to say that we were late. The nephew who was getting to a hundred loses was relieved to be finally released.

She could easily imagine it. To be stuck in the same room as that old man even if Rahan was his opponent,  she ended up feeling sympathy for him.

Mm but then, everyone is gathered in the hall, so what do you want to do?

Isnt it fine if I dont go? Honestly, she didnt want to be in the same place as that fox glasses.

We cant have that. The nephew is holding down Fox-dono. You have to go. We cant have Fox-dono get violent. Besides

Besides?

Ukyou said as if he was putting on airs, Youll understand when you come to take a look. It looks like we fished up something strange.

Maomao reluctantly headed for the hall as she was told. There were men she had never seen before standing at the entrance of the room most likely Ukyous acquaintances acted as bodyguards at the pleasure district and thugs collapsed on the corridor.

When she entered the room, Maomaos expression immediately twisted.

MA-O-MA-O!!

It was the monocle weirdo, punching into the jaws of Rahan who had been holding him down and sweeping aside Rikuson who had showed up unawares. He charged towards Maomao with movements inconceivable for a bastard who would normally strain his back from exercising his unfit body.

Maomao immediately thrust her hand into her bosom, taking out a small bottle, which she sloshed over the fox bastards face. Just as she thought the fox would crash right onto her, he collapsed into a heap at her feet.

Oi, what did you do? Rahan stoked his chin as he came up to her. There were fine cracks on his glasses, but lets not meddle too much.

Its not a poison so its no problem. Its a secret miracle drug. Maomao returned the small bottle to her bosom.

A secret miracle drug? Can you mass produce that? Rahan had come to get his teeth into it, seemingly gotten wind of the smell of business.

Its not that I cant, but its exclusive for this old man.

To say it simply, it was highly concentrated alcohol. Its already a well-known item; it was effective because the old man was uncommonly weak to alcohol. However, to think that he would pass out with just a sprinkle over his face, wasnt he weaker than before Maomao scrunched her face. The old man was snoring with a flushed face.

With this, its quiet.

Just in case, Maomao opened his eyes and check his pupils for irregularities. There shouldnt be a problem.

My adoptive father can only be managed by you. Why dont you show your face more often? Rahan said seriously.

No thanks. Maomao didnt want to see his face at all. It cannot be helped this time. That aside, what are you going to do about this incident?

Maomao scowled at Rahan.

Rahan made a show of moving his gaze towards the interior of the room as he stroked this chin again. That point is okay. Since we discovered something very nice.

WHAT! WHAT IS WITH YOUR SPEECH! FORGET THAT. WHAT ARE YOU UP TO, RAHAN!!

She heard a hoarse voice. Inside, there was an elderly man the previous family head who had been tied to a chair. Beside him, were Rahans mother and older brother who looked mortified.

Maomao ogled at the personage who was sitting more to the side of them. that person.

Didnt I tell you? We fished up something strange, Ukyou said cynically.

Right there, was a woman clad in white. She wore a white veil over her head, looking down as she was shielding her eyes from the nearby light source. The white of her skin and hair overflowed from her dress. Only her pair of eyes were red like garnet stones.

Lady Pai

There was a wanted person among them. It was really unexpected. It brought about laughter.

NOT JUST US, BUT EVEN FAIRY-SAMA! DO YOU FCKERS THINK THAT IT WILL END WITH THIS!

It was Rahans mother who cried out. Certainly, Maomao had a feeling the woman had such ties to Lady Pai. The womans sash and fan had reminded her of the warding rope at the village with the water spirit. And besides, like Consort Riishus half-sister, it was a given fact that people who are into divination exist. If Lady Pai is the ringleader who started all those problems, there would be no reason that there wouldnt be the possibility of her being connected to the problem here right now.

However, seeing as the woman was so taken into it, it was conversely just anti-climatic.

Lady Pai was tied to a chair, silent.

Maomao got curious, but she put it aside and looked at the previous family heads people. The three were openly angry, looking as though they wanted to snap at her.

(Huh? One, two three)

There were three people there. Rahans father should also be there, but where could he have gone off to?

It looks like were missing one more person though, she said.

You dont have to mind the fact that my dad isnt here.

Dad, Rahan had said. Looks like he still saw his father as his father even with ten-odd years of separation.