Kusuriya no Hitorigoto Chapter 3

"It happened again."

Jishin's handsome face contained a hint of gloominess. He had delicate features that could be mistaken as a woman, almond eyes, and hair wrapped up in a silk cloth, the rest flowing down his back.

One of his jobs was getting to the bottom of the uproar raised by the flowers of the palace.

As he split the crowd, there was only one person who walked over with an unconcerned air.
It was short maid with freckles that densely covered her nose to her cheeks. Though she didn't have features that stood out, her figure left an impression of one who was talking to herself without noticing him.

That was the only thing he expected.

–

The talk that came about of the crown prince’s malnourished body came not even a month after.

Gone were the days when she was called the large rose, the bawling Consort Rifa was skinnier than the time compared to a couple of days ago. Was it because she was ravaged by the same illness as her son, or that her illness was severe.

For her, the hopes for another child were gone.

The older sister of the crown prince from another mother, Princess Rinrii's condition improved after an hour of poor health. The mother and child consoled the emperor who lost the crown prince.
With the emperor coming often, the next child might be near.

The princess and crown prince were inflicted with the same illness of unknown cause. One recovered, one fell.
Their ages may be different, but the three month difference may have a big influence on the infants' physical conditions.

However, how was Consort Rifa?
If the princess recovered, Consort Rifa might recover as well. Nonetheless, she may be a mental thing from the death of her son.

As Jishin parsed over the documents and stamped them, his mind spun, thinking it over.

If there is something different, it would be Consort Gyokuyou.

"I'll be away for a bit."

After he finished stamping the last document, Jishin left the room.

–

The princess with cheeks like steamed manjuu had the innocent smile of a baby. Her small hands made fists and grasped onto Jishin's index finger.

"There there, please let go."

The red-haired beauty gently took her daughter back into her arms, and went to put her to sleep in the basket.
The baby pushed aside the hot blanket, and babbled happily while looking towards the visitor.

"You have something you want to ask."

The wise consort felt Jishin's expection, it seemed.

"How has the Princess-dono recovered?"

At the point-blank question, Consort Gyokuyou let out a small laugh and took out a piece of cloth from her bosom.

On the piece of cloth that was ripped out without using scissors, clumsy words were written on it. It wasn't that the words were written messily. The blotted text was hard to read because it was written with plant juice.

‘The face powder is poison. Don't let the baby touch it.‘

Was the messy writing on purpose?
Jishin tilted his head.

"Was it face powder?"
"Indeed."

Consort Gyokuyou entrusted the princess to the wet nurse and took out something from a drawer.
Packed in the cloth was a ceramic container. When she opened the lid, white powder wafted out.

"Face powder?"
"Indeed, it is face powder."

He pinched the white powder wondering what could be inside it. Come to think of it, Consort Gyokuyou who originally had beautiful skin didn't use the face powder. Consort Rifa heavily covered her face to hide her bad complexion.

"The princess is a glutton. Just my milk wasn't enough for her. I only let her drink from the wet nurse when mine wasn't enough."

She employed a wet nurse when she lost it soon after giving birth. (??)

"This is what the wet nurse used. She liked to use this as it was whiter than the other face powders."

"She took a break when her physical condition got bad. I planned to give her sufficient retirement money."

That were the words of the intelligent, overly kind consort.

What would happen if there was poison inside the face powder?
If the ones who used it were mothers, their foetuses would be affected. Even after birth, the infants could get it in their mouths too.

Jishin and Consort Gyokuyou didn't know what it was. Just that this was the poison that killed the crown prince.

"Ignorance is a sin. We should take more care in what the infants are putting into their mouths."
"I agree."

As a result, four of the emperor's children were lost. If they included those still in their mother's wombs, more might be affected.

"I want to tell this to Consort Rifa as well, but I think that anything I say will backfire."

Consort Rifa, even now, is coating her bad skin complexion with the face powder. All without knowing it was poison.

Jishin looked at the piece of unbleached cloth. He had a mysterious feeling that he had seen this before.
The messy writing also looked like it was hide the handwriting. However, he seen this feminine script from elsewhere.

"Who could have done this?"
"That day was the time I got the doctor to look at my daughter. In the end, this was left by the window after I bothered you. It was tied to an azalea branch."

So, could it have been that they figured something out when they were at the riot and wanted to leave some advice?

Just who could it have been?

"The palace doctor wouldn't do such a roundabout thing."
"Indeed. It seemed he didn't know how to treat the crown prince even till the end."

The riot of that time.

What was she muttering about?

What did she say?

‘What can I use to write?‘

Suddenly, everything in his head connected.
Kukuku, evil laughter burst out. The consort, beautiful like a celestial maiden, smiled widely.

"Consort Gyokuyou. The owner of those words, what shall we do when we find them?"

"I understand. Please wait for a bit."
"I await your good news."

Jishin followed the memories of the cloth that was embedded with feelings.

"If the beloved consort so wishes, I must certainly find then."

Under the celestial maiden smile, the treasure hunting child's innocence grew.

Chapter end