"What do you want to talk about?" Uryuu said with dissatisfaction towards the established seating.
The man was sitting on the long table with two of his subordinates. Rahan, Rikuson and Maomao sat across them.
It seems he wasn't pleased with the fact that he had been summoned by a younger man who had a lower status than him, and that Maomao was sitting with them for the meal. That's true, it was typical in this situation to be taken back when you have a woman here. Yesterday's banquet was more on the side of unusual.
The table was set up with dishes that had been ordered beforehand. They weren't that stingy to have yesterday's leftovers.
"Haha. Are you curious about this person?" Rahan said, looking at Maomao.
"No, I just thought it was odd. I didn't think Rahan-dono would engage in small talk." Uryuu gave a tactful reply. As there wasn't small talk, it must be a reply based on his quick temper.
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"This person is my younger sister," Rahan said.
"Hoh, younger sister? This is the first time I've heard of it though?"
Uryuu's brow twitched in surprise. That's true. Rahan's adoptive father would be Rakan, his uncle. Everyone knew the story where Rakan chased out his father and half-brother to usurp the family headship. Then, what would happen if he said that there is a younger sister here?
She was driven by the urge to stomp on Rahan's toes and even smear salve on him, but let's endure. As a result, it seems Uryuu's interest was piqued.
"Indeed, even my adoptive father is a man after all. She is a daughter from a courtesan," Rahan answered.
He wasn't wrong. Maomao silently watched their reaction.
The ones who looked blatantly shocked were Uryuu's subordinates. They ogled at Maomao like they were looking at something unusual.
"Though she entered the inner palace once, her looks are as you see. She was sent home just like that," Rahan added.
He wasn't wrong about that either. Though, it was somewhat irritating.
"No, but even if she's Rakan's daughter, isn't it stranger to cherish her since she's illegitimate?" Uryuu asked.
Mhm, she won't deny it about her appearance, but his words were reasonable. That old man didn't send her into the inner palace, but he probably didn't need to explain that part. It was a little special and complicated.
"Haha. My dad is one of those types who won't give his daughter away to those he doesn't have a good eye for. He'll start boasting about it sooner or later too," Rahan said.
She thought that there was nothing that shouldn't be said, but it's one of those things that sound more radical if you try to talk about it.
Then, just as Rahan piqued their interest, he advanced the talks.
"Incidentally, shall we move onto the main topic?" he said.
Rahan took out a sheet of parchment from his breast pocket and showed it to Uryuu.
Uryuu's brows twitched in surprise. "What is this?"
"Yes, this is about the business discussion that will start now." Rahan smiled, his glasses glinting. She heard that Uryuu was someone who had a good business sense from the start. It wasn't a bad means to broach the topic by garnering his interest about Maomao first to get to the main topic. At least, with Rahan's position…
(This bastard.)
It will be a pain if the story about whose daughter Maomao is gets leaked, but it probably wouldn't matter for this guy. Rather, he must have thought that he could use it as a bargaining chip.
However, Maomao was the one who had asked Rahan. She couldn't raise a fuss about it here.
(Let's think about it later.)
They were currently doing something else.
Rahan started the new business talks with pleasure. It looks like the intelligence he obtained from the woman called Irene was practical enough. If that woman's story is true, Sha'ou might join up with Hoku'aren(North Aren)hereafter. Even if that isn't the case, the possibility of their suffering from food shortages is high.
If it is the former, there will be a spike in pre-war special procurement demands. If all the needed items are bought up, the prices will shoot up.
If it is the latter, there will be an increase in new exported goods. Sha'ou could buy grains from here in place of the North if they take it there. ;It seems it is unprofitable by nature to transport food with the current geographical conditions due to time constraints. Nonetheless, if that country buys it at higher prices, there was ;also the means to transport the excess rice and wheat by ship.
(That's if our country has food supply left over.)
If there are locust damages here too, they probably won't ship it out. Still, it might be possible as a means of diplomacy though.
Maomao didn't know about that part. She only knew that Rahan was making a very evil expression. Maomao had requested him to do this, but it seems he had no intentions of not making good use of his duty.
Though they were dining together, everyone was ignoring the food. It will be waste for it to get cold. ;Is it okay if I eat? Maomao glanced around, just as a plate of food was gently placed before her. Rikuson had prepared it for her, his face genial. Mhm, his diligence that was completely unlike his appearance reminded her of Gaoshun. Is that uncle healthy? Even if he wasn't accompanying Jinshi, he must be having difficulties.
From Maomao's perspective, Uryuu looked like he was nothing more than an intolerant man, and yet when she saw him conversing with Rahan, she thought that he must really have good business sense. ; He was just discussing while considering if there was profit even if he was probing and not taking his conversational partner's words at face value. Although, it wasn't a conversation he could go in depth with Maomao and Rikuson in proximity.
Has his mood been placated a little? Maomao checked Uryuu who had a good complexion and discreetly poked Rahan under the table.
Rahan glanced at Maomao, then looked at Uryuu as if nothing happened.
"The dishes have also gone a little cold. Let's prepare something fresh." Rikuson smoothly inserted himself into the discussion. When he did so, a server came in carrying food as if she had been waiting. However, the servers looked a little gloomy. Maomao know the reason for that very well.
They laid out the steaming fish dish. Seeing that, Uryuu's mood soured. As if they read his expression, the servers gave a start.
It was only the other day when the server who had recommended the fish dish to Uryuu was punished. And yet, everything they brought out was fish. Of course, their expressions would change.
Of course, it had been Maomao who had directed them to do so.
"For the inland, the fish here is delicious," Rahan said.
Rahan was into the fish dish so he must be okay with it, but Uryuu's complexion looked horrible. Position-wise, he could just decline the food. It seems like he was only hesitant about speaking about the reason for it.
At the point, Maomao finally opened her mouth. "Was it last year? Do you remember the poisoning incident at the garden party?"
Uryuu's brow twitched in surprise at Maomao's talking, but that was all. "Ahh. The incident where Empress Gyokuyou was targeted."
That must be how it is officially. However, does Uryuu know who was the actual target? Or does he not? Doesn't matter. Maomao was only talking about that time anyways.
"That time, Consort Riishu's entire body broke out in hives," she said.
"…is that so?"
How is that related– that was what he sounded like.
"It seems there was a dish brought out at the garden party that she couldn't eat. What was it again? Oh, that's right, it was a fish namasu."
"…." Uryuu's look changed.
He stared at Maomao.
"I was also in the inner palace during that incident. I happened to be at the place," she told him.
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Consort Riishu was cowardly from a long time ago. ; Still, she tried her best to bluff. That must be why she ate the namasu while knowing perfectly well that she couldn't eat it.
Namasu is a dish made with raw fish and meat. However, there could be poison lurking in raw ingredients. In the case of blueback fish, there could be parasites, so it is not suited to eat when it has gone off. You'll get poisoned if you eat that.
However, it was an imperial dish, and moreover, for the emperor to eat. There would be no way people will bring out something that has gone off. Besides, if there was poison, the other consorts and food tasters should also get hit too. Since nothing happened, Maomao thought that was due to Consort Riishu's constitution.
And Maomao knew that it was common for this predisposition to be passed on from parents.
"It didn't seem like there were any good maids around Consort Riishu. Even if there was something she couldn't eat, they treated her as a picky eater. Even though her skin that had broken out in rashes won't pass by the emperor's eyes," she said.
There was no way the man, who was good at business, was dumb to not know what she had been talking about up until now. Still, Maomao continued to push forward.
"By the way, the dishes in the garden party were all his majesty's favourites," she added.
He was an old man who was surprisingly health conscious. That might be connected to his vigour at night.
Maomao alternated her gaze between the fish dish and Uryuu.
"It seems like you don't like fish dishes at all. Shall we prepare something else for you instead?" Maomao said, her tone courteous, as she gave a look solely for Rahan that ordered him to "Quickly prepare it."
Rikuson was helpful as always – he went to talk to the server who was standing outside the room. He was truly attentive, all because he is the subordinate of the weirdo tactician.
Maomao looked at the fish dish nonchalantly. When she glanced at the dish, wondering if it was okay for her to start eating, Uryuu stared at Maomao.
Wait a bit, Rahan looked at her.
Maomao decided to wait for a little while until a different meat dish was carried over.
Afterwards, the dining continued on for another dual-hour, but Uryuu was silent. He looked like he was thinking of something, yet looking like he held some conviction.
However, his reaction was different to how Maomao had imagined it.
(Didn't he try to get his daughter assaulted by robbers?)
In reality, Consort Riishu had been assaulted in town.
Could he be regretting that, and is now in a peace of mind? Or could he be….
(I was too shallow.)
It wasn't wise to get gript by his emotions and assault Consort Riishu. ; He would have done it earlier if he were to do it.
"Excuse me though…" As Maomao was groaning as she was about to return to her room, Uryuu called out to her.
"I've seen you before from somewhere. Could you be, the food taster, from that time?" he asked.
"…." Maomao gave an ambiguous smile and slowly lowered her head. "Why would I be food tasting?"
"No, it seems I was just imagining things," Uryuu said.
Maomao had explained it away barefacedly. He withdrew. She held her smile with all her might to stop it from quivering.
(Does he remember?)
Not good – her body suddenly broke out in tepid sweat.
Most of the big shot would have been at that garden party. Excluding the quirky weirdo who had skipped out.
She was relieved that she changed her makeup. It had been last year. She didn't think he would have remembered. Even though practically no one paid attention during the banquet.
Of course, it would be troubling if she got exposed as the maid who food tasted while smiling.
Town 1 END
T/N: Everytime I type fish dish I snort. Rhyming is hilarious okay >A<
So we've reached the end of another arc. Yay! This one was pretty uneventful as far as the other arcs are concerned, but I think we can all guess that it's the calm before the storm. I kinda slogged through it, I apologise, but next arc will be fun, I promise >_< They'll be more stuff on family business, and our star-crossed couple gets the spotlight too. It's 20 chapters long phew.
So I had promised that I'll tell you guys what happened in the LN for that particular scene. Unfortunately, life caught up to me and LN takes more time to TL since it's a physical copy (my attention span haha)… so it's nowhere near acceptable for release atm. I'll take my time on it and release it when I think it's perfect enough. Fair?
And of course, break time for me. This time it'll be a week off since I'll be gone for the most of June and July. Should I try to get through the next arc as much as possible before I go on holidays (then take a long break), or should I just release one chapter a week starting this next arc until I'm back from holidays?
Next chapter will be out next Tuesday (Monday 2300 EST).