The Free Consort of the Rear Palace: The Virtuous Consort Who Died from Overwork Solves Mysteries - Episode 7

Several days had passed since the Mid-Autumn Banquet. The atmosphere in the rear palace had clearly changed. On the faces of the court ladies and eunuchs walking the corridors of the Kinsui Palace, tension and bewilderment mingled. It was only natural. The Empress Ka Rin, who had held absolute power, had fallen from grace in a single night. When the established order is rewritten, everyone feels uneasy. In the garden of the Shuka En, Shu Rei had brought a daybed out under the ancient weeping peach tree and was lounging upon it. Her cheeks, her physical strength not yet fully recovered, were still a little pale, but her eyes alone had regained their usual languid sparkle. The air had begun to carry the chill of autumn. The sky was clear and endlessly high. A single peach leaf fluttered down and landed on Shu Rei's face. "……Mmm." She reached up, plucked the leaf away, and then sank back limply onto the daybed once more. Her black hair spread across the coverlet. The jade-adorned hairpin she wore glinted dully. "Fuyume, I'm thirsty. I'd like some warm tea. Osmanthus tea, please." "At once, my lady." Fuyume, who had been waiting nearby, trotted off toward the kitchen with light steps. Shu Rei narrowed her eyes in satisfaction. "Ahh, this is the life. The luxury of doing absolutely nothing. It's simply the best." It was her favorite phrase. What a pain. I want to sleep. Doing nothing is best. The incident with Reika had been declared resolved by an imperial edict from the Emperor himself. The low-ranking members of the Yajou group involved had been arrested, and the Tenrin Trading Company had been subjected to a rigorous investigation. The eunuch named Jo had been exiled to a remote island. And the Empress Ka Rin, who had once ruled the rear palace, was now under house arrest. But— Shu Rei gently placed a hand on her own chest. Whenever food was placed before her, the pit of her stomach would clench tight. Her fingers would involuntarily stop before a steaming bowl. The sensation of her throat burning that day still lingered at the root of her tongue. (*Time will solve it, I'm sure. It's too much trouble to worry about.*) Thinking this, she let out a huge, "Fuwah," of a yawn. She emptied her mind and gazed at the sky. Blue, vast, and pleasant. The memories of studying herself to death in her past life felt like events from a distant age. —It was then. "Yo, Virtuous Consort. Taking a nap in the middle of the day—you've got it good." Wearing his usual shady grin, Rasetsu appeared from the corner of the garden. He approached, his tall frame swaying lightly. He was carrying some kind of package in his hands. Still lying down, Shu Rei turned only her face toward him. "You're one to talk, getting in here so easily. What's with the security?" "When I said I had business with you, the gatekeeper let me right through. Said, 'If you are a collaborator of Lady Shu Rei.' You're a celebrity in the rear palace now." "Huh. So, what do you want? Another money-making scheme? Or more trouble?" Rasetsu plopped himself down heavily next to Shu Rei. The daybed creaked. He opened the package in his hands. Inside were several medicinal herbs and a small ceramic pot. "Medicine for the aftereffects of the poison. I searched for it in the Konan market in the Imperial Capital. Cost a stupid amount. They charged me five silver taels." "……Five silver taels? Isn't that a commoner's monthly salary?" "Yeah. So I'll send you the bill later. With interest." Shu Rei's eyebrow twitched. "……You really are something." But immediately, she let out a soft laugh. "……Thanks. You've got a surprisingly kind side, don't you?" Rasetsu abruptly turned his face away. "Don't get the wrong idea. This is an investment. An investment. If you kick the bucket, all my hard work up to now will have been for nothing." The rims of his ears were tinged slightly red. Shu Rei smiled with just her mouth and said nothing. The wind blew. The slender branches of the weeping peach tree swayed faintly above their heads. The rustling sound of the leaves was pleasant to the ear. After a while, Shu Rei spoke. "Come to think of it, what are you going to do now? The Yajou group is destroyed, and the Tenrin Trading Company is under scrutiny. Isn't your business finished?" Rasetsu straightened his back playfully. "Well, about that. Believe it or not, I might just become the new head of the Tenrin Trading Company. We'll crush all the underground routes, but as a legitimate merchant, we'll be an official trading partner recognized by the Suiran Prefecture. Until now, the rear palace operated in the shadows, but from now on, we can do business fair and square." "You really do think of nothing but making money, do you?" "It's my reason for living." The two fell silent for a moment, gazing at the swaying peach branches. "……Fuyume worked really hard too, didn't she?" Shu Rei murmured. Just then, Fuyume, returning from the kitchen, came out into the garden carrying a tea tray. Hearing Shu Rei's words, she stopped in her tracks. "Huh…? I… I didn't do anything…" "What are you talking about? If you hadn't been here, I might have died from that poison. You're the one who went to fetch Rasetsu, and you're the one who nursed me every day, late into the night, aren't you? Thank you. Truly." Fuyume hung her head, clutching the tray to her chest. The teacups on the tray rattled faintly. "……Lady Shu Rei." Her voice trembled. Large teardrops traced down her cheeks and fell. She had been terrified all along. That the Virtuous Consort she served had nearly been killed. That they had been abandoned by the entire rear palace, never knowing when harm might come to them. But she had told no one, enduring it all by gritting her teeth. Shu Rei slowly sat up, took Fuyume's hand, and guided her to sit beside her. "Don't cry anymore. I'm not good with seeing you cry." "I-I'm sorry…!" "There's nothing to apologize for. Here, let's have some tea. It's osmanthus, right? It smells lovely." Shu Rei took the tray from Fuyume's hands and poured the tea into the cups herself. Steam rose, and a sweet floral fragrance filled the air. She took a sip and closed her eyes. "……Delicious. Fuyume, your tea really is the best. Rasetsu, would you like some?" "I'll pass. I prefer sake." "Oh, is that so? What refined taste you have." The three of them spent a peaceful time together in the garden. Whenever the wind blew, the ancient peach tree rustled its branches. It was a gentle sound, like an old friend softly patting you on the shoulder. Eventually, the sun began to set, and the sky was dyed a madder red. Suddenly, a great commotion could be heard from the direction of the Suiren Pond. "……What now? Did something else happen?" As Shu Rei frowned, a young eunuch came running into the Shuka En in a fluster. Gasping for breath, he raised his voice. "I-It is of the utmost urgency! Lady Virtuous Consort! His Majesty the Emperor has just issued a new imperial edict!" Shu Rei's hand stopped dead. She remained frozen, the teacup halfway to her lips. The eunuch, so excited he was spitting, shouted. "'In recognition of her extraordinary and tireless efforts in resolving the murder case of Reika, the Virtuous Consort Shu Rei is hereby promoted—to the rank of Noble Consort!!'" Shu Rei slowly returned the teacup to the tray. It made a small *clink*. (*N-Noble Consort…?*) In the hierarchy of the rear palace, that was the second-highest rank, next only to the Empress. The annual stipend was two thousand four hundred silver taels. She would be assigned twelve dedicated ladies-in-waiting and six eunuchs. She would have the right to be summoned to the Emperor's bedchamber four times a month. Which meant— "Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh……!!!! Stop iiiiiiiiiit!!!!" Her scream vibrated through the very air of the Kinsui Palace. The small birds in the garden took flight all at once, Fuyume jumped with a small shriek, and Rasetsu clutched his stomach and began to howl with laughter. "Gyahahahaha! Serves you right! You're Lady Noble Consort now, isn't that something to celebrate!" "Shut up! Don't laugh! How could you possibly understand this hell!" "Hell, she says… Normally, anyone would be overjoyed. You're getting power and money." "I don't need power or money! All I want is freedom and naps! Why doesn't anyone understand that!" Shu Rei collapsed onto the daybed with a flop. She pulled the blanket over her head and curled up into a ball. (*I've had enough. I don't want to work. I absolutely do not want to work.*) "You really are a pain in the ass." "Shut up, shut up, shut up…! Aah, I'm going to sleep. I'm sleeping. I'm escaping from reality…" A muffled voice came from under the blanket. Fuyume gazed worriedly at Shu Rei's back, but she couldn't hide the smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. (*Thank goodness. Lady Shu Rei is properly back to her old self.*) She had recovered from the poison, fought the darkness of the rear palace, and been recognized for it. A promotion should, by all rights, be the greatest honor. But more than that, Fuyume was simply happy. That this person was alive. And that she could once again be selfish and laze around like this. To her, Shu Rei was no longer just a mistress. She had become an irreplaceable presence, like family. "Lady Shu Rei, please do take care of yourself. Even if you become the Noble Consort, I will always be by your side to serve you." That warm voice reached Shu Rei's ears, still buried in the blanket. She lifted her face just a little and looked at Fuyume. Their eyes met. Shu Rei's lips softened into a gentle smile. "……Yeah. Thank you." That smile no longer held the frailty of one cowering from poison. It was her usual face—free-spirited, lazy, yet somehow endearing to others. The face of Shu Rei. The sun set. The madder red of the sky slowly shifted to a deep violet-blue. The ancient weeping peach tree rustled in the wind. Its leaves rubbed together with a quiet, dry sound. Shu Rei threw off the blanket and rolled over onto her back. The sky changed from violet to indigo. A single first star appeared. "……Well, whatever. I'll try my best starting tomorrow. Probably. Surely. If I can." Her murmur dissolved into the autumn wind, unheard by anyone.

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Episode 7

Name: The Free Consort of the Rear Palace: The Virtuous Consort Who Died from Overwork Solves Mysteries
Author: Novelia

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