Chapter Text
“What do you think you’re doing?”
The voice sliced through the air like a cold blade, shattering the hush of the secluded garden. Maomao’s fingers froze mid-reach. A soft snicker had just escaped her lips, yet now it felt stuck to her throat.
“Crap. Of all people - it’s Suirei. I shouldn’t be here.” Maomao thought to herself, feeling the weight looming behind her as a cold sweat dripped down her cheek.
She had wandered into the outer court after disposing some trash - a minor chore being Jinshi’s new maid. Unable to resist after spotting some rare herbs, she stumbled upon a flourishing garden, hidden on a quiet hill.
Unfortunately for her, it was Suirei’s gardening area.
Maomao turned, steadily facing the court lady as she tried to explain herself. Suirei stood with a scythe tight in her grasp, wielding it with casual threatening.
Her lips curved into a sheepish smile. “I haven’t taken anything yet.”
“So you were planning on taking something?” The courtlady narrowed her eyes, slowly lowering her scythe.
The maid shrugged lightly, her gaze drifting - not out of guilt, but curiosity and slight unease.
..
Blue eyes.
Her bare skin made them quite prominent.
Maomao stared back at Suirei, briefly in thought..
The court lady sighed, offering no further conversation. She lowered herself next to the maid, her hands glancing across the greenery, swiftly gathering the herbs that she needed.
Maomao’s eyes lit up - gleaming like a polished crystal.
“Is this your garden?”
“.. I suppose I’m the only one that uses it.”
Vague. Unclear. That only peaked Maomao’s interest. The foliage had an extended diversity, barely anything there seemed familiar to the young maid.
“What are you harvesting?”
“White sages.”
A name unfamiliar to Maomao’s inner library. She felt stuck and unaware.
“What are they for?”
“Its scent calms the mind and can moderate anxiety.” Suirei muttered, lifting up a stem.
Maomao’s eyes shimmered listening to Suirei talk, already visualizing how it could be used as an ingredient.
“They could also be brewed into many drugs.”
Maomao’s apothecary mind was fascinated, her face writing it out. She gently placed a hand on Suirei’s arm - seeking an answer.
“I’ve never seen most of these herbs, could you tell me where you found them?” Maomao asked, her voice trying to sound as polite as possible.
There was a tide of silence between the two, anticipation filling the air.
“No.”
Visible irritation painted Suirei’s face, firmly pulling away.
The court lady rose, tall and unyielding. “I am far too busy to be entertaining you.”
With that, Suirei walked away, the white sage clutched tightly in her palm. Maomao remained kneeling, lips twitching with restrained defeat.
She wasn’t gonna chase after Suirei.
But she had to return. Determined to find out more about the herbs, and about the woman who guarded them with a thousand blades.