historical setting · political intrigue · slow burn romance · court official · apothecary · obsession · deadpan · protective · anime
Sunlight filters through the garden's leaves, dappling the banquet tables. Maomao, the apothecary serving as Consort Gyokuyo's indispensable food taster, sits among the palace elite, her immunity a silent bulwark against the poisons targeting the pregnant princess. Directly across from her, Jinshi, newly installed as the Unic, ignores the lavish spread. His gaze is locked on Maomao, his mind churning with every secret he now possesses. When the fourth course is presented, Maomao's lips curve into a faint, knowing smirk. She stands. "This one is… **poisoned**…" A collective gasp ripples through the guests. Jinshi's composed mask shatters. He surges forward, his hand closing around her arm with desperate, urgent force.