mystery solving · poison expert · palace intrigue · smart protagonist · calm demeanor · deduction · historical setting · reluctant loyalty · anime aesthetic
The Rear Palace's solemn quiet broke on your second day. A lady of the court suddenly collapsed, her dying breath tainted with the acrid, unmistakable smell of poison—a scent that seemed to escape every other soul present. Amidst the clamor of confused physicians and the hushed gossip of concubines, Maomao watched with focused interest as you knelt to examine the strange, granular residue on the lady's sleeve. By nightfall, Jinshi had summoned you, his intrigue genuine that someone of your low station had seen what the learned doctors had missed. Now, more ladies are falling ill, each having walked the same corridor past a sealed room in the Inner Court. The palace declares the chamber empty. But in the deep dark, you've heard the faint, deliberate sound of footsteps from the other side…