ORIGINAL STORY BY NATSU HYUUGA
THIS STORY IS A FICION, AND ALL NAMES OF FIGURES ND ORGANIZATIONS ARE FICTITIOUS.
MOREOVER, THE STORY HAS NO RELATION TO REAL-LIFE INCIDENTS AND EVENTS.
In that case, will you put makeup on me?
What?
He doesn't need it.
Throughout history, there have been many pointless battles.
Some of them were caused by ruinous beauties.
If someone as beautiful as a heavenly maiden put on makeup…
-Are you trying to end a nation? -Why?
What are you thinking about?
How do you create your face powder?
Oh, the makeup to make yourself look dull, not beautiful.
I dry some clay and turn it into powder,
and mix it with oil.
Can you prepare that in a short time?
Yes. I only need one night.
It's a bit too dark for you, Sir Jinshi.
If only there were some medicine to change my face.
You could paint some lacquer on your face,
but it would stay that way forever.
Figures.
If your goal is to look like a commoner,
I could do that for you.
Please do that then.
Make me look like a completely different person.
What is he planning?
In that case…
I'll go all in!
So cold!
Good morning…
What's wrong? Already in a bad mood? It's still morning.
No, you'll be beautiful all day as usual.
Are you making fun of me?
Sir Jinshi, so you really want to become another person?
I've been saying that since last night.
Then, excuse me.
Oh, wow!
What is it?
No commoner would burn such expensive incense.
Your clothes right now are daily wear for a low-class government official.
It has no business being near high-quality fragrant wood from overseas.
You can tell?
I just developed a sense of smell
to differentiate medicinal herbs and poison.
Do you know how we recognize rich clients in brothels?
No. Is it by figure or clothes?
That too, but we use one more thing: Smell.
A customer smelling of many different scents in bad taste
is rich, but is at a high risk of having STIs.
If they smell like livestock, they don't bathe and are unsanitary.
Most new customers that come to visit Verdigris House are turned away.
With these things, you should ask those who know about the world.
Sir Gaoshun, could you prepare new clothes for him?
Preferably, something that hasn't been washed, and smells a bit.
Oh, my.
-Understood. -Hey!
While we're waiting for that…
-What is that? -Oil and salt.
We'll take away the luster in his hair, and worsen his hair texture.
Excuse me, sir.
This is probably enough.
Hey, you don't have to tie it with scrap fabric.
Commoners tie their hair with whatever's lying around.
Are you sure this is good?
He could smell a little worse.
Sir Jinshi, please take off your clothes.
Oh, sure…
He looks like a heavenly maiden,
but he has well-proportioned muscles.
May I use that towel?
You can, but what will you use it for?
I'm changing his body.
Can you both please help me?
Sir Gaoshun, hold this.
-Okay. -Ms. Suiren, please hold here.
-Got it! -Put clothes on the top, and now…
Oh, my.
It's odd to see Sir Jinshi's face on such a clumsy figure.
Now, let's do the face.
I created some face powders with dark colors.
I'll use this to create sunburnt skin, just like a commoner.
Close your eyes, please.
All right.
His face is beautiful even from close up.
He has no facial hair or visible pores.
What would female makeup look like on him?
Here it is! Makeup that Big Sis Meimei forced on me.
Hey, are we done yet?
Can you close your mouth too? Not too tight.
What's wrong?
I'm glad it was just us three.
If anyone else were here, it would've caused an uproar.
Hey, what's going on?
It's nothing, sir.
That hurts. What happened?
-Nothing. -It was nothing.
Yes, nothing at all.
Let's get back on track.
I'll apply face powder in a patchy way,
and create eye bags with a dark color.
Add some moles,
and draw eyebrows asymmetrically.
I'll use leftover face powder
to create pigmentation spots around the body.
Add some powder under the nails to create unsanitary hands.
Those are strong, male hands. Not elegant hands like I imagined.
He has blisters.
I thought he only held brushes and chopsticks.
Does he fight with swords or sticks?
Those skills are not needed for eunuchs.
I don't need to ask pointless questions.
Wow, they look dirty.
-Here you are. -Is that a drink?
Oh! What is this?
Please lick it slowly
as if wetting your lips, and swallow.
Your lips and throat will swell, and your voice will change.
What's in it?
Different types of stimulants.
They're very spicy, but not poisonous, so don't worry.
Please drink it all.
Some finishing touches.
It's cotton.
Please stuff these in your cheeks to change your face shape.
We're all finished.
Is it really you, Young Master?
Don't call me Young Master.
He still looks pretty handsome.
Can't do anything with his natural beauty.
I've done all I can.
Now, I can visit home for the first time in a while!
Xiaomao, you said you were visiting home today, right?
Yes. I got some time off until tomorrow…
I haven't seen him make this face before…
In that case, Sir Jinshi will be taking the same route part of the way.
If he's disguised, it would be strange if he is accompanied by
his usual servants.
Oh, that's true.
Don't you think so too, Sir Jinshi?
That's true.
It would help me a lot if you were with me.
Oh, no! Sir Jinshi likes the idea too!
I'm sorry, Sir Jinshi, but if I were to accompany you, it would look
very plain.
Of course, a homely servant may be better for a homely master,
but people do know me as your live-in maid, so…
That's not true.
In that case, you should disguise yourself too.
-What? -That's a great idea.
Makeup brushes, hair chopsticks…
I have it all!
But…
You just have to look very unlike your usual self, right?
Right?
Yes…
I only have bad feelings about this.
Sir Jinshi, your posture is too perfect.
You watch what you're saying too.
If you say my name, my disguise is pointless.
In that case, what should I call you?
Let's see…
Starting now, please call me Jinka, Miss.
What?
I think that's appropriate, based on how we're dressed.
He's right.
It belongs to Ms. Suiren's daughter.
The fabric and design are high quality, and it's not too old-fashioned.
Based on my clothes, I could look like a rich girl with a servant.
Why is he enjoying himself that much?
Here is the map. For Xiaomao…
You can entrust me with Miss, sir!
Thank you.
Sir Jinka, then.
-Jinka. -Yes, Miss!
-Your posture is too straight. -Yes, Miss!
Jinka, huh?
It's not so strange for a fake name,
but adding the character for "Hana" is an odd choice.
Same with the name Jinshi,
but it's not a common male name.
Maybe we should've dressed him as a woman…
No, for the peace of this world, we should avoid that.
Where are we heading?
A diner right by the entrance of the pleasure district.
I'm meeting an acquaintance there.
Why do I have to be a bodyguard?
And why do I have to keep a distance?
A servant stepping in front of their master? He still has lots to learn.
Jinka.
I'm so sorry, Miss.
Very good.
It's too early for leafy vegetables, I see.
I got my allowance, so maybe
I'll have them butcher some chicken for some stew.
You're shopping?
With those clothes?
I wanted to get some for Old Man.
He's by far the most talented
doctor and apothecary in the area, but for some reason,
he has no idea how to calculate his profits and losses.
Because of that,
even though his profession is very profitable,
he lives in a ramshackle hut.
If he ever starves,
I'm sure Grams would at least pour food in his mouth, but…
-What is it? -Why aren't you talking?
Because there's nothing to say?
Did I say something to offend him?
Oh, this smell is…
Grilled chicken skewers!
Please wait a minute.
-Mister, two skewers, please! -Coming up!
Here you are. Let's eat before it gets cold.
Yeah.
The savory chicken skin, the grease that spreads in your mouth!
I can't eat this in the court.
You're not eating this? It's not poisoned, as you can see.
-Well… -Oh.
Here you are.
How is it?
It's better than what I ate on the campsite. It's nice and salty.
Campsite?
I thought eunuchs didn't do jobs that soldiers do.
Looks like he's enjoying it.
Welcome back, Gaoshun.
Don't touch the wicker.
I just applied some persimmon juice.
It's Young Master's toys.
-Nostalgic, right? -Yes.
So, how was it?
He was in a great mood.
It was a great idea. Didn't expect that from you.
Once he found a toy he liked,
Young Master would only play with that.
If we hid the toy, he'd cry so much no one could handle him.
You tried to deal with him often by bringing new toys.
Growing an attachment to one thing.
Sir Jinshi is not in the position to be able to do that.
You don't need to hurry so much.
You're meeting someone, right?
You should get there as fast as you can.
It sounds like you're impatient to get rid of me.
Does it?
It's true that I'm planning on going back to buy radishes and chicken after this.
You know,
life at the court isn't bad, is it?
I'm sure it's better than life in the pleasure district.
You're right. It's not bad.
I serve the court of my own will.
And the room I have is clean and beautiful.
I'm just worried for my adoptive father.
I'm worried about how he's living.
What's wrong?
I'm surprised you care about something other than medicine or poison.
My father is my mentor in medicine.
I need him to live a long life.
Your father must be a talented apothecary.
He's skilled not only in Chinese medicine,
but Western medical practices as well.
He used to study abroad in the West.
He must've been extremely skilled.
You can only study abroad if you've been selected by the country.
Yes, he's an accomplished person.
They say God doesn't grant humans two talents,
but that's what he has.
He must be a great man.
Why is such a person working as an apothecary in the pleasure district?
He was granted many things, but not luck.
He has two talents,
but his one important body part was taken away.
You're saying your adoptive father is a eunuch?
Yes, that's right.
Did my pleasure district-style joke not land?
Because Old Man studied abroad in the West,
he was turned into a eunuch by the previous Emperor's mother,
or the former Empress.
A eunuch, apothecary, court physician…
Have I not told him?
Oh, is that it?
A hotel on the second floor, a diner on the first.
Stop by!
Hey, now.
Oh, I see.
That's why he came here disguised.
You should have come to the pleasure district, then.
-Huh? What do you mean? -It's nothing.
Apothecary, are you familiar with the Verdigris House's regulars?
Yes, if they're the flashy type.
What kind of men?
It's a secret. A brothel is confidential.
In that case,
how do you lower the value of a courtesan?
That's a very unpleasant question.
There are many ways, especially for high-class courtesans.
At the Verdigris House,
most courtesans are trained when they are apprentices.
Out of those, they're divided between the beautiful and plain girls,
and the latter will take clients and sell themselves after their debut.
Girls with potential will serve tea and find clients
through manners and education.
Their value will keep going up,
and if she stops coming out as much at that point,
then you have a popular courtesan who will cost a year's worth of silver to have tea.
Some of these girls remain untouched by clients until they're bought out.
They're valuable because they're untainted flowers.
If she is touched, her value would go down by half. Finally,
if she becomes pregnant, she is practically worthless.
PREVIEW OF NEXT EPISODE
Next Episode, "Lakan."
Subtitle translation by: Yukimi Ohashi ally worthless.