Hairpins
Next day, at the Jade Palace...
Jinshi and Gaoshun brought the bowl over in question after breakfast.
Maomao was prepared with unusual things.
'This is our other half of the mystery.' said Jinshi as on the table, is the bowl meant for Riishu as apparently, the Harem Cooks knows she can't eat seafood. 'This is the one laced with Fugu, correct?'
'Yes.' Maomao took out loose powder, and a cotton and began dabbing the sides with it. Then used the brush to sweep the excess off.
'What are those marks?'
'Silver dining wares are always wiped clean but people DO tend to neglect hygiene while hard at work...or sweating nervously while committing a crime...so oily fingers tend to leave behind fingerprints made more obvious if dabbed with powder. Oily fingerprints will remain on mirrors and metal surfaces.' Maomao explained. 'From this, we can see a total of four people handled this bowl and we can guess who from how it was held. The lady who ladled the soup, the lady who put it on trays, our unknown poisoner and finally, that naughty Food Tester.'
'But of course, this little trick will be redundant if the tableware was dirty to begin with, like in commoner homes where cleanliness isn't much of an issue, but in this place, cleanliness is taken seriously that tableware is always wiped, before being given for use for nobles and royalty. After it was wiped clean, its unwittingly dirtied with four people's fingerprints again. And the marks near the rim of the bowl belongs to our poisoner. As a doctor who mixes medicines, even I would hold the bowl like this, making the exact same rim bowl marks.' she said, making a gesture and motion with her fingers by holding an imaginary bowl and a pestle. 'Fugu guts are easy to dissolve and mix in so the fingerprints aren't smudged much.'
'I see...only question now is who did it, huh?'
'It would help if the Harem Chefs remembered who handled what.' Maomao suggested. 'Volunteers who volunteered to carry food to who are often close suspects as are chefs.'
'Very well, we'll take it from here.' said Jinshi. 'Now that we got what we want, its now safe to get rid of this soup.'
'Yeah, since silver oxidizes easily, that soup won't be tasty to eat now.' said Maomao with a pout.
'W-won't be tasty...' Gaoshun shook, clearly disturbed by her words. She clearly will eat it again!
'MAOMAO!' her senpais shrieked in horror.
'What, Fugu's delicious even if its deadly...' said Maomao innocently in a childish manner, trolling the people around her with black jokes.
'YOU IDIOOOT!' Honnyan cried in horror. 'Don't tell me you ingested it too?!'
'GET PUKING, NOW!' the other maids cried, carrying her away.
'I did it yesterday!' Maomao cried in protest.
'Not good enough! And get those diuretics!'
Gyokuyou gave Jinshi a forced, pained smile while Jinshi gave Maomao a glare of exasperation as the girls were soon out of sight.
'Oh dear, she's a little too zealous in her passion.' Gyokuyou said wryly.
'Obsessive Perfectionist in her trade is more like it.' Jinshi sighed, looking exhausted. 'She admitted to me that she ate some in her younger days just to see what happens and liked the taste and tingling sensation on the tongue Fugu causes.' the redhead paled after gulping. 'We may have to leash her or she kills herself one of these days...'
xxx
Days later...
'Gyokuyou-sama, may I ask permission to go home for at least four to five days?' Maomao asked Gyokuyou.
'Eh? Sure, but why?' Gyokuyou asked her.
'My house is probably a mess by now and my father can't do chores much due to having a bad knee he can't stand for long, much less walk.' said Maomao with a shudder. 'I can only imagine what it looks like now after ten months without me to clean it. I have to clean up and make sure everything's OK.'
'I see...but you know you need an outside guarantor to know your identity after leaving and coming back.' Gyokuyou pointed out as her Food Tester beamed, taking out three Mokkan labeled 'Rokushoukan' and below were three names of Meimei, Pairin and Jouga. And three hairpins!
'I just met a nice guy at the party I'm sure will love to meet my princess sisters and Pairin-neesan likes men with big muscles.'
Gyokuyou did a double-take in understanding before giggling.
'Oh what a naughty girl~ this will surely work! Too bad for him though...'
'Yeah, my sisters are costly to be with even for just ten minutes. And the ol' granny will squeeze him dry.'
xxx
'Rihaku-sama, a lady from the Harem wishes to meet you.' said an attendant who approached the sweaty Rihaku from a workout, and gave him a Mokkan containing 'JADE PALACE, MAOMAO'.
He remembered giving one to the youngest-looking maid of the Jade Palace, that cute, doll-like girl...but he likes his women with a little more...boing-boing going on, he's not into kids! She looks like a kid who wants her men older...
"She got me, she actually used the hairpin."
He shivered.
"I need to politely turn her down."
And so, in his office...no make-up and fancy hairdo and dress this time, just her normal maid outfit. She was holding three Mokkan. 'Do you know what it means by calling me?' he asked her.
'Yes.' Maomao smiled a little TOO sweetly that got him nervous. 'I will get to the point. I would like your help in being my Identity Guarantor as I need to return home out of necessity for five days...in exchange for this. You'll get to meet with a famous princess of your choice.' she laid down Mokkan with damning names. That, and introduction letters with them!
'Rokushoukan!' Rihaku exclaimed. 'Its a luxury brothel that takes some serious silver just for a single night there!' he choked out as he looked at the Mokkan and Three Letters written in elegant calligraphy. 'This is too unreal...even for high-level bureaucrats, they're the famed, untouchable three princesses!'
'Well, I got my three sisters' help as I used to be their Kamuro~' said Maomao as that got him stunned. 'Five days of helping me...in return for five days of paradise.' she said, using all her learned charms on the man. 'Buuuut if you're unsure...I'm sure others will help me~' she took out two more hairpins that looked expensive, being made of gold and crystal that got the man thinking.
This girl used to be the Kamuro of those princesses! No wonder she could get these...these TREASURES!
In Brothels, Courtesan and Kamuro have a close relationship of mentorship and sisterhood. For Maomao to have such a connection...what she offers is way too disproportionate! Going home and meeting a princess of his choice? You gotta be kidding!
He gave in eventually.
There's no way he could let this go and have some other guy have this once-a-lifetime deal!
'Its my defeat...' he said as the young maid cheered.
'Yay~! Thank you for your grace Officer~!' Maomao chimed. 'We leave on the day of your preference, yes?'
'Tomorrow morning! I have to file a five day leave!'
xxx
'Ohhh! For Maomao to do it before us!' Infa moaned.
'Congratulations!' Guien cheered.
'But isn't that deal a little too unfair?' Airan protested. 'He gets a better deal than you!'
'It is, but to snag a man of his ranking I have no choice. Besides, its my sisters that wins in the end.' Maomao shrugged. As the four maids talked, Honnyan sighed while carrying Rinrii.
'Oh boy...if only she knew...' Honnyan sighed. They really should educate her better...
'Fufufu...yes...if only she knew what using a hairpin truly means.' Gyokuyou smiled mischievously. 'That poor, poor boy.'
Yeah, Honnyan thought wryly, poor Jinshi-sama!
'Things will surely get interesting from here on.'
xxx
The next morning...
Maomao packed up with all she needs to clean her house, her money from her salaries and rewards for the Garden Party work and investigation, she's closer to paying off her debt now. But she kept some money for herself for the good of the house.
On the days she planned this, she arranged for a palace tailor with Gaoshun's help to make new clothes for her father this winter but dyed in cheap dye and make it look deliberately-faded so nobody would think of stealing it from a helpless cripple and bought new socks and shoes. That, and making high quality toiletry, and household cleaning needs before purchasing bedding...and hiring carpenters to repair what needs to be fixed, paying one gold coin for everything. The materials needed and pay for labor is covered by that one gold coin. And two gold coins to pay for some things.
Riding a carriage with Rihaku, they are soon headed for Hanamachi...to Rokushoukan and Rihaku looked like he just went to heaven.
'T-this is it...this is Rokushoukan!' he cried happily as outside, they were greeted by the old granny.
The reunion isn't exactly happy since she was gone for ten months but at least, she sent letters and a hefty sum of money that almost paid off all her Training Debt so at least, that was something the granny was happy about, especially when she brought in more money that about paid off 10% more, and gave new luxury toiletry for the courtesans to use.
Almost done. Almost!
Maomao wondered how can she get so lucky with this but hey, who cares? She'll be free soon!
So upon visiting home that's now renovated and clean-looking, there's actually little cleaning to be done.
The furniture is also brand new too despite being cheap enough for commoners to afford. At least they no longer look so old and worn out and no more sleeping in straw mats and threadbare blankets.
And there's her father.
'Oh, welcome back.' he said with a smile. 'You're late. Maomao.'
'I'm home, dad.'
And she told him what happened in her ten months in the palace.
xxx
Going home with the intention to clean, didn't come off as vacation since she had a potential murder case to solve between a well-connected merchant's son and a courtesan that looked like murder suicide.
Well, the guy had it coming and courtesans aren't courtesans for nothing. Women scorned, especially educated ones, are very scary creatures.
Well, after a few more days...
Rihaku looked like a tamed kitten in the hands of her oneesama who's excessively glowing. Rihaku on the other hand, looked drained but he fawned over her Maomao could easily GUESS what happened.
She thought she overpaid the man, but ah well...
...now that he got acquainted, he can now have access when normally, it takes more meetings but due to connections, he bypassed those rules.
xxx
But back home in the palace...
WHY is Jinshi glaring at her for?!
He even asked why she chose Rihaku and NOT him, and what happened, oblivious to what he feels.
'About him huh? Weeell going home aside for a couple days to see how dad's been, the old hag's complaining nobody good came by lately, so I had to bring somebody over and I can't obviously bring you.' Jinshi looked at her owlishly at that. 'Rihaku-dono enjoyed quite the good dream in Pairin-neesan's care in exchange for much of his wallet anyway. He said if I'd get him a stay with neesan anytime he'd gladly be my Identity Guarantor whenever I want to go home for a few days.'
'Ah so that's what it was...'
'Well, what were YOU thinking?' Maomao deadpanned with the flattest expression she could muster. 'That I took Rihaku-dono to my bed?' Jinshi choked as if struck with arrows. 'Oh, come on, one look at him I can already tell what his type of woman was! And he's not my type either!'
'Hooo? And what's your type?'
Maomao gave him a deadpan stare.
'Don't know.'
'Don't know?!'
'How should I know, dad aside, I haven't met a boy my age my whole life dad thought I'd be unmarried for life and just be married to my job instead.' Maomao deadpanned. 'And all men here are adults too old for me, no way!'
'Aha, you haven't a maiden's heart yet.'
'How rude.'
xxx
'Fufufufu...that was quite hilarious, Maomao.' Gyokuyou giggled as the Jade Palace party went home.
'Jeez, what makes it his business that I bring a man home anyway?' Maomao deadpanned. 'Its just business.'
Honnyan just face-palmed. If only she knew!
'No good men going home lately?'
'Yeah, the old hag's complaining a lot. Not to mention a ruckus caused by a merchant's son who she banned from the brothel with good reason.'
'Eh?'
'Well, he gives false hope and crushing hearts left and right, suicides left and right, until finally, someone tried to kill him and make it look like a romantic murder-suicide. The granny didn't want that guy going near our girls with a reputation like that and infect them so other brothels put up with quite the drama instead.'
'Ah...'
'Well, we barely saved his life, and the last brothel he came to, the madam there squeezed his dad for the damages he caused to their Brothel Princess, goading her into a murder-suicide so that's two vengeance scores done and they were none-the-wiser.' Maomao sighed. 'Well, case solved...but he'll probably try again, get killed again and who knows if dad will make it next time to save his unrepentant hide. He's a cripple with a bad knee you can't rush him.'
'Ah...next time won't be so lucky then.'
'Yup. Oh well, one less man like him in this world, women will be happy.'
xxx
Gaoshun looked at his sulking boss.
He had come to Jade Palace, fully-motivated until he gets wind Maomao left for home with another man that got him in a bad mood, then there's that conversation earlier...
...the young are scary indeed, but at least he knows Maomao didn't choose anybody else, and simply chose Rihaku for financial reasons and Maomao clearly wishes for men her age...and thought his master is too old for her, thus cut him off as potential mate material without knowing full facts.
If only she knew.
