Hey, Ryushin! Wait! You can run faster than that, Miss Shurei, come on, catch me if you can! Don't give me any of your lame Ryushin! Today, you've gone too far! I won't forgive you for this! It's one thing to forget your homework, but doodling on the temple's walls...! Despite the bitter winter cold, Shurei had reason to be heated. This happened after she took the aptitude test but she was still waiting for the results to be released.
Hey! What are you doing? Stop that! Ryushin. I bet you can't reach me all the way over here, Miss Shurei! All right, you asked for it. Oh, no, no, wait on a second plus this is too hard for you! No, don't, stop it! You just wait right there, Ryushin! I said it's too hard! Miss Shurei! No...!
There's No Medicine for Lovesickness
You've caught a cold. Jumping into a river in the middle of winter? I'm just glad your heart didn't stop beating, you're very, very lucky. I wonder how long it's been since I had a cold? Well, the least I can do is take care of you. I'll make you a warm drink and an ice pack, so just lie back and get a little rest, okay?
Sorry, I'm being childish. I'll stay with you a little while longer, so please, just get some sleep. Ah, your hand is cold, but right now that feels really good. Sei-ran... My Lady, I thought I told you to rest quietly. You have a bad fever so stop rolling around, and pull the covers over yourself.
What's this I hear, speaking to such a young child, as if she’s an adult. You certainly are a most interesting fellow, Seiran. Madam, what about her medicine? Don't worry, I have it right here. My, Shurei really has taken quite a shine to you, hasn't she? M-Madam, wh-what are you doing? Please stop! I told you to stop looking sullen, I won't have that in my house. It's a waste to have a cute face looking like that, come on, cheer up! What's this I hear about Shurei being sick?! Master Shoke. I thought you were planning to spend the whole night at the archives? What's that? How did I end up carrying these things? But we have to keep her warm with blankets. And we need some nourishing food and, right! An ice pack! Wait, what? It doesn't make any sense, why keep her warm yet cool her down? Please calm down, Master. Ah, yes, of course, you're right, I really must calm down. You know, it's been a very long time since anybody got sick in this house, so I was very surprised. Oh, Seiran. I'll take care of that. Please, Master, let me take care of this. What's going on? Oh, are you feeling all right, Shurei? Y-Yeah. Wait just a moment. I know the very thing to pull you up, I'll go and make you some of my special ginger tea. Father! It's okay, really you don't have to do that. It's not a problem, you just rest. One small sip and your cold will be blown away in an instant. If you do that. It's the kitchen that will be blown away.
Seiran, you have to go stop Father. If this house falls apart any more than it already has, we're gonna have nowhere to live. Yes, please just get some rest, My Lady. M-Master! I remember this sort of thing happening before, now that I think about it. Madam, what did you have her drink? She's always complaining, "It's bitter! It's bitter!" so I tried to make it sweet. This is too sweet! That's strange, I asked Shoka to try some but he just smiled and said it was sweet enough. Now that reminds me, Shoka said he'd make some ginger tea for Shurei. Now, let's see. Huh? Where on earth would the ginger be? And all these years, he hasn't changed a bit. Excuse us. Hope you don't mind us barging in like this, no one came when we called, so we decided to just come on in. We couldn't help but be a little worried, Lord Shoka dashed home immediately once he heard that Shurei was sick. We brought medicines and vegetables for her. Well, now who do we have here, hello General Ran and you too Koyu. I take it you've come to pay poor Shurei a visit. I was just making some ginger tea for Shurei, but I can't find the ginger anywhere. I guess that's a problem, can't ginger it up without any ginger, right? Okay, that was pretty bad, forget it. Master, don't worry, we'll take care of everything from here, so please go back and sit with her ladyship.
Really? And here I was all fired up to do some things. Very well, then, I'll leave you to it. Don't worry about a thing, sir.
Now then, Seiran, you're gonna have to walk me through this, I've never held a kitchen knife before. Maybe not a kitchen knife, but you certainly held swords before, right? They're both blades, so the basics are similar. At the very least, you should be more helpful than the Master. And if that's not really your thing, I can have you take care cleaning this place up instead. In case you've forgotten, I happen to be a much higher ranking officer than you are. How are you at cooking, Lord Koyu? If it's fairly simple stuff, I should be able to manage pretty well, how about yourself, Seiran? I've mastered the innermost secrets of replacing roof tiles, repairing the outer walls, getting rid of pests and bargaining for vegetables. Given those facts, I'd say that's a rather foolish question to ask, don't you agree? All right then! She's sound asleep. Her face is all flush red. She looks so pitiful. I still don't quite understand, why we have to act like thieves and clamber over the wall in secret just to visit your niece?
As I told you, I still haven't been able to prepare myself to tell her who I really am. Well, I'm going to the front entrance and visit properly. If you wish to hanging around here and cling to the wall like the dead shell of a cicada, then go ahead. How pompous, and bringing orchids no less. It is customary to bring flowers to someone who's not feeling well, is it not? What are you doing stalking around outside like this? Hello Reishin. Oh? Senior Secretary Kou as well! Ah, oh, big brother, this... um… well...! You're so hopeless, little brother, but thank you so much for coming by to check on everything. Please come on in. Really? Are you sure? Of course, I'm not about to leave two senior secretaries out here to catch cold. Besides, I can't exactly ignore my dear younger brother as he sits out here in the snow, can I?
But, there is one thing, Reishin. Yes, what is it? Why not try the door instead of the window. S-Sorry! I was so happy, that I must've got a little carried away. I've brought flowers as well as some herbal medicine that boosts resistance. Why, thank you, Secretary Kou! Hey! How dare you make your entrance ahead of me! I'm coming too, big brother! They say that eating a lot of fruit is good for illness and I brought pretty much every medicine that we had available.
But you brought way too much. Honestly, it's the same as always, you run from one extreme to the other. And why did you bring medicine to improve virility and to fight constipation? I'll have the herbalist beheaded immediately. Don't be ridiculous! Never mind, I do appreciate the sentiment, Reishin. It's been a while since I last saw her from this close. You followed her around all during the summer. You even went so far to have her call you Uncle. I really am her uncle though, so there's nothing wrong with that. In comparison, you're her former boss, almost a stranger. Since dear Shurei is yet to be married, I hereby forbid you to come any closer to her!
Remember that she has not even acknowledged your very existence yet.
Ah...! Pardon me, Master, but we've finished with the meal preparations. Oh, thank you, well then...! Lord Reishin! Wh-Why you are here? What is wrong with me, as a devoted uncle, visiting my sick niece? And now that I enter here I can see clearly, it seems you've been jumping the gun on things without my knowledge, haven't you, Koyu? I'll deal with you later. I wouldn't be surprised if he throws you out of the house. Who's that?
The Story of Saiunkoku
I'm deeply sorry, our foolish son has caused you so much trouble. Don't worry, it's all right, there's nothing to be concerned about. Yes, but… Is there something else? Actually, I was wondering about Ryushin...did he happen to drop by here today? No, he's not been here at all today, when did you see him last?
Shortly after noon, he said he was going to the mountain, and hasn't been back since. I'll keep searching for him. Wait, one moment. Perhaps we can help, Ryushin said he was going to the mountain when he left? Yes sir, that's right. If he's talking about a mountain close to here, perhaps he went to Mt. Ryu, where madam's grave is.
If it's Mt. Ryu, we can get there by horse. We'll go back to the palace right away and get some horses saddled up. Right, in the meantime I'll head back to the main Hong residence, I can get some protective gear and torches ready.
Do whatever you wish to. But remember, if you get lost in the mountains it won't matter how extensive your knowledge is, against the snow and ice, it'll essentially be meaningless.
Yes, sir. Reishin. At time like this, the proper thing to say is, "be careful and come home safely", got it?
Yes, big brother. I can't believe he did something like that to the ever-so-shrewd Lord Reishin. Look at him, he actually seems a bit...happy! Seiran. I'd like you to help Koyu, could you go with him to my brother's house and help carry the torches and protective gear? Yes! We could go back to the palace for horses General Ran, but I'm afraid that time is of the essence.
So we'll borrow horses from the main Hong residence. Very well, understood. My home is closer to Mt. Ryu, if you do happen to find that child, you should take him there.
All right, then the rest of us will head to the Hong house. It's a shame, Koyu and the others went to all the trouble of preparing this meal but now it's gone cold.
If necessary, I'll go as well, that way there'll be no chance of anything happening to Koyu and you can rest easy. No need to worry about him. I would never ask you to go out, I'd rather have people from the Hong family sent out to conduct a search instead.
Bell pepper pork, it's a bit on watery side, but very well made for a first timer. I don't want you to do anything anymore. In the end, the goal doesn't really matter. There's only one thing I truly want out of life and that's for you and Shurei to live happily and peacefully. I’d say you've already achieved that goal. Thanks to you keeping me assigned to the archives, I've been able to read the books that I like as often as I like and live happily and quietly for the past ten years.
I'm sincerely grateful. But that's only ten years! And those years haven't been quiet or peaceful. You've still been trapped by all the political intrigue. When I learned that you'd gone to find the exiled prince, I took the initiative and sent assassins to eliminate the previous king. But your efforts were thwarted by Advisor Sho, right? Yes, they were! Just what is he, some sneaky raccoon spirit. So much for his faithful promise to have you live peacefully, he's nothing but a liar! He cheerfully used you to the very end, and put all the heaviest burdens on you! Everything that happened was by my own will. These bloody hands of mine are nobody else's fault. Thank you for always worrying so much about me though. I'm a very lucky man to have two such adorable younger brothers. And yes, regardless of what Kuro might have you think, he also worries about us. At any rate, there's something else, I want you to properly introduce yourself to Shurei. But, big brother, I can't. After what I did, Shurei must think I'm a bad person. No doubt she’d believe I'm a cruel villain of an uncle, having thrown you out, cutting all ties with you, and taking over as head of the family.
You’re the worst possible uncle, I despise people like you! To think of her saying that to me! Reishin, what do you think, isn't our daughter cute? Your niece carries my blood and Shoka's, and by extension your blood as well. Shurei doesn't know yet the depths of your spite, your utter self-conceit, or your extreme selfishness. Perhaps you’d like to keep it that way. You can make a start on it by practicing your smile. If you smile nicely, then Shurei will smile back you, so you should start practicing right away.
You know, Reishin. It would be very nice if one day everyone in this family could find happiness. This isn't looking very good. Ryushin may be reckless, but he always has a reason for his actions. Let me think a minute, his reason for coming to a snowy mountain this season would be...! Medicinal herbs! In that case, we should concentrate our search on places where medicinal herbs are known to grow. All right, Let's get going. You know the truth is I seriously did practice smiling. You certainly didn't improve very much, did you? Why are only Shoka and the Senior Secretary of Civil Affairs here? Well, never mind that, I have another purpose here. She's hot. That's right, Shurei gave this to me. That was a gift from me. It's all right. I can still wait for her. W-Water...! Oh, she's thirsty. Water... Water... This is awful, I really hope that she doesn't get sick too often. To think that a sick woman once full of energy can become so unguarded and defenseless like this! It's torture! Not good, the medicine... Given the reason, this is forgivable. Shurei! What's the matter? Ah, well... you see...! Ryushin! Ryushin! Where are you! Seiran! Shuei! Over here! Look, I told them I didn't do anything wrong. I bet I can guess what happened, you gave her the master's special ginger tea with no ginger, right? Never mind that, now tell me how's Ryushin doing? At the moment, he's being treated at Senior Secretary Kou's residence. His hands and feet are slightly frostbitten, but there's no need to worry, he's gonna be fine. Geeze, that boy is so reckless. Well you seem a lot [prettier], I suppose your fever must've gone down someone, although that's a little bit of a shame. You looked very lovely and attractive when your cheeks were all flushed like peaches. Yeah. Oh boy, I don't believe you, why don't you go stick your head in a snow bank until spring.
My lady? I'm leaving, I've gotta go check on Ryushin. That's not a good idea. But I'm really worried about him. Ryushin! He Insisted on coming to see you and wouldn't listen to reason. Miss Shurei, I'm so sorry. Ryushin. Miss Shurei, you said you'd be taking a break from teaching at the temple. I thought you only meant for a little while. But then I heard from the head monk, that you might not be coming back at all, I was so worried. I've been doing my homework, but if I handed it in, then that would be the end of it.
I didn't ever mean to cause you trouble, Miss Shurei, but... Oh, Ryushin, I'm sorry to have put you through all that. I don't want you to go, please don't do it, please don't get married! M-Married?! Promise, in another five years, I'll become just as good a man as Seiran is right now! Now wait, just a minute there, young man! Give me another five years and I will! What the...? A fan? Where’d the heck that come from? Oh my, Your Majesty, I'm very sorry about that. the silly thing must've slipped from my hand. Come on, Ryushin. Your father's bound to be very worried about you, so we'd better get you home quickly. Thank you very much for gathering herbs to help Shurei get better. Yes, sir. Take care of your health, once you're fully recovered, I'll send some camellias to you. Thank you very much, sir. I'll see you to your home. Reishin, I'm afraid you're not doing anyone any favors by acting like an ornament out here.
Uncle, I'm Reishin your uncle. I've been constantly watching over you from the shadows all these years. We're going. Well then, we'll be on our way too. Take care of yourself, Shurei. Hey, you two. The kitchen still needs cleaning you know? We can't ask that of General Ran and Lord Koyu. Honestly, It's quite all right, Shurei. Don't worry just get some rest. I'll help out too, I'm sure I can be useful! Thank you very much, Your Majesty. I have no doubt that scrubbing pots and plates will be a valuable use to you someday. In that case, I will help out too! No, no, please retire and rest for the evening, Master. If only some beautiful and kind person would come into your life and become your consort. You keep drawing closer because of your strong desire for me, but I... I think you must be the biggest fool I’ve ever met, Do you honestly think I'll ever come to call you "husband of mine"? Falling in love with the one you're supposed to kill? In all my years, I've never heard of such a laughable assassin? Hey, Shoka. I love you. I really do, Shurei and Seiran are the cutest things ever, I'm truly fortunate to be your wife, thank you! It seems what they say is true, there's no medicine for lovesickness.
Next Episode This is the last time I'll be working at Kogarou...the number one brothel of the entertainment district. All I need to be focused on now is the main National Exam. Huh? Miss Kocho. Who's that boy?
You can run faster than that, Miss Shurei, come on, catch me if you can!
Don't give me any of your lame Ryushin! Today, you've gone too far! I won't forgive you for this!
It's one thing to forget your homework, but doodling on the temple's walls...!
Despite the bitter winter cold, Shurei had reason to be heated.
This happened after she took the aptitude test but she was still waiting for the results to be released.
Hey! What are you doing? Stop that!
Ryushin.
I bet you can't reach me all the way over here, Miss Shurei!
All right, you asked for it.
Oh, no, no, wait on a second plus this is too hard for you! No, don't, stop it!
You just wait right there, Ryushin!
I said it's too hard!
Miss Shurei! No...!
There's No Medicine for Lovesickness
You've caught a cold.
Jumping into a river in the middle of winter?
I'm just glad your heart didn't stop beating, you're very, very lucky.
I wonder how long it's been since I had a cold?
Well, the least I can do is take care of you. I'll make you a warm drink and an ice pack, so just lie back and get a little rest, okay?
Sorry, I'm being childish.
I'll stay with you a little while longer, so please, just get some sleep.
Ah, your hand is cold, but right now that feels really good.
Sei-ran...
My Lady, I thought I told you to rest quietly.
You have a bad fever so stop rolling around, and pull the covers over yourself.
What's this I hear, speaking to such a young child, as if she’s an adult.
You certainly are a most interesting fellow, Seiran.
Madam, what about her medicine?
Don't worry, I have it right here.
My, Shurei really has taken quite a shine to you, hasn't she?
M-Madam, wh-what are you doing? Please stop!
I told you to stop looking sullen, I won't have that in my house.
It's a waste to have a cute face looking like that, come on, cheer up!
What's this I hear about Shurei being sick?!
Master Shoke.
I thought you were planning to spend the whole night at the archives? What's that?
How did I end up carrying these things?
But we have to keep her warm with blankets.
And we need some nourishing food and, right!
An ice pack! Wait, what?
It doesn't make any sense, why keep her warm yet cool her down?
Please calm down, Master.
Ah, yes, of course, you're right, I really must calm down.
You know, it's been a very long time since anybody got sick in this house, so I was very surprised.
Oh, Seiran. I'll take care of that.
Please, Master, let me take care of this.
What's going on?
Oh, are you feeling all right, Shurei?
Y-Yeah.
Wait just a moment.
I know the very thing to pull you up, I'll go and make you some of my special ginger tea.
Father! It's okay, really you don't have to do that.
It's not a problem, you just rest.
One small sip and your cold will be blown away in an instant.
If you do that.
It's the kitchen that will be blown away.
Seiran, you have to go stop Father.
If this house falls apart any more than it already has, we're gonna have nowhere to live.
Yes, please just get some rest, My Lady.
M-Master!
I remember this sort of thing happening before, now that I think about it.
Madam, what did you have her drink?
She's always complaining, "It's bitter! It's bitter!" so I tried to make it sweet.
This is too sweet!
That's strange, I asked Shoka to try some but he just smiled and said it was sweet enough.
Now that reminds me, Shoka said he'd make some ginger tea for Shurei.
Now, let's see.
Huh? Where on earth would the ginger be?
And all these years, he hasn't changed a bit.
Excuse us.
Hope you don't mind us barging in like this, no one came when we called, so we decided to just come on in.
We couldn't help but be a little worried, Lord Shoka dashed home immediately once he heard that Shurei was sick.
We brought medicines and vegetables for her.
Well, now who do we have here, hello General Ran and you too Koyu.
I take it you've come to pay poor Shurei a visit.
I was just making some ginger tea for Shurei, but I can't find the ginger anywhere.
I guess that's a problem, can't ginger it up without any ginger, right?
Okay, that was pretty bad, forget it.
Master, don't worry, we'll take care of everything from here, so please go back and sit with her ladyship.
Really? And here I was all fired up to do some things.
Very well, then, I'll leave you to it.
Don't worry about a thing, sir.
Now then, Seiran, you're gonna have to walk me through this, I've never held a kitchen knife before.
Maybe not a kitchen knife, but you certainly held swords before, right?
They're both blades, so the basics are similar.
At the very least, you should be more helpful than the Master.
And if that's not really your thing, I can have you take care cleaning this place up instead.
In case you've forgotten, I happen to be a much higher ranking officer than you are.
How are you at cooking, Lord Koyu?
If it's fairly simple stuff, I should be able to manage pretty well, how about yourself, Seiran?
I've mastered the innermost secrets of replacing roof tiles, repairing the outer walls, getting rid of pests and bargaining for vegetables.
Given those facts, I'd say that's a rather foolish question to ask, don't you agree?
All right then!
She's sound asleep. Her face is all flush red. She looks so pitiful.
I still don't quite understand, why we have to act like thieves and clamber over the wall in secret just to visit your niece?
As I told you, I still haven't been able to prepare myself to tell her who I really am.
Well, I'm going to the front entrance and visit properly.
If you wish to hanging around here and cling to the wall like the dead shell of a cicada, then go ahead.
How pompous, and bringing orchids no less.
It is customary to bring flowers to someone who's not feeling well, is it not?
What are you doing stalking around outside like this? Hello Reishin.
Oh? Senior Secretary Kou as well!
Ah, oh, big brother, this... um… well...!
You're so hopeless, little brother, but thank you so much for coming by to check on everything.
Please come on in.
Really? Are you sure?
Of course, I'm not about to leave two senior secretaries out here to catch cold.
Besides, I can't exactly ignore my dear younger brother as he sits out here in the snow, can I?
But, there is one thing, Reishin.
Yes, what is it?
Why not try the door instead of the window.
S-Sorry!
I was so happy, that I must've got a little carried away.
I've brought flowers as well as some herbal medicine that boosts resistance.
Why, thank you, Secretary Kou!
Hey!
How dare you make your entrance ahead of me!
I'm coming too, big brother!
They say that eating a lot of fruit is good for illness and I brought pretty much every medicine that we had available.
But you brought way too much.
Honestly, it's the same as always, you run from one extreme to the other.
And why did you bring medicine to improve virility and to fight constipation?
I'll have the herbalist beheaded immediately.
Don't be ridiculous!
Never mind, I do appreciate the sentiment, Reishin.
It's been a while since I last saw her from this close.
You followed her around all during the summer.
You even went so far to have her call you Uncle.
I really am her uncle though, so there's nothing wrong with that.
In comparison, you're her former boss, almost a stranger.
Since dear Shurei is yet to be married, I hereby forbid you to come any closer to her!
Remember that she has not even acknowledged your very existence yet.
Ah...!
Pardon me, Master, but we've finished with the meal preparations.
Oh, thank you, well then...!
Lord Reishin!
Wh-Why you are here?
What is wrong with me, as a devoted uncle, visiting my sick niece?
And now that I enter here I can see clearly, it seems you've been jumping the gun on things without my knowledge, haven't you, Koyu?
I'll deal with you later.
I wouldn't be surprised if he throws you out of the house.
Who's that?
The Story of Saiunkoku
I'm deeply sorry, our foolish son has caused you so much trouble.
Don't worry, it's all right, there's nothing to be concerned about.
Yes, but…
Is there something else?
Actually, I was wondering about Ryushin...did he happen to drop by here today?
No, he's not been here at all today, when did you see him last?
Shortly after noon, he said he was going to the mountain, and hasn't been back since.
I'll keep searching for him.
Wait, one moment.
Perhaps we can help, Ryushin said he was going to the mountain when he left?
Yes sir, that's right.
If he's talking about a mountain close to here, perhaps he went to Mt. Ryu, where madam's grave is.
If it's Mt. Ryu, we can get there by horse.
We'll go back to the palace right away and get some horses saddled up.
Right, in the meantime I'll head back to the main Hong residence, I can get some protective gear and torches ready.
Do whatever you wish to.
But remember, if you get lost in the mountains it won't matter how extensive your knowledge is, against the snow and ice, it'll essentially be meaningless.
Yes, sir.
Reishin.
At time like this, the proper thing to say is, "be careful and come home safely", got it?
Yes, big brother.
I can't believe he did something like that to the ever-so-shrewd Lord Reishin.
Look at him, he actually seems a bit...happy!
Seiran.
I'd like you to help Koyu, could you go with him to my brother's house and help carry the torches and protective gear?
Yes!
We could go back to the palace for horses General Ran, but I'm afraid that time is of the essence.
So we'll borrow horses from the main Hong residence.
Very well, understood.
My home is closer to Mt. Ryu, if you do happen to find that child, you should take him there.
All right, then the rest of us will head to the Hong house.
It's a shame, Koyu and the others went to all the trouble of preparing this meal but now it's gone cold.
If necessary, I'll go as well, that way there'll be no chance of anything happening to Koyu and you can rest easy.
No need to worry about him.
I would never ask you to go out, I'd rather have people from the Hong family sent out to conduct a search instead.
Bell pepper pork, it's a bit on watery side, but very well made for a first timer.
I don't want you to do anything anymore.
In the end, the goal doesn't really matter.
There's only one thing I truly want out of life and that's for you and Shurei to live happily and peacefully.
I’d say you've already achieved that goal.
Thanks to you keeping me assigned to the archives, I've been able to read the books that I like as often as I like and live happily and quietly for the past ten years.
I'm sincerely grateful.
But that's only ten years!
And those years haven't been quiet or peaceful.
You've still been trapped by all the political intrigue.
When I learned that you'd gone to find the exiled prince, I took the initiative and sent assassins to eliminate the previous king.
But your efforts were thwarted by Advisor Sho, right?
Yes, they were! Just what is he, some sneaky raccoon spirit.
So much for his faithful promise to have you live peacefully, he's nothing but a liar!
He cheerfully used you to the very end, and put all the heaviest burdens on you!
Everything that happened was by my own will.
These bloody hands of mine are nobody else's fault.
Thank you for always worrying so much about me though.
I'm a very lucky man to have two such adorable younger brothers.
And yes, regardless of what Kuro might have you think, he also worries about us.
At any rate, there's something else, I want you to properly introduce yourself to Shurei.
But, big brother, I can't.
After what I did, Shurei must think I'm a bad person.
No doubt she’d believe I'm a cruel villain of an uncle, having thrown you out, cutting all ties with you, and taking over as head of the family.
You’re the worst possible uncle, I despise people like you!
To think of her saying that to me!
Reishin, what do you think, isn't our daughter cute?
Your niece carries my blood and Shoka's, and by extension your blood as well.
Shurei doesn't know yet the depths of your spite, your utter self-conceit, or your extreme selfishness.
Perhaps you’d like to keep it that way.
You can make a start on it by practicing your smile.
If you smile nicely, then Shurei will smile back you, so you should start practicing right away.
You know, Reishin.
It would be very nice if one day everyone in this family could find happiness.
This isn't looking very good.
Ryushin may be reckless, but he always has a reason for his actions.
Let me think a minute, his reason for coming to a snowy mountain this season would be...!
Medicinal herbs!
In that case, we should concentrate our search on places where medicinal herbs are known to grow.
All right, Let's get going.
You know the truth is I seriously did practice smiling.
You certainly didn't improve very much, did you?
Why are only Shoka and the Senior Secretary of Civil Affairs here?
Well, never mind that, I have another purpose here.
She's hot.
That's right, Shurei gave this to me.
That was a gift from me.
It's all right.
I can still wait for her.
W-Water...!
Oh, she's thirsty.
Water... Water...
This is awful, I really hope that she doesn't get sick too often.
To think that a sick woman once full of energy can become so unguarded and defenseless like this!
It's torture!
Not good, the medicine...
Given the reason, this is forgivable.
Shurei! What's the matter?
Ah, well... you see...!
Ryushin!
Ryushin!
Where are you!
Seiran! Shuei! Over here!
Look, I told them I didn't do anything wrong.
I bet I can guess what happened, you gave her the master's special ginger tea with no ginger, right?
Never mind that, now tell me how's Ryushin doing?
At the moment, he's being treated at Senior Secretary Kou's residence.
His hands and feet are slightly frostbitten, but there's no need to worry, he's gonna be fine.
Geeze, that boy is so reckless.
Well you seem a lot [prettier], I suppose your fever must've gone down someone, although that's a little bit of a shame.
You looked very lovely and attractive when your cheeks were all flushed like peaches.
Yeah.
Oh boy, I don't believe you, why don't you go stick your head in a snow bank until spring.
My lady?
I'm leaving, I've gotta go check on Ryushin.
That's not a good idea.
But I'm really worried about him.
Ryushin!
He Insisted on coming to see you and wouldn't listen to reason.
Miss Shurei, I'm so sorry.
Ryushin.
Miss Shurei, you said you'd be taking a break from teaching at the temple.
I thought you only meant for a little while.
But then I heard from the head monk, that you might not be coming back at all, I was so worried.
I've been doing my homework, but if I handed it in, then that would be the end of it.
I didn't ever mean to cause you trouble, Miss Shurei, but...
Oh, Ryushin, I'm sorry to have put you through all that.
I don't want you to go, please don't do it, please don't get married!
M-Married?!
Promise, in another five years, I'll become just as good a man as Seiran is right now!
Now wait, just a minute there, young man!
Give me another five years and I will!
What the...?
A fan?
Where’d the heck that come from?
Oh my, Your Majesty, I'm very sorry about that.
the silly thing must've slipped from my hand.
Come on, Ryushin.
Your father's bound to be very worried about you, so we'd better get you home quickly.
Thank you very much for gathering herbs to help Shurei get better.
Yes, sir.
Take care of your health, once you're fully recovered, I'll send some camellias to you.
Thank you very much, sir.
I'll see you to your home.
Reishin, I'm afraid you're not doing anyone any favors by acting like an ornament out here.
Uncle, I'm Reishin your uncle.
I've been constantly watching over you from the shadows all these years.
We're going.
Well then, we'll be on our way too.
Take care of yourself, Shurei.
Hey, you two.
The kitchen still needs cleaning you know?
We can't ask that of General Ran and Lord Koyu.
Honestly, It's quite all right, Shurei.
Don't worry just get some rest.
I'll help out too, I'm sure I can be useful!
Thank you very much, Your Majesty.
I have no doubt that scrubbing pots and plates will be a valuable use to you someday.
In that case, I will help out too!
No, no, please retire and rest for the evening, Master.
If only some beautiful and kind person would come into your life and become your consort.
You keep drawing closer because of your strong desire for me, but I...
I think you must be the biggest fool I’ve ever met, Do you honestly think I'll ever come to call you "husband of mine"?
Falling in love with the one you're supposed to kill?
In all my years, I've never heard of such a laughable assassin?
Hey, Shoka. I love you.
I really do, Shurei and Seiran are the cutest things ever, I'm truly fortunate to be your wife, thank you!
It seems what they say is true, there's no medicine for lovesickness.
Next Episode
This is the last time I'll be working at Kogarou...the number one brothel of the entertainment district.
All I need to be focused on now is the main National Exam.
Huh? Miss Kocho.
Who's that boy?