Chapter Text
As a little girl, Maomao didn’t wonder much about love, or relationship, marriage, as she took interest in herbs and medicine. She has wondered more about what herbs would do if mixed,diluted,boiled.. than love.
She’s heard courtesans talk about this, when she’d catch it, they said this about a woman, still in her prime being bought out, they all thought he loved the woman, little did they know, the old madam fell for his tricks. He bought her flowers and sent them every day even tho he didn’t come, expensive treats, with cocoa, or more so chocolate from the west. Jewellery, even some beautiful diamond earrings. She witnessed all this and lowered the price the courtesan so they could be together.
Such a mistake madam never made again.
That woman never visited again, never sent letters, she was being used and abused, instead of a woman she was like an object, a mere rock to throw around. He took the gifted jewellery back, and banned her to contact anyone else.
Maomao never heard about her again, but she tried to sympathise, as she saw her mother.. no.. the woman who merely birthed her, chase her out of her room, mind ill as her body.
That woman.. her story was quite similar to her mother’s, as she had gotten pregnant so she could keep her lover. Maybe, there were many possibilities that could have happened but she wasn’t able to hear.
At an older age she understood, her birth temporarily destroyed the brothel, and her.. mother too.
Any kid of love or affection was a weird feeling for Maomao. Sisterly love was known, and appreciated, and her old man’s too, her foster father took care for her much, so it’s considered love too, right?
After being kidnapped, working as a lowly servant girl, then being found out of her knowledge, she became lady Gyokuyous lady-in-waiting. That title covered her true meaning, she was a mere poison taser, as these jobs are for easily replaceable people, she quite enjoyed her job, she took bites of lavish food and even tasted poison! She could find what type of poison it was and what it could to the body with first hand experience!
Back on track.. let’s not get swayed by poisons.
Her knowledge and usefulness in recognizing poisons, illnesses soon gathers the attention of Jinshi-sama, a supposed eunuch in charge of administration in the rear palace-the home of the Emperor's many concubines.
Many servant girls quite literally swayed when they saw him. He tried to “seduce” her many times, and every time she had hoped he could stop harassing her.
But all of his affection were as little arrows meaning to break the invisible shield she had unbeknownst put herself on her little heart.
After being fired, she had been bought by the one and only.. Jinshi-sama.He over sees the inner palace, while she could not return there again as a lady in waiting for lady Gyokyou, she could be with Jinshi-sama as his personal maid and a physician in the outer palace where he mainly resides.
Today, she had been requested to try making a medicinal mixture that would be an inversible version of the aphrodisiac. Instead of increasing libido, the mixture should lower it, mainly for men.
“Think you could make such thing?” Jinshi asks her, he was working, but seemed to take a break with some tea before she was called.
“Of course, it’s called
anaphrodisiac, that blunts the libido, and is completely opposite of an aphrodisiac.”
He sighs amusedly at her corection.
“Then you’re dismissed till you get it right, report anything you need or any news, you can go ahead and start today.” He knew it would make her happy to be near her herbs and pharmacy,more motivation the better.
She bowed with her arms hiding her face, but he noticed her smile- or smirk.
“I’ll get going then, Jinshi-sama.”
After a week of searching for herbs, seeds and the right technique, it still wasn’t enough. She experimented on herself with the anaphrodisiac, it seemed to work well. ‘Maybe if I use aphrodisiac and dry to anul it with anaphrodisiac’. Solid ideea she thinks.
After making a very small dosage of aphrodisiac and taking the anaphrodisiac with her she decided that she’ll do it before she sleeps, at night time. Whatever outcome there is, she’ll sleep it off and no one will disturb her.