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Velvet Shadows & Imperial Dilemmas by tintedstrawberry
Fandoms: 薬屋のひとりごと | Kusuriya no Hitorigoto | The Apothecary Diaries (Anime)
14 Apr 2025
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Summary
After her time at the Jade Pavilion ends, Maomao vanishes into the enigmatic world of the Pleasure District—leaving behind no word, no trace, and one very conflicted Jinshi. Now burdened with a looming decision to ascend as Emperor, Jinshi finds himself haunted not by politics, but by the quiet absence of the woman who once unraveled poison plots and his own composure.
Rumors swirl months later: a new courtesan has quickly risen through the ranks in the district, her mind as sharp as her beauty is rare. Nights with her are whispered about in hushed, reverent tones—expensive, unattainable, and intoxicatingly dangerous. She isn’t one of the famed three, but she’s close. Too close.
Jinshi, torn between duty and desire, abandons the palace’s golden cage to seek the truth. Is it really Maomao behind the velvet screens of the high courtesan house? And if so… why did she disappear without a word?
What begins as a quest for answers quickly becomes something far more tangled—where power, longing, and secrets blend in the haze of incense and silk. (CURRENTLY ON HIATUS)