apothecaryscript

[apothecaryscript]

Episode 3 (Ep.27) ‘Corpse Fungus’ / 第3話（第27話）『冬人夏草（とうじんかそう/Tojinkaso）』

壬氏「翡翠宮(ひすいきゅう)へ行く」

Jinshi “Hisui-Kyu’e iku.”

Jinshi “I’m going to the Jade Pavilion.”

高順「はい」

Gaoshun “Hai.”

Gaoshun “Yes.”

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玉葉妃「亡くなった？…そう、静妃が…」

Gyokuyo-hi “Naku-natta? …So, Jin-hi-ga…”

Concubine Gyokuyou “Passed away? Concubine Jin… I see.”

紅娘「食中毒だそうです。たった今、報告が」

Hon’nyan “Shoku-chudoku daso-desu. Tatta-ima, hokoku-ga.”

Hongniang “I have been told it was food poisoning. The word just came in.”

玉葉妃「ここ一年、病に伏せっていたとは聞いたけど…」

Gyokuyo-hi “Koko ichi-nen, yamaini fusette-ita-towa kiita-kedo…”

Concubine Gyokuyou “I heard she had been bedridden for about a year now.”

桜花「壬氏様がいらっしゃいました」

Infa “Jinshi-samaga irasshai-mashita.”

Yinghua “Master Jinshi is here.”

玉葉妃「フフッ、通してちょうだい」

Gyokuyo-hi “Fufu, tooshite-chodai.”

Concubine Gyokuyou “Let him in.”

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猫猫「お願いします」

Maomao “Onegai-shimasu.”

Maomao “Thank you in advance.”

下女「はいよ」

Gejo “Haiyo.”

Servant girl “Got it.”

猫猫（邪魔しちゃ悪いな）

Maomao (Jama-shicha waruina.)

Maomao (I should let her concentrate.)

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猫猫「女官が行方不明(ゆくえふめい)ですか？」

Maomao “Nyokanga yukue-fumei desuka?”

Maomao “A court lady is missing?”

虞淵（やぶ医者）「そうなんだよ。涛(タオ)って子で、仕事熱心ないい子だったんだけどねぇ。せっかく年季も明けるし、結婚も間近だったってのに」

Guen(Yabu-Isha) “So-nan-dayo. Taotte kode, shigoto-nesshin’na ii-ko dattan-dakedo-nee. Sekkaku nenkimo akerushi, kekkonmo majika-dattatte-noni.”

Guen(Quack Doctor) “Yes. Her name is Tao. She was a good girl, hard worker. Her tenure was almost up, and she was scheduled to get married soon.”

猫猫「結婚ですか」

Maomao “Kekkon desuka.”

Maomao “Marriage?”

虞淵（やぶ医者）「園遊会でかんざしを贈られたそうだよ。しかも、結構出世が期待されている文官から。宮官長は引き留めていたらしいけど」

Guen(Yabu-Isha) “En’yu-kaide kanzashi’o oku-rareta-so-dayo. Shikamo, kekko shussega kitai-sarete-iru bunkan-kara. Kyukan-chowa hiki-tomete-ita-rashii-kedo.”

Guen(Quack Doctor) “I heard she was given a hairpin at the garden party. And it was from an up-and-coming bureaucrat. The matron wanted her to stay, though.”

猫猫「へぇ…」（それほど優秀な女官が、結婚間近で挨拶もなしにいなくなったと）

Maomao “Hee…” (Sore-hodo yushuna nyokanga, kekkon-majikade aisatsumo nashini inaku-natta-to.)

Maomao “Huh…” (So, such a capable court lady goes missing without even saying goodbye.)

猫猫「何か心当たりでもあるんですか？」

Maomao “Nanika kokoro-atari-demo arun-desuka?”

Maomao “Do you have any idea where she went?”

虞淵（やぶ医者）「それがないんだよねぇ。まぁ、全くない話でも��いけどさ。人間関係に思い悩む子も多いし」

Guen(Yabu-Isha) “Sorega nain-dayo-nee. Maa, mattaku nai hanashi-demo nai-kedosa. Ningen-kankeini omoi-nayamu komo ooi-shi.”

Guen(Quack Doctor) “Not at all, unfortunately. That said, this type of thing isn’t unheard of. A lot of the women here have interpersonal concerns.”

猫猫「そうですね」（こうしていると、たまに忘れそうになるけど、ここは後宮。二千の女たちがうごめく花園だ）

Maomao “So-desune.” (Ko-shite-iruto, tamani wasure-soni naru-kedo, kokowa kokyu. Nisen’no onna-tachiga ugomeku hanazono-da.)

Maomao “I understand.” (I sometimes forget, but this is the rear palace, a flower garden packed with two thousand women.)

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玉葉妃「ウフフ…まぁ」

Gyokuyo-hi “Ufufu…Maa.”

Concubine Gyokuyou “Oh? Is that so?”

猫猫（今日は外で茶会か。こもりっきりでは懐妊を疑われるもんな。場所や服に気を使っているが、そろそろ気づいている者もいるだろう。問題は、その相手が有害か無害か、だ）

Maomao (Kyowa sotode chakai-ka. Komorikkiri-dewa kainin’o utaga-wareru-monna. Bashoya fukuni ki’o tsukatte-iruga, soro-soro kizuite-iru monomo iru-daro. Mondaiwa, sono aitega yugaika mugaika-da.)

Maomao (An outdoor tea party today. I guess if she stayed inside, people would suspect she’s pregnant. She’s paying attention to the venue and her attire, but I’m sure some have noticed by now. The problem is, does that someone have good intentions, or bad?)

玉葉妃「あら、戻ったのね。猫猫、こちらへ」

Gyokuyo-hi “Ara, modotta-none. Maomao, kochira’e.”

Concubine Gyokuyou “Oh, you’re back. Come here, Maomao.”

猫猫「お呼びでしょうか？」

Maomao “Oyobi-deshoka?”

Maomao “How may I be of service?”

玉葉妃「ええ、こちらが」

Gyokuyo-hi “Ee, kochiraga.”

Concubine Gyokuyou “To him, actually.”

猫猫「ん？」

Maomao “N?”

壬氏「では、場所を変えようか」

Jinshi “Dewa, basho’o kaeyoka.”

Jinshi “Well, let’s move elsewhere.”

玉葉妃「特に問題ないですよ。ここでお話をなさっては？」

Gyokuyo-hi “Tokuni mondai-nai desuyo. Kokode ohanashi’o nasattewa?”

Concubine Gyokuyou “I don’t mind. Why don’t you talk here?”

壬氏「いえ、寵妃の元に長居するわけにはいきませんから。それに、��ら」

Jinshi “Ie, chohino motoni nagai-suru-wake-niwa iki-masen-kara. Soreni, hora.”

Jinshi “No, I mustn’t spend too much time with the emperor’s beloved concubine. Besides, well…”

鈴麗公主（泣き声）

Rinrī-hime (Naki-goe)

Princess Lingli (crying)

玉葉妃「あら…」

Gyokuyo-hi “Ara…”

Concubine Gyokuyou “Oh.”

紅娘「玉葉様、諦めてください」

Hon’nyan “Gyokuyo-sama, akiramete kudasai.”

Hongniang “Lady Gyokuyou, please.”

玉葉妃「むぅ」

Gyokuyo-hi “Muu.”

Concubine Gyokuyou “Boo.”

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猫猫「それで、どのようなご用でしょうか？」

Maomao “Sorede, dono-yona goyo-deshoka?”

Maomao “So, what did you need?”

壬氏「最近、帝が妃たちに娯楽小説を配っているのは知っているな」

Jinshi “Saikin, mikadoga kisaki-tachini goraku-shosetsu’o kubatte-iru-nowa shitte-iruna.”

Jinshi “You’ve heard that the emperor is handing out novels to the concubines, right?”

猫猫「はい。妃たちが読んだ後、侍女たちが読み、さらに他の女官たちにも読み聞かせているようです。写本も出回り、字を覚えようとする者もおります」

Maomao “Hai. Kisaki-tachiga yonda-ato, jijo-tachiga yomi, sarani hokano nyokan-tachi-nimo yomi-kikasete-iru-yodesu. Shahon’mo demawari, ji’o oboe-yoto suru monomo ori-masu.”

Maomao “Yes. After the concubines read them, they’re being read by their ladies-in-waiting. And also to the other court ladies around them. Copies are being made, and it’s prompting some to learn to read and write.”

壬氏「そうか。あくまで構想段階だが、こういうものを作ってみてはと思っている。庶民の間では、手習い所というのだろうか」

Jinshi “Soka. Aku-made koso-dankai-daga, ko-iu mono’o tsukutte-mitewa-to omotte-iru. Shomin’no aida-dewa, tenarai-jo-to iuno-daroka.”

Jinshi “I see. This is still early in the planning phase, but I was thinking of building something like this. I think it’s called a penmanship school in the populace.”

猫猫（下女のための学校か。何か考えているとは思っていたが、意外と行動が早い）

Maomao (Gejono tameno gakko-ka. Nanika kangaete-iru-towa omotte-itaga, igaito kodoga hayai.)

Maomao (A school for servant girls. I knew he was up to something, but he acts faster than I thought.)

猫猫「フッ…いいと思います」

Maomao “Fu… Iito omoi-masu.”

Maomao “I think it’s a good idea.”

壬氏「ハアッ！」

Jinshi “Haa!”

高順「うっ」

Gaoshun “U.”

壬氏「いつもの視線はどうした！」

Jinshi “Itsumono shisenwa doshita!”

Jinshi “What happened to your signature stare?!”

高順「体の具合でも悪いのですか？」

Gaoshun “Karadano guai-demo waruino-desuka?”

Gaoshun “Are you unwell?!”

猫猫「その反応は何でしょうか？」

Maomao “Sono hannowa nan-deshoka?”

Maomao “Why are you reacting that way?”

壬氏「いや、何か落ち着かなくて…」

Jinshi “Iya, nanka ochi-tsuka-nakute…”

Jinshi “Well, it’s somewhat unsettling.”

猫猫（うわ…）

Maomao (Uwa…)

壬氏「アハハ」

Jinshi “Ahaha.”

猫猫（マゾめ）

Maomao (Mazo-me.)

Maomao (Masochist.)

壬氏「（咳払い）…それで、どう思う？」

Jinshi “(Seki-barai) …Sorede, do omou?”

Jinshi “So, what do you think?”

猫猫「実際、学びたい者もおりますし、よろしいかと。年季が明けた後の仕事にもつながりますし」

Maomao “Jissai, manabi-tai monomo ori-masu-shi, yoroshii-kato. Nenkiga aketa atono shigoto-nimo tsunagari-masushi.”

Maomao “There are already those who are trying to learn, so I think it’s a good idea. It would help some find new jobs after their tenure is up, too.”

壬氏「そうか」

Jinshi “Soka.”

Jinshi “I see.”

猫猫「ただ…」

Maomao “Tada…”

Maomao “But…”

壬氏「言ってみろ」

Jinshi “Itte-miro.”

Jinshi “Tell me.”

猫猫「南側の広場は、搬入など利便性がいい一方で、正門が近く、上級妃や中級妃が集まる一等地です。気位の高い方も多いです。下女たちが教育を受けることを快く思わない方もいるでしょう」

Maomao “Minami-gawano hirobawa, hannyu-nado riben-seiga ii ippode, seimonga chikaku, jokyu-hiya chukyu-higa atsumaru itto-chi desu. Kiguraino takai katamo ooi-desu. Gejo-tachiga kyoiku’o ukeru-koto’o kokoro-yoku omowa-nai katamo iru-desho.”

Maomao “The southern courtyard is a convenient spot for delivering goods and so on, but it’s close to the main gate. It’s a popular spot for high and mid-ranked concubines to gather. Some of them are very prideful. They may not be too pleased by the idea of educating the servants.”

壬氏「…北側��した方が良さそうだな」

Jinshi “…Kita-gawani shita-hoga yosaso-dana.”

Jinshi “We might have to build it on the north side.”

猫猫「ええ。そちらはあまり手入れが行き届かず、使われていない建物もあると聞きます。そこを改修すれば十分かと。それと、表向きは職業訓練としてはいかがでしょう。飯の種になると分かれば、より人が集まります」

Maomao “Ee. Sochirawa amari teirega yuki-todokazu, tsuka-warete-inai tatemonomo aruto kiki-masu. Soko’o kaishu-sureba jubun-kato. Soreto, omote-mukiwa shokugyo-kunren-to shitewa ikaga-desho. Meshino taneni naruto wakareba, yori hitoga atsumari-masu.”

Maomao “Yes. I’ve heard the north side has not been maintained well, and there are several abandoned buildings there. Renovating those should be more than enough. Also, you should call it vocational training. You can gather more people by framing it as a way to earn a living.”

壬氏「そういうものか？」

Jinshi “So-iu monoka?”

Jinshi “Is that how it works?”

猫猫「たまに、おやつも与えてみるとか」

Maomao “Tamani, oyatsumo ataete-miru-toka.”

Maomao “An occasional snack might be good, too.”

壬氏「たまに？」

Jinshi “Tamani?”

Jinshi “Only occasional?”

猫猫「はい。毎度当たる博打(ばくち)にのめり込む者はいません」

Maomao “Hai. Maido ataru bakuchini nomeri-komu monowa imasen.”

Maomao “Yes. Nobody gets addicted to a gamble that pays off every time.”

壬氏「そういうものか」

Jinshi “So-iu monoka.”

Jinshi “Is that so?”

猫猫（発想は悪くないが、育ちが良い分、詰めが甘いんだよな。自覚があるから聞いて来るんだろうけど）

Maomao (Hassowa waruku-naiga, sodachiga ii-bun, tsumega amain-dayona. Jikakuga aru-kara kiite-kurun-daro-kedo.)

Maomao (His head’s in the right place but he doesn’t think things through, probably because of his high-class upbringing. I guess he asks me because he’s aware of that much.)

猫猫「あくまで私の主観です。お話は以上でしょうか？」

Maomao “Aku-made watashino shukan desu. Ohanashiwa ijo-deshoka?”

Maomao “It’s all just my personal opinion. Is that all?”

壬氏「ああ、それともう一つ。お前、キノコには詳しいか？」

Jinshi “Aa, soreto mo-hitotsu. Omae, kinoko-niwa kuwashii-ka?”

Jinshi “Oh, and one more thing. Do you know much about mushrooms?”

猫猫「…まぁ、食用にも調薬にも使いますので、それなりには」

Maomao “…Maa, shokuyo-nimo cho-yaku-nimo tsukai-masu-node, sore-nari-niwa.”

Maomao “Well, they’re used for both food and medicine, so yes, somewhat.”

壬氏「この時期になると、勝手にキノコを採って食中毒になる女官が現れてな」

Jinshi “Kono jikini naruto, katteni kinoko’o totte shoku-chudoku-ni naru nyokanga arawarete-na.”

Jinshi “This time of year, some court ladies forage for mushrooms without permission and get food poisoning.”

猫猫「食い意地が張った者は、どこにでもいますね」

Maomao “Kui-ijiga hatta monowa, dokoni-demo imasune.”

Maomao “I guess there are a few gluttons anywhere.”

壬氏「まったくだ。医局で医官と松茸を食べていた奴もいた。果樹園の果実もよくなくなるそうだ」

Jinshi “Mattakuda. Ikyokude ikanto matsu-take’o tabete-ita yatsumo ita. Kajuen’no kajitsumo yoku naku-naru-soda.”

Jinshi “Indeed. There once was someone eating matsutake with the doctor at the clinic. I hear the fruits from the orchard often go missing, too.”

猫猫（あれは毒茸じゃない。それに、果樹園のは、ちと間引きしただけだ）

Maomao (Arewa doku-kinoko-ja nai. Soreni, kajuen-nowa, chito mabiki-shita-dakeda.)

Maomao (Those aren’t poisonous mushrooms. And I was just lightly thinning the orchards.)

壬氏「なので、間違えて食べそうなものをあらかじめ処分してほしい。その際、どんな毒茸があるかも教えてくれ。翡翠宮での仕事は、毒見を除いて休んでもらうことになる」

Jinshi “Nanode, machigaete tabe-sona mono’o arakajime shobun-shite-hoshii. Sono-sai, donna doku-kinokoga aru-kamo oshiete-kure. Hisui-Kyu-deno shigotowa, dokumi’o nozoite yasunde-morau kotoni naru.”

Jinshi “So, I’d like for you to find and dispose of any that might get mistakenly eaten. Also, take note of what types of poisonous mushrooms you find. I’m going to ask you to take a break from all other Jade Pavilion tasks, other than tasting.”

猫猫「…はぁ」（そういう話なら、玉葉様の前で説明した方が良さそうだけど。先程といい、何なんだ？）

Maomao “…Haa.” (So-iu hanashi-nara, Gyokuyo-samano maede setsumei-shita-hoga yosaso-dakedo. Saki-hodo-to-ii, nan-nanda?)

Maomao “I see.” (That sounds like something to explain in front of Lady Gyokuyou. What’s that look he keeps giving me?)

壬氏「頼んだぞ」

Jinshi “Tanonda-zo.”

Jinshi “I’m counting on you.”

猫猫「分かりました」（何かあるかもしれないが…面白そうだ）

Maomao “Wakari-mashita.” (Nanika aru-kamo shire-naiga…omoshiro-soda.)

Maomao “Understood.” (There might be something going on… But it sounds fun, regardless.)

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猫猫（さて、どこから行こうかな～。花園に果樹園に松林…キノコの生えそうな場所はたくさんある。今はどんどん生えてくる季節だし。女官がこっそり採るなら、人の手が頻繁に入る場所や、南側は省いても良さそうだ。…となると、やはり北の方か）

Maomao (Sate, doko-kara iko-kanaaa. Hanazono-ni kajuen-ni matsu-bayashi… Kinokono hae-sona bashowa takusan aru. Imawa don-don haete-kuru kisetsu-dashi. Nyokanga kossori toru-nara, hitono tega hinpan’ni hairu bashoya, minami-gawawa habuitemo yosasoda. …To-naruto, yahari kitano-hoka.)

Maomao (So, where should I go…? The gardens, orchards, pine trees… There’s many places where mushrooms can grow. It’s prime mushroom season, too. If court ladies are foraging in secret, I can probably skip places with lots of people and the south side in general. In that case… North it is.)

猫猫「お～！はぁ～！ふおおお…！ん？」

Maomao “Ooo! Haaaa! Fuooo…! N?”

猫猫（ん？何だ？この匂い。妙にツンとするような…。あっ、前に子翠が言ってた変な匂いって…漏れた汚水が栄養になって、キノコがよく育ってるのかな…）

Maomao (N? Nanda? Kono nioi. Myoni tsun-to suru-yona… A, maeni Shisui-ga itteta henna nioitte… Moreta osuiga eiyoni natte, kinokoga yoku sodatteruno-kana…)

Maomao (Hmm? What’s that smell? It stings a little… Is this the weird smell Shisui mentioned before? Maybe the leaking sewage is feeding the mushrooms.)

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猫猫「ただいま戻りました」

Maomao “Tada-ima modori-mashita.”

Maomao “I’m back.”

桜花「おかえり～って…あぁ！ばっちいまま入らないで！」

Infa “Okaeriiitte…Aa! Bacchii-mama haira-naide!”

Yinghua “Hey, welcome back―whoa! Don’t come in like that. You’re nasty!”

猫猫（ばっちい…）

Maomao (Bacchii…)

Maomao (Nasty…)

桜花「猫猫、何だか臭くない？一体何してたの？」

Infa “Maomao, nandaka kusaku-nai? Ittai nani shitetano?”

Yinghua “Maomao, you smell strange. What have you been up to all day?”

猫猫「大変充実した一日でした」

Maomao “Taihen jujitsu-shita ichi-nichi deshita.”

Maomao “It was such a fulfilling day.”

猫猫（薬として使えるキノコも収穫できた。毒茸だと言って置いてきたから、いくらヤブでも食べないだろう）

Maomao (Kusuri-to-shite tsukaeru kinokomo shukaku dekita. Doku-kinoko-dato itte oite-kita-kara, ikura yabu-demo tabe-nai-daro.)

Maomao (I even got some medicinal mushrooms. I told him they’re all poisonous, so not even that quack would eat it.)

Guen(Quack Doctor) “Are they really poisonous? Maybe if I tried one, I could tell…”

桜花「すぐに玉葉様の夕餉(ゆうげ)だから、早く着替えてね」

Infa “Suguni Gyokuyo-samano yuge dakara, hayaku kigaete-ne.”

Yinghua “Hurry and get changed. Lady Gyokuyou’s dinner is soon.”

猫猫「はい」

Maomao “Hai.”

Maomao “Yes.”

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猫猫「失礼します。遅くなりました」

Maomao “Shitsurei-shimasu. Osoku nari-mashita.”

Maomao “My apologies for being late.”

紅娘「急がせてごめんなさいね」

Hon’nyan “Iso-gasete gomen-nasai-ne.”

Hongniang “Sorry we had to rush you.”

猫猫「いえ」（お二人の手首に黒い紐(ひも)…）

Maomao “Ie.” (Ofutari-no tekubi-ni kuroi himo…)

Maomao “It’s fine.” (A black string on their wrists…)

紅娘「夕餉の後に出かけるわ。あなたも一緒に来てちょうだい」

Hon’nyan “Yugeno atoni dekakeruwa. Anatamo isshoni kite-chodai.”

Hongniang “I’m going out after dinner. Please accompany me.”

猫猫「分かりました」（つまり、後宮で誰か高貴な方が亡くなら��たと…）

Maomao “Wakari-mashita.” (Tsumari, kokyude dareka kokina kataga nakuna-rareta-to…)

Maomao “Understood.” (So, someone noble passed away within the rear palace…)

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紅娘「静妃という妃でね…中級妃でも上位の方よ。高官の娘だったの。ここ一年、体調を崩して部屋にこもりきりだったのだけど、食中毒を起こしたらしくて、そのまま。帝が通われることもなかったのだから、実家に帰ればよかったのに」

Hon’nyan “Jin-hi-to-iu kisaki-dene… Chukyu-hi-demo joino katayo. Kokanno musume dattano. Koko-ichi-nen, taicho’o kuzushite heyani komorikkiri dattano-dakedo, shoku-chudoku’o okoshita rashikute, sono-mama. Mikadoga kayo-wareru kotomo nakattano-dakara, jikkani kaereba yokatta-noni.”

Hongniang “She was a concubine named Jin, an upper-middle-rank concubine, and daughter of a high-ranking official. She’s been sick for the past year, and was always in her room. Apparently, she got food poisoning and never recovered. It wasn’t like the emperor was visiting her. She should have gone home.”

猫猫「珍しいですね。紅娘様がそこまで言うなんて」

Maomao “Mezurashii desune. Hon’nyan-samaga soko-made iu-nante.”

Maomao “It’s rare for you to speak of someone that way.”

紅娘「静妃はちょっと…性格に難がある方だったの。他の妃や女官への嫉妬が激しくて。中傷したり、立場の低い者には暴力まで…。そんな折よ。公主を身ごもった玉葉様が、毒を盛られたのは。…さすがに、上級妃に対して直接嫌がらせはなかったわよ。けれど、そんな性格だもの。壬氏様が事情をお聞きになったらしいの。だけど…」

Hon’nyan “Jin-hiwa chotto… seikakuni nanga aru kata dattano. Hokano kisakiya nyokan’eno shittoga hageshikute. Chusho-shitari, tachibano hikui mono-niwa boryoku-made… Sonna ori-yo. Hime’o migomotta Gyokuyo-samaga, doku’o morareta-nowa. …Sasugani, jokyu-hini taishite chokusetsu iya-garasewa nakatta-wayo. Keredo, sonna seikaku damono. Jinshi-samaga jijo’o okikini natta rashiino. Dakedo…”

Hongniang “Concubine Jin was a little… difficult, personality-wise. She was very jealous of the other concubines and court ladies. She would attack them verbally, sometimes even physically if they were lower class. And that was when Lady Gyokuyou was poisoned, while she was pregnant with the princess. Of course, she didn’t openly attack the high-ranking concubines. But given her personality, Master Jinshi had to at least go and make an inquiry. However…”

静妃「何か証拠でもございまして？」

Jin-hi “Nanika shoko-demo gozai-mashite?”

Concubine Jin “Do you have any evidence?”

紅娘「ハァ…結局、疑惑止まりだったわ。内部は相当荒れて、お付きの侍女たちまで肩身の狭い思いをしたと聞いたけど。正直、こうなってホッとしてしまったの。また玉葉様に何かあったら…」

Hon’nyan “Haa…Kekkyoku, giwaku-domari dattawa. Naibuwa soto arete, otsukino jijo-tachi-made katamino semai omoi’o shita-to kiita-kedo. Shojiki, ko-natte hotto shite-shimattano. Mata Gyokuyo-samani nanika attara…”

Hongniang “So, it remained a suspicion only. I heard there was a lot of turmoil internally, and even her ladies-in-waiting had a rough time. To be honest, I’m a bit relieved that this happened. If something were to happen to Lady Gyokuyou again…”

猫猫（紅娘様からすれば、それが本音だよな……ん？）

Maomao (Hon’nyan-sama-kara sureba, sorega honne dayona……N?)

Maomao (I guess that’s Lady Hongniang’s honest take. Hmm?)

紅娘「食中毒を起こしたらしくて、そのまま」

Hon’nyan “Shoku-chudoku’o okoshita rashikute, sono-mama.”

Hongniang “Apparently, she got food poisoning and never recovered.”

壬氏「その際、どんな毒茸があるかも教えてくれ」

Jinshi “Sono-sai, donna doku-kinokoga aruka-mo oshiete-kure.”

Jinshi “Also, take note of what types of poisonous mushrooms you find.”

猫猫（なぜ壬氏様はキノコを調べろと言ったのか…。なぜ玉葉様のいる翡翠宮で、その話をしなかったのか。それは、翡翠宮の人間を疑っているからだ。静妃を毒茸で殺した犯人だと…。玉葉様に肩入れが過ぎるように見えていたが、ちゃんと平等に対応しているじゃないか。…なんて、腹の内がバレたら、今後の信頼関係に影響するだろうが）

Maomao (Naze Jinshi-samawa kinoko’o shirabero-to itta-noka… Naze Gyokuyo-samano iru Hisui-Kyu-de, sono hanashi’o shinakatta-noka. Sorewa, Hisui-Kyuno ningen’o utagatte-iru-karada. Jin-hi’o doku-kinokode koroshita han’nin-dato… Gyokuyo-samani kata-irega sugiru-yoni miete-itaga, chanto byodoni taio-shite-iruja naika. …Nante, harano uchiga bare-tara, kongono shinrai-kankei-ni eikyo-suru-daroga.)

Maomao (Why did Master Jinshi ask me to investigate mushrooms? Why did he avoid discussing it at the Jade Pavilion, in Lady Gyokuyou’s presence? It can only be because he’s suspicious of the people at the Jade Pavilion. That one of us killed Concubine Jin with a poison mushroom. I thought he was perhaps a bit too partial to Lady Gyokuyou, but he’s actually treating everyone quite fairly, after all. I guess if his line of thinking was made obvious, it would affect trust.)

猫猫（しかし、玉葉様は犯人ではないだろう。毒殺なんて手間がかかるし、中級妃を失脚させる方法はいくらでもある。他の侍女たちは、その手の暗躍には向かない。となると、疑われているのは…私か。毒茸探しを頼む体で、こちらの反応を見ていたのだとしたら、失望どころか感心さえしてしまう）

Maomao (Shikashi, Gyokuyo-samawa han’nin-dewa nai-daro. Doku-satsu-nante temaga kakarushi, chukyu-hi’o shikkyaku-saseru hohowa ikura-demo aru. Hokano jijo-tachiwa, sono teno an’yaku-niwa muka-nai. To-naruto, utagawarete-iru-nowa…watashi-ka. Doku-kinoko-sagashi’o tanomu teide, kochirano hanno’o mite-itano-dato shitara, shitsubo-dokoroka kanshin-sae shite-shimau.)

Maomao (Anyway, Lady Gyokuyou can’t be the culprit. Poisoning is way too much trouble, and there are many easier ways to oust a middle-rank concubine. The other ladies-in-waiting aren’t built for that kind of underhanded work. So, the prime suspect is… Oh, me. If he was probing my reaction while fronting it as a request to investigate mushrooms, I’m quite impressed, actually. Not at all disappointed.)

静妃の侍女「どうぞ」

Jin-hino jijo “Dozo.”

Lady-in-waiting “Please.”

猫猫（おや？静妃の侍女だよな？何かにかぶれたのか？）

Maomao (Oya? Jin-hino jijo dayona? Nanikani kabureta-noka?)

Maomao (Hmm? Is she Concubine Jin’s lady-in-waiting? Did she get a rash from something?)

静妃の侍女「どうぞ」

Jin-hino jijo “Dozo.”

Lady-in-waiting “Please.”

猫猫（でも、今の傷は…。…せめて、どんな症状があったのか、生前に聞けていればな）

Maomao (Demo, imano kizuwa… …Semete, donna shojoga atta-noka, seizenni kikete-irebana.)

Maomao (But, that inflammation… If I’d at least been able to hear what her symptoms were before she passed…)

宗妃(ソンひ)「くっ！」

Son-hi “Ku!”

静妃の侍女「宗妃！おやめください！」

Jin-hino jijo “Son-hi! Oyame-kudasai!”

Lady-in-waiting “Concubine Son! Please stop!”

（悲鳴/Himei/screaming）

宗妃「ハハハ…アハハハ…！自業自得だなぁ。アハハハハ…！」

Son-hi “Hahaha… Ahahaha…! Jigo-jitoku danaa. Ahahahaha…!”

Concubine Son “You got what you deserved!”

猫猫（あの顔のただれ…）

Maomao (Ano kao’no tadare…)

Maomao (The inflammation on her face…)

壬氏「お前、キノコには詳しいか？」

Jinshi “Omae, kinoko-niwa kuwashii-ka?”

Jinshi “Do you know much about mushrooms?”

紅娘「お付きの侍女たちまで、肩身の狭い思いを…」

Hon’nyan “Otsukino jijo-tachi-made, katamino semai omoi’o…”

Hongniang “…and even her ladies-in-waiting had a rough time.”

宗妃「アハハハハ…！」

Son-hi “Ahahahaha…!”

猫猫（なるほど…見えてきた。壬氏様の探したかったものが）

Maomao (Naruhodo…miete-kita. Jinshi-samano sagashi-takatta monoga.)

Maomao (Ah. I see it now. So that’s what Master Jinshi was trying to find.)

―――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――

猫猫（昨日騒ぎを起こした女は、宗妃という下級妃だと聞いた。裕福な商家の娘で、気立てが良く、帝が閨(ねや)を訪れることもあったそうだ。しかし、一昨年のちょうど今頃…）

Maomao (Kino sawagi’o okoshita onnawa, Son-hi-to-iu kakyu-hi-dato kiita. Yufukuna shokano musumede, kidatega yoku, mikadoga neya’o otozureru kotomo atta-soda. Shikashi, ototoshi-no chodo ima-goro…)

Maomao (I was told the woman who caused a scene last night is a low-ranking concubine named Concubine Son. She’s from a wealthy merchant family, and had a great personality. The emperor even visited her from time to time. However, almost exactly two years ago…)

宗妃「ああっ！何で…どうしてこんな……」

Son-hi “Aa! Nande…doshite konna……”

Concubine Son “Why… Why is this happening?!”

猫猫（謎の病にかかり、妃から降ろされるという話が出た。だが、実家に戻ったところで嫁に行くこともできない。後宮に置き続けたのは、帝なりの気遣いだろう）

Maomao (Nazono yamaini kakari, kisaki-kara oro-sareruto-iu hanashiga deta. Daga, jikkani modotta-tokorode yomeni iku-kotomo deki-nai. Kokyuni oki-tsuzuketa-nowa, Mikado-narino kizukai daro.)

Maomao (She contracted a mysterious illness, and talks were raised to remove her as a concubine. But even if she went home, she wouldn’t be able to marry. She was allowed to stay in the rear palace, likely out of compassion by the emperor.)

猫猫（ではなぜ、その下級妃が静妃の葬儀であんなことをしたのか。答えは簡単。病の原因が静妃にあると考えていたからだ）

Maomao (Dewa naze, sono kakyu-higa Jin-hino sogide anna koto’o shita-noka. Kotaewa kantan. Yamaino gen’inga Jin-hini aruto kangaete-ita-karada.)

Maomao (So then, why did she behave that way at Concubine Jin’s funeral? Simple. She believed Concubine Jin was to blame for her illness.)

猫猫「あっ。……見つけた」

Maomao “A. ……Mitsuketa.”

Maomao “Found it.”

―――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――

猫猫「壬氏様。こちらを」

Maomao “Jinshi-sama. Kochira’o.”

Maomao “Master Jinshi, please wear this.”

壬氏「物々しいな」

Jinshi “Mono-mono-shii-na.”

Jinshi “Quite the precaution.”

猫猫「はい。猛毒ですから」

Maomao “Hai. Modoku desu-kara.”

Maomao “Yes, it’s extremely poisonous.”

壬氏「これは…どこで見つけた？」

Jinshi “Korewa…dokode mitsuketa?”

Jinshi “This… Where did you find it?”

猫猫「北の雑木林です。長年放置されて荒れた林が、このキノコには良い環境だったのでしょう。発生自体珍しいのですが、大変危険な代物です。ほんのひとかけら口にしただけで致死量に達し、触れるだけでも毒性を発揮…それ以上近づかないでください。静妃や宗妃のように、こうなりますよ」

Maomao “Kitano zoki-bayashi desu. Naga-nen hochi-sarete areta hayashiga, kono kinoko-niwa ii kankyo-dattano-desho. Hassei-jitai mezurashiino-desuga, taihen kikenna shiro-mono desu. Honno hito-kakera kuchini shita dakede chishi-ryoni tasshi, fureru-dake-demo dokusei’o hakki…sore-ijo chika-zuka-naide kudasai. Jin-hiya Son-hino-yoni, ko nari-masuyo.”

Maomao “In the forest on the north side. The area wasn’t maintained, creating probably the best environment for this mushroom. It’s quite rare, and extremely dangerous. Ingesting only a piece is lethal, and it can cause harm just by touch―Please don’t move any closer. You’ll end up like Concubines Jin and Son, like this.”

猫猫「昔、親父と薬草を採取していた時に、同じキノコを見つけまして…」

Maomao “Mukashi, oyaji-to yakuso’o saishu-shite-ita tokini, onaji kinoko’o mitsuke-mashite…”

Maomao “I came across the same mushroom once in the past, when I was foraging for herbs with my dad.”

壬氏「触ったのか？」

Jinshi “Sawatta-noka?”

Jinshi “You touched it?”

猫猫「はい。すぐに洗い流しましたが、この通りです」

Maomao “Hai. Suguni arai-nagashi-mashitaga, kono toori desu.”

Maomao “Yes. I washed it immediately, but this is the result.”

壬氏「…その包帯の下にも、まだ痕(あと)が？」

Jinshi “…Sono hotaino shita-nimo, mada atoga?”

Jinshi “Are there more scars underneath those bandages?”

猫猫「いえ、他は私がやった実験の痕です」

Maomao “Ie, hokawa watashiga yatta jikken’no ato desu.”

Maomao “No, other ones are through experiments I did on myself.”

壬氏「えっ、実験って何だ？」

Jinshi “E, jikkentte nanda?”

Jinshi “Wait, what experiments?”

猫猫「趣味です」

Maomao “Shumi desu.”

Maomao “My hobby.”

壬氏「何だ、趣味とは！」

Jinshi “Nanda, shumi-towa!”

Jinshi “What do you mean, your hobby?!”

猫猫（そういや、初めて見せたっけ）

Maomao (So-iya, hajimete misetakke.)

Maomao (I guess I never showed him until now.)

猫猫「まぁ、そんなことはどうでもよく」

Maomao “Maa, sonna kotowa do-demo yoku.”

Maomao “Anyway, that’s not important at all.”

壬氏「そんなこと…」

Jinshi “Sonna koto…”

Jinshi “Really?”

高順「フゥ…」

Gaoshun “Fuu…”

猫猫「葬儀で見た静妃の遺体は、肌がただれ、髪が抜けていました。壬氏様は、この毒の出どころを探しておられたのでは？」

Maomao “Sogide mita Jin-hino itaiwa, hadaga tadare, kamiga nukete imashita. Jinshi-samawa, kono dokuno dedokoro’o sagashite oraretano-dewa?”

Maomao “Concubine Jin’s body was covered with rashes, and she had lost a lot of hair. Master Jinshi, were you looking for where this poison came from?”

壬氏「ん…」

Jinshi “N…”

高順（相変わらず、察しがいい）

Gaoshun (Ai-kawarazu, sasshiga ii.)

Gaoshun (She’s sharp, as always.)

壬氏「ハァ…。二年前、宗妃が突然、謎の病にかかり、毒物が原因だと疑われた。その犯人と噂されていたのが…」

Jinshi “Haa… Ninen-mae, Son-higa totsuzen, nazono yamaini kakari, doku-butsuga gen’in-dato utaga-wareta. Sono han’nin-to uwasa-sarete-ita-noga…”

Jinshi “Two years ago, Concubine Son suddenly contracted a mysterious illness, and poison was suspected as the cause. The culprit was rumored to be…”

猫猫「静妃」

Maomao “Jin-hi.”

Maomao “Concubine Jin.”

壬氏「そうだ。だが、実際に毒を盛った確証までは得られなかった。そして一年前。静妃にも、宗妃と同じ症状が現れた。同じ毒を誰かに盛ろうとして、誤って触れてしまったんだろう。それからの静妃は、人が変わったように気落ちしてな。月に一度は様子を見に行っていたが、ろくに話も出来ない状況だった。元々、気位の高い妃だ。耐えきれず、毒を含んで自殺した…と��うのが、仕えていた侍女たちの証言だ」

Jinshi “Soda. Daga, jissaini doku’o motta kakusho-madewa erare-nakatta. Soshite ichi-nen-mae. Jin-hi-nimo, Son-hi-to onaji shojoga arawareta. Onaji doku’o darekani moroto shite, ayamatte furete-shimattan-daro. Sore-karano Jin-hiwa, hitoga kawatta-yoni kiochi-shitena. Tsukini ichidowa yosu’o mini itte-itaga, rokuni hanashimo deki-nai jokyo datta. Moto-moto, kiguraino takai kisakida. Tae-kirezu, doku’o fukunde jisatsu-shita…to-iu-noga, tsukaete-ita jijo-tachino shogenda.”

Jinshi “Yes. But we couldn’t definitively prove that it was her. Then, one year ago, the same symptoms appeared on Concubine Jin as well. She must have tried to use the same poison on someone and touched it by mistake. From then on, Concubine Jin became depressed, like she was a different person. I went to see her at least once a month, but she could barely even speak. She was a very proud woman. Unable to take it anymore, she took poison to commit suicide. That’s the testimony of the women that served her, anyway.”

猫猫（一見、辻褄(つじつま)は合う。だが…）

Maomao (Ikken, tsuji-tsumawa au. Daga…)

Maomao (It does make sense as a story. But…)

猫猫「静妃は毒茸を口にして死んだのですよね？」

Maomao “Jin-hiwa doku-kinoko’o kuchini shite shindano-desu-yone?”

Maomao “Concubine Jin died from eating the poison mushroom, right?”

壬氏「そうだ」

Jinshi “Soda.”

Jinshi “Right.”

猫猫「だとすると、おかしいです」

Maomao “Dato-suruto, okashii-desu.”

Maomao “That doesn’t make sense.”

壬氏「どういうことだ？」

Jinshi “Do-iu kotoda?”

Jinshi “What do you mean?”

猫猫「このキノコは食べることで、腹痛や嘔吐、しびれを引き起こします。口の中には炎症も起こりますが、顔にまで広がるとは聞いたことがありません」

Maomao “Kono kinokowa taberu-kotode, fukutsuya oto, shibire’o hiki-okoshi-masu. Kuchino naka-niwa enshomo okori-masuga, kaoni-made hirogaru-towa kiita-kotoga ari-masen.”

Maomao “This mushroom does cause stomachaches, vomiting, and paralysis when eaten. It would cause inflammation inside the mouth, but I’ve never heard of it spreading to the rest of the face.”

壬氏「本当か？」

Jinshi “Hontoka?”

Jinshi “Really?”

猫猫「はい。遺体の顔の腫れは、まだ新しいものに見えました。直接、毒茸をこすりつけたような」

Maomao “Hai. Itaino kaono harewa, mada atarashii mononi mie-mashita. Chokusetsu, doku-kinoko’o kosuri-tsuketa-yona.”

Maomao “Yes. The inflammation on her face appeared fairly new. As if someone directly rubbed the poisonous mushroom on her face.”

猫猫（引き換え、手は綺麗なままだった。ただれていたのは…）

Maomao (Hiki-kae, tewa kireina mama datta. Tadarete-ita-nowa…)

Maomao (Meanwhile, her hands were quite clean. The inflammation was on…)

壬氏「言いたいことがあるなら、言ってみろ」

Jinshi “Iitai-kotoga aru-nara, itte-miro.”

Jinshi “If you have something to say, say it.”

猫猫（う…。スン。ススス…）「数日いただけませんか？できれば、力があって口の堅い宦官を数名貸してください」

Maomao (U… Sun. Sususu…) “Sujitsu itadake-masenka? Dekireba, chikaraga atte kuchino katai kangan’o sumei kashite kudasai.”

Maomao “Can you give me a few days? Also, I’ll need a few eunuchs who can keep a secret and do some physical labor.”

猫猫「確信はありませんよ」

Maomao “Kakushin’wa ari-masen-yo.”

Maomao “I can’t say for certain.”

壬氏「それでも、やれ」

Jinshi “Sore-demo, yare.”

Jinshi “Do it anyway.”

猫猫（まぁ、命令される方が気楽でいいか）

Maomao (Maa, meirei-sareru-hoga kirakude iika.)

Maomao (I guess framing it as an order makes it easier for me.)

猫猫「分かりました」

Maomao “Wakari-mashita.”

Maomao “Understood.”

―――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――

高順「しかし、何を調べるつもりなのでしょう？小猫は」

Gaoshun “Shikashi, nani’o shiraberu tsumori nano-desho? Shaomaowa.”

Gaoshun “I wonder what Xiaomao is trying to figure out?”

壬氏「分からん。だが…ああいう時の薬屋は、あとは証拠を探すだけだ」

Jinshi “Wakaran. Daga… aa-iu tokino kusuriyawa, atowa shoko’o sagasu-dakeda.”

Jinshi “I don’t know, either. But… When the apothecary is like that, she’s just looking for one final piece of evidence.”

―――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――

高順「ん？」

Gaoshun “N?”

猫猫「着きました」

Maomao “Tsuki-mashita.”

Maomao “We’re here.”

高順「キノコ…」

Gaoshun “Kinoko…”

Gaochun “Mushrooms…”

猫猫「ここを掘っていただけますか？」

Maomao “Koko’o hotte-itadake-masuka?”

Maomao “Can you dig here?”

高順「分かりました」

Gaoshun “Wakari-mashita.”

Gaoshun “Understood.”

宦官「うっ…」

Kangan “U…”

高順「うっ…この匂いは…」

Gaoshun “U…Kono nioiwa…”

Gaoshun “This smell…”

高順「これが証拠というわけですか」

Gaoshun “Korega shoko-to iu-wake desuka.”

Gaoshun “So, this is your evidence.”

猫猫「一発で当たるとは思いませんでしたけどね」

Maomao “Ippatsude ataru-towa omoi-masen-deshita-kedone.”

Maomao “I didn’t think I would find it on the first try, though.”

―――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――

壬氏「あの遺体、静妃で間違いなさそうだ。装飾品に、静妃の紋が入っていた」

Jinshi “Ano itai, Jin-hide machigai nasa-soda. Soshoku-hin’ni, Jin-hino monga haitte-ita.”

Jinshi “They confirmed that the body was indeed Concubine Jin. Her emblems were on the accessories she wore.”

猫猫「殺害か事故かは分かりませんが、一年前に死んでいたのでしょう」

Maomao “Satsugai-ka jiko-kawa wakari-masenga, ichi-nen-maeni shinde-itano-desho.”

Maomao “I don’t know if it was a murder or an accident, but she must have died a year ago.”

壬氏「病に伏せったあたりか？」

Jinshi “Yamaini fusetta atari-ka?”

Jinshi “Right around when she fell ill?”

猫猫「はい。本物は林に埋められ、別人が成りすましていたのだと思います」

Maomao “Hai. Honmonowa hayashini umerare, betsu-jinga nari-sumashite-itano-dato omoi-masu.”

Maomao “Yes. The real Concubine Jin was buried in the forest, and an impostor took her place.”

高順「では、葬儀の遺体は？」

Gaoshun “Dewa, sogino itaiwa?”

Gaoshun “So, the body at the funeral was…”

猫猫「行方不明の女官をご存知ですか？結婚を前に姿を消した、涛さんという方です」

Maomao “Yukue-fumeino nyokan’o gozonji desuka? Kekkon’o maeni sugata’o keshita, Tao-santo-iu kata desu.”

Maomao “Have you heard about the missing court lady? A woman named Tao, who disappeared before her marriage.”

猫猫「静妃とよく似ているのでは？聞き込みをしたところ、背格好もよく似ているとか。顔を隠せば、それが誰か判別できるのは、お付きの侍女くらいでしょう。月に一度の訪問者をごまかすことも可能かと」

Maomao “Jin-hito yoku nite-iruno-dewa? Kiki-komi’o shita tokoro, sekakko-mo yoku nite-iru-toka. Kao’o kaku-seba, sorega dareka hanbetsu dekiru-nowa, otsukino jijo-kurai desho. Tsukini ichidono homonsha’o gomakasu-kotomo kano-kato.”

Maomao “Don’t you think she looks like Concubine Jin? I asked around, and apparently, even their builds were similar. By covering up her face, nobody would be able to tell, except maybe her immediate servants. It wouldn’t have been difficult to trick a monthly visitor.”

壬氏「つまり、その涛という女官は、静妃の侍女と共謀していたと？」

Jinshi “Tsumari, sono Tao-to-iu nyokanwa, Jin-hino jijoto kyobo-shite-itato?”

Jinshi “So, this Tao woman was conspiring with Concubine Jin’s ladies-in-waiting?”

猫猫「恐らく。詳しい事情は分かりませんが」

Maomao “Osoraku. Kuwashii jijowa wakari-masenga.”

Maomao “I suspect so, though I don’t know any details.”

壬氏「ハァ…」

Jinshi “Haa…”

猫猫（勝手な憶測ならある。きっかけは嫉妬だろう。静妃は、自分に似た女官が求愛されたことが気に食わなかったのだ。自分は帝が来て下さることもないのにと。実際、涛はひどく当たられていたらしい。それで、諍(いさか)いとなったのか、事件か事故か、静妃は死んだ。侍女たちは、保身と涛への同情からか、静妃の死をごまかそうと提案した。涛に断れるはずもない。だが、結婚話が進むにつれて、身代わりを続けることは不可能になっていく……。うん、やめよう。動機なんて、お偉いさんが勝手につければいい）

Maomao (Kattena okusoku-nara aru. Kikkakewa shitto daro. Jin-hiwa, jibun’ni nita nyokanga kyuai sareta kotoga kini kuwa-nakatta-noda. Jibunwa mikadoga kite-kudasaru kotomo nai-noni-to. Jissai, Taowa hidoku ata-rarete-ita-rashii. Sorede, isakaito natta-noka, jikenka jikoka, Jin-hiwa shinda. Jijo-tachiwa, hoshinto Tao’eno dojo-karaka, Jin-hino shi’o gomakasoto teian-shita. Taoni kotowareru-hazumo nai. Daga, kekkon-banashiga susumuni tsurete, migawari’o tsuzukeru kotowa fukanoni natte-iku…… Un, yameyo. Doki-nante, oerai-sanga katteni tsukereba ii.)

Maomao (I have some personal conjectures, of course. It was probably triggered by jealousy. Concubine Jin probably didn’t enjoy the fact that a court lady who looked like her found love. In her case, she couldn’t even get a visit from the emperor. Tao was, indeed, regularly abused. Then perhaps there was an argument. An accident… or some incident, that ended in Concubine Jin’s death. The ladies-in-waiting, perhaps out of self-preservation and sympathy for Tao, suggested they cover up Concubine Jin’s death. Tao couldn’t decline, of course. But as her marriage talks got increasingly serious, keeping up the impostor act became too difficult. Enough of that. The higher-ups can make up whatever motives they want.)

壬氏「しかし、なぜ遺体の埋まっている場所が分かったんだ？」

Jinshi “Shikashi, naze itaino umatte-iru bashoga wakattanda?”

Jinshi “But how did you find out where the body was buried?”

猫猫「証拠が残っていましたので」

Maomao “Shokoga nokotte-imashita-node.”

Maomao “There was evidence left behind.”

壬氏「証拠？」

Jinshi “Shoko?”

Jinshi “Evidence?”

猫猫「キノコです！あのあたりに生えていたキノコは、動物の死体や糞尿の近くを好んで生えるんです。道理で独特な腐臭がしていたはずです。まさか死体の上でキノコ観察を楽しんでいたとは……はっ」

Maomao “Kinoko desu! Ano atarini haete-ita kinokowa, dobutsuno shitaiya funnyono chikaku’o kononde haerun-desu. Doride dokutokuna fushuga shite-ita-hazu-desu. Masaka shitaino uede kinoko-kansatsu’o tanoshinde-ita-towa……Ha.”

Maomao “Mushrooms! The mushrooms in the area are all those that like to grow on animal carcasses and excrement! No wonder there was that peculiar, rotting smell there! Who would have thought I was enjoying mushroom hunting over a corpse!”

壬氏「そのキノコ、どうする気だ？」

Jinshi “Sono kinoko, do-suru kida?”

Jinshi “What are you going to do with the mushrooms?”

猫猫「大変面白いキノコがたくさんあるんです」

Maomao “Taihen omoshiroi kinokoga takusan arun-desu.”

Maomao “These are really, super-interesting mushrooms.”

壬氏「死体に生えるキノコがか？」

Jinshi “Shitaini haeru kinoko-ga-ka?”

Jinshi “Mushrooms that grow on corpses?”

猫猫「そんな冬虫夏草(とうちゅうかそう)のようなキノコは見つかっていません」

Maomao “Sonna tochukaso’no-yona kinokowa mitsukatte-imasen.”

Maomao “Well, they don’t grow directly on corpses, like the caterpillar fungus…”

猫猫「そ…それに、人に生えるなら冬人夏草(とうじんかそう)かと」

Maomao “So…Soreni, hitoni haeru-nara tojinkaso-kato.”

Maomao “B-Besides, if they did, they’d be called corpse fungi instead―”

壬氏「没収(ぼっしゅう)だ！」

Jinshi “Bosshu-da!”

Jinshi “Confiscate them!”

猫猫「うわっ！えっ！？あ～～～！あぁ……」

Maomao “Uwa! E!? Aaaaaaa! Aa……”

猫猫（純粋な好奇心なのに……ん？）

Maomao (Junsuina kokishin nanoni……N?)

Maomao (It’s just innocent curiosity…)

猫猫（死体から生えるキノコか…あるとすれば…どんな姿で、どんな効用があるのだろう）

Maomao (Shitai-kara haeru kinoko-ka…Aruto sureba…donna sugatade, donna koyoga aruno-daro.)

Maomao (A mushroom that grows on a corpse… If such a thing existed, what would it look like, and what effects would it have?)

(Continue to Episode 4/Ep.28)

[apothecaryscript]

Hello the scene with Shin throwing the flower away seems to be an anime original scene. And I agree Shin's attitude is so obvious that it's a spoiler along with other things that if I talked about would be spoilers. I guess the animators think they must establish Shin is acting like this now for future events. But I feel just having her be a usual snobbish lady to the palace ladies woulda been fine. And also the mention about the letter. There's establishing intrigue about a character and then there's shining spotlights on them and making the audience KNOW they're up to something. But I am enjoying this season and LOVING seeing other characters in the chibi series like Xiaolan. I just hope many anime onlys don't get spoiled about a certain character. I've already heard that on some websites and comments in certain videos people are intentionally spoiling the secret.

Yeah, I also think the scenes about Shin are anime original. When I read manga or the light novel, I didn't know anything about her at all, even her name, until the episode of her was revealed. So I thought "Who is she?" and perhaps anime staffs wanted to avoid that. Still, I think it's a little too obvious... But anyway, I'm also enjoying Season 2 very much, and yes, I agree chibi Xiaolan is so cute! I hope another characters will appear in future Maomao no Hitorigoto. As for spoilers, I really don't like some people who deliberately try to give out spoilers for the purpose of drawing attention to themselves and gaining views. There is a certain YouTuber who made me start watching overseas reaction videos of anime, and he said he couldn't read even his comment section of YouTube, in order to avoid any spoilers from others. I really hope he can genuinely enjoy the story to the very end without any spoilers.

[apothecaryscript]

Hello. Volume 14 of the light novel will be released fulled on May 30th, 2025. It's releasing weekly until then but the color images won't be available or translated. About shin in S2 E2. MANY watchers on youtube didn't notice that Shin was a different character that threw out the white face powder message. They thought it was Lihua. How are you liking the series handling hints about character's true identities and motivations? I think they could be a little more subtle but then again they have to make the audience curious about them. Especially the new ones.

Hello! It's interesting to know the system of releasing the novel in your country. So, it's released by chapter or something weekly, without color image and translation. That's very different from the system in Japan. As for Shin in anime, in my personal opinion, I feel it's a bit too much and could be a spoiler, so I prefer something suggestive which just give us a hint. In the original novel and manga, there is no such scene as long as I remember. But I guess anime staffs wanted to show Shin's personality, which she had been so cold to Lihua that everyone around them easily noticed it. When she threw away Maomao's message in the 1st episode of Season 1, she said just 「フンッ…」: Hmph!, Huh!, and it wasn't translated. I watched it with Japanese subtitles which showed it, so I could notice it. I'm not sure, but I think that scene was also not in the original novel or manga.

[apothecaryscript]

Memo for Season 2 Episode 2 (Ep.26): Caravan

思思「し…杏様。診療所から言伝(ことづて)です」

Su-su? “Shi…Shin-sama. Shinryo-jo-kara kotozute desu.”

Si-si? “L-Lady Shin, a message from the clinic.”

杏「診療所から言伝？」

Shin “Shinryo-jo-kara kotozute?”

Shin “A message from the clinic…?”

I was very surprised by this scene. In Episode 1 of Season 1, Shin threw away the warning message from Maomao about poisonous face powder, without showing it to Concubine Lihua. And in this scene of Ep.2 in Season 2, her malicious expression was clearly depicted, so everyone who saw it must have felt uneasy.

診療所(しんりょうじょ/Shinryo-jo) is a different place from the 医局(いきょく/Ikyoku) where Guen(Quack Doctor) works, but in the translation, both places are translated as “clinic,” so I’m curious to see how it will be translated when 診療所 is clearly featured in future episode.

In addition, the name of the lady-in-waiting who delivered the message to Shin was displayed as 思思 in the subtitles, but I didn’t know how to pronounce it, so I added a question mark. From what I found online, it seems to be spelled “Sisi” and pronounced “Susu.”

―――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――

猫猫（玉葉様からお小遣いをもらったけど…）

Maomao (Gyokuyo-sama-kara okozukai’o moratta-kedo…)

Maomao (I did get some allowance from Lady Gyokuyou, but…)

お小遣い(おこづかい/O-kozukai): allowance

猫猫「これ下さい」

Maomao “Kore kudasai.”

Maomao “I’ll take this.”

これ下さい（これ、ください/Kore, kudasai）: I’ll take this.

When we buy something, we say 「これをください」 or 「これをお願いします」. To be strict, ください means “please give me” and you may feel it a little weird since we pay money, and of course 「これを買います(これをかいます/Kore’o kaimasu)」: ‘I’ll buy this’ is also okay. But ください is politer than 買います.

The politest, we’ll say 「こちらをいただきます(Kochira’o itadaki-masu)」.

猫猫「似合ってる」

Maomao “Niatteru.”

Maomao “Looks good on you.”

似合う(にあう/Niau): look good on, suit, match

Xiaolan is so cute! I also like her voice and way of speaking.

―――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――

猫猫「上手だね」

Maomao “Jozu dane.”

Maomao “You’re good.”

上手(じょうず/Jozu): good, well ⇔ 下手（へた/Heta）: bad, poor

―――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――

壬氏「出がらしでいいと言った」

Jinshi “Degarashi-de iito itta.”

Jinshi “I told you I wanted the watery tea.”

出がらし(でがらし/Degarashi): Remaining tea leaves that have lost their flavor after being used

If you’re drinking it yourself, you may pour a second cup of hot water, but it’s rude to do so for guests, especially for such a high-ranking person. In the anime and original light novel, Jinshi drank about half of the jasmine tea she’d had a sip. But in the original web novel, first she drank half shaking the cup slowly as if to show him off, and Jinshi drank the rest up while she was looking for snacks.

―――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――

猫猫（あぁ…やっちまった）

Maomao (Aa…Yacchimatta.)

Maomao (I messed up!)

やっちまった(rough way of speaking) = やっちゃった(friendly way) = やってしまった(normal/plain way) = やってしまいました(polite way)

―――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――

My favorite scene in Episode 2 was the scene where Jinshi got mad at the excuse Maomao made, calling it like a pervert. I also like the way Concubine Gyokuyou looked at it with a smile on her face, in spite that it should have been natural for her to get mad at her as well, as the concubine to be served. Now that Maomao and Shisui hit it off, I’d like to see they’ll have fun time a lot together.

[apothecaryscript]

Maomao no Hitorigoto Episode 26 “Thornapple” / 猫猫のひとりごと　第26話　『曼荼羅華(まんだらけ/Mandarake)』

Please note that English lines are just my translation.

猫猫「どれが偶然で、どれが必然なのか…。後宮でまた何か良からぬことが起こりそうな予感が…」

Maomao “Dorega guzende, dorega hitsuzen nanoka. Kokyude mata nanika yokaranu-kotoga okori-sona yokanga…”

Maomao “How much is coincidence, and how much was planned? I have a feeling that something bad is going to happen in the rear palace again…”

偶然（ぐうぜん/Guzen）: happening by chance ⇔　必然（ひつぜん/Hitsuzen）: happening definitely

猫猫「ここで、猫猫の豆知識。黄色の曼荼羅華の花言葉は『偽りの魅力』。見た目は非常に美しいが、花や葉、根っこなど全体に強い毒性がある」

Maomao “Kokode, Maomaono mame-chishiki. Kiirono mandarake-no hana-kotobawa ‘itsuwarino miryoku.’ Mitamewa hijoni utsukushiiga, hanaya ha, nekko-nado zentaini tsuyoi dokuseiga aru.”

Maomao “Here’s Maomao’s bits of knowledge. The flower language of the yellow thornapple is ‘false charm.’ It looks very beautiful, but the whole plant, including the flowers, leaves and roots, is highly poisonous.”

猫猫「うーん…どれも一見すると魅力的な物ばかりだが、疑い出すと、全てが怪しく思えてくる…うーーーん…」

Maomao “Uuun… Doremo ikken-suruto miryoku-tekina mono bakari-daga, utagai-dasuto, subetega ayashiku omoete-kuru… Uuuuuuun…”

Maomao “Hmm… They’re all attractive at first glance, but once you start to doubt them, everything starts to seem suspicious…Hmmmmm…”

一見すると(いっけんすると/Ikken-suruto): at first glance, at one glance

小蘭「猫猫！いたいた！」

Shaoran “Maomao! Ita ita!”

Xiaolan “Maomao! There you are!”

猫猫「小蘭！どうしてここに？」

Maoamo “Shaoran! Doshite kokoni?”

Maomao “Xiaolan! Why are you here?”

小蘭「無事だった？何もされてない？」

Shaoran “Buji-datta? Nanimo sarete-nai?”

Xiaolan “Are you okay? Nothing happened to you?”

猫猫「え？何の話？」

Maomao “E? Nanno hanashi?”

Maomao “Eh? What are you talking about?”

小蘭「後宮に、変態侍女が出没したんだって！後をつけて来て、突然衣の匂いを嗅いでくるらしいよ～！」

Shaoran “Kokyuni, hentai-jijoga shutsu-botsu shitan-datte! Ato’o tsukete-kite, totsuzen koromono nioi’o kaide-kuru-rashiiyooo!”

Xiaolan “Apparently, a perverted lady-in-waiting has appeared in the rear palace! She follows people around and suddenly starts sniffing their clothes!”

猫猫「…変態侍女？へ、へ～…」

Maomao “…Hentai-jijo? He, Heee…”

Maomao “…A perverted lady-in-waiting? R-Really…”

へー、へえ（Hee）： Response when hearing something you didn’t know

小蘭「やっぱり！猫猫はまだ知らないだろうなぁと思って、心配で探しに来ちゃった」

Shaoran “Yappari! Maomaowa mada shiranai-daronaa-to omotte, shinpaide sagashini kichatta.”

Xiaolan “I thought so! Maomao, I thought you probably didn’t know yet, so I came looking for you out of concern.”

猫猫（自分の身は心配にならなかったのだろうか…）

Maomao (Jibunno miwa shinpaini nara-nakattano-daroka…)

Maomao (Wasn’t she worried about her own safety?)

猫猫「そう言えば、壬氏様がその件は対応したって言ってたような…」

Maomao “So-ieba, Jinshi-samga sono kenwa taio-shitatte itteta-yona…”

Maomao “Come to think of it, Master Jinshi said that he dealt with that matter…”

小蘭「ほんと！？あ～、よかったぁ！」

Shaoran “Honto!? Aaa, yokattaa!”

Xiaolan “Really? Ah, that’s good!”

猫猫（確か、蘭の花言葉は『純粋、清純』）「小蘭、ぴったりの名前だ」

Maomao (Tashika, ranno hana-kotobawa ‘Junsui, Seijun.’) “Shaoran, pittari-no namaeda.”

Maomao (If I remember correctly, the orchid flower language is ‘purity, innocence.’) “Xiaolan, that’s a perfect name.)

ぴったりの(Pittari-no): perfect fit

小蘭「え？急にどうしたの？」

Shaoran “E? Kyuni do-shitano?”

Xiaolan “Eh? What happened all of a sudden?”

小蘭「次回、『冬人夏草』。ん？あれ？この文字、この間練習したような…、お楽しみに！」

Shaoran “Jikai, ‘Tojinkaso.’ N? Are? Kono moji, kono-aida renshu shita-yona… Otanoshimini!”

Xiaolan “Next episode, ‘Corpse Fungus’ Hmm? What? I think I practiced this character the other day… See you next time!”

[apothecaryscript]

Thank you as always for the translatio. Kusuriya_pr released some of the podcast talks as videos. I also saw a fanart of maomao saying aoi's line about jinshi being pathetic for his feelings about maomao. I am also VERY excited about all the things and characters we'll meet in the 2nd half of season 2. I've never read the web novel. only the light novel until volume 11. I have to read 12 and 13 since they're translated now.

Hello, I watched the videos for some of the podcast. It's good that they picked up some conversation with subtitles, since whole podcast is very long. Concerning English version of the light novel, have not vol.14 and 15 been available yet? It really takes some time. I don't think the web novel is available in English, but that's the very original work of the author. There are some differences between the light novel and the original web novel, and I like both, but I really like a certain event only in the web novel. In order to avoid spoilers, let's talk about it after Season 2 ends.

[apothecaryscript]

Summary of Podcast "Kusuriya to Futarigoto" on Spotify

1st : Aoi Yuki (Maomao VA) × Takeo Otsuka (Jinshi VA) “Jinshi really loves Maomao!”

[apothecaryscript]

Podcast “Kusuriya to Futarigoto” - The 1st, Aoi Yuki (Maomao VA) × Takeo Otsuka (Jinshi VA) “Jinshi really loves Maomao!” / ポッドキャスト『薬屋とふたりごと』 第1回　悠木碧（猫猫役）×大塚剛央（壬氏役）「壬氏、猫猫のことめっちゃ好きじゃ～ん」

You can listen to the podcast on Spotify.

In the opening part only, they speak as the characters Maomao and Jinshi. As below, I’ll transcribe exactly that part. (The orange-colored English lines are just my translation. And green-colored sentences are my own comment or additional explanation.)

ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー

猫猫「壬氏様、私に何かご用でしょうか」

Maomao “Jinshi-sama, watashini nanika goyo deshoka.”

Maomao “How may I be of service, Master Jinshi?”

壬氏「面白い話が回ってきてな。お前に、頼みたいことがあるんだが」

Jinshi “Omoshiroi hanashiga mawatte-kitena. Omaeni tanomi-tai-kotoga arundaga.”

Jinshi “Something interesting came up. I’d like to ask something of you.”

猫猫（げ…。また面倒ごとか？）「で、一体何をすればよろしいのでしょうか？」

Maomao (Ge… Mata mendo-gotoka?) “De, ittai nani’o sureba yoroshiino-deshoka?”

Maomao (Yikes, another trouble again?) “So, what is it that you would like for me to do?”

壬氏「これからここに、いろんな客人が来る。その者たちと、楽しく話をしてほしい」

Jinshi “Kore-kara kokoni, ironna kyakujinga kuru. Sono mono-tachito, tanoshiku hanashi’o shite-hoshii.”

Jinshi “Various guests will be coming here from now on. I hope you’ll have fun talking with them.”

猫猫「楽しく…ですか？相手にもよりますが、どなたとでしょうか？」

Maomao “Tanoshiku…desuka? Aite-nimo yori-masuga, donatato deshoka?”

Maomao “Having fun…? It depends on the person, but who is it with?”

壬氏「フフ…まず一人目は…私だ」

Jinshi “Fufu… Mazu hitorimewa… watashi-da.”

Jinshi “Hehe… the first one is…me.”

猫猫（何で私がコイツと楽しくおしゃべりなんてしないといけないんだ！）

Maomao (Nande watashiga koitsuto tanoshiku oshaberi-nante shinaito ikenainda!)

Maomao (Why should I have to chat with this guy?!)

壬氏「何だ、その顔は…（咳払い）たっぷり付き合ってもらうぞ、薬屋」

Jinshi “Nanda, sono kaowa… (seki-barai) Tappuri tsuki-atte-morauzo, Kusuriya.”

Jinshi “What’s with that face… You’ll go along with me now, Apothecary.”

ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー

After that, the two voice actors was talking about a lot of things. I’ll summarize the content as follows;

About the scene of “honey,” Ep.10 in Season 1

They said Jinshi’s action trying to make Maomao lick his finger with honey was creepy. Mr. Otsuka said that he was sometimes told to act even more creepy than how he acted first, so if you found it creepy, it wasn’t just his fault, but also the production staff’s instructions. (They were not criticizing the staff, they were just laughing and telling inside stories.)　

About characters’ goods

Various anime-related goods have been sold, and there were some goods in their recording studio and they were told that they were free to take them home. They were given the stamps of their characters, with their own name. In Japan we use stamps in place of handwriting signature when opening bank accounts or business contracts, and usually such characters’ stamp can’t be used but the ones they received can be used, apparently. They also talked about characters’ figures. Mr. Otsuka tried but failed to get a Maomao’s figure at claw machines of amusement arcades. They were wondering why Jinshi’s figure had not been sold although Jinshi was the most beautiful character.

About Ep.25 (Ep.1 of Season 2)

They said both OP/ED were amazing, and Ms. Yuki said OP looked like KNH version of “Alice in Wonderland,” since there were many doors and the characters came out of different doors. They said, “The OP video itself is a mystery, and you’ll find what each picture means as the story progresses, so please watch it carefully and enjoy each episode!” As for ED, she said ED video showed how Maomao looked like to Jinshi. and said “Jinshi loves Maomao sooo much!!!” Jinshi has everything like beauty, money, and the social position, but that makes him a minority, which is not understandable by others. So, she felt sorry for Jinshi.

“Jinshi loves Maomao sooo much!!!”： 壬氏、猫猫のこと、めっちゃ好きじゃ～ん!!!（じんし、まおまおのこと、めっちゃすきじゃ～ん/Jinshi, Maomaono koto meccha suki-jaaan!!!）

めっちゃ(Meccha): a slang for “very, quite”= とても、すごく

It’s originally a dialect often used by young people around Osaka area, but recently it seems to have become popular among young people around Tokyo area. I myself was born in Osaka so I usually say “めっちゃかわいい！(めっちゃかわいい/Meccha kawaii)”: Very cute! when seeing something cute.

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Message from Mr. Akinori Fudesaka, Animation Director

The opening scene was created to show the beginning of a new story as the second season, while also showing the connection from the first season. Among them, I especially like the scene with Meimei at the Verdigris House. The departure of Rakan and Fengxian is a little sad for Meimei, but it’s also something to be happy about, and I want Meimei to move forward into the future with hope, just as the two of them have moved forward. I wanted to be able to see the brightness and warmth, so I worked closely with the staff to create the light coming in through the window and Meimei’s expression. Although we only see a little bit at a time, I hope we were able to show the feeling that everyone at the Verdigris House and high-ranking concubines at the rear palace were each living their own lives. I would also like everyone to pay attention to Shisui, who appears in the second season. The scene where she caught the kitten is the first time she interact with Maomao, but it really made an impression on her character. Some of you may have noticed, but this scene and the scene at the end of Part A are not the first appearances. Please watch again and try to find it.

Next, I want you to pay attention to the relationship between Maomao and Jinshi in Ep.25. The relationship between the two have changed throughout the stories of Season 1, as seen in the scene where Jinshi buried his face on the kitten’s belly. It’s cute how Jinshi became like, “Is this about me…?” while listening to the characteristics of cats. It’s the scene I personally really like. In Season 2, the story revolves around Maomao and Jinshi, so I hope you’ll pay attention to the further changes in their relationship and their thoughts and feelings.

Finally, I would like to send a message to Ms.Yuki and Mr.Otsuka. You are always be able to create the sense of character and the distance between the two characters that was created in Season 1, so I always feel at ease when I hand it over to you. You respond very accurately to the direction that we put in the storyboards, and it’s as if Maomao and Jinshi are living in the two of you, and you often respond with acting that goes beyond what we expected. It’s so real, the characters are alive, and I get to see your acting up close, and it even feels like I’m enjoying the recording as a fan. I’m sorry to the fans for my having fun first!

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After reading above message from Mr. Fudesaka, they talked about it as follows;

About the opening part of Episode 1, Ms. Yuki liked it started with Meimei’s scene. Meimei’s line is just a breathing of smiling without any words, and she said such line was very difficult but Meimei’s VA acted very well in spite that there must have been a lot of pressure of starting the new season with.

Next they talked about the cat Maomao. Ms. Yuki said “How cute!” and “Only cat lovers can draw such cute animations, so there must be cat lovers among the animation staff!” and she said the VA of cat Maomao is the same as VA of Yinghua. Mr.Otsuka said, “I play Jinshi but I’m not the only one playing Jinshi. The animation is really amazing,” and Ms. Yuki agreed, saying, “We’re only in charge of the voice parts, but the animation is so amazing that maybe the voices wouldn’t be necessary. I feel like I’m playing the role together with everyone involved in the animation, including the art and music.”　They also talked about the scene where Jinshi put the kitten on his face: Neko-sui.

The action of burying one’s face on the cat’s belly is called “猫吸い(ねこすい/neko-sui) among cat lovers in Japan. According to the internet information, there is the word “cat huffing” in English although It’s not a well-known word for everyone.

They said about Jinshi that he liked cats because Maomao looked like a cat, and that if Maomao hadn’t existed, he wouldn’t be interested in cats now. In various interviews, they said they’re always asked what will happen to the relationship between Maomao and Jinshi in the future, but they’re always scratching their heads to answer. But they said that little by little, the distance between them was really slowly closing.

As for the message from the director to the two, they were very happy that they were told that their characters were alive. However, they also said that the reason they were able to act well was because of the good animation and script, and they were grateful that when they read the script, they naturally understood, saying, “I see!”

Other than that, they talked about their private lives based on topics from email from listeners. Mr. Otsuka sometimes cook for himself but Ms. Yuki doesn’t have much of a preference for food, and anything is fine as long as it’s nutritious. However, she likes so-called “推し活(おしかつ/Oshi-katsu): supporting one’s fave” cooking, and makes character cookies and makes character-shaped grated daikon(Japanese radish) for hot pot cooking.

Although it’s not a hot pot dish, I have a photo of myself making a cat shape out of grated daikon and serving it with grilled fish, so please take a look, just for your better understanding.

It may be hard to see, but can you see the white and brown objects in the shape of a cat lying down on the bottom right of each of the two plates? Left side is the head and the long thin part on the right side is the tail. These are grated daikon, put it in a mold, and pushed out of the mold, and then added a brown pattern with soy sauce. If it were the hot pot dish that Ms. Yuki was talking about, it would be a much larger one, so I think it would be a really cute dish.

Regarding other food topics, Ms. Yuki read an email from a listener who loved cheesecakes, and said that a homemade cheesecake given to her by the woman living nearby her previous home was so delicious that she fell in love with cheese, even though she had not been able to eat dairy products before. Also, when Mr. Otsuka said that he had never tried Hokkaido sea urchin, Ms. Yuki responded “You’re missing out on something in life! You should definitely try it!” He said that he’s going to Hokkaido for work because a snow sculpture of the KNH character was being made for the Sapporo Snow Festival, and she recommended that he would try it, as there were several sushi restaurants even in the airport, and everything was very delicious there.

After reading email from the other listener about his preference for headphones, Mr. Otsuka said that he loved video games and enjoyed games with good sound using gaming-specific headphones, and that he also used a soundbar to enjoy watching TV with good sound.

Announcement of Blu-ray of Season 2

It’ll be released in four volumes, and the first one will be released on 16 April, 2025. In addition to audio commentary and video bonuses, it will also have a dress-up book cover of the original novel.

Next podcast will be released on Sunday, January 26 at noon, with Ms. Misaki Kuno, who plays Xiaolan.

Ms. Yuki asked Mr. Otsuka, “Is there anything you want me to ask Ms. Kuno?” and he answered, “She told me that since we’re the same age, it’s okay to speak in Tame-guchi(Friednly way of talking), so I try to do that as much as possible when we talk, but…is that really okay?”, and Ms. Yuki said “Oh, you ended up using Keigo lol Okay, I’ll ask her ‘Is that really okay?’ in Keigo lol”

That’s the summary. I’m not familiar with VAs at all, so I don’t know much about them, but from what I listened to, Ms. Yuki and the next guest Ms. Kuno, seem to be close, and Mr. Otsuka used Keigo when speaking to Ms. Yuki, so I thought he might not have much experience as a VA. I’m a bit worried about how accurately I was able to convey what they said in my poor translation, but it was a very friendly and fun chat. If there’s anything you don’t understand, or if there’s a topic you’d like to know more about, please let me know. Thanks for reading such a long post!

[apothecaryscript]

Episode 2 (Ep.26): Caravan / 第2話（第26話）『隊商（キャラバン/Kyaraban）』

壬氏「今回のキャラバン、業者の数も商品の種類も多いな…」

Jinshi “Konkaino kyaraban, gyoshano kazumo shohinno shuruimo ooina…”

Jinshi “The caravan this time has more merchants and goods than before.”

高順「異国の特使を迎える先行隊ゆえ、いつもより規模が大きく期間も長いと聞いております」

Gaoshun “Ikokuno tokushi’o mukaeru senko-tai-yue, itsumo-yori kiboga ookiku kikanmo nagaito kiite-orimasu.”

Gaoshun “Apparently it’s the advance party to the special envoy of a foreign nation. As such, it’s larger-scale and scheduled to stay longer.”

壬氏「宴席の準備はどうだ？」

Jinshi “Ensekino junbiwa doda?”

Jinshi “How’s the welcome banquet prep going?”

高順「接待担当の高官が進めています」

Gaoshun “Settai-tantono kokanga susumete-imasu.”

Gaoshun “A high-ranking officer in charge of receptions is working on it.”

壬氏「そうか。大事な外交の相手だ。引き続き頼む」

Jinshi “Soka. Daijina gaikono aiteda. Hiki-tsuzuki tanomu.”

Jinshi “Good. This is an important diplomatic partner. Keep up the good work.”

高順「御意」

Gaoshun “Gyoi.”

Gaoshun “Understood.”

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紅娘「湿気も多くなってきたし、そろそろ衣替えをしようと思います。まずは衣装の整理から。桜花、愛藍、猫猫」

Hon’nyan “Shikkemo ooku-natte-kitashi, soro-soro koromo-gae’o shiyoto omoi-masu. Mazuwa ishono seiri-kara. Infa, Airan, Maomao.”

Hongniang “It’s starting to get more humid. I think it’s time for a wardrobe change. First, we’ll organize our outfits. Yinghua, Ailan, Maomao.”

桜花・愛藍「はい」

Infa, Airan “Hai.”

Yinghua & Ailan “Yes.”

猫猫「はい、紅娘様」

Maomao “Hai, Hon’nyan-sama.”

Maomao “Yes, Lady Hongniang.”

紅娘「貴園は鈴麗公主のお世話をお願いね」

Hon’nyan “Guienwa Rinrī-himeno osewa’o onegaine.”

Hongniang “Guiyuan, please tend to Princess Lingli.”

貴園「分かりました」

Guien “Wakari-mashita.”

Guiyuan “Yes.”

桜花「流行遅れのデザインも結構あるのよね。これはまだいけるかな。あっ。こっちは一時期すごく流行ったんだけど、流行りものって時期が過ぎると途端に使えなくなるのよね」

Infa “Ryuko-okureno dezainmo kekko aruno-yone. Korewa mada ikeru-kana. A. Kocchiwa ichi-jiki sugoku hayattan-dakedo, hayari-monotte jikiga sugiruto totanni tsukae-naku-naruno-yone.”

Yinghua “Some of the designs are out of style. This one’s still good. Oh, this one was super popular for a while, but you know how fads can be quick to go super stale?”

猫猫「古いのはどうされるんですか？」

Maomao “Fufui-nowa do sarerun-desuka?”

Maomao “What happens to the old outfits?”

桜花「職人が作り直して、玉葉様の故郷、西方で配るのよ」

Infa “Shokuninga tsukuri-naoshite, Gyokuyo-samano kokyo, saihode kubaru-noyo.”

Yinghua “Some craftsmen rework them, and they get handed out in the western region, Lady Gyokuyou’s home region.”

猫猫「へぇ…では念のため、防虫用の香草を入れておきますね」

Maomao “Hee… Dewa nenno-tame, bochu-yono koso’o irete-oki-masu-ne.”

Maomao “I see. In that case, I’ll put in some insect-repellent herbs.”

桜花「うん、お願い」

Infa “Un, onegai.”

Yinghua “Yes, thank you.”

愛藍「そう言えば、もう少ししたら新しい侍女が来るわよ」

Airan “So-ieba, mo sukoshi shitara atarashii jijoga kuru-wayo.”

Ailan “Oh, by the way, a new lady-in-waiting is coming soon.”

猫猫「新しい侍女？」

Maomao “Atarashii jijo?”

Maomao “A new lady-in-waiting?”

愛藍「玉葉様のご懐妊で今以上に人手が必要になるから」

Airan “Gyokuyo-samano go-kainin-de ima-ijoni hitodega hitsuyoni naru-kara.”

Ailan “Now that Lady Gyokuyou is pregnant, we’ll need more help.”

桜花「他にも理由はあるわよ。50人以上も侍女や下女を引き連れて入内した妃がいるんだから、玉葉様だってねぇ」

Infa “Hoka-nimo riyuwa aru-wayo. Goju-nin-ijomo jijoya gejo’o hiki-tsurete judai-shita kisakiga irun-dakara, Gyokuyo-sama-datte-nee.”

Yinghua “There’s another reason. Another concubine joined with more than 50 ladies-in-waiting and servant girls. Lady Gyokuyou needs a few more too, you know?”

猫猫（楼蘭妃のことか。確かに、帝の寵妃である玉葉様の侍女が5人しかいないのは世間体が悪い）

Maomao (Roran-hino kotoka. Tashikani, mikadono chohide-aru Gyokuyo-samano jijoga go-nin-shika inai-nowa seken-teiga warui.)

Maomao (Concubine Loulan, I bet. It makes sense. Lady Gyokuyou having only five ladies-in-waiting despite being the emperor’s favorite sends the wrong message.)

桜花「水晶宮の梨花様のところでさえ、下女も含めて30人なのに、柘榴宮はその倍よ！おかしくない！？」

Infa “Suisho-kyuno Rifa-samano tokorode-sae, gejomo fukumete sanju-nin-nanoni, Zakuro-Kyuwa sono bai-yo! Okashiku-nai!?”

Yinghua “The Crystal Pavilion for Lady Lihua has thirty, including servant girls. The Garnet Pavilion has double that! That feels wrong, doesn’t it?”

愛藍「桜花、そんなこと言ったらまた紅娘様に怒られるわよ」

Airan “Infa, sonna-koto ittara mata Hon’nyan-samani oko-rareru-wayo.”

Ailan “Yinghua, don’t talk like that. Lady Hongniang will scold you.”

桜花「だってぇ」

Infa “Dattee.”

Yinghua “Come on!”

愛藍「さてと、だいぶ片付いたわね」

Airan “Sateto, daibu katazuita-wane.”

Ailan “Well then, we made some good progress.”

猫猫「こんなに減らしてよかったのですか？」

Maomao “Konnani herashite yokattano-desuka?”

Maomao “Is it all right to have so few?”

愛藍「大丈夫。新しいのを何着か注文しているし」

Airan “Daijobu. Atarashii-no’o nan-chaku-ka chumon shite-irushi.”

Ailan “It’s fine. We already ordered a few new ones, and…”

桜花「それに、もうすぐキャラバンが来るの！」

Infa “Soreni, mo-sugu kyarabanga kuruno!”

Yinghua “And besides, the caravan will arrive soon!”

猫猫「キャラバン？」

Maomao “Kyaraban?”

Maomao “Caravan?”

愛藍「前に来た時は、猫猫はちょうどいなかったのよね？」

Airan “Maeni kita-tokiwa, Maomaowa chodo ina-kattano-yone?”

Ailan “Maomao wasn’t here the last time it came by, was she?”

桜花「今回のは、いつもより規模が大きいの！」

Infa “Konkai-nowa, itsumo-yori kiboga ookiino!”

Yinghua “This one’s bigger than usual!”

猫猫（花街ではさほど珍しくないけど、娯楽の少ない後宮では、この時の買い物が楽しみなのだろう）

Maomao (Hana-machi-dewa sahodo mezurashiku-nai-kedo, gorakuno sukunai kokyu-dewa, kono tokino kaimonoga tanoshimi nano-daro.)

Maomao (Entertainment’s abundant in the pleasure district, but scarce here in the rear palace, so the shopping must be really exciting.)

桜花「猫猫も、空き時間作るから見に行きなよ。玉葉様は、こういう時いつもお小遣いをくれ���の…あっ、どうしたの？」

Infa “Maomaomo, aki-jikan tsukuru-kara mini ikinayo. Gyokuyo-samawa, ko-iu-toki itsumo okozukai’o kureruno… A, doshitano?”

Yinghua “I’ll make sure you get some time to check it out too, Maomao. Lady Gyokuyou always gives us an allowance―What’s wrong?”

紅娘「おしゃべりばかりしてないで、手を動かしなさい～～～！！」

Hon’nyan “Oshaberi-bakari shite-naide, te’o ugokashi-nasaiiiiiii!!”

Hongniang “Less chatting, more working!”

桜花「ギャ～～～！」

Infa “Gyaaaaaaa!”

玉葉妃「私も紅娘に怒られないように気を付けなくちゃね」

Gyokuyo-hi “Watashimo Hon’nyan-ni okorare-nai-yoni ki’o tsuke-nakuchane.”

Concubine Gyokuyou “I should be careful not to incur Hongniang’s wrath!”

紅娘「玉葉様。冗談はおやめください」

Hon’nyan “Gyokuyo-sama. Jodanwa oyame kudasai.”

Hongniang “Lady Gyokuyou, please stop joking around.”

玉葉妃「ウフフッ」

Gyokuyo-hi “Ufufu.”

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杏「お呼びでしょうか、梨花様」

Shin “Oyobi-deshoka, Rifa-sama.”

Shin “Did you summon me, Lady Lihua?”

梨花妃「杏。これを皆に」

Rifa-hi “Shin. Kore’o mina-ni.”

Concubine Lihua “Shin, pass this out to everyone.”

杏「キャラバンの買い出しですか？手の空(あ)いている侍女に買いに行かせます」

Shin “Kyaraban-no kaidashi desuka? Teno aite-iru jijoni kaini ikase-masu.”

Shin “Shopping at the caravan? I’ll have one of the ladies-in-waiting take care of it.”

梨花妃「ええ。お願いね」

Rifa-hi “Ee. Onegai-ne.”

Concubine Lihua “Yes, thank you.”

思思「し…杏様。診療所から言伝(ことづて)です」

Su-su? “Shi…Shin-sama. Shinryo-jo-kara kotozute desu.”

Si-si? “L-Lady Shin, a message from the clinic.”

杏「診療所から言伝？」

Shin “Shinryo-jo-kara kotozute?”

Shin “A message from the clinic…?”

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猫猫（キャラバンが滞在するのは5日間。妃やその侍女たちがはしゃぐ中に、下っ端が入り込んで買い物ができるわけがない）

Maomao (Kyarabanga taizai-suru-nowa itsuka-kan. Kisakiya sono jijo-tachiga hashagu nakani, shitappaga hairi-konde kaimonoga dekiru wakega nai.)

Maomao (The caravan stays for five days. A bottom-tier servant like me can’t just cut in front of concubines and their ladies-in-waiting.)

小蘭「いいな～。私も新しい服とか欲しい」

Shaoran “Iinaaa. Watashimo atarashii fuku-toka hoshii.”

Xiaolan “I’m jealous. I want new clothes and stuff, too!”

猫猫「着てく場所ないけど」

Maomao “Kiteku basho nai-kedo.”

Maomao “We’ve got nowhere to wear it to.”

小蘭「分かってるけど欲しいの！」

Shaoran “Wakatteru-kedo hoshiino!”

Xiaolan “I know, but still!”

猫猫（後宮…つくづく特殊な空間だ。こんなに人がいるのに店はないし、医者もやぶ医者しかいないし…。病気にでもかかったら、すぐ広がってしまいそうだが、そうでもない。衛��管理はしっかりしているからだ。汚物を捨てる地下水路は、堀を通さず大河へと繋がっている。西方の水道技術を、やり手の女帝が利用したものだ。衛生面がちゃんとしていれば、病気の発生は防げる。それでも、重病にかかった時は実家に帰されるが…）

Maomao (Kokyu…Tsuku-zuku tokushuna kukanda. Konnani hitoga iru-noni misewa naishi, ishamo yabu-isha-shika inaishi… Byoki-ni-demo kakattara, sugu hirogatte shimai-sodaga, so-demo nai. Eisei-kanriwa shikkari shite-iru-karada. Obutsu’o suteru chika-suirowa, hori’o toosazu taiga-eto tsunagatte-iru. Saihono suido-gijutsu’o, yariteno joteiga riyo-shita-monoda. Eisei-menga chanto shite-ireba, byokino hasseiwa fusegeru. Soredemo, jubyoni kakatta tokiwa jikkani kae-sareruga…)

Maomao (The rear palace really is a peculiar environment. So many people, yet no shops. No doctors except for quacks… It seems like if disease broke out, it would spread uncontrollably, but not really, because the sanitation level is top-notch. An underground waterway carries out the waste goes straight to the great river without going through the moat. It’s water working technology from the west, cleverly applied by the empress. As long as proper hygiene is maintained, diseases can be mostly prevented. Those that still manage to contract severe illnesses are sent home, but…)

小蘭「ねぇ、猫猫」

Shaoran “Nee, Maomao.”

Xiaolan “Hey, Maomao.”

猫猫「ん？」

Maomao “N?”

Maomao “Hmm?”

小蘭「最後の日なら、少し時間をもらえそうなんだけど…」

Shaoran “Saigono hi-nara, sukoshi jikan’o moraeso-nanda-kedo…”

Xiaolan “I might get some time off on the last day.”

猫猫（誘われて、悪い気はしないな）

Maomao (Saso-warete, warui kiwa shinai-na.)

Maomao (It’s not so bad to get asked out.)

小蘭「フフフ…ん？」

Shaoran “Fufufu…N?”

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玉葉妃「ちょっと奮発し過ぎたかしら？」

Gyokuyo-hi “Chotto funpatsu shi-sugita-kashira?”

Concubine Gyokuyou “Did I spend too much?”

紅娘「いいえ、もっと買っても良かったのですよ。他の所はもっと買っているでしょうから」

Hon’nyan “Iie, motto kattemo yokattano-desuyo. Hokano tokorowa motto katte-iru-desho-kara.”

Hongniang “No, you could have bought more. The other houses have probably bought more.”

猫猫（確かに…。水晶宮の侍女たちは派手に買い物をするだろうし、梨花妃も何だかんだ懐が深い。金剛宮では里樹妃をおだてて、侍女たちが自分の欲しいものを買��せたりするだろう。柘榴宮だと、あれだけ派手好きな楼蘭妃は言わずもがな。その点、一部屋に入りきる玉葉妃は経済的だ）

Maomao (Tashikani… Suisho-Kyuno jijo-tachiwa hadeni kaimono’o suru-daroshi, Rifa-himo nanda-kandade futokoroga fukai. Kongo-Kyu-dewa Rīshu-hi’o odatete, jijo-tachiga jibunno hoshii mono’o kawase-tari suru-daro. Zakuro-Kyu-dato, are-dake hade-zukina Roran-hiwa iwazu-mogana. Sono ten, hito-heyani hairi-kiru Gyokuyo-hiwa keizai-tekida.)

Maomao (True. The ladies-in-waiting at the Crystal Pavilion probably go all out. Concubine Lihua is actually pretty generous, too. At the Diamond Pavilion, the ladies-in-waiting probably flatter Concubine Lishu into buying things for them. As for the Garnet Pavilion, it goes without saying, seeing how flamboyant Concubine Loulan is. Compared to them, Concubine Gyokuyou, whose items fit in one room, appears thrifty.)

紅娘「明日もキャラバンの商人が来るから、今日の分は片付けますよ」

Hon’nyan “Ashitamo kyaraban’no shoninga kuru-kara, kyono bunwa katazuke-masuyo.”

Hongniang “Caravan merchants will arrive tomorrow as well, so let’s put away what we got today.”

桜花「は～い」

Infa “Haaai.”

Yinghua “Yes.”

猫猫（はて？）

Maomao (Hate?)

Maomao (Huh?)

貴園「何かあった？」

Guien “Nanika atta?”

Guiyuan “Something wrong?”

猫猫（袖の付いた着物と、胸のすぐ下で帯を締めるスカートが多いな）

Maomao (Sodeno tsuita kimonoto, muneno sugu shitade obi’o shimeru sukātoga ooina.)

Maomao (There are several sleeved robes and skirts whose belts go right under the chest.)

猫猫「このタイプ以外の服はなかったのですか？」

Maomao “Kono taipu-igaino fukuwa nakattano-desuka?”

Maomao “Were these the only types of clothes available?”

貴園「こればっかりだったわよ」

Guien “Kore-bakkari datta-wayo.”

Guiyuan “These were everwhere.”

愛藍「流行りだからって言ってたけど」

Airan “Hayari dakaratte itteta-kedo.”

Ailan “I heard they’re in style right now.”

貴園・愛藍「ん？」

Guien, Airan “N?”

猫猫（玉葉様の懐妊は、まだ外に知られていない。普通なら、客が好む服を持ち込むはずだ。玉葉様には、帯を腰で結ぶような。しかし、お腹が大きくなれば締め付けない服を選ぶだろう。それを踏まえた上で、あえてこういうデザインのものを持ち込んだとしたら…。考え過ぎだと思いたいが…）

Maomao (Gyokuyo-samano kaininwa, mada sotoni shirarete-inai. Futsu-nara, kyakuga konomu fuku’o mochi-komu hazuda. Gyokuyo-sama-niwa, obi’o koshide musubu-yona. Shikashi, onakaga ookiku-nareba shimetsuke-nai fuku’o erabu-daro. Sore’o fumaeta uede, aete ko-iu dezainno mono’o mochi-kondato shitara… Kangae-sugi-dato omoi-taiga…)

Maomao (Lady Gyokuyou’s pregnancy isn’t yet known to the outside. Normally, they would bring in clothes that the customer likes. In Lady Gyokuyou’s case, it would be dresses with belts around the waist. However, if her belly grew bigger, she would choose less restrictive outfits. Did they bring these designs knowingly? If so… I want to believe I’m overthinking this, but…)

猫猫「明日は、帯を腰でしっかり締めるデザインのものがあるか、聞いた方がいいと思います」

Maomao “Asuwa, obi’o koshide shikkari shimeru dezainno monoga aruka, kiita-hoga iito omoi-masu.”

Maomao “Tomorrow, you should ask if they have designs that have tight belts around the waist.”

玉葉妃「そうね。もっと違うものを買っておかないと。紅娘、商人に声をかけておいて」

Gyokuyo-hi “Sone. Motto chigau mono’o katte-oka-naito. Hon’nyan, shonin’ni koe’o kakete-oite.”

Concubine Gyokuyou “Yes, we should keep a variety of designs around. Hongniang, have a word with the merchants for me.”

紅娘「はい」

Hon’nyan “Hai.”

Hongniang “Yes.”

猫猫（玉葉様と紅娘様には伝わったみたいだ）

Maomao (Gyokuyo-samato Hon’nyan-sama-niwa tsutawatta mitaida.)

Maomao (Seems like Lady Gyokuyou and Lady Hongniang got the message.)

―――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――

猫猫（最終日ともなると、売れ残りばかりだな…）

Maomao (Saishubi-tomo naruto, ure-nokori bakari dana…)

Maomao (I guess it’s all leftovers on the last day.)

小蘭「わあっ、すごい、すご～い。おっ、ハハッ。はあ～…」

Shaoran “Waa, sugoi, sugoooi. O, haha. Haaaa…”

Xiaolan “Wow, awesome! Awesome!”

猫猫（玉葉様からお小遣いをもらったけど…）

Maomao (Gyokuyo-sama-kara okozukai’o moratta-kedo…)

Maomao (I did get some allowance from Lady Gyokuyou, but…)

猫猫「これ下さい」

Maomao “Kore kudasai.”

Maomao “I’ll take this.”

猫猫「似合ってる」

Maomao “Niatteru.”

Maomao “Looks good on you.”

小蘭「ハハッ。ありがとう、猫猫～！」

Shaoran “Haha. Arigato, Maomaooo!”

Xiaolan “Thanks, Maomao!”

猫猫（妹とやらがいたら、こんな生き物なのだろうか）

Maomao (Imoto-to-yaraga itara, konna ikimono nano-daroka.)

Maomao (If I had a little sister of some kind, would she be this type of creature?)

小蘭「猫猫は行きたい所ないの？付き合うよ」

Shaoran “Maomaowa ikitai tokoro naino? Tsuki-au-yo.”

Xiaolan “Are there stalls you want to check out, Maomao? I’ll go with you!”

猫猫「ん～、じゃあ、ちょっと覗(のぞ)きたい所があるんだけど」

Maomao “Nnn, jaa, chotto nozoki-tai tokoroga arun-dakedo.”

Maomao “In that case, I’d like to look around a bit.”

猫猫（さすがに薬の類いはないが、茶葉や香辛料はある。それに、最終日に来た理由がもう一つある…。値引きだ。後宮という特殊な場所で、適正価格で品物を売るとは思えない。簡単にぼったくれると思うなよ？イ～ヒッヒッヒッ…）

Maomao (Sasugani kusurino taguiwa naiga, chabaya koshinryowa aru. Soreni, saishubini kita riyuga mo-hitotsu aru… Nebiki-da. Kokyuto-iu tokushuna bashode, tekisei-kakakude shinamono’o uru-towa omoe-nai. Kantanni bottaku-reruto omou-nayo? Iiihhihhihhi…)

Maomao (Obviously no medicines here, but they do have teas and spices. Also, there’s another reason why I came on the last day. Discounts. I doubt they’d charge fair prices for goods in a special environment like the rear palace. But don’t think you can gouge me that easily!”

小蘭「ん？」

Shaoran “N?”

猫猫（茉莉花茶(ジャスミンちゃ)か…）

Maomao (Jasumin-cha-ka…)

Maomao (Jasmine tea.)

猫猫「これ下さい」

Maomao “Kore kudasai.”

Maomao “I’ll take this.”

子翠「これ下さ～い」

Shisui “Kore kudasaaai.”

Shisui “I’ll take this.”

猫猫（はて？）

Maomao (Hate?)

Maomao (Huh?)

子翠「あ……猫ちゃん元気？」

Shisui “A……Neko-chan genki?”

Shisui “How’s the kitty?”

猫猫（あぁ、あの時の…）

Maomao (Aa, ano tokino…)

Maomao (Ah, she’s from that one time…)

猫猫「元気にしてる。今、医局にいる」

Maomao “Genkini shiteru. Ima, ikyokuni iru.”

Maomao “She’s fine. She lives at the clinic now.”

子翠「そっかぁ、よかった！」

Shisui “Sokkaa, yokatta!”

Shisui “I see! That’s good to hear!”

小蘭「あれ？子翠もお休みもらったの？」

Shaoran “Are? Shisuimo oyasumi morattano?”

Xiaolan “Oh, you got time off too, Shisui?”

子翠「うん。小蘭も来てたんだ？何買ったの？」

Shisui “Un. Shaoranmo kitetanda? Nani kattano?”

Shisui “Yeah! And you’re here too, Xiaolan! What’d you buy?”

小蘭「私は見物だけ。あっ！猫猫に髪紐買ってもらったんだぁ！」

Shaoran “Watashiwa kenbutsu-dake. A! Maomaoni kami-himo katte-morattandaa!”

Xiaolan “I’m just looking. Oh! Maomao bought me a hair tie!”

子翠「可愛い！」

Shisui “Kawaii!”

Shisui “So cute!”

猫猫（二人は知り合いか。小蘭と同じ尚服の衣を着ているということは、いつもの洗濯場を使っている女官なのだろう）

Maomao (Futariwa shiriai-ka. Shaoranto onaji shofukuno koromo’o kite-iruto iu-kotowa, itsumono sentaku-ba’o tsukatte-iru nyokan-nano-daro.)

Maomao (So, they know each other. Seeing how she wears the same dress as Xiaolan, she must be a court lady using the same laundry area.)

猫猫「ここ邪魔になるから、場所を移そう。これ3つ下さい」

Maomao “Koko jamani naru-kara, basho’o utsuso. Kore mittsu kudasai.”

Maomao “We don’t want to block the stall, so let’s go somewhere else. I’ll take three of these.”

―――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――

虞淵（やぶ医者）「嬢ちゃんに友達がいるなんて、知らなかったよ」

Guen(Yabu-Isha) “Jochan-ni tomodachiga iru-nante, shira-nakatta-yo.”

Guen(Quack Doctor) “I didn’t know you had friends, little lady!”

猫猫（やぶ医者が大変失礼なことを言ってくれるが、本当のことなので仕方ないだろう）

Maomao (Yabu-Ishaga taihen shitsureina koto’o itte-kureruga, hontono koto-nanode shikata-nai-daro.)

Maomao (Doctor Quack can be pretty rude sometimes, but he’s not wrong.)

毛毛「ミャ～」

Maomao “Myaaa.”

小蘭「可愛い～！」

Shaoran “Kawaiiii!”

Xiaolan “So cute!”

子翠「わぁ、何て名前？」

Shisui “Waa, nante namae?”

Shisui “What’s her name?”

猫猫「盗賊改(とうぞくあらため)」

Maomao “Tozoku-Aratame.”

Maomao “Admonisher of Thieves.”

小蘭「えっ！？何か変な名前だね」

Shaoran “E!? Nanka henna namae-dane.”

Xiaolan “Huh? That’s a weird name.”

猫猫（毛毛の方がよっぽど変だ）

Maomao (Maomao-no-hoga yoppodo henda.)

Maomao (Less weird than ‘Maomao.’)

虞淵（やぶ医者）「お茶でも入れようかね」

Guen(Yabu-Isha) “Ocha-demo ireyo-kane.”

Guen(Quack Doctor) “How about I make some tea?”

猫猫「お茶は持ってきました」

Maomao “Ochawa motte-kimashita.”

Maomao “I’ve brought my own.”

虞淵（やぶ医者）「じゃあ、茶菓子だね」

Guen(Yabu-Isha) “Jaa, chagashi dane.”

Guen(Quack Doctor) “Then I’ll get the snacks.”

小蘭「ふぉ～！」

Shaoran “Fuooo!”

Xiaolan “Wow!”

子翠「いい香り…」

Shisui “Ii kaori…”

Shisui “What a nice scent.”

猫猫（茉莉花の工芸茶。温めた器に入れて、ぬるめのお湯をゆっくり注ぐと、こうしてつぼみが開く。なかなか入れる機会はないだろうけど）

Maomao (Jasumin’no kogei-cha. Atatameta utsuwani irete, nurumeno oyu’o yukkuri sosoguto, ko-shite tsubomiga hiraku. Naka-naka ireru kikaiwa nai-daro-kedo.)

Maomao (A jasmine flowering tea. Place it inside a pre-warmed bowl, slowly pour in lukewarm water, and the bud opens up like this. I probably won’t get the chance to make this often, but…)

虞淵（やぶ医者）「嬢ちゃんたち、今回だけ特別だよ」

Guen(Yabu-Isha) “Jochan-tachi, konkai-dake tokubetsu dayo.”

Guen(Quack Doctor) “My little ladies, these are special just for today.”

小蘭「月餅だ！ありがとうございます」

Shaoran “Geppei-da! Arigato gozai-masu.”

Xiaolan “Mooncakes! Thank you very much!”

子翠「それにしても、毎回こうなの？すごいお祭り騒ぎ」

Shisui “Soreni-shitemo, mai-kai ko-nano? Sugoi omatsuri-sawagi.”

Shisui “Is it always like this? A huge festival every time?”

猫猫（子翠もキャラバンは初めてか。楼蘭妃の入内と共に入って来たとすれば、来て半年ほどなのだろう）

Maomao (Shisuimo kyaraban’wa hajimete-ka. Roran-hino judaito tomoni haitte-kitato sureba, kite hantoshi-hodo nano-daro.)

Maomao (This is Shisui’s first caravan, too. If she came at the same time as Concubine Loulan, I think she’s been here for about six months.)

小蘭「う～ん、今回はいつもより長いなぁ」

Shaoran “Uuun, konkaiwa itsumo-yori nagai-naa.”

Xiaolan “Hmm, it’s lasting longer than usual.”

虞淵（やぶ医者）「それはね、近々異国から特使が来るかららしいよ」

Guen(Yabu-Isha) “Sore-wane, chika-jika ikoku-kara tokushiga kuru-kara rashii-yo.”

Guen(Quack Doctor) “I heard that’s because a special envoy is coming from a foreign land soon.”

小蘭「へぇ～。偉い人が来るんですね」

Shaoran “Heee. Erai hitoga kurun-desune.”

Xiaolan “Oh! It must be someone important.”

猫猫（それ、言っちゃっていいんですかねぇ）

Maomao (Sore, icchatte iin-desuka-nee.)

Maomao (Are you allowed to talk about that?)

子翠「そう言えばさぁ、最近、北側で変な匂いがするんだけど、知らない？」

Shisui “So-ieba-saa, saikin, kita-gawade henna nioiga surun-dakedo, shira-nai?”

Shisui “By the way, there’s this weird smell on the north side these days. Do you know about it?”

猫猫「北側？」

Maomao “Kita-gawa?”

Maomao “On the north side?”

小蘭「知らな～い」

Shaoran “Shiranaaai.”

Xiaolan “Nope.”

虞淵（やぶ医者）「変な匂いねぇ…あっちは荒れているからね。水路でも詰まったかな」

Guen(Yabu-Isha) “Henna nioi-nee… Acchiwa arete-iru-kara-ne. Suiro-demo tsumatta-kana.”

Guen(Quack Doctor) “A strange smell, huh? That area’s a bit of a mess, maybe a waterway got clogged.”

猫猫（汚物を流す地下水路が詰まれば、地上に匂いが出てくるかもしれない）

Maomao (Obutsu’o nagasu chika-suiroga tsumareba, chijoni nioiga dete-kuru-kamo shire-nai.)

Maomao (If an underground waterway carrying waste got clogged, the smell could reach the ground level.)

小蘭「子翠は、北側に行く仕事があるの？」

Shaoran “Shisuiwa, kita-gawani iku shigotoga aruno?”

Xiaolan “Do you have work on the north side, Shisui?”

子翠「へへっ。あっちは草むらが多いのだよね」

Shisui “Hehe. Acchiwa kusa-muraga ooino-dayone.”

Shisui “Actually, there are good shrubs out there.”

小蘭「おぉ！」

Shaoran “Oo!”

猫猫「上手だね」

Maomao “Jozu dane.”

Maomao “You’re good.”

子翠「うん！ここにはたくさん虫がいるから、いっぱい描けていいよね」

Shisui “Un! Koko-niwa takusan mushiga iru-kara, ippai kakete ii-yone.”

Shisui “Yeah, there’s a lot of bugs here, so it’s great that I can draw so many!”

猫猫（虫もまた、薬の材料になる。カマキリの卵しょうは精力剤になり、ミミズは解熱効果がある）

Maomao (Mushi-mo mata, kusurino zairyoni naru. Kamakirino ranshowa seiryoku-zaini nari, mimizuwa genetsu-kokaga aru.)

Maomao (Insects can be ingredients for medicines, too. The egg cases of praying mantises can make an aphrodisiac, and earthworms can be fever reducers.)

子翠「南の果樹園とかはしっかり手入れがされているから、あまりいないけど、北側の廃墟とかいい感じ。でっかいクモがたくさんいるよ！」

Shisui “Minamino kajuen-tokawa shikari teirega sarete-iru-kara, amari inai-kedo, kita-gawano haikyo-toka ii kanji. Dekkai kumoga takusan iruyo!”

Shisui “The fruit garden on the south side is well-kept, so there aren’t many out there. But the ruins on the north side are really nice! There’s huge spiders there, even!”

猫猫「クモ！？集めるのが大変で、まだ試したことが無いが、クモの糸には止血効果があるという」

Maomao “Kumo!? Atsumeru-noga taihende, mada tameshita kotoga naiga, kumono ito-niwa shiketsu-kokaga aruto iu.”

Maomao “Spiders?! I haven’t tried it since it’s so hard to gather, but they say spider silk has blood-staunching properties.”

子翠「行く？行ってみる？」

Shisui “Iku? Itte-miru?”

Shisui “You wanna go check it out?”

猫猫「行く！行ってみる！」

Maomao “Iku! Itte-miru!”

Maomao “I wanna go check it out.”

子翠「見て見て、これなんて綺麗な色でぷっくりして可愛いんだ！食べるとおいしくて猫猫もきっと気に入るよ！それに…」

Shisui “Mite mite, kore-nante kireina irode pukkuri-shite kawaiinda! Taberuto oishikute Maomaomo kitto kini-iruyo! Soreni…”

Shisui “Look! This one has pretty colors and it plump and cute. It’s delicious, too. I’m sure you’ll like it! Also…”

―――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――

（足音/Ashi-oto/Footsteps）

女（咳込み）

Onna (Seki-komi)

Woman (Coughing)

―――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――

猫猫（キャラバンが去って数日。後宮では香油が大流行している）

Maomao (Kyarabanga satte sujitsu. Kokyu-dewa koyuga dai-ryuko shite-iru.)

Maomao (A few days after the caravan left… Scented oils became all the rage in the rear palace.)

小蘭「くさい…」

Shaoran “Kusai…”

Xiaolan “It stinks…”

猫猫「ほんとにくさい」（西方の輸入品は香りが強い。単品ではいい香りでも、混ざり合うと危険だ）

Maomao “Hontoni kusai.” (Saihono yunyu-hinwa kaoriga tsuyoi. Tanpin-dewa ii kaori-demo, mazari-auto kikenda.)

Maomao “It really does stink.” (The imports from the west have a strong scent. They might smell nice individually, but all mixed together, it’s awful.)

猫猫「んっ…」

Maomao “N…”

下女「うわっ、ごめんなさい！」

Gejo “Uwa, gomen-nasai!”

Servant girl “Oh, I’m so sorry!”

猫猫（（スンスン…）薔薇か…この前作った薔薇水を売りさばけば、儲かるかもしれないな…。いや、匂いが強い薔薇の精油は妊婦に悪い影響を与えてしまう。今の翡翠宮には…あっ）

Maomao ((Sun-sun…) Sobika… Kono-mae tsukutta sobi-sui’o uri-sabakeba, mokaru-kamo shire-naina… Iya, nioiga tsuyoi sobino seiyuwa ninpuni warui eikyo’o ataete-shimau. Imano Hisui-Kyu-niwa…A.)

Maomao (Rose, huh? If I sold that rose water that I made before, I might be able to make some money. No, the strong scent of roses can negatively affect a pregnancy. Right now, the Jade Pavilion can’t―)

猫猫「この匂いも。…フ～、フンッ！」

Maomao “Kono nioimo. Fuuu, fun!”

Maomao “This scent, too…”

猫猫（行かなければ。流行に最も流されやすい、水晶宮へ！）

Maomao (Ika-nakereba. Hayarini motto nagasare-yasui, Suisho-Kyu’e!)

Maomao (I have to go. To the place most easily influenced by fads… The Crystal Pavilion!)

―――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――

猫猫（スンスンスン…）（ん？）

Maomao (Sun-sun-sun…) (N?)

杏「あなた…何のつもり…？」

Shin “Anata…nanno tsumori…?”

Shin “What exactly do you think you’re doing?”

猫猫「あぁ…」

Maomao “Aa…”

―――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――

壬氏「水晶宮の侍女頭・杏から抗議文が届いている。お前はもう少し節度がある人間だと思っていた」

Jinshi “Suisho-Kyuno jijo-gashira, Shin-kara kogi-bunga todoite-iru. Omaewa mo-sukoshi setsudoga aru ningen-dato omotte-ita.”

Jinshi “Shin, the head lady-in-waiting at the Crystal Pavilion, wrote an official complaint. I thought you had a bit more restraint than this.”

猫猫「すみません。つい興奮して、相手の了承も得ずにやってしまいました」

Maomao “Sumi-masen. Tsui kofun-shite, aiteno ryoshomo ezuni yatte-shimai-mashita.”

Maomao “I’m sorry. I got too worked up and acted without thinking.”

壬氏「何だその変態のような言い訳は」

Jinshi “Nanda sono hentaino-yona iiwake-wa.”

Jinshi “You sound like a pervert making excuses.”

猫猫「今度はちゃんと了解を取って嗅ぎます」

Maomao “Kondowa chanto ryokai’o totte kagi-masu.”

Maomao “I’ll get consent before sniffing anyone next time.”

壬氏「なぜ嗅ぐ！？」

Jinshi “Naze kagu!?”

Jinshi “Why sniff them at all?!”

玉葉妃「あらら」

Gyokuyo-hi “Arara.”

Concubine Gyokuyou “Oh, my.”

壬氏「あっ…」

Jinshi “A…”

猫猫（反省はこのくらいか）

Maomao (Hanseiwa kono kuraika.)

Maomao (That should be enough apologies.)

猫猫「これでも理由があるんです」

Maomao “Kore-demo riyuga arun-desu.”

Maomao “I do have my reasons.”

壬氏「それ相応の理由なのか？」

Jinshi “Sore so-o-no riyu nanoka?”

Jinshi “And are they good reasons?”

猫猫「はい」

Maomao “Hai.”

Maomao “Yes.”

―――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――

猫猫「壬氏様。そこに書かれているものを読んでいただいてもよろしいですか？」

Maomao “Jinshi-sama. Sokoni kakarete-iru mono’o yonde-itadai-temo yoroshii desuka?”

Maomao “Master Jinshi, could you please read that list aloud?”

壬氏「ああ。薔薇、安息香(あんそくこう)、青桐(あおぎり)、乳香(にゅうこう)に桂皮(けいひ)…？」

Jinshi “Aa. Sobi, ansoku-ko, ao-giri, nyuko-ni keihi…?”

Jinshi “Sure. Rose, benzoin, parasol tree, frankincense, cinnamon…?”

玉葉妃「どれも香の名前みたいね？」

Gyokuyo-hi “Doremo kono namae mitai-ne?”

Concubine Gyokuyou “Those all sound like the names of scents.”

猫猫「はい。今日、私が嗅いだ女官たちがつけていた香料や精油の名前です」

Maomao “Hai. Kyo, watashiga kaida nyokan-tachiga tsukete-ita koryo-ya seiyuno namae desu.”

Maomao “Yes. Those are the names of scents and oils I smelled on the court ladies today.”

壬氏「それがどうした？」

Jinshi “Sorega doshita?”

Jinshi “What about them?”

猫猫「どれも妊婦に害のあるものばかりです」

Maomao “Doremo ninpuni gaino aru-mono bakari desu.”

Maomao “They all can have adverse effects on pregnant women.”

玉葉妃「続けて」

Gyokuyo-hi “Tsuzukete.”

Concubine Gyokuyou “Continue.”

猫猫「キャラバンには香油の他にも、香辛料や茶葉も売られていました。これは私が買ったものです。茉莉花には子宮を収縮させる作用があります。そして辛子(からし)は、妓女の堕胎剤(だたいざい)によく使われる材料です」

Maomao “Kyaraban-niwa koyuno hoka-nimo, koshin-ryo-ya chaba-mo urarete-imashita. Korewa watashiga katta mono desu. Jasumin-niwa shikyu’o shushuku-saseru sayoga ari-masu. Soshite karashiwa, gijono datai-zai-ni yoku tsuka-wareru zairyo desu.”

Maomao “In addition to scented oils, the caravan also sold spices and teas. These are the ones I bought. Jasmine has the effect of constricting the uterus. Mustard is often used as an ingredient in abortion medicines for courtesans.”

壬氏「つまり、これらを使うと流産の可能性が高まるということか？」

Jinshi “Tsumari, korera’o tsukauto ryuzanno kanoseiga takamaru-to iu-kotoka?”

Jinshi “So, by using these, the possibility of miscarriages increases?”

猫猫「どれも少量であれば問題ありません。大量摂取したり、誤った使い方をしなければ」

Maomao “Doremo shoryode areba mondai ari-masen. Tairyo-sesshu-shitari, ayamatta tsukai-kata’o shi-nakereba.”

Maomao “In small amounts, none of these cause problems. They’re only harmful when used in excessive quantities or abnormal ways.”

猫猫（もっと早く気付いておけばよかった。祭りの雰囲気に流されていたのかもしれない）

Maomao (Motto hayaku kizuite-okeba yokatta. Matsurino fun’iki-ni naga-sarete-itano-kamo shire-nai.)

Maomao (I should have noticed sooner. Maybe the festive feeling clouded my judgement.)

猫猫「出入りの業者は分かりますか？」

Maomao “Deirino gyoshawa wakari-masuka?”

Maomao “Can you find out who the merchants were?”

壬氏「調べることはできるが、商品一つ一つの種類を事細かに記してはいないはずだ。全部、検品したんだがな…」

Jinshi “Shiraberu-kotowa dekiruga, shohin hitotsu-hitotsuno shurui’o koto-komakani shirushi-tewa inai hazuda. Zenbu, kenpin shitan-dagana…”

Jinshi “I can, but I doubt they kept inventory of every single item they sold. We did inspect them all, though…”

猫猫「これって、あれに似ていませんか？」

Maomao “Korette, areni nite-imasenka?”

Maomao “Isn’t it similar to the other incident?”

壬氏「『あれ』って何だ？」

Jinshi “‘Are’tte nanda?”

Jinshi “What other incident?”

猫猫「あまり副作用が知られていないもの。後宮にあってもおかしくないもの。似ていませんか。鈴麗公主を冒し、梨花妃の御子を死なせたものに」

Maomao “Amari fuku-sayoga shirarete-inai mono. Kokyuni attemo okashiku-nai mono. Nite-imasenka. Rinrī-hime’o okashi, Rifa-hino miko’o shinaseta mononi.”

Maomao “Something whose side effects aren’t well known. Something that’s not out of place at the rear palace. Isn’t it like what made Princess Lingli sick, and caused the death of Concubine Lihua’s child?”

玉葉妃「毒の…おしろい…」

Gyokuyo-hi “Dokuno…oshiroi…”

Concubine Gyokuyou “The toxic makeup powder…”

猫猫「はい。鉛入りのおしろいです」

Maomao “Hai. Namari-irino oshiroi desu.”

Maomao “Yes, the whitening face powder that contained lead.”

壬氏「つまりそれは、後宮内に毒物を持ち込もうとした者がいる…と考えていいのか？」

Jinshi “Tsumari sorewa, kokyu-naini dokubutsu’o mochi-komoto shita monoga iru…to kangaete ii-noka?”

Jinshi “So, is it safe to assume someone tried to bring poison into the rear palace?”

猫猫「私は、ここに入って来たものの中に、毒になりうるものが多くあると分かっただけです。それぞれは、毒として扱われる商品ではありません。ただ、他の妃たちにも注意した方がいいと思います」

Maomao “Watashiwa, kokoni haitte-kita monono nakani, dokuni nari-uru monoga ooku aruto wakatta dake desu. Sore-zorewa, doku-to-shite atsuka-wareru shohin-dewa ari-masen. Tada, hokano kisaki-tachi-nimo chui-shita-hoga iito omoi-masu.”

Maomao “All I know is, there are many things that were brought in that could be made into poisons. In their normal use, none of them are considered toxic. However, we should warn the other concubines.”

壬氏「高順」

Jinshi “Gaoshun.”

Jinshi “Gaoshun.”

高順「はい、壬氏様」

Gaoshun “Hai, Jinshi-sama.”

Gaoshun “Yes, Master Jinshi.”

猫猫（偶然が重なり必然となった、あの事件に似ている…）

Maomao (Guzenga kasanari hitsuzen-to natta, ano jikenni nite-iru…)

Maomao (This is similar to that incident, where coincidences converged to become an inevitability.)

玉葉妃「紅娘、お願い」

Gyokuyo-hi “Hon’nyan, onegai.”

Concubine Gyokuyou “Hongniang, please.”

紅娘「はい、玉葉様。貴園、翡翠宮にある香油と香辛料、茶葉の確認をお願い」

Hon’nyan “Hai, Gyokuyo-sama. Guien, Hisui-Kyuni aru koyuto koshin-ryo, chabano kakunin’o onegai.”

Hongniang “Yes, Lady Gyokuyou. Guiyuan, please check the scented oils, spices, and teas in the Jade Pavilion.”

貴園「あ、はい！」

Guien “A, hai!”

Guiyuan “Yes!”

猫猫（仮死状態から蘇り、逃亡した女官、翠苓の行方も、いまだに分かっていない…。中祀での暗殺未遂事件は、多くの人間が関わっている可能性が高い。その手がどこまで伸びているのか…）

Maomao (Kashi-jotai-kara yomigaeri, tobo-shita nyokan, Suireino yukuemo, imadani wakatte-inai… Chushi-deno ansatsu-misui-jikenwa, ookuno ningenga kakawatte-iru kanoseiga takai. Sono tega doko-made nobite-iru-noka…)

Maomao (The court lady who came back from near death to escape, Suirei, is still missing. The attempted assassination at the ceremony probably involves many people. How far does their reach extend…?)

―――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――

猫猫（どこまでが憶測で、どこまでが確信だろう）

Maomao (Doko-madega okusokude, doko-madega kakushin daro.)

Maomao (How much is conjecture, and how much is certainty?)

羅門「憶測でものを言っちゃいけないよ」

Ruomen “Okusokude mono’o iccha ikenaiyo.”

Luomen “You shouldn’t speak based on conjecture.”

猫猫（妃の部屋付きでなければ給金も少なく、キャラバンには興味が向かなかっただろう。香油が流行しなければ、気づくこともなかった。今回だけこんなに入って来たのかもしれない）

Maomao (Kisakino heya-zukide nakereba kyukinmo sukunaku, kyaraban-niwa kyomiga muka-nakatta daro. Koyuga ryuko-shi-nakereba, kizuku-kotomo nakatta. Konkai-dake konnani haitte-kitano-kamo shire-nai.)

Maomao (If I wasn’t working directly for a concubine, I wouldn’t have been paid enough to gain interest in the caravan. If the scented oils weren’t so popular, I wouldn’t have noticed. Maybe this is the only time so much of it was brought in.)

猫猫「どれが偶然で、どれが必然なのか。それすらも、よく分からない…。あ～、疲れた…」

Maomao “Dorega guzende, dorega hitsuzen nanoka. Sore-suramo, yoku wakara-nai… Aaa, tsukareta…”

Maomao “How much is coincidence, and how much was planned? I can’t even tell that much. Wow, I’m tired.”

猫猫（懐かしいな…。昔、小姐(ねえちゃん)たちが、客がいない間にこっそりと飲ませてくれたんだよな…）

Maomao (Natsukashii-na… Mukashi, neechan-tachiga, kyakuga inai-aidani kossorito nomasete-kuretan-dayona…)

Maomao (I miss those days, when my big sisters let me drink some when customers weren’t around…)

壬氏「それは毒ではなかったのか？」

Jinshi “Sorewa doku-dewa nakatta-noka?”

Jinshi “I thought that was poison.”

猫猫「毒もまた少量では薬です。何より、お茶一杯でどうにかなるようなものではありませんし、私は妊婦でもありません」

Maomao “Dokumo mata sho-ryo-dewa kusuri desu. Nani-yori, ocha ippaide do-nika naru-yona mono-dewa ari-masen-shi, watashiwa ninpu-demo ari-masen.”

Maomao “Poisons can be medicines in small amounts. Besides, it’s not strong enough in such a small amount of tea, and I’m not pregnant, either.”

壬氏「それもそうだな」

Jinshi “Soremo so-dana.”

Jinshi “That’s true.”

猫猫「それに、ここは厨房です。壬氏様の立ち入る場所ではありません」

Maomao “Soreni, kokowa chubo desu. Jinshi-samano tachi-iru basho-dewa ari-masen.”

Maomao “Also, this is the kitchen. It’s not an area you should be in.”

壬氏「細かいことを言うな」

Jinshi “Komakai koto’o iuna.”

Jinshi “Don’t be so strict.”

猫猫「高順様はどうされました？」

Maomao “Gaoshun-samawa do-sare-mashita?”

Maomao “Where’s Master Gaoshun?”

壬氏「伝令に行っている。俺にも茶をくれないか？」

Jinshi “Denreini itte-iru. Ore-nimo cha’o kure-naika?”

Jinshi “He’s out delivering messages. Can you make me some tea, too?”

猫猫「何茶がよろしいですか？」

Maomao “Nani-chaga yoroshii desuka?”

Maomao “What kind do you like?”

壬氏「これと同じものがいい」

Jinshi “Koreto onaji monoga ii.”

Jinshi “The same as this one.”

猫猫「それで最後です。もう一度湯を入れても、出がらしになります」

Maomao “Sorede saigo desu. Mo-ichido yu’o ire-temo, degarashini nari-masu.”

Maomao “That’s the last one. If I steep it again, it’ll be watery.”

壬氏「それでいい」

Jinshi “Sorede ii.”

Jinshi “That’s fine.”

猫猫（そうもいかないだろ）

Maomao (Somo ikanai-daro.)

Maomao (It’s not fine…)

壬氏「この茶には他にどんな作用がある？」

Jinshi “Kono cha-niwa hokani donna sayoga aru?”

Jinshi “What other effects does this tea have?”

猫猫「心を和らげます。不眠にも効きますし、目覚めの効果もあります。他に、妊娠中は良くありませんが、出産する場合分娩を促すと聞いたことがあります」

Maomao “Kokoro’o yawarage-masu. Fumin-nimo kiki-masu-shi, mezameno kokamo ari-masu. Hokani, ninshin-chuwa yoku ari-masen-ga, shussan-suru baai bunben’o unagasu-to kiita kotoga ari-masu.”

Maomao “It calms the mind. It improves sleep, and helps wake people up. Also, it’s not good for pregnancies, but for actually giving birth, I hear it helps with the delivery.”

壬氏「いい作用の方が多いな」

Jinshi “Ii sayono-hoga ooi-na.”

Jinshi “It has more good effects than bad, then.”

猫猫「ええ。だからこそ、副作用が目に入らないのです。…白茶です」

Maomao “Ee. Dakara-koso, fuku-sayoga meni haira-naino-desu. …Hakucha desu.”

Maomao “Yes, which is why it’s hard to remember the bad effects. …White tea.”

壬氏「出がらしでいいと言った」

Jinshi “Degarashi-de iito itta.”

Jinshi “I told you I wanted the watery tea.”

猫猫「ん～…。そう言えば、茉莉花には他にも違う効用がありました」

Maomao “Nnn… So-ieba, jasumin-niwa hoka-nimo chigau koyoga ari-mashita.”

Maomao “Come to think of it, I’ve heard jasmine has another effect.”

壬氏「どんな？」

Jinshi “Donna?”

Jinshi “What is it?”

猫猫「不妊です。主に男性側が原因の」

Maomao “Funin desu. Omoni dansei-gawaga gen’in-no.”

Maomao “Decreased fertility, particularly for males.”

猫猫（あっ、これはいかん。皮肉にしては効き過ぎたか。何か茶菓子を…）

Maomao (A, korewa ikan. Hinikuni shitewa kiki-sugita-ka. Nanika cha-gashi’o…)

Maomao (Yikes, maybe that was a bit too spicy of a joke. I should get a snack…)

壬氏「あまり好みじゃないな。帰る」

Jinshi “Amari konomija naina. Kaeru.”

Jinshi “I don’t like this much. I’m leaving.”

猫猫（あぁ…やっちまった）「ハァ…」

Maomao (Aa…Yacchimatta.) “Haa…”

Maomao (I messed up!)

―――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――

高順「壬氏様」

Gaoshun “Jinshi-sama.”

Gaoshun “Master Jinshi.”

壬氏「伝令は済んだか？」

Jinshi “Denreiwa sundaka?”

Jinshi “Did you deliver the messages?”

高順「はい。それと、中級妃である静(ジン)妃(ひ)が亡くなりました」

Gaoshun “Hai. Soreto, chukyu-hi-de-aru Jin-higa nakunari-mashita.”

Gaoshun “Yes. Also, Concubine Jin, of middle rank, has passed away.”

壬氏「静妃が？」

Jinshi “Jin-higa?”

Jinshi “Concubine Jin?”

壬氏「毒？まさか…」

Jinshi “Doku? Masaka…”

Jinshi “Poison…? Could it be…?”

(Continue to Episode 3/Ep.27)

[apothecaryscript]

Hello. I'm not really that into VAs but if others want to that's fine. I also wanted to let you know that the light novel writer is sharing tweets with information about characters and things about the anime when it airs at username @NaMelanza) on twitter. There she revealed that HER cat voices maomao the cat in the anime. SO cute.

Thanks. I see, then I'll summarize what they talked about as a whole and post it. As for twitter, I already follow her account but I usually turn off each notification on Twitter, so I don't notice them... You know, there are too many notifications if I turn it on. But her account always lets us know when she uploaded web version of the original light novel, so I'm looking forward to it. To be honest, I really like the storyline in the web version, and I was especially excited about the events in the anime's 2nd half of Season 2.

[apothecaryscript]

I'd really appreciate you translating interesting parts of the podcast. Thanx as always for translating maomao no hitorigoto. It looks like this season we'll see Gaoshun, Xiaolan and Shisui in the shorts. :)

Okay, I'll try to make a summary or pick up some interesting topics of the podcast. Ms.Aoi Yuki said new podcasts will be released twice a month, with different guests. Are you also interested in the voice actors themselves? Or is it better to focus only on things related to KNH anime work? If you have favorite VAs in KNH, please let me know.

[apothecaryscript]

Season 2 - Maomao no Hitorigoto

Episode 25: Calico Cat / 第25話『三毛猫』

Episode 26: Thornapple / 第26話『曼荼羅華』

[apothecaryscript]

Maomao no Hitorigoto Episode 25: Calico Cat / 猫猫のひとりごと　第25話　『三毛猫（みけねこ/Mike-Neko）』

You can find the video on You Tube, posted by TOHO animation channel account.

Please note that English lines are just my translation.

猫猫「春は始まりの季節というのは本当だなぁ。小蘭や鈴麗公主も、新しいことに挑戦している。…私も新たに商売を始めようと思ったのに、書物が没収されたのは痛手だったなぁ…」

Maomao “Haruwa hajimarino kisetsu-to iu-nowa honto danaa. Shaoran’ya Rinrī-himemo, atarashii kotoni chosen shite-iru. …Watashimo aratani shobai’o hajimeyoto omotta-noni, shomotsuga bosshu-sareta-nowa itade datta-naa…”

Maomao “Spring is truly the season of beginnings. Xiaolan and Princess Lingli are also trying new things. I was also thinking of starting a new business, so having my books confiscated was a big loss…”

春は始まりの季節: Spring is the season of beginnings.

In Japan, the new fiscal year starts in April at most companies and schools, so Spring is really the season of beginnings. We graduate from the school in March, and enter new school or advance to a new grade in April. There are usually some cherry blossom trees in the schoolyards, that are in full bloom from the end of March to the middle of April as if celebrating new students.

壬氏「お～い…どこだぁ？どこへ行った？」

Jinshi “Oooi… Dokodaa? Doko’e itta?”

Jinshi “Hey…where are you? Where did you go?”

猫猫「壬氏様？何かお探しですか？」

Maomao “Jinshi-sama? Nanika osagashi desuka?”

Maomao “Master Jinshi? Are you looking for something?”

壬氏「ギクリ！薬屋！」

Jinshi “Gikuri! Kusuriya!”

Jinshi “(Guh!) Apothecary!”

ギクリ(Gikuri): an onomatopoeia of being shocked when something bad or hidden is revealed

猫猫（はは～ん…？）

Maomao (Hahaaan…?)

Maomao (I see…)

はは～ん: l guess, I see…. It’s the word used when you guess something and think it’s probably correct.

猫猫「子猫なら、散歩に出かけているかと」

Maomao “Koneko-nara, sanponi dekakete-irukato.”

Maomao “If it’s a kitten, she has gone for a walk.”

壬氏「そ、そうか…」

Jinshi “S-Soka…”

Jinshi “Oh, I see…”

猫猫「壬氏様もついに…猫狂いの、お仲間入りを果たしたのですね」

Maomao “Jinshi-samamo tsuini… neko-guruino, onakama-iri’o hatashitano-desune.”

Maomao “Master Jinshi, you have finally joined the ranks of Crazy cat people.”

〇〇狂い（〇〇ぐるい/gurui）： 〇〇mania, 〇〇enthusiast, 〇〇buff, 〇〇lover

Google Translate translated it as cat lover(=猫好き/ねこずき、猫愛好家/ねこあいこうか), but I thought 猫狂い had a stronger meaning than that, so I translated it as cat manias. I’m not sure which English word is the closest, but 狂い means crazy, and that’s why Maomao’s VA is saying the word a little quickly in a smaller voice.

壬氏「うっ！違う！噂で、三毛猫は幸運を呼ぶと聞いてな…」

Jinshi “U! Chigau! Uwasade, mike-nekowa koun’o yobu-to kiitena…”

Jinshi “N-No! That’s not true! I heard rumors that calico cats bring good luck…”

猫猫「ここで、猫猫の豆知識。三毛猫は非常に縁起が良い猫とされている国がある。白が『招福』、黒は『厄除け』、茶は『無病息災』を象徴しているとか」

Maomao “Kokode, Maomaono mame-chishiki. Mike-nekowa hijoni engiga yoi nekoto sarete-iru kuniga aru. Shiroga ‘shofuku,’ kurowa ‘yaku-yoke,’ chawa ‘mubyo-sokusai’o shochu shite-iru-toka.”

Maomao “Here’s Maomao’s bits of knowledge. In a certain country, calico cats are considered to be very lucky cats. Apparently white symbolizes ‘good fortune,’ black ‘warding off evil,’ and brown ‘good health.’”

縁起が良い(えんぎがよい・いい/Engiga yoi, Engiga ii): lucky, bring good luck

無病息災（むびょうそくさい/Mubyo-Sokusai）= 無病(むびょう): no sickness ＋ 息災（そくさい）: good health

In Japan, calico cats are often seen here and there, so I didn’t know it’s rare overseas, and I didn’t know that calico cats are considered to be lucky in Japan, either. I’ve heard that most of calico cats are female, and the chance of having a male is less than 1 in 10,000.

猫猫「そういえば、緑青館でも姉ちゃんたちが、猫の髭は金運や恋愛運を運んでくると言っていたな…」

Maomao “So-ieba, Rokusho-kan-demo Neechan-tachiga, nekono higewa kin-un’ya ren’ai-un’o hakonde-kuruto itte-itana…”

Maomao “Come to think of it, Big Sisters at the Verdigris House used to say that cat whiskers brought luck in money and love…”

運（うん/Un）: luck  〇〇運: luck in 〇〇

猫猫（キラーン！三毛猫の髭、いける！お守りとして販売すれば、一山当てられるかも！ニヤニヤニヤニヤ…）

Maomao (Kiraaan! Mike-nekono hige, ikeru! Omamori-to-shite hanbai-sureba, hito-yama ate-rareru-kamo! Niya-niya-niya-niya…)

Maomao (Wow! Calico cat whiskers will work! If I sell them as talismans, we might make a killing! Grinning…)

キラーン！: an onomatopoeia of “shining, sparkling”

いける！： It will work! I can make it! (Depending on the situation, it may have an obscene meaning, especially written in Katakana.)

お守り（おまもり/Omamori）: good luck charm, amulet, talisman

In Japan, various kinds of charms are sold. If you visit shrines in Japan, you can buy one like a souvenir. Japanese people have different religious beliefs depending on their family, but most of us are not so religious to one religion, and we casually go to various temples and shrines and buy charms. I don’t think it’s a good idea to unscrupulously buy charms from various shrines, but some shrines sell charms with very cute designs, so I understand the desire to collect them.

一山当てる（ひとやまあてる/Hito-yama ateru）: hit the jackpot, make a killing

ニヤニヤ: an onomatopoeia of “grinning”

壬氏「薬屋…悪い顔になっているぞ」

Jinshi “Kusuriya…warui kaoni natte-iruzo.”

Jinshi “Apothecary…your face is becoming evil…”

猫猫（ギョロ！ギョロ！）「どこ行った～？出てこーい！」

Maomao (Gyoro! Gyoro!) “Doko ittaaa? Dete-koooi!”

Maomao (Glaring! Glaring!) “Where did you go? Come out!”

ギョロ： onomatopoeia of “something(usually evils or monsters) glaring with bulging eyes”

壬氏「あいつは相変わらず人の話を聞かない…。次回、『隊商』。後宮に再び忍び寄る影…」

Jinshi “Aitsuwa ai-kawarazu hitono hanashi’o kikanai… Jikai, ‘Kyaravan.’ Kokyuni futatabi shinobi-yoru kage…”

Jinshi “She still doesn’t listen to what others say… Next episode, ‘Caravan.’ A shadow creeps up on the rear palace again…”

[apothecaryscript]

we don't have any news about a chibi anime but there's a podcast. https://x.com/keiuzuki/status/1878332512549655006 this tweet talks about it. https://open.spotify.com/episode/4KgxFuB3bihhNsI7xyea6h here's the actual podcast.

Thank you for your information about the podcast. I listened to it around a half. Since it's a very long chat (about 44 minutes), I think it's hard for me to translate it all, but maybe I can post some when I find interesting topics. Meanwhile, new story of Maomao no Hitorigoto was uploaded on Youtube! I'll work on it and post the translation as soon as possible.

[apothecaryscript]

Memo for each ep. of Season 2

ep.1 (ep.25 in total)

ep.2 (ep.26 in total)

[apothecaryscript]

Memo for Season 2 Ep.1 (Ep.25), The Apothecary Diaries

Here I’ll write about things I noticed, questions, and thoughts about each episode. I’m not sure if I can write about every episode, but I’d like to write as long as I have time. Most of what I write here is my personal opinion, so please forgive me if there are any misunderstandings. Questions about English are highlighted in green, so I would be happy if anyone of a native English speaker could tell me. I would also be happy if you would feel free to reply with your own thoughts and opinions.

猫猫「何をと言われましても。香油を作っております。医局を掃除していて、蒸留装置を見つけたので。先日、青薔薇(そうび)を作る際に用意した薔薇の余りです」

Maomao “Nani’o-to iware-mashitemo, koyu’o tsukutte-orimasu. Ikyoku’o soji-shite-ite, joryu-sochi’o mitsuketa-node. Senjitsu, ao-sobi’o tsukuru-saini yoi-shita sobino amari desu.”

Maomao “Why do you ask like that? I’m making scented oils. While cleaning up the clinic, I found a still. I’m using some of the blooms left over from the blue roses we grew the other day.”

何をと言われましても(なにをといわれましても/Nani’o-to iware-mashitemo);

This is a phrase Maomao sometimes uses, which literally means “Even if you ask me that…,” followed by words such as “it’s hard to explain,” “I’m in trouble,” or “you should know without asking,” and only the first half is said because she is hesitant to say the whole sentence.  If you say it when asked something, it sounds sarcastic because it contains the nuance that you don’t want to answer soon. In Maomao’s case, she seems to say it when she is wondering “Why do you ask me that?” or “It’s troublesome to answer,” or when she is trying to buy time while wondering what to say when asked something inconvenient.

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猫猫「うわっ！これは実家からの荷物で、大したものではありませんので」

Maomao “Uwa! Korewa jikka-karano nimotsude, taishita mono-dewa ari-masen-node.”

Maomao “This is a package from my family. It’s nothing, really!”

実家（じっか/Jikka）: Parents’ house

There is no such word in English, but in Japanese we use it all the time. For example, 「今週末は実家に帰る予定だ（こんしゅうまつは、じっかにかえるよていだ/Kon-shumatsuwa jikkani kaeru yoteida）」:“I’m planning on going back to my parents’ house this weekend,” and we say 「帰る（かえる/Kaeru）」: “going back” instead of 「行く（いく/Iku）」: “going to.”

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猫猫「後宮で問題なのは、性的に無垢(むく)なことが求められ過ぎていることです。後宮に集められる女官は、生娘(きむすめ)がほとんどです。帝のお眼鏡にかなったとして、無知なために粗相があったりしたら、不憫(ふびん)でなりません。事前に学習する必要があるかと」

Maomao “Kokyude mondai-nanowa, sei-tekini mukuna kotoga motome-rare-sugite-iru-koto desu. Kokyuni atsume-rareru nyokanwa, kimusumega hotondo desu. Mikadono omeganeni kanatta-to-shite, muchina tameni sosoga attari-shitara, fubinde nari-masen. Jizenni gakushu-suru hitsuyoga aru-kato.”

Maomao “The problem with the rear palace is that the women are expected to be excessively innocent in matters of sex. Most of the ladies-in-waiting gathered here are virgins. What if the emperor finds a girl to his liking, only to have her fail to perform due to her ignorance? That’s why I thought they need to be educated beforehand.”

生娘（きむすめ/Kimusume）: virgin

This is an old word, so young Japanese such as teenagers probably don’t know. We usually use 「処女(しょじょ/Shojo)」 for “virgin,” although we don’t say such a word loudly, of course…

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猫猫（そこか…。実はむっつりなのかと思った）

Maomao (Sokoka… Jitsuwa muttsuri-nanokato omotta.)

Maomao (That’s what he noticed? I thought maybe he was a closet pervert.)

The word 「むっつり(Muttsuri)」 means to be silent without any words, but here it’s used as an abbreviation of the slang 「むっつりスケベ(Muttsuri-sukebe)」. I found it interesting to know that there is such a word in English. 「スケベ」 is a slang word for “someone who likes to think about sex all the time.” 「エッチ(Ecchi)」 is almost the same. Recently the word 「変態(へんたい/Hentai)」 has become known overseas, but there are big difference between “sukebe/ecchi” and “hentai.” “Sukebe/ecchi” are simply someone with a strong sexual interest, but “hentai” is someone who has a unique taste that is different from the normal, for example, exhibitionism… When I look at English subtitles for anime, most of the time it is translated as “pervert,” so there may not be a difference in English, but in Japanese, being called “hentai” is much more insulting than being called “sukebe/ecchi.”

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小蘭(シャオラン)「ハァ…。ああ、綺麗な花が咲くその下に、私は何を求めるのか…。フフフフ。ねぇ、一体何が埋まってると思う？」

Shaoran “Haa… Aa, kireina hanaga saku sono shitani, watashiwa nani’o motomeru-noka… Fufufufu. Nee, ittai naniga umatteru-to omou?”

Xiaolan “Oh, what is it that I seek, beneath those beautiful flowers? Hey, what do you think is buried there?”

→In the original light novel, Xiaolan eats “baked goods,” and I imagined cookies or rice crackers, but in the anime, it’s replaced with a steamed meat bun, making her look more comical. Xiaolan is so cute!

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猫猫「う～ん。馬糞(ばふん)？」

Maomao “Uuun. Bafun?”

Maomao “Huh. Manure?”

→The original light novel explains why Maomao answered horse manure, and the reason is that for beautiful flowers to bloom, there must be good fertilizer buried in the soil.

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貴園「高順様が、新しいのができたらまた配ってくださるって」

Guien “Gaoshun-samaga, atarashii-noga dekitara mata kubatte-kudasarutte.”

Guiyuan “Master Gaoshun said he’ll hand out the next one when they’re ready.”

I thought, if I wrote “he’ll” on an English test at school, my teacher would definitely say that the future tense was wrong and the correct answer was “he would,” and deducted points. I was taught that the tenses must have been always consistent in the same English sentence. Is it okay in real English conversations?

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桜花「うわ～、そんな面倒なことやるの？」

Infa “Uwaaa, sonna mendona koto yaruno?”

Yinghua “Yikes, that sounds like a lot of work!”

I thought this line was being said to me, the writer of this blog… I once received a comment on my Demon Slayer account saying, “If it wasn’t copy and paste, well done.” Rather I would like to know if there is a way to copy and paste…lol

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玉葉妃「猫猫は花や生き物に詳しいから、散歩のときに鈴麗に教えてあげてくれる？」

Gyokuyo-hi “Maomaowa hanaya ikimononi kuwashii-kara, sanpono tokini Rinrī-ni oshiete-agete-kureru?”

Concubine Gyokuyou “Maomao, you know a lot about flowers and creatures. Can you teach Lingli while we’re outside?”

I thought “we’re” should have been “she’s” or “you’re” since Concubine Gyokuyou wouldn’t go with them.

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壬氏「ハァ…。わからなくもない気がしてきた」

Jinshi “Haa… Wakara-nakumo-nai kiga shite-kita.”

Jinshi “I’m starting to see it, too.”

I’m sure many of you feel the same way, but this was the scene I was most looking forward to in this episode. I really liked how Jinshi was portrayed with such expressive faces. In the original light novel, the quack doctor and Gaoshun were so fond of cats that they ended their sentences with “にゃー(Nyaaa)”: meow, and after Jinshi put the kitten on his face Gaoshun said “What were you doing?”, glaring him with a look of envy on his face. I would have liked to see that in the anime as well.

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My overall impression after watching the first episode is that all the characters are cute! Especially Xiaolan and Shisui. Also, at the end of the OP video, when wet Maomao and Jinshi turn around, the picture and the colors are very cute. I think it’s a scene that fans who know the original work are looking forward to, and it will be the most exciting part of the first half. I’m really happy that I can watch a new episode every weekend for the next six months.

[apothecaryscript]

Lyrics - 『幸せのレシピ（しあわせのれしぴ/Shiawaseno reshipi）』 by Dai Hirai

Japanese and Romaji only

なぜか「キミ」にだけ「ボク」が伝わらない　募れば募るほどに　苦しくなるよ

（なぜか「きみ」にだけ「ぼく」がつたわらない　つのればつのるほどに　くるしくなるよ）

Nazeka ‘kimi’ni-dake ‘boku’ga tsutawara-nai Tsunoreba tsunoru-hodoni kurushiku-naruyo

“良薬は苦し”なんて笑って言っていたけど　今更わかった

（“りょうや��はにがし”なんてわらっていっていたけど　いまさらわかった）

‘Ryoyakuwa nigashi’nante waratte itte-ita-kedo ima-sara wakatta

悪い夢なら醒めてと願う日も　誰にも言えない秘密も

（わるいゆめならさめてとねがうひも　だれにもいえないひみつも）

Warui yume-nara sameteto negau himo Dare-nimo ienai himitsumo

掛け違えたボタンもあの夜も　幸せのレシピかもね

（かけちがえたぼたんもあのよるも　しあわせのれしぴかもね）

Kake-chigaeta botanmo ano yorumo Shiawaseno reshipi kamone

例えば「ボク」がボクじゃなければ　「キミ」がキミじゃなければ…

(たとえば「ぼく」がぼくじゃなければ　「きみ」がきみじゃなければ…)

Tatoeba ‘boku’ga bokuja nakereba ‘kimi’ga kimija nakereba…

なんで　でも記憶の一つ一つが　「キミ」を呼ぶんだ

（なんで　でもきおくのひとつひとつが　「きみ」をよぶんだ）

Nande demo kiokuno hitotsu-hitotsuga ‘kimi’o yobunda

閉ざしていた日々と　鎖していたココロ　魔法みたいに溶かしてく

（とざしていたひびと　とざしていたこころ　まほうみたいにとかしてく）

Tozashite-ita hibito tozashite-ita kokoro Maho-mitaini tokashite-ku

いろんな「キミ」がいる　この世界が結局　ほら、好きなんだ

（いろんな「きみ」がいる　このせかいがけっきょく　ほら、すきなんだ）

Ironna ‘kimi’ga iru kono sekaiga kekkyoku hora, suki-nanda

なぜか「ボク」にだけ「キミ」がわからない　知ろうとすればするだけ難しいのさ

（なぜか「ぼく」にだけ「きみ」がわからない　しろうとすればするだけむずかしいのさ）

Nazeka ‘boku’ni-dake ‘kimi’ga wakara-nai Shiroto sureba suru-dake muzukashii-nosa

“案ずるより…”なんてわかっているつもりだけど　今更言えない

（“あんずるより…”なんてわかっているつもりだけど　いまさらいえない）

‘Anzuru-yori…’nante wakatte-iru tsumori-dakedo ima-sara ienai

態度の割に繊細なことも　口は悪いけど優しいとこも

（たいどのわりにせんさいなことも　くちはわるいけどやさしいとこも）

Taidono warini sensaina kotomo Kuchiwa warui-kedo yasashii tokomo

照れ隠しのトゲも正義感も　キミだけのレシピなんだ

（てれかくしのとげもせいぎかんも　きみだけのれしぴなんだ）

Tere-kakushino togemo seigi-kanmo kimi-dakeno reshipi nanda

例えば「ここ」がここじゃなければ　「今」が今じゃなければ…

（たとえば「ここ」がここじゃなければ　「いま」がいまじゃなければ…）

Tatoeba ‘koko’ga kokoja nakereba ‘ima’ga imaja nakereba…

出会えてない　そう想えばなんか　悪くはないな

（であえてない　そうおもえばなんか　わるくはないな）

Deaete-nai so omoeba nanka warukuwa naina

閉ざしていた過去と　鎖していた明日を　魔法みたいに繋いでく

（とざしていたかこと　とざしていたあすを　まほうみたいにつないでく）

Tozashite-ita kakoto tozashite-ita asu’o maho-mitaini tsunaide-ku

幸せのレシピが溢れる　世界がとっても　ほら、好きなんだ

（しあわせのれしぴがあふれる　せかいがとっても　ほら、すきなんだ）

Shiawaseno reshipiga afureru sekaiga tottemo hora, suki-nanda