WEBVTT
00:08.320 --> 00:12.120
The Apothecary Diaries
00:08.320 --> 00:12.740
The Apothecary Diaries
01:30.480 --> 01:33.530
This story is a work of fiction. The names of all of the characters, organizations, and so on
are imaginary. It also bears no connection to any specific real-life events.
01:37.490 --> 01:45.800
Sleep, my baby, sleep.
01:45.800 --> 01:54.910
Where is she? She cries.
01:55.880 --> 01:59.890
Advisor
01:55.880 --> 01:59.890
{Bishop
01:57.680 --> 02:01.640
Episode 23: Balsam and Woodsorrel
02:06.220 --> 02:07.940
Would you join me for a few games?
02:10.450 --> 02:16.570
How could I possibly decline
a request from my lovely daughter?
02:17.710 --> 02:20.450
A best-of-five match, no special rules.
02:20.450 --> 02:23.880
In other words, the first to win
three rounds is the victor.
02:24.200 --> 02:28.600
How about handicaps?
Which pieces should I drop?
02:28.600 --> 02:29.960
There's no need for that.
02:30.440 --> 02:32.590
She could've just accepted.
02:32.850 --> 02:36.000
More importantly, let's place a bet. A reward.
02:36.000 --> 02:37.970
Great, right down to business!
02:38.990 --> 02:42.600
If I win, will you come live with me?
02:45.330 --> 02:47.580
You promised not to interfere.
02:47.580 --> 02:48.660
But—
02:51.610 --> 02:52.880
I don't mind.
02:52.880 --> 02:55.340
However, I'm under hire right now.
02:55.340 --> 02:57.190
You'll have to wait until my contract expires.
02:57.190 --> 03:01.320
Hired? You're actually employed right now?
03:01.320 --> 03:02.160
Yes.
03:02.160 --> 03:05.680
Huh...
03:06.160 --> 03:08.910
In exchange, if I win,
03:09.580 --> 03:13.420
could you buy out a courtesan
at the Verdigris House?
03:15.290 --> 03:17.630
Of all the things you could ask...
03:17.950 --> 03:23.300
I won't say who, but the old lady
wants to get rid of an aging courtesan.
03:23.730 --> 03:25.950
So that's your first move.
03:26.930 --> 03:31.370
If that's what it takes, I suppose I must accept.
03:31.370 --> 03:33.580
Is that all, then?
03:33.580 --> 03:35.940
I'd like to add two more rules.
03:42.170 --> 03:45.070
From the smell of it,
that's a distilled hard liquor?
03:51.170 --> 03:53.330
I have such a bad feeling about this.
03:53.580 --> 03:55.290
What is that?
03:55.800 --> 03:57.810
A medicine, in small amounts.
03:57.810 --> 04:00.840
Three sips turn it into
a deadly poison, though.
04:01.490 --> 04:04.830
I'll pour it into three of these cups,
04:05.810 --> 04:08.640
then make it so that
we can't tell which is which.
04:09.030 --> 04:15.510
After every match, the winner picks one cup,
and the loser drinks from it in one breath.
04:15.510 --> 04:17.520
That's the first rule.
04:17.870 --> 04:20.230
What a brutal rule...
04:20.660 --> 04:24.450
The second rule is that no matter the reason,
04:24.450 --> 04:28.410
if a player abandons a match, they lose.
04:29.320 --> 04:30.530
Do you accept?
04:35.420 --> 04:36.880
That's fine.
04:37.180 --> 04:38.770
Is she trying to shake him?
04:39.400 --> 04:42.420
I guess a regular person
would be scared by that.
04:42.420 --> 04:43.130
But...
04:44.140 --> 04:47.250
This is the famous weirdo strategist
we're talking about.
04:47.250 --> 04:50.640
I doubt he'd lose his composure
from being pressured this way.
04:53.370 --> 04:55.700
What is she thinking?
05:42.330 --> 05:43.690
She lost again!
05:44.330 --> 05:46.200
That's two games in a row.
05:46.820 --> 05:50.210
Since she chose to challenge
the invincible chess master in chess,
05:50.210 --> 05:52.950
I thought she had some skill in the game.
05:53.370 --> 05:57.710
It seems like she just knows the rules
and has never played a real game before.
05:58.750 --> 06:00.180
Two cups...
06:00.770 --> 06:04.760
She drinks it so eagerly,
I can't tell if it's poisoned or not.
06:05.400 --> 06:08.470
May I play first in the third game as well?
06:08.470 --> 06:10.550
Sure, fine by me.
06:12.100 --> 06:14.330
What in the world is she thinking?
06:14.860 --> 06:17.230
She's not going to win the
third match, either.
06:17.730 --> 06:21.060
If the two cups she already had were poisoned,
06:21.430 --> 06:23.730
drinking a third would be too risky.
06:24.610 --> 06:28.340
Did Lakan predict this situation already?
06:31.120 --> 06:32.250
That's checkmate.
06:34.170 --> 06:35.700
I yield.
06:36.440 --> 06:39.620
A win is a win, even if
you let me win, correct?
06:39.920 --> 06:45.840
Yes. I can't risk feeding my daughter poison.
06:46.270 --> 06:48.500
Can you choose a cup?
06:48.500 --> 06:50.340
Please take whichever one you like.
06:50.620 --> 06:54.040
Does this medicine have a special taste?
06:54.040 --> 06:57.350
One sip and you'd notice that it tastes bad.
06:58.090 --> 07:00.830
Lakan can lose up to twice.
07:01.270 --> 07:03.850
If even one of those cups
has a different taste,
07:03.850 --> 07:06.610
he'd know that his daughter
can avoid the poison.
07:07.080 --> 07:12.110
He really does know what he's doing,
losing on purpose to do that.
07:12.590 --> 07:14.250
This one, then.
07:29.320 --> 07:31.130
What an awful taste.
07:32.890 --> 07:37.760
It's poisoned! Now there's no risk of
the apothecary drinking the third poison.
07:38.390 --> 07:42.990
That means Lakan no longer
needs to lose on purpose.
07:44.290 --> 07:46.520
The apothecary has no chance of winning now.
07:47.060 --> 07:50.360
If I win, will you come live with me?
07:51.900 --> 07:54.360
Also, it's quite warm out.
08:09.320 --> 08:10.880
What's going on?
08:11.270 --> 08:13.780
I thought one cup of it was safe!
08:13.780 --> 08:16.910
Did you actually poison him?!
Do you really hate him that much—
08:16.910 --> 08:21.050
It is medicine. Alcohol is the king
of all medicines, isn't it?
08:21.050 --> 08:23.410
Alcohol? What do you mean?
08:23.870 --> 08:27.650
Master Jinshi, it seems like he's just drunk.
08:28.040 --> 08:28.620
Huh?
08:34.940 --> 08:37.450
He completely abstains from alcohol.
08:38.120 --> 08:39.540
Come to think of it...
08:40.490 --> 08:44.520
He always just drinks fruit juice,
I've never seen him drink alcohol.
08:45.420 --> 08:47.720
So, what was that liquid earlier?
08:47.720 --> 08:49.100
Spirits.
08:49.510 --> 08:50.870
Anyway...
08:52.470 --> 08:57.890
Let's drag this guy out of here and
have him pick a flower from the brothel.
09:04.580 --> 09:08.560
From the day I was born, I couldn't
differentiate between humans.
09:09.450 --> 09:12.030
Not only did I mistake
my nanny for my mother,
09:12.410 --> 09:14.680
I couldn't even tell men and women apart.
09:15.720 --> 09:22.140
My father believed me to be useless,
and ran off to his mistress in disgust.
09:23.220 --> 09:26.920
My mother was desperate to get him back.
09:28.120 --> 09:31.980
Because of that, despite being
the eldest son of an important family,
09:31.980 --> 09:35.420
I was able to live freely,
devoting myself to go and chess,
09:35.420 --> 09:37.960
which I learned in my spare time.
09:38.990 --> 09:44.430
Differentiate people based on their voices,
behavior, and build, instead of their faces.
09:45.170 --> 09:47.480
In your case, you can use chess pieces.
09:45.310 --> 09:45.390
Pawn
09:45.390 --> 09:45.480
Pawn
09:45.480 --> 09:45.560
Pawn
09:45.560 --> 09:45.640
Pawn
09:45.640 --> 09:45.730
Pawn
09:45.730 --> 09:47.730
Pawn
09:48.150 --> 09:51.980
My uncle was the only one who understood me.
09:52.670 --> 09:56.380
Thanks to my uncle, who
is clumsy but very intelligent,
09:56.380 --> 09:59.990
I gradually learned to see
people's faces as chess pieces.
09:57.110 --> 09:59.990
Pawn
09:57.110 --> 09:59.990
Pawn
10:01.490 --> 10:09.250
Chariot
10:02.280 --> 10:04.670
When I started to see
my uncle as a Chariot piece,
10:04.670 --> 10:08.390
I reaffirmed that he is indeed a great man.
10:09.940 --> 10:13.420
After I grew up, thanks to my family name,
10:13.420 --> 10:16.530
I was suddenly assigned to lead a squadron,
despite having no talent in combat.
10:17.010 --> 10:18.810
Even if I was weak,
10:18.810 --> 10:21.750
I could more than make up for it
by using the men under me effectively.
10:23.300 --> 10:28.350
Most of all, playing chess with human pieces
was the most fun game I had ever played.
10:28.350 --> 10:32.610
Verdigris House
10:29.330 --> 10:32.610
As I continued my lossless
streak in both work and games,
10:33.340 --> 10:37.990
I followed my colleagues to a brothel
to take on a famous courtesan.
10:39.160 --> 10:45.470
In a world full of black and white,
that was the only bright color I saw.
10:46.610 --> 10:49.120
Her name was Fengxian.
10:49.770 --> 10:52.090
The undefeated courtesan of the brothel,
10:52.090 --> 10:53.970
versus me, undefeated in the military.
10:54.430 --> 10:58.130
The audience would have had
a good time no matter who lost.
10:58.970 --> 11:04.090
She's strong, but she only fights
in her own small world...
11:06.220 --> 11:07.670
I lost.
11:08.300 --> 11:10.500
I was absolutely thrashed.
11:10.500 --> 11:13.360
When was the last time I lost so badly?
11:22.060 --> 11:28.020
Ah, so that's what a human face looks like.
11:30.340 --> 11:38.250
Her defiant eyes, like a balsam flower
that would burst if touched...
11:46.830 --> 11:48.640
Next time, I won't lose.
11:49.380 --> 11:55.980
For several years after that,
we continued to meet to play go and chess.
12:01.310 --> 12:03.630
Fengxian, who was born at the brothel,
12:03.630 --> 12:06.660
had a personality that was
almost purely made of pride.
12:07.420 --> 12:11.660
I have no mother. A woman did give birth to me,
12:12.380 --> 12:15.500
but in the pleasure district,
a courtesan can never become a mother.
12:18.700 --> 12:24.760
Once a talented courtesan gains popularity,
the brothel becomes reluctant to sell them.
12:25.820 --> 12:28.010
Fengxian fit that profile exactly.
12:29.350 --> 12:33.340
Her harsh attitude wasn't for everyone,
12:33.340 --> 12:36.170
but she became the favorite
of several dilettantes.
12:37.350 --> 12:39.780
Her prices gradually rose,
12:40.420 --> 12:43.640
and I could only afford to see her
once every three months.
12:50.860 --> 12:54.630
Balsam flower, and... What's that?
12:54.630 --> 12:58.380
Woodsorrel, also known as cat's foot.
12:58.380 --> 13:01.320
I hear it's a medicine that helps
treat poisons and insect bites.
13:03.070 --> 13:09.020
Like the balsam, touching a ripe fruit
causes the seeds to burst.
13:10.530 --> 13:11.970
Interesting.
13:13.570 --> 13:15.910
When can you come next?
13:20.500 --> 13:22.610
Three months from now, as always.
13:23.970 --> 13:25.240
Understood.
13:27.340 --> 13:31.180
That was when I heard about
Fengxian being bought out.
13:32.580 --> 13:37.380
Fengxian's price was being hiked up by
the dilettantes competing against each other.
13:38.880 --> 13:41.150
I was on a good career
path as a military officer,
13:41.150 --> 13:45.060
but since I'd lost the title
of heir to my half-brothers,
13:45.060 --> 13:48.490
her price was well outside my reach.
13:50.180 --> 13:52.350
Would you like to place a bet, for a change?
13:53.580 --> 13:57.000
If you win, I will give you anything you want.
13:57.670 --> 14:01.200
If I win, I will take anything that I want.
14:02.670 --> 14:04.790
Please choose a board.
14:06.260 --> 14:09.320
A terrible thought crossed my mind.
14:11.660 --> 14:13.370
Go, is it?
14:13.370 --> 14:14.330
Yes.
14:15.150 --> 14:18.630
Meimei, I want to concentrate on this game.
14:19.090 --> 14:19.830
Yes.
14:58.020 --> 15:01.650
Before I knew it, our hands touched.
15:03.740 --> 15:07.190
There were no sweet words from Fengxian.
15:08.100 --> 15:10.570
I wasn't the type to offer any, either.
15:10.570 --> 15:13.860
In that way, we were quite similar.
15:15.460 --> 15:16.890
I want to play go.
15:17.590 --> 15:21.610
I'd been thinking about how
I wanted to play chess, myself.
15:22.520 --> 15:29.320
Sleep, my baby, sleep.
15:30.120 --> 15:37.580
Where is she? She cries.
15:38.240 --> 15:45.180
Little birds are so innocent.
15:45.890 --> 15:53.470
Off they fly to somewhere far.
15:54.230 --> 15:58.870
Three months later, my supposedly intelligent
uncle was ousted from his position.
15:59.220 --> 16:02.940
First you became a doctor in the
rear palace, and now you're exiled?!
16:02.940 --> 16:04.600
You bring shame to our family!
16:05.720 --> 16:09.190
For all his intelligence, he really is clumsy.
16:09.630 --> 16:12.540
You used to be close to him.
16:12.540 --> 16:15.260
Leave the house for a while, go study abroad!
16:15.260 --> 16:16.650
Study abroad...?
16:16.650 --> 16:18.160
Just in case.
16:18.610 --> 16:19.410
But...
16:19.890 --> 16:20.790
What?
16:21.210 --> 16:23.860
No, it's nothing.
16:24.810 --> 16:29.630
There was no way I could speak up
against my father, who was also my boss.
16:30.770 --> 16:32.110
Around the same time,
16:32.110 --> 16:35.890
Fengxian wrote to me that
her buyout agreement fell through.
16:36.700 --> 16:41.490
I assumed I would be back
in six months or so.
16:43.350 --> 16:44.440
But, back then...
16:50.870 --> 16:56.030
I had no idea it would take
three whole years for me to return.
16:59.420 --> 17:02.070
So many letters from Fengxian...
17:16.820 --> 17:20.500
Mud? No, a branch?
17:20.980 --> 17:22.670
And there's two of them?
17:25.540 --> 17:28.190
No, this is...
17:30.490 --> 17:31.820
Finger severing...
17:31.820 --> 17:34.940
I knew that was a popular
way to curse someone.
17:35.550 --> 17:38.160
The reason why her deal fell through...
17:38.650 --> 17:42.450
The other small finger in the bag...
17:42.860 --> 17:44.620
Why didn't I notice?!
17:45.460 --> 17:47.870
All I had in my head was go and chess.
17:49.880 --> 17:54.450
I couldn't even reach that simple conclusion!
17:57.060 --> 17:58.840
Where's Fengxian?!
17:59.200 --> 18:00.220
You!
18:00.540 --> 18:02.560
Fengxian is gone now!
18:02.560 --> 18:04.480
Where have you been all this time?!
18:04.480 --> 18:06.700
You left her for three whole years!
18:06.700 --> 18:10.900
You don't care one bit what happens
to a worthless courtesan, do you?!
18:13.510 --> 18:16.830
If only I'd put even a little thought into it!
18:16.830 --> 18:20.140
The reason why she wouldn't get bought out...
18:20.660 --> 18:22.450
The reason was in her belly...
18:23.310 --> 18:29.080
By soiling the name of her brothel,
her trust and reputation fell to nothing!
18:30.590 --> 18:33.160
All she could do was to take
customers like a streetwalker,
18:34.970 --> 18:36.090
and...
18:44.380 --> 18:48.380
No matter how much I lamented,
there was no way to turn back time.
18:49.900 --> 18:54.530
It was all my fault,
for being so short-sighted.
19:06.840 --> 19:10.760
This is... The Verdigris House?
19:12.750 --> 19:14.230
Are you awake?
19:16.220 --> 19:17.510
Meimei.
19:18.020 --> 19:21.860
Some noble's servant brought you here.
19:22.240 --> 19:27.000
Your face looks terrible. I don't
know if it's more red or blue.
19:27.000 --> 19:30.280
I didn't think I'd end up like this, either.
19:30.280 --> 19:33.780
I wasn't expecting it to
be such a strong liquor.
19:35.510 --> 19:39.960
Meimei used to be Fengxian's servant girl.
19:41.090 --> 19:43.620
I used to play with her a lot.
19:44.690 --> 19:48.200
When I complemented her talents,
she seemed abashed.
19:48.980 --> 19:50.250
Come to think of it...
19:50.680 --> 19:52.580
What is it?
19:53.250 --> 19:55.170
No, nothing.
19:58.070 --> 19:59.550
Here you are.
19:59.550 --> 20:00.600
Yes.
20:04.430 --> 20:05.890
So bitter!
20:05.890 --> 20:07.520
What is this?!
20:07.520 --> 20:09.560
Something Maomao made.
20:10.560 --> 20:13.760
Mix mix, mix mix, mix mix.
20:11.580 --> 20:15.060
I see, it was Maomao...
20:15.500 --> 20:18.320
Also, Maomao left this box for you.
20:28.020 --> 20:29.880
A withered rose?
20:30.440 --> 20:34.960
Even when withered, it can retain its shape.
20:41.210 --> 20:42.590
Big Sis Meimei.
20:43.960 --> 20:45.340
Excuse me.
22:35.040 --> 22:50.050
Next Time
22:46.590 --> 22:50.050
Next time: "Jinshi and Maomao."
22:46.760 --> 22:50.050
Episode 24: Jinshi and Maomao