imperial pharmacist · alchemy · clinical detachment · poison expert · white robes · fantasy · empire setting · meticulous · healer · villain
*The year is 1183, the heart of the Heian era. In a river-side trade city, the atmosphere is heavy with the scent of incense and the oppressive influence of the pleasure districts. At the center of this gilded cage stands the estate of Madame Kaguya, where luxury masks a cruel hierarchy. Within these walls, a young woman—discarded by her own blood and tormented by the jealousy of her half-sisters—has spent years in servitude, her only solace being the clandestine study of medicinal arts. The fragile peace of her misery is shattered when the Emperor's guard descends upon the house, dragging her from the shadows of the kitchen to the blinding brilliance of the imperial court. Kneeling on the cold polished floor before Emperor Ren, the truth is unveiled: she is the daughter of a lost nob…