The Scent of Medicine

Heian-kyo, Upper Capital District, Asakura Residence.

Some time had passed since Princess Kaguya publicly announced her Marriage Selection. Now, the event that had taken the entire capital by storm was finally drawing to a close. Among the many distinguished young lords and suitors, only one remained. Young Lord Yoru, the son of a medicinal herb merchant from Nara, was now facing the final challenge.

In the afternoon, within the courtyard of the Asakura Residence, Kaguya—dressed in men’s clothing—stood holding a simple black medicine pot. Before her, the young Princess Kaguya sat poised within the house.

“Young Lord Yoru... it appears you have already solved my riddle,” Princess Kaguya said with a faint smile, looking at the Kaguya before her.

“Indeed, Princess Kaguya. The Elixir of Immortality you sought is right here. You may examine it now.” As she spoke, Kaguya placed the simple medicine pot in front of Princess Kaguya and stepped back several paces, waiting for her next move.

Princess Kaguya scrutinized the pot, her expression filled with obvious curiosity. She murmured to herself, “Is this truly the Elixir of Immortality? But how can it be proven to possess the power of longevity?”

“That is simple. Princess Kaguya, you only need to open the pot to know the uniqueness of this medicine,” Kaguya said with a slight smile as she stood in the courtyard.

“Open it?” Hearing this, the young Princess Kaguya placed her hand on the wooden lid of the medicine pot and lifted it. Inside, she saw a crystalline liquid glowing with a faint fluorescence. From this liquid, a power familiar to Princess Kaguya emanated—a power that seemed to resonate with her own!

“This power is...”

“eternal power. That is the name I have given to this force. It is a pure power that does not belong to this world. If used correctly, it can grant mortals longevity... and even immortality.” Kaguya spoke slowly, watching the obvious astonishment on Princess Kaguya’s face. A strange light flickered in her eyes.

“To obtain longevity... even immortality...”

“Yes. You should be quite familiar with this power. Although it is still weak, you possess it as well, do you not?” Kaguya continued. At that moment, a flicker of vigilance immediately appeared in the young Princess Kaguya’s eyes.

“Young Lord Yoru, who exactly are you?”

Hearing the young Princess Kaguya’s question, Kaguya chuckled and wiped her face with her hand, removing the light makeup. She then took off her hat, letting her long black hair fall to her waist. Returning to her female form, Kaguya looked at the younger version of herself and spoke calmly.

“I am another you. We share the same fate. I know your true origins and the secrets hidden within them. Princess Kaguya... I have come to take you away.” As she spoke, Kaguya reached out her hand toward the young Princess Kaguya, who looked on in a daze.

“Take me away...?”

“Correct. If you remain in Heian-kyo, you will encounter a crisis you cannot resist. Please come with me now; we have a way to avoid that crisis. At the same time, I will tell you the mystery of your birth. Do you not wish to know where you truly came from?” Kaguya continued to urge her. Hearing these words, the young Princess Kaguya showed visible signs of being moved.

To be honest, Princess Kaguya had always been very concerned about her origins. She knew she was the adopted daughter of Miketsu, found within a bamboo stalk. She was well aware of her own uniqueness and desperately wanted to know how she had come to be. Now, the woman before her displayed a power similar to her own and claimed to know her history; it was all incredibly alluring to Princess Kaguya.

Facing the invitation, Princess Kaguya focused for a moment. After calming her heart, she replied.

“In Kaguya’s eyes, Young Lord Yoru, you do not harbor any ill intent, and I truly wish to know my origins... but I am sorry. Kaguya cannot abandon those who care for me and leave with you based on just a few words. I hope you can understand. If possible, I hope you can tell me of my origins right here. Kaguya will surely reward you handsomely.”

Seeing this, Kaguya spread her hands somewhat helplessly, shaking her head with a smile. “Ah, I’m sorry, but we don’t need any rewards. All I need is you, Princess Kaguya...”

By the end of her sentence, Kaguya’s gaze toward the young Princess Kaguya had turned sharp, and her tone became serious. The young Princess Kaguya felt the shift in her attitude and sensed her firmness.

“It seems... today, Young Lord Yoru is determined to take Kaguya away,” Princess Kaguya said in a low voice, her wariness deepening.

“Indeed. From the moment I arrived, my goal was to take you back. I originally thought that after winning this Marriage Selection, I could simply marry you and take you home. But looking at the situation over the past few days, the purpose of your Marriage Selection wasn't actually to find a husband. Whether I found the treasures in your riddles or not, you had no intention of marrying. In that case, we can only resort to some forceful measures.” Kaguya spoke quite casually, while the young Princess Kaguya knit her brows, preparing for a fight.

“Kaguya does not wish to fight others, but if Young Lord Yoru insists, then come... Kaguya is ready at any time.”

Looking at the serious young Princess Kaguya, Kaguya’s smile did not fade. She wagged her finger and spoke with calm composure.

“There is no need to be ready... our plan has already begun. Little Kaguya, see if you can still use your power.”

“Power... what...?” Hearing Kaguya’s words, the young Princess Kaguya’s face changed. She tried to circulate the spiritual power within her body, but there was absolutely no response.

“What’s happening... Someone, come quickly!” Princess Kaguya raised her voice, calling for the servants of the Asakura Residence, but no one answered. The entire courtyard was deathly silent; not a single sound responded to her.

“Don’t waste your breath. In this space, there is only you and I. No other living beings exist,” Kaguya said with a smile. By now, the young Princess Kaguya also sensed the abnormality of the surrounding space.

At some point, the chirping of insects and birds in the courtyard had stopped. The clouds in the sky were frozen still. The surroundings were entirely submerged in an eerie silence. Combined with the fact that her power was unusable, Princess Kaguya immediately realized something was wrong.

“This... is not normal space...”

“Correct! Your senses are truly sharp, Little Kaguya. We are not currently in reality, but in a dream—a shared true dream where only the two of us exist...” Kaguya held up a finger and continued with a hint of pride. “In reality, we have both long since fallen asleep...”

Hearing Kaguya’s words, a look of utter shock appeared on the young Princess Kaguya’s face.

“Hypnosis... When did this happen? Why did Kaguya not feel a thing? When exactly did we enter the dream?”

“When? It was the moment you first opened that medicine pot, Little Kaguya...” Kaguya said, pointing to the pot in front of the young girl.

“The medicine pot... was there another medicine inside?”

“Exactly~” Kaguya snapped open her folding fan and fanned herself, speaking with great pride. “butterfly dream fragrance... colorless, formless, shapeless, and odorless... no sense can detect its existence. Once any living being inhales it, they will unknowingly fall into a deep sleep and enter a dream that is indistinguishable from reality. They will simply continue doing whatever they were doing before, without any drowsiness or discomfort. The dream and reality bridge perfectly, making it impossible to detect any abnormality. If multiple people are interacting when they fall under its spell, they will enter the same dream, just as we have...”

“butterfly dream fragrance... to think such a wondrous medicinal scent exists in this world,” the young Princess Kaguya murmured in amazement.

“Hehe, this is one of the masterpieces of the Eternal Pavilion’s pharmacist. Little Kaguya, while we are talking normally here, our bodies in reality are already fast asleep. Under these circumstances, my companions in reality can easily take us out of Heian-kyo.”