Chapter 9
Misono cannot be defeated
Misono spends a lot of time babysitting in this chapter. The Crown Prince is cute. Akiko begins to realize her feelings for Misono. We also learn about Shinju’s feelings about the Meidi emperor. This translation is intended to be read along with the ebook or paper volumes, so it isn’t a scanlation, just a translation.
6: {From the first day they enter the palace, the palace ladies are granted a name by the emperor.}
Lady: Your Majesty,/ this is the newcomer servant.
{Commonly called a “professional name.”}
Meidi: What should I call you?
7: Meidi: How about /”Wakana”1 Shouji?
Lady: I’m sorry, Your Majesty./ “Wakana” has already been
bestowed.
Meidi: Oh! That’s right.
Small text: Sorry./ I am your servant…
Meidi: Show me your face.
sfx: step
Meidi: …Why/ are you crying?
8: Meidi: Your tears are like pearls.2
Akiko: Show me your face./ It’s been a while.
sfx: rustle
9: Akiko: Shinju!
{The outer palace/ waiting chamber}
Misono: Crown Prince,/ Thank you very much.
Prince: Misono./ I have to wear hakama when I come to visit big sis… Her Majesty.
Misono: Yes sir./ Allow me to guide you through the outer palace.
{This year, the crown prince became five years old.}
10: {He was fitted with hakama as a celebration of his growth.3/ The Fukasogi ceremony was performed.4
Prince: Wee
{According to palace tradition, it is performed at the home of the loyal retainers who raised the Crown Prince./
After this, the Crown Prince lives in another place./ He does not live with blood relatives.}
Prince: Hey/ Her Majesty is meeting an important person today, but
11: Prince: Who is it?
Misono: Well/ I don’t know either.
{For the Crown Prince and me,/ the meeting today is one we cannot forget.
Small text: Huh?
Lady: Ah!
Prince: Woof! Woof!!
sfx: bam/ eep
Misono: Crown Prince!
{We still do not understand the significance.}
Small text: Wait/ Wait/ woof woof woof
Misono: Please wait!
12: Shinju: Akiko-sama/ No,/ now I should say, “Your Majesty.”
Akiko: But isn’t/ “Your Majesty” what you called the Meidi
Emperor./ Do you want that to change?
Shinju: No,/ The Palace has changed since the time of the Meidi Emperor…
Akiko: Why is it that you no longer come and let me see you?
13: Shinju: My role in the Palace has ended.
Akiko: You’re a stubborn person to go against expectations.
Shinju: Oh, well,/ not as much as you.
Akiko: No, Shinju./ Even though you’re a crybaby, you have a strong heart.
Shinju: Since the day I first saw you,/ I have cried.
14: Suke: Today you began your period…5
sfx: patter patter
Suke: Today, His Majesty is at a ritual service./ Unclean people are not allowed to be close to him. Stay in your room.
Shinju: I’m very sorry.
Old woman: Suke-sama, last month she began on the seventh…
sfx: appears appears
Suke: The tenth is also early.
Shinju: Why do you need to know?
Suke: You are not a service palace lady like us./ You need to understand your own role in the palace.6
15: Suke: About the birth of the prince and heir./ The empress gave birth to the First Imperial Princess, Akiko-sama, before she fell ill./
The Empress Palace Ladies became her substitute.7 He was awarded five princes and princesses who died while still young./
He waits for a healthy prince to be born./ Shinju-san, why are you crying?/ This is an honorable role.
16: {“Shinju still cries.”/ “What would it take for you to stop crying?”/ It an honorable role, but/ it is frightening to give birth to a prince./ I am afraid of this place.}
Akiko: Does your stomach hurt?
17: sfx: gasp
Akiko: I’m asking this for my father./ Since you are the only new court lady who is crying.
Shinju: This person is…
Akiko: You are the same age as me.
{The Princess Akiko-sama!}
Akiko: It’s okay. Are you crying because it hurts so much?
Small text: I understand.
Akiko: I suffer from cramps every month too.
18: Shinju: No, it’s not really my stomach…
Small text: I’m crying for a different reason…
Akiko: What?/ You’re not in pain!?
Small text: I’m jealous.
Shinju: Yes,/ If you are suffering, I can listen…
Small text: Lightly
sfx: pfft
Shinju: Since you’re the princess,/ you can’t tell everyone about it.
sfx: hehe
Akiko: Yeah,/ It’s also the first time I’ve talked about it.
19: Akiko: What’s your name?
Shinju: It’s “Shinju”…/ I was crying large tears,/ when His Majesty gave me that name…
Akiko: Shinju/ is a beautiful name.
{The tears/stopped.}
sfx: blush
20: sfx: patter patter
Prince: Big sis,/ catch Ron!
Small text: Help me!!/ I have no excuse.
sfx: whine
Akiko: I’ve been waiting for you, Crown Prince.
Prince: Yes!
sfx: huff huff/ sits down/ wheeze
{This person is…}
sfx: huff
21: Akiko: Please greet her, Crown Prince./ She is your birth mother, Shinju.
Shinju: How are you/ Crown Prince?
sfx: smile
Prince: How are you…
sfx: hides
Small text: Oh
22: Misono: Crown Prince?
Prince: Big sis,/ is it okay if we play in the garden?/ Misono, let’s wrestle!
sfx: grab
Akiko: Eh?/ Okay…
23: {I heard about it from Her Majesty a little while ago./ Shinju was a palace lady for the Meidi Emperor./
It was the crybaby Shinju who gave birth to the prince./ Therefore, I did not have to accept/ my own future as well.}
24: Small text: Not yet, not yet
Misono: Crown Prince/ we can wrestle another time. Don’t you want to visit with Her Majesty and Shinju-sama today?
Prince: I don’t know what to talk about.
Misono: Wouldn’t anything would be alright?
Prince: No!/ Today I’m going to wrestle with Misono!!
sfx: ooof
Prince: Okay!!
Misono: Don’t grab me there!/ It’s forbidden!
sfx: ouch ouch ouch
Akiko: Is this alright? We don’t have to keep talking
25: Shinju: It’s enough just to look at his liveliness./ Ah, he falls over like a puppy…/
That boy attendant is good at playing with him.
sfx: Wahh wahh
Akiko: Misono has worked here for a long time. I trust him with my peace of mind.
Shinju: Then, you are fond of him…
sfx: oh dear oh dear/ drip drip
Shinju: I heard from the Head Palace Lady/ That you were very “fond” of someone.
Small text: Head Palace Lady / Lady-in-wating…
Akiko: Misono is interesting./ I feel restful beside him. / When was it…?
26: Akiko: If I am a bird in this palace cage,
Small text: not yet, not yet
Akiko: He said he would make it a comfortable cage.
Shinju: Oh, Akiko-sama/ That’s the kind of thing someone who is in
love would say.
27: Small text: grrr…
Akiko: Love…?/ I… don’t know much about it./ Shinju/ Did you love my father?
28: Suke: Time for bed.8
Meidi: Shinju.
sfx: sob
Shinju: Ahh!!9
29: Shinju: Y-Y-You’re Majesty!?
Meidi: You cried when you saw my face, so I wore a mask…
Small text: It didn’t work./ sigh
Meidi: Talk with me for a little./ Aren’t you close to Akiko?
Shinju: …Yes sir.
Meidi: Only one of my children has been old enough for the hakama ceremony./ The others have been stillbirths or have left us too young./ The only children the palace women have given me…
30: Meidi: A prince was born in the palace./ The mother was a young noble girl, like you./ The birth–/ neither of them survived./
Still, the retainers told me it was all right./ Another palace lady, then a prince would–/ It was my duty as emperor./ But, I still did not want to lose anything.
31: Meidi: Shinju,/ I’m also afraid.
sfx: flicker
Meidi: It’s getting late, so I’ll finish my story./ Tonight, this should be your role.
sfx: rolls over
Meidi: Let’s go to sleep…
Shinju: Your Majesty!
sfx: flap
32: Meidi: Shinju?
33: Shinju: Umm…/ Your Majesty/ was crying like me…/ Please don’t cry…
34: Prince: Waaaahh/ Misono, you dummy!!!/ Misono cheated!/
There’s no way I lost!/ No–way–! I won—
Misono: I’m sorry./ The Crown Prince is the best, okay?
Small text: I didn’t try my hardest,/ but you still lost…
sfx: Waaahhh
35: Akiko: It doesn’t matter.
sfx: sniffle
Akiko: Crown Prince!/ Don’t you always win against your own retainers!?
sfx: nod
Akiko: Since Misono is my retainer, you can’t defeat him!
36: Misono: Your Majesty…
Akiko: He defeated Rokuouin-no-Miya.
Oh? Yes, I did win in that game…
Prince: Awesome!
Akiko: Right, Misono?
Misono: Yes,/ I cannot be defeated!
37: Misono: Let’s go wash our hands/ to get ready for the pastries you like.
Prince: Okay!!
Small text: pastries…
Akiko: Shinju.
Shinju: Yes.
Akiko: I don’t know much about love./ So,
38: Akiko: If, as you say,/ my feelings towards Misono would be called love,/
If I cannot cut off these feelings,/ they are not permitted for the emperor, so…
39: Shinju: Love…/ Oh dear, did I say something like that?
Small text: Yes!!/ You said that!
Shinju: I don’t know anything about love either.
{My feelings towards His Majesty then,/ was it compassion, pity or love?/
I still don’t know what is left.}
Shinju: Akiko-sama/ soon you will leave your position.
40: Akiko: I’ll be here a little longer./ I won’t go away like you.
Small text: I’m that kind of woman./ Yes.
Akiko: Don’t take so long to visit the palace again!
Shinju: Yes.
Misono: Oh,/ Are you leaving already?
Shinju: Yes,/ Crown Prince./ You should always listen to Her Majesty, your Big Sis.
41: Shinju: Can you promise me?
Prince: Yes.
Also, if you lose while wrestling,/ don’t cry.
sfx: fidget fidget
42: sfx: nod/ boing
Misono: Umm,/ I have no excuse!/ I’ve prevented you from meeting your child…
Shinju: Oh,
43: Shinju: It’s alright. I was introduced as his birth mother./ Of course he was shy./ As I expected, I shouldn’t meet someone so exalted…
Misono: That’s not true!/ His shyness is evidence that he was raised well!/ Besides, the Crown Prince has always worried about his mother coming./
I can’t imagine that he wouldn’t be nervous…
44: Shinju: Hehe./ Thank you, Misono-san./ Her Majesty was telling me about how you were an interesting attendant.
sfx: hehe/ blush
Misono: Umm,/ I was too obtrusive.
sfx: suddenly
Shinju: …Be careful of what is beside you…
sfx: smile
Shinju: Misono-san.
45: Shinju: In the near future,/ you could become troublesome to Her Majesty.
sfx: munch munch
Small text: Is it good?/ Please.
Misono: I would never do that…
Shinju: Hehe./ “A comfortable cage”?/ Misono-san,/ should someone outside of that cage enter it?
46: Shinju: Considering that promise,/ please understand your role as a retainer./
I cannot permit Her Majesty to cry.
47: sfx: boing
Prince: Misono!/ You didn’t come fast enough./ Ron ate your half
of the pastry./ Mishono?
sfx: munch munch
{Why did Shinju-sama give me that advice?}
48: {Or,}
sfx: grin
{Was it about how the Crown Prince was raised?}
Prince: Hi-ya!
sfx: thud
Misono: Huh?
{It definitely wasn’t the winning technique.}
49: sfx: thud
Small text: What’s that noise?
sfx: munch/ twitch
{I fell to earth that day.}
Prince: Big sis, I won!/ I beat Misono!!}
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1. Young greens.↩
2. Shinju, which will be her name, means “pearl”.↩
3. The hakama are a gift from the emperor.↩
4. Fukasogi = cutting the sidelocks on top of a Go board.↩
5. The footnote below is explaining an archaic term for menstrual period.↩
6. Service palace lady = In charge of everyday beauty tasks. They do not sleep with the emperor.↩
7. Empress Palace Lady = Palace Lady who becomes a concubine.↩
8. The footnote here is explaining some obscure term for this.↩
9. The mask he’s wearing is a face made from kana characters. It’s common as a children’s decoration.↩
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