"The truth however itself is ugly, it's always curious and beautiful for those seekers after it."
- Agatha Christie.
Meanwhile Li Shen was going home. Riding on horse she left the palace with her personal belongings. After a while she reached home and opened the door.
"I'm home." Li Shen said taking her shoes off for her slippers. She was then greeted by a man that had white long hair, which he kept in a ponytail.
"Mhm. How are you?" The man said, tending to his plants and his back turned from Li Shen.
"Tending to your plants as usual, that's so like you Nazeeh. But yes I'm fine." Li Shen said putting down two baskets.
Nazeeh nodded as a response and then said, "What have you got there. I'm sure those aren't my herbs I asked you to bring."
"I brought your herbs, don't worry. This... is a gift of sorts you can say." Li Shen said taking the herbs out of the basket and handing them to you.
Then she took put what else was in the basket.
It was Xiaomao.
Sleeping, clueless of all.
"Eh? Isn't that our niece? Why's she here? Did you take her?" Nazeeh said his expression confused with his eyes closed.
Now you can figure that you think that these two have some sort of relationship. The truth, yes and no.
They weren't any normal couple. They had no urges of hormonal outbursts and they didn't care for such trivial matters. Honestly, they couldn't even be called a couple. Not even friends. They only had a mutual trust and bond.
Nazeeh simply stayed with Li Shen to keep her company and vice versa Li Shen stayed with him for the company. They didn't interact that much, only occasionally when Nazeeh ran out of herbs or needed ingredients for medicine.
Nazeeh was a quiet man, who kept to himself. He was the village's apothecary. He was one of the few that didn't go straight to being a eunuch or a servant. He had studied in the kings palace and received much knowledge about medicine and poison. For a while he was also a apothecary of the palace but that's another story.
You could refer to it as a transaction relationship, with no feelings. To Nazeeh, people were just tools that can be used to go reach the top.
And yet he never tried reaching the top even with the skills. He was just very lethargic. He liked his simple ordinary life, who knows what this trait could end up doing in the future. It might damage one of the main occurrences within this world even. We'll never know.
"That child will benefit us quite well. Didn't you always say you wanted a apprentice?" Li Shen said handing him the child.
"...not like this... I better not get in trouble for you. This was not part of the contract."
Nazeeh said his eyes dull as ever. He stared at the child, for some reason she wasn't crying. He noticed that the child had a level of maturity that wasn't usual for her age. After all she was barely 1 years old.
The look on the child's eyes showed him that she wasn't any normal child.
"What did you do to her." Nazeeh said calmly eyeing the woman.
"Anger took the best of me." Li Shen said, although she felt she should feel ashamed. She didn't have any feeling of feeling ashamed or pity for the child.
She was simply jealous that her brother had a nice child. With one of the most strongest blooming period as well. It wasn't because she was jealous that she could give birth.
No. None of that was the case. The thing was that she hated that her brother always got first.
He was the most favorite from their parents.
He was the most favorite amongst the people.
And he even some how managed to be the favorite amoung the parents of Nazeeh.
But for Nazeeh himself, that wasn't the case. He would care for anyone that would bring his herbs or even care to listen to him talk about medicine or his personal hobbies that he's yet to share with Li Shen. But then again, he would also hate any person for being too close or too invasive of his privacy.
"I see... atleast throw it on something else other than the child. I know you don't care about which side your on. But atleast try to be on the good side. It'll atleast bring you to a better view." Nazeeh said calmly.
"Yeah yeah. Next time Nazeeh alright?" Li Shen said resting on the couch watching the child wander around in their humble abode.
"Why did you bring her here. " Nazeeh said letting the child wrap her finger around his hand and then continuing, "Don't tell me your here to use her as business."
"No! Of course not. I'm not that much of a monster Nazeeh." Li Shen said wandering her eyes to the window.
"I know... what are you planning to do with her?" Nazeeh said his eyes closed templating what she wanted.
"Let's raise her." Li Shen said all serious.
"...eh? Raise her? None of us are capable for that though." Nazeeh squinting his eyes and poking the child's nose.
"Yes, why what's wrong? What's funny. " Li Shen said not finding what is the comedy gold.
"I don't believe that you think we are capable of raising a child. None of us even were treated like children, how are we supposed to act like mommy and daddy to her. " Nazeeh said bluntly crossing his arms.
The child snuggled next to Nazeeh as he ruffled her hair.
"We could pretend. I'm a good actor." Li Shen said walking over to sit on the other side of the sofa, and crossing her legs.
"So you want her childhood to be with fake acting parents?" Nazeeh said blunt.
"Why not you take care of the child and I'll do the other work. I'll work so she can have some toys and food. And I'll buy your herbs. So you could still work as the apothecary. " Li Shen said thinking.
"You really thought this through..." He said then continuing, "why do you want me to do this. Why me." Nazeeh asked apathetic.
He booped the sleeping child and ruffled her hair as she leaned on him and fell asleep. He nearly cracked a smile as he let her head rest on his arm.
"Come on and just say yes," she said mumbling about how lazy he was.
"No." He said with a blunt tone, "I don't want to."
"I'll buy you more herbs." Li Shen said crossing her arms. "Beat that. "
"Only if you give me Astragulus. And different specimens for my experiments." Nazeeh said.
"You love making me broke." Li Shen said groaning with despair.
"You have to also help me grow some more herbs. And buy me some more books." Nazeeh added.
"Ughhhh fine fine. Don't add anymore now." Li Shen said.
"Isn't it time for you to go to work. " Nazeeh grumbled annoyed that she might give him more work.
"Yes yes. I'm going. Glad you want me to leave that badly." Li Shen said letting out a groan.
"Get me some daisies on the way out." Nazeeh said wrapping the child in some blankets, he used the daisies that Li Shen gave to make a tonic for the child.
She happily drank it all, and fell asleep again.
Li Shen left for work and it was just Nazeeh and Xiaomao in the house. Nazeeh placed the child in the bed.
Even Nazeeh himself did not know what caused Li Shen to take Xiaomao, she was literally her own niece. And she made it looked like Xiaomao died.
This is too much thinking. I'm wayy to tired for this stuff.
He left the child inside and went outside, he started harvesting some herbs. After he harvested the herbs, he mixed them up and put them in a container.
He then began reading some books. He stopped trying to think on why Li Shen wanted to raise this child. It was baffling.
But after some days, Li Shen and Nazeeh came to easily be able to take care of the child.
Li Shen used a small level of magic to obscure the spider lily mark on the child and put a rose mark instead. It was to protect her of some sorts.
And since she had the blessing of the Rose, from Lady Aiko, it was more easier.
So to remove any suspicion, they also forged some papers to make that they adopted the child, all Li Shen's doing anyway.