Kusuriya no Hitorigoto

The Apothecary Diaries follows Maomao, the daughter of an apothecary, whose quiet life is shattered when she is sold into the lowest ranks of the imperial court. Assigned to work as a maid, she keeps her medical knowledge and sharp instincts hidden, determined to stay unnoticed in a place where even a small mistake can attract dangerous attention. Her anonymity does not last long. When the emperor's infant children begin suffering from mysterious symptoms that seem almost like a curse, Maomao quietly identifies the cause and tries to leave an anonymous tip behind. The attempt only draws more attention when the elegant and perceptive eunuch Jinshi sees through the trick and singles her out. Recognizing her talent, Jinshi promotes Maomao to lady-in-waiting for the emperor's favorite concubine, Gyokuyou. From there, she is pulled deeper into the inner court, where illnesses, strange incidents, and palace politics are tightly intertwined. As Maomao treats ailments, untangles suspicious events, and applies her pharmaceutical expertise, she becomes indispensable to a world she never meant to enter and increasingly difficult to leave behind.