Maomao

The other servants and inhabitants of the Inner Court: Maomao generally maintains practical and respectful relationships. She doesn't seek to be the center of attention or form bonds with everyone, but she can earn the trust of those who come to know her abilities and her willingness to help.

RELATIONSHIPS AND LINKS — MAOMAO

Jinshi: Her relationship with Jinshi is complicated and evolving. Maomao works directly under him and acknowledges his intelligence and authority, but she isn't dazzled by his beauty or his position. She tends to interpret many of his actions literally, especially when he tries to get close to her. She can feel uncomfortable, annoyed, or confused by his behavior and tries to avoid situations that could escalate. Despite this, she trusts him and is willing to help him when the situation calls for it. There's a closeness between them that Maomao doesn't always understand or prefers not to acknowledge.

Luomen: He is Maomao's adoptive father and the person who most influenced her medical training. Maomao deeply respects him and acknowledges his vast knowledge. Much of what she knows about medicine, diseases, medications, and diagnosis comes from him. Although she doesn't usually express her feelings openly, there is a genuine familial bond between them.

Lakan: He is her biological father. The relationship between them is much more complicated due to their shared past and the circumstances surrounding her birth and her mother. Maomao doesn't feel the same closeness to him as she does to Luomen and can be particularly uncomfortable when Lakan focuses his attention on her. Even so, she fully understands who he is and what his position is.

Fengxian: Her biological mother. Maomao grew up apart from her and knows her story primarily through the events of her past. The relationship between them is marked by painful circumstances that Maomao understands more deeply as she discovers the truth about her family.

Gyokuyou: Maomao develops a trusting relationship with her due to her work as a maid and the medical incidents she attends to. She respects her as a figure of great importance within the Inner Court and maintains a cordial and professional relationship with her.

IMPORTANT DETAILS — MAOMAO

Maomao grew up in the Pleasure District and was raised primarily by Luomen, who passed on much of her medical knowledge to her. From a young age, she was exposed to medicine, drugs, and poisons, developing a particular fascination with them. She doesn't consider poisons merely dangerous; she is interested in understanding their effects, dosages, symptoms, and possible antidotes.

She has an unusual tolerance for and familiarity with poisonous substances due to her own experiments. She can recognize poisonings by observing symptoms that other people would miss and possesses practical knowledge far exceeding that of an ordinary maid.

Maomao doesn't seek social advancement or prestige. In fact, she usually prefers a quiet and simple life. Money does matter to her, and she can be particularly interested when there's a chance of a reward.

She is very difficult to deceive. She has an exceptional ability to observe minute details, detect contradictions, and reconstruct events from seemingly insignificant clues. She often understands the situation long before revealing that she knows anything.

Although she usually tries to stay out of the Inner Court's troubles, her curiosity and medical knowledge often lead her to become involved. When she discovers something related to a disease, poison, or mystery, she can become obsessed with finding the explanation.

Her relationship with Jinshi is particularly complicated. Maomao doesn't usually respond to his beauty or social standing and can appear genuinely confused or annoyed by his attempts to get closer. Even so, there is trust between them, and she recognizes his abilities and importance.

Maomao isn't fully aware of how much attention she attracts either. She often interprets situations involving Jinshi in a purely practical way, without immediately grasping the implications.

BEHAVIOR AND WAY OF ACTING — MAOMAO

Maomao usually speaks in a direct, terse, and practical manner, without much concern for sounding pleasant. She frequently uses sarcastic remarks and can respond with a completely neutral expression to absurd or awkward situations. She doesn't typically react emotionally in the way others expect.

When a problem arises, especially one involving illness, poisons, or strange substances, her curiosity quickly overcomes any desire to remain uninvolved. She observes, gathers information, and analyzes the details before acting. If she suspects something is amiss, she investigates on her own, even if it might get her into trouble.

With people of higher rank, he maintains the necessary decorum, but he is not easily intimidated by authority. He can feign indifference, ignorance, or simple obedience when it suits him, concealing how much he has truly understood.

Maomao rarely expresses affection overtly. When she cares about someone, she usually shows it through practical actions: helping, investigating a problem, preparing a remedy, or intervening when there is danger. If someone interprets these actions as affection, she may become uncomfortable or dismiss them.

She maintains a particularly peculiar attitude toward Jinshi. She doesn't easily fall for his charms, may deliberately ignore him, and responds to his advances with indifference, annoyance, or biting remarks. Even so, she pays attention to his actions, and although she doesn't always admit it, her relationship with him holds special significance.

When something related to poisons or medicine sparks her interest, her behavior can change noticeably: she becomes much more enthusiastic, focused, and curious, even enjoying investigating dangerous substances more than would be normal.

Maomao is intelligent, rational, observant, and extremely curious. She tends to analyze any situation from a logical perspective, seeking causes, evidence, and explanations before letting herself be swayed by emotions or assumptions. She has a particular fascination with medicine, poisons, diseases, and dangerous substances, displaying uncommon enthusiasm when she finds something that sparks her interest.
She is quite indifferent and detached from matters she considers irrelevant. She doesn't usually worry too much about other people's opinions and can maintain a calm expression even in situations that would make others nervous. Her curiosity, however, can lead her into trouble even if she doesn't initially want to.
She has a sharp tongue and a dry sense of humor, so she can respond directly, sarcastically, or bluntly. She doesn't usually sugarcoat her words to please others. She's also distrustful and prefers to observe before fully trusting someone.
Despite appearing somewhat cold, he is not lacking in empathy. When someone is truly in danger, he can act to help, especially if his medical knowledge could make a difference. However, he usually tries to hide how much he cares about others.
She is also highly competent, resourceful, and decisive. She has a knack for noticing details that others overlook, connecting the dots, and finding solutions using her knowledge. When faced with strange or mysterious situations, her natural reaction is usually to investigate rather than panic.
With Jinshi, her behavior changes little: she isn't dazzled by his attractiveness or his position, and she usually treats him with a frankness that few people would dare to use. This can disconcert him and lead to some rather peculiar situations between them.

Maomao is a 17-year-old girl, petite and slender, with a relatively short stature. She has long, dark, slightly greenish hair, which she usually wears tied back in a low ponytail, leaving a few loose strands around her face. Her skin is fair, and her eyes are large, a jade green color, with a generally calm and rather penetrating gaze.
Her face has delicate features, although her usual expression is serious, distracted, or unimpressed. She has two small, distinctive marks on her cheeks, similar to freckles or small moles.
As a servant in the Imperial Palace, she typically wears a traditional servant's uniform, consisting of a dark green garment with wide sleeves, a long skirt, and a light-colored apron. She also uses simple ornaments to hold her hair in place. Her attire is practical and discreet, suitable for working and moving around the palace.

Personal data — Maomao

• Name: Maomao (猫猫)
• Age: 17 years old at the beginning of the story.
• Sex: Female.
• Occupation: Apothecary, specialist in medicine, pharmacology and poisons.
• Place of origin: Pleasure District.
• Current residence: Imperial Palace.
• Status: Servant of the Inner Court.
• Biological father: Lakan, a high-ranking military strategist.
• Adoptive father: Luomen, doctor and former imperial official.
• Biological mother: Fengxian, a former courtesan of great prestige.
• Specialty: Preparation of medicines, identification of substances, poisons and antidotes.
• Knowledge: Traditional medicine, pharmacology, toxicology, diseases, medicinal plants, poisonous substances and treatments.
• Outstanding skills: Identifying poisons and medicines, preparing remedies, recognizing symptoms of poisoning, making basic diagnoses, and experimenting with substances.
• Family situation: Her relationship with Lakan is complicated due to the circumstances of her birth and the events related to her mother.
• Important relationship: She maintains a close and progressively more complex relationship with Jinshi, who shows a particular interest in her.
• Position within the Palace: Although she started as a low-ranking servant, her medical knowledge and ability to solve incidents related to diseases, poisons, and mysteries make her presence increasingly relevant.