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The Apothecary Diaries

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This story is a work of fiction. The names of all of the characters, organizations, and so on
are imaginary. It also bears no connection to any specific real-life events.
How does one decrease
the value of a courtesan?

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A pregnancy would reduce it to nearly nothing.

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Is that the place you're looking for?

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Now, if you'll excuse me.

6
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You're leaving now?

7
00:02:07,961 --> 00:02:12,006
Me going in there would ruin all
the work we put into your disguise.

8
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Right...

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Goodbye.

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It's fine. I pulled it off
with no apparent emotion.

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Enjoy yourself tonight, good sir.

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A dream of the past...

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Or rather, from when I was a baby.

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EpisodeLakan
I bet it's because I talked about it.
Good morning.

15
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Morning, Dad.

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What are your plans for today?

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Nothing.

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If you're not busy, can you
pay a visit to the Verdigris House?

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Sure.

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Hmm? Hey, Maomao. Are you off work?

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I got a vacation.

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You're at the apothecary even on your off day?

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Just passing by. It's not
the main reason why I'm here.

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Hold it, Pairin!

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Haven't we discussed this enough by now?

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Oh? Maomao!

27
00:04:04,786 --> 00:04:06,746
Good to see you back!

28
00:04:06,746 --> 00:04:08,748
You're suffocating me, Pairin.

29
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I'm the one suffocating from our
old granny nagging me all the time.

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I'm not done with you!
You have to choose one or the other!

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Really?

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I don't know what this is about, but it
looks like Pairin has a lot on her plate, too.
Granny, you're so persistent.
It's your fault for not making
up your mind. Now decide!

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Besides, you're the one that's making me
bring these offers to you by hanging around!

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I didn't ask! You're always so pushy!
Sneak, sneak, sneak.
What do you mean, pushy?!

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Good morning.

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She used to hatefully chase me out,

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but I guess she doesn't
have the energy anymore.

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Or perhaps she's forgotten
how to talk entirely.

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With her illness worsening,
her memories are in shreds.

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Dad's medicine works well, but at this point,
it won't even provide temporary relief.

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Still, giving her the medicine is
the only treatment we can think of.

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That customer is back again.

43
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He's got a good nose on him.

44
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Get Meimei in here.

45
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The Verdigris House is now
a reputable establishment,

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but a decade or so ago,
it used to operate in shame.

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This courtesan served
customers during that era,

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and was unlucky enough
to catch syphilis as a result.

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By the time Dad came to the Verdigris
House, the illness was in incubation.

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If he'd known about the illness,
he might have been able to treat her,

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but nobody trusted a eunuch
who suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

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Since then, this woman has
been locked up in this annex,

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out of sight of the customers.

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It's quite generous. Courtesans who can't work
are usually just thrown out into a ditch.

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This room's pretty stuffy.
Maybe I'll burn some incense, too.

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What is it?

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Big Sis told me the weirdo
with the monocle is here,

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so you shouldn't go out there for now.

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Right, got it.

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As long as I stay put, that man
won't come out here.

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A long-time customer of the
Verdigris House, an old acquaintance...

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Stupid woman.

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Thanks for being so patient.
That guy's gone now.

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Meimei, did you spend time with him?

65
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Who else can?

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Oh, I'm glad Big Sis seems
to be doing well today.

67
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Maomao, you're getting that offer again.

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00:08:13,117 --> 00:08:15,161
I don't see how you put up with him, Sis.

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It's not so bad. The old lady
doesn't care as long as he pays up.

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That's probably why she keeps
wanting to make me a courtesan.

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If I didn't have my job,
I might have been sold off by now.

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It's a really good deal, from where I'm standing.

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Do you know how rare it is for
a courtesan to get everything they want?

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Since our old lady would easily
let the weight of silver overrule that.

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Who can blame her? She's saving up
for her boat fare to heaven.

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I didn't expect the meeting place to
offer services like in the pleasure district.

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That wasn't what I was there for.

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Apothecary, do you have a moment?

79
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Yes.

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Share this with Suiren.
It's a souvenir from a weirdo.

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From a weirdo? Thank you.

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Yeah.

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Well then, I'm getting back to work.

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Oh, dear.

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We're having a vegetarian dinner today,

86
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so Xiaomao, don't eat
any meat or fish, all right?

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You're taking a break, but don't
completely lose consciousness.

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Right, vegetarian!

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Dammit, I thought working
would get my mind off of it.

90
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Also.

91
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No more hiding weird plants in the warehouse.

92
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Yikes. She's sharp.

93
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If you can't find anywhere to put it,

94
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why don't you ask Master Jinshi to
let you use one of the vacant rooms?

95
00:10:21,370 --> 00:10:25,416
No, I can't use a noble person's
home as a medicine cabinet.

96
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Xiaomao, you appear apathetic,

97
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but you're actually very keen when it
comes to knowing where you stand.

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I am of lowly birth. It's a small
miracle that I'm even here.

99
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Perhaps.

100
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But remember, just because
a person is of noble birth

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doesn't make them inherently
different from the start.

102
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Nobody knows how a person's
life can twist and turn.

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Separating everything based only on
status can lead to missed opportunities.

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Really?

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Yes, really.

106
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Now, back to work.
Can you run an errand for me?

107
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Excuse me!

108
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I've come to pick up some medicine!

109
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Yes, wait just a moment.

110
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This is nothing like the rear palace pharmacy
that the quack doctor was running!

111
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This place is close to the military,
so they must get a lot of injuries.

112
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Ah, this smell that leaves
a bitter taste in my mouth...

113
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I wonder what they have
in the medicine cabinets?

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I'd love to rummage through this whole place...

115
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No. I must control myself!

116
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What are you doing?

117
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She's that...

118
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Just waiting for some medicine.

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Suirei!

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You're here.

121
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I'm here to resupply
the medicines at the guardhouse.

122
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Right.

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The guardhouse?

124
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How are you? I'm fine.
Come to think of it, the last time
I saw her was near the military wing.

125
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She must smell like herbs
because she works there.

126
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I wonder why she seems to dislike me.

127
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Is there anything else you need?

128
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No, nothing else.

129
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A court lady shouldn't be doing this...

130
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F-Forget I said anything!
You need medicine, right?!

131
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I wonder what kind of medicine this is.

132
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Lick!

133
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Potato flour?

134
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This is for Master Jinshi, right?

135
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Thinking about it, Master Jinshi
is pretty mysterious.

136
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It's not out of place for a noble to do that,

137
00:13:06,535 --> 00:13:08,621
but if he's of such high rank,
why is he a eunuch?

138
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Was he also made a eunuch by the unilateral
decision of the previous empress dowager?

139
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Like my dad?

140
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The girl's adopted father
is a eunuch and former doctor.

141
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If she studied under a former doctor,
it explains why she's so knowledgeable, but...

142
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A eunuch?

143
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Yes.

144
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Did we ever have such a skilled
doctor among the eunuchs?

145
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Pardon me.

146
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Shall we pick up the discussion
from the other day?

147
00:13:58,629 --> 00:14:03,551
It seems you played quite a few dirty tricks.

148
00:14:03,551 --> 00:14:07,555
How rude! I don't want to
hear that from a thief.

149
00:14:07,596 --> 00:14:12,601
I spent a decade convincing that old madam,

150
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and you stole her out from under my nose.

151
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So you want your prize returned?

152
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No, I'll pay whatever you ask.

153
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I'm not keen on repeating my past mistakes.

154
00:14:27,533 --> 00:14:28,576
And if I refuse?

155
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Then there's nothing I can do, is there?

156
00:14:32,580 --> 00:14:38,586
You can count on one hand the number of
people who can defy someone as high up as you.

157
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As I thought, he does know who I really am.

158
00:14:42,590 --> 00:14:47,595
I'm just concerned about what
my daughter would think, is all.

159
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Ugh. So that's really what it is.

160
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I don't want to admit it,

161
00:14:58,606 --> 00:15:02,610
but Lakan is Maomao's father by blood.

162
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Could you just let her know
I'll be visiting her sometime?

163
00:15:16,582 --> 00:15:17,583
Bye, now.

164
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Apothecary.

165
00:15:28,594 --> 00:15:29,553
Yes.

166
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There's an official who wants
to meet you sometime soon.

167
00:15:33,641 --> 00:15:35,559
Who is he?

168
00:15:35,643 --> 00:15:40,564
It's the weirdo I've been telling
you about. His name is Lakan—

169
00:15:46,612 --> 00:15:48,572
I'll turn him down somehow.

170
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Thank you. I'll get back to work now.

171
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I've never seen her make a face like that.

172
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And I never want to see it again.

173
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So, he found out.

174
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This smell...

175
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It's an herb garden!

176
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Here! And there! And there, too!

177
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You again?

178
00:16:40,541 --> 00:16:43,585
Oh, no. This is way too suspicious.

179
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Don't worry. I haven't taken anything yet.

180
00:16:46,630 --> 00:16:50,551
Is it safe to assume
from the dirt on your hands

181
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that you were just about to?

182
00:16:56,557 --> 00:16:58,559
I'm not trying to punish you.

183
00:16:59,560 --> 00:17:01,603
This is an unofficial garden, anyway.

184
00:17:01,603 --> 00:17:04,606
But the doctors know about this place too,

185
00:17:04,606 --> 00:17:06,608
so I'd advise against frequent visits.

186
00:17:07,609 --> 00:17:10,571
Are you in charge of this place?

187
00:17:10,571 --> 00:17:15,534
Who knows? I'm just allowed
to plant what I want here.

188
00:17:15,617 --> 00:17:18,579
She's pulling up the weeds.

189
00:17:19,580 --> 00:17:22,583
Suirei, I think her name was?

190
00:17:22,624 --> 00:17:28,589
Not that I'm one to talk,
but she doesn't seem very excitable.

191
00:17:29,548 --> 00:17:31,550
What are you planting?

192
00:17:36,597 --> 00:17:38,599
A medicine to resurrect someone.

193
00:17:39,600 --> 00:17:40,559
Is that...?!

194
00:17:41,560 --> 00:17:43,604
A medicine that can bring
the dead back to life...

195
00:17:44,563 --> 00:17:49,568
If such a thing exists,
I want it more than anything!

196
00:17:50,569 --> 00:17:51,570
Just kidding.

197
00:17:52,613 --> 00:17:54,531
A joke...

198
00:17:54,531 --> 00:17:59,620
I heard you're an apothecary.
Just how good are you?

199
00:18:00,621 --> 00:18:02,539
I don't know.

200
00:18:07,586 --> 00:18:12,591
A little while from now, I'll be
planting some morning glories here.

201
00:18:22,559 --> 00:18:23,560
Goodbye.

202
00:20:15,547 --> 00:20:30,520
Next time: "Chance or
Something More."