A long long time ago, in the Heian era of Japan lived the Onimaru family, they were nobles. Big ones, their eldest son Onimaru Yasuo was an idea noble, smart, kind hearted, Helpful and beautiful. He was born healthy, lived his years learning and helping commoners, farmers and the poor. Until... It was 876, he was about 21-25 years old at that time, still unmarried and spouseless. Mostly because he wanted his younger sister to grow up properly and get married to a good house before he did. Though life wasn't always peaceful. A disease hit him. It was bad, he began to get weaker and weaker by the days and no one could help him

"I am sorry... For being such a burden"

He would say to the servants tending to him

"Not at all young master. Please do not say such words"

The servants would reply to their hearts aching for a man who had been selfless his whole life. But his condition only worsened. Slowly he couldn't even leave the house, the physicians weren't really a help either. Though Yasuo still clang to a desperate hope to live.

" Not now"

He would mutter to himself

"I can't just leave like this"

His stubborn will to live was almost endearing. If he wasn't suffering because of it, his hair had started to thin. His eyes were always tired, his body had gone so weak he could barely stand.

That was until an apothecary showed up, the man had a wooden case filled with herds, different kinds of them. He had asked his parents to give it a try. They agreed, desparate to keep their only son alive. The apothecary had done some tests on Yasuo, they worked a little. Slightly not that much. Then one day the apothecary suggested to use a Flower he had found in the mountains in an open area in the dense forest a Flower that closely resembled spider Lilies.

These were blue though, an unnatural colour. The apothecary had suggested experimental treatment. Which clearly meant he could try but the outcome was unknown.

"I have a way, I am not sure if it would work. But would you agree to give it a try?"

"Yes, I will fully consent to try this method"

Yasuo had agreed to try it. After all he was going to die either way so he wasn't risking anything. The apothecary started to use it subtly. Making sure to be careful, the medicine tasted awful. Especially for someone like Yasuo who had a very sensitive sense of taste. But the improvements were noticeable. Yasuo finally got the strength to walk on his own. Though only for a few hours before his health would start to decrease again, he took that time to spend time with his family and help others. Even when he was dying, he was still the same kind hearted man.

The Apothecary told him after another treatment

"It appears to be working Incredibly. We should increase the doses"

The apothecary had said, proud about his creation and the increasing health of the heir of the Onimarus.

"Sure"

Yasuo had said grooming a small kitten on his lap, which he had found near the estate

"I am happy to know you comply. I am honoured to be the one to cure you"

"I should be honoured to be cured. Thank you"

Yasuo had smiled that day, his gentle sky blue eyes meeting the Apothecary's firm ones.

The doses started being used more, the flower appeared more in treatments. And it was working Incredibly well. Too well... By the end of the year Yasuo was healthy again, radiating under the sun as he finally got to leave the house without support or assistance in years.. he was about 26-30 right now.

The apothecary, happy with his cure and his long served patient, had given him a gentle smile before leaving

"I hope you live a long life, and enjoy your years"

" I owe you my life. Literally, thank you for saving me"

he said eyes filled with a quiet stubborn flame.

His family was extremely happy about this his sister currently 18 was radiating joy at finally getting to go out with her brother again

"Brother! Brother! You need to go to the festival with me, it's been years since I've missed going out with you"

Yumiko has exclaimed brightly dragging her brother with her, her long black hair and deep blue eyes glowed brightly under the festival lanterns as they passed stall after stall.

"Careful Yumi, I am still recovering"

"I know! But I am so excited!"

They had spent the whole evening going from stall to stall and he bought her a hair ornament. One with white roses and a gold comb.

He had put it on her that night and said

" To the brightest soul I've ever known. You always kept hope for me"

She giggled at that night and pushed him playfully with her elbow

"I knew you would be cured! Now come here. I want you to see something"

She had taken him to another jewellery stall one with beaded jewelry. The owner said he had handcrafted each one.

"Ahaha, see these beautiful pieces of art? I had made them by hand. All of it. Pick what you like"

Yumiko had picked a bracelet, made with blue and black beads and subtle silver charms.

She had put it on her brother's wrist and paid the owner with her own allowance

"From me, to my "I am still recovering. Please don't pull" brother"

He chuckled loudly, leaning down to flick her forehead.

"It's true though, you keep pulling me"

Yumiko held her forehead with a pout, puffing her cheeks like a puffer fish.

"OW! You're so rude! ರ⁠╭⁠╮⁠ರ"

She pushed him harder, making him stumble back as he laughed even louder

"Oh you little gremlin"

A few days passed. He spent most of his time in the kitchen with his mother and the other servants, learning how to cook, something he had always wanted to learn but never could. Now after being at the very edge of death he had finally built the courage to learn cooking. Yumiko would always try to trick him into putting the wrong stuff, which would either turn up to be an absolute disaster or a new dish that tasted awfully good. The siblings would taste each other's food and make the most dramatic reviews known to mankind. Both were getting great at cooking or making a completely new dish via sabotage. The days were going peacefully until one day...

Yasuo had taken a bite of food and suddenly realized he couldn't quite satisfy his stomach or his taste buds.

"Hm? That's weird."

He fed dumplings to his sister, who immediately commented on the taste of the tender filling. He didn't quite understand why he couldn't taste it properly. But just shrugged it off, thinking it would just fix itself. He was healthy, he didn't need to worry much. Until it got worse, he started losing his taste buds and food wouldn't sit well in his stomach but he still forced it down. To keep himself full, even though most of the time he would either vomit it out or feel hungry even though he had eaten. His sister noticed too. One time when she had deliberately put in lemon in a sweet desert just to mess with him. She giggled imagining his reaction to the sour taste.

"Brother, here I have made you these delicious sweets made by me ✨"

He had taken a bite, no reaction, nothing. Not even a hint of discomfort.

"It's good, did you put something new in it?"

he asked her, oblivious to the sour taste.

"twenty lemons..."

She said looking horrified that he felt literally nothing, she expected him to Cough like a man dying. He was completely fine

"..."

Yasuo had gone completely silent after hearing that, realizing something was terribly wrong

"twenty... Lemons?"

"yes.."

"are you seriously trying to kill me?"

"I- that- HEY— DON'T REDIRECT."

She yelled Still very much confusion

"DON'T REDIRECT—"

Yumiko yelled loudly. Pointing at Yasuo, who looked very much guilty and definitely horrified by the realization that his taste buds were gone

"brother, what is wrong? You can't just not feel the sour. That's Impossible! I placed like TWENTY LEMONS"

"It's probably just a side effect..."

he trailed off not knowing what to say

"m-maybe it would just— fix itself"

"that's not a simple 'side effect' you can't even taste anything!"

"Yumi. You're worrying too much I will be fine"

He was not fine, by the following days his digestion started getting worse, though he kept eating. At one time he realized he could digest fruit better than anything else, so he did what any person would in that situation. Kept eating fruit, making new dishes to keep himself full. Even though he couldn't taste anything.

"hm"

he took another bite of the fresh batch of berries. Popping another into his mouth while cooking. using most of his time doing work, cooking and helping others as he slowly started to master everything. he was already intelligent, emotionally and politically. He would help his father with other nobles and talk to merchants. And tried to forget about his inability to taste food while he kept himself busy. A stubborn mind that refused to give up.

Fushimi's POV: Time passed, it's been six years now, Yumiko had a new maid now named Fushimi, she was a sweet young girl who was assigned to keep Yumiko comfortable, Fushimi usually peeled tangerines for Yumi in the morning and sat with her to talk. She was a lovely girl who wanted to be friends with everyone, and she was great at it. By the first few weeks she had already made more than half of the servants like her. She loved her job it was easy and her Lady was very nice too. But there was one person she couldn't reach. the Onimaru heir, ever since she had come here, he would avoid her, walk away or just not talk to her at all. She tried to figure out what was wrong. But she couldn't quite find the reason.

As time passed her job shifted to the kitchen, basically assisting Yasuo with cooking or learning from him. He would keep his distance, jaw tight sometimes other times he would cover his nose with his sleeve if she got close, Fushimi thought she probably smelled bad.

"huh? Do I smell of sweat and dust?"

she sniffed her own scent, she expected something bad

but she was wrong, she smelled of fresh tangerines. Yasuo wouldn't say anything but he was definitely tense around her in a way that was unusual. She would still try to talk to him. After all other people said he was a great person and very gentle with young people. but he didn't talk to her one bit just kept cooking occasionally eating a fruit. He would talk to others especially his sister, show her deliberate care and just walk past when Fushimi greeted him or tried to offer him something. It was kind of annoying. Mostly because because she had no idea why this was happening