After breaking a curse on the imperial heirs, a palace servant with training in herbal medicine is promoted to food taster, thrusting her into the midst of palace intrigue in this lushly illustrated historical mystery series. Strong-armed into socializing more, Maomao attends a spooky soiree where court ladies share spine-tingling tales of terror as a diversion from their daily toil. While there are plenty of chills to go around, the thrills are perhaps few for the skeptical Maomao until the evening takes an eerie turn. More excitement awaits when Jinshi requests Maomao's presence on a hunting trip. However, all is not as it seems when court intrigue and subterfuge are at play, and master and servant find themselves in a very tight spot and uncomfortably close quarters when a break from a banquet on the hunt goes awry.