The Apothecary Diaries (Kusuriya no Hitorigoto) revealed the cover illustration for Volume 16 of the light novel series, which is set to release on May 30, 2025. There will also be a limited edition bundle with an illustration scenario booklet of the anime’s first season, which will be available for pre-order on April 19th. The light novel series is written by Natsu Hyuga and illustrated by Toko Shino.

As described on Hero Bunko’s Amazonthe plot of the 16th light novel of The Apothecary Diaries series is as follows (spoilers ahead):

Half a month has passed since the emperor’s operation was successfully completed, and the winter season is approaching Thanks to the senior medical officer taking over the post-operative treatment,
Maomao’s busy daily life has returned to normal. One day, when Yu reads the letter that the old medical officer received, her face changed color. “Something scary might happen.” The letter said that the number of patients with blisters were increasing. Maomao had a bad feeling, but her worries were correct.

“The outbreak of smallpox.” It is an epidemic disease feared for its high contagiousness and mortality rate, and is prone to leaving scars on the face and body. There is no cure, and even Maomao will not be able to find it now. If the infection spreads, it is said that an entire village may be closed down.
A ray of light was shed on this hopeless situation by a word from Yu, who had once recovered from smallpox. “I survived thanks to that doctor.” The only private doctor Maomao knew who was knowledgeable about smallpox was Kokuyou. A handsome young man with smallpox scars on half of his face, whom Maomao would occasionally ask for help in the entertainment district. In preparation for a major outbreak of a troublesome infectious disease, we can never have too many doctors. Especially if they have knowledge of and resistance to smallpox. Kokuyou was hired after an interview by the medical officers and was dispatched together with Yu to a rural village with a population of several hundred where the infection was spreading.

One day, Maomao was approached by Jinshi, who asked for advice on whether the daughter of the head of the Empress Dowager’s family had put a curse on a certain person. The daughter of the head of the family was a concubine’s child, the sickly Zhizi, who was the Empress Dowager’s niece. As Maomao investigates at the request of the Empress Dowager to help her niece, she suspects that the gardenias were poisoned. The feelings of her mother, the concubine, begin to emerge. Meanwhile, as Maomao listens to Yu’s story of struggling to prevent the spread of smallpox, a big question comes to her mind. “Where did the smallpox come from?” As they investigate the source of the smallpox infection, Maomao and her friends come to a shocking truth…

It was also announced that the series has now over 40 million copies in circulation. Meanwhile, the digital English version of the light novel series published by J-Novel Club is currently translated up to Volume 13. Chapter updates of Volume 14 are available to read with their premium membership, while the complete version is set to be released on May 30. It is currently available for pre-order on multiple platforms.

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The Apothecary Diaries is a Japanese light novel series written by Natsu Hyuga and illustrated by Toko Shino. Shunfunotomo’s Hero Bunko publishes the light novel series, J-Novel Club digitally publishes it in English, and Square Enix publishes the English novels in print. TOHO Animation and OML animated the first season in 2023, while the second season is currently ongoing. J-Novel Club describes the plot of The Apothecary Diaries:

In the East is a land ruled by an emperor, whose consorts and serving women live in a sprawling complex known as the hougong, the rear palace. Maomao, an unassuming girl raised in an unassuming town by her apothecary father, never imagined the rear palace would have anything to do with her—until she was kidnapped and sold into service there. Though she looks ordinary, Maomao has a quick wit, a sharp mind, and an extensive knowledge of medicine. That’s her secret, until she encounters a resident of the palace at least as perceptive as she is: the head eunuch, Jinshi. He sees through Maomao’s façade and makes her a lady-in-waiting to none other than the Emperor’s favorite consort… so she can taste the lady’s food for poison! At her lady’s side, Maomao starts to learn about everything that goes on in the rear palace—not all of it seemly. Can she ever lead a quiet life, or will her powers of deduction and insatiable curiosity bring her ever more adventures, and ever more dangers?

Source: Hero Bunko’s X ( Formerly Twitter) & Amazon
© Natsu Hyuga/Shunfunotomotomo Info/”The ApotheCury Diraries’ Production Committee