The Emperor's Caretaker 06

皇帝陛下のお世話係 [Koutei Heika no Osewagakari] (Comic) #6

by Haruki Yoshimura (Adaptor), Ichiha Hiiragi, Aya Shouoto

A statesman's daughter finds herself swept into the world of palace intrigue when she's chosen to be a court lady in this richly illustrated period fantasy!

Though Souren and Linhua are blissfully in love, their relationship must still be kept an absolute secret. When Linhua’s powerful uncle upends everything by proposing that Linhua marry a kindhearted young man named Xuyue, she’s caught entirely off guard. Sensing that something about the plan is fishy, her brother Xiuying takes action to protect his sister. With tensions rising among the Five Great Families, Linhua finds herself at the center of a conflict that could change her destiny forever!

Genres: Manga, Romance, Historical, Historical Fiction, Graphic Novels, Young Adult, Fiction

Kindle Edition

First published February 6, 2025

About the author

吉村悠希

Reviews

[Kastie Pavlik · Rating 5 out of 5]

This volume digs deeper into politics and the separation of family matters vs Imperial matters, a distinction that carries quite a bit of weight. It feels like an "in-between" book, one that would be read best in an omnibus of 5-7 since it swings from the events of the previous books to the Emperor's funeral and then a new character. I adore this series, but there's something about this particular volume that doesn't hit the same sweet spot as the previous volumes. It feels like the marriage is being drawn out in ways that are unnecessary since Zhiyou knows about the engagement. I feel like the reasoning needs to be reiterated when certain other obstacles are cleared. Like, I get the pressure for him to be emperor if he has a wife, but why can't he stay interim emperor as he is now? Or what would prevent him from relinquishing the throne to Zhiyou when he's of age, which he'll do now anyway? And when Souren steals her from her room and asks if she loves him, I thought she'd be more mature about it. It seemed like a step back. IDK

[Mersi · Rating 5 out of 5]

the amount of feels competing with one another in my soul cavity is intense and so many.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series has been so charming and you just fall in love with the characters. It has good balance in romance, political intrigue, fun, and sentimentalism. Can't wait for volume 7.

[Kelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one lures you in with a cute, “falling in love with a prince” romance before hitting you over the head with some BIG, bittersweet feels~

[Bibliothecat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review to be adjusted once series is complete

Seventeen year old Liu Linhua gets drawn into court politics when her father decides that she should participate in a ceremony which is to determine the next empress. The main issue being that the emperor is only five years old and the other contestants are also mere children. Having no interest in becoming empress, Linhua instead focuses on looking after the little children as they navigate the adults in court.

The art is gorgeous and I found Linhua to be a fantastic character; she is a little feisty but she also knows how to play the politics games - she'll wear her mask when she needs to but she'll definitely also show her less ladylike sides when she's in a more comfortable space. Her way with children was beautiful and it gave the story a very sweet touch. That being said, there are already hints that there's more scheming in the background - I am very curious to see where this goes.

[R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Between the events with Linhua's uncle and the late emperor's funeral, there seems to be more than enough to keep everyone busy. It's rather adorable how Zhiyou's mind works and he's starting to identify ways to make people happier going forward, starting with those closest to him. We even get some more background into Linhua's father as events unfold, not that Souren or Xiuying seem inclined to let him off the hook any time soon. Linhua gets awfully flustered around Souren still, especially considering their relationship and how open Souren is with her, especially when they have some time together without the prying eyes of others, though Xiuying is very protective and seems to be watching them like a hawk.

[Jess | jadecanread · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ugh this is so quietly good! Though the engagement being set for five years long is both frustrating and understanding.

The characters are actually pretty multidimensional, and that's a delight.

Recap: Linhua's uncle was behind the attack, Zhuyen knows about them being engaged, Souren and her brother concoct a plan to draw out the uncle, Souren pretends to steal her away and knock her up so that the uncle will try and kill her, he's caught, banished, Linhua's father tries to step down and then we get to see the other side of how he came to be, I guess he's not so bad, then the former emperor's funeral, end with some beautiful woman being told that she should try and marry Souren.

[Cassandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

So the thing that is the hardest to understand in consuming asian media is the sense of liability and responsibility, this manga does a great job of explaining it so you aren't confused. The art is so beautiful, I love this artist. The manga feels like it is moving at a good pace as well. Every chapter feels like i moving us ahead in our story.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 rounded up

[R · Rating 4 out of 5]

This volume went in a different direction than I expected and I liked it.

[Alyssa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Idk this one was a bit boring I won't lie.

[Jacqueline · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars