The events center on the period when the heroine slipped into the enormous city of the usurper, and took a job as a yam curler in the palace. The unnamed girl's foe, the usurper, is also never given a proper name: "His face was scarred and twisted, his towering form draped in black robes that flew in his wake like the wings of a crow that dies in midair and cartwheels to the ground.
The story revolves around the period when the heroine entered the enormous city of the usurper and secured employment as a yam curler within the palace. The unnamed girl's adversary, the usurper, remains without a proper name: "His face was scarred and twisted, his imposing figure cloaked in black robes that trailed behind him like the wings of a crow that falls to the ground mid-flight.