Chapter 4: Loyalty and Determination

The head maid, visibly shaken and full of regret, sank to her knees in front of both Rin and Harumi, her face pale and eyes filled with guilt. "I… I apologize," she said, her voice trembling. "I failed you both. I should have acted sooner." Her words were heavy with sorrow as she began to explain the full scope of the situation. "The Azure Princess… she began using her psychic magic to control us last week. At first, it was just small whispers, subtle commands, but over time, the influence grew stronger. She ordered us to kill her, and we resisted as best as we could, rotating the unaffected maids to keep the influence at bay. But as time passed, more and more of us became affected, and we were unable to stop it. The spell spread like wildfire, and soon, no one in the Azure Dragon Palace was immune."

She paused, her hands clasped tightly in front of her as she took a deep breath, steadying herself. "I… I had no choice," she continued, her voice dropping to a somber whisper. "In order to protect the maids and prevent the Princess's influence from taking full control, I resorted to using a third party. I chose the White Flower Palace, hoping they would act quickly to address the problem. I knew that you two—Rin and Harumi—were the prized apprentices of the White Elder, and I thought… I thought that if I used you, the blame would fall on you instead of us. I take full responsibility for this plan, and I deeply regret involving you both in such a dangerous scheme."

Her head hung low, her apology genuine but laced with the weight of the choices she had made. The air was thick with the realization of how far things had spiraled out of control. The head maid, though a victim in her own right, had made the decision to manipulate others to save her own people, and in doing so, had endangered both the Azure Princess and the apprentices.

Rin's voice was stern, his frustration still palpable as he questioned the head maid. "Why didn't you report this to the Imperial Palace? This situation should have warranted an immediate report to them..." His eyes were piercing as he awaited an answer, the weight of his words hanging heavily in the air.

The head maid, her face filled with regret, hesitated for a moment before speaking, her voice low. "I... I couldn't," she admitted, her hands trembling in her lap. "If I had reported it to the Imperial Palace, the Azure Princess's position would have been questioned. Her illness, her mental state—it could have led to her being replaced." She looked up at Rin, her expression sorrowful but firm in her reasoning. "The Princess has been suffering since late summer. Her condition has only worsened since then, and it's lasted until this spring. At the time, her position wasn't yet solidified. She wasn't fully recognized as the rightful heir, and if word had gotten out about her illness, there was a chance she could have been replaced by another."

Her voice broke with the weight of the decision she had made, her eyes lowering in guilt. "I didn't want to see her thrown aside just because she was sick. She had enough to bear without that added burden. I thought I could manage it, find a way to protect her without exposing the truth. But I was wrong," she whispered, her shoulders slumping with the enormity of her mistake. "I should have acted differently. I should have trusted the Imperial Palace, but I was afraid of what might happen to the Princess if I did."

Rin, still with his Quantum Eyes activated, processed the head maid's explanation with astonishing speed. In just a few seconds, he quickly grasped the complexities of the situation. While he was secretly one of the princes of the empire, his identity as a prince was locked away in the dungeon. 

The Imperial Palace, driven by its need to maintain control, would have likely viewed the Princess's illness as a weakness. If the truth had been reported, the Princess's legitimacy might have been questioned, and her position could have been threatened. Rin could now understand the head maid's fear of exposing the situation to the Imperial Palace. She had acted out of a desire to protect the Princess. 

Rin sighed, his gaze softening as he observed the head maid kneeling before him. He could sense her deep loyalty to the Azure Princess, a loyalty so strong that it had driven her to make desperate decisions. It was clear now that, in her eyes, the Princess's suffering had been unbearable—so much so that, in her twisted sense of duty, she might have seen death as the only release.

Her actions, though misguided, came from a place of devotion, yet Rin couldn't shake the feeling that her loyalty had blinded her to the true dangers of the path she had chosen. She had wanted to protect the Princess, yes, but perhaps she had also wanted to end her suffering, even if it meant allowing the Princess to rest in death. The thought was troubling, but Rin knew that her intentions, no matter how flawed, were driven by an overwhelming desire to shield the Princess from further harm.

Harumi, her frustration reaching a boiling point, couldn't hold back any longer. Her voice trembled with anger and disbelief as she spoke out. "I... I almost killed someone! I was used to kill a noble, and the blame would have fallen on me! On both of us!" Her fists clenched tightly at her sides, the weight of the situation pressing heavily on her.

Rin let her vent, understanding the turmoil she was experiencing. Harumi had been manipulated into committing an unforgivable act, one that would have marked her for life. He knew that the crime, had it been carried out, would have placed the blame squarely on their shoulders. As apprentices of the White Elder, they would have been held accountable for the death of the Azure Princess, an innocent act of murder that they had no choice but to resist. 

He stayed silent, allowing her to release her frustrations, knowing that it was important for Harumi to voice her emotions. They both carried the burden of what had nearly transpired, and the blame—rightfully or not—would have been theirs to bear.

The head maid, with tears in her eyes, bowed deeply, her voice filled with remorse. "I… I am truly sorry for everything. I will take full responsibility for my actions. I will report everything to the Imperial Palace now that the truth is known. I'll fulfill my duties, no matter the cost." Her hands trembled as she spoke, her guilt overwhelming her.

But Rin, his expression calm yet resolute, stopped her before she could move further. He raised a hand, a quiet but firm gesture that silenced the head maid. The air around them seemed to still for a moment as Rin spoke, his voice steady. "No. You don't need to report it to the Imperial Palace."

Harumi, who had been silently watching the exchange, now turned to Rin with a bewildered and confused look. She couldn't understand why Rin would stop the head maid from taking responsibility, especially given the gravity of the situation. The tension in the room grew as Harumi's eyes flicked between Rin and the head maid, unsure of what this new direction would mean for them all.

Rin's voice remained composed as he addressed the situation. "Since you mentioned the Azure Princess has been suffering for almost three seasons now, it would be fine to keep this a secret for a while longer." His gaze turned distant, thinking about the condition. "I've already predicted that the Constitution Overload will resolve itself sometime around spring. The enhancement will subside, and the Princess will recover naturally."

He paused, his expression tightening. "The issue is, the Azure Princess is currently suffering, and her psychic magic is out of control. She's using it to manipulate the maids, forcing them to kill her. That's the immediate danger we face—the Princess's condition is affecting not only her health but also the safety of everyone around her."

The head maid listened intently, her face a mix of guilt and hope. She understood everything Rin said, except for the part about Constitution Overload. The term was unfamiliar to her, and she struggled to grasp the full extent of the condition. Still, seeing Rin's confident and calm demeanor gave her a flicker of hope, something she hadn't felt in weeks. His assured presence reassured her that there might still be a chance to save the Azure Princess, despite the overwhelming odds.

The way Rin spoke, with such certainty, was enough to make her believe that there was a solution—that he could handle this. She nodded slowly, her mind processing his words. "I... I trust you," she said quietly, her voice filled with a newfound sense of hope. "Please, do whatever you can to help her. I'm willing to do anything to assist you."

Rin turned to Harumi, his gaze steady but soft. "Do you trust me?" he asked, his voice carrying the weight of the situation. His question wasn't just about the current task but about the bond they had forged and the decisions ahead. 

Harumi hesitated, her brow furrowed as she recalled what had nearly happened. But when she looked into Rin's eyes, she saw the same unwavering confidence that had calmed her earlier. He wasn't just confident for himself, but for the situation as a whole, and for her. 

After a long pause, Harumi sighed, her shoulders slumping slightly as the tension left her body. "I do," she said quietly, though there was still a trace of uncertainty in her voice. "I may not fully understand everything, but I trust you. We'll do this together."

With that, Rin gave her a small, reassuring nod. It was clear that they were in this as a team. Together, they would face whatever challenges lay ahead, and save the Azure Princess from her torment.

Rin took a deep breath, his resolve firm. "To prevent anyone else from being influenced by the psychic magic," he said, looking at the head maid with determination, "I'll be the one to enter the Master Chamber and remain there until the Azure Princess's condition becomes stable." He paused, ensuring that she understood the gravity of his words. "I'll take full responsibility for it. I'm the one who resisted the magic, so it makes sense for me to shoulder the burden. I don't want anyone else to fall under her control."

The head maid, though hesitant, nodded in understanding. She could see the weight of Rin's decision and knew it was the only way to protect everyone from the Princess's dangerous influence. Rin's presence was the only thing that could prevent the further spread of the magic, at least until the Princess's condition stabilized.

Rin continued, "I also have a plan to lessen the pain of her Constitution Overload. It will be my duty to tend to her during this time and ensure she stops using her psychic magic. She's in a fragile state, and her magic is only making things worse." He looked at the head maid with a firm yet reassuring gaze. "I'll make sure she doesn't harm anyone else. Leave the rest to me."

With that, the head maid bowed deeply. "Thank you, Rin. I trust you will do what's best for the Princess."

Rin gave a small nod before turning to Harumi. "We'll need to stay focused. The sooner we address this, the sooner the Princess will be free from her torment." He then walked toward the Master Chamber, ready to face the challenge head-on.

Rin gave his orders to the head maid with clarity. "I will be the one tending to the Azure Princess until she stops using her psychic magic," he said firmly, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Ensure that any necessary supplies are provided, and make sure the Princess is not disturbed during this time."

He then turned to Harumi, his gaze softening slightly. "Harumi, find a place where we can stay near the Azure Dragon Palace," he instructed, tossing her a pouch full of coins. "We'll need to be close in case anything changes, and it's better if we aren't too far from here."

Harumi caught the pouch, her eyes widening slightly at the weight of it. She nodded, understanding the task. "Got it, Rin. I'll make sure we're settled in somewhere nearby."

With that, Rin turned his attention back to the head maid, ensuring she understood the gravity of his plan. "I'll handle things from here. Keep everyone else at a distance for now." 

As Rin walked toward the Master Chamber, his mind was focused on the difficult task ahead—tending to the Azure Princess and ensuring her psychic magic was kept under control. He couldn't afford to let his guard down, especially now that the stakes were higher than ever.