Chapter 40: The Hidden Truths

The White Princess, Akane, sat with a calm, almost calculating gaze, studying Rin closely. The air in the tea room felt thick with the unspoken questions lingering between them. As the two apprentices sat in silence, waiting for her to speak, Rin kept his posture polite, his hands folded neatly in his lap. His thoughts, however, were elsewhere, trying to navigate the maze of questions that Akane might pose next.

When Akane finally spoke, her voice was smooth and composed. "I must thank you both for your efforts with the inspection. The Crystal room was restored without issue. However, I have a few questions, particularly for you, Shimuzu Rin." She paused, her gaze sharpening.

Rin met her eyes without hesitation, but inside, a quiet tension brewed. He had been expecting this moment.

Akane's tone was respectful, but there was an underlying scrutiny. "I must say, you handled the situation with the three princesses well. You seemed... composed. Your mannerisms suggested you come from high origins. But when I asked you about it earlier, you claimed it was due to the teachings of the White Elder. Tell me, Rin, is that truly the case?"

Rin smiled politely, choosing his words carefully. "While I appreciate your curiosity, White Princess, my ability to navigate delicate situations comes from the teachings of the White Elder, yes. He speaks frankly, but his teachings are effective. As for my status, it is not what you might think. I've learned much on my own. The White Elder recognized my quick grasp of things and took me in as an apprentice, just as he did with Black Princess Miharu."

He emphasized Miharu's name subtly, hoping to steer the conversation in a direction where he wouldn't have to delve too deeply into his past.

Akane's eyes flickered for a moment, but she remained calm. "I see... You both have been trained well, then." Her words felt like a dismissal, but the sharpness in her eyes betrayed a curiosity that hadn't yet been satisfied.

Rin felt the weight of her gaze. He knew he hadn't entirely convinced her, but he couldn't afford to reveal more. The less she knew, the better.

"Rin," Akane continued, her tone shifting slightly, "You seem quite adept at handling delicate matters, but there's one thing I can't ignore. Your involvement with Urakawa Miharu... a woman from a family of traitors. I can't help but wonder why the White Elder took her in, and why you, of all people, helped her rise to the position of Black Princess Consort."

Rin feigned ignorance as he tilted his head slightly, maintaining his calm composure. "It only felt right when I trained Princess Miharu," he said, his voice even, though his mind raced beneath the surface. "Is there perhaps some personal reason why you have disdain for the Urakawa's, Princess?"

Akane's eyes narrowed ever so slightly, her gaze turning even more intense. The silence between them thickened as she weighed his words. Rin knew she was testing him, probing for something more. Beneath his calm demeanor, Rin was acutely aware of the delicate balance he had to maintain.

She replied, her voice a mix of controlled anger and sadness, "The Shinegori family has suffered more than anyone can imagine due to the Urakawa's rampage. My family lost many trusted agents and personnel, people who devoted their lives to serving the Empire. All because of the actions of a few. I don't need to explain the pain it caused... you would not understand."

Rin's expression softened, and he carefully controlled his own emotions. He was familiar with the bitterness and suffering that came from the Urakawa family's past actions. In truth, the Urakawa's betrayal had been one of the most devastating moments of his life. But what Akane didn't know was that he understood far more than she could ever imagine. As the former Hoshimi Rin, the one who had once been deeply involved with the Empire, he knew of the hidden truth behind the Urakawa family's actions, a truth that could never be revealed. There were traitors deeper within the Empire, and if the truth about the Urakawa's innocence came to light, it could risk the stability of the entire Empire.

"Your pain... I understand it more than you know, Princess," Rin said softly, choosing his words carefully. "I, too, failed to protect those who should have never gone at odds with each other. The devastation caused by betrayal is something I know all too well."

Akane's eyes flickered with a hint of surprise, but she did not press further. Rin could feel her suspicion still lingering in the air, but he had managed to divert it for now.

He leaned forward slightly, his tone gentle but firm. "But I can assure you, Miharu is not like the others of her family. She will not harm you or your family. I trained her because I believe in her potential to rise above the past and become someone who can help heal the wounds caused by others."

Akane studied him for a long moment, her expression unreadable. She then let out a slow breath, as if deciding not to press further. "I will hold you to that, Shimuzu Rin," she said, her voice now neutral but still carrying an undercurrent of caution. "We shall see what path she walks in the future."

Rin gave a slight nod, relieved that the conversation had shifted, but he knew this wasn't over. There were many more questions yet to be asked, and many more secrets to protect. He only hoped that he could continue to walk this fine line between truth and deception without falling into the traps set by those who sought to uncover more than he could afford to reveal.

After the departure of Rin and Harumi, the White Princess, Akane, sat in the quiet of the tea room, her thoughts swirling in a storm of suspicion and curiosity. She stared at the empty teacup before her, her fingers idly tracing the delicate porcelain rim. Despite her calm demeanor, she couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to Shimuzu Rin than he let on.

The more she observed him, the more she sensed there was a hidden depth to his story, a past that he was carefully concealing. The way he had skillfully deflected her questions, and yet, there was a glimmer of truth in his answers—each sentence calculated and evasive, each answer just enough to satisfy without revealing too much. Akane was no fool. She knew a person with secrets when she saw one.

Rin, the so-called warrior of the White Flower Palace, seemed like nothing more than a skilled apprentice to the White Elder. But there was something about him—something in his eyes, in the way he spoke, that made Akane believe he was hiding a great deal. It was not just the fact that he had trained Miharu, the Black Princess Consort, or that he was well-versed in the manners of nobility despite his lowly position. No, it was the way he spoke of the Urakawa's, of the Empire, and of his past that felt off. His knowledge of matters he should not have known, and his ability to control the room, suggested he was more than just an apprentice with a simple background.

Akane's mind was sharp, and she would not let this mystery slip through her fingers. She had to uncover the truth about Shimuzu Rin. The truth about his origins. What did he know? What was he hiding?

The room was silent for a moment before she called out to her head maid, a trusted and loyal servant who had worked alongside her for many years. "Get me a blank letter," Akane commanded, her voice low but firm.

The head maid, whose name was Harads Kiyomi, quickly entered the room, bowing her head in acknowledgment. "At once, Your Highness."

Kiyomi returned with the blank letter and a set of sealing wax, handing it over to Akane with a respectful gesture. Akane took the materials in silence, her eyes narrowing as she composed her thoughts.

With a steady hand, Akane began to write, her pen moving swiftly across the paper. The words were careful, each one chosen with intent, as if she were speaking directly to her father, the Grand Minister, Shinegori Arata.

"Father," she wrote, her script flowing gracefully, "I have someone I want information on. His name is Shimuzu Rin, the Warrior of the White Flower Palace. I believe he is someone more than he seems. I wish to know his origins."

She paused for a moment after sealing the letter, her expression unreadable. Rin was a puzzle—one that she intended to solve. If he thought he could hide his past from her, he was gravely mistaken. Akane's mind was a labyrinth, and she would navigate it until she found the truth.

With a satisfied smile, she handed the letter to Kiyomi. "Take this to my father," she instructed. "I want this to reach him personally. Make sure it is delivered discreetly."

Kiyomi bowed again and left the room without a word, carrying the sealed letter with the weight of Akane's request. Akane watched her leave, a small, knowing smile playing on her lips. She could already feel the wheels of intrigue turning.

As she sat back in her chair, the quiet hum of the palace surrounding her, Akane allowed herself a moment of satisfaction. She had set the wheels in motion. Soon enough, she would know everything there was to know about Shimuzu Rin. No secret could remain hidden from her for long. And once the truth was revealed, she would decide how best to use it to her advantage.

For now, though, she leaned back in her chair, her eyes glinting with quiet anticipation. Shimuzu Rin had made a powerful ally of the White Princess. But he had also made an even more dangerous enemy. And this was only the beginning.

As Rin and Harumi made their way back to the White Flower Palace, Harumi couldn't help but smile with a sense of relief. Despite the intense questioning they had endured from the princesses, it seemed like they had survived another round unscathed. Her shoulders relaxed as she thought about their close call with the White Princess, Akane.

"You know, Rin," Harumi said with a cheerful grin, nudging him playfully. "At least the White Princess isn't in love with you like the other three. I mean, the three princesses were already such a pain to deal with, but Akane doesn't seem like she has any romantic interest in you. That makes things so much easier!"

Rin gave her a half-smile, though his thoughts were far from the same. He appreciated Harumi's optimism, but there was more to Akane's interest than her lack of affection. Still, he was glad she wasn't immediately trying to claim him like the others.

"Yeah," Rin said with a quiet chuckle, "I suppose that's one less thing to worry about." But his mind wandered back to the White Princess and her perceptive nature.

Akane was far from ordinary, Rin knew that well. In the story of the Golden Girl's Rise, Akane had been known for her calculative mind—able to read people with alarming precision. She had the uncanny ability to understand what others were thinking, a sharpness that could pierce through anyone's facade. That alone made her dangerous, but there was one thing that could blind her: her emotions.

Rin knew that Akane's ability to navigate civil matters in the empire was unmatched. Her family, the Shinegori family, had long been trusted with the intricate workings of the Empire's governance. But the problem lay in the fact that Akane, as perceptive as she was, could be emotionally driven. When emotions clouded her judgment, her normally sharp mind dulled.

Rin had seen that when he mentioned Miharu, using the Black Princess Consort's name to keep Akane from probing further into his relationship with the other princesses. He had seen the shift in Akane's demeanor—she had become more focused on Miharu's connection to him than any other potential suspicions. It seemed to be working for now, but Rin could sense that Akane's suspicion was still there, simmering just beneath the surface.

He couldn't ignore the fact that Akane was beginning to question his real identity. The daughter of Shinegori Arata, the Grand Minister of the Empire, was no fool. Rin knew that only a few individuals knew of his departure from the Imperial Palace—Shinegori Arata among them. Arata had been a close ally to his father, Emperor Masaki, and Rin trusted that the Grand Minister would keep his secret. After all, they had made an oath to protect certain truths, and Rin knew that unless the Emperor himself allowed it, Akane would not learn of his past.

There was another truth Rin couldn't ignore: Arata was one of the few who knew the truth about the Urakawa family's innocence. He had kept it hidden, just like Rin, for the same reason—there were traitors within the Empire, and revealing the truth could bring disastrous consequences. It was a secret the two had agreed to protect, and it seemed that even Akane, despite her sharp intellect, remained unaware of the Urakawa family's innocence.

Rin sighed deeply as he walked beside Harumi, the weight of his thoughts pressing on him. The pressure was mounting, and even though he trusted Arata, he couldn't shake the feeling that the truth would eventually come to light. What would happen then? Would Akane be the one to unravel it all?

"Rin?" Harumi's voice snapped him back to reality, and he looked over to see her gazing at him with concern.

"You're looking a bit grim there," she said, her voice soft with worry. "If it's getting too hard to bear, you know you can always share some of your burdens with me. I'm here for you."

Rin couldn't help but smile at her words. Harumi had always been there for him, and her timing was always spot on, just when he needed it most. He could feel the weight lift slightly from his shoulders, knowing that he wasn't entirely alone in this.

"Thanks, Harumi," he said quietly, grateful for her unwavering support. "I'll keep that in mind."

They walked in comfortable silence for a few moments, Harumi keeping pace beside him, her cheerful attitude a bright contrast to his swirling thoughts. Rin was relieved to have someone like Harumi by his side. In a world filled with politics, intrigue, and powerful princesses, it was easy to feel like everything was closing in on him. But for now, he knew he had a friend who would stand with him through it all.

And maybe, just maybe, that was enough to keep moving forward.