Chapter 81: Broken Heart

The first day of the Imperial Courtship Event had been long, and as night settled over the Shinu Falls and its famed hot springs, the Imperial Convoy finally stopped for rest.

The reserved area was quiet, the natural sounds of cascading water and distant chirping insects filling the air.

Meanwhile, Rin remained with the Advance Squad, patrolling the outer perimeter of the area. Unlike the others, who stayed near the main grounds, Rin had wandered toward a hidden pathway leading deeper into the forests.

His black eyes narrowed as he inspected the narrow road, noting its seclusion. It wasn't marked on any maps, yet it was clearly a man-made trail.

"A hidden route this close to the convoy…?" he thought, crouching down to examine the soil.

Just as he finished his analysis, footsteps echoed behind him.

Instinctively, he turned, his expression calm but wary.

Emerging from the shadows of the trees were two familiar figures—Azure Princess Consort Chinen Suzuki and her head maid, Rina.

Rin's presence in the Red Palace Guard's uniform clearly caught them off guard.

Suzuki's eyes widened for a brief moment before her lips curved into a warm, knowing smile.

"I didn't expect to see you here, Rin." Her tone carried a gentle amusement, but there was something else—delight.

Rina, however, stiffened. Unlike her mistress, she immediately recognized the problem—

Shimuzu Rin was here.

The same man her mistress adored.

The same man who was now standing before her, dressed in an elite warrior's uniform, looking far too dignified and handsome.

This was bad.

Suzuki stepped forward, her blue eyes glimmering in the dim moonlight.

Rin remained still, then gracefully bowed, keeping his expression neutral.

"May I ask what brings the esteemed Princess Consort and her head maid to this path?" he inquired, his voice steady.

Suzuki let out a soft chuckle, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"I wanted to take a walk… but I suppose I lost my way."

Rina shifted uncomfortably behind her mistress, eyeing Rin cautiously.

"We should head back, Your Highness. It's late," she suggested, clearly hoping to avoid further interaction.

But Suzuki had no intention of leaving just yet.

She took a step closer to Rin, her movements fluid and graceful.

"What about you, Rin?" she asked, tilting her head slightly. "Are you stationed here for security?"

Rin instinctively took a small step back, keeping a respectable distance between them.

"Yes," he answered plainly. "I am part of the Advance Squad. If you follow the main path ahead, it will take you back to the housing area safely."

Suzuki caught on to his subtle attempt at dismissal.

But she wasn't ready to leave.

Not yet.

Rina, sensing the shift in atmosphere, bit her lip.

This was getting dangerous.

And Rin knew it too.

The moonlight illuminated the silent tension between them, the once-forgotten path now the setting of an unexpected reunion.

The moonlight bathed the hidden path in silver as the faint rush of the distant falls filled the silence. Rin stood rigid, his black eyes watching Princess Consort Chinen Suzuki approach him with hesitant steps.

"Why are you keeping your distance?" Suzuki asked softly, her voice carrying both confusion and hurt.

Rin's gaze remained steady. "I should not have been seen by any of the consorts."

Suzuki frowned slightly but took another step forward. Rin immediately stepped back, maintaining the distance.

She noticed.

"Why?" she questioned again, this time with a slight tremble in her tone. "It's just the two of us right now."

Rin's reply was calm but firm. "That does not change the fact that it is inappropriate. It will cause unnecessary misunderstandings."

Suzuki exhaled, shaking her head. "I don't care about misunderstandings. Let them talk. I will deal with it."

Rin took another deliberate step back. "Stop. Stay where you are."

The distance between them was not just physical—it was an unspoken barrier, one that Rin refused to let her cross.

Suzuki's blue eyes shimmered with unspoken emotions. A tear slipped down her cheek as she whispered, "I can't… Not when so many others have already fallen for you too."

The words hung in the air, raw and painful.

Rina, the head maid, watched with tense apprehension. Seeing a consort of the crown prince reaching for another man—this was dangerous. She sighed inwardly and silently prayed for Rin.

Suzuki took a shaky step closer. "I just… I only want you to love me back, Rin."

Rin's expression did not soften.

"And yet you are bound by duty to another," he stated plainly.

Suzuki's hands clenched into fists. Her voice rose with frustration. "Duty? Duty?! To a man who doesn't even care?! To a man who wasn't there when I was suffering?!"

Her body trembled as her emotions overwhelmed her.

"Where was Crown Prince Kazuo when I was dying from my illness?!" she cried, her voice laced with bitterness. "Where was he when I needed comfort, when I needed someone to save me?!"

She glared at Rin, her emotions spiraling.

"It wasn't him—it was you! You were the one who saved me, Rin! You were the one who gave me a reason to keep living! And yet, I'm expected to devote myself to a man who has given me nothing?!"

Suzuki's words dripped with contempt, each syllable a dagger thrown at the absent crown prince.

Rina, standing nearby, paled. She frantically looked around, terrified that someone might have overheard. To slander the Crown Prince so openly—this was treasonous.

But when she turned back to Rin, she froze.

His eyes—usually calm, collected, unreadable—were now cold.

There was no warmth in his expression. No hesitation.

Only disdain.

"You have overstepped, Princess Suzuki." His voice was like ice, sharp and unforgiving.

Suzuki's breath caught in her throat.

"To slander an Imperial Royal in such a manner… You, who have received the privileges of being the Azure Princess Consort, should know better."

His words struck like a whip, each syllable precise and merciless.

Suzuki stared at him, her confidence wavering.

"Rin…?" she whispered.

His black eyes bore into her.

"Do you truly wish to know how I feel about your affections?"

Her body tensed, a deep-seated fear curling in her stomach. Rin never lost control. He never raised his voice. He never let emotions dictate his actions.

And yet, right now—he was staring at her as if she were nothing.

Rin's voice was calm, but the hatred in his words was unmistakable.

"I hate you."

The air turned suffocating.

Suzuki felt her entire body go numb.

"I hate the fact that ever since you entered my life, I have constantly been in danger." His words cut deep, sharper than any blade.

"I hate that my one moment of kindness—a simple duty to help someone in need—has shackled me to this never-ending nightmare."

Suzuki's hands shook. "No… I—"

"I just want to live," Rin stated plainly, his voice devoid of emotion. "But you… You will be the death of me."

Suzuki gasped.

Rina silently clutched her chest, barely able to process what she was witnessing.

Suzuki's lips trembled. "Rin, I—"

She reached out to him—desperate, wanting to apologize, wanting to hold on to something—

But Rin slapped her hand away.

A sharp smack echoed in the empty pathway.

Suzuki staggered back, staring at her outstretched hand in disbelief.

Rin's gaze was unwavering. His expression held no pity. No hesitation. No warmth.

For the first time in her life, she saw his true emotions laid bare.

Disgust.

Resentment.

Hatred.

"You are the Azure Princess Consort," Rin said, his voice cold and final. "Your duty is to Crown Prince Hoshimi Kazuo. Do not approach me again."

A final blow.

A death sentence to whatever fragile hope she had held onto.

Rin's last words shattered her completely.

"I hate you."

Suzuki's breath hitched.

Tears blurred her vision as her entire body shook. She couldn't bear to look at him anymore.

With one last shattered sob, she turned and ran.

Her footsteps faded into the night, leaving only Rina standing there—completely paralyzed.

She had never seen her mistress so broken.

And she had never seen a man look at a woman with such unforgiving hatred.

For the first time in her life, Rina felt true fear.

Not for Suzuki—

But for Rin.

The night air was heavy with unspoken emotions, the distant sound of the falls barely reaching their ears.

Rin stood still, his gaze locked onto Rina, who had yet to move.

Then, his voice, low and measured, cut through the silence.

"Rina… Who do you serve?"

Rina flinched at the question.

For a moment, she hesitated. She had just witnessed her mistress's heart being shattered—and yet, the man before her, the one who had delivered the blow, now stood in the aftermath of his own actions, seemingly weighed down by them.

She met his black eyes, expecting them to still be cold. But something had changed.

He had calmed down.

After a moment, she lowered her head slightly and answered.

"I am loyal to Princess Suzuki. No one else."

Rin sighed. It was neither relief nor disappointment—just resignation.

He ran a hand through his hair and exhaled, his expression shifting into something far more human than before.

"Take care of her," he said, his voice quiet but firm. "Do not let her do anything rash."

Rina blinked.

For someone who had just torn a woman apart, he was still concerned for her well-being?

Before she could say anything else, Rin suddenly collapsed onto the ground, his legs giving out as he sank into a crouch, elbows resting on his knees.

He let out a slow breath, his fingers lightly pressing against his forehead as if he had just realized something terrible.

Rina stared.

It was subtle, but his face—the way his jaw clenched, the slight furrow in his brows—

She could see it.

The weight of his words.

The burden of what he had just done.

For the first time, she wondered—

Did Rin himself even want to say those things?

Rina stepped back, unsure how to respond to the turmoil she didn't quite understand.

But duty came first.

With one last glance at Rin, she turned and ran after Suzuki, disappearing into the night.

Leaving him alone.

With only his own torment as company.

Rin sat in silence, his gaze locked onto the night sky. The moon hung high, silver light cascading down as if it, too, were watching him—just as it always had. In both lives.

His chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm, but inside, there was a storm.

He had lost control.

The moment Suzuki slandered Kazuo, something inside him had snapped.

He had always known—Kazuo was meant to be Emperor. That was the fate of this world, written long before he ever lived in it. His brother's reign was a golden age, ushered in by the woman who led the four consorts—Urakawa Miharu.

It was their story.

But now, everything was wrong.

Because instead of Kazuo, the consorts had fallen for him.

Rin clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms.

Where did it start to change?

Was it the moment he chose to help? The moment he reached out when he should have stepped back?

He had only wanted to do what was right. To save those he could.

Yet, in doing so…

He had broken the very fate that was supposed to unfold.

A cold breeze passed through the trees, rustling the leaves. He closed his eyes for a brief moment, letting the wind carry his thoughts.

Then, he exhaled, fixing his uniform.

He had hurt Suzuki.

He hadn't meant to. He only wanted to keep her in line, to remind her of the duty she carried. But instead, he had let his emotions take control.

That had been a mistake.

The moonlight glowed softly, warm against his face despite the chill in the air.

He could not afford to waver.

Not when the story was already crumbling around him.

Pushing his emotions aside, Rin rose to his feet, straightening his posture. Duty first.

Without another word, he turned away from the quiet solace of the night—

And back to the responsibilities that bound him.

Suzuki rushed into her chambers, her hands trembling as she gripped the fabric of her dress.

Her chest ached, but she bit her lip, forcing herself to keep walking.

The moment she passed the other consorts—Miharu, Rei, and Akane—she kept her head down.

She wouldn't let them see her like this.

Not when she was barely holding herself together.

"Princess…," Rina murmured softly, following closely behind her.

Suzuki didn't answer. She didn't trust her voice to stay steady.

As soon as she reached her room, she shut the door, her breath hitching. Her hands shook as she gripped the edges of her pillow, and before she could stop herself—

She buried her face into it, sobbing.

The tears she had held back spilled over, hot and unstoppable.

"I was a fool…" she whispered against the fabric.

She had thought—naively hoped—that if she kept reaching for him, Rin would finally see her.

That maybe, just maybe… he could love her back.

But instead…

Instead, she had heard his voice—cold, sharp, filled with something she never thought he'd direct at her.

"I hate you."

Suzuki squeezed her eyes shut, gripping the pillow tighter.

She had never seen Rin like that. Never imagined that her presence—her feelings—had been hurting him all this time.

She had wanted to be selfish, to chase after her heart's desire…

But in doing so, she had only pushed him further away.

A soft knock came at the door.

"Princess…," Rina's voice was gentle.

Suzuki didn't answer.

She couldn't.

Because for the first time in her life—

She truly understood what it meant to have a broken heart.

The morning sun filtered through the dining hall's ornate windows, casting a soft golden glow over the long table. Yet, despite its warmth, the room itself was cold and heavy.

Seated at the head of the table, Crown Prince Kazuo ate in complete silence. Every motion—every bite, every sip—was mechanical. There was no emotion, no presence. Just a hollow figure going through the motions of a meal he barely seemed to taste.

The Imperial Attendant, standing at the side, continued relaying the plans for the day, his voice filling the oppressive silence.

"After breakfast, His Highness and the four consorts will visit the Shinu Garden, where a guided tour has been arranged. Following that, there will be an informal luncheon by the waterfall before preparations for tonight's banquet commence—"

No one responded.

Not even a polite acknowledgment.

The weight in the air was unbearable.

The consorts—Rei, Miharu, Akane, and Suzuki—remained silent at the table.

None of them ate much.

But Suzuki, more than anyone, stood out.

Her shoulders were slumped, her eyes downcast, fingers barely toying with the food on her plate. She hadn't taken a single bite.

The Head Maids noticed it immediately.

They exchanged uneasy glances, but none dared to speak.

It was painfully clear—Suzuki was still shaken from whatever had happened the previous night.

The once confident and proud Azure Princess Consort was now nothing more than a shadow of herself.

And still, Kazuo didn't react.

Didn't look at her.

Didn't look at any of them.

He simply continued eating, as though completely unaffected by the suffocating atmosphere around him.

The consorts felt the weight of it pressing down on them.

They weren't fools.

They could feel it—this entire Imperial Courtship was nothing but a formality.

Crown Prince Kazuo did not care for them.

He did not even try to.

And perhaps, under different circumstances, they wouldn't have cared either.

But after experiencing Rin's presence—his warmth, his natural ability to lead, the way he brought people together effortlessly—this?

This was unbearable.

Rei's fingers tightened around her chopsticks.

Miharu exhaled slowly, controlling her irritation.

Akane… Akane, who always found a way to twist a situation to her advantage, felt nothing but exhaustion.

They all thought the same thing.

Let this be over already.

Let this endless suffocating silence come to an end.

One way or another.

The waiting room was quiet, save for the gentle rustling of fabric as the maids carefully adjusted the consorts' garments. The lingering scent of incense filled the air, meant to calm the nerves, but it did little to ease the tension weighing over them.

Suzuki sat before the mirror, unmoving.

Her reflection stared back at her—an elegant young woman draped in the resplendent azure robes of a consort. A title that should have been an honor. A title that she once fought to accept.

Yet now, the very sight of it made her stomach twist in disgust.

She raised a hand, fingers trembling as they brushed against the fine silk of her sleeves.

"I hate it."

The words left her lips in a whisper, but the room was so still that the others heard it clearly.

Miharu, Rei, and Akane exchanged glances.

They had noticed her sorrow since the moment they woke up, but none of them had spoken about it. Until now.

Miharu set down the hairpin she had been holding. "Suzuki," she said carefully, "what happened?"

Suzuki didn't respond.

Rei narrowed her eyes. "Don't tell me it's nothing. We can all see it. You look like a ghost."

Akane, who normally had something sly or teasing to say, simply observed Suzuki in silence.

Suzuki exhaled shakily, her grip tightening on the arms of the chair. "It doesn't matter."

"It does." Miharu's voice was firm.

Suzuki finally looked at them.

For the first time since last night, her eyes weren't just filled with sadness—they held something darker.

Self-loathing.

Regret.

And an aching, overwhelming bitterness.

"I was a fool," Suzuki said with a smile that held no joy. "I thought I could… but I was wrong. I'm just a worthless woman who reached for something that was never meant to be mine."

She turned back to the mirror, her gaze dropping to the azure robes draped over her form.

She wanted to tear them apart.

To rip them to shreds.

To destroy every reminder of what she had become.

But she couldn't.

The weight of her status, her duty, and the chains of the Imperial Courtship kept her hands still.

The other consorts watched her quietly.

They were rivals.

Enemies, even—each of them fighting for the affections of the same man.

And yet, in this moment, they felt something they didn't expect.

Pity.

Sympathy.

Despite everything, despite their own ambitions, they didn't want to see her like this.

Akane sighed, crossing her arms. "Well, this is miserable."

Rei glanced at her before shaking her head. "Look, Suzuki. Whatever happened, if you want to talk about it, we're here. If not, then at least… don't drown in it."

Miharu placed a hand on Suzuki's shoulder, her expression softer than usual. "You don't have to carry it alone."

Suzuki didn't respond.

She simply stared at herself, eyes empty.

And for the first time, the three consorts realized—whatever had happened to her last night…

It had broken her.