A second piece of news happened: Hanamura was killed. Even though it seemed like a most unfortunate accident, some people were not sure. After all, she was a very capable woman, perhaps too capable. Which was why there was a list of possible suspects.

However, the main concern was the more scandalous one.

Kite had returned to his post and he was joined by Kai the next morning. By this time, they could tell that the security was not really necessary as Shiraishi gave no indication of leaving the room and people knew that the emperor did not wish for Shiraishi to be disrupted. Shiraishi's friends did come but they knew what they could and could not do. At the most, they could only manage to get an answer from the other side of the door.

That was why Kite was very surprised when he saw Yuu and Rachel approaching them.

"I wish to go and talk to him." Yuu demanded.

"Princess Yuu, he doesn't even want to talk to your brother so I don't see why he would bother to talk to you." Kite said bluntly. "Right now, the only person who has talked to him is the emperor and Chitose as Chitose happened to accompany the emperor."

"Well, Princess Rachel wishes to talk to him. She is a foreign princess." Yuu pointed out, suddenly wanting to make Kite agree with her.

"We are not the one who locked the door." Kai pointed out. "Shiraishi is."

"Then I will try…" Rachel decided.

She was even more worried when there were no answers. The reason that Rachel wanted to talk to Shiraishi was because unlike many others, she knew the truth due to knowing it, not by guessing it.

She was a princess so she was always expected to obey the law. While she might have turned a blind eye on very minor offences or extremely out of date law like most people, the serious ones had to be followed.

Whatever happened was a severe crime, but she wished to know the truth. After all, how could you make any judgement if you did not know what was happening?

"Princess Yuu, what do you think?" Rachel asked.

"I don't really know. Shiraishi…he simply doesn't seem the type to commit adultery, let along rape. Besides, he doesn't even seem to be interested in woman." Yuu said with a shrug before her voice turned very serious. "Princess Rachel, I am going to be honest with you because I regard you as a friend and I have learnt a little about the type of person that you are."

"Whatever happened between Shiraishi and her is a crime but right now, people are not sure about what has happened. The problem is whether both parties were willing. Right now, Shiraishi is said to be the victim, but he would still have to leave because he was still at fault for sleeping with the one who would be the future empress. If that along cause exile, then what do you think would happen if he had been willing?"

"Princess Yuu, what are you trying to say?"

"I am merely telling you what might happen. I don't like politics." Yuu suddenly said. "And neither does Sengoku-niisan. My grandfather told me that it is often a painting disguised as a mirror: you are not seeing the truth even though it is disguised as the truth."


Despite what Yuu said, Rachel still wished to know what really happened. This was also because Shiraishi had become a friend to her. Also, she knew that Shiraishi was in love with Ashita. Therefore, she would like to help him.

"I am hurt that you finally come to see me due to another man." Niou commented. His words were said in his typical flippant manner but Rachel noticed that there was a grimness to him that seemed a bit out of character.

"I remember how you told me about Shiraishi and Lady Ashita, and I thought that it was strange that you could know so much. But now I think I understand." Rachel began. "But why are you here?"

"I have never lied to you in that matter." Niou said bluntly. "I find you very interesting."

"You find me interesting?" Rachel repeated, but the words now had a different meaning due a different speaker. "Why is it that you find me interesting?"

"I don't know." He admitted. "This is the first time that I have been interested enough to leave my home with this elaborate scheme. But tell me, what do you think about me? After all, it is not fair that I am the only one who is answering questions."

"I don't know either." Rachel said in equal honesty. "I didn't know even before I learnt about your real identity. But you- you are not human. You are someone that we can never understand. I feel that I can never be certain about you."

"Yes, because your rules are not mine, and I am not sure whether I can follow them. But I will tell you one thing: you are special. If I make a promise to you, then I will never break it."

"But you are not human so how long would I continue to be interesting to you?" she pointed out bluntly. "How do I know that you will remain with me?"

Niou did not answer as he could not answer. He himself did not know just how much he cared for her. After all, this was a feeling that he has never experienced before.

He was afraid as well. He and his twin brother cared for no one because eternity was an unbearable mourning period.

"What about Tezuka then?" he suddenly said.

"What about him?" Rachel asked with only the slightest change in her tone, but that was enough for Niou.

"It seemed that time is finally going to affect me personally." He chuckled out before he asked: "But do you forget your purpose for coming to see me?"

"Of course not." She said indignantly. "But do you know the truth?"

"Why do you want to know the truth?" Niou asked instead.

"Because I know that what happened could not have been the truth." Rachel pointed out. "And Shiraishi is my friend.

"And what would you do if you know the truth?" Niou asked. "If it was not rape then are you going to condemn Shiraishi? If there are actually two culprits then would you reveal the other one?"

"Of course not! I do not think that I would condemn him but…what happened would result in some one being executed so I wish to know the real reason. And if I can, I want to help Shiraishi, as I know that her death would affect him."

Chuckling, Niou reached to grab Rachel by the chin so that they were looking right at one another. "Kindness will not help you. You should learn from the other princess by detaching yourself from this whole mess."

"Unlike Yuu, Shiraishi is my friend." She pointed out.

"Then I will show you his burden and you can decide for yourself."

He released his hold on her chin only to take her hand.

"I will show you that poor boy's burden- the burden given by the two that love him, as well as the two that he loves."

Without any warning, the two of them suddenly appeared in Shiraishi's room and at first, she was not sure whether Shiraishi failed to notice them due to some sort of spell cast by Niou, or whether it was simply because of his state.

Shiraishi was sitting on the ground, leaning against one of the shelves that were now empty. His face was buried in his knees and his arms hung rather limply by his side. His body was actually shuddering and he was weeping softly.

Gesturing for her to be silent, Niou lightly tapped on the wall, causing Shiraishi to look up.

Rachel took an automatic step forward due to his expression. Not only was it one of extreme sadness, it was also someone who gave up hope. Someone who sees without seeing.

"To whom should I pray for a miracle?" Shiraishi muttered, his voice extremely hoarse due to his weeping. "That is my only hope."

Yet he made it clear that he had no hope.

"What gods would help me when they gave me the cruellest fate?" he continued as he buried his face into his hands. "I hurt her as I will be her murderer. Yet I must live as that is what she wants. This is my fault, all of it, but to live with this…Ashita, your gift is too cruel…"

Raising his hand, Niou did a sharp gesture and caused them to return to their original place.

"Do you understand now? What happened was mutual, but the little girl wants him to live so she spun her elaborate lie." Niou explained.

"I understand what you meant, when you told me that I should not find out the truth." Rachel admitted. "But why did you let me know?"

"Because you wished to know."

"Then would you help me if that is what I wish?"

At this, Niou looked away from her. "I will not lie to you. As I have said, this is the first time someone is this special to me. I do feel sorry for them but…"

"I understand," she told him without any reproach. "And that is what I meant. That is why I can not be certain about you."

Niou's indifference was not due to cruelty- but the simply fact that he was not a human. While he might not be detached enough to say that this was a comedy, at the most it would only be a tragedy.

Rachel could not condemn him, but she could never be like that.