Shimizu Rin hummed quietly to himself as he worked in the kitchen of the White Flower Palace. The savory aroma of fried pork wafted through the room, mingling with the fresh, crisp scent of cabbages he had just finished washing. His knife moved with practiced precision, slicing the cabbage into fine, uniform strands before placing them into an ice bath to keep them crisp.
Just as he began to whisk the sauce in a bowl, the door behind him creaked open. A cheerful voice called out, filled with energy.
"Rin-kun! I heard you caught a wild boar roaming around. Let me help with cooking!"
Rin turned slightly to see Higashi Harumi, one of the White Flower Palace maids, stepping into the room. Her bright smile lit up her face as she quickly made her way to his side, her hands outstretched expectantly.
Rin glanced at her with a wary smile, pulling the sauce mix closer to his chest. "I appreciate the enthusiasm, Harumi, but... I don't trust you in the kitchen. The last time you 'helped,' it ended in disaster."
Harumi puffed her cheeks in an exaggerated pout. "That's not fair! I'm not that bad!"
"You turned a bag of bread into a black pile of liquid," Rin replied dryly, raising an eyebrow.
Harumi flinched, her pout deepening. "It was just one time!"
"One time too many," Rin shot back, sidestepping her attempt to grab the bowl of sauce he was mixing. Without missing a beat, he continued whisking as if it were second nature.
Not ready to admit defeat, Harumi moved to lift the lid of the deep fryer. Before her fingers could even graze it, a wooden ladle came down lightly but firmly on the back of her hand.
"Ow! That hurts! You're so mean, Rin-kun!" she whined, shaking her hand dramatically and glaring at him with mock indignation.
"You're mean to the food," Rin countered, giving her a pointed look. "You'd probably burn water if left alone long enough."
Harumi waved her arms above her head in playful frustration, her childish antics failing to mask her determination. "I just wanted to help! Is that so wrong?"
Rin sighed, setting down the ladle. "You're plenty helpful, Harumi—just not in the kitchen. Remember that sandwich you made last month?"
Harumi paused, her face turning sheepish. "It... wasn't that bad..."
"You turned bread into a pile of black sludge," Rin said flatly, crossing his arms. "I didn't even know that was possible."
Harumi groaned, slumping against the counter in defeat. "You'll never let me live that down, will you?"
"Not a chance," Rin replied with a small grin, returning to his work.
As Harumi watched him expertly handle the ingredients, her pout slowly melted into a smile. Despite his teasing, she couldn't help but admire how effortlessly Rin transformed simple ingredients into delicious meals.
"Fine," she huffed. "I'll just watch you cook, then. But next time, I'm helping whether you like it or not!"
Rin chuckled softly, shaking his head. "We'll see about that."
Harumi's gaze flickered downward, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. She opened her mouth to defend herself but faltered, unable to muster a comeback.
Rin sighed softly, shaking his head. Turning his attention back to the counter, he carefully plated the food he had prepared.
On each of five plates, he arranged golden-brown pork tonkatsu slices, their crispy texture gleaming under the light. He drizzled the homemade sauce over the top in neat lines and added a generous side of thinly sliced, chilled cabbage. The final presentation was immaculate, and Rin felt a small sense of pride.
From the corner of his eye, he noticed Harumi staring at the plates with an expression of pure hunger.
"Let's deliver these to everyone, Harumi," Rin said, snapping her out of her trance. "We can eat after we're done."
Harumi instantly brightened, her earlier sulking forgotten. She grabbed one of the trays with enthusiasm, her mood lifting.
"Alright, let's go!" she chirped, following Rin out of the kitchen.
As they walked through the halls of the White Flower Palace, trays of food in hand, their conversation shifted into lighthearted banter.
"I'm just saying," Harumi said with mock seriousness, "I could totally cook something edible if you gave me another chance."
"I'd rather not tempt fate," Rin replied, smirking. "The food deserves better than that."
Their laughter echoed through the halls, a testament to their close friendship. Despite the teasing, Rin knew he valued Harumi's companionship. She was one of the few people in his life who treated him like any other person, unburdened by the knowledge of his royal lineage.
If she ever found out I was a prince, she'd probably freeze on the spot, Rin thought with a hint of amusement.
Harumi had been his companion since the day they both entered the White Flower Palace. Their shared journey as apprentices under the White Elder had brought them together, pairing them for countless tasks. The White Elder had seen potential in both their abilities with magic and had taken them under his wing without question.
Speaking of the White Elder, Rin found himself contemplating the old man's peculiar nature. The elder had never pressed him about his background, though Rin suspected he knew more than he let on. After all, it was Rin's father—the emperor—who had sent him here.
It's not a bad arrangement, Rin thought. I'm treated like an ordinary person here, and that's exactly how I want it.
The two soon arrived at the White Elder's chamber. Balancing the trays carefully, they knelt on the floor in front of the door, their heads bowed respectfully.
"White Elder," Rin called softly. "We've brought you dinner."
The door opened on its own, revealing the serene figure of the White Elder sitting cross-legged in the center of the room. His posture was perfect, his presence exuding calm as though the air itself had stilled in his presence.
Harumi and Rin entered the room quietly, setting the food down on a small table in front of the old man. Once done, they knelt before him, heads lowered in deference.
The White Elder's voice was calm but carried a certain weight. "Thank you for delivering my dinner. I have much to discuss with both of you. Please stay for a moment."
As he began to eat, the room fell into silence. Rin cast a quick glance at Harumi from the corner of his eye. Her stomach had been growling softly since they entered, and her face was a mixture of hunger and restraint as she watched the old man eat.
Harumi... Rin stifled a chuckle, his lips twitching into a faint smile.
The White Elder paused mid-bite, his gaze flickering briefly toward Harumi before a subtle smile crossed his lips.
"Harumi," the elder said, his tone light, "I suspect you're hungrier than I am. You may eat first if you wish."
Harumi froze, her face turning red as she scrambled to wave her hands. "N-No! I'm fine, Elder! I can wait!"
Rin bit the inside of his cheek, holding back a laugh.
"Does the White Elder have orders for us tomorrow?"
The question was simple, but the atmosphere in the room shifted instantly. The White Elder swallowed, his gaze growing serious, and both Harumi and I found ourselves holding our breath. There was a gravity in his expression that warned us of something important.
"Indeed," the White Elder replied slowly, his voice steady but weighty. "I need to leave for the Eastern Side of the Empire. The inspection of the Golden Barrier there is an urgent matter, so I'll be relying on you both to handle something else."
He paused, his eyes scanning the room, ensuring we were paying full attention.
"I've received a report about the Azure Princess Consort. You will take this letter to the Azure Dragon Palace and investigate her condition."
At his words, a ripple of unease passed between Harumi and me. We both knew the Azure Dragon Palace was no place for inexperienced apprentices like us, yet the White Elder's trust in us had always been unspoken but firm.
The White Elder continued, explaining that the matter had been brought to him in secrecy. As his trusted apprentices, it was our duty to investigate.
He handed me the letter with a quiet but firm gesture.
"White Elder, are you sure about having us handle this? We don't have any medical experience," I asked, my voice filled with concern.
The elder gave a small, reassuring smile. "You will be fine, Rin. It's not a disease. It's something that requires magic—specifically, the kind of magic you're familiar with."
He then pulled out another letter—this one sealed in an ornate envelope—and handed it to me.
"Read this, and you will understand. Harumi will assist you with the more logistical aspects of the investigation. I have faith in both of you. Work together."
Harumi and I nodded in unison, a silent agreement between us to do our best.
The mood in the room lightened slightly, but the tension from the mission still hung in the air as we left the White Elder's chambers.
As we made our way back to the kitchen quarters, our footsteps echoed in the quiet hallways.
"What do you think about the orders we received, Harumi?" I asked, glancing sideways at her.
Harumi smiled, hands tucked behind her back as she walked along beside me, her steps light and carefree. She leaned slightly forward, her playful demeanor filling the air.
"The White Elder often assigns us tasks that are within our capability of solving, so it should be fine," she said with confidence, closing her eyes as if to punctuate her words. "Since it's a case related to magic, we should be able to handle it."
Her words made sense, and I couldn't argue with her reasoning. The White Elder was rarely wrong when it came to assessing our abilities. Still, something about this assignment felt different, more mysterious. Noticing my silence, Harumi turned her head to look at me, her eyes glinting with curiosity.
"Is there something on my face?" I asked, feeling her gaze linger longer than usual.
She shook her head, a mischievous smile playing on her lips as she stepped in front of me, hands pressed together in front of her chest. She blocked my path for a moment, making me stop.
"You know," she said, a teasing edge to her voice, "I often think that you're handsome, Rin-kun. It's such a shame you were born a commoner. If you were someone of status, I bet the ladies would flock to you."
I sighed, rolling my eyes at her words, but I couldn't help a small smile tugging at my lips. Harumi seemed to enjoy teasing me, and I let her have her fun.
"You think I'm that much of a catch, huh?" I asked with a raised brow. "You're just trying to flatter me."
She winked, a playful glint in her eyes. As she walked ahead of me, she glanced back with an exaggerated frown.
"I pray you don't try to seduce one of the Princess Consorts," she said dramatically. "You'd lose your life if word got out! Try to keep that handsome face in check, alright?"
I chuckled at her warning, the idea of me stealing one of my brother's brides seemed absurd. While I knew my royal status could complicate things, for now, I was just another apprentice warrior at the White Flower Palace.
"Are you that scared I'll look at other girls instead of you, Harumi?" I couldn't resist the retort, my voice light and teasing.
She stuck her tongue out at me and started walking faster, trying to escape my teasing.
"You're overconfident now that I've said you're handsome?" she replied, throwing a mischievous glance over her shoulder. "It'll take more than that to snatch my heart, Rin-kun."
Her teasing smile made me laugh, and before I knew it, she was pulling me along with her. Her stomach growled loudly, and I could tell she was already hungry.
"We'd better hurry, then. You're starving, aren't you?" I said, letting her pull me along, already knowing I'd be making her a meal tonight.
When we finally reached the kitchen, I wasted no time. I set to work preparing the pork tonkatsu, making sure each portion was perfectly golden and crispy. After a few minutes, the two of us sat down at the counter, plates of steaming food in front of us.
"Your cooking is always the best, Rin-kun!" Harumi exclaimed, her eyes lighting up with admiration as she dug into her meal. "Please teach me some other day! I want to improve my own cooking."
I laughed at her enthusiastic praise, but the second part of her sentence caused a slight chill to run down my spine. I wasn't sure I was ready to put my taste buds through another disaster of her cooking.
Harumi joyfully devoured the food, her compliments flowing freely as she praised my cooking. The words were flattering, but it was her second statement that struck a note of dread in me.
"Yeah, no…" I said, shaking my head as I finished my own meal. "I'd rather you give up on cooking. Your future husband will have to deal with a wife who's... well, not quite culinary inclined."
The moment the words left my mouth, Harumi pouted her cheeks, a look of mock outrage crossing her face. Without warning, she began to hit me with her fists. It didn't hurt, but the small attacks were annoying, especially when I was trying to finish my dinner.
"Rin-kun, that's rude!" she huffed, still swinging her fists at me. I tried to block them with one hand, but it was hard to keep my focus when she was attacking me with the other.
"Alright, alright, I get it. No more cooking jokes," I said, holding up both hands in surrender.
Finally, Harumi stopped, crossing her arms and tapping her foot in mock irritation. I took the opportunity to finish my meal, but she was already back to being her usual energetic self.
"By the way," I said, wiping my mouth with a napkin, "let's brainstorm about our visit to the Azure Dragon Palace. Since it's a secret request, we should probably make sure to visit them under the guise of something else."
Harumi swallowed her food before placing her chopsticks neatly at the side of her bowl. Her demeanor shifted from playful to serious as she looked directly at me, the weight of the mission dawning on her.
"If you put it that way, we'll need to inform them properly," she said, her expression matching the tone of the conversation. "But I'm sure the White Elder already handled that part."
I nodded, knowing the White Elder was meticulous about the details. Even so, the gravity of our mission wasn't something I could easily brush aside. We needed to approach the Azure Dragon Palace with caution—respect for their status and the secrecy of the request were paramount.
That night, we finalized the details of our visit. The fact that we were heading to the Azure Dragon Palace, a place brimming with power and nobility, already made things more complicated. There were rules to follow, formalities to observe, and a sharp eye for anything that could be misinterpreted. For someone like me, born of royal blood but now living under the guise of a commoner, the situation felt like walking a tightrope.
As the evening drew to a close, Rin and Harumi stood outside her room, the soft light from the lanterns flickering in the hallway. They exchanged a few more words about the plans for their visit to the Azure Dragon Palace, but there was a certain quietness to the moment. It was as if both of them, in the peaceful embrace of the night, knew that the following day would bring something they weren't fully prepared for.
"Goodnight, Rin-kun," Harumi said with a small smile, her eyes reflecting a warmth that only came when she was around him. "I'll be ready early tomorrow. We'll take care of everything just like we always do, right?"
Rin chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, we'll figure it out. We always do. Sleep well, Harumi."
She gave him a playful, slightly exaggerated salute before disappearing into her room, leaving him standing there for a moment. Rin watched as she closed the door, the soft sound of the latch echoing down the corridor. He turned on his heel and walked to his own room, his mind already wandering to the challenges ahead.
Once inside his room, Rin felt a sudden sense of peace, but also something deeper—an apprehension that gnawed at the edges of his thoughts. With a quiet sigh, he stripped off his clothes and slid under the covers, staring out the window. The moonlight bathed the room in a gentle glow, and the cool breeze carried with it the scent of the cherry blossoms outside.
"I shouldn't interfere with the fate of this world," Rin murmured to himself, his voice barely above a whisper. "The events should unfold by itself, so there is no need to do anything."
But as he stared up at the stars twinkling brightly above, his thoughts began to spiral. His mind briefly lingered on his past—his life as a prince, the forbidden love, the expectations, and the heavy weight of the throne he could never bear. For a moment, he thought of how simple life could be if only he could live without worrying about it all. His hand reached out toward the sky as if trying to touch the very stars that seemed so far away, the ones that now seemed to be beyond his grasp.
"Let's make sure we live a peaceful life!" he said with a quiet, determined smile.
But just as his hand fell back to his side and his eyes closed, something shifted deep inside him. The quiet peace he'd felt earlier vanished like smoke in the wind. The faintest sense of unease lingered at the back of his mind, like a whisper calling him to something he couldn't see but could feel. It was as if the world was gently reminding him that fate wasn't something that could be escaped so easily.
Little did Rin know, the life he envisioned, one of simple peace, would soon be disrupted. Fate had already woven its web around him, and no matter how far he tried to run, it would catch him. As he drifted off to sleep, the world quietly hummed with the promise of what was to come, waiting for the right moment to pull him back into its grand tapestry.
And so, with that promise hanging in the air, Rin's peaceful night gave way to the inevitable challenges that lay ahead.