A heavy silence settled over the battlefield.
Rin stood motionless, his fingers tightening around the Azure Empress's Insignia.
The once-vibrant woman—who had threatened them, loved him, and lost herself to corruption—was gone.
The only thing left of her rested in his hand.
The wind whispered through the valley, carrying the last remnants of her vanished existence.
Kazuo stared at Rin.
Not as a warrior.
Not as a fellow survivor.
But as a brother.
His throat felt dry, his heart aching at the sight before him.
This was Rin, his Rin—
The one who should have been smiling under the sun, not standing there, haunted by ghosts of the past.
Kazuo took a hesitant step forward, but…
He didn't know what to say.
What could he say to someone who had just purified—**and lost—**a woman who loved him beyond reason?
The four consorts and their headmaids could finally move.
Yet none of them rushed forward.
None of them spoke.
They only watched.
Suzuki pressed a trembling hand against her lips, her mana eyes shimmering as she struggled to breathe.
She saw it—the grief, the exhaustion, the quiet devastation Rin felt.
This was not just a battle won.
It was a memory he would carry forever.
Rei clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palm.
Her body screamed at her to move, to hold him, to pull him away from the abyss she could see him standing at the edge of.
But…
Would he even hear them right now?
Would their voices even reach him?
Miharu's breath came out unsteady.
Her mind flashed back to the Rin she once knew—the untouchable hero, the indomitable warrior.
Yet now, standing there, clutching the insignia of a fallen woman—
He looked so… small.
Akane was the first to step forward.
Her headmaid, Emi, looked at her with worry but said nothing.
Akane's sharp mind processed everything.
The loss.
The realization.
The painful, inescapable truth.
They had saved Rin, but at what cost?
Tsutomu took a moment to check himself—his muscles still ached, his body screaming from the crushing force he had barely survived.
Yet even through the pain, his attention was on Rin.
He wasn't just staring at the insignia.
He was clutching it.
Like a lifeline.
Like if he let go, it would slip away like everything else had.
Tsutomu's jaw tightened.
Rin's gaze swept over them.
Cold. Calculating. Observing.
Everyone flinched under the intensity of his eyes—except for one.
Kazuo.
The Crown Prince stood resolute, his gaze brimming with vitality yet clouded by lingering sorrow.
A man who had lost a brother.
A man who had found him once more.
Before anyone could speak, Rin turned to Akane.
His voice was sharp. " Princess Akane, explain to me what happened when I was gone for a while."
Akane stiffened but quickly regained her composure.
She knew Rin better than most.
He was like this when he was gathering intel, when he was preparing for the next step.
And despite the overwhelming power he now radiated, when he looked at her—
It was with trust.
Pure, unwavering trust.
A soft pink dusted her cheeks, but she quickly shook it off and smiled.
"You're really back… more powerful, but still the same man."
She then began to explain everything—from their desperate retreat to the revelation of his identity.
Tsutomu blinked.
What?
He made a questioning expression, his mind struggling to piece everything together.
The Crown Prince's brother?
The same man who had fought beside him in the Advance Squad?
The same man who had seduced the four consorts?
The same man he had treated as just another soldier?
Tsutomu couldn't take it anymore.
With a deep sigh, he muttered, "I've had enough surprises for today," and collapsed onto the ground, resting his aching body.
He had almost died today.
Let him process this later.
Before Rin could say anything else, Kazuo closed the distance between them and pulled him into a hug.
The Crown Prince held him tightly, as if afraid he would disappear again.
His voice cracked. "Brother… you stupid brother… why did you leave the Imperial Palace?!"
The raw emotion in his words struck everyone around them.
Each consort reacted differently.
Suzuki placed a hand over her chest, her mana eyes swirling with emotions. So he truly was…
Rei crossed her arms, trying to steady her breathing. The man I fell for… was royalty all along?
Miharu felt a mix of relief and regret. If I had known back then…
Akane, unlike the rest, exhaled deeply. She had known. She had prepared for this moment.
Then, a mischievous glint entered her eyes.
With a smirk, Akane turned to the consorts.
"Now then, about Rin's execution… congratulations."
The other three snapped their attention to her.
She let the moment hang before delivering the final twist.
"Shimuzu Rin will die… but he will live as Hoshimi Rin."
Silence.
The consorts' eyes widened.
They processed.
They realized.
And one thought echoed in their minds.
He's not just Rin.
He's the Second Imperial Prince.
Rin turned his gaze toward the Imperial Convoy.
Confused expressions met him.
They had been too far away to hear anything that had just transpired.
They had no idea.
Rin exhaled and turned to Kazuo. "Are these the only people who heard you call me your brother?"
Kazuo, still holding onto him tightly, nodded.
Rin sighed. "You're acting like a child."
Kazuo pulled back slightly, frowning.
"And you're acting like a ghost! You disappeared for years and didn't even send a single letter!"
Rin's expression turned deadpan. "What are you talking about? I personally sent letters to every member of the Imperial Family."
Kazuo blinked. "Huh?"
A brief silence.
Then, realization struck him.
Wait.
The pile of letters that had been stacking up in his room…?
Rin's eye twitched.
"You're telling me… you never read them?"
Kazuo stiffened. "I-I thought those were just from the family trying to help me through my despair!"
Rin stared. Then, without hesitation, he flicked Kazuo on the forehead.
"Ow! What was that for?!"
"For being an idiot."
Kazuo rubbed his forehead before his expression turned serious.
"Then… why did you leave?"
His voice was quiet.
His hands clenched as he whispered. "Was it because I pushed you down the stairs? Because I got jealous?"
Rin let out another sigh.
"It wasn't that."
Kazuo's eyes widened slightly, but before he could say anything, Rin added—
"Besides, I told you back then that it wasn't your fault, didn't I? Did you not hear me?"
Kazuo fumbled for words.
Then, he looked away, embarrassed.
"I was, um… kind of busy… realizing that I hurt my precious brother who was only trying to cheer me up… So, no, I didn't hear a single word."
Rin stared at him.
Then—
"Hah?"
His voice was full of disbelief.
"Was I ever mad at you for things like that?"
Kazuo looked back at him, stunned.
Rin shrugged. "I mean, sure, Izumi and Aya have pushed my buttons to the limit before, but that was only one time."
Kazuo blinked. "Wait—just one time? Even with all their pranks?"
Rin scoffed. "Unlike you, I can actually handle them."
The two brothers began to bicker.
The air around them lightened, filled with a warmth that hadn't been present in years.
The consorts watched in awe.
Their mighty, untouchable warrior—the man who had stolen their hearts—was now effortlessly bantering with the Crown Prince like nothing had changed.
And then—
It hit them.
Suzuki, Rei, and Miharu froze.
They exchanged horrified glances.
Wait.
Back when they had returned from their mission, Izumi and Aya had held onto Rin like he was the most precious thing in the world.
They had assumed—
They had all assumed Rin had seduced the Imperial Princesses.
But now?
Now they realized the truth.
Izumi and Aya weren't lovers to Rin.
They were doting sisters.
And they—
They had treated them with hostility because of their own misunderstandings.
They wanted to dig a hole and bury themselves.
While they were drowning in their own shame—
Akane, the only one who had known the truth, smirked.
"Ahhh, so you've finally realized?"
She placed a hand on her hip, tilting her head slightly.
"I was wondering how long it would take you three to figure it out."
The other three consorts turned to her slowly.
The urge to strangle her was immense.
Rin sighed.
"Well… that's that."
His secret was out.
At least to more people than he had ever wanted to know.
With over half the wrong people now aware, he figured… he might as well just run away.
A strategic retreat.
Yes. That sounded reasonable.
Just as he was about to take a step back—
A firm grip landed on his shoulder.
Kazuo, eyes burning with determination, refused to let go.
"No."
Rin gave him a deadpan look.
"Kazuo."
Kazuo shook his head. "You're not running away again."
Rin sighed again.
"This is your fault, you know."
Kazuo blinked. "Huh?"
Rin crossed his arms. "If you had just become Emperor like you were supposed to and sat on the throne properly, none of this would have happened."
Kazuo scoffed. "Oh, please. I never wanted the throne in the first place."
Then his tone softened.
"Besides… it was supposed to be yours."
Silence fell.
The consorts stiffened.
Wait. What?
Kazuo looked at Rin with a solemn expression.
"Father originally chose you as Crown Prince, Rin."
The shockwave of that statement was instant.
The consorts flinched.
Rin? The Crown Prince?
If that had happened, then—
He would have been theirs from the very start.
Even Akane, who already knew, was smiling uncontrollably.
Rin, however, sighed for the third time.
"That's not possible now."
He shook his head. "The Crown Prince is you, Kazuo. You need to step up, rally the Imperial Convoy, and handle this properly."
Kazuo frowned, but before he could protest, Rin continued.
"I'll help. But for now, I need to remain as Shimuzu Rin. If my identity is completely exposed, it'll cause unnecessary chaos."
Rin turned his black eyes toward the consorts and their headmaids.
Now that they knew—
It was only proper that he introduced himself correctly.
Brushing the dust off his red palace uniform, he straightened his posture.
With a calm, regal demeanor, he finally spoke.
"I'm sure you all know me as Shimuzu Rin. But let me clear this up."
His gaze swept across them, firm yet kind.
"My real name is Hoshimi Rin."
Silence.
"The 2nd Imperial Prince of the Hoshimi Empire."
The consorts opened their mouths, as if to say something—
But Rin had already turned his attention away.
His gaze landed on Officer Tsutomu, who was still laying down, exhausted.
With a sigh, Rin stepped toward him and held out his hand.
"Get up. This isn't the place to die."
His voice was steady. Assured.
Like a savior.
Tsutomu stared at him.
Then—
He laughed.
Even after all of this, Rin still treated him the same.
Though… now knowing that he was an Imperial Prince…
He had no idea how to react.
"What, you expect me to just stand up after nearly dying?" Tsutomu grumbled, still catching his breath.
Rin smirked. "No. But I do expect you to stop making excuses."
Tsutomu groaned. "Oh, so you're still annoying even as royalty."
Rin rolled his eyes.
"Just treat me the same as usual. I hate formalities when it comes to people I can trust."
As he spoke, he placed a healing spell on Tsutomu, easing his injuries.
The soldier hesitated—
Then sighed, accepting his hand. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say… your highness."
Rin narrowed his eyes. "Tsutomu."
"Fine, fine! I get it!" Tsutomu grumbled, standing up.
With that settled, the two turned away.
Their next move was clear.
They had a report to deliver.
The threat of the Azure Empress Suzuki… had been neutralized.
The Imperial Convoy was finally stabilizing.
The fallen were quickly recovered, and now, with the dead of night settling in, the convoy had decided to rest.
For now.
Kazuo, however, couldn't relax just yet.
His mind was elsewhere.
Inside one of the makeshift tents, he sat with the four consorts and their headmaids, waiting for Rin to return.
He had already asked for someone to call him.
But Rin had yet to arrive.
His fingers tapped restlessly on his knee.
The consorts were watching him.
They had noticed it.
Kazuo was… different now.
The lost vitality that had been missing in his eyes all these years had returned.
It made them see him in a new light.
More than that—
He was acting very worried for Rin.
For the first time, they could truly tell.
This man—Crown Prince Kazuo—loved his brother deeply.
And right now?
He was starting to ask questions.