Year of the Boar, Tenth Month, Day 26.

Well... as the very worst novelists are inclined to say... the plot thickens... Rani spent yesterday afternoon in the company of Yuika's cousins and entertained us all with tales of the Sixth at the evening meal. We held the musicians in the hall until the small hours of the morning and Rani promises that tomorrow, her staff will honour us with a performance of their own. It was a thoroughly pleasant evening and I felt some of my suspicions subside... until this afternoon, that is... Rani decided to fulfil her promise to go and see Yuika in her chambers and I simply have no way to explain the outcome of that visit.

It is as if Yuika has become another person. Two sticks in Rani's company and Yuika has suddenly become compliant and co-operative. She has taken breakfast and lunch in the hall and has barely left Rani's side. It is entirely too strange for words; it is as if she is besotted with the princess and I cannot for the life of me think why. It is not as if I can ask either of them what occurred when they talked and Ryouko reports that she and the other maids were banished even from the ante-chamber. It really is all too curious for words and I now find myself extremely suspicious of Rani's motives and am resolved to discover who exactly she has spying for her and more importantly... why...

Year of the Boar, Tenth Month, Day 25. Postscript.

I am sorry to report that my short rest has done me little, if any, good. I have managed to draw no sensible conclusions about what is going and have even toyed with asking the physician for an opinion since I now actually doubt my own mind. If I were insane though, surely I would not realise it so there must be some small comfort in that...
I could not cope with the thought of entertaining Rani for a midday meal so I asked some of Yuika's cousins to host instead. They could be heard chattering and laughing so I gather it was not a disaster although I shall not be able to avoid the evening meal; I could not bring myself to be so unspeakably rude and ... I do still wish to hear about the Sixth...
Yuika has still not shown her face and I am told that she slapped Ryouko for attempting to drag her in from the balcony; I cannot imagine what her reaction will be when or if Rani does make good on her threat.. I may actually need to lie down again... this is all becoming too much...