Synopsis

The yatagarasu race is led by the kin'u, also known as the Golden Raven. When his son, the future kin'u, is ready to take a bride, noblewomen from the Four Houses are sent to the Cherry Blossom Palace to compete for the honor of his hand in marriage.

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A clash with other young noblemen plucks 13-year-old Yukiya out of the backwater village of Taruhi and into royal service. The Northern House wants an agent in the Prince's household, but is the "blockhead" Yukiya up to the task?

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The Prince immediately buries Yukiya under a mountain of chores. Can the "blockhead" keep up with a workload that crushed all his predecessors? And why does the Prince seem so intent on avoiding his potential brides?

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The lords of the land meet to reconsider the succession. The Prince crashes the council, but his brash approach may do more harm than good. How does Yukiya fit into his plan, if he even has one?

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The Prince loses a fortune at dice and leaves Yukiya as collateral. While working as a drudge in the criminal underworld, the boy witnesses a deadly meeting. Meanwhile, the ladies of the Cherry Blossom Palace prepare for Tanabata.

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The ladies of Cherry Blossom Palace eagerly expect the prince for Tanabata, a celebration too important to miss. The Princess calls on Asebi to perform, giving her a chance to prove herself—or add to her string of public embarrassments.

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The Prince unexpectedly calls in at the Southern House's palace and finds his brother there. Meanwhile, Lady Shiratama puts a proposal to Lady Hamayu about an alliance of sorts between the Northern House and the Southern House.

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Samomo's death rocks Cherry Blossom Palace. Suspicions and accusations fly, even before a midnight intruder adds fuel to the fire. And while the bodies pile up, the Prince makes a journey incognito.

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In the wake of a bloody disturbance, Shiratama's breakdown exposes Hamayu's past. How will the other ladies receive their rival's story? And do any of them truly have a say in the events unfolding around them?

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A wounded Atsufusa calls for the Prince, offering vital intelligence. But what could be worth risking another ambush to hear? When the Prince ignores Sumio's advice, Yukiya's wits become his only lifeline.

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Yukiya is shocked to discover that the Prince always knew about his noble heritage. As recriminations fly, Rokon takes the boy to meet a man who tests his understanding of loyalty and what it means to serve.

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At long last, the Prince arrives in Cherry Blossom Palace. Announcing that the time has come to choose his consort, he calls on the ladies one by one. But is his goal as simple as he claims?

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The Prince confronts Asebi with her correspondence and unravels the last mysteries of Cherry Blossom Palace. But did she act with malice, or merely naivety? And with no other would-be consorts left, does it even matter?

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Yukiya savors lazy days with his family in Taruhi until a maddened raven interrupts the harvest. A strange new drug is depriving yatagarasu of their senses, and the power to take human form.

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Yukiya and the Prince find a remote farming village devastated by vicious monkeys. A lone girl survives the attack, but is she the innocent victim she seems? Yukiya suspects an even darker side to this unprecedented disaster.

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Yukiya flies Koume to her home in the Center, but finds a group of toughs waiting to grab her. What does their mysterious leader know, and does the Prince dare to cross him in the midst of a crisis?

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Yukiya agrees to accompany Natsuka to the underworld. The negotiation threatens to fall apart when Sakuō appears and offers Yukiya a chance to learn more about the monkeys. However, to do so, he must take a great risk.

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Yukiya must find the way out of the tunnels with Wakamiya, which turns out to be more difficult than expected. However, he finally learns the truth about Yamauchi - and the world beyond its borders.

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The missing water merchant is found at last—as a mutilated corpse bearing a written confession. The Prince rushes to investigate the dry well at the root of his strange story, but Yukiya isn't ready to clear Koume of suspicion just yet.

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