Year of the Boar, Tenth Month, Day 27.

I spent time walking in the grounds with Rani this morning; my head felt clear enough to wonder how it was that she knew so much about Dying Crane and I did not think it unreasonable to ask her... I was not very surprised to learn that she has people about the Kingdom spying for her. In fact, I was more surprised that it has never occurred to me that I should have some spies myself... I am less impressed to discover that in fact, Nanami's replacement is one such spy and my brief feeling of optimism was gone in the smallest fraction of a stick; replaced immediately by my old friend paranoia.
If a dignitary from a foreign land has managed to infiltrate my House, then who else has spies lurking in the shadows...? Is that how Shigeru was able to arrive at the most inopportune moments and how he was able to press his advantage... because he had someone here letting him know when I was at my most vulnerable...? Has he been watching the House even more closely than I had imagined...? Worse thoughts yet crowd my mind... Was I mistaken to put my trust in Broken Rampart...? Was he someone's spy...? Was he here with ulterior motives for all that time, lulling me into telling him my deepest, darkest secrets and fears so that they can be used against me by his unknown master... For all I know, he is no Lord, at all...
How fragile my optimism... I do not know what to do and I do not know who I can trust... If indeed, there is anyone left to trust...