Shuka

Shuka (朱夏) is the Daishito, the Chief Minister of the Ministry of Earth during the reign of Shishou, Kouko's immediate predecessor as the king of Sai. Shuka is also the wife of Eishuku and is believed to be about twenty-five years old.

In Kasho no Yume, Shuka witnesses firsthand the deteriorating condition of Sairin and presents the report to the court of Sai that it is likely the kirin has shitsudou. However, the warning is incomprehensible to the court and its king, who are unable to see beyond their idealism to realize why their kingdom is not prospering as Shishou envisioned.

When the Taishi and Taiho are both murdered and Shishou begins to act erratically while remaining unwavering towards his vision of prosperity, Shuka and Eishuku are soon accused of treason. After being ordered to escort the ailing Sairin to Sou, they are ordered to return for trial with the expectation that they will choose to remain in exile. Though tempted by an offer to become an official in Sou, Shuka ultimately agrees to Eishuku's conviction that they must return to the court out of duty.

When Shuka begins to realize the circumstances behind the Taishi and Taiho's deaths and the supposed conspiracy plot, she realizes the true nature of the Kasho Kada, the jewelled branch and royal treasure of Sai that presents visions of prosperity. She confronts Eishuku for deliberately speeding up Shishou's ruin by not allowing him to see his own flaws, which Eishuku refuses to accept was a mistake to avoid being blamed for his actions. When Shishou eventually abdicates his throne and takes his life, Eishuku soon follows afterward.

Throughout the conspiracy until the eventual death of the king, Shuka begins to discover the limitations of the court's idealism and how they acted without fully considering the consequences of their decisions. Furthermore, she realizes how Shishou and his court had built their foundation on criticism and blame upon the previous king's reign, leaving them ineffective and short-sighted.