After Tanjiro pestered him into describing the "thrilling" battle in Kyoto, Suzuki Makoto finally had a moment to leave the infirmary. Getting his bearings, he headed towards the cottage where Shinobu Kocho lived within the Butterfly Mansion.
There was something he had to give to the girl to whom he had made a promise.
"Kanao, is Lady Shinobu home?"
Hearing Suzuki Makoto's voice, the girl, who had been spacing out, quickly stood up and bowed respectfully to him.
"She is. I'll go get my sister."
"There's no need to bow to me like that, Kanao."
"No, Lord Suzuki, you've been a great help to everyone at the Butterfly Mansion. I've been wanting to thank you."
The girl insisted on her stance. Suzuki Makoto was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and waved his hand dismissively.
"It's alright. Lady Shinobu and I are colleagues. What Mr. Uzui did before was indeed inappropriate. He probably won't do it again."
"Besides that, there's also the matter of you asking Tanjiro to pay attention to my sister's tea. Even I didn't notice the change in her back then. Only you did... I feel very guilty."
Kanao bowed to Suzuki Makoto again, a look of disappointment on her face.
"It's alright, Kanao—it's all over now."
Suzuki Makoto said with a smile.
Kanao was a little confused by Suzuki Makoto's meaning, but she went inside to call her sister anyway. A moment later, Shinobu Kocho came out with Kanao.
"Mr. Suzuki, you're back. I heard from Kanao what happened last time. I wasn't here then, so thank you for protecting the children of the Butterfly Mansion for me."
Shinobu Kocho's feelings toward Suzuki Makoto were somewhat complicated. After all, he had always shown concern for the Butterfly Mansion, yet he stopped her from avenging her sister. However, Shinobu didn't dislike him; on the contrary, his kindness always reminded her of her own sister.
She collected her thoughts, also gave Suzuki Makoto a bow, and gestured for him to come inside as a guest.
The two entered the cottage. Kanao was perceptive enough not to follow them in. At the table, Shinobu Kocho poured him a cup of tea, and one for herself as well.
Suzuki Makoto didn't pick up his cup. Instead, he took out the half of an iron fan he had brought back and placed it on the table. The movement wasn't gentle, causing more fragments to fall from the fan.
Shinobu Kocho's eyelashes fluttered like butterfly wings caught in the wind. Her gaze instantly fixed on the broken fan.
"Mr. Suzuki, is this..."
She looked up at Suzuki Makoto nervously, her questioning voice holding an obvious tremor, along with a hint of hope and a trace of fear.
"Uzui and I confirmed the location of a demon through certain intelligence. While fighting it, we discovered its head looked as if it had been splashed with blood, its weapons were a pair of iron fans, and its Blood Demon Art could control ice and snow."
With every word Suzuki Makoto spoke, Shinobu Kocho's fists clenched tighter.
"And the number in that demon's eyes was Upper Rank Two."
After finishing his last sentence, Suzuki Makoto pushed the broken fan across the table to Shinobu Kocho.
She didn't move. Even her breathing seemed to have stopped. The heart in her chest, which a second ago had been beating so fiercely she couldn't even finish a complete sentence, now seemed to have forgotten how to function.
Time seemed to stretch and then suddenly contract. Fragments of the past rushed forth uncontrollably—her sister's lingering gaze, the warm blood flowing over her hands, and the countless sleepless nights gnawed away by hatred. The images were scorching hot, almost enough to incinerate her from the inside out.
She slowly extended a hand, pale and bloodless. Her fingertips paused in the air for a moment before finally descending to gently touch the iron fan.
The instant her fingertips made contact with the metal, Shinobu Kocho felt only one thing—cold. A bone-chilling cold.
An extremely subtle, almost imperceptible tremor began from her fingertips and spread. It traveled up her finger bones, her wrist, her forearm, all the way through her entire body. She bit down hard on her lower lip with all her might until the metallic taste of blood filled her mouth.
A very, very soft whimper escaped her, like the cry of a wounded animal. Then, the whimper could no longer be suppressed, turning into a broken, intermittent, low chuckle. The laughter grew louder, tinged with sobs, mixed with streaming tears, echoing throughout the room.
Suzuki Makoto rose silently, leaving this small space to the grieving sister.
As he left, he saw Kanao Tsuyuri with a worried expression. The girl clearly wanted to go inside.
"Give your sister some time, Kanao."
Kanao nodded as if she only partially understood, but she stopped in her tracks, merely peering anxiously from the doorway.
Suzuki Makoto returned to his own residence and began to pack for the next day's journey. But he hadn't been packing for long before Kanao came over.
"Lord Suzuki, my sister said she would like to invite you over."
"Alright, I'll head over now."
Suzuki Makoto put down the package in his hands and followed Kanao back to the Butterfly Mansion once more. Upon entering the cottage, he saw a serene and gentle Shinobu Kocho, and her smile no longer held any trace of falsehood.
"Kanao, come here."
The girl obediently sat down just behind and to the side of Shinobu Kocho, a little puzzled about what her sister was planning to do.
Shinobu Kocho performed a deep bow to Suzuki Makoto. Although shocked, Kanao followed suit and bowed to him as well.
"Lady Shinobu, please don't do this."
With a sense of helplessness, Suzuki Makoto helped the two of them up.
After rising, Shinobu Kocho took Kanao's hand and, full of warmth, told her the truth.
"Lord Suzuki... defeated the demon that killed sister Kanae."
The girl froze, her body trembling as tears welled up in her eyes.
"Really...? That's wonderful... That's wonderful, sister..."
While comforting Kanao Tsuyuri, Shinobu Kocho looked at Suzuki Makoto.
"Lord Suzuki, thank you so much."
"Please, don't use such honorifics. And, if you want to thank me, throw away that wisteria."
Suzuki Makoto glanced at the cupboard to the side. Although there was no longer any wisteria steeping in her tea, it was clear that Shinobu Kocho had never given up on the idea.
"Alright."
Shinobu Kocho agreed with a smile.
"Then I'll be going. I have to travel to the Swordsmith Village tomorrow. The children at the Butterfly Mansion are probably all waiting for you to tell them the news."
The man stood up, ready to take his leave.
"Stay for dinner tonight. We can invite everyone, would that be alright?"
Faced with the expectant gazes of the two girls, how could Suzuki Makoto possibly refuse?
"In that case, I'd love to taste your cooking, Lady Shinobu."
"Just call me Shinobu, Mr. Makoto."
____
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