Inside the Infinity Castle, Nakime quietly plucked the strings of her biwa, though her mind was anything but calm.
Muzan Kibutsuji was fully aware of the thoughts running through Nakime's head, yet he endured them in silence.
He had little choice.
Nakime's Blood Demon Art maintained the Infinity Castle itself, and without it, hiding from the Demon Slayer Corps would become far more troublesome. As for the private matters she knew about him… those no longer mattered much.
After all, would someone destroy their own mirror simply because it reflected their secrets?
…Actually, Muzan probably would.
For that reason, Muzan not only refrained from punishing Nakime, but even treated her as something close to a confidante. After all, he had absolutely no experience presenting himself as a woman.
Strangely enough, dressing this way had recently become one of the few things that calmed his nerves.
Muzan removed his men's attire, changed into a black kimono, and slowly began applying makeup before a mirror.
The moment Nakime saw the outfit, the melody of her biwa faltered ever so slightly.
Naturally, Muzan noticed.
Without pausing his hand as he applied blush to his pale face, he asked coldly, "What? Does it not suit me?"
Because of the peculiar nature of this hobby, Muzan would never appear publicly dressed like this. But Nakime was different. Time and time again, after finishing his makeup, Muzan would ask Nakime for her opinion.
This time, however, Nakime finally lost her patience.
"Muzan-sama… your sense of fashion is truly dreadful."
The room instantly grew colder.
Muzan's expression darkened, though he restrained himself from lashing out. Nakime was still too useful to dispose of.
"Then tell me," he asked icily, "what kind of clothing would you consider fashionable?"
Though irritated, Muzan genuinely wanted to know.
After all, unlike Nakime, he actually left the Infinity Castle and observed human society. Meanwhile, she spent all day hidden inside these endless chambers.
At that moment, Nakime plucked a string of her biwa.
A hidden room rose up from beneath the floor.
Muzan glanced inside casually
and froze.
The room was overflowing with women's clothing.
Kimono, dresses, imported Western garments, rare fabrics, expensive accessories… some were even foreign designs Muzan himself had never seen before.
Nakime watched his stunned expression with obvious satisfaction.
But then Muzan noticed something else.
Brand markings.
Merchant seals.
Family insignias.
Veins bulged on his forehead instantly.
In the next moment, he appeared directly before Nakime and grabbed her by the collar.
"You useless woman… all of this was stolen from my businesses, wasn't it?!"
Nakime blinked in confusion.
Hadn't Muzan once said they were free to do as they pleased?
She nodded honestly.
Muzan nearly crushed the biwa in rage.
"So it was you! No wonder those imported garments vanished before shipment! I spent months searching for the culprit!"
Nakime had unknowingly stolen from Muzan's own enterprises.
Even she looked slightly nervous now.
Ultimately, however, Muzan released her with visible irritation and turned back toward the mountain of clothes.
At least Nakime's taste wasn't entirely terrible.
Within moments, Muzan had already selected several garments he liked.
Nakime sighed again while watching him.
"All black again… how tasteless."
In truth, Muzan wanted to try other colors, but he lacked confidence. Black was safe. Elegant. Universal.
Ignoring Nakime entirely, Muzan changed into one of the imported kimono and continued admiring himself in the mirror.
Meanwhile, far away from the Infinity Castle, two demons plotting Muzan's downfall continued their research in a hidden underground laboratory.
"Lady Tamayo, you truly need rest," Yushiro said softly, concern filling his voice.
Even demons could not endlessly ignore exhaustion.
For two months straight, Tamayo had pushed herself to the brink researching poisons capable of weakening Muzan Kibutsuji.
She placed another report aside with visible fatigue.
"It still isn't enough," Tamayo murmured quietly. "These medicines can restrain Muzan somewhat… but they still lack the power to truly destroy him."
At most, they could hinder his movements.
As the two spoke, a sharp wave of hunger suddenly struck Tamayo.
The constant experimentation had consumed nearly all of their stored blood supplies.
"Lady Tamayo…" Yushiro hesitated before carrying over a wooden container filled with blood.
"It's the blood Kokushibo left behind."
Tamayo's expression became complicated.
Even after Kokushibo explained that the blood had been legally purchased from hospitals and donors, she still felt uncomfortable using it.
To her, it felt disturbingly close to exploiting desperate people.
Yet Kokushibo himself had shown no hesitation. He simply left the blood behind and departed.
Seeing Tamayo's weakening condition, Yushiro quickly poured her a bowl.
"Please drink, Lady Tamayo."
"He said no one was harmed obtaining it. Since that's true… then perhaps we shouldn't overthink it."
After a moment of silence, Tamayo finally accepted the bowl and drank.
Warmth immediately returned to her body.
Watching her complexion recover, Yushiro silently felt grateful toward Kokushibo.
Though arrogant and difficult to understand, Kokushibo was undeniably different from Muzan.
At the very least, he lacked Muzan's cruel disregard for human life.
Still… if Kokushibo ever developed improper intentions toward Lady Tamayo…
Yushiro paused.
…Actually, he probably couldn't defeat him.
Seeing Yushiro standing there in a daze, Tamayo stepped closer with concern.
"What's wrong, Yushiro? Are you hungry as well?"
Only then did he notice a small drop of blood lingering at the corner of Tamayo's lips.
Acting instinctively, Yushiro gently wiped it away.
The moment his fingers touched her skin
both of them froze.
Yushiro's face instantly turned scarlet.
"I-I'm sorry, Lady Tamayo! I didn't mean "
Tamayo, however, remained calm.
After living for centuries, she did not panic over something so small.
Instead, she softly patted his head.
"Thank you, Yushiro."
Her gentle voice only made Yushiro's embarrassment worse.
For a moment, Tamayo almost seemed to glow in his eyes.
And thus, the two demons immediately stepped into sunlight and turned to ash
…Obviously not.
With unprecedented courage, Yushiro suddenly embraced her tightly.
He held Tamayo carefully, almost trembling from nervousness.
Even that much was enough to make him feel faint.
Tamayo had always understood Yushiro's feelings.
And truthfully… she never hated them.
However, the memory of her husband and child still lingered within her heart. More importantly, her only true goal remained the destruction of Muzan Kibutsuji.
Until that day arrived, she could not allow herself to think fully about love.
Still, Tamayo gently returned the embrace.
Though she could not yet offer him an answer, that quiet embrace alone was enough to convey her feelings.