As Hanayuki Ichika officially moved into the Butterfly Mansion, this courtyard, which usually focused on treatment and training, experienced a rare and significant stir.
“W-What?! That demon… is he really going to live here with us?!”
“What is Shinobu-sama thinking?! Even if he hasn’t eaten humans, he’s still a demon!”
“I heard he said a lot of strange things during the trial… and, he even clung to Mitsuri-sama’s legs and called her ‘Mama’…”
“But he looks… so handsome, not like a demon at all…”
A few younger nursing girls gathered under the corridor, whispering in shock and curiosity, their eyes occasionally glancing toward the room arranged in the west wing.
When Hanayuki Ichika walked out of his room and politely smiled and nodded at them, the girls immediately recoiled a few steps like startled little rabbits, huddling together with faces full of vigilance and unease.
“D-Don’t come over here—!” a girl with twin tails said with a trembling voice.
“W-We’ll call Shinobu-sama at any moment!” another short-haired girl added, though her voice shook, she still tried her best to look fierce.
They were Terauchi Kiyo, Nakahara Sumi, and Takada Naho, the three young orphan girls living in the Butterfly Mansion.
Seeing this, Hanayuki Ichika tactfully stopped his pace, maintained a safe distance, and said gently, “I won’t hurt you, please rest assured. If there’s anything you need help with, you can let me know.”
His polite manner made the girls even more confused—is this really a demon?
“What are you all doing gathered here? Have the medicinal herbs been inventoried today? Have the ward bedsheets been washed?”
A slightly irritable but efficient female voice came from the other end of the corridor.
Kanzaki Aoi walked over quickly holding a stack of clipboards, her brow slightly furrowed, her gaze swept over the gathered girls and finally landed on Hanayuki Ichika.
Her footsteps clearly faltered for a moment.
Even though she had already heard about the existence of this “special demon” from Kanao, and had observed the trial, seeing Hanayuki Ichika’s face, so handsome it seemed otherworldly, from such a close distance still made Kanzaki Aoi feel a momentary daze.
His silver-white hair and exquisite features actually possessed an ethereal beauty…
“Ahem.” Kanzaki Aoi quickly snapped back to her senses and gave a dry cough to cover it up, though her cheeks uncontrollably flushed slightly.
She forced a stern face, trying hard to maintain her usual serious demeanor as the “logistics manager,”
“You… Hanayuki Ichika, right? Since Oyakata-sama and Shinobu-sama have allowed you to stay at the Butterfly Mansion temporarily, you must follow the rules here.” Find the original chapter at novelping.com.
She spoke very quickly, as if reciting regulations: “First, you are not allowed to enter the girls’ rooms without permission; second, you must not interfere with treatment and training work;”
“Third, your daily activities are limited to designated areas; fourth, any abnormal behavior must be reported immediately; fifth…”
She rattled off seven or eight rules in a row, then took a deep breath and looked directly at Hanayuki Ichika: “Do you understand?”
Hanayuki Ichika nodded seriously: “I understand, Kanzaki-san. I will strictly abide by them.”
His cooperative attitude left Kanzaki Aoi momentarily unsure of what else to say.
She opened her mouth, but in the end, she just gave a “Hmph,”
turned to the girls who were still dazed, and said, “What are you staring for? Get to work!”
The girls scattered at once.
Kanzaki Aoi glanced at Hanayuki Ichika again before hurrying away with her clipboards, though her pace was slightly more flustered than when she arrived.
Hanayuki Ichika looked at her back and sighed softly.
Prejudices in people’s hearts really cannot be changed overnight.
But…
at least he wasn’t kicked out directly, which was already good enough.
Evening.
Hanayuki Ichika originally intended to rest in his room, but he faintly heard the rhythmic sound of air being sliced in the courtyard.
Curious, he walked to the entryway connecting to the courtyard and quietly hid in the shadows behind the sliding door to look out.
In the center of the courtyard, Kochou Shinobu was practicing.
She was wearing the Demon Slayer Corps uniform, covered by her iconic purple butterfly-wing haori, her movements as agile as a real butterfly.
The nichirin sword in her hand was slender and light, tracing pale purple arcs with her movements.
“Insect Breathing, Butterfly Dance: Caprice.”
Her voice was very soft, yet carried a unique rhythm.
Her figure instantly transformed into an elusive stream of light, weaving, spinning, and thrusting through the courtyard.
Every movement was so light it seemed weightless, yet precise and lethal.
Moonlight shone on her blade, reflecting specks of purple light, like butterflies fluttering among flowers.
He had seen Kochou Shinobu fight, but that was at a critical moment of life and death, with a tense atmosphere.
But now, in the quiet courtyard, her practice was more like an elegant dance—if one ignored the sharp edge on the blade that could take a life at any moment.
“Peeking at a girl’s practice isn’t a very good habit, you know~”
A gentle voice suddenly rang in his ear.
Hanayuki Ichika was startled and turned his head sharply, finding that Kochou Shinobu had sheathed her sword at some point and was standing outside the entryway, with her hands folded in front of her, head tilted slightly, looking at him with that familiar, inscrutable smile.
There were fine beads of sweat on her forehead, yet her breathing was as steady as usual.
“Shi-Shinobu-san!” Hanayuki Ichika quickly stood up straight and rubbed the back of his head awkwardly,
“I didn’t mean to peek, I just heard the sound and got a bit curious…”
“Ara, is that so?” Kochou Shinobu slowly stepped up to the entryway, stopping just a step away from him, looking up at the boy who was more than a head taller than her,
“Then why was Ippū-san curious? Are you… interested in my Breathing Style?”
Her purple eyes narrowed slightly, and her smile deepened.
Hanayuki Ichika hesitated for a moment but nodded honestly: “Yes. I… I want to become stronger.”
“Oh?” Kochou Shinobu raised an eyebrow.
“Why do you want to become stronger? Weren’t you planning to ‘lie flat and rot’ at the Butterfly Mansion, Ippū-san?”
She clearly still remembered Hanayuki Ichika’s inner thoughts during the trial—or rather, she had keenly sensed his “take things as they come” attitude at the time.
Hanayuki Ichika was silent for a moment, then looked seriously into Kochou Shinobu’s eyes: “Because I want to protect those I want to protect.”
The smile on Kochou Shinobu’s face stiffened imperceptibly, and her heart suddenly raced…
…..
Thankyou….