"Curious?"
Shinobu walked around Yōsen with her hands behind her back, occasionally poking his back.
"A demon who helps humans, and one who can resist my poison—both aspects surprise me, so I want to observe you."
Yōsen ignored Shinobu's occasional little harassments; he wasn't very good at dealing with her.
"Demons... don't help... humans?"
Hearing Yōsen's innocent words, Shinobu shook her head. If demons helped humans, there would be far fewer people who lost family and friends. But alas, there was no 'if.' Individuals like Yōsen were perhaps rare, or perhaps he was the only one. Shinobu stopped, facing Yōsen directly, her cherry lips parting.
"Yōsen is special. Demons don't help people; in their eyes, humans are always just food. You, Yōsen, are the first to be able to suppress the urge to feed~"
Yōsen lowered his head slightly in thought. He truly had nowhere to go now. Rather than aimlessly wandering without a clear goal—his subconscious telling him to find someone, yet he didn't even know what they looked like or what their name was—following Shinobu was the best option for Yōsen at the moment. He would first grasp some basic information, then make plans. So, Yōsen agreed.
"That's great~"
Shinobu clapped her hands together and said with a smile, then extended her right hand.
"Then, welcome, Yōsen, to Butterfly Mansion."
He gently grasped Shinobu's hand, a touch and then a release.
"Mm."
"Yōsen's personality is very similar to someone I know~ You two will definitely get along!"
Yōsen didn't reply. He was very tired now; the previous battle had consumed too much, and he was feeling a bit exhausted. Drowsiness surged over him like a tide, making Yōsen yawn.
"Oh my~ Is Yōsen sleepy? Then let's head back quickly. The Kakushi Memberss should be arriving soon, and it's almost dawn."
Just then, several figures darted out of the woods—they were the Kakushi Memberss. They had been brought here by "En." The Kakushi in the Demon Slayer Corps are mainly responsible for logistical work, and most are ordinary people, so no one could tell that Yōsen was a demon. Upon seeing Shinobu, they immediately greeted her.
"Lady Shinobu! You've worked hard!"
"You've worked hard too. Her injuries aren't serious; I've already given her basic first aid. She's just been startled and will wake up soon."
"Understood!"
After giving instructions, Shinobu looked at Yōsen.
"Then, Yōsen, shall we go~"
"Okay."
Shinobu, with her agile movements, could move quickly. Seeing that Yōsen could follow her unhurriedly, Shinobu was still a bit surprised. Although she wasn't the fastest in the Corps, she was among the top few. For Yōsen to be so powerful without having eaten humans, perhaps if he had, he might even rank among the Twelve Kizuki.
Half an hour later.
"We've arrived."
It was already late, and most of the people inside Butterfly Mansion were asleep. The two entered Butterfly Mansion. Kanzaki Aoi, who had been there, was also resting. Shinobu led Yōsen to a doorway. After opening the door, she turned to Yōsen and said,
"Yōsen, you can stay here. The sunlight isn't too strong during the day, so you just need to draw the curtains."
Yōsen nodded.
"Then, good night, Yōsen."
Shinobu smiled slightly and walked off in another direction.
"Good... night."
Lying on the bed, Yōsen closed his eyes. The bed here was more comfortable than sleeping on a wooden plank. It was also his first time sleeping at night. Previously, he couldn't go out during the day and could only pass the time by sleeping. At night, he would walk around outside or sit under the eaves watching the stars. Now that he had come to a new place, would new things happen?
For some reason, there was always a faint scent in the air, but Yōsen didn't dislike it. His tired body was now relaxed, and Yōsen quickly fell asleep. Even in his sleep, he lay straight, his hands naturally placed at his sides, with only faint breathing sounds.
...In the early morning, the sun's rays pierced through tiny cracks into the room. Besides this small bit of light, there was nothing else. Yōsen on the bed moved his fingers, opened his eyes, and looked at the unfamiliar ceiling, feeling a bit dazed for a moment. Then he realized that he was now in Butterfly Mansion. Sitting up, he found a blanket over him. Yōsen clearly remembered that he had been too sleepy to cover himself. Who had come while he was asleep?
Yōsen felt a bit annoyed. He seemed to have let his guard down; normally, he wouldn't have failed to notice. Was it because he was too tired? It seemed his powerful healing ability always came with a price. As Yōsen was thinking, footsteps approached the door and stopped just outside.
"Click."
The door opened, and the room instantly brightened considerably. Shinobu stood in the doorway, backlit. Seeing that Yōsen was awake, her eyes lit up, and she walked to Yōsen's bedside in a few steps.
"Good morning, Yōsen. You've slept for quite a while~"
Yōsen opened his sapphire eyes, looking at her in confusion. What did she mean, he had slept for quite a while? It should only be morning outside.
"You've been asleep for three days. I was worried you'd sleep forever and never wake up~"
Three days? Had he really slept that long? But the feeling of exhaustion was completely gone. It seemed it was better to avoid getting injured.
"I... made you... worry. I'm... sorry."
Hearing Yōsen say such words, Shinobu paused, then smiled and said,
"No, I secretly drew some of your blood while you were sleeping, Yōsen. You're not angry, are you?"
"My blood?"
"Yes, didn't I say I was very curious about you? Curious about your powerful recovery ability, curious about your ability to suppress the desire to feed. So I want to study your uniqueness."
"You want... as much as you... want. No problem."
"Oh my~ Thank you, Yōsen. Then..." Shinobu pulled out a syringe about the size of her arm from somewhere.
"Could you please let me draw some more, Yōsen?"
Yōsen blinked his eyes, looked at the syringe for a long time, then finally said,
"Okay."
...After drawing the blood, Shinobu used a tissue to remove the needle. The wound healed almost instantly. Carefully placing the syringe filled with blood, Shinobu said to Yōsen,
"Yōsen, although I'd love to show you around Butterfly Mansion, it's not convenient for you to go out during the day. And I have missions at night, so that won't work either. Also, please try to stay within Butterfly Mansion. Don't leave, or there might be trouble."
"Understood."
"Then I'll be going. Goodbye."
After Shinobu left, Yōsen also got out of bed. He walked to the doorway and looked at the beautiful scenery outside. Many butterflies fluttered among the flowers and plants. No wonder it was called Butterfly Mansion, Yōsen thought. It was still morning, and the sun wasn't too strong. Yōsen walked along the shadows of the corridor to the end of the house. His gaze was suddenly drawn to strings of purple flowers hanging on the wooden fence. They formed a dark purple waterfall, and the scent they emitted was the same smell Yōsen had noticed when he fell asleep that night. Yōsen sat in the shadows, lost in thought as he looked at the flowers.
"Indeed, Yōsen is truly special~"
Shinobu suddenly appeared from who-knows-where and sat down beside Yōsen. Yōsen came back to his senses after hearing her voice.
"Other demons would want to stay a hundred or eighty meters away from wisteria. For demons, the smell of wisteria is very unpleasant, yet Yōsen is so close to it."
"Is that so? I think... its scent is quite... pleasant, and it's also very beautiful."
Shinobu suddenly leaned closer, her face magnified in Yōsen's eyes. Their gazes met, each reflecting the other, as if only then could they truly see.
"Say~ Yōsen, do you want to know the language of wisteria flowers?"