The Butterfly Mansion.
Watching her younger sister, Hanako Kamado, quickly get acquainted and mingle with the three little girls of the Butterfly Mansion, Nezuko Kamado revealed a faint smile.
Then, as if recalling something, she turned her gaze out the window, staring blankly at the setting sun on the horizon.
After some discussion not long ago, the Demon Slayer Corps had finally decided on the following arrangements for the Kamado family.
The two brothers, Tanjiro and Shigeru Kamado, were sent to Mt. Sagiri to learn Water Breathing from the former Water Hashira, Sakonji Urokodaki.
Meanwhile, the two sisters, Nezuko and Hanako Kamado, were sent to Shinobu Kocho's Butterfly Mansion.
As for Kie Kamado and the other two Kamado children who had been turned into demons, they were also brought to the Butterfly Mansion. However, for safety reasons, they were not kept inside the mansion itself, but rather isolated in a nearby area surrounded by wisteria flowers.
The Butterfly Mansion served as the medical and logistics facility for the Demon Slayer Corps. Because it was used to treat Corps members injured while hunting demons, there was usually a significant number of Demon Slayers present.
Furthermore, aside from Shinobu Kocho—a Hashira-level member who resided there whenever she wasn't out on missions—the perimeter of the Butterfly Mansion was planted with wisteria flowers, which were poisonous to demons, much like Mt. Fujikasane where the Final Selection took place.
Therefore, the security of the Butterfly Mansion was, to some extent, no lower than that of the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters.
"Big sister!"
At that moment, Hanako suddenly abandoned the three little girls she was playing with and threw herself into Nezuko's arms, asking with a precocious, knowing look, "Are you thinking about Brother Su Yan?"
"I am not, I was just..." Faced with her sister's sudden question, Nezuko blurted out her denial.
Hanako put her hands on her hips and declared righteously, "Then don't fight me for him. When I grow up, I'm going to marry Brother Su Yan and be his wife..."
"You can't!" Nezuko retorted subconsciously.
"Hehehe..."
Seeing Nezuko's reaction, Hanako let out a mischievous giggle and teased, "And you said you weren't thinking about Brother Su Yan?"
"Oh, you little brat, you've learned to be naughty. How dare you bully your big sister?"
Nezuko finally realized what was happening. She had been completely played by her own little sister. Her authority as an older sister had been severely violated. How could she tolerate this?
Nezuko reached out, aiming to grab the cheeky little girl in front of her.
"Ah, big sister is mad! Run, run!"
Hanako quickly realized the gravity of the situation and tried to flee. However, it was too late. By the time she thought to run, she had already fallen into Nezuko's clutches.
Nezuko grabbed her sister, who had tried to escape after teasing her. Placing her hands on Hanako's waist, she unleashed a flurry of tickles. Today, she was going to teach this bratty sister that her older sister was still the boss.
Squirming in Nezuko's arms, Hanako begged for mercy, "Hahaha, stop, stop! Haha, stop tickling me! Big sister, I... I was wrong! I won't dare... I won't dare do it again..."
"Look, look, Hanako is so weak, getting bullied by her sister like that."
Having played with Hanako for half the day and become quite familiar with her, the three little girls of the Butterfly Mansion mercilessly kicked her while she was down.
Just then, someone announced, "Lady Shinobu Kocho has returned."
In the Butterfly Mansion, the trio were undoubtedly the undisputed little tyrants, absolute little terrors. Sometimes, even Aoi Kanzaki, the head caretaker of the Butterfly Mansion, would get headaches from their antics and find herself completely helpless against them.
Except for Shinobu Kocho.
Back when Kanae Kocho was still alive, Shinobu's impulsive temper had kept them perfectly in check. And after Kanae's death... even though Shinobu seemed like she never got angry anymore, this version of Shinobu actually appeared even more terrifying in the eyes of the trio.
Normally, they would rather risk the wrath of Aoi Kanzaki than dare to act out in front of Shinobu. So, the moment they heard Shinobu had returned, the three girls exchanged a knowing glance and quickly scattered.
Upon hearing the news of Shinobu's return, Nezuko immediately thought of Su Yan, who was with her. She instantly released the squirming Hanako and headed toward the door.
"Phew."
Hanako let out a long breath, her face full of relief as she said, "I survived." Then, glancing in the direction Nezuko had left, she hesitated for a moment before following after her.
"Brother Su Yan!"
Running outside the Butterfly Mansion, Nezuko immediately threw herself at Su Yan the moment she saw him.
At this time, the serious expression on Shinobu's face had not completely faded. But due to Nezuko's sudden intrusion, they had to temporarily drop their conversation.
Shinobu once again donned the fake smile that mimicked her older sister, Kanae Kocho, and asked Nezuko in a cheerful tone, "Are you getting used to staying at the Butterfly Mansion, Nezuko?"
"Mhm."
Although her intuition told her that Shinobu seemed a bit strange right now, Nezuko didn't overthink it. She nodded and replied, "Everyone at the Butterfly Mansion is doing well, and Hanako has already made friends with Kiyo and the other girls her age."
"Is that so? That's wonderful."
Shinobu clasped her hands together and leaned forward slightly, the joy she felt for Nezuko exceptionally clear in her purple eyes. She then shifted her gaze to Su Yan and said, "Let's leave it at that for now. After dinner later, I'll have Aoi Kanzaki show you around the Butterfly Mansion where my sister used to live. You can also choose to look around on your own, as long as you don't disturb the injured Demon Slayers."
With that said, without waiting for Su Yan's response, she practically fled the scene, leaving only a fragrant breeze in her wake.
After Shinobu left, the Butterfly Mansion trio and Hanako Kamado suddenly popped out from a corner.
One of them asked Su Yan, "Are you the Brother Su Yan that Big Sister Nezuko likes?"
"What nonsense are you talking about? There's no such thing!"
Nezuko panicked. She immediately let go of Su Yan and stepped forward, trying to cover the trio's mouths. But how could two hands cover three mouths?
The trio teased again, "Ooh, Big Sister Nezuko is blushing!"
Nezuko was left speechless. A rosy flush spread from her cheeks all the way to her earlobes. She secretly peeked at Su Yan, wanting to see how he would react.
"You must be Kiyo Terauchi, Sumi Nakahara, and Naho Takada, right?" Su Yan asked with a smile, looking at the three dot-eyed little girls in front of him.
The trio asked curiously, "You know us, mister?"
"Of course. Shinobu told me a lot about the Butterfly Mansion on our way here." Combining his knowledge of the anime plot with what he had just heard from Kanae Kocho, Su Yan added, "She also said the three of you are very capable."
"Really?" The trio looked at Su Yan with pleasant surprise.
"Really. Here, this is a reward for helping Shinobu with her work." Su Yan pulled out a few wrapped candies from his pocket and placed them into the trio's hands.
"It's candy!"
The trio was thrilled and thanked Su Yan profusely, "Thank you, mister!" Only then did they unwrap the candies and pop the delicious treats into their mouths, savoring the taste.
"Here, Nezuko, and Hanako, these are for you." Su Yan then took out a few more and handed them to Nezuko and Hanako.
In this era, sugar was still considered a rarity. This was true even for the trio living in the Butterfly Mansion, despite having Shinobu, the Insect Hashira who wasn't exactly short on money. As for Nezuko and Hanako, two girls from a poor family, it went without saying.
"So sweet."
As soon as the candy entered their mouths, a burst of sweetness exploded across their taste buds.
While chewing on their candy, the trio chattered over each other, "It would be great if you could marry Big Sister Shinobu and make her your wife."
"That way, we could eat such delicious candy every day."
"Yeah, yeah! But Big Sister Shinobu looks a bit scary sometimes. Even when she's smiling, she gives off a fierce vibe."
"How about you marry our Butterfly Mansion's head caretaker, Aoi Kanzaki, instead?"
"Aside from the fact that she wets the bed, Aoi Kanzaki is actually a pretty great woman..."
"You brats! What kind of nonsense are you spouting?!!!"
A deafening roar echoed from a distance. Just from the sound alone, one could hear the sheer embarrassment and fury in the person's heart.
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