Chapter 152: Sanemi: What Does This Have to Do with Me?!
Shinobu lowered her head, burying her beautiful face in shadow.
Her voice was as cold as frost.
"Shut up."
"Hm?" Sanemi hadn't heard her clearly and asked again, "Butterfly, what did you say?"
Whoosh!
Shinobu drew her Nichirin Sword and slashed straight at him!
Clang!
At the last possible moment, Sanemi decisively drew his own Nichirin Sword and blocked the attack.
The two Nichirin Swords collided, sending sparks flying.
Sanemi was startled.
"What's gotten into you?! Why did you suddenly draw your sword?!"
Shinobu said nothing.
Hinatsuru said nothing either.
Then, suddenly, someone spoke from outside the room…
Knock, knock, knock!
There was a series of knocks, followed by the madam's voice.
"Hinatsuru, are you all right? I think I heard the sound of swords clashing."
"I'm fine!" Hinatsuru hurriedly replied. "My friends are practicing music inside!"
"Practicing music?"
The madam's confused voice came from behind the door.
"What kind of musical instrument makes the sound of metal clashing?"
"This… this…"
In her panic, Hinatsuru instinctively glanced at Sanemi.
Then, as though possessed, she blurted out,
"An iron-bone zither…"
Madam: "…"
Bang!
The madam immediately pushed open Hinatsuru's door.
Although she knew they were discussing something inside, she had remained worried that Sanemi might do something inappropriate.
That was why she had actually been waiting outside the door the entire time.
But the moment she entered, she was stunned.
Because the first thing she saw was Shinobu beating up Sanemi!
Madam: "???"
The madam was completely dumbfounded.
Had she gotten the script wrong?
This girl was incredible!
A petite girl, looking just like the girl next door, was wielding a broken sword and hacking at a scar-covered man!
For a moment, she even considered training the girl to become one of the Kyogoku House's courtesans…
When the madam entered the room, the solemn atmosphere inside immediately fell silent.
Shinobu lowered the Nichirin Sword in her hand.
She asked the madam, "Madam, has anyone named Ren ever come here before?"
"Ren?"
The madam blinked.
"I've never heard of anyone by that name!"
Shinobu breathed a sigh of relief.
But then the madam suddenly added,
"There was only one person named Sanemi."
Shinobu's expression immediately became serious again.
Ren?
Sanemi?
For some reason, Shinobu suddenly had a vague realization!
She looked toward Hinatsuru.
Hinatsuru instinctively nodded.
Shinobu turned back to the madam and asked, "Then what did 'Sanemi' do after he came here? Did he… request a girl?"
The madam shook her head.
"How could he? He only had a single coin on him at the time. Where would he have gotten the money to hire a courtesan?"
Shinobu let out another long breath of relief.
But the madam continued.
"However…"
Shinobu's expression immediately became serious again.
The madam recalled the scene.
"I remember Sanemi being extremely shy. After seeing our courtesans, he obediently followed behind one of them. He could barely even walk properly! Hehehe!"
A vein bulged on Shinobu's forehead.
"What else?"
"What else was there? Oh, right. Later, he brought out a guzheng and played a song. It was quite pleasant to listen to."
Shinobu paused in surprise.
"He actually has that kind of talent?"
The madam chuckled.
"Of course! He said it was because the courtesan downstairs was playing the zither so enthusiastically that he stepped forward to help."
"Looks like he earned quite a few tips too, because he gave every single tip to our courtesan!"
The madam kept referring to her as "our courtesan," practically praising her to the heavens.
In her own words, this was the story of how Ren had willingly helped her courtesan, only to eventually become her willing "simp."
At that moment, Sanemi, Hinatsuru, and our little Shinobu all wore strange expressions.
Sanemi's eyes widened.
"I'm a gentle 'simp'?"
Hinatsuru muttered, "I feel like something's not quite right…"
Shinobu could barely resist drawing her Nichirin Sword again.
"Nonsense! How could my Ren possibly be coveted by such a seductive harlot?!"
The petite girl's body trembled as she spoke with agitation.
"My Ren would never do something like that!"
Hinatsuru nodded repeatedly, though she couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.
Come to think of it…
Wasn't she the one being scolded here?
Hinatsuru secretly glanced at Shinobu.
She noticed that Shinobu's cheeks were flushed, and even her body was trembling slightly.
It was obvious that the Insect Hashira was truly furious.
Otherwise, how could an eighteen-year-old girl possibly spit out such venomous words as "lewd harlot"?
Nearby…
Hearing Shinobu's words, the madam pouted.
She had no idea why Shinobu was angry.
As a result, her own tone became impatient.
"Little girl, are you making fun of an old woman like me? Whether Ren did this or not, what does it have to do with Sanemi?"
"That's right!"
Sanemi sounded somewhat anxious.
"What does this have to do with me?!"
What are you all talking about?!
Shinobu once again pointed her Nichirin Sword at Sanemi.
Her usually gentle voice had now turned stern.
"You. Shut. Up."
Sanemi shrank back.
This was the bloodline suppression of the Butterfly family over the Shinazugawa family…
Shinobu couldn't smile anymore.
She had been absolutely furious just moments ago.
A powerful sense of crisis rose within the little girl's heart.
Just what…
What had Ren done?!
He had actually gone behind her back and done something like this!
Shinobu couldn't help making a decision.
If Ren really had done such a thing, then as the master of Butterfly Estate, how should she deal with him?
Shinobu felt that she had a responsibility to eliminate anything that might harm the people!
The atmosphere gradually grew tense.
Finally, there was a sigh.
"Sigh…"
Hinatsuru sighed.
"I'll tell you."
With that, Hinatsuru asked the madam to leave the room.
As she left, the madam repeatedly looked back toward the room.
She kept warning Hinatsuru to be careful around the man named Sanemi, because he looked extremely fierce!
Then the madam's gaze fell behind Shinobu.
After hesitating for a moment, she said,
"Be careful…"
Hinatsuru nodded heavily.
Then she ushered the madam out of the room.
Bang—
The door closed.
Hinatsuru walked over to Shinobu.
Slowly, she said, "It's like this, Insect Hashira. I think you've misunderstood Dragon Hashira."
Shinobu said nothing.
Instead, for some inexplicable reason, she began sharpening her sword again…
The girl's voice was sweet.
"Hehehe… hehehe…"
"I'm so happy. I wonder how many pieces this Nichirin Sword can chop Ren's heart into?"
Hinatsuru: "…"
Hinatsuru instinctively swallowed.
"Insect Hashira, it's like this. Dragon Hashira was only here to gather information. He…"
Hinatsuru then carefully explained the entire sequence of events, from beginning to end.
Finally, Shinobu understood.
"Oh, so that's what happened!"
In an instant, Shinobu grasped the entire story.
So Ren had originally intended to return home.
That was why he had come to the Kyogoku House to gather information.
Then, when he was about to leave, Hinatsuru and the others encountered danger, so he turned back to help them.
After completing the mission, Ren boarded his train home again!
Hehehe~
Sweetness filled Shinobu's heart.
"I knew it. How could Ren possibly be that kind of person?"