"Curious?"
Kochou Shinobu walked around Yoizumi 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."
Yoizumi ignored Kochou Shinobu's occasional little harassments; he wasn't very good at dealing with her.
"Demons... don't help... humans?"
Hearing Yoizumi's innocent words, Kochou 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 Yoizumi were perhaps rare, or perhaps he was the only one. Kochou Shinobu stopped, facing Yoizumi directly, her cherry lips parting.
"Yoizumi is special. Demons don't help people; in their eyes, humans are always just food. You, Yoizumi, are the first to be able to suppress the urge to feed~"
Yoizumi 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 Kochou Shinobu was the best option for Yoizumi at the moment. He would first grasp some basic information, then make plans. So, Yoizumi agreed.
"That's great~"
Kochou Shinobu clapped her hands together and said with a smile, then extended her right hand.
"Then, welcome, Yoizumi, to Butterfly Mansion."
He gently grasped Kochou Shinobu's hand, a touch and then a release.
"Mm."
"Yoizumi's personality is very similar to someone I know~ You two will definitely get along!"
Yoizumi 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 Yoizumi yawn.
"Oh my~ Is Yoizumi 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 Yoizumi was a demon. Upon seeing Kochou 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, Kochou Shinobu looked at Yoizumi.
"Then, Yoizumi, shall we go~"
"Okay."
Kochou Shinobu, with her agile movements, could move quickly. Seeing that Yoizumi could follow her unhurriedly, Kochou Shinobu was still a bit surprised. Although she wasn't the fastest in the Corps, she was among the top few. For Yoizumi 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. Kochou Shinobu led Yoizumi to a doorway. After opening the door, she turned to Yoizumi and said,
"Yoizumi, you can stay here. The sunlight isn't too strong during the day, so you just need to draw the curtains."
Yoizumi nodded.
"Then, good night, Yoizumi."
Kochou Shinobu smiled slightly and walked off in another direction.
"Good... night."
Lying on the bed, Yoizumi 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 Yoizumi didn't dislike it. His tired body was now relaxed, and Yoizumi 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. Yoizumi 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. Yoizumi clearly remembered that he had been too sleepy to cover himself. Who had come while he was asleep?
Yoizumi 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 Yoizumi was thinking, footsteps approached the door and stopped just outside.
"Click."
The door opened, and the room instantly brightened considerably. Kochou Shinobu stood in the doorway, backlit. Seeing that Yoizumi was awake, her eyes lit up, and she walked to Yoizumi's bedside in a few steps.
"Good morning, Yoizumi. You've slept for quite a while~"
Yoizumi 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 Yoizumi say such words, Kochou Shinobu paused, then smiled and said,
"No, I secretly drew some of your blood while you were sleeping, Yoizumi. 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, Yoizumi. Then..." Kochou Shinobu pulled out a syringe about the size of her arm from somewhere.
"Could you please let me draw some more, Yoizumi?"
Yoizumi blinked his eyes, looked at the syringe for a long time, then finally said,
"Okay."
...After drawing the blood, Kochou Shinobu used a tissue to remove the needle. The wound healed almost instantly. Carefully placing the syringe filled with blood, Kochou Shinobu said to Yoizumi,
"Yoizumi, 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 Kochou Shinobu left, Yoizumi 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, Yoizumi thought. It was still morning, and the sun wasn't too strong. Yoizumi 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 Yoizumi had noticed when he fell asleep that night. Yoizumi sat in the shadows, lost in thought as he looked at the flowers.
"Indeed, Yoizumi is truly special~"
Kochou Shinobu suddenly appeared from who-knows-where and sat down beside Yoizumi. Yoizumi 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 Yoizumi is so close to it."
"Is that so? I think... its scent is quite... pleasant, and it's also very beautiful."
Kochou Shinobu suddenly leaned closer, her face magnified in Yoizumi's eyes. Their gazes met, each reflecting the other, as if only then could they truly see.
"Say~ Yoizumi, do you want to know the language of wisteria flowers?"