Chapter 54: Chance Encounter
Kanzaki Akira decided to act on his impulse. He immediately penned a letter to Rengoku Shinjuro and, after receiving a reply confirming the Flame Hashira was free, reported his temporary leave to Kagaya. With all arrangements made, he prepared to depart the next morning.
"Uncle Sawaki, Aunt Hanako, Shinobu," Akira announced, standing at the entrance of the Butterfly Mansion. "I'll be leaving the estate in your care for a little while."
"Hmph, as if you ever manage things on a daily basis," Kochou Shinobu scoffed, her arms crossed as she retorted without a shred of politeness.
"Oh my, but this is the 'Butterfly'Mansion, after all, not the'Kanzaki' Mansion," Akira teased. He reached out and vigorously ruffled her hair, mussing the carefully arranged bun. The mint-green, purple-edged butterfly clip at the back of her head tilted precariously, making Shinobu's cheeks puff out in indignation. She swatted his hand away and glared up at him, her violet eyes flashing.
Watching this exchange, which had grown far more intimate than their usual banter, Kochou Sawaki and his wife, Hanako, shared a look, their eyes gleaming with an unreadable light.
"Alright, I'm leaving now," Akira said, ignoring Shinobu's small, waving fists. "I'll be back soon."
"Be careful on your way."
As he turned to leave, Akira could have sworn he felt a subtle, murderous glint in the gaze of Kochou Sawaki, the normally steady and gentle doctor.
'It must be my imagination, right?'he thought, quickening his pace.'Uncle Sawaki and I get along just fine. Besides, how could a cultured, scholarly man like him have murder in his eyes? A misconception. It must be.'
Muttering to himself, Akira headed swiftly toward his destination.
That night, Sawaki and Hanako were discussing matters in the privacy of their bedroom.
"You must have noticed it too, haven't you?" Sawaki began, his tone complex.
"Noticed what?" Hanako asked, turning from her vanity to face her husband's cryptic question.
"It seems there's something brewing between Shinobu and Mr. Kanzaki."
"Oh, you mean that?" she replied with a knowing smile. "I noticed it a while ago."
"But Kanae, even before that..."
"My dear, even before Kanae, that sweet girl Makomo was probably already smitten."
"This... our daughters..." Sawaki trailed off, a worried frown creasing his brow.
"Setting that aside for a moment, Mr. Kanzaki is indeed a good match, isn't he?" Hanako's voice was soft, yet every word struck her husband's heart with unerring accuracy. "That's why you never tried to dissuade Kanae. In fact, you even seemed to encourage it."
As a woman of this era, Hanako was far more aware of the societal standing of her gender than her husband. She had been fortunate to meet a man who respected her, and she could see that same respect in Akira. He conversed and interacted with the girls as equals, a quality that was not a deliberate act but an ingrained part of his character. It was as if, in his mind, men and women were inherently equal.
Perhaps it was this subconscious respect, coupled with his outstanding looks and abilities, that drew one girl after another into his orbit, sparking their curiosity, affection, and even devotion.
"When I used to treat those so-called 'dignitaries,' I heard of situations far more outrageous than this," she continued, her gaze steady. "Compared to those men, at least Akira isn't insincere when he deals with these girls. The feelings of the young should be left for the young to handle."
"Sigh..." Sawaki could only let out a helpless sigh.
In this world, at this time, only those with some family wealth could afford regular medical treatment. Common folk wouldn't spend money at a clinic unless faced with a serious illness. Sawaki's medical skills were renowned in the nearby towns, and many wealthy families had invited him for consultations, treating him as an honored guest. He was not ignorant of the so-called "pleasures" of the upper class.
It was precisely because he knew of these things that he found himself unable to refute his wife's words.
The Rengoku Estate was a considerable distance from the Butterfly Mansion. Even traveling at a steady, unhurried pace, it took Akira three full days to reach the small town near their residence.
He wasn't stopping to buy a gift; the Demon Slayer Corps had no custom of bringing presents on official business. When Akira had first visited Mount Sagiri or taken Kanae to become Urokodaki's disciple, he had gone empty-handed. It was only on his personal, leisurely visits that he would bring gifts for his master and the other disciples.
The reason he stopped in the town was much simpler: he was hungry.
Since he was in no particular rush, Akira made it a habit to find a good restaurant for a proper meal whenever he passed through a town around lunchtime. He had money, so there was no need to deprive himself. At night, he would stay in the best inns available.
As he passed through this particular town, the aromas of cooking food wafted from the many restaurants lining the street. It was the perfect time for a meal, so he naturally chose to eat his fill before continuing to the Rengoku Estate just outside of town.
While strolling leisurely down the street, scanning the storefronts for a decent-looking establishment, a commotion caught his attention.
In the country of his previous life, its citizens were known for their love of watching a crowd, and Akira was no exception. He subconsciously glanced toward the source of the noise.
A group of people had gathered in front of a dessert shop, chatting and laughing amongst themselves. Occasionally, a newcomer would exclaim in surprise, prompting a regular customer to turn and explain the situation with a knowing grin.
As Akira drew a little closer, he could just make out snippets of their conversation.
"That little girl can eat so much..."
"What a healthy appetite!"
"She must be from a rich family."
"...I envy people who can eat anything and not get fat."
His gaze shifted past the crowd, and Akira saw the scene inside the dessert shop. A cute girl, looking to be about the same age as Shinobu, was intently devouring sweets. Her twin pigtails, a gradient of soft pink and vibrant green, bounced with each of her slightly uninhibited movements. On the table before her, two tall stacks of empty pastry plates were already piled high.
Demon Slayers who practiced Breathing Techniques generally had large appetites, and Akira's was considered quite substantial even within the Corps. But compared to the girl before him, his own capacity seemed rather modest.
Her ability to eat desserts as if they were a full meal, all while showing no signs of gaining weight, was a physique truly worthy of envy. It seemed her enthusiastic eating was having an effect on the onlookers, as people from the crowd would occasionally step forward to buy a dessert for themselves.
"Did you see how happily that girl is eating? The sweets at this shop must be delicious," was the general sentiment shared by each new customer.
After all, judging by her bright, well-made clothes and her astonishing appetite, it was clear her family was quite wealthy. If a child from such a family was eating so joyfully, the food must be excellent.
His curiosity piqued, Akira also bought a sakuramochi, the same type of dessert the girl was currently enjoying.
Its soft, cherry-pink mochi exterior encased a sweet, delicate red bean paste, all wrapped in a vibrant green cherry blossom leaf. Honestly, finding such a fresh, green leaf during this season—which could still be considered the transition between winter and spring—struck Akira as something of a miracle.
Then again, he mused, this was a world with Fujikasane Mountain, where wisteria bloomed all year round; mines that were bathed in sunlight twenty-four hours a day; and, of course, demons. In light of all that, a perpetually fresh cherry blossom leaf didn't seem so extraordinary anymore.
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