Want to read ahead? Join my Patreon for just $7 to get early access to all upcoming chapters!
> Patreon.com/NegativeTranslations
─────
Chapter 135: Kocho Kanae's Selfish Desire
When it came to Kocho Kanae's requests, Tsuyuri Kanao would never refuse. Even if she had no idea what it actually meant. Kanae was the first piece of family that had ever forced her way into her heart.
As for Kanzaki Aoi? She didn't overthink it either. The moment Kanae made the request, she subconsciously nodded in agreement. Anyone who had ever interacted with Kanae found it impossible not to be melted by her gentle nature.
"Eh?"
When her brain finally caught up to what she had just agreed to, Aoi violently broke out of Kanae's embrace, her mouth hanging wide open in shock. "What? What? What?!"
What does she mean, become Suyan's women?! What kind of request is that? Does it mean what I think it means? No way, right?
Kanae opened her mouth, preparing to explain, but was immediately interrupted by two voices shouting in unison.
"You can't!"
The voices belonged to Kocho Shinobu and Nezuko.
After shouting, the two paused, glancing at each other in surprise. Shinobu wasn't shocked that Nezuko had spoken up. But Nezuko, catching Shinobu's gaze, instantly turned beet red, lowering her head to stare at her shoes in dead silence.
The fact that she liked Suyan had already been exposed by the three little girls of the Butterfly Mansion—it was practically an open secret. Plus, she had just secretly kissed him earlier. Having everyone look at her now made her unbearably embarrassed.
Kanae didn't look at Nezuko, instead turning a puzzled gaze to her younger sister. "Why?"
"I should be the one asking you that! Sister, do you even know what you're saying?!" Shinobu shouted back indignantly. "What do you mean, 'become Suyan's women'?! How could you push them into a fire pit like that?!"
"Of course I know exactly what I'm saying," Kanae replied. "But..."
The reason she made such a request to Kanao and Aoi wasn't out of ignorance. On the contrary, she understood perfectly well.
If she were still alive, her sole objective would undoubtedly be the eradication of the Demon King, Muzan, to prevent the tragedies that befell so many in the Demon Slayer Corps from repeating.
But having been given a second chance at life, and knowing the heavy, suffocating shackles Shinobu had placed upon her own heart because of her death, a small, selfish desire had bloomed within Kanae. Destroying Muzan was important, of course, but she wanted nothing more than for her little sisters to find true happiness.
Kanae stared deeply into Shinobu's eyes and gently reminded her with a single word. "Contract..."
Shinobu's voice caught in her throat, the fiery anger immediately deflating.
Perhaps it was because the contract linked her directly to Kanae, but she could easily feel the thoughts swirling in her sister's mind. She couldn't find a single reason to fault Kanae for her little bit of selfishness. After all, this was exactly what her sister had always wanted—for them to live like normal girls and find ordinary happiness.
And now, she had simply added a tiny, selfish caveat to that wish: that while finding happiness, they could all remain together as sisters forever.
It was something she should have realized the moment she signed the contract with Suyan. The overwhelming joy of her sister's resurrection had just caused her to subconsciously block it out.
Yes, she hadn't read the contents of the Parchment before agreeing to the contract, but the moment she signed her name, the terms had been permanently branded into her soul.
From now on, she no longer belonged entirely to herself. Her life, and her sister's life, were inextricably bound to that man named Suyan.
Even if they managed to destroy Muzan, they would never be able to live the normal lives Kanae had once dreamed of for them. But to Shinobu, as long as she could be with her sister, that was enough.
It wasn't even that she was unwilling to share Suyan with the others. After all, Suyan didn't just belong to the two of them anyway. She just hadn't spent much time with him yet, and aside from knowing he was a multi-timing playboy, she hardly knew him. Her own contract was largely driven by her desire to save Kanae. Because of that, she didn't want to forcibly interfere with Kanao and Aoi's free will.
"Since you feel that way, why don't we let them decide for themselves?" Kanae suggested, easily reading her sister's thoughts.
Shinobu looked troubled, but seeing the pleading look on her sister's face, she eventually relented.
"Then it's settled. No going back on your word." Kanae held out her pinky finger in an endearingly childish gesture. "Pinky swear..."
Shinobu glanced at Aoi and the others around them, then back at her sister, who clearly wasn't going to drop it until she swore. Letting out an exasperated sigh, she reached out and hooked her pinky around Kanae's, playing along with the childish game.
As their fingers linked, Kanae said seriously, "Pinky swear, whoever lies has to swallow a thousand needles."
Once the oath was sealed, a victorious smile spread across Kanae's face.
She turned back to Aoi, gently stroking Kanao's head as she spoke. "Aoi, try to spend some more time getting to know Suyan. If you really find that you don't like him, I won't force you."
She looked down at Kanao, who was thoroughly enjoying the head pats. "The same goes for you, Kanao. If you don't like it, you have to say so. You aren't allowed to use your coin to decide!"
Kanao, still not entirely sure what was going on, simply nodded obediently.
Aoi's brain was still struggling to process the situation. Did my entire future just get decided just like that? To be completely honest, she hadn't understood a single word of the secret code the two sisters were speaking. But one thing she was absolutely certain of was that Kanae's resurrection was entirely thanks to Lord Suyan. And the price he demanded to bring her back... was probably for them to become his women, right?
Looking at the expression on Shinobu's face, Aoi became even more certain of her theory.
If given the choice, she naturally wanted to remain sisters with someone as wonderful as Kanae for the rest of her life. But asking her to just throw herself at a man was a little too embarrassing, even for her. However, if it was just testing the waters to see if they were compatible... that she could handle.
Aoi let out a breath of relief. "Alright, I understand."
Having settled the matter of her younger sisters, Kanae finally turned her attention to the only outsider left in the room: Nezuko.
Kanae's eyes drifted down to the wooden training sword resting by Nezuko's feet. She asked curiously, "Little one, do you want to learn a Breathing Style so you can avenge your family?"
─────
Support this fanfict by leaving Positive Review, Comments, and Power Stones.
For Advance Chapters:
> Patreon.com/NegativeTranslations