Stepping away from the Kamado household, Suyan let out a heavy breath into the cool night air.
He could easily guess the reasoning behind Kie's request. She likely believed the chances of them reverting to humans were slim, and with Tanjiro and Shigeru dedicating their lives to the lethal path of the Demon Slayer Corps, she worried about her daughters' futures. She wanted a strong, reliable pillar for them to lean on. As a mother in a chaotic, bloodstained era, she knew how vital it was for a woman to have a secure anchor.
As for giving both sisters to one man? In this era, especially for commoners like the Kamado family, such arrangements weren't entirely taboo. Besides, she felt she had absolutely nothing else of value to offer Suyan in return for saving her family.
Suyan understood her logic, but...
Nezuko was fine. She was of marriageable age, and he fully intended to form a Contract with her once she mastered Sun Breathing. But Hanako? Even though she had clearly inherited her mother's striking beauty and was destined to grow into a stunner just like Nezuko, she was the fourth child. She was way too young. He would have to wait and see what Hanako herself wanted when she grew up. By the time she came of age, Tamayo would likely have finished the Restoration Cure anyway.
"L-Lord Suyan..."
A familiar, soft voice pulled Suyan from his thoughts.
The pale moonlight washed over a slender, graceful silhouette clad in the standard Demon Slayer uniform. Her hair was tied into twin tails, secured by twin blue butterfly ornaments. Her deep blue eyes reflected Suyan's form, gazing at him with an intensity that made it clear he was the only thing in her world.
"Aoi?" Suyan blinked in surprise, looking at the head caretaker of the Butterfly Mansion. "Why are you still awake so late?"
"Um..." Aoi Kanzaki looked down at her shoes, then tilted her head up to glance at the glowing full moon. Biting her lip in nervous determination, she forced the words out. "The... the moon is beautiful tonight."
Suyan paused. That was a famous, old-school confession phrase from his original world, popularized by the Japanese author Natsume Soseki. It was a poetic, implicit way of saying 'I love you.' The correct response, if the feelings were mutual, was 'The wind is gentle too.'
He wasn't sure if a literary giant who had penned this exact confession existed in this world, but Aoi certainly wasn't the poetic type. Where had she learned that? Throwing the thought aside, he looked at the blushing, trembling girl standing bravely before him.
Suyan smiled warmly, his voice dropping to a gentle timbre. "It is. Do you want to look at the moon with me, Aoi?"
"Yes!" Aoi nodded eagerly. While it wasn't the exact poetic response she had memorized, it was just as perfect. She had stayed up for hours waiting for him to return, desperately seeking a moment alone with him. (She had secretly eavesdropped on Mitsuri Kanroji asking Saeko Busujima for romantic advice, memorized the phrase, and ruthlessly stole it to use on Suyan first.)
"Then let's walk," Suyan said, gently taking her hand.
Despite managing the grueling daily chores of the entire estate, Aoi's hands weren't calloused or rough; they were incredibly soft and delicate. Hand in hand, they strolled through the wisteria forest. A gentle breeze rustled the canopy, showering them in pale purple petals, painting a picturesque scene under the moonlight.
Aoi leaned her head against Suyan's shoulder, her heart hammering against her ribs as his thumb gently stroked the back of her hand. The thrill of sneaking around in the dead of night, hiding this secret rendezvous from Kanae and Shinobu, made her feel incredibly bold and dizzy with affection.
To Suyan, the flushed, lovestruck girl was unbearably cute. His appetite flared, and he felt a sudden, intense desire to taste her lips.
Leaning down, his breath tickled the shell of her ear. "Aoi, can I kiss you?"
Feeling the heat of his breath, Aoi's ear burned, and the crimson flush spread rapidly across her cheeks. She closed her eyes and tilted her chin up in silent, eager permission.
Just as their lips were about to touch—
"Oh my, what a lovely atmosphere."
A gentle, teasing voice shattered the silence. Aoi let out a squeak of absolute terror, violently shoving herself away from Suyan like a frightened rabbit.
Kanae Kocho stepped out from behind a wisteria tree, a serene, knowing smile gracing her lips. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything?"
"K-K-Kanae-nee!" Aoi stammered, her face turning pale as a sheet. "I... I was just... Lord Suyan and I..."
"It's quite alright," Kanae said soothingly, stepping forward to pat the terrified girl's head. "Why don't you head back to your room for now? Let Suyan and I have a little chat. How does that sound?"
"Um..." Aoi looked back and forth between Kanae's unreadable smile and Suyan's perfectly calm demeanor. She didn't understand how he could be so relaxed after getting caught red-handed. Biting her lip, she bowed deeply. "Kanae-nee, please don't blame Lord Suyan! I was the one who—"
Kanae gently pressed a finger to Aoi's lips, silencing the frantic apology. "It's fine, Aoi. It's late. Go get some rest."
Unable to argue further, Aoi nodded. She cast one last, longing, entirely reluctant look at Suyan before hurrying back toward the estate.
"Suyan~"
The moment Aoi was out of sight, Kanae threw herself into Suyan's arms, burying her face in his chest and greedily inhaling his scent.
"Kanae," Suyan mused, wrapping his arms around her waist and playfully twirling a strand of her soft hair. "Mind explaining what kind of game you're playing?"
Kanae rested her ear against his chest, listening to the steady, comforting rhythm of his heartbeat. "I did it on purpose."
"I know." Suyan wasn't surprised. Kanae was well aware of the romantic tension between him and Aoi. In fact, she had quietly enabled it, seemingly happy to watch it blossom. The only thing he didn't understand was why she had chosen to jump out and play the wicked older sister just now. "Care to tell me why?"
"Because I wanted to be alone with you too," Kanae replied softly. Aoi wasn't the only one who had waited up for him tonight.
"Just because of that?" Suyan raised an eyebrow. They had plenty of moments alone together. Was that really worth scaring poor Aoi half to death? He could feel how genuinely terrified the younger girl had been.
"It's different," Kanae said, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Because right now... Shinobu is fast asleep in her room~"
Suyan instantly understood. Ever since Kanae formed a Contract with him, she was bound by a unique complication. While Shinobu didn't mind Kanae being affectionate with him, she kept her sister on an incredibly tight leash. It created a strange, stifling dynamic where Kanae rarely got to truly indulge.
"I never took you for the clingy type, Kanae," Suyan chuckled, pinching her cheek.
"I'm a girl too, you know," she hummed happily, looking up at him with a breathtaking smile.
"Alright then," Suyan smirked. "You chased Aoi away, my clingy little butterfly. What do you want to do now?"
"Kiss me."
Suyan gladly obliged. Cupping her delicate jaw, he captured her lips in a deep, passionate kiss. They stayed entangled for a long time before slowly parting.
"Had enough?" he asked.
Kanae took deep, ragged breaths. Even though she vaguely remembered the 'breathing while kissing' technique Suyan had taught Shinobu, she always ended up so completely lost in the sensation that her mind went blank. Her eyes crinkled in a teasing smile. "You taste a little like Aoi, you know."
"Uh..." Suyan scratched his cheek, momentarily at a loss for words.
Kanae didn't press the issue. "Just teasing~" She pressed closer, her voice dropping to a husky whisper. "But just a kiss isn't nearly enough."
"What else do you want?"
"I told you... Shinobu isn't here to scold us~" Kanae murmured suggestively, tracing a finger down his chest.
Suyan's heart skipped a beat. "Are you saying...?"
"Mhm." Kanae leaned up on her tiptoes, pressing her lips directly against his ear. "Love me~"
Because of Shinobu's constant vigilance, Kanae rarely got him all to herself for extended periods. Tonight, Shinobu had assumed Suyan was staying overnight in Asakusa with Tamayo and had completely dropped her guard against Kanae. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. She would just have to heavily apologize to Aoi tomorrow for her selfish interruption.
Blood rushed south. The gentle, elegant Hashira's sultry invitation was more potent than the strongest aphrodisiac. Without another word, Suyan scooped the blushing woman into his arms, summoned a Dimensional Gate, and stepped through to Greed Island.
Meanwhile, back in the Butterfly Mansion.
"Nnnh~"
In her bed, Shinobu shifted restlessly. Her face was flushed deep crimson, radiating an unnatural, feverish heat. In her dreams, she felt her older sister holding her tightly. She curled into a ball, basking in the phantom warmth.
Suddenly, in the dream, Kanae's face was replaced by Suyan's grinning visage.
Shinobu snapped awake, gasping. "Sister?!"
She patted the futon beside her, but the sheets were cold. Kanae had been gone for a while.
Mr.! Scum! Bag! Shinobu realized exactly what was happening. Her sister had snuck out to rendezvous with that man. She kicked off her blankets, shoved her feet into her slippers, and stormed down the hall toward Suyan's room, careful to keep her footsteps light so as not to wake the estate.
She found the door unlocked and threw it open, only to find the room completely empty.
Had she misunderstood?
Just as she turned to leave, an alien, overwhelming sensation crashed through her body.
"Ah... nhh!"
A strange, sweet whimper escaped her lips. Horrified, Shinobu slapped a hand over her mouth. She couldn't believe she had just made such an embarrassing sound.
Before she could process the shock, waves of intense, mind-melting pleasure began bombarding her nervous system. Her knees buckled instantly.
She collapsed onto Suyan's empty bed. The scent of him lingering on the pillows only acted as a catalyst, amplifying the phantom sensations cascading through her body.
Desperate, Shinobu stuffed a fistful of his blanket into her mouth, biting down hard to muffle the humiliating sounds trying to tear their way out of her throat.
This was exactly why she kept such a close eye on Kanae. Two bodies, one soul. A shared sensory connection forged by the Contract.
She knew exactly what Suyan was doing to her sister right now, and because of the Contract, every touch, every caress, every spike of pleasure was being broadcasted directly into her own body. Her bones felt like they had turned to jelly. She couldn't muster an ounce of strength to move. All she could do was lie there, enduring the torturous ecstasy while screaming curses at him in her mind.
Finally, as the phantom sensations crested into a blinding, world-shattering peak...
Suyan, you absolute bastard! Shinobu violently shuddered, and her mind went entirely blank.
----
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