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Chapter 127: Whose Subordinate is This?
"Whoops, watch out, watch out."
With quick reflexes, Kanae caught the slipping tray right out of Aoi's hands.
She let out a sigh of relief and looked at the still-shell-shocked girl. "Aoi, are you alright? It's been so long, and yet you've gotten clumsy! You can't even hold a food tray steady."
"K-Kanae-nee?!"
Aoi covered her mouth, her eyes wide with absolute disbelief, her mind in a daze.
She specifically remembered that Kanae had passed away. Even the pale green butterfly ornament she always wore had been handed down to Kanao by Shinobu, replacing Kanao's original pink-and-white one.
A dream! This is a dream!
Aoi quickly came to a conclusion.
She was definitely dreaming.
Otherwise, how could she have seen Shinobu walking out of a man's room early in the morning, hair messy and clothes disheveled?
And not only that, she was pulling the deceased Kocho Kanae out with her?
"No, no, Kanzaki Aoi, you need to wake up right now."
Aoi shook her head vigorously, clenching her small fists against her chest as she spoke to herself with utter seriousness. "The Butterfly Mansion has a lot of matters waiting for you to handle. You can't keep sleeping like this."
"Because this is the only thing you can do for Kanae-nee and the Demon Slayer Corps. You can do it, Kanzaki Aoi!"
Having hyped herself up, Aoi paused, looked at the Kanae in front of her, and said solemnly, "Kanae-nee, even though I miss you a lot, I have to wake up now."
"I will carry on your dying will. I'll watch over the Butterfly Mansion and take good care of Kanao and the others."
She thought for a second and added, "Especially Lady Shinobu..."
In her heart, if there was anyone in the Butterfly Mansion she worried about the most, it was undoubtedly Shinobu.
Ever since Kanae's death, the changes in Shinobu were visible to the naked eye.
Aoi couldn't overcome her own fear to face demons on the frontlines, nor did she have much talent in medicine.
Aside from helping manage the estate's daily chores, she couldn't offer any real help in avenging Kanae.
All she could do was watch helplessly as Shinobu walked down a dark, one-way path.
"Oh my, oh my. So in Aoi's eyes, I'm someone who needs 'special care'?"
Shinobu spoke in her usual light, airy tone, but she placed a dangerous emphasis on the words "special care."
"Lady Shinobu..."
Cold sweat began beading on Aoi's forehead.
Shinobu was smiling, but she looked infinitely more terrifying than the hot-tempered girl she used to be.
However, Aoi glanced at Kanae standing next to her and suddenly realized something.
Wait, this is a dream. And Kanae-nee is here!
I respect you in the real world, but this is MY dream! Am I really going to let you bully me here?
What's the point of this dream then?!
"Lady Shinobu!"
Aoi took a deep breath and shouted at the top of her lungs, "A girl should live honestly! Cry when you need to cry, and laugh when you want to laugh!"
"It's not right for you to keep copying Kanae-nee like this! If she were still alive, she definitely wouldn't want to see you like this!"
While pouring out the true feelings she never dared to say in reality, Aoi reached out and began physically squishing Shinobu's face, trying to forcibly smooth out her fake smile.
Faced with this sudden burst of audacity, Shinobu was too stunned to react.
She literally just stood there, letting Aoi knead her cheeks like dough.
After a short while, Aoi looked at Shinobu—who had finally dropped her fake smile and looked "normal" again thanks to her efforts—and nodded in satisfaction. She turned to Kanae. "There, that's much better. Isn't it, Kanae-nee?"
"You've got a lot of nerve~"
Shinobu glanced at Kanae, who was covering her mouth and giggling beside her.
A massive wave of pure embarrassment washed over Shinobu.
She narrowed her eyes, a pulsing tick mark appearing on her forehead. She glared at Aoi, emphasizing every single syllable. "Kan! Zaki! Aoi!"
"What about it?"
Aoi put her hands on her hips, radiating righteous defiance. "I'm just telling the truth!"
As Aoi's words fell, a heavy silence settled over the hallway.
Suyan poked his head out from behind the door, resting his chin on Kanae's shoulder, and looked at Aoi with deep fascination.
Good lord, whose fearless soldier is this?
To actually have the guts to hard-counter Shinobu Kocho in her own house?
Kanae, unable to stop smiling, leaned close to Suyan's ear and whispered a brief explanation.
Only then did Suyan understand. Like Shinobu earlier, Aoi thought Kanae's appearance meant she was dreaming.
This was absolutely hilarious.
If she knew this wasn't a dream, how would she react?
Let's make things a little more interesting.
Thinking that, Suyan reached out and lightly flicked Aoi on the forehead.
Aoi rubbed the spot where he flicked her and let out an involuntary yelp.
Wait. Isn't this a dream?
Why does it hurt?
Aoi looked at Shinobu's dark, murderous expression.
Then she looked at Kanae and Suyan, who were both stifling their laughter.
No way...
Aoi snapped back to reality. Her mind went completely blank.
Cold sweat poured down her forehead. She was sweating bullets.
I'm going to die, right?
I'm absolutely going to die.
Not only had she caught Shinobu walking out of a man's room, but she had also physically squished Shinobu's face.
She had even fiercely talked back to her.
Looking at the "friendly" expression on Shinobu's face, Aoi squeaked out, "L-Lady Shinobu... can we just pretend none of that just happened?"
"Your sudden change in attitude is quite laughable."
Shinobu scoffed, her tone dripping with malice. "Kanzaki Aoi, weren't you being very brave just a second ago? Why did you stop?"
Aoi reflexively wiped the cold sweat from her forehead.
She only did it because she thought it was a dream! Otherwise, she would never have the guts!
She wanted to cry but had no tears left.
I'm treading on seriously thin ice here... am I even going to make it out alive?
Finally, Aoi threw a desperate, pleading look at Kanae, her will to survive burning bright.
"Kanae-nee, save me!!!"
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