The Kamado family was the last to leave the Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters apart from Oyakata-sama's own family. Kanao had left with Shinobu Kocho; the affection between her and Tanjiro had not yet become overt enough for her to follow him home to the Kamado household.
At least, that was how it appeared.
After Kanao left the Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters with Shinobu Kocho, they returned to the residence Shinobu had purchased outside the headquarters and opened a medical clinic.
During the day, Shinobu treated patients as the attending physician, with Kanao serving as her assistant.
At night, Shinobu became a medical instructor, and Kanao listened and learned as her student.
Kanao had been born into an extremely poor family and had grown up suffering her parents' cold, merciless abuse. Though her "divine eyes," on par with Tanjiro's, allowed her to keep protecting her vital areas from their punches and kicks, she could not save her siblings.
One sibling after another died from their parents' violence. Crying would draw their parents' attention and earn her another beating, so Kanao had no choice but to hide her feelings. After enduring this for so long, she lost the ability to express them altogether.
Until one day, her parents sold her to a human trafficker.
As the trafficker dragged her along, Kanao drew ever closer to that hellish abyss. Fortunately, just as she was about to cross the point of no return, Shinobu Kocho and her older sister, Kanae Kocho, happened to pass by. They not only rescued her but brought her back to the Butterfly Mansion to raise her. Even the name "Kanao" had been given to her afterward by the Kocho sisters...
"Let's end today's lesson here." Shinobu closed the medical book in her hands and sighed.
Kanao, who had been