That smile was beautiful, yet it made Rokuya's heart skip a beat for some reason. He kept feeling as though something he could not see through lay hidden behind it.
"Congratulations, Shinobu. You can finally hold your own now," Rokuya told her sincerely.
"Thank you for the praise, Lord Takanashi," Shinobu replied with a soft laugh, a trace of deliberate distance in her voice.
After the meeting ended, the Hashira gradually dispersed.
Rokuya was about to go over and say a few words to Shinobu when Kanae caught his sleeve.
"Rokuya..." Kanae pulled him into a deserted corner of the corridor, no longer able to conceal the worry in her eyes.
"What's wrong?" Rokuya frowned, taking her slightly cool hand in his.
"It's Shinobu." Kanae bit her lower lip. "For the past six months, she's been out killing Demons almost without sleep or rest, trying to meet the quota of fifty as soon as possible. Ever since she said she wanted to establish her own toxicology research institute in her jurisdiction, she's been coming back to the Butterfly Mansion less and less."
"She's a Hashira now, after all. It's normal for her to have her own jurisdiction," Rokuya reassured her.
"But she even talks to me less now." Kanae raised her head, her eyes slightly red. "I can feel her pushing herself. I'm afraid she... I'm afraid she's hiding something from me. I get the feeling that little girl has fallen for you. If it's true, please accept her too. I'm her older sister. I can tell what's on her mind."
Rokuya fell silent. He recalled Shinobu's flawless smile earlier, and the strange feeling in his heart grew stronger.
He reached out and gently ruffled Kanae's hair.
"Don't worry. Leave it to me. I don't have any missions over the