Before opening it, Su Chen went through a small internal struggle.
Isn't it wrong to just open a girl's diary like this? This is someone else's private business!
But what if something like last time happens again?
Su Chen had a flash of inspiration.
His hand slipped ever so accidentally!
There was a clatter.
The diary fell to the floor and landed open.
"Oh dear, how could I be so careless!"
Su Chen grinned and hurriedly picked up Shinobu Kocho's diary.
"I'd better close it right away!"
As he spoke, he closed the diary one page at a time.
Until...
He "closed" it to where he had stopped reading last time.
"Tuesday. Weather: heavy fog."
"Sister, remember the mission I told you about a few days ago? I made a mistake and a human stabbed me in the arm."
"With so many powerful demons around us, my heart sank. I didn't know how to get out."
"This was my fourth day on Autumn Sky Mountain. By then, our team was almost at the limits of its stamina. Perhaps I'll get to see you soon, Sister?"
"Wednesday. Weather: overcast."
"Sister, I'm back. Tonight, I discovered traces of three Lower Rank demons at the summit of Autumn Sky Mountain. They had all been killed by the same person."
"I found out Su Chen did it. I'm truly grateful to him. Otherwise, something very likely would have happened to me today."
"Su Chen was injured. I was so worried. By the time I rushed back to the Butterfly Mansion, it was almost dawn."
"Sister, do you know what? Su Chen was sitting on the doorstep waiting for me. I had no idea how long he'd been sitting there."
"He spotted my wound immediately and patiently bandaged it and applied medicine. I've never met anyone as gentle as him apart from you, Sister."
"Everyone calls him Mr. Su Chen, but that brat seems to actually think he's a proper gentleman."
"He's clearly just a brat younger than me, yet he acts like an adult every single day."
"Sister, do... do you think Su Chen likes me? Why is he so good to me?"
"Sister, I almost fell for him, but I'm the Insect Hashira. I still have my own goals and plans. I can't be with Su Chen."
"Because I know Shinobu Kocho can have someone she likes, but the Insect Hashira cannot."
"Thursday. Weather: sunny."
"Sister, after saying goodbye to Su Chen and returning to my room, I suddenly heard Aoi shouting."
"Su Chen had collapsed!"
"I'm a doctor, yet I actually froze. Sister, do you think Su Chen might have collapsed because he saved me?"
"Sister, I suddenly felt a little guilty. I'm a Hashira, yet Su Chen ended up having to take care of me."
"I sat beside Su Chen's bed all day, wiping away his sweat and changing his clothes. I noticed how particularly handsome his profile was, and before I knew it, I'd sat there until the afternoon."
"I knew Su Chen was about to wake up, but I couldn't let him see me. I should leave this relationship as it is. I have far too much to bear."
"Friday. Weather: overcast."
"Sister, Su Chen went to the training grounds today. I specifically asked Big Brother Rengoku to teach him some practical things. That way, Su Chen won't get hurt next time!"
"There's something else. You know, Sister, I met Mr. Shinazugawa today. He seems to be trying to awaken a Demon Slayer Mark like Su Chen's."
"I was going to leave, but then I heard Mr. Shinazugawa speaking ill of Su Chen! I was furious and gave him a scolding on the spot!"
"Hmph! If it weren't for the fact that Mr. Shinazugawa once courted you, Sister, I'd have given him a taste of my Butterfly Dance!"
"Hehe, I can't do that. You like my smile, Sister. Your Shinobu has to be a lady!"
"Saturday. Weather: rain."
"Sister, on my recent missions, I've discovered that the demons out there seem to be looking for Mr. Su Chen. I also learned from one demon that Mr. Su Chen hadn't shown his face to the demons that day."
"Although I don't know why, Mr. Su Chen presumably covered his face because he didn't want to reveal his identity. For that reason, I haven't reported this to the Master."
"I'm all alone again today. It's raining heavily outside, and I feel a little cold."
"Sister, I miss you so much. Your Shinobu really misses you."
He finished the last page.
The writing came to an abrupt end with those strokes of longing.
Between the lines, Su Chen read the complicated emotions in the girl's heart.
There were Shinobu Kocho's joys and sorrows, her anger and happiness, and the private little thoughts unique to an eighteen-year-old girl.
He really hadn't known Shinobu Kocho was so lively inside.
Su Chen suddenly let out a sigh of relief.
Fortunately, nothing had happened to Shinobu Kocho, or the Butterfly Mansion would have lost another two doctors.
Su Chen lowered his head, thinking over the contents of Shinobu Kocho's diary.
Sure enough, Shinobu Kocho had discovered that he was the person on Autumn Sky Mountain back then.
But she hadn't reported the matter.
That must be against Corps rules, right?
Su Chen hadn't expected Shinobu Kocho to go this far for him.
There was one other thing.
Su Chen flipped the diary back to a certain page.
He studied the sentence "Sister, I almost fell for him" three times.
Shinobu Kocho likes me, right?
The corners of Su Chen's mouth rose instinctively. It seemed there was a reason the girl had suddenly been so cold toward him that night.
Is it because of Doma?
Su Chen narrowed his eyes slightly.
He remembered that Shinobu Kocho had made many preparations to kill Doma.
Among them was injecting herself with wisteria poison every day, all so it could serve a purpose someday.
Normally, the amount of poison injected into Shinobu Kocho's Nichirin Blade at any one time was roughly seventy grams.
That amount of poison was already enough to kill any demon below the Upper Ranks.
But against an Upper Rank, Shinobu Kocho wasn't completely confident.
For that reason, she had added another trump card.
Her own body!
Every day, large quantities of wisteria poison were injected into Shinobu Kocho's body.
Su Chen made a quick estimate of the time.
By now, the amount of wisteria poison in Shinobu Kocho's body was seventy times the lethal dose.
Every inch of this girl's skin was tightly wrapped in purple hatred.
As she was now, even a single drop of her blood...
Could poison any demon to death except the Demon King and the Twelve Kizuki!
That was also why Su Chen could always smell wisteria on Shinobu Kocho.
Su Chen's grip on the diary tightened a little.
Now that he had come to the Butterfly Mansion, he absolutely could not let something like that happen again.
After living together for so long, Su Chen had come to regard everyone at the Butterfly Mansion as family.
So, Doma, you really deserve to die!
Su Chen silently made up his mind that he would definitely capture Doma for research in the future.
Just as Su Chen was lost in thought...
Footsteps suddenly came from the basement doorway.
Someone was coming!
Before you continue