Time turned back to a little while earlier.
The three little girls had been so engrossed in "gathering intelligence" that they ate more slowly than everyone else. By the time they were full, only Kanae and Mitsuri were left, waiting to clear away the dishes.
Kanzaki Kumo had been the first to finish eating and leave the table, followed closely by Aoi Kanzaki, whose mind had not been on dinner at all.
Of course, Kanzaki Kumo noticed the girl following him, so instead of waiting in the courtyard as usual for Kanae and the others to finish tidying up before taking a walk together to help digest their meal, he walked straight out of the courtyard and into a secluded corner.
This was the same place where Makomo had "taught Kanzaki Kumo a lesson" last time.
The corner was secluded even during the day, and shrouded in darkness, it now felt all the more sinister. Combined with the lingering trace of winter's chill on this early spring night, it was enough to send a timid person fleeing in fright.
As it happened, Aoi Kanzaki was rather timid.
Back on Mount Fujikasane, she had failed to overcome her fear of demons. However, her performance early on had revealed her careful, conscientious nature, and her surname had caught the attention of Kanae, who was serving as an examiner. That was how she had come to the Butterfly Mansion.
That experience during the Final Selection had also planted a seed of inferiority in Aoi Kanzaki's heart.
Everything she experienced afterward at the Butterfly Mansion had allowed that seed to sprout and grow.
For someone already prone to feeling inferior, even looking at ordinary people around her who were relatively confident would make her feel that they were better than her. And at the