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ch. 8

As Karasu prepared to enter the carriage, she heard commotion behind her. “My lord?!” she heard one of the attendants scream. Turning around, she was greeted by a pale young man. Her eyes widened - it was her fiance rushing out of the building. He was standing at the top of the stairs, it was only three steps but he was tall and menacing.

The servants around them lowered their heads and Karasu gave a light bow, “Greetings Kibutsuji, what brings you here? Did something happen?"

“How long?” Muzan asked, his voice sore and worn out.

“Pardon me?” Karasu was confused.

“How long will you be gone?”

“Ah, about three days or so. Is something the matter?”
“Hm,” He narrowed his eyes, before turning to leave. “Don’t take too long.”

Karasu waved goodbye, perplexed by what just happened as she entered the carriage.

After Karasu had reached the Sanji mansion, she exchanged her greetings with her family members, they sat down on a grand table and began to eat. They talked about all sorts of things, like the recent politics, Karasu's well being and so on.

All of a sudden, a maid rushed into the dining room and whispered to another maid, to which the maid made a shocked expression. She approached Karasu and whispered something in her ear “My lady! T-the lord has collapsed!”

Her eyes widened, she stood up from the table so suddenly it shook. Giving a quick bow, Karasu apologized to her family “I’m sorry but something urgent has come up so I will be taking an early leave. I apologize for not being able to spend the promised three days with you.” To which they nodded, understanding the severity of the situation.

Karasu ordered, “Summon my horse now!”

Karasu rode to the mansion at an incredibly fast pace. When she reached, she was covered in sweat but she did not care. The servants there were flustered from Karasu’s sudden arrival. “You there, what is my fiance’s current condition?” She asked, entering the room, throwing her coat aside.

“H-he is alright as has passed the most critical stage.”

“I see. Everyone, leave except for the doctor.”

Karasu sighed and sat down, she ran her hand up her hair. Staring down at the unconscious man. His face was serene yet pained, he looked like a corpse.
Karasu stared at the beautiful face then at her ring before burying her face in her hand. It was a chaotic night. “...frequent walks…eat…not guaranteed…” Muzan was fading in and out, he could barely make out what the doctor was saying. He sighed internally, it always happened often - he had a weak body after all.

“Good morning.” Karasu greeted sitting in the doctor’s seat, “How are you feeling?” Muzan’s eyes and Karasu’s eyes met each other - she had eyes filled with concern and unwavering will. The differences between the both were evident. Karasu was the sun while Muzan was the moon. It was undeniable.

For the next few days, Karasu stayed beside the man. Sometimes she would just sit there reading a book or she would talk to him about the places she had visited and many other things that Muzan found foreign. She always had a gentle smile on her face while retelling the stories.

“It’s such a good day for a walk.” Karasu commented, glancing at the window.

“There’s a cherry blossom outside my window, I don’t remember seeing that. The garden looks even more… more…” Muzan commented, trying to find the correct words.

“Vibrant? I asked the gardener to plant more colorful flowers that would please the eye.” Karasu smiled, satisfied with the gardener’s work.

‘Maybe the reason why my life was so miserable was because I was too busy wallowing in self pity…’ Muzan laughed at himself, he looked at Karasu, “Let’s go out for a walk.” Karasu lit up, “Splendid! But how is your body feeling?” Karasu had been suggesting going out for walks everyday but each time Muzan ignored the suggestion. Muzan glared, “I’m not that weak, don’t look down on me.” The girl chuckled, happy that Muzan finally decided to come out of his room.