Priceless Smile 2

Chapter 83: Hanare

     They all faced Hanare in surprise as she kept her eyes at the two. She then looked down as her hair block her face.

"That's right.... Kazumi is my daughter. The truth is, they both are my children, my own blood and flesh."

"They're.... siblings?" Yuichiro muttered out.

"Back then, I have to leave both my husband and my son to save them despite being pregnant with Kazumi. I have to. But then, shortly after finding out about my husband's death, I also died when my daughter's barely five." She then looked away holding back her tears.
"I wasn't able to protect my own daughter so I guess, maybe you guys are right, I'm a cruel parent."

Now they felt so guilty at how they easily judged not only Kazumi as a very young oiran, but also her parents selling her off. Turns out they were greatly mistaken.

"Again? Repeat that name again." Muzan muttered out.

"My mother's name is Hanare."

"Could you perhaps.... describe how she looked like?"

"Eh? Well.... she's beautiful! She has a pretty long wavy black hair and red plum eyes! Her skin is also so smooth and her voice so calm! I really loved it when she sings me a lullaby! She's also a worrywart though, she always worries about me."

Muzan gulped down as he took in a deep breath. His hands started shaking.

"H-How about your father?.... O-Or any other family members?" His voice started to shake now.

"She did told me about my father and my brother. Mother would always tell stories about the both of them, it always makes me happy listening. Mother said my brother looks like a male version of her! I'd always imagine how they both looked like. She even said that even if I didn't got father's hair or hers, I got our grandpa's, her father."

Hanare couldn't help it anymore as her tears slowly roll down her cheeks as she cover her mouth with her hand. She cried as she look away from everyone and her children.

'I'm sorry. I'm sorry if mother has to leave you two. I'm so so sorry!'

"I also would always see her write letters back then. She said those letters were for my brother. She has someone to send it but, I never saw any reply. Mother said that she doesn't need any reply at all, as long as she knew her letters arrived to my father and brother's place, she's happy. But sometimes, I can't help but wonder, does my brother and father knew I exist? Or would my brother accept me if ever he found out he have a sister? But still, I'm happy!"

"D-Do you.... hate your brother?"

"Of course not! Why would I? If he's alive and I met him, I'll gladly greet him! It doesn't matter whether he accepts me or not. I'd still pray for his happiness."

Muzan then clutched his chest as he cover his mouth. He could hear his own heart beat so fast.

"Are you alright, my lord? I suppose you should go rest now."

He put his hand away from his mouth as he let out a shaky breath. His eyes turning glossy at every second as he get up followed by Kazumi getting up too.

"Yes.... I'll, go back now." He then turned around as he walk away.

He put his hand back to his mouth as his other hand clutched his chest tighter. Hanare snapped her shaky fingers as they saw Muzan's tears brim down his face as he walk away. As he reach his assigned room, he let all his tears out.

'Kazumi.... so I'm right. But then how? How can I tell you.... that your brother's right here. That I don't hate you at all.'

Their scene then changed again, it's now daytime as Kazumi's strolling around the village. She could hear a lot of people walking and talking around, children running around and laughing together, and ladies gathered giggling with each other.

'Odd. Why does Kibutsuji-sama sound so sad last night? Did I offend him? Wait.... did I perhaps made him feel awful because I talked too much about my mother?! What should I do?!'

She just sighed as she walk thinking about it.

'But then, why does his scent.... somehow smelled a bit like mother's?'

"Hanare-sama, I don't have any ill intentions but, what do you mean by leaving your husband and Muzan behind in order to protect them?" Kagaya asked.

"Because the demon progenirator of this time, was my younger twin brother, Shinjitsu. Better known as Shin. We were both born from the underworld realm, a place where demons and yokais exist. He grew up wanting power despite being powerful enough already so he came here to the human realm to conquer the world of the mortals as he knew he can't do the same thing to ours. I followed him wanting to stop and bring him back but he didn't. Hundreds, thousands, years went by until I felt my own power draining, I have to think of a way to stop him immediately."

"Draining? How is that possible?" Obanai asked.

"As a demon born from a different place, I have to do something to keep my power in this mortal realm. I never ate a single a human nor even drunk a drop of their blood so my power kept on draining. While for my brother, he mercilessly feasted on them as he go to further places. Thankfully, he's only able to spread the existence of demons here in Japan and not throughout the whole wide world."

Listening to her explanation made them even more curious. They all thought that the underworld are just a realm that exist in books and stories told to them. Yet here they are talking to someone who's from there.

"If you're a demon, how come you only have two children? I mean, you could've given birth to some more since you lived long." Tengen teased.

"What do you think of me? A hoe?! Someone who's used for birthing heirs?! Bastard, beware of your words!" Hanare kept on pulling his left ear nagging at him.

"STOP! STOP! MY EARS ARE GOING TO GET RIPPED OFF! SORRY! SORRY! SORRYYYYY!!!"

She kept on pulling a bit more before harshly letting go. Tengen's ears turned red as he held back his tears from the pain.

"When I realized I might not last long, I thought of doing something. That's when the thought of building the corps came into my mind."

"The corps? You mean the demon slayer corps?" Kagaya looked so surprised.

"Yes, during my time as a demon, travelling around was quite easy. I've decided to make use of my power. I spent almost all my power realeasing it out as it spread through this country, that power is what has been passed down through years from one human to another. That's how people discovered their breathing styles. With enough training and concentration, a person would be able to summon up that power and help them in battle. That's also how slayers get their so called marks."

"So all this time, you were the one who started the corps. Then how come it's our family that's currently leading it?"

"Throughout my years of leading the corps, I know I have to look for someone else to do that in my place for them not to know about me being a demon. That's when I miraculously met the Ubuyashikis. They were a noble clan on the brink of falling because of the other noble clans waging war at them. I offered them a special ability of foresight enabling them to see the future as a dream in exchange of them leading the corps. A strong intuition. I also saw that they're a capable leader for the corps seeing the excellent results of when I tested them."

Kazumi then stopped walking as they did too. They saw her facing a stall of fruits. They watched at how she approached the old man asking him about something as she shortly handed him some money and she got her watermelon. She look so happy as she carry it. She look like a child that's been given a new toy or new clothes.

(A/N: Well, she is a child. I mean, she's eight turning nine. But guess what, many more untold secrets are going to be revealed! So I hope the readers would keep on reading!)