Musashi paused at her words, then nodded and said, "I know him. We're very good friends, and I'm even considered his senior. And you are…"
"That's wonderful! My name is Otsu, and I'm an Oiran from the Yoshiwara Entertainment District. I was rescued from a demon by Tanjirou and his companions in the Yoshiwara Entertainment District. This is a letter I wrote to him; could you please deliver it to him for me?"
Otsu smiled as she spoke to Musashi, then handed him the letter she held.
She had been captured by Daki before the battle in the Entertainment District, then rescued by the arriving Tanjirou. After that, she temporarily fled the Entertainment District and was not affected by the subsequent fighting.
"Alright, I'll make sure the letter gets to him."
Musashi understood after hearing Otsu's words. He reached out and took the letter.
However, Musashi wouldn't be returning to headquarters anytime soon, and it was unlikely he'd meet Tanjirou. He planned to ask his Kasugai Crow to deliver the letter to Tanjirou.
"Thank you."
Otsu bowed slightly to Musashi in thanks, but she didn't leave. Instead, she asked Musashi, "May I ask how he's been after that battle?"
Otsu was quite worried about Tanjirou, after all, it was a life-saving kindness.
Otsu sat down beside Musashi, looking at him, waiting for an answer.
Looking at Otsu's ruby-like eyes, Musashi averted his gaze to the courtyard gate in front of them. He felt his heart rate quicken slightly, a sensation he'd never experienced before. It was somewhat similar to his physical state during a battle, but the reaction wasn't as intense.
"He was severely wounded after that battle, but he had fully recovered by the time I left. He's probably already off on another mission now."
After no longer looking at Otsu, Musashi felt his state normalize a bit. However, he then felt it was impolite for him to look away when someone was talking to him, so he turned his head back.
Otsu smiled after hearing Musashi's words, but Musashi felt as though she harbored some sorrow, a feeling he'd had since he first saw her.
"In that case, I can rest a little easier…"
"Is something bothering you?" Musashi suddenly asked Otsu, hoping to make her smile more genuine.
Upon hearing Musashi's question, Otsu looked at him with some surprise. Gazing at Musashi's clear, earnest eyes, she lowered her head and softly said,
"It's just… a bit of a sigh about the ways of the world…"
She had originally thought she had hidden it well, but she never expected to be seen through by a child who looked even younger than herself.
"Then is there anything I can do to help?" Musashi asked.
Otsu chuckled softly at his words, looking at Musashi and saying, "You're as warm-hearted as Tanjirou. Are all the people in your organization like that?"
Looking at Otsu, who was smiling at him, Musashi again wanted to avert his gaze, but this time he held back.
"Actually, there's no harm in telling you. What happened to me is quite common in that place, but I just believed too easily again. When long-held expectations lead to shattered dreams, it's always going to hurt a little."
Otsu looked up and said, her eyes gazing at the clouds in the sky.
She also wanted to unburden herself of these worries, but she usually couldn't find anyone around her to confide in. The last time she shared something similar was when Tanjirou said goodbye before leaving.
Now that she had temporarily left that environment and met someone with equally clear eyes, she felt that if she didn't speak, she would probably keep it hidden in her heart forever.
"Because my family was too poor to raise children, I was sold to the Tokiwa House in the Yoshiwara Entertainment District when I was young.
Although I didn't lack food or clothing in this place, I lost my freedom. However, it was because of this that I didn't starve to death and survived, so there's nothing to complain about.
Although this place looks glamorous on the outside, peeling back the surface reveals nothing but heartache and helplessness. Everyone who ends up here is ill-fated. If one is exceptionally beautiful or talented, they might live well, but otherwise, they merely survive, and the slightest carelessness can lead to beatings and scolding. Furthermore, colleagues are always scheming against each other.
In such an environment, most people hope to be bought out one day and leave this place, and I was no exception.
However, there were almost always people who spoke empty promises, but I never met anyone who actually followed through, especially after I became an Oiran.
Originally, I had completely given up hope for this, but then more and more sisters started disappearing from the Entertainment District recently, and even the proprietress of the Kyogoku House died.
The rumor was that they had all successfully escaped, but having lived here since childhood, I naturally didn't believe that reason. Because most of the disappeared sisters were Oiran, I also started to become anxious and afraid.
It was at this time that a customer offered to buy me out, take me away from here, and then marry me…"
Musashi sat quietly beside her, listening to Otsu's narration. He now had a general understanding of what the Entertainment District was like, and for some reason, he felt a little uncomfortable when he heard Otsu's last sentence.
"Normally, I would have just laughed off his words and not believed him, but what happened during that period made me very scared, and I was desperate to escape this place.
I knew that if I tried to escape on my own, I would definitely "disappear" like those other sisters, so when that customer offered to buy me out, I agreed.
That customer said he would go back to raise money and arranged to come buy me out one night, but before he came, I encountered Daki, the Oiran of the Kyogoku House…
She was the culprit who made those sisters disappear. After hearing that I was to be bought out that night, she captured me and said she would eat me.
And then Little Tan, that is, Tanjirou, arrived and rescued me.
After escaping the Entertainment District at that time, I didn't go too far. Instead, I waited for a night at the intersection leading to the Yoshiwara Entertainment District. On one hand, I was worried about Little Tan, and on the other hand, I still held a glimmer of hope in my heart.
But in the end, I didn't see that customer throughout the entire night…"
At this point, Otsu showed a bitter smile, and Musashi could clearly feel the emotions of disappointment and sorrow from her.
"At that time, when Little Tan said he was leaving, I even told him, 'Even a courtesan can still find someone willing to marry her.' Now, it seems it was just my own wishful thinking…"
Looking at Otsu's expression, Musashi felt a pang of heartache, but he didn't say anything, because the other party had clearly heard too many empty words.
Saying things like "don't give up hope, someone will truly care for you" would be completely useless.