Marcus Lee opened his mouth reluctantly. The instant the medicine entered, a bitter taste struck him like a jolt to the soul, causing his brows to knot tightly.
"You mustn't waste it!"
The girl's voice was still gentle, but Marcus couldn't shake the feeling that he was being teased.
He forced himself to swallow the medicine, every drop. Then he lay on the bed, feeling as if his soul had left his body.
"Was it very bitter? Do you want me to add some honey?"
Marcus looked at her smile and said nothing.
He wanted a soda!
He wanted a cola!
He wanted a burger and fried chicken!
A small voice inside his head grumbled endlessly, and Marcus felt completely fed up with his current life.
No phone. No novels to read. No videos to watch. Any games he wanted to play would have to wait a hundred years.
He exhaled a sigh, letting it out without even staring at the girl. If anything, he seemed distant.
It wasn't that he disliked her.
Perhaps her act of giving him medicine carried a teasing edge, but that only made her more endearing.
What Marcus feared was forming bonds with others, developing unnecessary attachments.
Friendship, perhaps. Love, maybe. Or something else entirely.
If he gained those, could he really watch them march onto a battlefield destined for death, facing an inevitable fate?
A traveler outside of this world was unwilling to get involved in such things.
The Demon Slayer Corps swordsmen had their own hatred and responsibilities. He had none.
No relatives slain by demons. No happy family torn apart, no burning resentment.
He knew demons were wrong. He knew they ate humans, and that many would die, be devoured.
But ultimately, what did it have to do with him?
He was not a native of this world.
He was not like Tanjiro, cheerful and helpful.
In a narrow sense, he was selfish.
And that was normal.
In his previous life, he had been ordinary, a little self-centered, just a regular person.
"This is a custom-tailored Demon Slayer Corps uniform for you. Your sword will probably arrive in seven days."
Shinobu Kocho placed the new uniform beside the bed, her gaze fixed on Marcus.
Mainly because he had been zoning out, appearing somewhat absent-minded, almost dazed.
If Marcus knew she was judging him this way, he would have protested fiercely.
Not very smart?
What a joke!
As a traveler from another life, he already knew enough.
"Mr. Lee?"
A small, pale hand waved gently in front of him. Marcus snapped back to reality, noticing the girl staring at him, curiosity in her gaze.
"Why… are you looking at me like that?"
He reminded himself to be respectful, considering she was the Insect Pillar of the Demon Slayer Corps.
Shinobu's forehead veins twitched slightly, yet her tone remained calm and gentle.
"Would you like something to eat? After all, you've slept for a day and a night."
"A day and a night?"
"Yes. When we found you, you were running a fever."
"…."
Marcus rubbed his temples lightly. He had to have been careful not to do anything rude while unconscious.
"Would… you… like… something… to… eat?"
Shinobu repeated herself, sensing that Marcus was slow to comprehend.
"I want a burger…"
He muttered his thoughts without thinking.
"What?"
"Nothing, anything is fine. I'm not picky!"
Shinobu gave him a puzzled look.
'In this era, they probably don't have burgers. Western-style food would be things like fried pork cutlet, curry rice, or croquettes.'
The beloved "Grandpa Ken" meal might only appear fifty years later.
Thinking of this, Marcus lost interest and no longer tried to speak with Shinobu. He lay back down, pretending to sleep.
…
The food was delivered by a young girl. Marcus didn't remember her name clearly, only vaguely recalling two others who looked similar. Together, they were called the "Three Little Ones of the Butterfly Estate."
At the moment, he didn't care about their names. He was just extremely hungry.
The meal was simple, nothing like the burgers, fried chicken, or hotpot he had imagined.
Rice balls, a bowl of miso soup, a small fish, and a dish of pickles.
That was it.
Starving as he was, Marcus didn't care about flavor. He grabbed a rice ball and devoured it.
One.
Two.
Three.
Even after eating several, his stomach still felt empty.
He understood not to overeat after long hunger, so he ate moderately.
After finishing, he looked at the uniform beside the bed and fell into thought.
'How do I even bring this up?'
'Should I talk to the master about this directly? But I can't see her!'
'Shinobu is a Pillar. Maybe asking her will work?'
'No, she's not as gentle as she looks!'
Marcus pinched his hair in frustration.
"What are you thinking about?"
"I'm thinking about how to coast through life here, eating and doing nothing."
He froze mid-sentence.
The familiar voice, the familiar smile Marcus hastily clarified.
"Uh, I didn't mean here at the Butterfly Estate… I'm not that kind of person."
What he meant was that he wanted to live leisurely in this world, doing nothing productive.
But his words were ambiguous.
And unfortunately, the owner of the Butterfly Estate had overheard, making the statement slightly awkward.