interrupted, leading my lips to part and my eyes to widen, only slightly. The man smiled, his body in its normal position, facing the gardens as if he could see, as if his curse never even existed.

"I-" I paused. Looking down to the ground, I let out a gentle sigh. "Yes, you're correct." I finished, Rengoku's gift under my arm as I watched the man sit impossibly still in his normal spot. I hoped for the best, to let me follow them from a distance to make sure that everything is alright, although, it felt like a part of me already knew the answer.

I was never allowed to leave this place without permission. For my sake and Kagaya's. I could be followed, I could be attacked, I could be targeted. There were a plethora of things that could happen to me, even if I was just following the rules of a mission even Kagaya set for me.

That was the only thing I disliked about my presence here. I wasn't allowed to leave.

"I believe you already know the answer to that question, and yet you asked anyway." The man sighed, his palm gently running along the tatami mats around him to feel his area as he took a deep breath and inhaled the freshness of the wondrous gardens. "This is because of the mission I set for you to look after Tanjiro, isn't it?"

I stood silent for a moment before retorting. "Yes."

The man only turned his head to my form as Amane walked up to the door from behind me, laying a small hand on my shoulder as she paused. "I'm afraid you can't, for many reasons, though I admire your dedication."

My shoulders slumped slightly, nodding my head with a deep breath. "I understand. Thank you for your time." I turned to leave, however Amane never let go of my shoulder, gently keeping me in place. I raised a brow in question.

"Please don't take this the wrong way, (Y/N). I am only trying to protect you, however." My eyes out up slightly and my pupils widened slightly in response to the man, who only smiled. "You may leave only if you truly believe any of them are in danger. I know better than to doubt your intuition." The man closed his eyes, giving me a gentle smile over his shoulder. "Just be careful if you ever leave."

I turned to see Amane's reaction over my shoulder, only to see her gentle smile and kind eyes. I turned back to the man, a small, barely visible smile over my lips as I bowed in respect. "Thank you, Kagaya. I promise I will only leave it when I know something has gotten out of hand."

And it was a promise I would keep.

༶•┈┈⛧┈♛ ♛┈⛧┈┈•༶

Taisho Secrets!

. Some of the best maintained plants and flowers in Kagaya's garden were actually grown by (Y/N)!

. On christmas day, (Y/N) currently holds the title for 'The most Presents given to by the Kakushi'!

. When (Y/N) caught her first fever, she was constantly visited by many people, the most prominent being Kanroji, Amane, Shinobu, Rengoku, and even Giyu!