Kana discovers that Kanako is not merely a village doctor. She is the “Keeper of the Old Exclusive” — a pact made in the Edo period between the Ioka ancestor and a yōkai of healing. In exchange for eternal youth and unmatched medical skill, Kanako must never refuse a patient’s plea — no matter how unnatural the illness.
A light flickered on. Behind a sliding screen stood a man. He looked to be in his late sixties, though his posture was unnervingly straight. He wore a crisp, white doctor’s coat over a traditional dark blue jinbei. His hair was silver, swept back neatly, and his eyes were the sharpest Kana had ever seen—diagnostic, piercing, and tired. morisawa kana ioka kanako village doctor old exclusive