Muzan: My daughter can't be that weak!

"Mommy...Mommy..."

Yukina's brows furrowed tightly, and fine beads of cold sweat appeared on her pale forehead.

She was having a very long and sad dream.

In her dream, Se-ri stood in a bright, unfamiliar flowerbed, bathed in sunlight, with a blurry smile on her face and glistening tears on her cheeks.

Se-ri waved to her, her lips moving silently, as if saying goodbye.

Yukina wanted to run over and throw herself into that warm embrace, but her ankles were tightly wrapped by vines that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, and she couldn't move.

She burst into tears, reaching out her hand to the person opposite her: "Mommy! Wait for me!"

But Seri just shook her head violently, tears streaming down her face, and mouthed to her, "Don't come any closer, get out of here."

A tremendous sadness and panic gripped her heart, and she cried uncontrollably in her dream.

Nakime heard a faint sobbing sound.

She put down her pipa and quietly walked to the bedside. She saw the sleeping child fidgeting restlessly, his little hands futilely grasping at something in the air, tears streaming down his face, soaking the black hair at his temples.

After hesitating for a moment, she reached out and gently grasped the small hand that was flailing about in the air.

It felt cold to the touch, yet it was trembling slightly.

The moment the hand was grasped, the child on the bed gasped for breath, like a drowning person surfacing, and suddenly opened his eyes.

Yukina's eyes were still filled with terror from the nightmare.

She looked straight up, then glanced around.

The person in front of me is neither my mother nor the sea of ​​flowers from my dream.

It was an unfamiliar room with a low ceiling, a small table and cushions, and a few oddly shaped plush toys in the corner.

Her gaze shifted downwards, and she saw that one of her hands was being held by a pale-faced woman dressed in a dark kimono.

Yukina's head buzzed, and she was completely dumbfounded.

Is it because I'm still half asleep? Or is it part of a nightmare?

She blinked first, then naturally lay back down, closed her eyes tightly, pursed her lips, and silently counted, "One, two, three..."

Then, she quietly opened her eyes a crack.

It was the same place, and the unfamiliar woman was still there, quietly watching her.

It wasn't a dream after all.

"Ugh..." Now Yukina was really panicked.

Where is Father? Where has Father gone?

Overwhelmed by immense fear and resentment.

She had a nightmare, and the person she most wanted to see after waking up was Muzan.

Although he was always cold and wouldn't coax her gently like her mother in her dreams, she felt at ease with her father by her side.

Is it because her father finds her constant sleeping too troublesome and really doesn't want her anymore?

Or did some bad people kidnap her when her father wasn't looking?

Will my father be alright? Will he be hurt? Will he...?

"Waaaaah"

She began to sob softly, tears streaming down her face. She curled up, wrapped herself in the blanket, and only her teary eyes were visible as she looked at Narumi with wariness and fear.

"Waaaaah... Is Father going to die...?"

Nakime looked at the little one who had woken up crying miserably and muttering about his father, and was at a loss for what to do.

This reaction is no different from that of any frightened human cub.

It doesn't look like a ghost at all.

Did I scare her?

Master Muzan never said how to coax a child…

Nakime could only silently release her grip, holding the biwa, and move back a little to create some distance.

She even tilted her head slightly, using her long, black hair to more thoroughly cover her empty eye socket.

She recalled that humans seem to feel fear or disgust towards disability.

Only Yukina's suppressed sobs remained in the room.

After a while, Yukina's crying gradually subsided, turning into intermittent sobs.

She peeked more out from under the covers, observing Nakime not far away.

This older sister is a bit strange, as she only has one eye, but when she pulled her hand just now, it seemed gentle and she wasn't mean to her.

What if he's not a bad person?

A faint glimmer of hope rose in her young heart.

She couldn't just cry; what if her father had simply left for some reason? She had to ask.

"Sister, sister..." Xue Nai sniffed, her voice thick with nasal congestion, and spoke softly, her eyes still red, "Do...do you know where my father went?"

She tried to appear brave, even though her small frame was still trembling slightly.

After asking the question, she stared intently at Nakime.

Nakime raised her eyes and looked at Yukina with one eye.

"Does 'father' refer to Lord Muzan?"

When Yukina heard Muzan's name, her eyes lit up, and she hurriedly wiped away her tears with her little hands, nodding her head hastily.

"Uh-huh"

"Lord Muzan," Nakime said, her voice dry from speaking for a long time, "I have something to take care of and have asked me to look after you."

When Yukina heard the words "Lord Muzan," her eyes lit up again, but she was immediately struck by the words "something to take care of" and "take care of."

Did her father really hand her over to someone else? Although he didn't abandon her, doesn't that mean he doesn't want her anymore for the time being?

The tears that had just stopped were about to burst forth again.

She pouted, trying hard to hold back her tears, her little hands clutching the hem of her clothes tightly. After a long while, she asked in a tearful voice:

"Then...when will Father come back to pick me up?"

Nakime paused for a moment.

This is a question that Muzan-sama did not answer.

"The master didn't say it explicitly," she answered truthfully. Seeing Yukina's eyes dim instantly, as if the sky had fallen, she paused and added, "However, if you want to see the master, I can take you to him."

But I need to finish something else first.

Nakime turned around and took out the three labeled porcelain bottles from a hidden compartment under the low table.

"Before that," she placed the porcelain bottle on the small table, her voice flat, "you need to eat."

Yukina's gaze fell on the bottle.

That was blood, she knew.

"If I drink it, will I be able to go see my father?"

Nakime nodded. "These were prepared as instructed by the master. Here are a few varieties; you can..."

She wanted to continue by saying, "You can choose," to observe the child's preferences in order to prepare for the future.

But as soon as the child in front of her nodded, he immediately ran over. The bottle was a bit big for her small hands, but she tried her best to hold it steady, pulled out the stopper, and drank it down.

"Glug... Glug..."

The sound of swallowing echoed in the quiet room.

The first bottle had a strong, pungent taste with a burning sensation. Xue Nai frowned slightly, but didn't stop and drank it all in one go.

Then he finished the remaining two bottles.

After drinking three bottles, she felt a fullness in her stomach, and a familiar warmth began to spread throughout her body, dispelling the weakness she felt after waking up.

She felt that the taste was a little off.

But Xue Nai didn't say anything.

This one-eyed girl was left behind by her father to take care of her, and he even prepared food for her. She had already caused him trouble, so she couldn't be picky anymore.

Nakime watched quietly as she drank three bottles of blood from different sources in one go, a hint of surprise flashing in her single eye.

The child did not show any obvious preference or pickiness, so the steps she had prepared to take—observation and questioning—seemed unnecessary.

"I've finished drinking, sister," Xue Nai said softly, trying to make her voice sound obedient and content. "Can we go find Father now?"