The sun set in the west—twilight, the hour of demons.
Every household had its doors tightly shut. In such dark nights, almost no one dared to go out, especially with the recent rumors of man-eating demons spreading through the area.
The night breeze was slightly cool. The girl, dressed in thin clothing and curled up by the doorway, unconsciously lifted her head. At some unknown moment, a waning moon had risen, casting a soft glow over the dark night.
A faint glimmer lit up the girl's hollow pinkish-purple eyes. Deep within her pupils, there seemed to be a trace of anticipation.
Taro Town at night was eerily quiet. There was almost no one on the streets. The little girl stood up and rose on her tiptoes, gazing into the distance.
Time passed second by second. The road remained empty, and the light in her eyes gradually dimmed.
Until—
At the end of the street, beneath the faint moonlight, a dark figure slowly emerged.
At that moment, color burst back into the girl's vacant eyes. She nearly broke into a run as she hurried toward the silhouette.
Soon, a travel-worn figure came into view.
"Sorry, I'm a bit late."
Seeing the expectation filling the girl's eyes, Soma smiled. He crouched down and gently picked her up. In the blink of an eye, the two figures disappeared from where they stood.
…
In a remote and desolate courtyard, Soma carried the girl into the house.
"Wait here for a moment."
He set her down gently and spoke in a warm tone. Then he retrieved the grain, cooking utensils, and bowls he had hidden earlier.
Taking out a flint stone, he lit a fire. Soon the campfire was burning steadily. He added rice and water to a small pot and placed it over the flames to cook.
"I'll cook some rice first, then stir-fry a dish for you."
He turned back to the girl, who stood quietly to one side, and spoke before continuing to busy himself. Over the past few days, he had come to understand her temperament—she was a somewhat slow, very quiet, and obedient child.
The girl stood quietly, her pinkish-purple eyes sparkling as she watched the man moving about.
Soma picked up a knife and swiftly chopped the ingredients. He took another small pot, poured in oil, and set it over the fire to heat.
When the oil reached about seventy percent heat, he added the prepared ingredients.
Sizzle—
Oil crackled and splattered as the aroma instantly spread through the air.
The girl remained still, watching the man holding a small pot in one hand and a ladle in the other.
The campfire burned, flames swaying gently.
Beneath the warm red glow was the man's busy figure. Aside from that, the entire quiet and desolate courtyard was peaceful. The only sounds were the clinking of pot and ladle, and the crackling "pop-pop" of burning firewood.
It felt like sitting by a small river on a summer night—everything calm and still, with fireflies flickering softly and gentle moonlight washing over one's body.
The faint sound of flowing water brushing against pebbles seemed to echo in the ears.
The thin, almost skeletal girl quietly watched the scene. Her beautiful pinkish-purple eyes shimmered as they followed the busy man.
"Don't worry, it'll be ready soon."
His voice drifted over like a soft breeze, brushing against her cheeks and touching her long eyelashes. Unknowingly, they seemed to gather a mist, as if dampened by the night air.
Soon, the dish was finished.
"Once the rice is done steaming, we can eat."
As Soma placed the stir-fried dish onto a small plate, he turned back and said to the girl with a cheerful smile,
"Almost ready."
The girl looked up at him, her lips parting slightly. She wanted to say something—but though her mouth opened, no words came out. Over the years, she seemed to have gradually lost the ability to express her emotions. Whether it was words of thanks or praise, she no longer knew how to convey them.
Soma was already used to her dazed expression and didn't mind. Instead, he turned back to check on the pot of rice cooking over the fire.
Truthfully, he somewhat regretted saying back then that he would come every night to bring her food. At the time, he had spoken out of pity. Besides, he had nothing much to do at night, and bringing some food for the little girl had been merely a small, convenient gesture.
But now, his nights were busy. To prepare food for her, he had to travel back and forth between several places. Even though, with a demon's body, he didn't feel fatigue, it still consumed a great deal of time.
Yet whenever he considered stopping, he would think of the girl's frail frame, her bright eyes, and the faint sense of reliance she showed toward him. In the end, he would hurry back to town to prepare something for her to eat.
"Forget it. I'll just treat it as running a few extra errands and spending a bit more time."
He thought to himself.
At that moment, the rice was nearly done. He lifted the lid, picked up a small bowl, and scooped out a heaping portion.
"Go ahead and eat."
He led the girl to a broken little table inside the house, placed the bowl of rice in front of her, and then brought over the cooked dish.
The girl was very obedient, taking small bites of rice.
"Don't just eat rice. Have more of the vegetables too."
Soma picked up some food with his chopsticks and placed it into her bowl.
The girl lowered her head, her small face almost buried in the bowl as she ate bite by bite. The steam from the rice brushed against her long eyelashes, forming a hazy mist.
After so long, the emotions hidden deep in her heart—feelings she had long been unable to sense—seemed to crack open slightly. A feeling called sadness quietly lingered in her chest.
In two days, she would be sold. She would never see the gentle man in front of her again.
The days of seeing Uncle every night, of staying by his side—those days would never come again.
"What's wrong?"
Noticing that the girl had her head lowered and seemed emotionally off, Soma asked curiously.
"Tomorrow… Uncle doesn't need to bring food for me anymore."
The girl sniffed softly, her head lowered, and spoke in a small voice.
Hearing this, Soma couldn't help but feel a trace of joy. His heart relaxed considerably. Bringing her food every night really did take up a lot of his time.
"Is it because you'll have food from now on?"
He couldn't help but reveal a relieved expression.
The girl shook her head.
"Then why?"
Soma asked casually.
"Tomorrow my father is going to sell me to someone else. I'll probably be taken somewhere far away. I might never see Uncle again."
The girl continued eating her rice in small bites, her voice light and soft.
Soma froze slightly and looked at her.
The girl still kept her head down, eating bite after bite. Being sold by her parents—such a cruel thing, such a sorrowful thing—yet she spoke of it so calmly, as though even being sold would not make her feel sadness.