Reality proved one thing very clearly:
For demons, human food could not ease their hunger.
The emptiness in Soma's stomach remained, gnawing at him constantly.
That instinct—the urge to devour humans—continued to pound against his mind without pause.
"Uncle, how is it?" Kanao tilted her head up to look at him, patting her small belly proudly.
"See? Once you eat something, you feel much better when you're hungry."
"Yes… I feel much better now."
Looking at the innocent girl, Soma smiled and gently patted her head. "I'm not nearly as hungry anymore."
Kanao immediately broke into a bright, delighted smile.
Seeing her happy expression seemed to ease some of the tension Soma had been holding inside. He lightly tapped her head again.
"Come here. Let me fix your hair. It's all messy."
"Mm."
Kanao obediently turned around.
Soma picked up a comb and began carefully brushing through her hair. He always kept small things like combs with him.
"Uncle…"
"Hmm?"
"When I was outside picking flowers just now, I met someone."
"Oh? What kind of person?"
"Someone who talks a lot… and cries a lot."
Kanao couldn't help thinking about the tearful face of Nezuko Kamado.
For Kanao, crying felt like something from a very distant past.
She didn't even know what it felt like to cry anymore.
Even earlier, when her uncle had said something so heartbreaking—asking her to cut off his head if he lost control—she hadn't been able to shed a single tear.
"Is that so? Maybe she ran into something that made her unhappy."
"Is a father dying considered an unhappy thing?" Kanao muttered quietly. "It's obviously something to be happy about."
Soma's hand slowed as he brushed her hair.
He looked down at the girl speaking so naturally, and for a moment, he didn't know what to say.
Should he blame himself?
Or blame the man she called her "father"?
He carefully smoothed her hair, tying it neatly with a ribbon so it wouldn't fall loose again. Then he placed a butterfly hairpin at the side.
In an instant, a bright, lively girl appeared before him.
"The death of a father isn't something to be happy about," he said softly.
"Kanao thinks that way because her father wasn't worthy of being called one. But… it's still not something that should make you happy."
Kanao tilted her head, deep in thought.
But after a moment, she shook it lightly.
"I don't really understand," she admitted honestly. "But if Uncle says so, then it must be right."
She believed him without hesitation. Without the slightest doubt.
Soma lightly flicked her forehead.
"You don't understand now. But when you grow up, you probably will."
"Oh!"
Kanao rubbed the spot on her forehead and looked up at him curiously.
"Then when will I grow up? What happens when you grow up?"
"When you grow up…"
Soma spoke quietly.
"You'll become even more beautiful. You'll look even prettier than you do now. One day, you'll meet someone you like. Then you'll get married… maybe have children…"
He paused.
Beyond that, he couldn't really say anything more.
"Hmm… that doesn't sound very interesting."
Kanao shook her head.
"I'd rather stay with Uncle."
"You can't stay by a demon's side forever."
Humans and demons… were ultimately different.
Soma murmured the words quietly to himself as he finished smoothing the last strand of her hair.
"All done."
Kanao turned around and touched her face. The strands that had been falling over her forehead and blocking her view had been brushed neatly back. Even though she couldn't see what it looked like, she was certain it must look nice.
"I'm going to keep picking flowers now!"
She shook her head lightly, and the high ponytail he had tied for her swayed in a graceful arc.
"No need to rush. Rest a bit more."
"No way. It's more important to find the flowers Uncle needs as soon as possible." Kanao clenched her little fists, her eyes full of determination.
"Just wait, Uncle. I'll definitely bring it back for you."
"…Alright."
Kanao took small, quick steps and left the dark cave again, heading toward the place where sunlight poured down.
But once she reached a spot where her uncle could no longer see her—The girl's lips slowly pressed together, tightening without her noticing.
For Kanao, who had grown up enduring hunger, the feeling was something she knew all too well.
She was extremely sensitive to it.
No matter how naturally her uncle tried to act, she could still sense the deep, gnawing hunger inside him.
Ordinary food could never truly fill his stomach.
"The Blue Spider Lily…"
Kanao Tsuyuri looked toward the distant mountain range and slowly clenched her small fists.
...
Meanwhile, Nezuko Kamado returned from the mountains with a basket full of wild vegetables. She had even managed to find a few medicinal herbs that could be sold for some money.
Morning dew from the forest had soaked through her patched clothes, and her clean little shoes were now covered in mud.
"Phew…"
Carrying the basket, Nezuko sat down on a flat blue stone to catch her breath. As she looked toward the nearby family graveyard, she noticed that strange girl again—the one who had been picking flowers there earlier.
She still couldn't understand her.
Nezuko couldn't comprehend how someone could say something so cruel like "Isn't it better if your father dies?"
Even when her father was away from home for a while, she would miss him terribly.
The thought of him dying—even imagining it—made her chest tighten so much it felt hard to breathe.
She glanced once more at the odd girl in the distance, still quietly picking flowers, then shook her head.
Lifting her heavy basket again, Nezuko ran toward home.
Soon she reached the front of the house.
Through the wooden fence, she saw a boy chopping firewood in the yard.
It was her brother, Tanjiro Kamado.
He wore a green-and-black checkered haori with the traditional ichimatsu pattern. His hair was a deep crimson, and his eyes matched it. A pair of sun-shaped earrings hung from his ears.
Sweat dampened his forehead as he worked, breathing heavily.
Seeing her brother still chopping wood despite how tired he looked, Nezuko lowered her gaze slightly.
Ever since their father had suddenly fallen ill, the family had lost its pillar of support. With the added cost of medicine, their once modest life had visibly declined.
Life was becoming harder and harder.
But even so, her brother, her mother, and she herself were all doing everything they could for the family.
Everyone believed that someday, things would get better.
"Big Brother!"
Nezuko looked up again, putting on a bright, adorable smile. All the sadness and worry in her heart were hidden deep inside, leaving only the cheerful sunshine she always showed others.
Tanjiro stopped chopping wood.
When he saw his sister pushing open the gate with a smile, the fatigue on his face softened into a warm grin.
"Nezuko, you're back."
He scratched his head and looked at the basket she was carrying.
"You picked this many wild vegetables again? That's impressive. But you didn't go deep into the mountains, right? It's dangerous there. If you ran into wild animals—"
"I didn't, Big Brother. I only gathered vegetables near the house."
Nezuko placed the basket on the ground beside him.
"I also found a few medicinal herbs. I noticed some of them are the same ones used in Father's medicine. We could boil them for him—or sell them in town."
"Nezuko, you really are incredible."
Tanjiro couldn't help but praise her.
But inside, his heart ached.
Back when their father was healthy, his little sister had loved playing. She could even be a bit mischievous at times.
But ever since their father fell sick, Nezuko had suddenly become incredibly mature.
She stopped playing. Instead, she worked hard to help the family however she could.
Her maturity lightened the burden on everyone…
Yet Tanjiro felt guilty because of it.
Compared to his younger sister, he felt like he was the one who still wasn't doing enough.
Their father had once told him that as a man, he needed to shoulder the responsibility of the family.
And yet… he was still letting them struggle like this.
"By the way, Big Brother," Nezuko suddenly said.
"Do you think there are people in the world who would feel happy if their father died?"
"Of course not."
Tanjiro shook his head.
"How could anyone feel that way? Most people would be too heartbroken to bear it."
But as he said those words, the thought of their father's current condition crossed his mind.
His eyes dimmed slightly.
"I can't understand it either," Nezuko murmured softly. "Just thinking about it makes it hard to breathe… Do you think Father will get better?"
"Don't worry, Nezuko."
Tanjiro lifted his head and gave her a confident smile.
"Father's illness will definitely get better."
"It definitely will."
...
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