The next morning, sunlight filtered through the gaps in the paper windows, scattering fragmented rays of light across the soft bedding.
Nezuko woke first.
The moment consciousness returned, memories from the previous night flooded back into her mind like a rising tide.
Those embarrassing sounds…
The warmth of their skin pressed together…
Her cheeks instantly burned crimson, and even her breathing became hot.
Turning her head slightly, she saw the person beside her still asleep.
While sleeping, Soma no longer carried that usual unreadable depth about him. His expression was relaxed, his breathing calm and steady, and for once, he seemed almost harmless—like an ordinary young man.
Nezuko could not help staring at him a little longer.
Something inside her chest felt swollen and overflowing, as though her heart had been completely filled by something warm—sweet enough to ache.
Then she remembered the final moments of last night…
By the end, she had cried until her voice turned hoarse, too exhausted even to beg for mercy anymore before eventually drifting into unconsciousness at some unknown point.
Even now, her body still felt weak and sore. Just moving slightly made it feel as though every part of her no longer belonged to herself.
Though she had trained diligently these past months and grown far stronger than before, there was still no comparison between a human body and that of a demon.
Quietly, Nezuko pulled the blanket higher, covering half her face so that only her curved, shining eyes remained visible.
"Mr. Soma..."
She called softly, only to realize her voice had become so hoarse that even she herself was startled.
Soma did not wake.
Unable to bear disturbing him further, Nezuko simply remained lying quietly beside him, silently feeling the warmth their bodies shared beneath the blanket.
Little by little, the morning light brightened.
It fell across the man's bare shoulder, illuminating several clear scratch marks left there.
Her gaze landed on those marks, and ripples of embarrassment and guilt spread through her heart—yet beneath them lingered a faint sense of happiness.
Those were her marks.
She belonged to Soma now.
Once that thought appeared, it rooted itself firmly within her heart like a seed taking hold, impossible to remove.
About half a quarter-hour later, Soma's eyelashes trembled lightly before he slowly opened his eyes.
The first thing he saw was Nezuko's bright eyes staring fixedly at him without blinking. The instant she realized he was awake, panic flashed across her face, and she hurriedly looked away, shrinking instinctively like a startled rabbit trying to burrow into hiding beneath the covers.
Soma paused briefly before a gentle smile spread across his face.
Reaching out, he pulled both Nezuko and the blanket into his arms together.
Nezuko stiffened for only a moment before her entire body softened completely, like melting honey as she obediently nestled against his chest. Even her breathing grew quieter.
"How long have you been awake?" Soma asked. His voice still carried the low, lazy rasp of someone freshly awake.
"…Not very long."
The girl answered in a muffled voice so soft it was almost inaudible.
Lowering his head, Soma pressed a kiss to the top of her soft hair.
"Does your body still hurt?"
The blunt question instantly turned the tips of Nezuko's ears bright red. After a long pause, she finally responded in a voice barely louder than a whisper.
"A… a little…"
"I didn't control myself well enough last night."
There was clear apology in Soma's voice as his hand gently rested against her back, slowly stroking soothingly across it.
"It won't happen again."
Nezuko buried her face deeper into his chest, far too embarrassed to look up.
Yet inside her heart, she quietly thought—
Actually…
Actually, it didn't matter.
As long as it was Soma, then no matter what happened… it was fine.
The two of them remained embracing each other quietly for a long while without speaking.
For Nezuko, this was probably the first time in her life she had ever shared a bed with a man.
It was something she never could have imagined before.
At least, in all the years she had lived until now, nothing like this had ever happened.
And yet now, she rested in Soma's arms without reservation, leaning against him completely.
More than that, somewhere deep inside, she had gradually begun accepting this closeness as something natural.
It felt as though she had suddenly changed from belonging only to herself…
Into someone who belonged to another person.
At the very least, at this moment, the distance between herself and Soma felt closer than it had ever been before.
In the past, although she had always been close to Soma, there had still seemed to be an invisible barrier between them, like a thin veil separating their hearts. No matter how near they stood to one another, she could never truly see him clearly.
But now, it felt as though she could finally sense everything that belonged to him with perfect clarity.
Or perhaps…
She herself had become a part of him.
Nezuko secretly lifted her eyes and looked at Soma's half-closed gaze. At the same time, she could feel the gentle rhythm of his hand softly patting her back.
For some reason, it made her feel like a child again—carefully protected within Soma's warm embrace.
Before she realized it, drowsiness quietly overtook her.
Adjusting her position slightly within Soma's arms, Nezuko slowly closed her eyes, and her breathing gradually became calm and even.
…
Soma gently patted Nezuko's soft back, feeling the girl already asleep in his arms—soft, warm, and gentle.
He had already experienced the tenderness and vitality of the woman in his embrace…
It had been intoxicating.
Filled with pleasure and excitement.
Yet afterward, a strange sense of unreality lingered in his heart.
Lowering his head, he looked at the sleeping girl's delicate, adorable face still faintly flushed with red. Her long eyelashes rested quietly against her cheeks.
Only then did he truly realize—
He had completely made this girl his.
In the world of Demon Slayer, Nezuko was unquestionably one of the most beloved heroines.
Who could have imagined that one day, he would completely possess her like this?
It almost felt like a dream.
Soma quietly gazed at the peacefully sleeping Nezuko in his arms. Her eyelashes were long and thick, casting soft fan-shaped shadows beneath her eyes. Even in sleep, the corners of her lips curved faintly upward, as though she were dreaming something pleasant.
He recalled how she had trembled at the beginning of the previous night. There had clearly been fear hidden within those tearful eyes, yet she still bit her lip and never retreated even half a step.
"From now on… I place myself in your care."
It was as though she had truly entrusted everything she had to him.
And in truth…
He had felt it.
He had received it completely.
Without realizing it, his fingers gently brushed through Nezuko's hair.
Her long black hair spread smoothly across the pillow, framing that rosy, fair face like a painting.
Suddenly, Soma found himself momentarily dazed.
How long had it been since he came to this world?
From the confusion and vigilance of the beginning, to relying on Kanao for survival, to finding the Blue Spider Lily and becoming a perfect demon…
But in all that time, aside from Kanao Tsuyuri, there had never been anyone he truly trusted completely.
And yet now…
Perhaps he could finally trust someone again.
Because this person seemed willing to place everything she had into his hands.
And for the first time, he did not feel particularly worried that she might betray him.
Outside the window came the clear chirping of birds, followed by a second and third call, weaving together like a morning melody. The bamboo grove in the courtyard rustled softly beneath the wind, while the distant voices of servants beginning their day drifted faintly through the air.
Soma remained lying there quietly, with no intention of getting up.
Normally, by this hour, he would already have risen—perhaps guiding some of the swordsmen training on Sagiri Mountain or handling various matters that required attention.
But now, he found himself greedily clinging to this warmth, unwilling to move even a little.
The warmth of the girl in his arms seeped through their skin, like a small flame spreading from his chest through every part of his body.
So this was what people called a "gentle paradise."
…
When Nezuko woke again, the sunlight had already grown bright.
She opened her eyes hazily, and her very first thought was—
Warm…
Then she realized she was still wrapped securely within a strong embrace.
The man's body temperature was much higher than hers, like a natural furnace that enveloped her completely in warmth.
At some point, her hand had climbed onto his chest, and beneath her palm, she could feel the steady, powerful rhythm of his heartbeat.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Each beat was deep and steady, like the pounding of a war drum.
Nezuko's face turned red once again.
She secretly lifted her eyes, only to discover Soma already looking down at her. Those eyes of his, which usually carried a faint sense of distance, were now tinged with gentle amusement, warm to an almost unbelievable degree.
"You're awake?" he asked softly.
"Mhm…" Nezuko answered, her voice still carrying the soft drowsiness of someone freshly awake. "Mr. Soma hasn't gotten up yet?"
"I was waiting for you."
Those three simple words instantly melted her heart into a puddle.
Biting her lower lip, she gathered her courage and spoke quietly, "You didn't need to wait for me… If Mr.Soma had things to do, you could've gotten up first…"
"There's nothing important today," Soma replied casually while absentmindedly twirling a strand of her hair around his fingers. "I just wanted to hold you a little longer."
Nezuko felt like she was about to faint.
What was wrong with Soma today?
Why did every word he said sound as though it had been dipped in honey, sweet enough to leave her completely flustered?
She buried her face against his chest and mumbled softly, "Mr.Soma is acting… really strange today."
"What part is strange?"
"It's just… you're different from usual."
Soma let out a low chuckle, and the vibration of his chest traveled directly against her ear, leaving behind a tingling numbness.
"How am I different?"
Nezuko thought for a long while but still could not properly explain it. In the end, she could only mutter awkwardly, "Mr.Soma never used to say things like this before…"
"That was before." Soma tightened his arms around her slightly. "This is now."
Nezuko felt as though she understood—and yet didn't fully understand at all. Still, sweetness quietly spread through her chest, like drinking a large bowl of sweet red bean porridge, warmth flowing from her throat all the way down into her stomach.
…
Another half hour passed before the two of them finally got out of bed.
While changing clothes, Nezuko noticed that her pale cherry-colored yukata had become wrinkled beyond recognition. The collar had even been torn open slightly, exposing a small stretch of fair collarbone beneath.
Her face instantly turned scarlet again.
Flustered, she hurriedly pulled the clothing closed and searched around until she found a fresh ribbon to retie her disheveled hair.
By the time she finished, Soma was already fully dressed and seated beside the window, flipping through the intelligence reports delivered that morning.
Nezuko walked over and knelt beside him. After hesitating briefly, she reached out and quietly poured him a cup of tea.
"Mr.Soma… are you going out today?"
"I'm not," Soma answered without lifting his eyes from the papers. "I'm spending today with you."
Nezuko's heartbeat skipped once before immediately accelerating again.
Spend… spend the day with her?
The old Soma would never have said something like that.
The old Soma had never treated her with such tenderness before.
But today…
Nezuko lowered her head, fingers nervously twisting the edge of her sleeve, unable to suppress the smile tugging at her lips no matter how hard she tried.
"What are you thinking about?" Soma's voice suddenly came much closer.
Startled, Nezuko looked up and realized he had already set aside the reports at some point. He was now gazing at her sideways, his eyes carrying both curiosity and a teasing smile.
"N-Nothing!" Nezuko denied hurriedly.
"Really?" Soma reached out and lightly pinched her burning earlobe. "Then why are your ears this red?"
Nezuko felt like her entire body was on fire.
Instinctively, she tried to retreat, only for Soma to pull her straight back into his arms.
"M-Mr.Soma!" the girl cried out softly, embarrassment and indignation filling her voice, though she dared not raise it too loudly for fear someone outside might hear.
"Don't move," Soma murmured lazily. "Just let me hold you for a while."
And so Nezuko truly stopped struggling.
She obediently leaned against his chest like a docile little kitten.
Warm sunlight streamed through the window, gently falling across the two of them.
Closing her eyes, Nezuko listened quietly to Soma's heartbeat and suddenly found herself thinking—
If days like this could continue forever…
How wonderful would that be?
…
Soma and Nezuko hardly left the room for the entire day. Even lunch was personally brought over by Kie Kamado. Looking at her daughter's rosy complexion and the newfound shy charm lingering between the girl's brows, Kie more or less understood what had happened.
At this moment, Kie Kamado actually felt somewhat worried.
As a very traditional woman, she believed that such things were meant to happen only after marriage. Nezuko had given herself away so quickly—what if that was a mistake? What if a man failed to take responsibility afterward? If that happened, what would become of her daughter?
Still…
Judging by Soma's character, he did not seem like that sort of person.
And seeing how much more attentive and gentle he had become toward Nezuko, Kie could not help wondering whether she herself was simply being too old-fashioned.
…
When Tanjiro Kamado arrived later, he found Nezuko kneeling quietly inside the room, her head slightly lowered as she calmly prepared tea with graceful movements.
Nezuko had actually spent a long time learning tea preparation, and by now, she could brew an excellent cup.
When his sister handed him tea, Tanjiro suddenly felt that something about her was different.
Yet he could not quite explain what exactly had changed.
However, through his keen sense of smell, he could distinctly detect both Nezuko's scent and Soma's interwoven together—deeply entangled to an unmistakable degree.
Vaguely…
He seemed to understand something.
A strange feeling of emptiness quietly surfaced within Tanjiro's chest.
The current Tanjiro was no longer merely the eldest son of the Kamado family.
Since joining the Demon Slayer Corps and participating in several demon extermination missions, he had rapidly risen from the lowest Mizunoto rank all the way to Kanoe rank.
Perhaps because of his naturally gentle personality and innate charisma, Tanjiro had become extremely well-liked within the Corps. He had gained many close companions—comrades willing to entrust their backs to one another in battle.
This time, Tanjiro had come because he wished to take on a demon slaying mission.
After carefully reviewing the information regarding the demon Tanjiro intended to hunt, Soma determined that it was merely an ordinary demon and likely not one of the Twelve Kizuki. Only then did he approve Tanjiro's request.
Tanjiro should have felt happy.
Yet after seeing Nezuko's current state, an inexplicable sense of loss lingered within him.
Soma understood Tanjiro's feelings very well.
After all, the bond between the Kamado siblings ran incredibly deep.
But no matter what, siblings would always remain siblings.
As Nezuko's older brother, Tanjiro was destined to face this day eventually.
"Have a safe journey," Soma said, patting Tanjiro lightly on the shoulder.
"Brother, please be careful," Nezuko added, worry clearly visible in her eyes.
…
"Still worried?" Soma asked softly after Tanjiro left, stepping over and gently pulling Nezuko into his arms.
"Mhm…"
The girl rested her head against his chest.
"Don't worry. Based on the intelligence reports, it's only an ordinary demon. With your brother Tanjiro's current strength, dealing with it should be easy. Otherwise, I wouldn't have allowed him to take the mission in the first place."
In truth, after the recent wave of rampant demon activity, demon movements had suddenly quieted down. They were nowhere near as aggressive as before, almost as though some unseen force had begun suppressing them.
Even the Twelve Kizuki had become far less active. Unlike before, they no longer launched frequent attacks that inflicted devastating losses upon Demon Slayer swordsmen across the country.
Soma roughly understood what was happening.
Most likely, Muzan Kibutsuji had begun tightening control again.
That excessively cautious demon not only feared the Demon Slayer Corps—he also distrusted the demons beneath him.
In fact, he was even wary that his own subordinates might one day unite against him.
As someone who had once been an ordinary demon under Muzan's control himself, Soma understood this very clearly.
Those demons all desperately craved more of Muzan's blood.
The more humans a demon devoured and the stronger it became, the deeper Muzan's suspicions would grow.
There was no way Muzan would ever permit the demons beneath him to endlessly feast upon humans and continuously increase their strength without restraint.
After all, there was a limit to how much a demon could strengthen itself by devouring humans. Once that threshold was reached, no matter how many more people they consumed, their power would no longer grow. At that point, the only way to break through that barrier was by obtaining more of Kibutsuji Muzan's blood. And for demons who had already reached the limits of their own strength through feeding, their craving for Muzan's blood would reach its peak.
As a demon capable of seeing straight into the hearts of others, Kibutsuji Muzan would undoubtedly sense those desires. There was no way he would allow demons to continue hunting humans without restraint.
"If you're truly worried, Nezuko, then I'll call your brother back and have him stop hunting demons," Soma said gently.
"That's not necessary. This is something my brother chose for himself."
Nezuko Kamado lifted her head, her gaze soft and tender.
Lowering his eyes, Soma lightly pressed a kiss against the girl's forehead.
After returning inside, Soma sat together with Nezuko while she quietly prepared tea for him. Every movement she made carried an increasingly gentle elegance, her calm demeanor exuding warmth and grace.
Once the tea was ready, Nezuko carefully presented the cup with both hands and offered it to him.
Soma accepted the teacup with one hand, taking a slow sip. Meanwhile, his other hand rested lightly against Nezuko's shoulder before moving to the collar of her kimono, carefully straightening the slightly disheveled fabric for her.
"Mmm…"
Nezuko bit her lip softly, her beautiful face flushing like rosy clouds at sunset. She lifted her eyes toward him, seeming both shy and faintly reproachful, the blush across her cheeks only making her appear even more alluring.
"The tea Nezuko brews is wonderfully fragrant," Soma murmured as he glanced at her.
His hand, however, tightened ever so slightly before he closed his eyes, quietly savoring Nezuko's "tea ceremony."
It was soft. Delicate.
Compared to the tea she brewed…
the girl herself was far sweeter.
...
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