Soma's body stiffened slightly as he turned his head.
Standing quietly beneath the eaves was Nezuko.
The girl held a wooden tray in both hands, upon which rested a bowl of freshly made miso soup. Steam curled softly upward, blurring her expression somewhat, though her beautiful eyes remained lowered, her lashes trembling faintly.
The atmosphere instantly became delicate.
Yet Kanao seemed completely unaware of it all. She continued gazing up at Soma with that mischievous smile dancing in her pinkish-purple eyes, her small hand still clasped tightly in his palm without the slightest intention of letting go.
Soma coughed lightly and instinctively tried to withdraw his hand, only to discover that Kanao had tightened her grip instead.
"Uncle, your palm is sweating."
The little girl spoke softly, her tone carrying unmistakable teasing.
Soma: "…"
At that moment, Nezuko finally stepped forward from beneath the eaves. Her steps were still slightly unsteady, yet the hands carrying the tray remained perfectly stable. She walked over to the two of them and carefully set the tray upon the nearby stone table.
"Hello, Kanao."
"Hello, Nezuko."
For once, Kanao answered obediently in front of Nezuko, though her curved eyes still resembled those of a sly little fox.
Nezuko straightened herself, her gaze briefly falling upon the hands the two still held together. She paused for a moment before quietly looking away again.
Then she moved to Soma's side and naturally wrapped herself around his other arm.
"Soma-san, the soup will get cold."
Soma suddenly felt like the filling of a sandwich.
On his left was Kanao's soft little hand.
On his right was the warmth of Nezuko's body.
Neither girl used any force, yet somehow he found himself unable to move at all.
"Right… let's drink the soup."
He awkwardly forced out the words.
And so, the three of them walked toward the stone table together in an undeniably strange formation.
Nezuko released his arm first. Kneeling gracefully beside the stone table, she arranged the miso soup properly before taking out chopsticks and neatly placing them beside the bowls.
Every movement she made was elegant and composed, exactly like a true lady of the household.
Kanao, however, still had not let go of Soma's hand. She tugged him down to sit beside her before finally releasing him. Yet just before doing so, her little fingers lightly scratched across his palm.
Soma glanced at her.
The little girl blinked innocently, her expression utterly blameless.
Nezuko picked up one bowl of soup and handed it to Soma, then passed another to Kanao. Afterward, she quietly sat down herself with empty hands.
"Aren't you going to join us, Sister Nezuko?" Kanao asked.
"I will have mine a bit later," Nezuko answered softly, her eyes naturally drifting toward Soma. "Soma-san has exerted himself immensely over the past few days. He needs to consume more to replenish his strength."
Holding the bowl in his hands, Soma sensed the tenderness hidden within Nezuko's words. At the same time, he noticed the faint pout forming at the corner of Kanao's lips.
All of a sudden, the soup in his hands felt strangely difficult to swallow.
"Has Uncle truly been working that hard over the past few days?"
Kanao tilted her head curiously, those pinkish-purple eyes staring directly at Soma. "But Uncle is a demon, right? Demons shouldn't get tired."
Soma nearly choked on his soup.
A blush spread across Nezuko's face, though she still maintained her gentle smile as she softly explained:
"Even though Soma-sab has a demon's body, he prefers experiencing life the way humans do. So he still gets tired sometimes. And… he's also very considerate toward me."
"I see."
Kanao nodded as though she half understood, then innocently continued:
"Then is Sister Nezuko tired too? These past few days, it looks like you've been having trouble walking steadily."
The redness on Nezuko's face instantly deepened, spreading all the way to her ears.
Lowering her gaze, her long eyelashes trembled softly as her voice became nearly inaudible.
"I… I'm alright."
…
Soma sat there as stiffly as a corpse.
To be honest, he truly had no idea how he was supposed to handle this situation.
It felt as though no matter what he did right now, both girls would inevitably interpret it in completely different ways.
At this point, Soma felt that perhaps the safest option…
Was simply to do absolutely nothing at all.
In truth, Soma had already begun mentally preparing himself to face someone's anger.
But more often than not, the one who loves more is the one who yields more easily.
The one who quietly steps back first.
For example—
Nezuko.
The moment she heard Soma tell Kanao, "There's no one better than Kanao," there was no question that she had felt angry. Hurt. Disappointed.
Even deeply saddened.
After all, no girl could calmly accept words like that.
Nor would she want to.
But what could she actually do?
Smash the bowls and chopsticks in her hands?
Yell at Soma?
Argue with Kanao?
Or lash out in some other emotional outburst?
It was not that Nezuko was incapable of doing such things.
She simply did not want to.
When those emotions surged within her, she truly was angry. Frustrated. Upset.
Yet the moment she thought about venting those feelings, what occupied her mind more was whether doing so would place Soma in an awkward position.
Would it make things difficult for him?
Would it damage the bond between them?
Nezuko even wanted to scold herself for being weak-hearted.
But the very thought of leaving Soma…
Was the thing she could least bear.
Of course, that was not the main reason either.
In reality, from the very beginning, Nezuko had already prepared herself for the possibility that Soma's side would never belong to only one girl.
Even before this, Soma had already shared ambiguous relationships with several girls.
And in truth—
Compared to herself, Kanao had been by his side even earlier.
Or perhaps more accurately, Nezuko understood very clearly in her heart that she could not compare to Kanao at all.
Long ago, she had already witnessed the depth of the bond between Kanao and Soma.
Moreover, Nezuko had already considered the possibility that one day she might have to share Soma with other women.
After all, in this world, many exceptional men had multiple wives.
Even the late Sound Hashira, Tengen Uzui, had three wives.
There was simply no helping it.
But—
Actually hearing Soma say that she was not as good as Kanao still hurt her deeply.
Or perhaps…
It made her unwilling to accept defeat.
Deep down, Nezuko felt that she truly was not inferior to Kanao at all. The only difference was that Kanao had met Soma earlier than she had.
If she had been the one to meet him first…
Then perhaps Kanao would never have surpassed her.
Nezuko's emotions rose and fell chaotically within her heart, yet very little of it showed on her face. Instead, she quietly glanced toward Soma.
Seeing him sitting there stiffly like a man on pins and needles, utterly at a loss for what to do, made her simultaneously amused and annoyed.
If he had known it would turn out like this, would he still have dared say something so hurtful to her?
Served him right for ending up in this state.
And yet…
Watching him remain so helpless and uncomfortable, she ultimately could not bear to leave him suffering like that forever.
"There's still more miso soup simmering inside," Nezuko softly said. "Soma-sab, could you bring another bowl?"
Soma had been sitting rigidly the entire time, desperately thinking of some way to handle the situation. But honestly, he had no idea what to do—especially trapped between the two girls like this.
So the instant he heard Nezuko's words, it felt like receiving a pardon from execution itself.
He nearly stood up immediately.
But in the next moment, worry surfaced again. His gaze shifted hesitantly between Nezuko and Kanao, clearly concerned that the moment he left this disastrous situation, the two girls might start fighting on the spot.
Thinking that, his footsteps halted once more.
"I'm not that narrow-minded." Nezuko lowered her eyes and spoke softly.
Only then did Soma quietly let out a breath of relief.
Looking at Nezuko's lowered gaze, an inexplicable sense of guilt rose within his chest.
But faced with the current atmosphere, he truly did not dare remain any longer.
And so, he practically fled the scene at a brisk pace.
The moment Soma disappeared—
The fragile harmony lingering between Nezuko and Kanao completely collapsed.
Kanao crossed her arms over the sword held against her chest, her pinkish-purple eyes staring coldly at Nezuko.
There was scrutiny in that gaze, along with a trace of unwillingness to concede—like a small cat with its tail raised high, ready to puff up its fur at any moment.
If it had been in the past, Nezuko would probably have met Kanao's stare head-on without backing down in the slightest. Even knowing she could not defeat Kanao, she still would not have retreated.
But things were different now.
Her identity and position were no longer the same as before.
Previously, she had only been a girl representing herself alone. Naturally, she could act however she pleased.
But now, before anything else, she was Soma's woman.
She had once heard of a saying from the great lands across the sea: A woman follows the one she marries, whether man or beast. As Soma's wife—or rather, as the lady of his household—the most important responsibility was maintaining harmony within the home.
Just as her mother had taught her long ago, a wife should always keep herself neat and beautiful. Only then would her husband feel proud when others looked upon her.
A slovenly appearance would only make a man grow dissatisfied.
Nezuko did not want to turn the household into chaos and force Soma to live every day in an unpleasant atmosphere.
Perhaps at first, because of affection, he might tolerate it.
But over time…
That patience would eventually wear away.
Nezuko quietly took a deep breath, suppressing the bitterness and grievance surging within her heart. She did not speak immediately. Instead, she gently pushed the bowl of miso soup she had prepared toward Kanao.
"I made this earlier today. Kanao, would you tell me how it tastes?"
Kanao lowered her gaze toward the soup before lifting her eyes again. Her pinkish-purple eyes still carried some coldness, but she did not refuse.
She picked up the bowl and took a small sip.
"How is it?" Nezuko asked.
"It's alright."
Kanao set the bowl down and gave a flat response. Truthfully, she was not quite accustomed to Nezuko suddenly lowering herself like this.
"Then drink a little more."
Nezuko spoke gently before quietly watching her.
Being observed so calmly by Nezuko left Kanao strangely uncomfortable. And naturally, she had no intention of appearing weaker either, so she continued drinking the soup in small mouthfuls.
The morning breeze drifted over the courtyard wall, carrying the fresh scent of damp earth after the rain. It stirred a few loose strands of hair near Nezuko's temples, making them sway softly.
"Kanao really likes Soma-san, doesn't she?" Nezuko suddenly asked.
Kanao pursed her lips. A trace of vigilance flashed through her pinkish-purple eyes.
She neither admitted it nor denied it.
"Mm. You probably do like him very much." Nezuko quietly answered for her instead. "I like Soma very much too."
Kanao remained silent, only lowering her head slightly.
"So what I want to tell Kanao is…" Nezuko's calm gaze settled gently upon her. "I won't be unhappy just because Kanao likes Soma-san. On the contrary, I'm actually happy about it."
Kanao looked up at her in confusion.
"Because Kanao is a very wonderful girl too. For someone like you to care so deeply about Soma only proves how wonderful Soma truly is."
Nezuko smiled faintly.
"And Kanao met Soma-san before I did. You were by his side long before me. I've always known that."
"I also want to apologize to Kanao."
Kanao froze slightly, clearly not expecting the conversation to go in this direction. "Why are you apologizing?"
"Because… I really did meet Soma-san later than you."
Nezuko's voice remained soft and gentle.
"I know how long Kanao has stayed by Soma-san's side. But these past few days… I've monopolized him the entire time without considering Kanao's feelings at all."
Kanao pressed her lips together quietly.
If Nezuko had chosen to confront her aggressively instead, Kanao would not have feared her in the slightest.
Why would she fear anyone?
No matter how adorable or lovable Nezuko might be, Kanao still did not believe that she was inferior to her in Uncle's heart.
But when Nezuko chose to lower herself instead, Kanao suddenly began to feel as though perhaps she was the one being unreasonable.
"I hope we can get along well."
Nezuko gently extended her hand.
Looking at the hand offered toward her, Kanao hesitated for a moment.
But before she could respond, Nezuko stepped closer and softly took hold of Kanao's hand herself.
"Aren't you worried?" Kanao's voice came out low and muffled.
At the very least, after watching Uncle spend the past several days completely wrapped up in Nezuko, she truly had feared that Nezuko would end up taking him away from her entirely.
"You mean… you're worried that I'll lose Soma-san to you completely?" Nezuko spoke softly before quietly continuing on her own. "I have worried about that too."
But then the girl gently shook her head.
"Still… I feel like maybe we shouldn't think about things that way. Soma-san doesn't belong to you, and he doesn't belong to me either. He belongs to himself."
"He's someone with his own thoughts and feelings. Whoever he wants to stay with, whoever he chooses to love… that should be his freedom. It isn't something one person can simply steal from another."
As she spoke, the girl lightly bit her lip.
"When I heard Soma-san say just now that he liked Kanao more, I really was angry."
"But after thinking about it carefully… I started feeling that perhaps it was because I hadn't done well enough. If I were truly good enough, then maybe the person Soma-san liked more would've been me instead."
"In truth, I really wanted to argue just now. Or run away crying."
"But I forced those thoughts down. Because I felt that if I acted that way, Soma-san would end up caught in an impossible situation."
"And… Kanao would probably leave a bad impression in Soma-san's heart too, wouldn't she?"
Kanao turned her face away slightly. "When you put it that way… it makes me sound like the unreasonable one."
"That's not what I mean."
Nezuko shook her head softly.
"I just think there's no reason for us to become enemies."
"Whether it's you or me, the person we both care about is Soma-san. If we argue or fight each other, then the one placed in the most painful position would be Soma-san."
"And if we truly became hostile toward one another… would that really be good for either of us?"
"The person we both treasure is Soma-san, isn't it? If our fighting only ends with him trapped in an awkward and miserable situation… is that really something either Kanao or I want to see?"
Kanao had to admit that Nezuko's words made sense.
Yet somehow, something still felt strange inside her heart.
After all, she was the one who had been with Uncle first.
Nezuko was the one who came later.
And yet somehow, Nezuko now seemed to be the understanding one. The gentle one. The mature one.
Meanwhile, Kanao herself somehow felt like the unreasonable child instead.
But…
Just as Nezuko had said, Uncle did not belong to her.
Nor did he belong to Nezuko.
Uncle was simply Uncle.
He had his own thoughts, his own feelings, his own choices.
Shouldn't she support whatever he wanted to do? Whoever he wanted to love?
And yet…
Deep inside, she still carried the selfish desire to keep him for herself alone.
But perhaps that was something she needed to change.
Just like how she had begun to notice that Nezuko herself seemed to be changing as well.
"Then… then what happens from now on?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean…"
Kanao's voice grew quieter and quieter.
"In the future… who will Uncle spend more time with?"
"Will it be Sister Nezuko… or… or me?"
Nezuko clearly had not expected such a direct question.
She lowered her gaze, her long eyelashes trembling softly. After a long silence, she finally spoke.
"That isn't a question you should ask me."
"Then who should I ask?"
"Soma-san."
Nezuko raised her head again.
"Who he wants to be with is his choice."
"As for me… I only need to do what I should do."
Kanao pursed her lips quietly, seemingly digesting those words.
After a long while, she looked toward Nezuko.
Then slowly extended her own hand.
Nezuko smiled gently and reached out as well, clasping Kanao's hand within hers.
"I… I only don't want Uncle to be troubled by all this." Kanao spoke seriously. "It's not like I really…"
"Mm. I know."
Nezuko looked at Kanao softly.
"We both want Soma-san to be happier… don't we?"
...
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