Muzan: My daughter can't be that weak!

"All right……"

Seeing that Muzan had no interest in the pot or the lotus, Yukina wasn't discouraged and naturally changed the subject.

She reached out her small hand, grabbed one of Muzan's fingers hanging by his side, and gently shook it, leading him toward the low table in the center of the room, which was covered with paper and pens.

"Dad, come look at this!"

She tilted her little face up, revealing a sweet smile again, her eyes curving into crescents, and pointed with her other little finger to the papers spread out on the low table.

"These are new words that Xue Nai learned! She wrote them so many times! And also, Xue Nai can write Daddy's name now too!"

Muzan was pulled along by her, his gaze following the direction of her finger to the densely written exercise paper.

His childish handwriting repeatedly traced simple characters, among which his name had been practiced many times.

Although the handwriting is ugly, like a dog crawling.

But looking at this piece of paper, and then at the little thing beside him with its upturned face, eagerly waiting for his reaction.

He suddenly felt a little...

It's hard to describe.

He bent down, scooped Xue Nai up, and held her in his arms.

With his other hand, he mischievously stretched out two fingers and gently pinched her soft cheek, squeezing her sweet smile into a slight distortion.

"Hey? Dad, what are you doing?"

Startled by his sudden action, Xue Nai asked in a muffled voice.

"Nothing."

Muzan answered confidently and calmly, but his grip remained firm.

"Um... then why are you still pinching me, Daddy...?"

Xue Nai frowned and tried to pry his fingers off with her little hands, but the difference in strength was too great and she failed.

"You only just learned such simple words!"

Muzan ignored her previous protest, his gaze sweeping over the dense practice marks on the low table, and coldly commented.

"That's really stupid."

"Hey, Yukina isn't stupid!"

Yukina immediately retorted, her cheeks still being pinched, her voice sounding somewhat comical, but her tone was firm.

"The teacher said Xue Nai is very smart, and that she'll get better and better with time! Dad, you're talking nonsense!"

Perhaps because they spend so much time together, children have an instinctive intuition about adults' emotions.

Xue Nai could clearly sense that although her father was being tough, he wasn't radiating any malice.

It didn't hurt when I pinched it.

This emboldened her, like a blade of grass peeking out in spring, little by little, until she even dared to stretch out her tiny cat paws to express her dissatisfaction.

Upon hearing this, Muzan frowned slightly, his crimson eyes fixed on her.

"They're getting bolder and bolder."

He snorted and increased the pressure on his fingertips slightly, pleased to see the child's brow furrow even more.

"If you're not stupid, then who is? Only you, at hundreds of years old, would still burst into tears over a few words from that guy Douma."

He recalled the fragmented memories he had glimpsed when he examined her past, his tone filled with undisguised disdain.

Only an idiot would blame himself for the problem.

If it were him, anyone who dared to speak out of turn in front of him would be silenced forever.

Yukina looked up in shock, her eyes wide open.

She never expected her father to know even this!

Her face flushed instantly, both ashamed and annoyed. She turned her head away and retorted in a muffled voice:

"No! No way! It's...it's my eyes that want to cry! Yukina didn't want to cry, it's just that my eyes are disobedient!"

"Oh?"

Muzan drawled out his words, his fingertips tracing a cool line across her cheek.

"Your eyes are disobedient? Then why not gouge them out and get some more obedient ones?"

"Oh dear! Daddy, please don't say such scary things!"

Xue Nai was startled and quickly covered her eyes with her small hands, then let go and instead hugged his neck tightly, burying her face in his neck and rubbing against him, with a hint of coquetry.

"If your eyes are gouged out, Yukina won't be able to see Daddy anymore! Yukina will be sad if she can't see Daddy!"

Just then, there was a noise at the door of the room.

A figure was teleported in and landed in the corridor outside the door.

It was Rui who was summoned by Muzan.

As soon as he stood still, he witnessed the scene inside the room.

Lord Muzan was actually holding a little girl, letting her hug his neck and rub against him. Although he spoke coldly, he did not actually push her away or punish her.

Is this still an adult?

Tired, she opened her eyes slightly, staring blankly at the eerily cozy scene inside the room. For a moment, she didn't know whether she should step inside.

His memories of his human past are gone, leaving only a longing for bonds.

Why was the master suddenly summoned here? Is there some new order?

"I'm tired, come here."

Muzan's voice rang out, calm and even, breaking Lei's daze.

He released his grip on the child's cheek, then gently put Yukina down, who was still rubbing against his neck, and made her stand up straight. He then waved to the slightly embarrassed white-haired boy at the door.

Lei immediately composed himself, suppressing all his turbulent thoughts, and walked into the room. He stopped a few steps away from Muzan and bowed his head slightly.

Yukina was a little dazed when she was suddenly put down, and her little hands unconsciously tugged at Muzan's clothes.

She looked up curiously at the unfamiliar white-haired boy who had been called in by her father.

His hair was silvery-white, like moonlight, and his skin was very fair.

It's a ghost I've never seen before...

Is he new here?

Yukina thought to herself, feeling both shy and curious.

She secretly sized up Lei, unconsciously shrinking behind Muzan, revealing only half of her body and a pair of bright, darting eyes.

Lei was also sizing up Yukina.

With black hair, red eyes, and facial features, one can vaguely see a resemblance to Muzan.

Is this an adult's child?

but……

Why does the scent not seem very strong?

He recalled the scene he had witnessed when he entered the room.

The adults held her, even allowing her to nuzzle her neck so affectionately...

really weird.

Even though she wasn't strong enough, she was still protected by her father...

A flash of insight seemed to strike him, and two clear words suddenly shone in his mind:

Bonds.

Is this what the bond between family members is like?

Blood is thicker than water; the closest bond.

Isn't this exactly what he had longed for but could never reach or even understand deep in his hazy memories?

The two children stood facing each other, one peeking curiously and shyly, the other silently and attentively observing, neither of them speaking first.

Muzan clearly has no interest in acting as a mediator for children with social difficulties.

He glanced at Yukina, who was hiding behind him with only her eyes showing, then looked at Rui, who stood silently with a faintly burning gaze. He pointed at Rui and said to Yukina:

"This is tiring. From now on, he will be your partner."