Muzan: My daughter can't be that weak!

inside the room.

Muzan stared expressionlessly at the shattered test tube on the table.

Glass shards were scattered all over the ground, and a few pieces landed on his sleeve, which he shook off.

He picked up the book beside him, flipped through a couple of pages, closed it, and remained silent for a few seconds, the atmosphere gradually calming down.

Immediately afterwards, a series of crashing sounds came from the room, and the remaining bottles and jars shattered one after another.

If Yukina were still here, she would have heard it immediately.

However, she was already in the Infinite City at that moment.

Before me was a familiar corridor, a familiar paper door, familiar lighting, and a faint scent of wood in the air.

Amber took off running as soon as it landed and disappeared; it probably went to play somewhere else.

Xue Nai wasn't in a hurry. Carrying the bulging cloth bag, she walked slowly down the corridor.

The New Year has arrived, but demons have never had the custom of celebrating the New Year, so there are not many demons in the Infinite City.

Nakime was the first to receive a gift.

Nakime also prepared a gift for Yukina: a half-length ribbon, light-colored, embroidered with tiny flower petals, with a soft and elegant color scheme.

Xue Nai held it in her hands, turning it over and over to look at it several times, her eyes sparkling.

"Narukae-neechan! This is so pretty!" She hugged Nakime tightly, buried her face in her shoulder, and rubbed against her. "It would definitely look great with my kimono!"

Nakime was slightly shaken by the child's touch. Her hand holding the biwa remained still, but her other hand stopped on the child's head. "I'm glad you like it."

She hadn't made a half-length tape in many years; the last time was a very, very long time ago, so long that she had almost forgotten about it herself.

I saw this piece of fabric when I was out that day, and somehow I bought it. As I cut it, it ended up looking like this.

Xue Nai lifted her head from her arms, held the half of the ribbon up to her eyes, and examined it against the light.

"I'm wearing a kimono tomorrow! That way I can bring this with me right away!"

"Huh? But—" Hearing this, Douma raised his hand and asked seriously, "It's not even tomorrow yet, and Yukina is already wearing it?"

Xue Nai puffed out her cheeks.

"Uncle Doma, can you be a little more patient? I haven't finished speaking yet!"

"Ah, I see?" Doma blinked, then clapped his hands as if suddenly realizing something. "Yukina speaks so slowly, just like Lord Kokushibo. You paused for so long, I thought you were finished~"

Xue Nai took a deep breath.

She had indeed planned to wear it the next day.

But after returning to her room, she took out the half of the ribbon, spread it on the tatami mat, and looked at it again and again.

She picked it up again and held it up to herself, looking at herself in the mirror from left to right, and then she couldn't resist.

Anyway, the sooner you wear it, the sooner you can be happy.

She turned around in front of the mirror again and felt that her decision was absolutely right.

Who knew that as soon as I changed my clothes and went outside, I would run into Uncle Doma, who was returning to the Infinite City.

Unable to resist sharing, she casually strolled up to him, tilted her head, and asked, "Uncle Doma, have you noticed anything different about me today?"

Doma looked at her carefully, then looked her up and down several times, blinking his seven-colored eyes.

"Huh? Has my strength gotten stronger?" He tilted his head. "But I don't feel it, hahaha—"

"no!"

"Did you... grow taller?" He looked her over again. "It doesn't seem like it."

"Uncle Doma—! Be serious!"

Doma stared at her for a long time, his gaze moving from top to bottom and then from bottom to top, finally landing on her face, whereupon he suddenly revealed an expression of sudden realization.

"Ah! I know!" He clapped his hands.

Xuena's eyes lit up.

"Did Yukina wash her face today?"

"...Uncle Douma, that's enough."

"This is it!"

Yukina finally couldn't hold back any longer. She reached out and pointed fiercely at the half-belt around her waist, "A New Year's gift from Nakime-neechan!"

Doma lowered his head, took a closer look at the light-colored half-width strip, stared at it for several seconds, then looked up with a smile.

"Ah, I see! It's beautiful!" He nodded sincerely, then added, "But Yukina, you tied it backwards."

Yukina was taken aback.

She looked down at her waist, then looked up at Doma's smiling face, and her face flushed red.

"No rebellion!"

"It's upside down, it's upside down," Douma gestured with his hand, "Look, the pattern is facing the wrong way, this side should be on top—"

"No!" Yukina turned around, showing him the back of her head. "Uncle Doma is so annoying, I'm not showing it to you."

She took two steps forward angrily, muttering to herself, "Has it really rebelled? But that's how it was supposed to be..."

Doma laughed for a while behind her before smilingly walking around to her side: "Yukina-chan, you're not mistaken, because I was just making things up~"

Yukina stopped in her tracks.

She looked up, her face expressionless, at his smiling face.

"Uncle Douma."

"Um?"

"You're not getting a New Year's gift now."

"Eh? Really?" Doma blinked, his tone a little surprised but not flustered.

"Really." Yukina turned her head to the side and continued walking forward.

"Really? Really?" Doma followed beside her, craning his neck to ask, like a curious cat.

"Really, really." Xue Nai hid the cloth bag behind her back.

"Really……"

Doma's gaze followed the cloth bag, his tone growing increasingly aggrieved.

Xue Nai took a few steps, then her eyes darted around as if she had thought of something. Finally, she sighed, took a small box out of her bag, and handed it over.

"Fine, take it."

Doma took it and opened it. Inside lay a wooden music box, about the size of a palm, with intricate carvings on it.

"Huh? Yukina, this isn't fair! This isn't fair!" He looked up, his face full of accusation. "I already gave her a music box last year! And my gift isn't even new!"

"Uncle Doma, this music box is different from last year's." Yukina pointed to the button on the music box, "Press here—"

After she finished speaking, she took several steps back.

Doma looked at her, who was so far away from him, and didn't seem to care at all.

"Oh, what's the difference? It's just playing music, right? I don't need two music boxes to dance—"

He looked down at the button. "Why are you so far away from me?"

"This sound is loud, a bit noisy." Yukina took another step back. "Uncle Doma, please press the button!"

"Okay, okay."

Doma reached out and gently pressed the button.

The music started.

The tinkling sounds, light and crisp, are like someone tapping a glass with a spoon.

Doma listened, tilting his head slightly, seemingly finding it quite good.

Then--

"Snapped!"

A small wooden panel on the front of the music box suddenly sprang open, as if it had been holding back for a long time and finally couldn't hold back anymore.

It was a grotesque doll with one eye bigger than the other, a crooked mouth, and a long, red tongue.

It popped out very quickly, landing right in front of Doma's nose, wobbling as if it were making a face.

Doma stopped fanning himself.

He stared at the grotesque face, motionless.

Yukina hid behind a pillar in the distance, peeking out half her head, covering her mouth and chuckling, observing his expression as if her scheme had succeeded.

"Uncle Doma? Are you alright?"