Muzan: My daughter can't be that weak!

"Miss Yukina," Nakime stood quietly to the side, watching Yukina completely stray from the path, and finally added in a low voice, "It has always been Lord Muzan."

Always the father?

Yukina blinked, then slowly widened her eyes, processing the meaning of those words.

what…

I didn't have a younger brother.

Was that handsome yet somewhat fierce little boy just now actually his father in disguise?

Just now...

Oh dear, that makes me look so stupid.

The excitement on her face gradually faded, replaced by a blush of sudden realization that slowly crept up from her ears to her cheeks.

She loosened her grip on Muzan's hand, then twisted her fingers sheepishly, secretly glancing up at her father, who had returned to his original form and was looking down at her.

but…

My father is really amazing.

It can actually shrink so much that it looks about the same size as itself.

Is this the power of demons?

Hmm.

and many more.

A brand new idea flashed into her mind.

I'm a ghost too.

Can I also become an adult like my father?

Or will it become something else?

This made her instantly forget her previous thoughts, and a feeling of eagerness welled up inside her.

If she could grow up, would she be able to help her father with more things? Would she no longer be treated like a child who needs to be taken care of?

Let's give it a try.

Xue Nai immediately straightened up, secretly clenched her fists, held her breath, and began to exert force in secret.

She tried hard to recall what her father looked like before and after his transformation, attempting to mobilize the demonic power within her body.

Her little face gradually turned red from straining, her eyes widened, and she was completely focused on growing up, even forgetting to breathe for a moment.

Too lazy to explain, Muzan tolerated Nakime's unauthorized answer.

He waited coldly to see what other reaction Yukina would have besides a foolish exclamation.

For example, she might feel lingering fear after pinching his cheek and randomly claiming kinship, or at least realize how foolish she was.

As a result, the little figure below remained motionless for a long time.

He frowned slightly and looked down.

Xue Nai was standing in a horse stance, her face flushed red, her eyes wide like copper bells, her lips tightly pursed, and her whole body trembling slightly. She looked like she was using all her strength, just like a little red pufferfish.

Muzan: "...?"

For a moment, he even wondered if his frequent changes in appearance had caused some kind of temporary cognitive confusion.

What is she doing? Did she suddenly fall seriously ill?

"What are you doing?"

He couldn't help but let out a genuine hint of doubt in his voice.

This has gone beyond the realm of stupidity he usually understands, entering a new and undefinable area.

"Hoo-ha-"

Hearing her father's question, Xue Nai seemed to have finally found a valve to release her tension, and she suddenly relaxed, panting heavily.

Because I held my breath for so long, my vision started to go black.

She paused for several seconds before raising her still rosy face to look at Muzan, her eyes filled with seriousness and a thirst for knowledge, her tone earnest:

"Father, why can't I become an adult?" she asked, her voice filled with frustration. "I've tried so hard, but it's no use."

Muzan remained silent.

He suddenly realized that perhaps finding the blue spider lily wasn't the most exhausting thing.

Understanding the brain circuits of this little thing created from your own bloodline may require an equal or even greater investment of energy.

How exactly did the conversation shift from recognizing her father to trying to transform?

He didn't quite understand.

Seeing that her father was only looking at her with those red eyes and did not answer, the light in Yukina's eyes dimmed slightly.

She lowered her head, her toes unconsciously rubbing against the smooth floor, her voice becoming soft, tinged with envy and inferiority:

"Nakome-neechan and Father are both so amazing... Neechan can conjure up a huge house in an instant, and Father can turn into a child..."

Her voice trailed off as she spoke, "Why... can't I change? Is it because I...?"

"That's probably too stupid."

Muzan's indifferent voice interrupted her nascent conjecture.

He crossed his arms, his tone undisguisedly sarcastic, his eyes reflecting the child's momentary freeze.

"A demon's abilities vary from person to person. Clearly,"

He paused, his gaze sweeping over Xue Nai's still chubby cheeks and youthful features.

"Your anomalies are mainly manifested in the consumption of blood and the duration of your sleep. As for the ability to change your appearance, which requires precise control of blood demon magic..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but the unspoken meaning was clear enough:

With your intelligence, you probably shouldn't count on it.

That's a very harsh statement, blunt and hurtful.

If it were any other object, even the Twelve Demon Moons, it would probably feel embarrassed or afraid.

Upon hearing this, Xue Nai's small shoulders shrunk slightly, like a seedling being blown by a cold wind.

Those usually bright eyes were now covered with a thin layer of mist, but she quickly blinked hard to suppress the soreness.

She knew that her father sometimes spoke like that, not very gently.

Maybe my father is right?

I do seem to be a bit slow. I always sleep for a long time and am still groggy when I wake up. I can't even recognize my father when he turns into a child.

But she was still a little bit sad.

It wasn't that I was angry at my father for saying such hurtful things, but rather that I felt like I really couldn't do anything right, couldn't help at all, and was always just causing trouble.

She sniffed, preventing her tears from falling. Instead, she raised her head and forced a smile at Muzan, her voice muffled: "Oh... I understand, Father."

Seeing Muzan's smile made him feel a little uncomfortable.

The feeling of irritability rose again, but it seemed somewhat different from before.

This time it felt more like tiny pebbles were stuck in my joint. It wasn't excruciatingly painful, but it was just uncomfortable.

It makes you want to get rid of it, but you can't find the exact location.

He looked away, his tone still harsh, but he abruptly changed the subject: "If you're awake, behave yourself. If you try anything else, next time I'll let you sleep forever."

"Hmm..." Yukina nodded, clearly a little absent-minded.