Muzan: My daughter can't be that weak!

A petty person?

A look of confusion crossed Nakime's single eye, followed by deep thought.

Where do little people go? Does it refer to children?

She seemed to understand the little slip of the tongue.

"I have no idea."

Since becoming a ghost, her world has shrunk to a few fixed points:

The Infinite Castle, the biwa in his arms, the missions given by Lord Muzan, and the occasional hunting trips.

Where should human children play and frolic?

An open space in the town? A shallow riverbank? Stone steps in front of a shrine?

These memories had long been abandoned by her, whether actively or passively, in the distant past, covered with a thick layer of dust.

She never bothered to find out, nor did she want to.

"Ah, okay..."

Yukina sighed softly, but she quickly put that disappointment behind her.

Children's thoughts always wander like grasshoppers after the rain.

She then used both hands to support her chubby little face, with her elbows resting on her knees.

"So, is Nakime-neechan a friend of Daddy?"

Nakime tightened her grip on the biwa.

friend?

It took her a few seconds to understand the possible connection between this word and her and Muzan-sama.

It was immediately rejected.

Why would you ask such a question?

In her view, this concept had never existed and could never have existed between them.

"Lord Muzan is my...master."

Xue Nai blinked, seemingly understanding but not quite.

That sounds pretty impressive.

In her mind, friends are people you can play with, share things with, and keep each other company.

What about Dad?

My dad is the most handsome ghost in the world. Although sometimes what he says can be a little sad, he can also transform into many different forms.

It's both impressive and beautiful.

There must be so many people who want to be his friend!

"Does Dad have any other friends?"

She naturally followed this line of thought and continued to ask questions.

His face even carried a sense of certainty and a hint of pride that "my dad must be super popular."

"Um……"

This question plunged Nakime into an even longer silence.

Does Muzan have any friends?

Those demons he transformed and empowered—the Upper Moon, the Lower Moon, and others…

Lord Kokushibo? That lord is powerful and silent; he doesn't seem like it.

Doma always had a smile on his face, but Muzan-sama didn't seem to like him.

Akaza-sama is even less like...

She felt that there was no need for someone like Lord Muzan.

A few seconds later, she looked up into Yukina's expectant red eyes and chose the most honest answer, even though it might sound a little clumsy:

"I have no idea."

She was telling the truth.

Yukina opened her mouth slightly in surprise.

Her most amazing dad.

How could I possibly have no friends?!

But soon, her little brain found an explanation for itself.

It must be because Dad is too amazing. His friends are all just as amazing as him, so he kept it a secret. That's why Nakime-neechan doesn't know!

Thinking about it this way, she felt relieved and even thought her father was more amazing.

Even my friends are different from others.

Just as Yukina was about to think of another topic...

Glug glug.

A slight rolling sound came from the corner of the room.

Yukina's ears twitched. She turned her head in the direction of the sound and saw a brightly colored handball slowly rolling out of the shadows and coming to rest in the light.

The handball was made of fine fabric and was delicately embroidered with several purple lisianthus flowers.

very beautiful.

Nakime, standing behind Yukina, quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

She really didn't know how to deal with the child's wildly imaginative questions, especially when it came to the topic of Muzan.

So she secretly used her Blood Demon magic to make the handball make a sound at just the right moment.

"What a beautiful ball!"

Sure enough, Yukina's attention was instantly drawn, and her eyes lit up.

She excitedly ran over, carefully picked up the handball, and lovingly touched its soft fabric and exquisite embroidery.

She had just held him in her arms when she suddenly realized...

This seems to be Nakime's room.

She turned around, holding the ball, and asked somewhat shyly, "Sister, is this ball yours?"

Nakime nodded silently.

This was originally prepared for her; it's been sitting there for a long time.

"That……"

Shiny's eyes sparkled, and she used her free hand to extend her thumb and forefinger, making a small distance between them.

"Can I play for just a tiny bit? Just for a tiny bit!"

Seeing Nakime nod again, Yukina's eyes immediately crinkled into a smile.

When she was a human child, she was always sick and lay weakly in her room.

Through the cracks in the paper door, she could often see other children chasing and playing in the yard, one of their games being tossing and catching these hand balls.

They ran so fast, laughed so loudly, and the ball drew a joyful arc in the air.

She really wanted to go out and join, but she knew in her heart that it was impossible.

She can't run or jump high; she gets breathless and dizzy after playing for a while.

She didn't want to cause her mother any more trouble.

She also had a vague idea that even if she went out, those children probably wouldn't want to play with a troublesome child like her.

Now, this beautiful handball is in her hands.

Yukina hugged the ball and played with it by herself in an empty space in the room.

She tried to toss it into the air and then frantically catch it, or let it bounce on the floor and then pat it with her little hands.

After playing for a while, she hugged her slightly sweaty face, grabbed the ball, and ran back to Narumi's side, tilting her head back with a hint of embarrassment in her eyes.

"Sister, can you play with me?"

Seeing the child's expectant look, Nakime nodded almost subconsciously.

It wasn't until Yukina placed the handball into her hand that Nakime truly realized what she had agreed to.

During her human days, her family was very poor, and she struggled to make a living every day. She never owned any toys, let alone a luxury game like handball.

She remembered this handball from a chance encounter she made with noble girls playing in the corridor after performing at a mansion.

Later, when preparing a room for Yukina, I used Blood Demon Art to recreate one based on my memory.

"Sister, you can throw it over here now!"

Yukina had already run to the other end of the room, several steps away from her, excitedly posing and staring intently at the ball in her hand.

Nakime stared blankly at the ball in her hand, then looked at the small figure in the distance.

She tried to throw the ball towards Xue Nai.

The handball traced a low, gentle arc through the air before landing on the floor with a series of thuds.

Yukina immediately let out a soft "Ah!" and ran over, catching the still slightly rolling handball.

Then, she turned around, ran back excitedly, and handed the ball to Nakime again.

She turned around and ran to a spot a little further away, then looked back, her eyes sparkling as she waited.

Retrieve the ball, pass the ball, run away, wait.

Pick up the ball again, pass it to someone, run away, and wait.

Despite the simple repetition, Xue Nai thoroughly enjoyed playing with it.

Nakime's throwing motion became more natural.

She watched quietly as the figure ran back and forth in the limited space of the room, overjoyed by even the smallest interaction.

For some reason, it reminded her of a puppy wagging its tail that she had once seen on a street corner.