Nezuko was genuinely worried about Soma.
She was terrified that one day his identity as a demon would be exposed, and that everyone would mercilessly kill him because of it.
If that happened…
What would she do then?
Recently, she had already dreamed about such things several times in a row.
"Sir… you should think more about yourself too."
Standing beside Soma, Nezuko spoke in a quiet voice.
Soma set down the papers in his hands and looked at her with a faint smile.
"Is Nezuko worried about me?"
"N-Not at all."
Nezuko immediately turned her face away, a blush unconsciously spreading across her cheeks.
"I remember you used to be pretty afraid of me before. Now you don't seem scared anymore."
Soma sighed softly as he leaned slightly closer to her. From this distance, he could clearly smell the naturally pleasant scent lingering around the girl.
"If you're that worried about me, then just work harder in the future. Become stronger, and then you can protect me, right?"
Nezuko's heartbeat instantly sped up.
Without realizing it, she clenched her fists tightly, her heart filled with excitement. At that moment, she almost wanted to run off and start training immediately so she could continue becoming stronger.
But she quickly came back to her senses.
Puffing her cheeks slightly, she looked at him with faint resentment in her eyes.
"But… Sir is a man, isn't he? Shouldn't a man be protecting Nezuko instead? How can you ask a girl to protect you…"
"That's true."
Soma nodded seriously before spreading his hands helplessly with a small shrug.
"But I'm not a man. I'm a demon."
"Even if you're a demon, you're still a male demon."
Nezuko puffed her cheeks again. She wanted to secretly glance at him, but the moment she realized Soma was quietly staring at her, she hurriedly lowered her head, feeling her heartbeat grow even faster.
At some point, she had realized that she barely resisted Soma's identity as a demon anymore.
When exactly had she stopped caring?
Even Nezuko herself did not know.
Perhaps it had happened little by little over time.
Or perhaps there had been some moment when everything quietly changed without her noticing.
Maybe it started when she began to feel that Soma was a genuinely wonderful man…
The kind of man who would make an ideal husband.
The candlelight in the room flickered softly.
Beneath the swaying glow, Soma quietly admired the beautiful girl before him.
Perhaps because she had been preparing to rest for the night, Nezuko was dressed in thin sleepwear. Since she had never become a demon in this world, she did not possess the small childlike body she once had in the anime, the kind that could fit inside a bamboo box.
Instead, her figure had matured beautifully, the thin fabric outlining soft, graceful curves across her chest.
Truthfully, Nezuko had already been known as a little beauty in the area several years ago. Now, as she grew older, her figure had become even more slender and elegant. Combined with her lovely face that balanced beauty and cuteness perfectly, her long eyelashes, and her large expressive eyes…
If she were paired with a certain accessory—
It would probably suit her even better.
"Oh right, I have a gift for you."
As though suddenly remembering something, Soma spoke up.
Nezuko immediately lifted her head in surprise.
Girls could never really resist gifts, especially when they came from a boy they secretly liked quite a bit.
At that moment, anticipation instantly filled her heart.
What kind of gift would Soma give her?
A hairpin?
A ribbon?
Or maybe…
In an instant, countless possibilities flashed through Nezuko's mind.
"Close your eyes."
Soma smiled faintly as he looked at the wide-eyed girl staring at him.
Even though Nezuko desperately wanted to see the gift immediately, she obediently closed her eyes anyway.
As Nezuko closed her eyes, the world around her instantly fell into darkness, but the sounds around her became much clearer instead.
She could hear Soma stand up and walk further into the room, his footsteps soft but distinct.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Suddenly, Nezuko felt her heart begin beating faster again.
Girls naturally liked romantic moments, especially at her age, when it was impossible not to carry little dreams and fantasies in their hearts.
But for Nezuko, life had been dull and exhausting for a very long time.
As the eldest daughter of the Kamado family, she had always carried many responsibilities. She needed to look after her younger brothers and sisters, help her mother with chores, and take care of countless things around the house.
Back when they still lived deep in the mountains, every day had been spent struggling simply to survive.
Things were much better now, but she was still busy every single day.
Of course, she had received gifts before.
Sometimes it had been small trinkets her father, Tanjuro, brought back from the market. Other times it had been her favorite sugar candies from her older brother.
But every time, the gifts had simply been handed to her directly.
Nothing like this.
Closing her eyes and waiting…
Even though it was only a tiny, simple little gesture—
For Nezuko, who had never experienced something like this before, it felt unbelievably romantic.
In her memories, her mother had probably never experienced moments like this either.
As far as Nezuko could remember, her mother had always been busy taking care of the family. Even when her father had still been healthy, she had never really seen warm or affectionate interactions between her parents.
Their conversations always felt calm and plain.
Nothing like Soma.
He really was…
Suppressing the happiness bubbling inside her chest, Nezuko listened as the footsteps slowly approached again.
Her heartbeat became faster and lighter, filled with excitement for the moment she could finally open her eyes and see the gift.
Then she felt something stop gently in front of her mouth.
"Open your mouth."
Soma's voice sounded softly beside her ear.
Nezuko obediently parted her lips slightly.
Something firm settled between her teeth, carrying the faint fresh scent of bamboo.
"Alright, you can open your eyes now."
The moment she heard his words, Nezuko immediately opened her eyes.
Then she saw what she had been biting.
It was a bamboo gag.
No wonder she had smelled such a pleasant bamboo fragrance just now.
She took it into her hands and examined it carefully before placing it back between her teeth again. Surprisingly, it fit her mouth perfectly.
The gift was completely unexpected.
"You look really cute wearing it."
Soma looked at Nezuko biting the bamboo gag, and the sight was even more striking in person than anything he had ever imagined. He could not help but praise her sincerely.
Hearing his compliment, Nezuko's face warmed instantly.
Even though she could not actually see herself wearing the bamboo gag, if Soma liked it, then it probably looked good…
Maybe even very good.
It really was a strange gift.
Nezuko had thought he might give her a hairpin or a ribbon or something similar.
She never expected it to be a bamboo gag.
But somehow, it also made her realize that Soma had seriously thought about what kind of gift to give her.
Just thinking about that made a quiet sense of happiness spread through her heart.
"Do you like it?"
Soma looked at her curiously.
"It's… it's alright, I guess."
Nezuko immediately turned her head away, only leaving him the sight of her flushed cheek glowing softly red. Without realizing it, her small white teeth lightly bit down on the bamboo gag again.
At first, having something in her mouth had felt strange.
But somehow—
The more she wore it, the more she began to like it.