"Lady Kie… may I come inside now?"
Standing beneath the sunlight, Soma spoke with a gentle voice and a calm, approachable gaze.
And yet, despite that warmth, Kie's body trembled faintly. A thousand refusals rose in her heart—how could she possibly allow a demon, a cruel and merciless demon, into her home?
But before such a being, what room was there for refusal?
Suppressing her fear, she stepped aside, placing her hands neatly over her abdomen as she bowed with trembling formality.
"P-please… come in, sir."
Though fear clung to her every movement, her manners remained impeccable—precise, restrained, and proper.
Soma nodded with a faint smile. He had never quite grown accustomed to this constant bowing; naturally, he did not return the gesture. Instead, he passed by her and entered without ceremony.
The house was a modest thatched hut, low in structure, forcing him to bend slightly as he stepped through the doorway. Pushing aside the thick straw curtain, he entered the interior.
Inside, the space opened into a simple main room. Near the window, a small hearth built of stones held a pot suspended above it, while the ground beneath was packed earth—firm, dry, and carefully maintained. At the center lay a woven straw mat, upon which several low wooden tables had been arranged.
Without hesitation, Soma seated himself at the place of honor.
Kie followed quietly, her head lowered, and instead of joining him, she knelt near the doorway on the bare earthen floor.
Soma glanced at her briefly.
Having lived in this world long enough, he had come to understand its customs—this distinction between the upper seat and the lower space. Those of higher status sat upon the raised mat, while those beneath them remained on the bare ground, the divide subtle yet unmistakable.
Here, hierarchy was deeply ingrained.
Even among the Demon Slayer Corps, figures of immense strength would kneel in deference before their lord, regardless of their own power.
Of course, Soma did not sit where he did out of nobility.
He sat there because he was feared.
A demon, after all, required no formal title to command submission.
He did not dwell on it for long. Turning his gaze back to Kie, who still dared not lift her head, he spoke casually.
"You seem very afraid of me, Lady Kie."
"N-no… not at all, sir"
Her voice faltered, pale and strained, each word stumbling over the next. No ordinary person could face a demon—especially one who had just displayed such brutal force—without fear. And she, a woman already burdened by hardship, had even less reason to find courage.
If not for the children behind her, she might already have collapsed entirely.
"Then come sit here," Soma said, gesturing lightly toward the mat beside him. "You're too far away."
She dared not refuse.
Rising unsteadily, she took small, careful steps forward, her posture restrained, her hands still folded before her as she approached. Soma watched her briefly, noting the peculiar grace of her movements—the way women here carried themselves within the home, modest and composed, as though bound by invisible threads of custom.
It was a world he had rarely glimpsed so closely before.
As a demon who could not freely walk beneath the sun, he had seldom entered the homes of others. Now, seeing such details firsthand, he found them… unexpectedly novel.
Kie knelt beside him at last, her head still lowered, her demeanor soft and fragile.
Soma paid it little mind, instead letting his gaze wander across the room. The house was undeniably worn, its age and poverty evident in every corner, yet it was spotless. Everything was neatly arranged, carefully maintained, bearing the quiet mark of a diligent and attentive caretaker.
With so many children, one might expect disorder—but there was none.
It spoke volumes about the woman who kept it.
A good mother. A capable homemaker.
It was little wonder, then, that she had raised children like Nezuko… and Tanjiro.
Sometimes, the influence of a good upbringing was not loud or visible—it simply seeped into everything, shaping lives in ways too subtle to notice at first glance.
At some point, Kanao had come to stand beside Soma. Like him, she looked around curiously—but where his attention lingered on the condition of the home, hers drifted elsewhere.
Her gaze rested on Kie… and the children.
Tilting her head slightly, she watched them with quiet confusion.
Compared to her own memories of family, there was something undeniably different here—something she could not quite understand, yet could not look away from.
Once Kie was settled on the mat, Soma spoke again. "On my way here, I took the liberty of preparing a few gifts."
At that moment, Nezuko peeked in from outside before hastily stepping in, her arms and hands laden with bundles upon bundles of items. She struggled slightly under their weight, yet still hurried forward.
"A small token of goodwill," Soma said with a faint smile as he watched her set everything down. "I hope you won't refuse."
The pile of gifts was considerable, and many of the items were clearly expensive—far beyond what this household could ordinarily afford. Accepting them would undoubtedly ease their burdens, perhaps even transform their daily lives.
And yet, Kie felt no joy at all.
Because the intention behind such generosity… was all too obvious.
Still, she dared not show any discomfort. Instead, she forced a faint, fragile smile, one that trembled at the edges.
"Oh, and there are quite a few things for the children as well," Soma added, turning toward Nezuko, who had quietly knelt nearby. "Why don't you take them outside and share them with your younger siblings?"
Nezuko lowered her head, her hands clenched slightly in her lap, not daring to touch the gifts.
Seeing this, Soma rose to his feet himself. He walked over to the pile and began sorting through it, selecting a few items before handing them to her.
"These should do for now," he said lightly. "I'll bring more next time."
"Next… time…?"
Nezuko's heart skipped, her entire body stiffening.
"Is something wrong?" Soma frowned faintly as he looked at her. "Am I not welcome here?"
"N-no… not at all!" she blurted out hastily, shaking her head with almost desperate urgency.
Beside her, Kie misunderstood at once, assuming her daughter had somehow offended him. She quickly stepped forward, bowing repeatedly, her voice trembling with panic.
"I'm so sorry, please forgive her—she didn't mean any disrespect—"
Soma pressed a hand to his forehead, exhaling softly as he looked at the two of them trembling before him.
"Lady Kie," he said, a trace of helplessness in his voice, "there's no need to be so afraid of me."
"I… I wouldn't dare…"
Her head remained lowered, her voice barely audible.
"Ah, that reminds me," he continued, as though nothing had happened, reaching into the pile once more. "I also picked out something for you."
He drew out a neatly folded garment and handed it to her.
Kie accepted it cautiously, her fingers trembling as they brushed against the fine fabric. Though she dared not lift her head fully, her eyes flickered toward it—and at once she recognized its quality.
The craftsmanship was exquisite. The material alone spoke of a price she could scarcely imagine.
Even when her husband had still been alive, she had never owned something so costly. Nor had she ever received such a gift.
And yet now—
a demon was offering it to her.
The strangeness of it all left her heart unsettled.
"Alright," Soma said with a gentle smile, turning back to Nezuko. "Go ahead and take those things to your siblings."
Nezuko glanced at him nervously, searching his expression. Seeing no trace of hostility—only that same calm, almost gentle demeanor—she finally lowered her gaze and gathered the items, carrying them outside.
She was not particularly tall, but her figure was already quite graceful.
Soma returned to his seat, his eyes following her as she left, lingering for a moment on her retreating silhouette.
Compared to her image on a screen, the real Nezuko was undoubtedly more beautiful and endearing.
Across from him, Kie had been quietly observing all along.
When she noticed his gaze fixed on her daughter's departing figure, her heart sank. A deep sorrow welled up within her, filling her chest until it hurt to breathe.
Unbidden, terrible images surfaced in her mind—Nezuko, her clothes disheveled, tears clinging to the corners of her eyes, her body marked with bruises left by a demon's cruelty…
The mere thought was unbearable.
The pain surged, overwhelming her, until at last she could endure it no longer.
With a sudden motion, she lowered herself fully, bowing deeply before him.
"S-sir… what would it take for you to let Nezuko go?" Her voice trembled, breaking under the weight of her desperation. "Please… I beg you… spare my daughter…"
Soma, who had been idly watching Nezuko's departure, had just reached for a cup of tea when he saw her prostrate before him.
His mood shifted, a faint chill entering his voice.
"Stand up. I didn't tell you to kneel."
The coldness in his tone made her body shudder. Though grief filled her eyes, she dared not disobey. Slowly, unsteadily, she rose, her gaze lifting just enough to reveal the sorrow etched across her face.
Looking at her, Soma felt a flicker of exasperation. He said nothing further, merely turning away as he settled back onto the mat and closed his eyes.
Beside him, Kanao cast a brief glance at Kie before quietly remaining at Soma's side, her clear eyes continuing to study the woman with silent curiosity.
As for Kie—
Standing there, she felt as though she were facing a beast at rest.
A predator, quiet for now… yet capable of unleashing a storm of fury at any moment.
The room fell into silence.
A heavy, suffocating stillness.
So quiet that even the sound of breathing seemed loud.
And that silence stretched on… as though it might never end.