The next morning, sunlight filtered through the gaps in the curtains, casting thin slivers of light onto the floor.
The crisp chirping of birds mixed with the occasional sound of vehicles from the distant street, announcing the start of a new day.
Hel slowly opened his eyes. He blinked, adjusting to the morning light streaming through the curtain gap.
Last night’s memories flooded back like a tide—Luna’s tears, the explosion at the factory, that monster, and the reluctant “Master.”
Then, the light in the living room when he got home, and the curled-up figure on the sofa.
A faint smile touched his lips. He pushed off the covers and sat up. After washing up, getting dressed, and fixing his hair, a few minutes later, he pulled open his door and stepped out.
At that exact moment, the door to the room next to his also opened. A dark figure emerged.
Seshi was wearing the black sailor uniform of Eden Affiliated Middle School, her white necktie neatly tied, the hem just above her knees, revealing slender calves wrapped in black knee-high stockings.
Her long black hair wasn’t loose today; instead, it was tied into a low ponytail at the nape of her neck, with a few stray strands falling beside her ears, making her look a bit softer and more girlish than usual.
Her face was still as delicate as a doll’s, her eyes still obsidian-like, her expression still unreadable.
“Good morning, Xi’er.”
Hel looked at her and spoke naturally, his voice gentle and carrying the lazy quality of early morning.
He had already prepared to be ignored.
As usual, this sister would walk past without looking at him as if he were air, then leave a cold “Disgusting,” or say nothing at all and head straight downstairs.
But—
Seshi’s steps faltered slightly. Those obsidian eyes turned to him.
Then, she parted her lips.
“…Good morning.”
Three words.
Very soft, as light as the rustle of wind through leaves.
The black-haired girl’s face showed no expression. There was no emotion in her tone, just a mechanical, programmed reply.
After saying that, Seshi looked away, took a step, and headed toward the stairs. Her low ponytail swayed gently behind her, quickly disappearing around the stairwell.
Hel stood there, frozen for several seconds.
He stared at the empty stairwell, those three words echoing in his mind—
“Good morning.”
This girl had responded to him.
Not ignoring him, not “Disgusting,” not “Don’t call me Xi’er.” But “Good morning.”
Hel blinked. The corners of his mouth lifted involuntarily. ‘This girl… she finally responded to me.’
Though she was still expressionless, still cold, still mechanical—the important thing was that she had responded.
This was the first time.
The first time in this house, in the morning hallway, that she had said something to him that wasn’t sarcasm, disgust, or cold rejection.
Hel stood there, grinning foolishly for a few seconds. Then he came to his senses and quickly went downstairs.
In the dining room, sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, bathing the entire space in warm, bright light.
At the table, Seshi was already seated in her usual spot. In front of her was a simple breakfast—golden toasted bread, a small salad, and a glass of steaming milk.
She sat perfectly upright, her back straight, spreading butter on the toast with a small knife. Her movements were elegant yet mechanical, showing no enjoyment in the food—just completing a necessary task.
And across from her—
Another breakfast was set out.
The same toast, the same salad, the same steaming milk.
Neat, orderly, clearly prepared in advance.
“Thanks.”
Hel walked to the table, looked at the breakfast across from him, and felt a wave of indescribable warmth. He sat down across from Seshi, looked at her still expressionless face, and said softly. Then he picked up the toast and started eating.
The dining room was very quiet. Only the faint clinking of utensils and the occasional chirping from outside could be heard.
The two sat facing each other, eating their own breakfasts in silence. But the silence was no longer the cold, suffocating one of the past. It was a plain silence, carrying a subtle, indescribable quality.
A few minutes later, Seshi put down her utensils.
Her breakfast was finished—the toast eaten clean, the salad plate with not a single leaf left, the milk glass empty.
The black-haired girl picked up her empty bowl and plate, ready to stand.
“Just leave them there.”
Hel’s voice came from across the table.
Seshi’s movements paused slightly.
Hel looked up at her, his tone as natural as if stating an obvious fact.
“I’ll wash them later.”
Seshi froze. Her obsidian eyes widened slightly, a flicker of barely perceptible surprise deep in her pupils.
She looked at him, at that pale face with traces of fatigue, at those eyes that, though tired, held a hint of warmth. She was silent for a few seconds.
Then—
The girl said nothing. She simply placed the bowl and chopsticks back onto the table. Then she stood up, walked to the entrance, picked up her already-prepared school bag, and got ready to leave.
Hel sat at the table, watching Seshi’s back as she walked toward the entrance.
The girl in the black sailor uniform, her low ponytail swaying gently behind her, her slender figure looking especially fragile in the morning light.
He thought for a moment, picked up his phone, and tapped the screen a few times quickly.
A few seconds later—
Buzz.
Seshi’s phone buzzed once. She stopped, pulled out her phone from her bag, and lit up the screen.
Then she froze.
On the screen was a transfer notification.
Sender: Hel.
Amount: … enough pocket money for a middle school student for several months.
Note: Pocket money for Xi’er. Buy whatever you want.
Seshi stared at the message for several seconds. Then she turned around and looked at the figure still sitting at the table. Her obsidian eyes held an indescribable complexity.
“…What does this mean?”
Her voice was still its usual cold kind, but there was something else in it—something Hel couldn’t quite identify.
Hel looked at Seshi, his face displaying a perfect blend of earnestness and a hint of embarrassment. He scratched his cheek slightly. In his always-weary eyes, warmth and sincerity were unmistakable.
“It’s your allowance.”
The black-haired boy’s voice was soft, carrying a sense of “I just want to do something.”
“Since Xi’er doesn’t want me to pick you up from school…”
He paused, then added with considerate understanding.
“Then go shopping with your friends. Buy something you like. Eat something good.”
He smiled gently at the girl.
“After all… this is the only thing I can do for you right now.”
Seshi remained silent. She stood at the entrance, phone in hand, looking at the boy smiling warmly at the table.
Sunlight poured through the window, gilding him in a warm gold. That pale face, those weary eyes, that earnest expression—the complete opposite of the gloomy, cold brother she had once hated so much.
She opened her mouth as if to say something. But in the end, she said nothing—just nodded slightly.
“Mm.”
That “Mm” was so soft it was almost inaudible.
Then Seshi turned around, sat on the shoe bench at the entrance, and began to change her shoes.
Black student loafers slid onto feet covered in black stockings. Her movements were still elegant, but carried a trace of something… indescribable. After finishing, she stood up and grasped the doorknob.
Just as she was about to push the door open, Seshi glanced at her phone screen one more time. The transfer notification was still lit up. The amount… a lot. She stared at the name, stared at the note, and was silent for a few seconds. Then, she tapped the screen lightly.
Transfer successful.
Seshi put her phone back in her bag, pushed open the door, and walked out. Outside, the morning sunlight fell on her, warm and gentle.
She stood at the doorway, staring at the successful transfer notification, and that face appeared in her mind—the pale, tired face that still tried to force a smile.
‘This brother… he has changed a lot.’
‘Not as annoying as before. Not as disgusting as before. Not as much… making me want to run away.’
The corner of Seshi’s mouth twitched, as if it wanted to curve upward, but she forcibly suppressed it.
‘All of this… is thanks to Senior Artemis.’
‘Senior Artemis saved him and made him understand the importance of family. Those words from Senior Artemis started his change.’
‘When I get the chance… I need to thank Senior Artemis.’
Seshi lifted her head and looked at the sky. Then she took a step and walked toward the station.
Meanwhile, in the dining room.
Hel sat at the table, holding an empty milk glass, his eyes fixed on his phone. On the screen was the transfer notification, which had changed from “Pending” to “Received.”
He stared at that “Received” for a few seconds.
Then, the corner of his mouth slowly lifted into a satisfied smirk.
‘This girl accepted my gift. That means she doesn’t hate me as much as before.’
‘It’s a signal.’
‘A signal that says, “I’m not treating you like air anymore.” A signal that says, “I’m willing to accept your kindness.” And a signal that says… the ice is starting to melt.’
Hel put down his phone, stood up, and began to clear the table. He picked up Seshi’s used dishes, then his own, stacked them together, and held them steadily. Then, as he walked toward the kitchen, he hummed a soft, unknown tune.
The melody was light and casual, reflecting his surprisingly good mood.
‘Keep being kind to her—give her allowance, care about her life, respect her wishes. Slowly, little by little, seep into her world.’
‘No matter how frozen a heart, it will open. No matter how cold a person, they will thaw.’
‘And by then—’
‘I won’t have to worry about Seshi stabbing me to death if my identity is exposed.’
Hel placed the dishes in the sink and turned on the faucet. The sound of rushing water echoed in the kitchen. As he scrubbed the dishes, he continued humming.
“Today is a good day~”