Krisha Christina

【The autumn wind carries the message of falling leaves, signaling the impending arrival of winter in the northern lands.】

【On your way home, you unexpectedly encounter a half-blooded demon girl. Her body is covered in scars, and she is even more emaciated than the vagrants you’ve seen in the slums.】

【You heal her, you give her food, and you bring her home.】

【You don’t consider yourself noble, nor do you think of yourself as grand. You are simply extending a small act of kindness within your means.】

【Yet, to her, this is a salvation as radiant as the sun.】

The sturdy soles of the boots.

Crunch against the dry leaves on the road.

Producing faint, crisp sounds.

Xu Xi holds the girl’s hand, leading her through the pitch-dark alley, away from the foul, decaying stench, across a small ditch, and up a few steps.

A clean and peaceful brownish-white courtyard comes into view—this is Xu Xi’s residence in Allenson City.

“Go inside.”

Faced with the pristine courtyard, the demon girl hesitates, so Xu Xi tightens his grip slightly, half-dragging her into the courtyard.

Tap—

Tap—

The sound of footsteps echoes on the cobblestone path, accentuating the tranquility of the courtyard.

Exposed to the sunlight, the girl seems uneasy, squinting and trying to lower her head to escape the blinding light.

But.

With her small hand firmly grasped by Xu Xi, she can no longer flee as she once did.

Gradually, she attempts to open her eyes.

What greets her is the soft sunlight filtering through the brick fence, scattered and fragmented by the plants and flowers, creating a beautiful interplay of light and shadow, with intermittent patches of light illuminating the path.

In the silence, the chirping of insects can be heard.

If one listens closely, the distant hum of steam engines from the city center can also be detected.

“It’s so beautiful…”, the girl’s eyes reflect Xu Xi’s figure as she realizes for the first time that the world of light can be so beautiful, that she too can stand under the sun.

As long as she holds this man’s hand, she can gather the courage.

……

【You bring the demon girl into your home. The first thing you do is take her to the bathroom for a thorough cleaning.】

【The girl has been wandering for too long, living among garbage heaps. The water magic you used earlier was not enough to cleanse her completely.】

【You summon a water elemental spirit to assist you in casting a purification spell.】

【You succeed.】

【The filth on the girl’s body is completely eradicated by your purification.】

“Splash, splash.”

In the bathroom.

The sound of flowing water continues to echo.

Xu Xi turns the valve, and with the characteristic hiss of mechanical operation, hot water gushes out of the pipe, which he directs onto the girl’s head.

“So her hair is gray.”

Xu Xi murmurs in surprise.

He rubs the girl’s scalp with his hand, washing away the clumps of dried mud. Once her hair is clean, it reveals a long, silvery-gray mane.

The hair is dull and rough to the touch, like dry straw.

This is a sign of severe malnutrition.

Naturally.

There’s no need to be surprised.

After all, the girl’s body is emaciated, with bones protruding through her skin, a clear indication of her frailty and the strong sense that she could die at any moment.

Such a physical condition is a miracle in itself, and of course, there would be no extra nutrients to nourish her hair.

How pitiful.

Xu Xi sighs inwardly again, washing the girl’s hair and hands before handing her the hot water pipe under her bewildered gaze.

“Can you wash the rest by yourself?”

Xu Xi asks.

He can help with her hair and hands, but more private areas should be handled by the girl herself.

After all, she is no longer a helpless infant.

Some things.

Need to be established from the start.

“Okay…”, the girl nods slightly.

After handing her the hot water pipe, Xu Xi leaves the bathroom. While the girl washes herself, he goes out to buy some clothes.

He had been living alone.

There were no clothes at home that would fit a young girl.

And what the girl had been wearing could hardly be called clothes—they were more like rags, which Xu Xi had already burned.

“……”

By the time he returns with the clothes, the girl has just finished washing.

She stands motionless in the bathroom, holding the hot water pipe, like a hardened statue, as the water continues to flow down the drain.

Her eyes are empty.

She looks at Xu Xi when he appears.

Like a robot, waiting for his next instruction.

“Come out, and dry yourself.”

“Press here to turn off the hot water.”

Under the girl’s confused gaze, Xu Xi presses the valve on the bathroom wall, and a few seconds later, the water stops flowing from the pipe.

Then, he wraps her in a large towel, drying her damp body.

Her hair, of course, is not neglected.

Xu Xi uses fire magic in his left hand and wind magic in his right, conjuring a warm breeze that dries her hair completely, leaving no trace of water.

Next are the new clothes.

The clothes he bought for the girl are not particularly fancy.

Even so, when the girl puts them on, there is a fresh, revitalizing aura about her.

If one had to describe it, it would be the feeling of finally becoming a “person”—not disposable garbage, not a forgotten leaf, but a real, living “person.”

Seeing the girl so transformed, Xu Xi smiles.

“Yes, you look much more lively now.”

He takes her hand again.

Preparing to lead her to her room.

The corridor stretches straight ahead, not very long, and at the end is the room prepared for the girl.

His hand on the doorknob, just before pushing it open, Xu Xi seems to remember something and looks down at the girl:

“Do you have a name?”

“Krisha…”, the demon girl, who had been silent until now, finally responds. She looks up at Xu Xi, “Krisha Christina.”

Her eyes remain empty.

Devoid of any connection to the world.

But faintly, Xu Xi seems to sense a glimmer of anticipation.

“Krisha, what a beautiful name,” Xu Xi says softly, gently stroking her hair before pushing open the wooden door and leading her inside.

【You learn the demon girl’s true name.】

【Krisha Christina】

【You think it’s a beautiful name, and you say so aloud.】

【You settle everything for Krisha. From this day forward, you officially adopt her, a demon girl.】