"Yes, let me ask you a question. If Lady Yae were to cry and pour out her sorrows to you, even sinking into grief so deep she couldn't pull herself out, what would you do?"
Mizuki felt as though she was getting closer and closer to the truth.
"If it were me… I would probably choose to devour Lady Yae's nightmares… to comfort her emotions and calm her down…"
Mr. Cid poured a cup of hot tea and placed it in front of Miss Mizuki. Come to think of it, Mizuki hadn't prepared any tea for him earlier.
"Nightmares are manifestations of people's subconscious emotions. Although your Baku clan always claims that devouring nightmares is like eating a tasteless piece of bread…
In reality, nightmares are not only toxic and hard to digest, but also taste terrible. And the more a Baku understands emotions, the more painfully they will feel the suffering of people's negative feelings when they consume them."
Yumemizuki Mizuki had clearly understood what Mr. Cid meant. She took the cup of hot tea he handed her with a slightly saddened expression.
Her hands and feet felt a little cold, but Mr. Cid's tea was very warm.
At that moment, Mr. Cid looked at the Baku girl's condition and could tell she wasn't doing very well.
Still, he went ahead and voiced the conclusion he had guided her toward understanding—because saying it out loud was itself a form of reflection and would help her move forward.
"That's why it's impossible for Lady Yae to treat you the way she did at the very beginning. She doesn't want you to experience her negative emotions.
And based on your description, Lady Yae is a fox with a certain pride deep in her bones—she's even willing to debate the logical consistency of stories with elder youkai.
Moreover, in the way the two of you got along five hundred years ago, you were the little sibling and she was the big sibling. That makes it even less likely she would ever accept you devouring her nightmares."
Having finally learned the real reason, the Baku girl looked somewhat saddened.
How cruel… That guy Yae actually excluded me from the very start…
You're suffering so much, yet you distance yourself from me for a reason like this…
Even though she felt very sad, a nameless fire suddenly rose in Mizuki's heart…
Just because of something like that, you push me away…
Are we even friends anymore?!
Meanwhile, Mr. Cid—who had just been thinking of picking out one of the foxes for the still-sad Mizuki to pet and relax with—suddenly sensed that Miss Mizuki seemed to have become angry…
What's going on?
The older gentleman, who had just been carefully sorting out Miss Yumemizuki Mizuki's worries and helping her find relief, now felt completely baffled…
This rapid, illogical emotional shift was a bit beyond his expectations…
She's angry? But why?
My head feels itchy—I think my brain is about to grow. I need to think slowly about why she's angry. Given a little time, I should be able to figure it out…
But this time, Miss Yumemizuki didn't give Mr. Cid any time to analyze.
"Mr. Cid, the things you said to me today have helped me tremendously…"
From the bottom of her heart, Miss Yumemizuki Mizuki spoke two words to Mr. Cid.
"Thank you."
But it wasn't just those two words. Miss Yumemizuki added a few more.
"Mr. Cid's help definitely can't be repaid with just a 'thank you'…"
"If it's possible, Mr. Cid… would you let me eat your nightmares?"
If a Baku devours a person's nightmares, that person's heart will feel much more at ease.
Normally, that would be a good thing. However, the older gentleman chose to refuse.
"Let's pass on that. I feel like the things hidden in my nightmares…"
The older gentleman gave a small smile.
"…are privacy I need to keep locked away tightly. They're the most important part deep in my heart."