Kisara did not stay for long. She still had her own Civil Security Agency to manage, so after spending some time with them, she eventually left.
After saying goodbye and thanking her for guiding them, Xiao Feng examined body with the available tools and found she wasn't sick, merely malnourished. She only need to eat well and she would heal well.
Once he knew this, he transferred a small amount of vitality to Miori to nourish her weak body then held her and led Suzu into the main hall of the former IISO branch.
A group of lively young girls had gathered inside. The hall was filled with cheerful conversation and laughter, creating a warm atmosphere that stood in stark contrast to the cold and unforgiving world outside.
Koharu was the first to notice their arrival. Her sharp eyes immediately lit up with curiosity.
"Who are they, Onii-chan?" She asked, skipping toward them with her usual boundless energy.
Xiao Feng took out a small cushion from the space ring and gently placed Miori on the cushion before gesturing toward Suzu, who was holding tightly onto his other arm.
"This is Suzu, and the little girl in the cushion is her younger sister, Miori. They'll be living here with us from now on. I expect everyone to treat them as family."
Enju, who had been sitting on a nearby couch, immediately jumped to her feet.
"New friends? Welcome!"
She hurried over and crouched down so that she was at Miori's eye level.
"Hello! I'm Enju Aihara. What's your name?"
Miori hesitated and looked toward Suzu.
Suzu gave her a reassuring smile before answering softly, "Her name is Miori. I'm Suzu. Thank you for allowing us to stay here."
One of the lolis tilted her head. Her attention was soon drawn to the tin can Suzu held closely against her chest.
"Why are you carrying a tin can with you?"
Before Suzu could answer, Xiao Feng spoke gently.
"It's important to her. Don't pressure her, Koharu. She'll tell everyone when she feels ready."
The loli nodded obediently. Although curiosity remained in her eyes, there was no hostility or suspicion in her expression.
She reached out and took Miori's hand.
"Come on! I'll show you around. There are lots of interesting things here!"
Miori looked up at Xiao Feng, silently asking for reassurance.
Xiao Feng smiled and nodded.
"Go ahead. You can now safely move around."
Only then did Miori hesitantly follow the loli. At first her steps were small and cautious because she couldn't walk properly before due to illness?
But as she walked, she her body felt light and no longer as tired as before so became bolder and walked much more bruskly.
As Koharu continued speaking enthusiastically, the tension in her expression also gradually eased.
Suzu remained beside Xiao Feng, her fingers occasionally brushing against his sleeve as though she were afraid of losing sight of him.
Later that evening, everyone gathered in the lounge.
Suzu sat quietly in one corner, her hands resting upon her knees while the other girls talked around her. Although they had tried to include her in their conversations, she still seemed uncertain about how to behave in such a lively environment.
Koharu had been observing her for a while. Unable to suppress her curiosity any longer, she finally asked, "Suzu, why do you always cover your eyes? Are you shy?"
The entire room suddenly fell silent and all eyes turned toward Suzu. The lolis are all curious.
But hearing the words, Suzu's body stiffened, and her fingers tightened against the fabric of her clothes.
"I…" Suzu lowered her head. "It's not good. I don't want to frighten anyone."
Enju moved closer to her, "Suzu, you don't have to be afraid. We're all friends here. Besides, we're Cursed Children just like you. Whatever it is, we won't be scared."
Suzu hesitated before turning toward Xiao Feng. Although she could not see him clearly, her uncertain expression showed that she was seeking his permission.
Xiao Feng nodded gently, "It's all right, Suzu. No one here will judge you."
Xiao Feng already knew what had happened to her eyes. Although the truth would undoubtedly anger everyone, hiding it forever would only leave Suzu trapped within her fear. He would find a way to heal her later.
Miori seemed to realise what her sister intended to do and instinctively tried to stop her. However, Xiao Feng gently held her back.
She immediately glared at him.
Xiao Feng did not explain. He simply looked at her calmly, silently assuring her that Suzu would be safe.
Taking a deep breath, Suzu slowly raised her hands and removed the cloth covering her eyes.
The moment her injuries were revealed, everyone in the room gasped.
Her once-beautiful eyes had been severely damaged. Hardened lead filled the ruined sockets, glinting dully beneath the light.
Koharu's face turned pale. Her hands slowly clenched into fists.
"Who… Who did this to you?"
Tears gathered in Suzu's sightless eyes.
"It was… my mother," She whispered, her voice trembling, "She was afraid of me because I'm a Cursed Child. She said my eyes were unnatural and that they would bring ruin to our family. So she…"
Her voice broke before she could finish and Suzu lowered her head as tears streamed down her cheeks.
Every girl in the room became furious.
Koharu slammed her fist against the table.
"How could she do something like that? That's unforgivable!"
Enju's usually cheerful expression darkened. Her small hands trembled with anger.
"How could anyone hurt their own daughter like this?"
The other girls began murmuring among themselves. Their voices were filled with sympathy, outrage and sadness.
Xiao Feng had remained silent until now.
When he finally spoke, his voice was calm, but an unmistakable danger lingered beneath it.
"That woman does not deserve to be called a mother."
"Suzu, I promise you that you'll never have to suffer like that again."
Suzu sniffled and wiped the tears from her cheeks.
"It's all right… I've already accepted it. I only want to protect Miori. She's all I have left."
Xiao Feng walked over and knelt in front of her. He gently placed one hand on her shoulder.
"No, it isn't all right."
His voice softened, but his expression remained serious.
"You never deserved what happened to you, and I won't allow your suffering to end like this."
In his heart, Xiao Feng believed that a woman capable of inflicting such cruelty upon her own daughter deserved the most severe punishment imaginable.
However, he did not voice those thoughts. Suzu had already endured enough, and he did not want to frighten her further.
"I'll teach you how to cultivate. Cultivation will allow you to become stronger. Once you reach a sufficiently high level, you may even be able to heal your eyes."
He then glanced toward Miori.
"It should also be able to cure Miori's malnourished physique."
Suzu did not understand what cultivation was, but the possibility of saving Miori was more important to her than anything else.
She raised her head and asked desperately, "Really, Onii-chan?"
"Yes," Xiao Feng answered firmly.
"I promise."
Koharu, Enju and the other girls quickly gathered around Suzu and Miori. They enthusiastically explained everything they knew about cultivation and the changes it had brought to their bodies.
After hearing their explanations, Miori lowered her head in embarrassment.
She realised that she had misunderstood Xiao Feng earlier.
Perhaps he had not known about Suzu's injuries, yet he had still treated both sisters with warmth and kindness.
The entire situation felt unreal to her. If this was merely a dream, then Miori hoped she would never wake up.
...