For Little Kiara, her dull and monotonous life had finally gained a hint of color. In her spare time, she often took out Grimm's Fairy Tales to read. Sometimes she felt like Rapunzel, confined in a small tower, with everything outside having nothing to do with her. Until one day...
"What are you thinking about? I say, you've flipped through this book so many times, aren't you tired of reading it yet?" The familiar voice rang out again. Faced with the man who suddenly appeared in her room, Little Kiara did not feel nervous. During this period, he had frequently and mysteriously appeared by her side, and she had long since gotten used to it.
In fact, for Jiang You, not much time had passed. He only needed to appear at the necessary time points. But Little Kiara had indeed spent a whole year, so no matter how much she cherished this fairy tale book, frequent reading had still left traces of time on it.
Without directly answering Jiang You's question, Little Kiara simply put away the fairy tale book solemnly and stored it away carefully.
"Mr. Jiang You, you're clearly an adult, yet you act as willfully as a child. Meeting a young girl in secret in the middle of the night is hardly the conduct of a gentleman." Little Kiara sized up the man, the person she was most familiar with besides her father. Sometimes she wondered if this man was a figment of her imagination, because he had never participated in any of the Cult's activities, nor did he know anything about their prayers or doctrines. But when she asked about her father, he confirmed his existence.
"Then how about I just snatch you away?" Jiang You had considered this option, but it would require too many modifications to the timeline, which was too troublesome. Besides, he already had Illya for the "raising" gameplay, and Sesshouin's primary charm was after she became an adult, so he was really just talking. "That way, it wouldn't be a secret meeting."
"It seems you don't care about our Cult at all." Little Kiara wore an "I knew it" expression. "The believers are all fake, aren't they? Your target from the very beginning was me?"
"Of course." Facing Sesshouin, Jiang You felt there was no need to hide anything. Admitting it openly was the best choice. "So, are you going to report me to the Cult Leader?"
At this stage, Little Kiara still held some regard for her father and the Cult. The path to becoming the insatiable, libertine woman of the future would require her to experience many more things, so she did seriously consider the matter. After staring at Jiang You's smiling face for a long moment, she shook her head.
The Witch had forbidden Rapunzel from leaving, but how could a young girl who longed for the outside world refuse the prince who could lead her to walk upon the earth?
"So, you're a loli(?)con(?)" Little Kiara finally asked. Jiang You considered this a slander; he was simply and purely lecherous. But that wasn't what she cared about. "So, you won't like me anymore after I grow up? ...But it doesn't make much of a difference. My body probably won't last until I grow up. I can only live until about fourteen. Our Cult's doctrine doesn't actually advocate for abstinence, so... if you want to enjoy yourself, you should do it early."
"Not at all, I prefer the adult you. So you should grow up healthily." This was the truth, but at this time, Little Kiara only thought Jiang You was trying to flatter her. Still, it made her a little happy.
"Besides taking you to the Summer Festival, the reason I came to see you today was also for this matter." Having built up enough trust and affection, Jiang You directly began to advance the plot. "Actually, your illness isn't some incurable disease. Although it has a significant impact on your body, curing it is relatively simple with modern technology."
"Impossible." Little Kiara's instinctive reaction was denial. Whether as her father or as the Cult Leader, her father had no reason to deceive her. After all, the Eiten-ryu emphasized saving and helping people. If it were just a simple illness, why would she have to suffer for nine years? Even if her father didn't know, the believers coming and going would surely know about her condition. They had no reason not to lend her a helping hand.
Kiara Sesshouin was, after all, a designated Saint in the original setting, so she would naturally not assume the worst of others. In the original plotline, she discovered this truth herself, so it was only natural that she wouldn't accept it now.
"Then, are you willing to give me a chance to prove it?" Jiang You did not directly force Little Kiara to believe him. In any case, this was the truth, and as long as he produced evidence, everything would be revealed.
Little Kiara took Jiang You's hand with practiced ease, a gesture they had repeated many times over the past year.
"Before that, let's enjoy this Summer Festival. Wouldn't it be a pity to miss out on this? It started earlier this time, so we can eat more." The Shingon Tachikawa Eiten School was heavily influenced by Buddhism, so its diet emphasized light and plain food. The Sesshouins, by nature, were pleasure-seekers, so Kiara's expression as she ate at the festival was one of sheer delight (though Jiang You felt it somewhat violated the sect's tenets).
The festival didn't need much description; the two tried the activities they had missed the previous year. Their sight, taste, and even their moods bloomed like fireworks at this moment. Convinced that this was happiness, Little Kiara even wished time would stop right here.
Time flew by, and after the festival ended, Jiang You took Little Kiara to the city hospital. After registering at the emergency clinic, the doctor diagnosed the cause of her illness in no time at all, even complaining that Jiang You had waited so long to bring the child in. Too lazy to explain, Jiang You could only apologize repeatedly.
Then, with Jiang You by her side, Little Kiara began her IV drip.
"Is it... over just like that?" Little Kiara looked at the medication for her treatment, unable to believe it. Every symptom the doctor described matched her own; this so-called "incurable disease" was so simple it didn't even require surgery.
"Just take your medicine faithfully and get your IV drips on time, and you should be fine." Jiang You had actually secretly accelerated Little Kiara's recovery. He didn't want to cure her instantly, but rather give her a sense of tangible progress. "Empathy is a myth; only the individual knows their own pain. So, if you feel unwell, you must tell me."
For the first time, Little Kiara began to doubt the teachings and even humanity itself. The followers only pitied her without ever offering a helping hand. Even her father was the same. Did he need her to be gravely ill to gain some kind of reputation, or did he simply not care about her, never truly intending to save her?
So, humans don't save other humans... right?
But the teachings said humans love their fellow beings... So are they really human?
With her faith being tested, Little Kiara's gaze shifted to the man accompanying her, and something seemed to be sprouting.
No, that's not right... Someone cares for me, someone will help me. Little Kiara squeezed Jiang You's hand slightly and then smiled back. "I will."