Chapter 4

I eventually managed to get rid of Hisoka.

No matter how he whispered the sweetness of forbidden things in my ear, like a serpent tempting Eve to swallow the apple, I sat motionless in place, not even blinking.

Hisoka is a pervert, but even he would feel disappointed if he were faced with a piece of wood that didn't react at all.

"Looks like we'll have to wait until our next meeting to discuss who's a better match for you, me or Xiao Yi~"

After saying that, he left through the window.

I looked in the direction he left, and it was empty and deserted, with only the thin, beautiful curtains fluttering in the night breeze.

Without a doubt, Hisoka must have sneaked in from here.

I suddenly found it a little ridiculous that I was still ignoring the engagement ring that Illumi had given me. I stood up, stood by the window, and looked out for a while.

The little tree stump remained standing there, unchanged.

At that time, the last time that person saw me before leaving, it was standing next to this tree stump.

I leaned forward pleadingly and reached out my hand to him, hoping he would take me away as usual, but he pointed to the severed tree stump and mouthed "sorry" to me silently.

...It's clearly possible.

It was something I could have done.

Although this is the fifth floor, even Hisoka can easily jump down from here and climb back up... There's no reason why he can't do it.

The cold reality dealt me ​​a cruel blow.

Although I've had this feeling vaguely for a long time, it's only today that I'm forced to face the truth:

It's not that he couldn't take me away; he just didn't want to.

I was just a pawn he discarded.

How heartless!

Thinking this, I chuckled softly.

After laughing for a while, I stepped back, calmly closed the window, and drew the curtains.

...It's time to rest.

Remove makeup, take a shower, go to sleep.

Tomorrow is another day.

That's just how the world is; in their hearts, there will always be something more important than me.

You already knew that, didn't you?

...

The next morning, I was sitting in the dining room, half asleep, picking up my fork. Before I could even process what day it was, the butler suddenly led in a boy who looked both strange and familiar.

He had a beautiful yet delicate face, and our slightly upturned lips were almost identical.

My mother isn't home. She went out on official business.

I had to shoulder the responsibility of entertaining the guests all by myself.

I roused myself, put down my fork, invited him to sit down, and, with impeccable gentleness, asked with a smile:

"What's wrong, Kurt?"

...This young man is none other than Kurt Zoldyck, the youngest son of the Zoldyck family and my fiancé's youngest brother.

After several years apart, he had unknowingly grown into a young man.

As a child, her round and beautiful features, like a porcelain doll, began to show sharpness. She had shed her androgynous innocence and naturally revealed a sharp aggression in her movements.

“Sister Lei,” he said politely, “the flight path I need to take has been temporarily blocked by the Hunter Association, and the hotels are all full... so I can only trouble you for now.”

While flight route closures are uncommon, they have happened before.

The hardliners in the Hunter Association occasionally issue similar orders in order to capture important fugitives.

A very reasonable reason.

I thought about it, and since Kurt appeared alone, it means the other Zoldycks have already left.

"...You didn't go back to Kukuroku Mountain?" I asked.

He unfolded a paper fan, covering the lower half of his face with an elegant gesture, but it was impossible to know what he was thinking. After covering his face, it was even more impossible to see the expression on his face.

He nodded slightly: "Yes, outside of missions, I have some personal activities."

I could tell something was fishy just by listening to it, so I didn't want to get involved and changed the subject:

"...Alright. Anyway, the line to Kukuroku Mountain isn't sealed off, right? It doesn't matter how long you stay here, Mother won't mind. It's just that I can't stay with you for too long. I'll be going to your house in a few days."

This was an order from Illumi.

I'm not bold enough to defy him while still being his fiancée, even if he explicitly asks me to do something.

They'll definitely die.

Even if they don't die, they'll be skinned alive.

Illumi is not a soft-hearted person.

Kurt said, "Um... I know. I'll go with you, sister."

I asked in confusion, "Don't you have other activities planned?"

He said nonchalantly, "If I can't get there today, the event will be over, and it will be too late for me to go."

All right.

As long as he's happy.

I haven't been sleeping well because of Hisoka, and I have a terrible headache right now, so I don't feel like talking to Kaldo.

Since he had his own ideas, I simply said "I know," and that was the end of it.

I reached out, picked up the fork again, and started eating. Halfway through, I suddenly felt a gaze fixed firmly on my left hand.

I looked up and met Kurt's thoughtful gaze as he stared at the engagement ring on my left hand.

After I noticed, he calmly turned his gaze and met my eyes.

I asked, "...Why do you keep staring at my ring?"

He said, "The silver bracelet doesn't really suit my sister."

Anyway, Kurt isn't an outsider, so I just went straight to the point:

"Illumi probably likes simplicity. It's quite impressive that he has such good taste."

That guy's fashion sense is a disaster. If he were to follow his usual style and give me a ring with too many fancy details, I would be even more embarrassed.

It's good as it is now.

Kurt then asked, "Does the engagement ring have to be worn all the time?"

I was bewildered: "Why do you ask that?"

Kurt lowered his eyes and said, "It's nothing, it's just that it seems rare to see someone wear their engagement ring on their hand all the time."

really.

While some people may care a lot about it, most people usually only wear their rings on important occasions after buying them.

If Illumi hadn't made a request, I would have definitely put the ring away after the banquet.

There was nothing I could do; it was my fiancé's request.

“Your older brother likes it this way,” I said to Kurt with a smile.

He fell silent, his eyes lowered further, his expression unreadable.

"...Is the relationship between my sister and brother really that good?" A faint voice drifted out as I was halfway through my meal. Kurt asked, "They suddenly announced their engagement without any preparation."

"Or... is it that I'm the only one who doesn't know?" he asked again.

I stopped what I was doing and thought for a moment.

"It really came as a surprise." Then I replied, "I never expected this day to come; I was suddenly notified by my mother."

It seems that Mrs. Dike suddenly became concerned about the emotional state of her eldest son. What emotional state can Yi Mi have?

Mrs. Zoldyck then asked, "In that case, the little girl from the Adrian family seems quite nice."

Illumi nodded.

When the news reached the Adrian family, my mother was so overjoyed she almost fainted, and it was impossible for her to say "no." So this betrothal was arranged in such a muddled way.

No one asked for my opinion throughout the entire process.

I was the one who knew nothing about it.

However, even if I knew, it wouldn't make any difference. I can't afford to offend any of the three people who made the engagement decision, and no one would offend them for my sake. So, my engagement to Illumi is something that, once I get his consent, there's no turning back.

That makes perfect sense.

I accepted it very quickly.

After all, if they don't accept it, they might only face death.

I certainly can't tell the truth to Illumi's brother.

I smiled and said insincerely to Kurt, "But I'm very satisfied. There's nothing wrong with being with your older brother."

Kurt did not respond.

He was a bit cold and withdrawn from a young age.

I was used to his personality and didn't expect him to say anything extra.

After filling my stomach a little and fulfilling my duty to entertain the guests, I handed over the rest of the work to my subordinates, instructing them to look after and serve the young master of the Zoldyck family.

“Just tell them if you need anything,” I told Kurt. “I’m not feeling well, so I’ll go back to my room first.”

He hummed in agreement.

I reviewed my plans in my mind and felt that nothing unexpected should happen, so I went upstairs to sleep with peace of mind.

I was half asleep when I suddenly realized someone was gently combing my hair and massaging my sore calves from wearing high heels for too long yesterday.

"...Is it Kurt?" I wasn't fully awake yet, still feeling dizzy, and asked based on my intuition.

The blanket was pulled off.

The slender boy snuggled up to me like a kitten, just like when he used to cling to me for afternoon naps when I was little. He hummed in agreement and then softly called out, "Sister Laiyi."

That's all he ever shouts, then he just stands there, staring blankly at me with his bright purple eyes, but he doesn't know how to do anything.

From a young age, Kurt was a child who longed for care but was afraid to reach out.

Because I've been rejected by my family too many times.

Mrs. Zoldyck never hugged him, his father and eldest brother were too lazy to scold him, and his other brothers wouldn't play with him.

He is a beautiful, but unnoticed, transparent kitten.

I reached out and shared some of the blanket with him, patted his shoulder, and hummed a song:

"Yes, I'm here. Go to sleep."

I wanted to say I'd play with him after he woke up, which is what I always say, but I was too sleepy today and fell asleep before I could say it.

Fortunately, Kurt was satisfied, and I wasn't woken up again.

When I woke up again, it was already lunchtime.

Kurt had his eyes closed, but he opened them as soon as I moved.

I tidied his short, black hair, which was slightly messy from lying down:

"How did you end up here?"

Kurt didn't say anything, but just rubbed his face against my hand.

That's strange.

At this point, he acted like he really liked me and couldn't live without me, even though I had cut off contact with the Zoldyck family for so long and he hadn't come looking for me.

If I still had some fantasies about the Zoldycks when I was a child, then these five years of not seeing them have changed my impression of them.

No matter how much Kurt tries to act innocent, I find it hard to truly let my guard down around him like I used to.

His actions only make me feel confused.

Is it because of ulterior motives?

But what kind of heart did they use?

"You're not a little kid anymore... You'll get scolded if you climb into your sister's bed." I tried to educate him.

“It’s okay,” Kurt asked, “as long as Sister Lei won’t scold me.”

I asked, "Where's your older brother?"

Kurt countered, "Should we tell him?"

If they told him, Kurt would definitely get a beating.

Illumi is that kind of person. Although I can't figure out the specific reason, I just know that he wouldn't tolerate Kalluto's behavior.

It would be terrible if someone died.

Thinking about this, I shook my head.

Kurt blinked expressionlessly.

He seemed to want to laugh, because whenever he wanted to make an expression, he would subconsciously reach for a fan to cover it up. But unfortunately, he was lying in bed and in an inconvenient position, so I was able to catch a fleeting glimpse of his smile.

It wasn't a warm laugh; it was a strange, pale, and sickly laugh, like that of a paper doll.

This kind of behavior is bound to be unsettling.

But Kurt's last name is Zoldyck, and with that in mind, nothing I do surprises me.

"Get up," I said. "It's time to eat."

He obediently got up and sat down.

As I fumbled in front of the mirror, trying to figure out what hairstyle to do, he got out of bed, stood behind me, lifted my long hair, and took the comb.

“I was at the party yesterday too,” he said, combing his hair. “Didn’t Sister Lei see me?”

I hesitated for a moment, then honestly replied, "I wasn't paying attention; I was too busy looking at your older brother."

Kurt fell silent again.

After skillfully braiding my hair into a pretty braid, he murmured, "It's okay if you didn't see it, anyway..."

(Anyway, nobody really cared.)

I didn't hear clearly and asked in confusion, "What?"

Kurt: "It's nothing."

That's how he always talks.

Like I said before, I'm used to it.

Anyway, as long as you're generally a good boy in front of me, that's fine.

I don't want to worry about anything else.

"Let's go downstairs for dinner," I tried to get up. "I'm hungry."

He pressed down on my shoulder and used a little force to force me back to my original position.

“Wait a minute, sister,” Kurt said. “I have a present for you.”

I:"……"

He produced a ring from somewhere, one that was more meticulously crafted than my engagement ring, with more delicate patterns and several subtly shimmering gemstones.

I had just gotten up this morning and pulled my engagement ring out from under the dressing table, only to have it taken off by Kurt, just like Hisoka had done.

“Look,” he held up my hand, gesturing for the effect of the new ring, “this style suits you better, doesn’t it?”

It complements the skin tone and enhances the visual effect, making the fingers appear longer and thinner.

His aesthetic sense is indeed better than his terrible older brother's.

ah……

I wish I had received this ring at yesterday's banquet.

I couldn't help but think.

In that case, I would definitely be more willing to follow Illumi's request to "not take it off".

I curled my fingers and cleared my throat.

I was just about to say to Kurt, "It's beautiful, thank you, but could you please give me back my brother's engagement ring first?"

He suddenly spoke, saying something completely unrelated to the current situation:

"Why does my sister's bed smell different from the smell on her body...?"

I froze, and images that shouldn't have appeared at this moment flashed before my eyes.

Pale pink lips, thick, long fingers, and red hair.

...Are those smells lingering from that time?

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