Chapter 42

Taking advantage of someone's misfortune is wrong.

Especially at this moment, Lei's condition was clearly off—his expression was unfocused, his eyes were vacant, yet he was smiling mechanically, and his fingertips were trembling slightly.

Kuroro had seen her like this many times.

The first time was shortly after he moved into Adrian Manor. The seemingly fragile Miss Adrian, barefoot, knocked on his door late one night, her cheeks cool as she nestled against him, shivering and meowing like a kitten:

"elder brother."

Kuroro didn't turn on the light, but he could imagine the expression on her face at that moment. He hesitated for a moment, then touched her soft, smooth black hair.

The girl lowered her head even further, even more deeply.

“Don’t lose me again,” she said. “I can’t live without my brother.”

From that moment on, Kuroro vaguely realized that Rai had probably experienced some kind of profound trauma... but what did that have to do with him?

He casually ruffled her hair, as if teasing a stray cat or dog, and made a perfunctory promise that he hadn't even considered whether he could keep it.

"Okay, no, it won't happen."

They grew closer day by day.

What was he thinking at that time?

Kuroro suddenly seemed a little confused.

He could clearly see that Ray was using him to repeat a behavioral pattern that was familiar to her, even though that behavior had caused her irreparable trauma.

He should have rejected her.

However, at the time he only found it amusing, observing her bewildered struggle in pain with interest, as if she were an experimental subject.

Time and again, he opened the door to her falling into the abyss, indulging her desire for self-destruction. He stroked her long hair, looked into her eyes, and, as she wished, uttered lies as poisonous as poison, thus breaking the taboo of the empty title of brother and sister.

He should have rejected her back then.

Because his reason for doing all this was not, as she claimed, simply to treat her as a usable object.

The reason that drove him to do all these curious things was, though faint, absolutely real...

like.

All right.

It's probably too late to say all this now.

He has missed the best opportunity to express his opinion.

At least this time, he should reject her.

Thoughts may wander endlessly, but the real world is but a fleeting moment.

Kuroro lowered his eyes, his face expressionless. His dark pupils were like glass beads, clear yet unfathomable.

When he looked down, he realized that Lei was still looking at him pitifully, just like always, begging for a hug.

She had no wounds on her body. Chrollo guessed that Feitan must have used some special means to trigger her inner fear and unease, which made her look so abnormal at this moment.

He never cared much about how Feitan treated the enemy; as long as the goal was achieved, the process was sometimes unimportant.

But now, it is Lei who has been dealt a heavy blow.

...Before leaving to deal with the aftermath, we should have given them more careful instructions, especially Feitan, not to take Lei's little temper to heart.

She's just a little willful at times.

"Brother..." Lai's voice drifted in from somewhere again, as if it would burst into bubbles like a mermaid after dawn if it didn't get any comfort.

Reject her.

Kuroro thought.

Don't delay any longer.

We can't let her run wild anymore.

However, this thought was quickly interrupted by the warm breath thrown into her arms.

"Brother," he heard her ask, her voice muffled and choked with tears, "are you going to leave me again...? Didn't you say you would love me very, very much?"

A dagger, bloodied and raw, was slowly and gleamingly stabbed at Kuroro.

His hands, which had been hanging motionless at his sides, slowly, slowly rose up and then grasped Ray's shoulders.

The image of the abyss gradually materialized. Strangely, in this abyss where there should have been nothing, Kuroro heard gusts of wind passing by his ears.

The wind passed through his body, cold and whistling.

He should have rejected her.

In the cold wind that pierced through his hollow chest, Kuroro calmly thought once again.

but……

Once again, he couldn't help but hug her as Lei had wished, gently patting her head and skillfully playing the role of the older brother she had been waiting for.

...

Meanwhile, a thousand miles away on Mount Kukuro, the young master of the Zoldyck family was having a rare, heated argument with a friend on the phone.

"You bastard... why did you lose her! Do you know how I..." He stopped abruptly, as if suddenly remembering something, and mumbled a few unclear syllables before turning to a low, dejected voice, "...it was almost done."

“It’s okay,” Gon said firmly. “Ray will be fine. We can contact Kurapika and bring her back together, right? We were captured before, weren’t we?”

"It's not that easy! We can't use those tricks anymore!" Killua couldn't help but sound anxious. "And Rai... Rai is easily scared."

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but violently ruffle his hair, collapsing in despair, unsure of who he was questioning:

Why did I... leave her all alone?!

That was true then, and that is true now.

Out of resentment, jealousy, fear, and unease, he fled from her as if running away, and without informing her, he secretly ran away alone from that shared home.

He kept saying "Wait for me," but then he suddenly realized that she seemed happier if she completely left his world, so he stopped contacting her without asking any questions.

It was so hard—though it's inappropriate to say this—but it was truly so hard to get a chance to save her and see her again, yet he gave it up because of cowardice.

Let Xiao Jie stay with her.

He was deceiving himself.

I need to do more important things.

At that time, during those periods, why did I keep thinking like that... no matter what happened, my first choice was to leave Ray's side?

He shouldn't have abandoned her.

As Killua thought this, he gradually calmed down and composed himself.

“You’re right, Ja, I was too confused this time,” Killua said. “Let’s go find Kurapika together and ask him to bring Rai back for us… It might be difficult, but if we work together, we’ll definitely find a way.”

As he was talking, he caught a glimpse of a black figure flashing past the door.

Killua suddenly remembered another identity of his not-so-friendly younger brother.

He hurriedly hung up the phone, stood up from the stool, and rushed towards the door.

"Kurt...Kurt!"

The boy, who had been neglected for years, never expected to receive a call from his most beloved older brother. He stopped in surprise, turned around, and his slightly upturned purple eyes revealed an undisguised joy.

But in the end, he still lowered his eyes slightly, suppressed a smile, and asked in a normal voice:

"Killua-nii-san... what's wrong?"

"Ahem." Killua coughed lightly, a little embarrassed, before speaking, "You...you joined the Phantom Troupe, didn't you?"

Kurt didn't expect Killua to ask about this.

Has he finally noticed that he is growing and becoming stronger, and is willing to acknowledge the existence of his younger brother?

Kurt jumped for joy, and the corners of his lips couldn't help but turn up slightly, but he restrained himself and slowly raised his fan to cover the lower half of his face.

"Hmm," he replied. "Killua-nii, are you interested in the Phantom Troupe?"

"No..." Killua's expression was complicated, then he frowned, seemingly deep in thought. After a long while, he finally made up his mind and said softly, "I need your help now. You have to listen to everything I say during the process, otherwise I won't take care of you anymore... Can you agree to that?"

It's not a fair negotiating condition.

But Killua knew this tactic would work on Kalluto.

Sure enough, after a moment's hesitation, Kal't nodded happily, his eyes shining. He offered to help without even needing Killua to tell him that Rai was being held hostage by the Phantom Troupe.

Faced with his younger brother's undisguised affection, Killua felt a subtle sense of shame.

He turned his eyes, paused for a moment, and then continued:

"This matter is rather complicated and urgent. If you don't have anything important to do, come out with me later."

Kurt finally noticed that something was wrong.

“Isn’t my brother dealing with things with Sister Lai?” he asked pointedly. “What could be more important than that…she’s lost.”

On his first day back with the Zoldyck family, Killua claimed to know the whereabouts of Rei, and from this point of view, he tried his best to stop the Zoldyck family, especially Illumi, from searching for Rei.

“Such a request is unreasonable, Killua,” said Silva, their common father and head of the Zoldyck family. “Ray is Illumi’s fiancée.”

This reason was so compelling that no one could refute it. Kurt was already lost in thought, wondering where he should go to find Ray later.

Then he heard Killua ask:

"Can't I do it instead?"

"..."

Everyone fell silent.

"Anyway, the only reason you're interested in Rai is because of the promise Mom made, right?" Killua, who had been traveling for many years and had grown up, fearlessly raised his chin, looked directly at his terrifyingly imposing father, deliberately ignoring his elder brother's watchful gaze, and said firmly, "As for Rai... Big brother, your possessiveness towards Rai is just because you're interested. In that case, why not let Rai be with me... Anyway, you won't care too much about who your daughter-in-law is or who she's marrying, as long as it benefits everyone in the end."

“Let it be me, Dad,” Killua said. “If Rae were with me, she would be happier, and I would like this family even more… Aren’t you still waiting for me to come back? Is it really okay for me to push the person I care about to my older brother?”

Silva's eyes flickered.

Illumi's previously calm expression also showed a slight ripple.

Kurt knew that although these words were very nonsensical, it was Killua who said them.

As the de facto future head of the family, once he takes over his power, he can ask for anything he wants, as long as it doesn't involve principles.

Even though what he wanted at that moment was his elder brother's fiancée.

“You speak well, Killua,” Silva finally spoke after a long silence. He leaned down slightly, looking at his son who resembled him most, and asked sincerely, “But, if you really get what you want, can you guarantee that your heart will truly return to the Zoldyck family?”

“…Father,” Illumi, who had been silent all along, finally spoke, “I haven’t agreed yet.”

At that moment, Killua turned his head and glanced at Illumi coldly and mockingly.

Then he smiled provocatively, and said slyly and wickedly:

"The more my brother is reluctant to part with Lai, the more likely I am to come back."

And once he is truly willing to return, it will be self-evident who will ultimately win this battle for ownership.

After that statement, it was pointless for Illumi to continue trying to obstruct the matter or to readily agree.

Everything was almost a done deal, just waiting for the final moment when everything would be settled.

Beyond the silent smoke of battle, Kurt, forgotten by everyone, stood quietly in the corner, his fingers tightening around his fan, his knuckles turning white.

...He realized once again that, overshadowed by his two older brothers, he was nothing and could gain nothing.

The only thing he could strive for was the favor of Ray himself.

Where exactly did Killua hide Rai, and where is he now?

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Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!