Chapter 34
Most of my father's former subordinates were driven by my mother to the most insignificant areas among the many outposts of the Adrian family.
This is a very common tactic in power struggles.
With the money I got from selling my jewelry, I traveled by various trains and finally arrived in the city where one of my father's former subordinates lived on the fourth day.
I don't know if I misjudged... but during this process, I seemed to encounter a few guys who were looking for me.
They awkwardly described to passersby characteristics such as "a woman in her early twenties, with long black hair and black eyes, who looked like the daughter of a wealthy family"...
If they are really looking for me, this description is far too outdated.
While they were asking me questions, I kept staring out the window with a blank expression. Then, when they impatiently pressed for an answer, I held up my hand and made a few hand gestures at them:
Point to your ears or mouth, then shake your head.
This gesture is simple yet universal.
The person asking the question usually immediately gives an "I see" look of understanding, and then walks away on their own.
Although I managed to get by by pretending to be deaf and dumb and using my newly dyed hair color, the longer it dragged on, the more rigorous the investigation I would be subjected to.
Besides... if I go to my father's old subordinates, I'm very likely to be exposed.
So I chose to visit her under the guise of being my mother's assistant.
Because I was familiar with the place, I patiently answered a few questions and easily dispelled their doubts about my fabricated identity.
...I do have some brains, but nobody really gives me a chance to use them.
"What instructions did Lady Adrian give you for sending you here this time?" the receptionist asked, trying to find out as I registered for my visit.
"What else could it be?" I retorted. "Haven't you heard about the young lady's situation?"
Because my brother disappeared when I was young, everyone generally assumes that he is no longer alive, skips over him, and refers to me as the eldest daughter of the Adrian family.
The receptionist suddenly realized I was there to "find the missing young lady," and after making an internal call, she told me:
"You may go in now."
Following her instructions, I went up in the elevator with the leader's assistant who had been waiting for a long time.
Jay Freecss is not the right person to be here at this time.
I explained repeatedly how much harm his continued following me would cause to my plans, and he obediently stopped at the door, not following me any further inside.
...Hopefully nothing goes wrong on his end.
I wasn't very concerned about his safety, and he didn't seem to need my concern. Compared to him, I was more worried about whether I would be taken away before I could see my father.
The elevator doors opened quickly.
I pushed open the door, and a man with slightly graying hair sat behind his desk. He looked up at me when he heard me.
I can still vaguely remember what he looked like more than ten years ago... When my father was still at Adrian Manor, he was often by my father's side.
I walked up to him, greeted him briefly, and chatted with him casually for a while... Only after the assistant who led me in left did I reveal my identity to him.
"I'm here to see my father," I asked bluntly. "Do you know anything about him?"
He was shocked: "Miss Leie"
Then, after recovering, she said, "What happened to you...?"
“You know your mother’s abilities. No one can replace her for now, and Adrian can’t leave her,” I tapped the table. “So I don’t plan to start any rebellion. You don’t need to think too much about it. I just want to catch up with my father.”
I paused slightly, stopped what I was doing, and said:
“I know why you bowed to your mother, and I know why others endured it. Although we can’t destroy the existing evidence, if you’re willing to help, I can tell you the weakness of the guys who helped your mother betray your father… With this, it will be much easier for you to take revenge on them or negotiate with your mother.”
“I’m too old,” he said. “Miss Rye, what reason do you have to gamble this time?”
I couldn't help but laugh.
“That’s precisely why you should cooperate with me,” I told him. “My mother doesn’t hold grudges. The longer you stay here peacefully, the less of a threat you become. Once you’re no longer a threat, she will replace you immediately. You know her.”
After some conversation, he finally agreed to reveal the information he knew.
As I got up to leave, he said in a subtle tone:
“Miss Lei is indeed more like the lady... That’s what the head of the family said back then.”
“If you expect Adrian to continue to bring you a constant stream of wealth and power,” I replied, “then it would be better to continue having an heir who is more like your mother.”
"Are you really capable of taking over that business?" he asked pointedly.
I walked out of the office without answering.
This is not a friendly question, nor is it one that can be easily answered.
将自己唯一的女儿、家族的继承人嫁给那个揍敌客中的一位，母亲的用意不言自明。
She never considered my future or the future of our family; she only cared about herself.
Or rather, she briefly considered it, but ultimately chose to give me up.
This explains why I was subtly excluded from family affairs from a young age.
But it doesn't matter, that's not what I'm concerned about right now.
I continued to play the role of a guest sent by my mother's side, calmly going downstairs and out the door, maintaining a normal attitude the whole way without arousing any suspicion.
I'm going to the port now.
The man said my father was working in the kitchen of some ship.
I can hardly imagine the image of that tall man in a suit and tie, who occasionally threw punches, now huddled in the kitchen preparing vegetables and cooking.
Since things have come to this point... I have no choice but to go.
"How long are you going to follow me?"
As soon as I stepped outside, the brown-haired boy appeared in front of me again, and I couldn't help but ask him this question.
He did not answer.
"When will Killua arrive?" I changed the subject.
This time he shook his head:
"have no idea."
"Didn't you contact him?" I asked again.
“Killua said there’s a problem at home, and Illumi needs someone to handle things, so he can’t get away for the time being,” Gon replied.
I didn't say anything more.
After a long wait, we arrived at the port. I booked the ferry tickets and checked the departure information of my father's ship on my phone, as well as the ship's possible current location.
I don't like the sea, and I don't like ships.
After the horn was sounded, the huge ship began to leave the harbor. I was sitting on the ship, and suddenly, as if by some strange twist of fate, I spoke:
"This is my first time on a boat."
Jay: "Really?"
Me: "Once upon a time, someone invited me to take a boat trip with him so we could run away from home together."
Gon asked, "Is it Killua... but Killua doesn't seem to like the sea this much."
“It’s not him.” I shook my head.
After a moment, I asked again, "...Where's Kurapika?"
Xiao Jie: "
Me: "Killua didn't come because of Illumi, so why did Kurapika come?"
Xiao Jie answered blankly, "I don't know."
Perhaps realizing his answer was too weak, he then added:
"Kurapika rarely contacts us. We often don't know where he is or what he is doing."
“I heard he has a grudge against the Phantom Troupe,” I said.
Xiao Jie thought for a moment and said, "He probably doesn't like talking about this." Then he said nothing more.
...He was surprisingly difficult to get information out of me.
There wasn't any information I really wanted to know anyway, so I simply gave up on all those random thoughts and stopped talking.
I stood up, took a few steps forward, and gazed at the sea.
The seawater was initially green, and the ship broke through the white waves.
It was pitch black underwater; nothing could be seen.
What would happen if I fell from here right now? Can someone save me?
Will Illumi still be able to find me?
What kind of funeral will my mother hold for me after she finds out? At the funeral, who will truly grieve for me?
...He was lost in thought for a moment when another figure came up beside him.
Jay Freecss said, "I think I saw a mermaid when I was little."
"Really?" I replied with little interest.
“But it turned out that it was just an illusion,” he continued. “The shadow swimming in the sea was a circus member who came to the island to perform… Once he got close to the shore, he didn’t look like a mermaid at all.”
"Hmm," I replied perfunctorily. "And then?"
“Sailors always tell me stories about mermaids,” he continued. “Mermaids have long golden hair, eyes like the deep sea, and are very beautiful. They speak beautifully, but it’s all lies… Although everyone says it’s a terrible legend, everyone actually longs for it.”
Kids' stories, boring.
I even felt like yawning after hearing that.
But I didn't move... because I was too lazy to move.
"I see," I replied casually, then asked, "So?"
When asked questions, I didn't even bother to turn my head.
“…It’s nothing,” he said. “It’s just that it’s amazing. Even though we know that this kind of creature has never been discovered and the legend is probably false, everyone still feels that it might be true.”
“I understand,” I said. “Don’t let our family’s reputation fool you, especially my mother… Even someone like her goes to church occasionally.”
Not only that, she also insisted on refusing to acknowledge her elder brother's death, which was absurd and unlike her usual behavior.
"Does Sister Lei have any legends that she can't help but believe?" Xiao Jie asked.
“No,” I said. “I never believe things I shouldn’t believe.”
Just like I stopped believing Killua's statements about "killing Illumi" or "taking you away" a long time ago.
Maybe he'll do it someday, but I don't believe it until then.
After hearing my answer, the brown-haired boy remained silent for a while.
Then, he said suspiciously, "Actually, it's believable...it might even come true."
"Hmph." I laughed without comment.
“My…” he mumbled, looking at the sea, “It has come true.”
"What?" I asked.
“Mermaids,” he said. “I saw them…they really exist.”
Before I could answer, he smiled, his eyes crinkling, his smile as sunny as ever.
"She's really beautiful, and just like the legend says, she's incredibly aloof. But it's precisely because she's so aloof that she's so captivating."
"...There's no such thing in the world." Seeing him getting more and more serious, I couldn't keep up the act anymore and looked at him with considerable doubt. "Did you dream about it last night?"
“That’s not it,” he said in an ordinary tone, but with an unusual air. “Sister Lei is it.”
"……What"
“A legend that has been anticipated, an existence I’ve always wanted to meet,” he added. “The kind of existence that’s very special to me… um.”
"..."
I couldn't help but remain silent for a moment.
“Or,” I asked, “you could save that for when you tell Killua.”
He: "...Ah"
I blinked and said slowly, "Killua hates fish the most."
After hearing this analogy, he will definitely be furious.
...How strange, what's causing this sudden wave of nostalgia?
"How long will it take him to get rid of Illumi?" I asked.
The question remained unanswered.
The boy beside me had regained his calm expression at some point, and was gazing at the distant coastline just like me.
"Does Sister Lei want to see him right now?" he asked.
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