Chapter 65 The Assassins of Kukuroku Mountain 08 Controlling the Zoldyck Family...
The next morning, Illumi appeared at the training ground as usual.
Ayana remained silent and precise, standing by the side like a programmed robot.
She lowered her eyelids, suppressing all her true emotions deep inside. Every movement and look in her eyes perfectly replicated the state she was in when she was controlled by the mind needles.
Empty, submissive, and lifeless.
Illumi's empty cat eyes lingered on her for a moment, as if confirming something.
Ayana could feel that cold gaze scraping across her skin like a scalpel. She maintained her steady breathing, not even her fingertips trembling.
[Host, you performed perfectly; Illumi has no suspicions.]
A system notification sounded in my mind.
Ayana secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but her vigilance remained undiminished.
She knew that in front of someone like Illumi, any flaw could be fatal.
Daytime training and work proceeded in a strange kind of normalcy.
Illumi seemed to have completely forgotten what happened last night. His attitude towards Ayana was no different from before, still treating her as an object and a tool.
The family dinner that evening was the usual one.
Ayana remained like a silent shadow, standing diagonally behind Illumi's chair.
She could feel all sorts of gazes directed at her.
Silva's scrutiny, Milluki's curious yet slightly fearful probing, and Kikyo's almost tangible displeasure.
The dinner proceeded halfway through in a somber atmosphere.
Finally, Kijou could no longer bear it.
She slammed the silver knife on the table with a "bang," her exquisite fan snapped shut, the tip pointing directly at Ayana, her electronic eyes flashing a blinding red light.
“伊尔迷！”她的声音因为激动而带着电流的杂音, 尖锐刺耳，“我无法再容忍了！你难道真的要娶这个…这个来历不明、像个木头一样的管家吗？！她有什么资格成为揍敌客家的成员？！”
This sharp question instantly brought the atmosphere in the restaurant to a freezing point.
Startled, Miji, who was engrossed in eating, choked on his food and coughed violently a few times.
He looked at his mother in horror, then stole a glance at his older brother.
Illumi slowly wiped his mouth with a napkin before raising his empty eyes to look at the emotionally charged Kikyo.
“Mom, I’ve said it before, she will be a member of the family.” His tone was terrifyingly calm. “I’ve made up my mind about this.”
"A decision?! What gives you the right to make that decision?!" Kikyo abruptly stood up, her ornate lace skirt swaying violently with her movement, her electronic eyes flashing wildly. "I won't allow it! The Zoldyck bloodline cannot be defiled! What right does a lowly butler have to..."
Consumed by rage, Kikyo grabbed a wine glass half-filled with red wine and, without even looking, hurled it at the woman behind Illumi who always kept her head down.
"Get out! You don't deserve to be here!"
The crystal glass, filled with crimson wine, shot directly into Ayana's face.
All of this happened too fast.
Silva frowned slightly but did not stop him. Milluki covered his mouth in fright, and Killua's pupils also contracted slightly.
Ayana's body suddenly tensed up.
Her body's self-preservation instinct almost made her dodge or block immediately.
But she clenched her teeth and forced herself to stand still, her eyes remaining unchanged, maintaining that empty and lifeless look, as if she couldn't see the wine glass flying towards her.
She can't move; if she does, all her efforts will be wasted!
Illumi was watching right there!
Just before the glass was about to hit Ayana, a long, pale hand appeared suddenly in front of her as if by teleportation, catching the crystal glass that held Kikyo's anger with precision.
Not a single drop of red wine spilled from the glass.
It's Illumi.
He caught the sudden attack, slowly turned his head, and his black, cat-like eyes met Kikyo's flashing electronic eyes. There was no anger of being offended in them, only a chilling coldness.
“Mom.” Illumi’s voice was still flat, but every word carried an undeniable weight, “She is mine.”
With a slight exertion, the delicate crystal glass made a soft "crack" in his palm, instantly turning into powder, which mixed with the red wine and fell through his fingers.
“I don’t like others touching my things.” Illumi released his grip. “I especially dislike others trying to decide for me whether she stays or goes.”
The entire restaurant was completely silent.
Kiju's electronic eyes flashed red intensely a few times.
Finally, under that silent yet immense sense of oppression, she angrily sat back down, her fan snapping open to cover her face. She stopped speaking, but her entire being radiated extreme displeasure.
Illumi acted as if nothing had happened, picked up his cutlery again, and continued eating.
Throughout the entire ordeal, Ayana stood there quietly, like a real doll, showing no reaction to the breathtaking scene that had just unfolded.
Only she knew that the system suddenly popped up a notification the moment Illumi caught the cup.
[Detected that the affection level of the good boy [Illumi Zoldyck] is 90%.]
This twisted level of affection is built upon her perfect disguise and Illumi's extreme desire for control.
Dinner finally ended in a suffocating silence.
Illumi put down his cutlery and wiped his mouth again with a napkin, his movements meticulous.
He stood up, but instead of leaving immediately, he turned his head and looked at Ayana, who stood behind him like a statue, with his empty cat eyes.
"Go back to your room," he commanded, his voice flat and unchanging as always. "You are not allowed to come out without my permission."
“Yes, young master.” Ayana lowered her head and replied in a flat voice.
She bowed respectfully, then turned and walked with stiff steps toward the butler's quarters.
Her back remained straight, her steps were still even, and every detail perfectly matched the posture that a deeply manipulated puppet should have.
However, just as she was about to walk out of the restaurant, the doll glanced in Illumi's direction out of the corner of her eye.
Illumi wasn't looking at her.
He was whispering something to Silva, seemingly about information regarding the next mission.
But Ayana's heart skipped a beat for no apparent reason.
Just now, as she responded to the command and turned to leave, she seemed to catch Illumi's gaze pausing almost imperceptibly for a fleeting moment as it swept over her back.
There was no emotion or inquiry, just a brief pause.
Is it just my imagination?
Ayana dared not think too deeply, maintaining her stiff steps as she walked further and further away.
Only when she was completely out of Illumi's sight and walked into the dimly lit corridor leading to the butler's quarters did she feel that the cold, menacing gaze seemed to have lessened somewhat.
[Host, Illumi's senses far surpass those of ordinary people. We suggest you exercise extra caution in your future actions.]
The system notification sounded at the right time, reminding us.
Ayana returned to the small room, exhaled, and relaxed a little.
But she had no time to rest.
She had to complete the mission before Illumi became suspicious of her.
As night deepened, the entire Zoldyck residence fell into silence.
Aiyana guessed that Illumi should have already returned to his room or study to handle some business, so she got up and quietly slipped out of the room.
She avoided all the patrolling servants and blind spots in the surveillance, and accurately located Killua's room.
Ayana skillfully picked the lock and entered the room, then closed the door. The series of actions were completed in a few seconds without making a sound.
Killua's room was much bigger and more "human" than hers.
There were some incomprehensible posters on the wall, and unfinished chocolate wrappers on the table. The air was filled with the refreshing scent unique to teenagers.
Killua wasn't asleep; he was sitting on the bed, fiddling with a strangely shaped skateboard.
Hearing the noise, he looked up sharply, his blue cat eyes sharp as knives in the darkness, instantly locking onto the intruder.
Upon seeing that it was Ayana, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, but more than that, there was a sense of impatience and wariness at being disturbed.
He put down his skateboard and frowned: "It's you? My brother's butler? What are you doing in my room so late?"
Killua's tone was distant, and his eyes were filled with complete unfamiliarity.
“Young Master Killua,” Ayana lowered her voice, speaking faster as time became of the essence, “I don’t have time to explain much, but please believe me, I’m here to help you.”
"Help me?" Killua scoffed, hands in his pockets, his attitude arrogant. "What do I need your help with? Besides, why should I trust the butler who's always by my brother's side?"
Ayana took a deep breath, knowing that conventional methods wouldn't convince him.
“Alluka.” She stared intently into Killua’s eyes and uttered the name that Illumi considered taboo.
Sure enough, Killua's body stiffened the moment he heard "Alluka".
A fleeting look of bewilderment and sting flashed in those blue cat eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a deeper confusion and wariness.
“Alluka…?” He repeated the name, his brows furrowing even more, as if trying to recall something, but his mind was blank and filled with a faint throbbing pain.
"Who is that? Big Brother's target?"
Killua seems to have completely forgotten about Alluka.
His reaction plunged Ayana's heart into despair.
Illumi's "control" was too thorough; not only were his memories erased, but it seemed that even the deep connection stemming from blood ties and the instinctive throbbing from his body were forcibly suppressed.
"He's your brother!" Ayana couldn't help but step forward, her voice urgent. "He's someone very important to you. He's imprisoned in the back mountains, he's lonely, he needs you! Illumi did something to you, making you forget him!"
"Brother?" Killua shook his head as if he had heard something unbelievable, trying to shake off the inexplicable discomfort. His eyes suddenly became extremely sharp, and his blue cat eyes were full of suspicion.
He stared at Ayana suspiciously and said, "I only have one younger brother, Kallujah. Where did Alluka come from? Also, you said my older brother did something to me?"
At this point, Killua suddenly paused.
He narrowed his eyes, a dangerous aura suddenly emanating from him, his voice turning icy cold: "What did he do to me? What do you know?"
Killua walked step by step toward Ayana, and with his movements, an invisible pressure began to envelop Ayana's body.
He wanted to attack himself.
Ayana's heart skipped a beat, and she instinctively assumed a defensive stance.
Although Killua is her target, that doesn't mean she has to stand still and let Killua beat her up.
Just as tensions were rising, a voice suddenly rang out.
"Click".
A very faint sound of a door opening suddenly rang out like a thunderclap in the oppressive silence, coming from the doorway.
The two people in the room froze at the same time and looked towards the door.
The door was pushed open from the outside, and Illumi stood in the doorway, still wearing the clothes he wore for dinner. His face was almost expressionless, and his empty black cat eyes first swept over Killua before slowly landing on Ayana.
His gaze was calm and unwavering, but when he looked at others, it gave them a chilling feeling.
"Little Qi," Illumi spoke slowly, his tone flat and even, "It's so late, why aren't you resting yet?"
Killua suddenly took two steps back, frowned, and looked at Illumi, his tone filled with dissatisfaction and anger: "Big brother, your butler suddenly barged into my room and said a bunch of inexplicable things, like Alluka and that you did something to me!"
Illumi's gaze remained fixed on Ayana, his black cat eyes showing no emotion, only uttering a soft "Oh?"
He walked up to Ayana, and the distance between them instantly closed, to the point that Ayana could feel the almost tangible pressure emanating from him.
Illumi reached out, his cold fingers stroking her cheek.
Ayana felt all the muscles in her body stiffen.
"It seems something has gone wrong, that's why you've become disobedient again." Illumi withdrew his hand, his tone still calm, yet carrying a sense of impending danger.
Although Illumi was speaking to Aiana, Killua heard him clearly.
Killua frowned even more, looked at Ayana, then at Illumi, and suddenly seemed puzzled.
The elder brother's words seemed to confirm that the butler's words were not nonsense.
Could it be that his elder brother really did something to him? Could it be that he really has a younger brother named "Alluka"?
etc…
yellmi, myllki, killua, aluka, kalltt.
The pronunciation of the last word of each child's name is the same as the pronunciation of the first word of the next child's name!
Why did he forget about this before? Why did he never question the disconnect between his name and Kurt's?!
This realization sent a chill down Killua's spine.
At that moment, Illumi suddenly shifted his gaze from Ayana and stared directly into Killua's eyes.
"Xiao Qi, you should rest." His voice was firm and unyielding. "I will handle the matter of this housekeeper."
“But brother, she…” Killua wanted to say something more.
“She is mine.” Illumi interrupted him, his tone becoming much stronger, emphasizing his ownership of Ayana, his possessiveness displayed to the fullest at this moment, “Even if something goes wrong, I should be responsible.”
"Get out of here, don't disturb Xiaoqi's rest anymore." He turned his head and said to Ayana again.
Ayana gritted her teeth, knowing that staying here any longer would be no good, and walked out first.
Illumi seemed quite pleased with Aiana's obedience, and his mood improved slightly. He then turned to Killua, tilting his head slightly. Although he didn't speak, his meaning was quite clear.
“…I understand.” Killua squeezed out the words through gritted teeth.
"Yes, I knew Xiaoqi was a good kid."
Illumi suddenly praised him and went outside as well.
Killua was left alone in the room once again.
He stood there, motionless for a long time.
*
Ayana followed behind Illumi down the silent corridor, each step feeling like walking on precarious ice.
She could feel that Illumi was radiating an even colder chill than before.
Illumi didn't do anything immediately, but his silence at this moment was more like a brief calm before the storm, only more tormenting to the mind.
Ayana didn't go back to her own room, so Illumi took her straight back to his room.
The door closed behind him with a dull thud, shutting out the outside world.
Illumi didn't turn on the light. He turned around, his empty cat eyes fixed firmly on Ayana.
“My recent memories seem strange, but upon closer examination, I find nothing wrong with them.” Illumi spoke slowly, as if stating a fact or sorting out his thoughts. “Some of my memories of you and Xiaoqi have become somewhat blurry or incoherent.”
He took a step forward, closing in on Ayana; his slender figure appeared like a creepy ghost in the dim light.
"This is very unusual; I've never had such a problem with my memory before."
"And you lied to me, didn't you?"
“You are no longer under my control, you are just putting on an act as if you are still under my control.”
“You are dangerous, and I don’t know what you want to do. Logically speaking, I should kill you.” A black Nen needle suddenly appeared at Illumi’s fingertip. He tilted his head and said, “But you have a very special ability that seems to be able to interfere with, or even tamper with, other people’s memories and cognition.”
For the rarest of all, Illumi's lips curled into a cold, emotionless smile.
“What a surprising discovery.” He looked at Ayana, the needle in his hand turning slightly, the tip aimed at her, his calm voice carrying a morbid fanaticism.
"Your ability should not be wasted. It can be used to do many things, to make Father and Mother focus more on the family business, and to make Xiaoqi a more complete and perfect heir."
"If we make good use of your and my abilities, the Zoldyck family will become more efficient and more in line with the identity of assassins under my guidance."
Ayana's heart felt as if it were being squeezed by a hand, and her blood almost froze.
Illumi not only noticed her abilities, but also had such a terrifying idea.
He wants to use Ayana to control the entire Zoldyck family!
Illumi slowly raised his hand, and the Nen nail pierced towards her brow.
Just then, the system's voice suddenly rang out.
[Illumi's affection level has been detected to be 100%.]
[Congratulations, host, on completing the mission: Help Killua regain his memories and escape Illumi's control. Mission rewards are being distributed.]
[The host is about to leave this world. Please prepare accordingly.]
【3, 2, 1.】
When Ayana opened her eyes again, she was back in that pure white space.
She breathed a sigh of relief and slumped to the ground, feeling a little strange.
She didn't succeed in helping Killua regain his memories, did she?
[Host, Killua himself noticed something was wrong.] The system prompted.
Ayana nodded, guessing that was probably the case.
Killua, as the most prominent child of the Zoldyck family and regarded as the future heir, should soon figure out what happened and break free from Illumi's control, based on everything that happened today.
But it's unknown whether Illumi will go mad again and try to control Killua once more if he discovers that Killua is out of his control.
Poor Killua.
[Host, would you like to return to the first world?]
You only have one world left to complete.
However, if you wish to return, be prepared to confront the Fourth Prince and kill him instantly, or you will be the one to die.
What the system said makes sense.
Ayana thought for a moment and nodded.
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