"Good afternoon, sister."
After many years, my brother Illumi finally came to visit me again. It was truly a touching reunion.
No, that's not true. Illumi has never visited me proactively since birth.
When he was very young, I was required by our elders to visit him.
So today, for me to be visited by Illumi for the first time, it's a milestone event.
Curiously, just as I was forced to perform the daily activity of "visiting my brother," Illumi was brought by Kikyo to complete the family mission of "visiting his sister."
With the timely distancing I maintained, I don't believe Illumi and I share a deep "sibling affection." Likewise, I have never particularly liked my so-called "brother." He is so intelligent; he should have sensed it subtly.
Blood ties are certainly an important part of kinship, but specific emotions depend on fate.
In the "real world," there are many examples of siblings not getting along.
In the original setting, the Zoldyck family has a strong sense of family. Despite their chilling profession as assassins, the relationships among family members surprisingly resemble the atmosphere of ordinary families, with unexpected warmth.
I believe this is likely inseparable from the deliberate cultivation of sibling affection among their children from a young age.
Just as I had to visit infant Illumi every day, just as Illumi visits me today.
Kinship, increasing family cohesion, is the Zoldyck family's unique team-building activity as a family business.
I admit that emotions can indeed be cultivated. When Illumi brought snacks I liked, I felt he was (temporarily) more agreeable, even though I knew he was here for a team-building task.
Yes, there's no need to be so serious. Seeing things too clearly only makes one more tired. It's just a game anyway; if I'm in a good mood, I'll play along. Everyone has their own struggles.
The whistle chain that was interrupted by Kikyo yesterday has been repaired today and is back around my neck. The hawk, summoned by my whistle, perches on the windowsill, and I can freely reach out to touch it. My mood is quite good, and the pain throughout my body seems to have lessened.
"Good afternoon, sister." Illumi knocked and entered at this moment.
Seeing me confined to bed, my face bandaged from being whipped, Illumi seemed a bit surprised but not guilty. Well, objectively speaking, he didn't do anything wrong. I think he rather found my sudden decision to give up at that moment inexplicable.
Kikyo's衣角 flashed at the door. With her strength, if she didn't want me to notice, I definitely wouldn't have. So she was subtly telling me that Illumi had her permission to come.
Ah, I understand. This is a team-building signal, a signal aimed at building a harmonious family. As a member of the Zoldyck family, I should not shir
"Mom said if we brush our teeth properly before bed, we can have more treats today," Illumi said, placing a round box beside my bed. He then brought over another chair and sat diagonally opposite me, separated by the box.
Nodding, I withdrew my hand from stroking the hawk. The hawk entered its trained standby state, ruffled its wings, and stayed quietly in place.
"Mmm..." Illumi shifted his gaze from the hawk and looked down to open the box. "Sister, which ones do you want to eat first?"
He was so well-behaved, so obedient to Kikyo's instructions. He was like a completely different person from the controlling tyrant who would later threaten his brothers in the original work. Perhaps I imagined him to be too terrifying. After all, he is only a little over four years old, an age where children in the "real world" are attending kindergarten. His mind is far from mature. How bad can he truly be?
Although getting too close to him would displease Kikyo, maintaining too poor a relationship with him could be troublesome when he grows up. I need to occasionally display "sisterly" virtues, such as "yielding," to barely maintain a lukewarm sibling relationship.
So I shook my head, telling him to pick the snacks he wanted first.
This world doesn't have educational stories like "Kong Rong Yields Pears" to teach respect for elders. Thus, Illumi didn't stand on ceremony and directly chose a piece of chocolate. Oh, he truly is my "brother." He chose the one I like the most, "Cluizel 72%."
Having lived off the Zoldycks for so long without paying, I don't think I've ever praised their merits. Let's take this opportunity to talk about their snacks.
Anyone who has read the original work knows that the Zoldyck family's greatest advantage is their wealth. This is evident from the vastness of their territory and the number of their servants.
What does it feel like to be rich? Those who have experienced poverty can best appreciate the benefits.
For instance, their snacks are all high-end, from various manufacturers and of different types, and they are incredibly delicious.
Although luxury goods in the "real world" often feel like a scam targeting gullible people and are more for show than substance, it is now that I truly realize that some things, especially snacks, are indeed... the more expensive, the better.
"..." I suddenly understood why Killua in the original work spent two hundred million prize money just on snacks.
Oh, my prejudice back then was entirely due to poverty limiting my vision.
In the "real world," I only bought snacks based on cost-effectiveness. For the sake of a bargain, half of the nuts I bought were rotten, and the other half wasn't very tasty. They weren't even as good as spicy sticks. The tastiest things in my "real world" memories have always been spicy beef hot pot.
Now I must correct this. The most delicious things in the world are the taste of "wealth"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Why?!
Why do you make me taste such delicious things?!
What will I do if I can never taste them again!!!
In the "real world," the most expensive chocolates I've ever had were famous brands like Dove or Ferrero, advertised on TV. Compared to the stickiness or greasiness of those generic chocolates, their taste was far superior. I thought they were already "indulgent and silky smooth," and that was enough. I never imagined other chocolates could be even more delicious!
The tears of poverty flowed from my mouth... No, in short, it was incredibly delicious, indescribably so. You know the main reason I failed at writing fanfiction is my poor writing skills!
Let's go back to my favorite "Cluizel 72%."
The advertising slogan for this chocolate is "72% melts in your mouth," hence the name "Cluizel 72%."
Wow, how should I describe it? "Romantic" and "fantastic" are the two keywords given to it on food review shows. It's that slightly cool, soft, but not too soft texture. The moment your tongue touches it, it naturally melts away, with its rich flavor... Anyway, it's just delicious.
There is a wide variety of snacks. Conventionally, there are no duplicates in the box, and the types are randomly changed daily. One of my greatest daily joys in life is imagining which snacks I might eat that day. This means that if Illumi takes the only "Cluizel 72%," I won't be able to eat "Cluizel 72%" today, and I'll have to rely on luck to get "Cluizel 72%" again next time.
"..." I let Illumi pick first, and I am a mature adult. I cannot go back on my word.
Tearing open the chocolate wrapper, Illumi took a bite, then looked up at me, who was in a daze. "...Sister, do you like this one too?"
"..." Should I praise your intelligence at this moment?
Seeing me try my best to maintain a poker face, he first swallowed the chocolate in his mouth and then continued, "Then shall we split it in half?"
"..." I waited for his next words after his pause.
"In exchange, can I touch Sister's hawk? Just for a moment." He sincerely promised, "Just a little touch."
According to the original setting, Illumi in the future is a ferocious and murderous individual with obsessive tendencies. Therefore, among readers, most of his fans are drawn to him because of his good looks, willingly letting their "values follow their facial features," thus elevating him to a popular character and naming him one of the "Top Three Beauties" of the original work, collectively known as "San Mei."
As a reader, I am also quite fond of such popular characters. Since I can't touch or interact with them, it's all for fun.
As an on-site audience member, I think preserving my own safety is more important.
The Zoldycks have a rule: "Family members cannot kill each other." I happen to bear the title of Illumi's biological sister, so at least my basic safety can be guaranteed. I don't need to be too afraid of Illumi as a character. I am his sister, an elder. I cannot be too accommodating, or he might take advantage of me later. I can absolutely refuse his trade request boldly.
However, today, for the sake of his appearance and family team-building, it wouldn't be impossible to agree to it a little.
Taking a deep breath, I nodded solemnly and gestured for the hawk to fly from the windowsill to the bed. The hawk flapped its wings, took flight, then landed, perching on my right side, which was closer to Illumi.
Illumi raised his eyebrows, his lips slightly parted, clearly looking delighted. However, his black eyes remained as lifeless as ever.
My eyes are lifeless due to my state of mind, while his eyes are vacant due to being born that way, similar to the "dead fish eyes" trope commonly seen in manga. Some readers in the "real world" believe Illumi's expressionlessness isn't true facial paralysis but rather "eye paralysis." His expressions are not few; it's those large, vacant eyes that capture most of people's attention. As the saying goes, "eyes are the windows to the soul," and it's easy to think his expressions are not genuine, like fake decorations, thus virtually nonexistent.
In any case, I don't think I truly understand Illumi as a character completely. Readers' thoughts are ultimately uncertain speculations. Only the original author knows the truth, don't they?
As Illumi carefully touched the hawk's feathers, I couldn't help but mouth the words, "Have you never thought of asking Father for a hawk too?"
"Mmm, I asked," he replied honestly. "Father said he doesn't want me to be distracted by it right now. I am the eldest son, and I must proactively bear many responsibilities. I also need to be a role model for my future younger siblings."
I waited for him to say more, but he seemed to have no complaints.
"So, Sister and I are different," he said.
Yes, he and I are different. He was a blank slate from birth and could naturally be successfully instilled with the values advocated by the family. As for me, I had already lived a considerable life, and my worldview was set. I mostly let the concepts they taught me go in one ear and out the other, not remembering much.
He was very restrained. He said "just a little touch," and he really only touched it two or three times. He was exceptionally sensible, making me wonder how his father, Silva, educated him like this.
Compared to a spoiled child who causes trouble everywhere and throws tantrums when they don't get what they want, can Silva's educational achievements be considered successful?
I have never met such a self-controlled child, stronger than many adults. It's a bit terrifying.
Well, I have no right to comment on other people's parenting methods.
"Upholding promises" is also one of the Zoldyck family's mottos. Illumi had no intention of cheating. He seriously divided the chocolate into two nearly equal halves, then handed me the uneaten half. "Here."
The deliciousness of the melting chocolate in my mouth was enough to temporarily banish my myriad thoughts. Opening my eyes with lingering desire, I remembered it was my turn to pick snacks first and eagerly began... experiencing choice paralysis.
Wow, this cookie is delicious, that cream-filled one is also delicious, and that marshmallow, and also... I don't know which one to pick first.
This is the trouble with sharing. Normally, I could eat them all without any hesitation!
Perhaps I was taking too long, as Illumi spoke, "...Sister."
I looked at him. He hadn't finished eating the chocolate in his hand yet.
"Sister is indeed different from me," he said. "Sister's blood tastes better than this chocolate."
"?" I was stunned.
I couldn't help but recall how, when he was holding the stolen sticker, he seemed to have unconsciously licked away the bloodstain from the corner of his mouth.
Has he awakened his bloodthirsty instincts and is he ready to kill me next time?
"This must be the taste of victory," he continued. "Sister is the first opponent I have ever defeated so far."
"..."
If you can't speak properly, please shut up, thank you.
As expected, team-building activities never end well in any world.