After getting out of the car, Meruem continued to absentmindedly scan her surroundings. Hisoka, understanding her mood, asked if she wanted to take a walk first.
Meruem nodded and immediately headed for the frost-covered trees—looking, touching, even licking them. Hisoka and Illumi followed behind her, one in front of the other.
After playing for a while, Meruem found an untouched patch of snow, spread her arms, and fell forward face-first, leaving a human-shaped imprint resembling the character "大."
Then, she went completely still.
Hisoka and Illumi calmly observed the snow crater.
"..." x2
After a while, it was Hisoka who broke the silence first. **"Is this... alright?"**
Meruem hadn’t used *Ten* since leaving the airship, leaving her defenses no better than an ordinary person’s. When Hisoka helped her off the aircraft, he’d noticed her hands were icy. Her coat was far from sufficient for the cold, and prolonged exposure could lead to frostbite—or worse.
**"This is a game Sis has loved since childhood."** Illumi said. **"A hot bath afterward will fix it."**
During winters on Kukuroo Mountain, Meruem would play seasonal games—building snowballs, having snowball fights, catching birds in the snow. Sometimes she’d shape snow into desserts, taking a bite herself or feeding it to her younger brother (Milluki). Other times, she’d bury herself entirely in deep snow and lie motionless.
Despite all this, she’d never once caught a cold—proof of her exceptional constitution.
After Illumi’s lengthy reminiscence, Hisoka casually replied, **"You and your sister get along quite well~"**
**"Isn’t that obvious?"** Illumi shifted his gaze from the snow crater to Hisoka’s face. **"We’re family."**
*You’re just a temporary plaything to her.*
**"But in those games you mentioned… you didn’t seem to be part of them~"** Finding flaws in battle, spotting gaps in speech—Hisoka had a talent for pinpointing weaknesses. **"What’s *your* relationship with your sister like?"**
**"..."** Illumi tilted his head, long black hair sliding against his cheek. His tone was calm, but the corner of his mouth curled up. **"Sis and I play… different kinds of games. That’s not something I can share with you."**
**"..."**
Moments ago, Illumi had been the one rambling unprompted. Hisoka had merely humored him with a casual *"You and your sister get along quite well."*
**"You’re a Manipulator, aren’t you~"** Hisoka tossed out a deduction based on years of observation and strode toward the snow crater, bending to lift Meruem out. Her nose and cheeks were already flushed from the cold. **"Unlike you, *I’d* hate it if Meruem got frostbite~"**
Much like judging personality by blood type, Hisoka’s rule of thumb was: *Manipulators love reasoning but do as they please—arguing with them is a waste of time.*
Back at the resort at the island’s center, Hisoka instructed the maids to prepare a hot bath for Meruem. When Illumi moved toward the bathroom door, Hisoka stopped him. **"In a hurry?"**
**"Sis might slit her wrists in the tub when she’s excited."** Illumi said.
His tone was dead serious—not a hint of a joke. And after years of honing his lie-detection skills, Hisoka could tell… he *wasn’t* joking.
**"..."** The maids stared blankly as the two men crowded into the bathroom.
Not that "crowded" was the right word—the space was lavish enough for a party. The wealthy had *many* ways to entertain themselves, and the maids had seen it all. They paused their tasks, looking to Hisoka for revised instructions.
In the end, Hisoka had them draw the bath curtain, blocking the view while allowing quick intervention if needed.
Behind the curtain, the maids helped Meruem out of her snow-covered clothes and boots as the tub filled with warm water.
**"Anything else needed?"** Hisoka asked Illumi.
**"Hot cocoa."** Illumi knew the maids were listening. **"One-fifth milk, with crushed nuts. And two slices of cheesecake."**
**"Two?"** Hisoka raised a brow.
**"One’s for me."** Illumi continued. **"And a cup of black tea would suffice. Thank you."**
**"..."**
Hisoka had only asked about *Meruem’s* needs, not Illumi’s. *Typical Manipulator behavior—self-absorbed to the core. Over 90% chance he’s a Manipulator.*
As the saying goes, *luxury is easier to adapt to than thrift.*
Having grown up as a Zoldyck heiress, Meruem was perfectly at ease being waited on by maids. Sometimes she wondered if her once-poor soul had been utterly corrupted by wealth—*damn you, Zoldycks.*
Then again, her "poor soul" hadn’t been all that precious to begin with. *Oh well.*
Since this meeting was prearranged, Hisoka had prepared a wardrobe for her, sparing her the need to use her *game backpack*. Mostly, Meruem was curious about Hisoka’s fashion choices for her.
*Hmm—*
The closet was packed with outfits of every style, all in her size. Clearly, Hisoka knew her measurements well.
Now, the pressure was on Meruem. Hisoka’s selection was a test—her choices would reveal her preferences and personality.
**"..."** *First, rule out anything too revealing.*
*Color-wise, Hisoka has good taste.* Soft hues were elegant, deep tones pure, bright shades vivid—all beautifully coordinated, on par with Kikyo’s standards.
*Style, fabric, length, fit… so many options.*
*Oh, right. Lingerie too.*
She pulled open a drawer—another overwhelming array.
**"..."** *Nope.* She shut it.
*Too troublesome. I give up.*
Adjusting her bathrobe, Meruem simply wore it to the lounge where Illumi and Hisoka waited. While she’d been agonizing over outfits, both men had already bathed. Used teacups sat on the table. Whatever they’d discussed, they were now exchanging contact info.
*What did they even talk about?! They’re getting along way too fast.* Meruem felt oddly unsettled.
**"Sis."** Noticing her stare, Illumi held up his phone. **"This is my work number."**
**"..."** *What are you trying to cover up?*
**"Hisoka could be a valuable client."** Illumi added. **"He’s quite wealthy."**
Hisoka, unfazed by being discussed so bluntly, sipped his coffee after ringing the service bell.
A maid knocked, entered, and set the hot cocoa and cheesecake before Meruem before bowing and exiting.
The door closed.
Meruem took a sip of cocoa, then a bite of cake—freshly baked, still warm, and fluffy.
**"Since Sis introduced us, I’ll give her 10% of every payment I receive from Hisoka."** Illumi said.
**"..."** *Now we’re talking!*
Meruem averted her gaze, focusing on her dessert.
*Not that it matters—Hisoka doesn’t care about money anyway. Just inflate the price when quoting him; he’ll bite. With the "World’s No. 1 Assassin Family" brand, the Zoldycks have no shortage of clients. Either way, Sis and I won’t lose out.* Illumi kept these thoughts to himself.
The fireplace crackled softly, snow drifting outside the window. Meruem, having finished her cake, curled up on the sofa with her cocoa.
Silence settled. The scene—two professional assassins and a mad clown (?) gathered in a closed space—was unexpectedly peaceful, almost drowsy.
Meruem blinked slowly. When she opened her eyes again, Hisoka was before her, one hand braced on the armrest as he leaned down, his tall frame casting a shadow over her.
**"Let me taste too…"** His words dissolved into their kiss.
Coffee. Cocoa. A mingled flavor.
Meruem set her cup down gently on the carpet, then freed her hand to trace Hisoka’s Adam’s apple.
Hisoka knelt on the sofa, fingers threading through her hair to cradle her head, deepening the kiss.
Though both were Transmuters and fighters, Hisoka’s kisses were nothing like Feitan’s—teasing without end, languidly sensual, effortlessly lulling her into relaxation.
Melting into the cushions, Meruem let herself sink deeper, too lazy to rise again.
*Stare—*
Assassins were hypersensitive to being watched. Meruem finally remembered Illumi’s presence. Hisoka hadn’t forgotten—he just didn’t mind an audience.
**"..."** Meruem pushed Hisoka’s face away, pointing at another door. *Let’s move.*
Obliging, Hisoka carried her to the bedroom. At the threshold, he paused, glancing back as if awaiting Illumi’s reaction—only for Meruem to impatiently shut the door.
Illumi’s figure, Hisoka’s soft laughter—split into two worlds, inside and out.
Assassins didn’t just notice stares; their hearing was sharp too. Even through soundproofed walls, Illumi could make out fragmented noises from within—*they were playing cards.*
*...This is temporary.* He reminded himself.
Illumi stood motionless outside the door, silent as any assassination mission.
The sounds grew clearer in his ears.
*Shuffling. Cutting. Drawing.*
How long had it been? An hour? Two?
**"..."** He didn’t count. He simply waited.
*This is temporary. In the future, after Sis dies, I’ll have all the time with her—far more than anyone else.*
The click of the door unlocking interrupted his thoughts.
Someone—he didn’t see who—had opened it.
Hisoka smirked at Illumi. **"Come… lend a hand?"**
**"..."** Illumi didn’t move, his gaze shifting from Hisoka to Meruem.
Catching her breath, Meruem raised an arm toward Illumi.
**"Come here."** She mouthed.
………………
…………
……
At breakfast, faced with the arrangement of *"Illumi on the left, Hisoka on the right,"* Meruem’s inner吐槽 (*"What is this, an otome game?!"*) swiftly gave way to another thought: *"With this lineup, all we’re missing is Chrollo for the ‘Three Beauties.’"*
Humans truly were greedy creatures.
Elsewhere, the maids began their daily duties, cleaning being a key task.
They’d expected another ordinary day—until…
A scream shattered the calm.
Someone was dead.