Chapter 9: Give Me Your Hand, My Fair Lady

(Women are terrifying.)

At the age of nine, Kurt thought this from the bottom of his heart.

To be honest, when I was introduced to Sora by my father, I thought Kalluto was a man.

The man was thin and small with a high-pitched voice; I didn't recognize the extent of the discomfort until the topic of "matchmaking" came up, and only then did I believe the other party was a man.

Even if one admits to being a woman, compared to Mother and the men, there are fewer maids, but unlike the maids that exist normally, the uneven Sora put himself aside and asked: "Is this really a woman?" My thoughts.

If Sora were still as tall as Canary, he would be satisfied with his slender physique and say, "Although he is bigger than me, he is still in the growth stage," which is the main source of Kalluto's naive gender suspicion.

Kalluto believes that after a woman grows up, she will naturally have her mother's height and figure.

So when Mother was even more excited after being stabbed by Brother and looked forward to dressing Sora up, I took her away. "I don't need that kind of weird thing." After being dragged away, he covered his ears to protect his eardrums from Mother's ultrasonic waves.

Afterwards, Father explained the details of the work in more detail, then I had lunch, followed my daily routine, took a nap during the break, and when I woke up, I took a bath and prepared to sneak in. After changing into a gorgeous red long-sleeved kimono, I finally reunited with Sora.

Hearing that he had been taken away by Kikyo for seven hours and was still wearing various clothes and accessories, I sympathized with him from the bottom of my heart, but I was even more surprised than that.

Not only Kalluto, but even those expressionless maids who always said they couldn't move their facial muscles without the master's orders were dumbfounded. Silva opened his eyes slightly and muttered: "... Excellent."

Hearing that whisper, a terrifying aura rose from Kikyo, who called out: "You?" As an aside, Silva had unknowingly gained a strange kind of respect.

Of course, Kikyo's feeling was great, but Sora Shikiori himself was also great.

Just as Kikyo expected, Sora is tall for a woman; if she wears high heels, she easily exceeds 170.

The loose jumpsuit she wore hid her body lines entirely with her small chest and hips, but the waist was not wrapped in a corset; instead, it outlined a wonderfully tightened line, which was probably a man's idea. It is a more feminine physique than Sora claims.

Kikyo seemed to want to wear a blue dress to match Sora's eyes, but Sora, who had already given up on wearing skirts, made a final Compromise and chose accessories as her weapon, "Jewel." Using fire-attribute weapons like rubies is convenient and has high attack power as a counter-attack weapon, so he decided to combine them with the red lineage.

However, the Ring, Bracelet, and Earrings seemed to go well with the dress, but all the necklaces were too simple and did not suit the dress Kikyo had prepared; in the worst case, they were too shabby, so I decided to use only the gorgeous specifications of the Zoldyck family for the necklace.

The gray-white hair, rough and unguarded, was combed neatly, applied with plenty of hair oil to emit a luster, and decorated with a pearl brooch.

Even with that disappointing appearance, one could not hide that his figure was very good, but Kikyo's own makeup had reached the realm of art.

If you go to a party, you must wear heavy makeup so as not to lose to the dress, but with Sora's facial features, the Material is already complete, so if you are a man, it doesn't matter; wearing natural makeup to make yourself look naked is just redundant; on the contrary, wearing makeup makes him look like a man dressed as a woman.

Or rather, when I was a student, I saw Sora's face being made up by a friend, and that's how I felt about my face. A friend who did makeup said: "You said it yourself, so I'm relieved."

But Kikyo did a perfect makeup job that was worth spending hours on.

The volume of eyelashes increased by mascara, the length of the eyelashes, the color balance of blush and lipstick, the shadow gradient of eyeshadow, and the eyeliner were all carefully drawn in millimeter units. Its neutral characteristics.

Although she is the daughter of a chaebol, she has muscles trained for fighting and survival.

However, perhaps because she is a woman and also Japanese, it is difficult to build muscle, and his body has no muscle, instead giving the impression of an adolescent boy transitioning from a child to an adult.

Compared to the impression of a little boy, the adult makeup adds a bit of immorality and decadent beauty, such as the girl's figure that outlines certain female curves, and the dress that emphasizes being a woman, all of which are present.

Seeing Sora dressed up in what could be called Kikyo's masterpiece, Kurt felt the terror of the Magic of makeup, but at the same time honestly thought, "She is beautiful."

I couldn't help but hate letting a stranger I didn't know at all do a job that looked boring, but my feelings softened to the point where I thought, "Well, as long as I follow him." Yes.

For a Kalluto who still knows nothing about the Zoldyck family and thinks they don't need anything other than family, this is quite a big Miracle concession.

"………………I want to go home."

However, this person himself was naturally dead, but he didn't know it himself.

＊＊＊

"... Gotoh, you should be waiting in the car instead of going to the party venue, right? Why didn't you change your clothes earlier?"

"No."

In the car on the way to the party venue, Kurt looked at Sora in surprise, who had been rejected after making an unreasonable request to the driver, Gotoh.

Seeing Sora dressed up, although he fell in love with him unknowingly, after waiting until he got used to him later, he couldn't help but think: "He really is a weirdo."

(... Will this guy marry me or one of my brothers? Even if I and my brothers wouldn't fall in love with such a guy.)

This is a Kalluto who doesn't yet understand what "marriage" really is, but surprisingly, the Zoldyck family, which is so harmonious that Silva loves each other, believes that "marriage is a matter between people who like each other. We can be Together forever."

This is the only place I want to enter because it is normal, but anyway, for this kind of recognized Kalluto, Sora is impossible, to the point that he doesn't want other brothers to marry this woman.

Kurt glared at Sora again, who was complaining to Gotoh and the two maids who were put on in case the skirt and high heels didn't suit him and were difficult to move in.

In Kalluto's view, her body is much gentler than the targets she kills, but compared to Tsubone, she is as weak as a match; I don't know if I really think that I and my brothers, who are all sons, would like such a woman.

Is a strange wife like Tsubone okay? And Kalluto didn't notice that even he, who knows nothing about most things outside the Zoldyck family, seems very naive.

Unknowingly, Kalluto developed layer upon layer of dissatisfaction with Sora in his heart.

(By the way, what is it? You hate killing. If you are going to marry me and my brothers, isn't that selfish?

Although I have already agreed to the job, I suddenly refused because I didn't want to wear a skirt.)

Kurt didn't notice.

Even the maid, who had been taken care of since birth except for family, should have been a tool, not a living thing, but he was so considerate of others, even if it was to criticize him.

I couldn't help but notice that I was interested in Sora.

However, Sora noticed Kurt glaring at him with dissatisfaction.

"Ah, what?"

"That's why, Sora-sama, you are not dressed as a woman, but you are right. Of course, beauty is a crime."

Sora said something irrelevant, and Kurt didn't know why he was glaring at him, so he couldn't tell whether Gotoh was following up or pushing. Perhaps in this regard, there is no flattery, no social commentary, and rarely can one be honest.

Kurt also pouted and answered Sora's question, simply saying: "... By the way."

I thought I should say "it doesn't suit you" because it was annoying, but I felt that even if I said that, this woman wouldn't be shocked. Because I only recognize

But that is all Kalluto admits. I don't approve of anything else. I don't like it.

So Kurt looked away and glared at the dumbfounded Sora again, announcing:

"I won't marry you."

"Neither will I."

Kurt's eyes widened immediately, and Sora was also speechless.

"Did I say something strange?"

Gotoh and the other Maids did not answer Sora's question.

Sora had no questions. Regardless of Illumi and Milluki, regardless of how promising the future of this nine-year-old Kalluto might be, if you get along well and like each other, it would be fine to talk to him later, but honestly, saying "I want to get married" to the current Kalluto is nothing more than exposing a criminal tendency.

Because my house is my house, I will not be notified, but there is no doubt that it will lead directly to that world.

So all the Maids strongly agreed with Sora's answer, "No, not at all." I had no choice but to protect.

From an adult's perspective, Kalluto is "still 9 years old," everything is still immature, childish, and clumsy, a child who needs protection, but from Kalluto's perspective, he is "already 9 years old."

Although he admitted he was not an adult, he was not as weak as adults imagined, and he could do most things by himself.

With that sense of versatility and the pride of being an elite Assassin passed down through generations, he had the right to refuse arranged dates and marriage proposals; he could not imagine the possibility that Sora would refuse. Because it did not exist, Sora could not understand the obvious answer and froze.

For about thirty seconds, Kurt stood motionless with a dumbfounded look on his face, but he seemed to gradually understand what he meant; his eyelashes were too long for a boy, tears welled up in his eyes, and his cheeks were as red as apples.

Watching Kurt about to throw a tantrum and cry at any moment, Sora panicked because he didn't know what he had said wrong, but fortunately, Kurt's pride did not let him cry.

"Hey, what are you doing!! Why did you say you don't like it!!"

What do you hate about me!? Even I hate you more than I hate myself!!"

He didn't cry, but Sora just stared at Kalluto with a blank face, while he shouted something that might or might not be relevant, his face flushed red.

Watching the interaction between the two through the rearview mirror, since Sora was not the culprit of this matter, Gotoh intervened to track both Sora and Kurt.

"Master Kalluto. Master Sora is not dissatisfied with Master Kalluto, but the age difference between him and Master Kalluto is too great..."

However, the woman who was talking to Kurt had a reputation for not reading the atmosphere.

Sora smashed Gotoh's lifeboat and declared.

"On the contrary, why do you think you cannot refuse?"

To Sora, who asked back in a truly strange way, Kalluto froze again, unable to speak.

"……Why……why……"

The freeze thawed, and he spoke earlier than just now, but Kalluto still couldn't process the information Sora said.

Instead, to clarify those tangled, Ambiguity thoughts, I forced myself to spin the words and shouted loudly.

"I, I am of the Zoldyck family..."

"And when you mention the name of the house instead of yourself, you are saying you are worthless."

However, Sora interrupted Kalluto halfway and said frankly.

"……Master Sora, your words are too much."

Gotoh didn't see the situation clearly, but stared through the rearview mirror at the woman with blue stripes on her temples, and she exploded.

As for Illumi, she was a victim, so she could ignore some insults and abusive language, but her words just now enraged Gotoh. If he weren't a candidate for a Zoldyck bride who liked Silva and Kikyo, he would have thrown him out of the car and run him over, or shot him with a coin using his Hatsu, his heart filled with anger.

Similarly, the other Maids also used loyalty to suppress the anger surging from their loyalty, openly attacking Sora with killing intent, but Sora shrugged in surprise at the killing intent filling the car and replied: "Really."

Gotoh knew his opponent was not so numb that he didn't notice the killing intent thrown at him.

If you don't perceive such obvious killing intent, then you cannot Escape from Illumi, who can throw a Needle that completely hides killing intent, matching the killing intent with the trajectory of the Needle you threw.

However, even if they were Maids, even if several Nen-users attacked him with fierce killing intent, Sora still made an expression of "Isn't he being overprotective?", and I still said so.

"Isn't this the same as Mr. Gotoh, because he didn't tell Kalluto the follow-up words and complained to me, that's why he thinks so?"

"！Shut up!!"

Gotoh finally dropped the honorifics and shouted, but Sora's words were already finished.

Kurt, who had been dumbfounded since Sora interrupted him, widened his eyes.

At the same time, his small hands, which were like autumn leaves and had already killed dozens of people with such small hands, reached for Sora's neck.

"！Mr. Kurt!!"

Gotoh and the others called out Kalluto's name to stop it.

In order to carry out the order received directly from Silva, to execute and protect him even if he died, Gotoh braked suddenly, and the other two Maids reached out to hold down Kalluto and Sora respectively.

This way Kalluto would not seriously kill Sora before touching him, and Sora would not see Kalluto as an "enemy threatening his life."

"Kalluto"

However, this was faster than Gotoh's restraint, and before the Maids could stop the two, Kurt's Finger touched Sora's neck.

Sora's Finger, wrapped in black lace gloves, stroked Kurt's soft cheek, sliding irregularly as if drawing a line, faster than anyone else.

＊＊＊

The luxury car braked hard and stopped abruptly, the car behind barely avoided a Collision and stopped, honking loudly in protest.

The car behind us didn't realize we were all lucky, the road wasn't too crowded, and there was enough space between us.

In the worst case, they honked their horns, not realizing they had become victims of one of the most famous families in Padokea.

Sora ignored the noise and said to Kalluto.

"No, I am not angry.

But please listen to the end. Killing things that are inconvenient to you, turning them into things that haven't been erased, and then running away, will eventually bind you, crush you, and kill you."

Kurt couldn't say anything to Sora, reflecting his own Shadow in his blue eyes, standing still with his arms open while laughing.

Similarly, Gotoh and the others just maintained a half-baked posture, unable to put their hands on the two.

Sora had nothing. Kalluto was also touching his face, but not his eyes or neck, but his cheeks, which was a part that was difficult to cause fatal injuries.

But I couldn't move.

The faint touch of Sora's Finger, whether touching or not, the irregular lines drawn by those fingers were so terrifying that they could not be resisted.

Instinct, not reason, screamed and appealed to Kalluto.

He realized that it was not Kalluto himself, nor his family, or even God, who held his life in his hands, but the woman before him.

The Death God before him smiled and said, looking a little troubled.

"I said something that made you angry, so I am not angry, I forgive what you did. On the contrary, I am sorry for my harshness.

But, hey, Kurt. I don't want to die."

As Sora's Finger left Kurt's cheek, she said with a wry smile.

"So next time, be prepared."

What? I could not ask.

However, Kalluto nodded his head repeatedly like a bobblehead. There was no need to ask. It was now engraved in my soul.

Smiling as she told her that if one intends to kill, one should be prepared to be killed in return—though she was mocking her own weakness, conversely, she had no pitying smile; she smiled as she spoke. The Maid was troubled by her own selfishness and smiled wryly.

In her view, Kalluto's actions were entirely the selfishness and temper tantrum of a child, and while she rebuked him, she also felt only caution.

But to Kalluto, it was a declaration from a Death God.

Theoretically, I understood, but for the first time today, Kalluto understood with a real feeling.

The risks I had taken as work until now, and the things I had done as a means to vent my temper—"death" was not something I unilaterally gave to someone else, but it fell upon me just the same. That.

At the same time, this was also the first "failure" in Kalluto's life.

Kalluto did not have the pride of the strongest. At least, I thought I did not.

However, due to the policy of the eldest brother that he does not know anyone outside the Zoldyck Family—"do not fight an enemy you cannot beat"—the young Kalluto, unable to gauge an opponent's ability well, thought he could surely kill an opponent. I was not allowed to do any work other than that, and I was following up on this work with other brothers and family members in case of failure.

If the other family members judged the opponent to be superior to Kalluto, they would let Kalluto down and not work, so Kalluto had not yet experienced "failure."

Such a first "failure," a "failure," shattered the sense of omnipotence and self-reliance that Kalluto had begun to cultivate.

Being given that "failure" by someone who looked down on him and mocked him, and having her smile make him realize this was nothing more than scolding a child, was also a big deal. It was a factor that shattered his self-esteem.

His heart was still beating and pounding, proving he was terrified by the Death God before him.

This heart, that short hand that could not reach the woman's throat, everything else was incomplete; I struggled to suppress the surging, chaotic emotions within my heart.

The three Maids looked at such a young master with a pained expression, but the culprit still could not read the atmosphere.

"Are you not leaving?"

Sora said to the driver Gotoh after crossing her legs again.

"……Stop. To what extent do you intend to insult Master Kalluto?"

Gotoh pushed his glasses frame with his Finger and glared at Sora. He was no longer polite to Sora.

He had been ordered to respect Sora, but for Gotoh and the Maids, the Zoldyck Family came first. That is to say, in this place, Kalluto came first.

The Maids had decided not to endure any longer the woman who spat out words insulting Kalluto and shattering Kalluto's self-esteem, and each of them unleashed their own aura.

However, unlike when she was hit while driving, Sora did not waver even with the naked killing intent she no longer concealed.

She even replied with a truly annoyed expression and tone.

"……Huh? Rather, when did you insult me?"

Kalluto and Gotoh's lines sounded like they were doing well for Kalluto, so I just poked at them. I admit I spoke poorly, so I apologized earlier, but if you are that angry, that serious, instead of blaming me, you should say something good about Kalluto. Even if I wanted to follow you, I am seeing you for the first time, and other than your looks, I cannot find anything to praise you for."

Hearing Sora's words, the explosive killing intent filling the car dissipated.

After listening to Sora's words, Kurt's eyes widened again, then he glared at the Maid, as if saying: "Is that so?"

Gotoh's skin stung from the angry gaze, and feeling embarrassed, Gotoh pushed his glasses up again before speaking.

"……Certainly. You are right.

I am sorry, Miss Sora. I deeply apologize for misunderstanding your care and for my very rude behavior."

"Therefore—I mean, if it is important enough to make you angry, I would tell you to follow Kalluto!"

Under Gotoh's apology, Sora trembled in frustration.

Kalluto looked around again at that angry person, the person who told him to apologize to Kalluto instead of himself, and to follow Kalluto.

At some moment, the rhythm of my heartbeat changed.

Her heart, which had originally been beating violently at an extremely short speed like a morning bell, was now beating slowly, even though its size had not changed.

As if expecting something.

"……You don't like me, do you?"

Sora let the Maids say something to Kalluto, but Kalluto did not hear it.

What Kalluto wanted to know was not the Maids' words of full affirmation for him.

"Zoldyck" was not the whole world; I wanted to know the answer from her, she who was just a small part of the world.

To such a question from Kalluto, Sora immediately replied with a bewildered face.

"I don't know you well enough yet, so I hate you."

"Then why did you say you didn't want to get married?"

"No, dealing with you normally is a crime, and I know nothing about you."

Furthermore, the repeated question about Kalluto was answered immediately, as if asking why you would ask such a thing.

"I don't know how much you understand about what 'marriage' is, but when it comes to marriage, I like that person, I want to be Together with them, I want to protect them always, I want to be protected, so I will explain the reasons one by one. It's troublesome, so I do this to become a 'family' that can be summarized in one word."

If I am to become a member of 'Zoldyck', it doesn't matter if I like who the other party is, but if I am to marry 'you', I don't know if I like you. If you don't know anything, you have no choice but to refuse.

If you say okay in this situation, it means you are not looking at 'you', but only looking at 'Zoldyck'."

Sora's explanation settled easily into Kalluto's heart in the form of "satisfaction."

Sora did not know, because Sora's explanation perfectly matched Kalluto's understanding of "marriage," which was surprisingly normal here.

For Kalluto, "Zoldyck" was both the world and himself.

That is why I could not believe Sora refused this marriage. That was because I never doubted that only my family had the power to decide.

Sora asked: "Why do you think you cannot refuse?" just like that.

However, the collapsed world of Kalluto was resurrected by the words of the woman who destroyed it.

Slightly different from before, the world would be constructed as "just Kalluto," rather than "Kalluto of the Zoldyck Family."

I learned that this was not a denial, but an act of finding and acknowledging the "Kalluto individual" belonging to the "Zoldyck Family."

When I realized she was not saying Kalluto had no value, but was asking me to tell her that Kalluto should have value, the pride that should have been shattered turned into spring.

I will never lose again. I cannot show you anything pathetic ever again.

Right now, the frustration in Kalluto's heart is not that he cannot kill Sora, but that he cannot answer for his own worth.

Inside the car that had started moving again, Kurt looked down and said to Sora.

"I hate you."

No matter what Sora does, no matter what he says, this conclusion will not change.

No matter what I do, I will not change the impression that I am strange, stupid, and annoying.

"Haha, sorry."

I don't like the way Kalluto's words are mocked and parried; I think more that "I hate it."

I don't like the fact that I didn't get angry for myself, because I am used to getting angry at Gotoh and others who do not follow Kalluto.

Because I don't really like it, because I hate it, because it is frustrating, Kalluto said.

"I really hate you.

I still cannot answer for my worth, but if this woman says "I have worth," I don't want to be the kind of person who would deny it.

I want to prove that I am worth more than the name Zoldyck.

The sense of omnipotence and self-reliance that should have been shattered was reshaped, with a clear goal.

Hearing the declaration, Sora was stunned by such a childish Dream World and laughed.

"That is exactly what I expected. However, no matter how good-looking you are, there is the obstacle of an age gap, and I am also afraid of your eldest brother, so you shouldn't regret it."

"Master Sora, why don't you just say 'I am looking forward to it'?"

Gotoh rushed toward Sora, and Sora broke the air without moving an inch.

Kalluto also did not hide his dissatisfaction and asked: "Why did you hate Brother Illumi so much back then?" "Yes," he replied.

"I just cut his needle-stuffed doll, saw through his disguise in an instant, and when I saw his true face, I said, 'He is as handsome as a Noh mask. Explode.'"

"That was just a mistake."

For a 9-year-old Kalluto, a Heavy blow was decided before the Maid rushed in.

＊＊＊

"Well then, you two.

Gotoh and the other three Maids bowed deeply, seeing them off at the entrance of the banquet Venue hosted by Jeet.

From here on, only those with invitations and their companions can enter.

"Yes, let's go then. Kalluto, hey."

Sora said a casual remark to the Maid that would ruin his gorgeous dress, and reached out his hand to Kalluto.

"……What? Are you trying to tell me I'm lost?"

Kurt glared at Sora with disgust, and Sora replied with a slightly provocative smile.

"Oh, my god. Are you sure you are a girl and not a boy?"

"What do you mean!?"

Facing Kurt, who raised his voice in anger, Sora continued with a playful smile.

"In this situation, no matter how old you are or what clothes you are wearing, it is normal for a gentleman to take a lady's hand to accompany her, isn't it?

Or perhaps you are more of a lady than a gentleman?"

This had been said who knows how many times today, but it was rare enough for a Maid who had served for many years to dare to express it; Kalluto was dumbfounded and said it triumphantly.

"……Hmph! I forgot you really, really are just a woman!"

Although angry, Kurt could not hide his joy as an adult male being treated as a gentleman rather than a child. Entering.

Seeing these two, the Maids all breathed a sigh of relief.

It seems that the trouble on the road unexpectedly eased Kalluto's vigilance, and although he is not honest, he seems to have some attachment to Sora.

No matter how you look at it, the way the two are holding hands looks like good brothers.

……To be precise, they just look like sisters, but the Maids respect the pride of Kalluto there.

It is longer than I expected...

I wonder if it will end next time, this?