Chapter 24 : (Un)Happy Marriage

Minamoto Residence. 8 AM.

A dark haired woman was waiting in the bathroom with a test pack in front of her lying on the table. Slowly, it showed a positive sign.

Illumi who was combing his hair was surprised to hear his wife squealing in happiness. He immediately walked inside the bathroom.

"Illumi, i'm pregnant!" Her eyes were teary. She hugged her husband who still had a comb in his hand. He didn't say anything, he just hugged her back with a faint smile in his face.

It didn't take long for Hidako to get pregnant after she could resume having sex with Illumi. It only took her 2 months to get pregnant with Illumi. They had sex everyday, and in every each of it, it was Chrollo's physique that came into her mind.

"You're going to stay inside the house until the baby is born," Illumi commanded to her. He didn't want to lose another child.

"But, i have to read," she begged. Her mind suddenly traveled into Shrine of Yulla. She had no idea what Ecaterina Credence would do to her if she agreed to what Illumi had asked her for.

"You can read inside the house," Illumi said.

"But, Mrs. Credence will never allow me to do it!" Her pitch went higher. Illumi always hated it whenever she sounded like she was yelling at him. His hand was quickly located on her neck, almost straining her again.

"You will submit to me and only me," He was staring at her with those dark creepy orbs.

"Illumi... you scared me," His grip was light, it only touched her neck, it didn't hurt her at all. But, it was his stare. They felt cold and terrifying.

"Good, that means you know that you must follow my order," he replied before letting of his grip. His stare was cold. He's a cold man but he was a lot colder.

"Illumi!" Hidako yelled at him. "I can't go against Mrs. Credence!" Hidako pulled the hem of his shirt. "You're married to me, not Mrs. Credence," Illumi raised his voice. "You will follow your husband's order, not Mrs. Credence's," He was glaring at her. He couldn't stand a woman who talked back to him. Then he left.

Hidako was crying alone, she was throwing herself on the soft bed, like a damsel in old movies. After Illumi, all she experienced was pain. His family's crazy, her mother in law ordered a man to rape her, and she killed her baby as well, and then Hidako was bankrupted and her husband was very controlling towards her. Perhaps things would've been different if he chose a regular man, or maybe even an old rich man. She wouldn't have to deal with all those problems. She wouldn't have to deal with miscarriage and financial issue, she even had to whore herself out in order to live by sleeping with Chrollo damn Lucilfer to please Mrs Credence.

It felt like her life was descending, not ascending. Sure, Zoldyck mansion was a hell hole but having such financial issue and trapped with the Credence cronies surely gave her severe headache.

But, Hidako was always a submissive woman. When she saw Illumi being angry over her, she knew that she couldn't fight Illumi, especially over things so understandable, her and their child's well being. Illumi wouldn't want to experience another miscarriage happening to his wife.

So, she stayed.

*

Minamoto Residence. 11 PM.

Hidako didn't know if it were the hormones or she was just being abnormally aroused during her first month of pregnancy. She did threw up every single morning but at night, she craved for her husband's body. It was no longer Chrollo that came into her fantasy when she was pregnant, it was Illumi, her baby daddy.

That night, her husband came home to her. When she entered their bedroom, Hidako immediately helped Illumi in undressing himself. His body smelled like iron and blood with bruises and cuts on his skin.

"How was the mission?" She asked in her flirty tone. "It was harder than i thought, our target was a nen user, a specialist, so we had to fight him in smarter ways," Illumi explained. After she was done undressing him, Hidako turned on the water at the tub. She checked with her hands if they were warm enough and she filled the tub with water.

"I want to bathe with you," Hidako said after kissing her husband's lips. "You're awfully attentive today," Illumi said. Hidako smiled. She slowly took off her robe and exposed her naked body. She then entered the box while waiting for the tub to be filled and said "Come, i'll scrub you."

Illumi followed her and entered the box. Hidako started by wetting his hair and poured some sakura smelling shampoo, Illumi's favorite, when she was done with washing her hair. She slathered a hair conditioner on his and clip his hair up. She then used a liquid soap to lather on Illumi's body before washing it along with the hair conditioner. After they were done, Hidako pulled Illumi's hand so they could dip in the tub together with clean bodies.

They were both in the calming warm water, facing each other's faces. Illumi dipped his body even deeper until the water touched his chin. Usually, Illumi would initiate some sexual act but he didn't. So, Hidako did. She moved closer to Illumi and kissed him, she also tried to stroke his private but instead of being welcomed by his kiss, he grabbed her hand and pushed her away.

"We are not going to fuck unless that baby is born already," Illumi said, his big black eyes were glaring at Hidako. The woman was disappointed. "The doctor told me that it should be fine to have sex," Hidako defended herself. "I'm not taking any chances that could kill my child," Illumi said to his wife, he wasn't playing around and she could sense it in his tone. Hidako stayed quiet, she knew that she couldn't fight Illumi, it would result in him doing unthinkable stuff to her. With annoyance in her face, she pulled her hand and went out of the tub. She didn't even say a thing, she just dried herself up, put on a sleepwear and immediately slept on the bed.

As much as she loved her child, she thought that during this pregnancy, her husband was acting irrationally. The doctor clearly stated that it was safe to have sex during pregnancy, but Illumi just wouldn't listen. When she thought that the pregnancy would save her marriage, she was wrong.

Illumi's obsession with his baby didn't stop with just not wanting to have sex with his wife. He planned his wife's meals and checked whether Hidako ate them or not. He also asked the maids to make her weird herbal drinks that tasted weirder than anything that Hidako had ever ingested in her life.

She disliked all the obsession towards the health of hers and her baby but she grew to understand that her husband surely loved their baby, perhaps more than his own life.

*

Basement Floor. Minamoto Residence. 9 AM.

It was not dusty at all and it was obvious Tomoe always cleaned up the room thoroughly. Hidako had not came down to the basement for years. It was more of a torture room for her when she was a child rather than a lovely library.

There was a big dead octopus in a water(of chloroform) tank in the middle of the room with a painting of a woman being penetrated by an octopus' tentacles hanging on the wall. Pervert old man.

There were also the three black poisonous bells that were hanging on the wall, reminded her how he used to ask Hidako to put it in her mouth every time she made a mistake. She still remembered how disgusting it felt on her tongue and how during her earlier days, she would faint do to the poison on the bells.

There were a lot of racks with various books. From old literature to book about poison and alchemy. He was a very knowledgable man.

And then there was his diary. A brown old book with a lock that couldn't be opened even by force. Hidako thought that nen could open it, so she tried. She held the book with both of her hands and emitted her nen, the lock was immediately opened.

The book was filled with mundane daily matters, until she found a page about The Shrine of Yulla. On top of the page, there was her name "For my beloved daughter, Hidako" . It was the basic rules written there.

Do not speak or let anyone know about Shrine of Yulla.

There was also the story of his contract with Ecaterina Credence.

If you're reading this, i would be dead already. I would only share this information after i'm dead. The book would stay close unless i'm dead.

Ecaterina Credence is a woman with many resources. She made her own religion and people are following her because she's a rich heiress of The Nemkova family and a wife of Gabriel Credence, a very rich man as well who owned a lot of business. She had all the access in the world, she's the queen of the underground world.

But, she's like a satan herself. She would come in desperate time using her followers and offer the thing people can't resist, money, power and fame. In exchange, she would command them to be her subject and she would ask them to do even the most unthinkable things in life for her own benefit. Those who refused to do her wish would be dead, either slowly or quickly.

If you ended up making a deal with Ecaterina, she would probably ask you to go back to the Kingdom to open the jade box that contained the Kingdom's secret, your mother told me that it contained weapons that could have an effect of mass destruction and the box could only be opened by a family member. But, you shall never agree to her request! Ecaterina is not a good woman and opening that box could lead to chaos! She would use you for her own gain.

Be careful, my daughter.

I love you,

Takashi.

The whole letter gave her suspicion towards Ecaterina. But, she signed a contract with Ecaterina already and she agreed to Ecaterina's request. The fact sent shiver to her whole body, her heart felt like it was going to hammer out of her chest and she felt like she was going to throw up.

Tears came out of her eyes. All the things Illumi had done to keep her and the baby healthy would be for nothing if she were to be killed by Credence.

So, she did what Taka did. She wrote a letter to Illumi about Mrs. Credence and what could possibly happen to her and she told Tomoe about the letter, if anything happened to her, Illumi should find a rose pink colored letter in a brown envelope. She sealed it with nen and kept the letter hidden in the basement.

*

Bedroom. 2 AM.

A month went by and Hidako felt grateful that none of the Credence crony came into her house. But, the fear never disappeared, it was always there, even when she's asleep with her husband beside her.

But, that night, her fear came true. She was sleeping alone in her bed. Suddenly, she woke up due to unusual smell of rose filling in her room. Hidako immediately covered her mouth and opened the window. But, before she could escape from the window, a man appeared behind her and put a chloroform soaked bag to cover her head and made her fainted.

*

When Illumi came back to the Minamoto residence, all he saw was an opened window with wind blowing the curtain with no Hidako inside their bedroom. He could sense that there was something wrong with the situation.

He walked outside and looked for Tomoe. In one of their halls, he could see the fainted old woman lying on the wooden hallway. Her hair was unruly and she was already wearing her house furisode. Illumi squatted and woke Tomoe up. "Tomoe-san, where is Hidako?" Illumi asked her after she woke up. She then sat up while looking at Illumi with horror, her hands clenched his shoulder "Hidako! Hidako! Did that man take Lady Hidako away?" Tomoe was hysterical. "Hidako is not inside our bedroom," Illumi said. "That man must have taken her away!" Tomoe said. "Calm down, Tomoe! What man? What happened?" Illumi asked. Tomoe "I remember there was a man who was running on the hallway, he was a tall man with black hair wearing all black, when i threw my shuriken to him, he dodged it and then he was so fast, from my back he hit me until i fainted!" Tomoe was panicking. "Please, Illumi-sama! Please! Please don't let that man take Lady Hidako away!" Tomoe pleaded to Illumi. "What man, Tomoe?" Illumi asked her again. "I don't see his face but it must be Credence's man! Hidako hadn't read for Credence for a month now! He must have taken her to Credence's place!" Tomoe started to cry.

Credence? Illumi knew that name very well. He certainly wouldn't stay still if it was her who took his wife away.

Credence Household. 2 AM.

It was raining heavily that night. Thunderbolts and lightning were roaming in the sky. Ecaterina was awaken by shadow of a man with needles on his face, wearing a green circus outfit. She quickly turned on the light inside the room.

The woman was still wearing her red silk robe with fur ends, sitting on the bed. Her platinum blonde hair was long and straight. Her red eyes were squinting at the sight of the man. She smirked. She knew who the man was.

"What do you want, Illumi?" Despite him disguising himself in Gittarackur shape, she knew it was Illumi. She had learned how to read a man's nen after all. No matter what disguise it took, she knew whose nen it was.

Illumi transformed into his usual self. He radiated bloodlust with needles in his fingers. "Where is my wife?" His eyes were frightening but they didn't frighten Ecaterina. Ecaterina's smile grew wider, almost creepy.

She slipped her feet into her fur sandals while staring at Illumi with her red eyes. "Your wife? Hidako you mean?" His bloodlust grew slightly bigger than it was. "Oh! I heard that she ran away with Chrollo!" Illumi threw a needle at her but she dodged it. "Oh! It seems like you never knew that your seemingly innocent little wife actually had an affair with Chrollo," She smirked while jumping closer to Illumi's side. She was fast, her hand grabbed Illumi's hand that held the needles and her grip was strong. "He fucked her hard and she loved every single second of it," She whispered to his ear. Illumi immediately threw another needles to the blond woman but she always managed to dodge it. "I don't trust a sly fox like you," Illumi said.

"Do you want to see the proof?" She chuckled. The woman then turned on the tv using the remote. She quickly chose a file from the usb that's already connected to the tv. The file's name was all number. She clicked the play button.

There it was the video playing, she quickly put the arrow in the middle of the video. A room with moonlight bathing two people inside it. Both of them were naked. She was on top of him, moaning, enjoying being fucked by the man while he was thrusting his dick inside her from below. Illumi couldn't believe what he had seen. It was the innocent Hidako, the girl whose virginity he had taken, his pure wife, enjoyed getting fucked by a man who isn't him, riding him like a slut.

Ecaterina was wickedly laughing at the sight of the angry husband. "You should know that your pretty little wife isn't as innocent as she looks like," she whispered while leaving the man incredibly shocked and angry at the sight in front of him.

*

Flight to Watasato Kingdom. Blimp no. 761.

It was night and the light from outside the blimp was blinking. The blimp was flying to Watasato. Inside the blimp, there were men and women, all of them were followers of Yulla.

A woman with a blue sleeping kimono was lying on the sofa, unconscious. It was an expensive private blimp, owned by Credence Corps themselves.

"I can't believe we have to deal with a Zoldyck again," Feitan scoffed. There were Machi, Chrollo, Feitan and an another woman, Mirabelle. Mirabelle is a petite woman in her forties, she's half Yordian half Azian just like Chrollo, she's one of Ecaterina Credence's bodyguard.

Slowly, the woman in blue kimono opened her eyes. Her lids were half opened since it had to adjust with the light in the blimp.

"Good evening, Lady Hidako," Chrollo appeared right in front of her. He was relaxed, he let his hair down, he was wearing beanie, black sweater and grey jeans in front of the woman. "What are you doing? Why am i here?" Hidako was shocked, she was quickly awake and she sat up immediately.

"Isn't she Illumi's wife? Where is Illumi right now? Should he be the one accompanying her to the Watasato?" Machi blurted. She was only receiving order to take her to Watasato.

When Hidako heard Watasato. She came into her own conclusion. It's the time. She had to open the box for Credence.

"Why did you have to kidnap me? I know that i have to go there but why did it involve breaking, entering my house, sedating me and kidnapping me?" Hidako was frantically yelling at them. They were just gazing at Hidako silently, as if they didn't even try to listen to her.

"Boss, do i need to put her to sleep again?" Mirabelle asked. "No, let's see what she knows about her old kingdom," Chrollo walked closer to her and pulled her chin closer to his face.

*

Author's Note :

Well, i'd like to apologize for the extra late update. I've been pretty busy lately with studying and working.

Thank you for the comments. Thank you to Dirhhennia Butterfly, Anon, Miran and Nina. I never thought that people were still reading this fic. I hope that you'd comment some more for they are the reason why i continue writing this fiction.