Chapter 3
(Chrollo)
"Welcome to our mansion" On one of the sets of stairs before us stood Lilianne Vin Roze, her hair in a braided updo, wearing a lilac and white Victorian-like dress full of frills and layers going down her knees, her legs covered by white opaque stockings and she wears heeled and platformed lilac shoes. The usual authoritative aura is there, as well as that amused look on her face. "Thank you for accepting my invitation, Chrollo Lucifer and the whole Phantom Troupe."
I didn't realize that after that greeting, or maybe even after meeting her, my life and heart would take an unexpected turn.
"Watch out!" Just in time, I pulled her back before the bullet shot through her head. The bullet dug deep into the cemented wall.
"Oujo-sama!" Jonah exclaimed and hurried to inspect his mistress for any injuries.
"I'm fine. We expected this much anyway." Unfazed by almost dying on the spot, Lilianne Vin Roze only brushed off some dust from her skirt and sleeves. "Jonah, find and kill the assassin. That's my order."
The tattoo glowed blue again and so did Jonah's eyes.
And I, in my surprise, was frozen to the point that even my heart stopped. For a girl like her to be unfazed by such a thing. Just how much has she went through in all her life?
"Excuse me" Her voice disturbed my musings and I immediately noticed that my grip around her arm tightened. I quickly let go and apologized.
"I'm sorry."
She merely shrugged it off. "I don't mind. But please don't grip a rose that tightly so suddenly. You don't know whether you'll get injured by the thorns"
Like the whole thing never happened, she continued walking down the hallway and I followed. I made sure to scatter the Troupe just in case things like this might happen. I predicted that since our arrival, it would cause fear or anxiousness among competitors and as the day of the event grew closer, either of her siblings would try to eliminate Lilianne by hiring assassins.
Her lips are completely sealed and all you can hear are her heels making contact with the tiled floor.
Click clack, click clack, click clack...
I looked at my cold hand which slightly trembled as I thought of the recent occurrence.
What if I had not pulled her in time? If she was shot? What then? Despite the cold and icy and professional atmosphere, she showed kindness to my Troupe, giving us a more than just decent roof to stay in, and food even better than what they give the servants.
It's odd how I can't bring myself to think that she's all doing that just to get our favor, though many of the Troupe members say so. It's even more odd that I would want to protect her when none of this is my or the Troupe's business.
She stopped and faced a certain door.
"You don't have to follow me everywhere." Her voice was so cold, colder than usual. She just stood there, her hand on the knob with her eyes fixed on it and her silver blonde hair covering her face.
I stared at her for a moment in disbelief.
"I see" was all the reply I could muster. I have to be calm and reasonable but I wanted to ask Why? After saving you like that and even scattering my Troupe just to reassure your safety, why are you telling me this?
Then she entered the room without another word. I leaned on the wall parallel to the door, decided to wait for her to come out. It wasn't long before I heard another set of taps from a heel.
"Oh, why isn't it Chrollo Lucifer" greeted a familiar sweet voice.
I looked at the person who greeted me and saw that it was Lilianne's eldest sister, Sylvia. Well, half-sister. According to Shalnark, none of them are pure-blooded siblings. Each child having a different mother. Unlike Lilianne, Sylvia has short, slightly wavy black hair that goes down to her shoulders, a radiant and pinkish skin tone, and a very wavy figure. Her only resemblance to Lilianne is her purple eyes. It's the second day of my stay here but it's the first time I met her personally. And Lilianne only says so much as a name when it concerns her family. Sylvia has this amused smile that seems more demented than Lilianne's as she approached. Add a black and white Victorian gown with a Kimono type sleeve and a black mini square crown bowler with white Lilies and feathers at the side, tilted to the side of her head, and you have another demented Vin Roze. Beside her is a woman, tanned skin, long red-orange hair tied up to a neat and thick bun, and has a firm build.
"Good afternoon" I greeted out of hollow courtesy.
"Hmm" She lifted my chin with her finger and observed my face.
I wasn't fazed because I know she's just playing.
"So this is the leader of the Phantom Troupe." She mused, looking into my grey eyes, that dementedly amused smile plastered on her face and her eyes showing a predator wanting to capture the spider as its prey. "My sweet little sister is a fragile girl... so don't go breaking her heart now, understood?"
She then moved away and held out her right hand, tattooed intricately with a marigold. Her action and words puzzled me but I made sure I betrayed no expression nor interest.
"Now, why don't you greet a lady properly and kiss her hand?" It almost seemed like a challenge with how she's smiling and looking at me but I can feel her aura radiating, a dark possessive one.
My instincts are telling me that whatever happens, I shouldn't kiss that hand but why is my hand yearning to take it and my lips yearning to kiss it? Before I can reply, someone called out to Sylvia, breaking the trance she tried to put me in.
"Excuse me, Lady Sylvia, but you shouldn't keep the Master waiting. He has less time as he is. Oujo-sama and Lord Pierre were kind enough to visit him earlier than planned." Jonah just got back and getting a better look at him now, his eyes were a very pale grey, almost close to blindness.
Looking back, all of the servants and men Lilianne or this household controls have the same eye color, grey. But all having a different level of opacity.
"Hmph" Sylvia drew back her hand and brushed it through her hair. "You don't need to tell me that, Jo-na-than~."
Giggling like a sweet lady, Sylvia went in the room Lilianne went to as well, leaving her servant alone with me and Jonah.
"You should know to control your mistress, Valmet" Jonah, despite the neutral expression on his face, has this sharpness in his voice.
Valmet, Sylvia's servant, turned to the door and said icily, "The mistress can do as she wishes and I will never hinder her, especially if it means winning the game."
Jonah said nothing and instead turned to me. "You... Come with me."
He grabbed my wrist and I heard Valmet smirk. "Leaving your mistress unattended, Jonah? How irresponsible!"
Jonah, however, paid no heed and just dragged me along to the far side of the corridor.
"The meeting will take a while and so I'll tell you now," From cool and collected, his tone changed to that of a sharp and cold one. "Never kiss another hand but Lilianne oujo-sama's. If ever you plan to that is."
He caught me slightly by surprise. "What do you mean?"
I have so far deduced that the tattoos have some sort of power, along with the Vin Rozes, but could not clearly figured out what. Kissing the tattoo, having grey eyes and the loyalty the servants have towards their masters. It's all interconnected.
"I would never tell an outsider about it... but you leave me no choice. You are oujo-sama's trump card and we can't bear to lose you."
"Kissing the tattoo will not only signify your allegiance, but will also make you forcibly obey the master's orders, isn't that right? And your eyes need to be grey in order to do so." I stated my theory confidently.
Jonah was surprised. He didn't expect I would observe so much in such short time.
"T-That's right. Mostly. You don't 'forcibly' obey. It's more like, you become more willing to obey, even give up your life for your master. The sweet flower tattoo on their hands is like a drug. Our masters' commands give us power and the colors signify the emotion of that command." Jonah explained.
"I see" I muttered and began thinking.
The change in Jonah's eye color is the same as the color of Lilianne's rose tattoo. Blue can mean 'Protection' so when the tattoo is blue, Lilianne is asking for Jonah's protection.
"You can say..." Jonah added. "Us, her servants, are like butterflies addicted to the sweet nectar of their soul. Servants whose shackles are too sweet to break. But oujo-sama... does not let anyone get near her so easily."
There's a hint of sadness in his voice that time before it suddenly returned to being icy and sharp. "In any case, don't you dare betray her, especially in that battlefield... Or I'll kill you myself."
"Excuse me but what's going on here?"
(Lilianne)
The three of us, Sylvia nee-sama and Pierre nii-sama got out of father's room with his words fresh in our minds.
"I wish you all luck, my children. Any one of you is worthy to succeed me. You are all worthy of our Household's power. I suppose my only regret... is that I have not been a better father to all three of you."
None of us said anything and just let father speak and speak until he felt weary and fell asleep.
Tch... If you wanted to be a better father, you should have just left me with my mother!
"Oh, Lilianne" Sylvia nee-sama called in that sweet tone of hers. "Chrollo-kun is quite handsome and strong. It would be a waste to have him on your incompetent side. Why don't you give him to me so he'll have more pride as a fighter at least?"
She's making my blood boil and yet, that's what she really wants, for me to lose my composure. And that's a pleasure I'll deprive her of.
I smirked. "My apologies, nee-sama, but even though I've been a forgiving little sister, letting you take whatever you want from me before... This time, the Troupe, and their leader especially, is out of the question."
I turned around satisfied, about to walk where I spotted Chrollo and Jonah when Pierre nii-sama said, "Don't feel so confident, Lilianne. Arrogance destroys the footholds of victory."
I smiled sweetly at my dear half-brother. Pierre nii-sama has bright blonde hair, a darker layer compared to mine. His skin is fair and somewhat pale. He's also very tall and usually wears a pair of black tights and a white blouse with long puffed sleeves, ruffles by the chest, and is usually tucked. His tattoo is that of a Gladiolus and just like the flowers meaning, he has 'strength of character'.
"Of course, nii-sama. Good luck."
And with that, I started walking towards the two keys to my victory, hiding my presence as well to surprise them but I was the one surprised by Jonah's words, "But oujo-sama... does not let anyone get near her so easily."
Much as I trusted Jonah, and no matter how obvious his words are, I still don't like how he flat out told the Troupe's leader that. But I hope, he said nothing more than he should.
After warning Chrollo about the consequence of betraying me, I made myself known. "Excuse me but what's going on here?"
My arms were crossed above my chest and I looked at them with a slightly annoyed expression.
"Oujo-sama!" Jonah exclaimed. Both he and Chrollo were surprised.
"I could care less about what you two were going on about..." I glared at them a little then regained my composure and turned to Jonah. "Did you kill the assassin?"
Jonah nodded seriously. "I got a little assistance from the Troupe thanks to Chrollo and it was much easier pursuing him with the Troupe members scattered around the estate."
"Good." I turned my back on them. "The Game's the day after tomorrow. Jonah, you need to get ready. Spar with any of our men. I can't have the commander dying in the battlefield before the massacre itself could start."
"But what about you, oujo-sama?"
Before I can say anything, Chrollo pitched in.
"I'll look after her."
