USEFUL ➴ Illumi x Reader

LXXIV. Shall we go?

Lately I've been spending sleepless nights writing, squeezing every creative cell dry, fighting time. The idea of never escaping this situation was slowly setting in. Would it even work? Would I have the perfect moment? And if I did have the perfect moment to use the power of manipulation hidden in my main characters seductive powers would I have the book published by then?

Those questions along with the urgent one, 'did I want to do the last test?', were chipping my confidence away, making me shiver as I thought of what my life would be. Yet something resonated, deep inside.

Do not fear the road you're walking on, own it.

Certainly, old man Zeno had a point when he said it, was I going at this wrong? Should I marry Illumi for the benefits? I would never be killed by a Zoldyck, it was the ultimate rule. I'd be protected, cared for in the most toxic ways. As my mind wavered, I knitted together the story, adding weapons that seemed useful enough to go with manipulation.

Sweat dripping from my forehead as I focused on the plot and managed to spin different small objects around training my manipulation to a higher level.

The door banging on the wall followed by several thuds of clothes and bottles of shampoo falling on the ground as my focus drifted away, I didn't jump out. Illumi's presence was known, I felt him walk down the hall, I did not however expect him to walk into my room.

"Illumi." I didn't turn to meet him, staring at the words I had written even though my brain couldn't make any sense of them, its gears spinning to all the possible cases.

"Y/N, training your manipulation?" His melodic voice echoed on my head, but I already had the answer leaving the tip of my tongue.

"One category each day, tomorrow is transmutation." I explained, my hands landing on the fine table supporting my weight shift as I got up and faced him. "May I know the reason for your lovely visit? Did you find a way for me to be useful to you?"

The word useful leaving my lips with remorse, somehow it had gotten the worst meaning possible...

"Yes, in my new job I need to kill some people and gather information, so you'll gather it while I do the rest." I stared at him for a while, I had never really caught a real glimpse at him in his job, I missed it the first time, the second so much was happening. Two questions arising, what would be good marrying him and what could get him tired enough, so he succumbed to my manipulation and pulled the needle out?

Two different plans... "Seems like a good way to spend the evening, sure."

"I wasn't asking." My jaw tensed up, as my hands closed with more strength than necessary around the elaborate top rail of the Bergère.

"Well, that sure is very gentlemanly of you." I took a deep breath, trying to calm down and relax. "When?"

"Tonight, after dinner. Dress formal." With that said he left the room, closing the door carefully behind him, I used nen to place everything on the floor to their respective places before opening the closet and wondering what to wear.

I was in much better shape, but most scars were very noticeable. Sadly, summer was coming and going looking like a prude nun wouldn't get me much information. I picked a comfortable f/c dress, right up to my knees so I could run if needed be. It was formal enough, now the quest for makeup that matched my s/c and maybe stockings to hide everything away.

My body looked hideous; such were the thoughts as I looked at myself in the mirror after a nice shower. I slipped into the dress, somehow, they always got the measures incredibly right and this dress was tight in all the right spots. I had rummaged the bathroom for makeup but found none, so I left my room and carelessly walked into Illumi's.

"Illumi, do you have any makeup? If not, can you get some?" A gasp left my lips, when I saw Silva in the room, it was undoubtedly unexpected to see him there. "Well, I have such good timing I walked in on something, you both had it coming for never knocking on doors."

My eyes changed targets from Silva's feral blue ones to Illumi's dark voids, waiting for an answer.

"Why do you need it?" My eyes narrowed at his question, and the next words that left my lips were filled with poison.

"Illumi, think for a little bit, seriously it's not hard. Hint! Look at my body." Silence filled the room. And I couldn't help but roll my eyes at his cluelessness. "Normal people don't get whipped to death; I need to cover this up."

"Ah." He seemed to understand, finally. "I'll have Gotoh get some. Leave."

"F*cking rude..." I whispered as I left the room, completely aware that both men inside it had the sharpest hearing.

Soon after, as I examined what I had written so far, displeased, a knock on the door was heard, and I opened it to see Gotoh holding up a large case of what I assumed was makeup.

It took a long time to cover everything up by myself, when I looked at my wrist I sighed. I was late for dinner. The expensive watch matched the dress incredibly well, I ran out of the room dispersing such thoughts, finally knowing the way to the dinning room by heart.

"Excuse my delay, had more wounds to cover up than expected." A tight smile appearing in my lips as I looked at Kikyo saying the last part. I sat carefully on the padded chair and started eating the served soup unbothered.

The dinner wasn't silent this time, because Milluki was there, chitchatting through the whole thing, begging for some attention. He seemed slightly bitter, even more when the theme of the conversation switched to Killua. There were clear favouritisms in this family, and sadly that only worked to break even more the children.

My eyes pinned Illumi's, he didn't seem bothered by the talk. Yet as soon as it ended, he directed his hypnotic eyes at me. "Shall we go?"

Art By: なずみ (Pixiv ID - 233888)

Author's Note: Things are slowly picking up pace! Yey!