Kaizen looked Ponzu in the eye.
Her eyelashes fluttered.
A faint blush crept across her face—first her cheeks, then the tips of her ears, and finally her whole neck tinged pink.
A warm, rosy flush.
Like a peach tree just coming into bloom, giving off a subtle, intoxicating sweetness.
Ponzu understood what Kaizen meant.
She just didn't expect it to happen so suddenly—so quickly.
Weren't they just chatting casually a moment ago? Why had the atmosphere shifted so fast?
Yet somehow, it didn't feel unnatural.
It felt... inevitable.
Ponzu didn't dare meet his eyes again. She turned toward the window instead.
"But… Captain, it's daytime," she murmured.
Kaizen flicked his fingers.
With a faint sound, the curtains—already drawn with the screens shut—closed completely under his control.
The room dimmed instantly.
Only a sliver of light remained.
"It's dark now," Kaizen said calmly.
Ponzu closed her eyes.
Kaizen stepped closer, looming gently above her.
"Ponzu… is this okay?"
She was too shy to speak. She simply nodded, eyes still shut tight.
Even in the darkness, Kaizen could see her clearly.
He leaned down.
Warm. Soft.
Faintly sweet.
...
Her long green hair fanned out across the pillow.
The sheets were rumpled.
Her pajamas had slipped off the edge of the bed, resting in a loose pile on the floor.
In the kitchen, a maid was preparing breakfast.
She placed a sugar cube into a cup, then slowly poured warm milk over it.
The cube began to dissolve.
On the plate beside her, a small slice of cake sat waiting.
The maid gently spooned a touch of red jam onto the dessert.
A breeze stirred outside, and the windowpanes rattled softly with a creak.
"Captain… it's fine," Ponzu whispered, still not daring to open her eyes.
"Good."
They were both a little clumsy.
It was Ponzu's first time.
Kaizen… well, this was the first time in his current life. He had experienced intimacy in his past life, but it had been so long.
He was far from practiced.
Still, like riding a bike—once you learn, the body remembers.
Even if the mind forgets.
His muscles knew what to do.
Ponzu bit her lip, shy and silent.
After some time...
Kaizen returned to his side of the bed.
"Ponzu, are you alright?"
"It's... not bad."
A light blush still colored her cheeks.
Kaizen glanced at the clock. "Breakfast should be ready soon."
"Captain, I want to freshen up first."
"Together?"
"Eh?!"
Her face flushed bright red.
"No, no, it's fine. Just teasing. You go ahead, I'll join later."
She let out a soft breath of relief.
...
A little while later, the two headed to the dining room.
Kaizen had originally planned to stay at the Zoldyck estate a few more days. But after Maha Zoldyck returned, he quickly entered a state of seclusion.
Zeno, Silva, and the others were busy with their own affairs.
"Heading to Heavens Arena early might be a good idea," Kaizen thought.
People are funny like that.
They work away from home all year, dreaming of the comfort of returning during the new year…
But after a few days back, they often start feeling out of place again.
...
"Shinji, how's Killua doing?" Kaizen asked.
"My lord, Killua-sama met up with his friends. They're in the butler's room now."
"What's their next move?"
"Killua-sama and Gon plan to head to Heavens Arena. Leorio and Kurapika have their own matters and will part ways with them."
Silva nodded.
"Let them know to wait. I'll be heading to Heavens Arena too."
"Yes, Kaizen-sama," Shinji replied and passed the message down to a steward.
...
"With Kaizen there, I don't need to worry," Silva thought.
"If he's with Killua, nothing will go wrong."
Silva couldn't help remembering what Killua once asked him:
"Dad, who's stronger—you or Kaizen?"
Back then, Silva was confident in his answer.
But after witnessing Kaizen's fight, he wasn't so sure anymore.
Kaizen had dominated the entire battle. From start to finish, he held the upper hand.
And it didn't even look like he was going all out.
How strong had Kaizen truly become?
...
Killua, Gon, Leorio, and Kurapika stepped out of the butler's room and made their way toward the main gates of the estate.
Smiles lit up both Gon's and Killua's faces.
They had each achieved their goal.
Killua had gotten Silva's permission to keep his friends.
Gon had brought his friend back home.
Neither cared about the past.
But Leorio and Kurapika glanced back at the mansion, emotions stirring quietly.
"So this is the Zoldyck family. The infamous assassins…"
"They're nothing like ordinary families."
"I wonder what Killua's childhood was like…"
"And Kaizen, too. He has friends, right? If they ever came here looking for him… would they be treated the same way? Or differently?"
Both Kurapika and Leorio were curious.
...
Mike noticed their departure from a distance and returned to his patrol after confirming the guests were leaving.
Killua and his friends stepped through the main gates.
Zebro approached from ahead.
"Killua-sama, wait a moment."
Killua turned. "Zebro? What is it?"
All four of them looked toward him.
Zebro bowed slightly.
"A message just came from the steward's room. Killua-sama, you've been asked to wait—you're not to leave yet."
Killua frowned.
"Why not?"
"It's from Shinji."
"Shinji?"
"He's Kaizen-sama's personal butler."
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Fanfic is completed on patreon.com/FanficsHub (1047 chapters in total)