Watching his eldest son, Illumi, stand at the other end of the conference table, Silva remembered receiving a call from home, learning of Milluth's predicament, and immediately returning. On his first day back, he received a special report.
"Master, I don't mean to speculate, but when dealing with the Eldest Miss's loss of control, there was something that caught my attention," Zepile, the butler directly under Silva, cautiously chose to report privately. "All I can say is that what I observed might be biased... please make your own judgment."
"Speak."
"At first, what caught my attention were the rather peculiar scars on the Eldest Miss's right shoulder. It was a bite mark. Given the Eldest Miss's healing ability, it should be invisible by now." Zepile's report went beyond this, otherwise, such a minor issue would have been wisely kept silent. "So, I paid attention to the subsequent medical reports. There was no relevant record. In the past, every examination of the Eldest Miss was meticulously documented, especially considering how dire her condition was this time. This is a clear dereliction of duty or... there's a reason behind it, so I deemed it necessary to report to you."
This was a report that tried to avoid subjective judgment because, if pursued, it might involve other masters, bordering on "informing." The Zoldycks were extremely protective of their own; even the most loyal household staff were just staff, not as important as family. If their words were inappropriate or their judgments mistaken, "informing" could turn into "sowing discord." Even an old butler like Zepile would be extremely cautious and careful when dealing with such internal matters of the Zoldycks.
The internal strife within an assassin family was not only more perilous than in ordinary families, but more importantly, those who genuinely suffered and lost their lives were invariably the servants. Almost no one dared to meddle in the grievances between Zoldyck family members. It was better to avoid trouble, and only a seasoned butler like Zepile, who was directly under Silva, dared to "stir up trouble."
After Zepile finished speaking, Silva had his own assumptions. However, assumptions were just assumptions; everything depended on the facts. Silva believed in his family and was willing to trust the loyalty of this old butler. Before the investigation yielded results, Silva would not jump to any conclusions.
Silva personally investigated the matter of the medical reports. The investigation was conducted discreetly, without rushing to get to the bottom of it, because the objective was not to find the instigator, but merely to confirm if the medical reports were deliberately altered.
After turning off the last footage of Milluth, which he had watched several times, Silva rubbed his temples.
The facts were as he had assumed.
No, some things went beyond his assumptions.
He seemed to understand the reason for the deliberate alteration of the medical reports. It couldn't be judged simply by right and wrong.
If Milluth's condition hadn't continued to worsen... No, this matter would naturally be dealt with, but it would take some time to sort things out, in all aspects.
At this point, it was time to clarify this matter and have a one-on-one conversation with one of the involved parties. "Illumi, what did you do to Milluth in the end?"
"In the end, I helped stop my out-of-control sister with Nen needles," Illumi honestly stated the part that was not in the footage.
The part where Milluth, after her breakdown, went on a rampage, which Kikyo had deleted, and the unrecorded ending of that incident, it was indeed him helping Milluth on-site.
"No, I want to ask about what happened before that," Silva stated without beating around the bush. "When you disguised yourself as that host and approached Milluth, what did you do?"
Illumi always carried out the family's missions faithfully and accurately, but that didn't mean he was blindly obedient.
"Does this have anything to do with my sister's current condition?" Illumi asked, not answering Silva's question.
"She believes she's been in an illusion because of your Nen needles."
"En, isn't the illusion problem already resolved?"
Clearly, Illumi was not an obedient child who would easily reveal everything. He was well-trained and adept at maintaining composure. Interrogation was a form of training, not a means to force family members to reveal the truth. If the truth was to be known, a gentler approach was still preferred.
For example, stating more directly, "To conceal certain matters, Milluth's medical reports were redacted. Rather than investigating further, I'd prefer to get answers from you. I hope you won't disappoint me, Illumi."
"Ah, I see, this matter," Illumi's eyes widened slightly. Because there was no light in his eyes, the surprise seemed like an artificially manipulated doll's expression, lacking vitality. "No one has asked, I thought it wouldn't be brought up."
He was completely unafraid, even a little relaxed and cheerful, as if he had been waiting for someone to ask about this for a long time.
"Father, we all know that Sister isn't incapable of speaking, but she dislikes talking. She likes to keep everything to herself, and often we don't know what she's thinking. That patience is very dangerous because we can't predict when we've touched her, when she's reached her limit, and when she'll explode. We protected her too well, or rather, not well enough," Illumi sighed with what seemed like regret. "When I disguised myself as that host and approached my sister, her reaction made me very sad."
As he spoke, he lowered his gaze. "You probably can't imagine how enthusiastic she was in her embrace towards a strange man she had interacted with for less than 24 hours in total. She was like a completely different person compared to when she was with us."
"Sigh," he placed his hand on the conference table, his fingertips barely touching the surface. He slowly stroked it. "Father, do you know? Although I don't know why, she didn't touch any of the (bait) toys we prepared for her. She's been enduring, enduring for a long time, and finally got an opportunity after spending money and effort."
"If we interrupted here, she would definitely be very angry. Not only would it ruin her 'good deed,' but it would also prove that we were spying on her, which is something she finds very repulsive. When she gets emotional, things often turn bad." Amidst the sound of his nails scratching the table, Illumi looked up. "So, just like always, I chose to play along with her game."
The wooden table was very smooth. Illumi recalled the path he had walked; the further he went, the wetter and muddier it became. With every step he took, he could hear the splashing of water.
The ground was too soft; he couldn't get a firm footing. One foot sank in, then the other.
Retreating was meaningless, and he couldn't get out by moving forward. He sank deeper and deeper.
"We cooperated very well," Illumi said in a flat tone, his gaze direct at Silva's eyes, appearing remarkably upright. "When I brought her home, she didn't resist much either. Her condition was still stable then, until the mention of 'Kalluto'."
"Kikyo has already said what happened afterward," Silva interrupted Illumi. "When did you remove your disguise?"
"As a 'test of whether she had lost her judgment,' of course, it was at her most relaxed moment."
"How did you test?"
"I called her name."
"What was it?"
The rapid and fluent question-and-answer session abruptly stopped. Illumi seemed to need to recall something, and then he smiled as if savoring the memory, uttering two syllables, "...Mill."
"..." Silva stared at the smile, reading a sense of provocation in it.
The most effective test, conducted at the moment of greatest relaxation, had, in a twisted turn of events, transformed into something else.
Silva couldn't be sure what the transformed thing was, but he was indeed affected by the provocation. The vague anger now needed to be suppressed.
"She passed the test, by a narrow margin. She almost killed me," Illumi continued, as if indifferent to his audience's reaction, performing a solo play on stage, staring at a point in the void. "En, I was one step ahead of her, so I won—that was close."
Perhaps to express his lingering fear of having narrowly escaped death, he paused and then looked at Silva with a hint of expectation.
"And then?" Silva knew what Illumi wanted.
Since they had started, they couldn't stop until they reached the end. There were no intermediate options for either of them.
"Until she was satisfied."
"And then?"
"Of course, I brought her home."
Ding dong, the destination was reached.
Although the journey was short, it could also be long, just like the silence that was now slowly accumulating.
"Illumi," before the water's surface froze, the ripples that formed disturbed the frost. "After removing your disguise, if Milluth had recognized your identity, what was your original plan?"
Considering all possible scenarios in assassination work was a mandatory course. As a qualified professional assassin, Illumi would certainly have been prepared.
"The conclusion is that she didn't recognize me." History cannot be assumed, and the past cannot be changed. Time always moves forward. Illumi didn't really need to answer this question, which didn't hold much significance, but as Silva thought, Illumi would answer, because Illumi wanted to answer.
Knowing one's child is like knowing oneself... No, that couldn't be said. Silva didn't always understand his sons. In this regard, like parents educating their children in ordinary families, he also encountered difficulties from time to time. Coupled with their special family background, the job of parents only became more challenging.
"However, if she had recognized me, that would have been even better," Illumi said confidently. "Because I am also her favorite type. She likes me, and she did when she didn't recognize me."
"..." Before Illumi finished all his statements, Silva chose to remain a listener.
"It was just a very small opportunity; she overlooked me. Before that, she still liked me a lot," Illumi said. "She values appearance the most, and other things are secondary. If you can understand this... it doesn't matter if you don't understand, knowing this is enough, because her way of thinking is different from ours. She had invited me before, and she would be unhappy if I refused."
"Watching her grow up, I can understand these things. I can love her like I love the rest of our family."
"So I was helping her; I was doing it for her own good."
"We played along with Milluth's game because it was harmless, not indulgence," Silva said. "You are different from Milluth. Her causing trouble is her problem, but have you also lost your judgment? Or do you have some ulterior motive?"
"Father, you also admit that she is different from us," Illumi smiled. "Yes, you always cautiously set boundaries for her actions, watched her carefully, worried about her causing trouble outside, like... raising a somewhat disobedient pet. So I'll play with her, give her happiness, and keep her mood stable. Am I not doing the same thing as you?"
"No, you are mistaken. This is all your misunderstanding," Silva closed his eyes. The most terrifying thing about the whole matter was that most of Illumi's statements seemed to be from the heart, and this son's eccentric personality was just like Kikyo's. It was better to solve the problem at its root than to waste words, cutting the Gordian knot. "Milluth is not a pet, just a bit special, lacking self-control, and needing extra care. Of course, that does not include what you have done."
No one knew how Silva felt when, on his first mission with Milluth, the seven-year-old Milluth, holding the air, nervously recounted a non-existent "cabbage," and he promised her to keep this "special ability" as their little secret.
Then Milluth would go around "collecting," but in reality, no items were missing from the house. She would excitedly introduce the "items" she had "collected" to the empty floor, prompting Silva to warn her, "Don't get too carried away."
Thus, her awakened Nen ability being related to "collecting" was within expectation, or rather, a stroke of luck. If the ability became real, would she also be able to approach reality more closely?
The Zoldycks had always been tolerant of their family members' unique personalities. Some of her minor issues could be regarded as her unique characteristics. However, the balance that had been carefully maintained for a long time had finally collapsed.
"Illumi," as the current head of the family, Silva's command was equivalent to the will of the entire Zoldyck family. "From today onwards, unless I permit it, you are forbidden from initiating any form of contact with Milluth. Furthermore, your actions against family members have crossed the line. You will be punished according to family rules and sent to the torture chamber."
"Understood," Illumi did not attempt to argue, responding calmly, as if unconditionally obeying the family's arrangements.
But he did not leave immediately, remaining in place, as if he still had something else to say.
"Father, there's something I've been curious about for a long time. When Sister and I returned from Meteor City, what was the reward Sister asked for?"
Illumi's gaze was not like that of a son facing his father. It was more presumptuous than simple curiosity prompting a question.
The Zoldycks revered strength, and Illumi was the one among Silva's sons who most craved power.
As his wings grew, his sense of self became stronger.
Regardless, as a father and head of the family, Silva hoped that the next generation of Zoldycks would be stronger. As for the issues of character, those were tests left for each head of the family.
Silva looked at his eldest son. Perhaps this was Illumi's most successful provocation, causing Silva to momentarily lose all other emotions, leaving only bitterness.
It was like the taste in the cup when Milluth underwent the Water Divination test.
"It was just a very simple little thing," he replied.