"So my dear older brother has entered the rebellious phase that every child in the Zoldyck Family has to go through?"
With a book in one hand and a teacup in the other, Coleman listened to the servant's report and spoke absentmindedly.
The rebellious phase of the Zoldyck Family's children, huh?
They said every child in the family had to go through it sometime between the ages of seven and twelve.
Come to think of it, Illumi was almost eight.
Coleman rubbed his thumb against the teacup's handle, lost in thought.
But Illumi didn't seem like the type to wander off on a whim.
Then... had someone asked him to go out?
The thought flashed through Coleman's mind, and his face darkened at once.
Someone's trying to steal my brother?!
"Crack!"
The teacup shattered under the sudden force of Coleman's grip.
His face was expressionless, his gaze cold, and a hint of murderous intent showed in his eyes.
Coleman simply watched as the tea soaked his hand and dripped onto the floor.
The servant who had delivered the report was at a loss, her face full of alarm.
She had no idea what she'd done to anger the young master.
All she could do was lower her head even further, hoping he wouldn't notice her.
Amid the oppressive atmosphere, Gotoh the butler arrived just in time.
Holding a handkerchief, he hurried to Coleman's side.
With a gentle tug, he removed the handle still clutched in Coleman's hand and spoke calmly.
"Don't worry. Young Master Illumi won't be in any danger."
Coleman frowned at Gotoh's words.
Tch, what did that have to do with Illumi getting hurt?!
It was only natural that Illumi wouldn't get hurt.
The problem was that someone was trying to kidnap my brother!
He slowly shifted his gaze to Gotoh's face.
He stared at him without any particular purpose.
His gaze was terrifying.
The murderous intent in it poured out as if it were free.
But Gotoh didn't panic at all.
He knew the young master wasn't angry with him.
He dried up the tea with his handkerchief and checked carefully for any remaining drops.
Only then did he speak. "Young Master Illumi went to Heavens Arena. You should know the place."
At the name, Coleman's frown slowly eased.
It was a good training ground Father had mentioned last time.
He'd said that once Mother had given birth to the baby, he would take Coleman and Illumi to have a look.
But it still didn't make sense. Illumi didn't seem like the sort of person who'd go somewhere like that on his own.
As his other half, how could Coleman not understand this strange fellow?
Illumi was a child who seemed to have money on the brain and was a little lazy.
By lazy, Coleman didn't mean that he disliked training.
Rather, he didn't like thinking about unnecessary things or doing anything unnecessary.
He'd rather lie in the sun in his own courtyard than go out wandering around!
Even the last time they'd bought that cake from Dort's, Coleman had practically dragged his brother along.
That outing had cost Coleman fifty thousand Jenie.
What a loss!
But it wasn't good for him to stay cooped up all the time, either.
Whenever Coleman looked at his other half's deathly pale skin, he couldn't help wondering if the poor guy was sick.
So, for the sake of his brother's health, Coleman was willing to pay to get Illumi outside for a walk.
Besides, Father would reimburse him.
So it wasn't a loss.
Coleman might even be able to make a little profit on the side.
"Ahem, please don't get worked up."
Gotoh's voice roused Coleman from his thoughts.
He looked at the speaker, puzzled.
Gotoh looked back at him.
He blinked and smiled. "Young Master Illumi is carrying out a mission. Someone offered him money and made a bet with him: whether Young Master Illumi could reach the fiftieth floor of Heavens Arena. The wager is worth three hundred thousand Jenie."
Under Coleman's gaze, Gotoh continued, "Besides, you can make money at Heavens Arena. By the time you reach around the hundredth floor, the reward is about a million Jenie."
Gotoh noticed almost immediately that his young master's expression had changed.
Coleman raised an eyebrow, then suddenly jumped down from his chair and hurried away.
"Gotoh, don't tell Father you saw me today."
That was all he said.
Then he vanished so quickly that even his back was out of sight.
Gotoh had managed to reassure the young master. He simply pushed up his glasses and said nothing.
His good deed would remain a secret.
He sighed inwardly.
As expected of twins.
They both loved money.
And they both loved sweets.
This time, the master would have a headache. Two of his children had run off at once.
Hopefully, he could withstand his wife's furious screams.
Before you continue