The Allure of Blood-Red Eyes

When it came to controlling and possessing others, Coleman wasn't particularly interested.

Rather than controlling them, he preferred watching people when they were only half-free.

Or watching their reactions when they learned they'd been imprisoned by a madman.

But Coleman didn't like controlling people.

He thought it was far too boring.

Only people who were free could show their emotions fully.

So why restrict their freedom?

How else could Coleman observe his artistic materials?

Still, if the situation called for it, he could act like a madman with an overwhelming possessive streak.

That way, he could satisfy certain people's need for empathy and their desires.

And he could fit right in among this crowd of people who were terrible at expressing their emotions.

What was there to lose?

Though Coleman himself was hardly normal.

But compared to some of the more deranged members of the Zoldyck Family, he was perfectly normal, okay?

He was just an elegant gentleman.

Besides, deliberately revealing an obvious weakness was far better than letting the bugs who hated the Zoldycks investigate him without restraint.

An obvious weakness could solve a lot of problems.

Including the problem of his father wanting to know more about him.

It was only an act. Coleman had simply chosen a role that was least likely to fall apart and fit the Zoldyck Family perfectly.

Besides, once he established the idea in their minds that Coleman had something seriously wrong with him, he couldn't break character.

Would anyone expect someone with a serious problem to act normal?

Then anything he did would be understandable.

Even staying up in the middle of the night, climbing onto the roof, and drinking extra-sweet coffee while admiring the moon.

Even if it was a new moon.

The moon was no more than a sliver.

But wasn't that just how madmen were—different from everyone else?

Sitting aboard the family's airship, Coleman gazed at the sky outside with a smile.

His back was straight and his movements elegant, like a nobleman who always observed proper etiquette.

It would've been even better if Hisoka weren't beside him, chattering incessantly.

"Hey, little gentleman, I've said all that, and you don't have anything to say?"

Hisoka stood beside him, bent over to meet Coleman's gaze as he sat on the bench. He blinked.

"Aren't you jealous?"

After spending ages bragging, both openly and indirectly, about how close he'd gotten with Illumi lately, Hisoka thought the boy ought to be jealous by now.

He'd wanted to tease him.

How could he be so calm?

It made no sense.

If he bragged to Illumi about how close he was with Coleman, Illumi—

Well, he might just ignore him.

"Do you know how Illumi sits when he eats?"

"..."

"Do you know if Illumi kicks off his blankets in the middle of the night?"

"..."

"Do you know Illumi's little habits when he walks?"

"..."

Coleman looked seriously at Hisoka's baffled expression and smiled faintly.

Hah. Pathetic.

A pathetic little thing who only clung to his big brother to fight.

Curling his lips, he set down his coffee cup without even sparing Hisoka a glance.

"No, you don't."

"But I do."

He smiled as he looked at the now-stunned man.

What was there to compete over?

You little weirdo.

Why wasn't he jealous?

Because there was no reason to be.

Coleman stood, rose lightly onto his toes, and leaned close to Hisoka's ear to whisper.

"Shh, dear magician. Don't try to drive a wedge between Illumi and me."

"Because Illumi and I have been one person since the day we were born."

So why would "I" be jealous that he'd found an interesting tool?

A breeze brushed Hisoka's ear, but he felt no warmth.

They were only words, yet Coleman made him feel as if a knife were pressed to his throat.

As though the slightest displeasure from the boy would send him to his grave.

There wasn't a trace of bloodlust in his manner; it was impossibly ambiguous.

And yet it carried a bone-deep chill.

It was as if he'd suddenly been thrust ten thousand meters into the sky, where the thin air and freezing currents clamped around his throat.

His eyes widened in shock.

This guy...

His muscles went rigid. Only a sliver of awareness kept his nerves under control, warning him not to panic.

This was the Zoldyck Family's airship.

If he made a move, he'd never leave alive.

Feeling the boy tense up in front of him, Coleman chuckled.

He tilted his head. His blood-red eyes shimmered like stars.

They drew in anyone who strayed into their orbit.

Dazed. Bewildered.

His body seemed to sink toward that red, beyond his control.

But what lay ahead?

Nothing but an endless abyss drenched in blood.

Dangerous. Breathtaking.

He knew he shouldn't go near it, yet he couldn't pull himself away.

Hisoka stared at that flash of blood-red, but soon managed to tear himself free.

Cold sweat drenched him.

He forced a smile and jerked backward.

"What are you afraid of? I'm not going to eat you, little magician."

His voice was lilting, like the bewitching song of a sea monster.

But Hisoka knew that beneath the beauty lay nothing but murderous intent.

He raised a hand toward Coleman in a gesture of rejection.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to."

He smiled more awkwardly and bitterly than he ever had before.

But inside, he was relieved he'd escaped that spider-silk-like entanglement.

Otherwise, he might have ended up with his head cut off.

Hisoka swallowed unconsciously. He was certain there was something strange about that boy's eyes!

No, this was definitely not right.

Feeling his heart pound, Hisoka regretted his actions for the first time.

But the next moment, he was excited all over again!

This guy was going to be interesting!

I want to be friends with him!

When Hisoka came to his senses, he noticed that the boy seemed to have gleaned something from his expression.

Coleman's face went from puzzled to understanding in an instant.

Then the white-haired, red-eyed boy abruptly changed his tune.

With a bright smile, he held his index finger to his lips and winked. "Shh, this is a secret. Don't tell Big Brother."

Even Coleman didn't fully understand his eyes.

But he knew they were extraordinary.

They could bewitch an enemy to a certain extent.

And he liked their color, so he wasn't about to tell anyone about this fascinating little trick.

Not even his big brother.

He'd just treat it as a little bit of sibling fun.

He couldn't wait to see his brother's expression when he figured it out.

He'd be so surprised and annoyed.

Watching Coleman's expression change, Hisoka could guess more or less what was on his mind.

By the time he understood what the little guy was up to, his expression had already changed from shock to amusement and exasperation.

"Okay, fine. You two have a pretty kinky relationship."

"Mm-hmm. You don't have a brother. You wouldn't understand."

"Even if I did, I still wouldn't understand!"

Hisoka scoffed. Who went around doing this sort of thing with their own big brother?

Coleman pouted in disdain and looked at Hisoka as if he couldn't believe how hopeless he was. "What do you know? It's called keeping an air of mystery."

The essential skill for ensnaring a lunatic was to stay mysterious.

Make him feel that you had endless secrets waiting to be uncovered.

That way, he'd keep investing his time in you.

So what was wrong with being a bit of a mystery?

Hisoka fell into thought.

Still, wasn't that a trick you used when trying to hook a girl?

Could it work on anyone?

Hisoka: I often feel like I don't fit in because I'm not perverted enough.

"Enough thinking. Wait in the town in front of Kukuroo Mountain."

The Zoldyck Family didn't let people visit their home without paying.

Come on, the Zoldyck estate was a tourist attraction, wasn't it?

"Hey, but I'm a guest. You're not even going to invite me in for a visit?"

"No."

Coleman refused without expression.

He narrowed his eyes and watched the sun slowly rise over the horizon.

All right, the night was over. It was time for him to go to sleep.

He turned and looked at Hisoka, who resembled an abandoned puppy.

For a moment, he felt disgusted.

Then, all at once, he understood why his big brother disliked Hisoka so much.

He was so clingy, like a big dog!

"You can go find Big Brother. Maybe he'll agree."

"Then can I go in by myself?"

Coleman merely smiled without answering.

"I wouldn't recommend it. It'd be fine if you came at another time, but the whole family's probably on high alert right now. And I don't think you want to end up on the Zoldyck Family's blacklist."

His smile carried a warning.

Coleman didn't want his useful tool to be killed by his father.

"There's an Underground Arena near the Zoldyck estate where you can make some extra money. There's also a casino; that's not bad either. Just be careful."

Coleman handed him a map and pointed to two circled spots, speaking in an unhurried tone.

"Just don't let anyone who's lost their temper catch you. I'm sure you can handle it."

"Hey, so you're a regular, then, Coleman?"

"...Shut up. No one thinks you're mute."

Through gritted teeth, Coleman muttered under his breath.

If one of his father's men heard that, he'd be done for!

What was a little brat doing hanging around a casino? Did he think the Zoldycks didn't have enough missions for him already?