Ron gazed into Ponzu's eyes. Her lashes quivered, and a faint blush spread across her cheeks, then to the tips of her ears, and finally down her neck. It was a soft pinkish hue, like a ripe peach giving off a tempting fragrance.
Ponzu understood perfectly well what Ron meant. She just hadn't expected it to happen so suddenly—so quickly. They'd been having a normal conversation moments ago, and now the atmosphere had completely shifted. Yet it didn't feel abrupt at all, as though this was the natural course of things.
Too flustered to meet Ron's eyes, Ponzu turned her head and looked toward the window.
"But, Captain…it's daytime."
Ron moved his fingers lightly. A swirl of aura drifted to the window. The curtain had only been partially drawn, so with a small tug, it was sealed shut, allowing only a tiny sliver of light in.
"Now it's dark," he said quietly.
Ponzu closed her eyes. Ron leaned over her.
"Ponzu, is this all right?" he asked again.
Hiding her overwhelming shyness, Ponzu couldn't form the words, so she simply nodded once with her eyes squeezed shut. In the dim light, Ron could see her clearly. He bent down, and their lips met—warm and soft, with a hint of sweetness.
Green hair fanned out across the pillow, rising and falling with each breath. Pajamas slipped off the bed, heaping into a small pile on the floor.
Meanwhile, in the kitchen, a maid was busy preparing breakfast. She dropped a sugar cube into a cup, then poured in warm milk so the sugar slowly dissolved. A slice of cake, pale and spongy, rested on a plate nearby. The maid dabbed a bit of red jam on top. A breeze rattled the window with a creaking sound.
"Captain…th-that's enough," Ponzu's timid voice whispered through the air. Her eyes remained firmly shut.
Both of them were a little awkward about it; it was Ponzu's first time, and although Ron had lived a previous life, it had been so long that he wasn't exactly practiced anymore. But the more they tried, the more natural it felt—like riding a bike: once learned, it's never truly forgotten.
Certain phrases from the "Peach Blossom Spring" floated through Ron's mind. It had nothing to do with this moment, but somehow it felt fitting. Ponzu bit her lip, trying not to make any noise. Eventually, Ron lay back in his spot.
"Ponzu, are you okay?"
"I…I'm fine," she answered, still blushing fiercely.
Checking the time, Ron said, "Breakfast should be just about ready."
"Captain…I'd like to wash up," Ponzu murmured.
"Ah?" Her face burned an even deeper shade of red. "N-no, that's all right…"
"I'm just teasing you. Go ahead. I'll go in after."
Relieved, Ponzu left, and shortly afterward, they both arrived at the dining room. Ron had intended to stay at the Zoldyck estate a few more days, but Maha had returned only to shut himself in seclusion again. Zeno, Silva, and the others were busy with their own affairs, so Ron decided heading to Heaven's Arena sooner might be better after all.
"Shinji, any news on how Killua's doing?" Ron asked.
Shinji bowed slightly. "Master Ron, Killua has already met up with his friends. They're over at the butler's quarters right now."
"What are their plans?"
"It appears Killua and Gon will be heading to Heaven's Arena. Leorio and Kurapika have their own matters to attend to, so they'll be separating from those two."
Ron nodded. "Tell them to wait a bit—I'll go with them to Heaven's Arena."
Shinji quickly relayed the message to the other butlers.
Meanwhile, Silva mused, "If Ron's going along, I won't have to. Killua will be perfectly safe with him." He thought back to when Killua had once asked, "Father, who's stronger, you or Ron?" At the time, Silva had been certain of his answer, but after seeing Ron battle those two members of the Six Herd—controlling the fight from start to finish without even going all out—he wasn't as sure anymore.
Exactly how powerful had Ron become?
Elsewhere, Killua, Gon, Leorio, and Kurapika emerged from the butler's quarters, heading for the main gate. Killua and Gon looked cheerful, each having found what they were searching for. Killua had gained Silva's permission to make friends, and Gon had successfully brought Killua back. Past troubles didn't matter much to them, but Leorio and Kurapika couldn't help glancing over their shoulders at the butler's quarters, sighing with emotion.
"So this is the Zoldyck Family—an assassin clan," Leorio muttered. "It's nothing like a normal family at all. Hard to imagine Killua's childhood."
"Same for Ron," Kurapika added. "He lives here too, but I wonder if his friends go through this whenever they visit…or is it different for him?"
They walked on as Mike, patrolling nearby, cast them a quick glance and then returned to his rounds. Once the group stepped outside the estate's gate, Zebro approached.
"Killua, wait up," Zebro said.
"What is it?" asked Killua.
Zebro replied, "Word just came from the butler's quarters—you're supposed to hold on a bit. You can't leave right away."
Killua frowned. "Can't leave? Why not?"
"The message came from Shinji—he's Master Ron's personal butler," Zebro answered.
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