Lucilfer (ChrolloxReader)

Chapter 9

I was suddenly very wary of the man in front of me, wishing to trust him but being very put off by the text message he received from Hisoka. I met his gaze guardedly, searching for any inauthenticity. However, the only thing I could read in his dark eyes was a sort of playful wonder.

"I'm sorry." I sighed, defeated. "Honestly, I was just curious. I've never had a phone before, and when this one buzzed, I just wanted to look at it."

Chrollo's head tilted to the side, a lazy smile hanging on his lips, his eyes crinkling endearingly.

"Of course, but now I'm sure you're curious about another matter."

I bit my lip. He could read me so easily—either that or he saw what message I'd seen and knew he had explaining to do.

"Who's Hisoka? And what Exorcist is he talking about on 'Greed Island'?" My eyes narrowed, and I felt my eyebrows come down.

Stop feeling jealous. Why am I jealous?

"I thought you said fate led you to me—or, me to you," I added with uncertainty.

Blinking slowly, Chrollo took in a deep breath and studied me intensely with the same calculating expression he wore on his face from time to time. It always made the tips of my ears burn a little bit, being scrutinized so blatantly by his wide inescapable gaze.

"Undeniably, it has," he murmured, but the statement was weighted heavily. "I was going to explain this to you tomorrow, but I suppose now is as good of a time as ever. Come, sit with me."

Nodding, I followed him over to one of the sofas. He sat down first on the left end, so I took the right corner, curling up comfortably and resting my head on my knees, looking up at him expectantly. Chrollo leaned forward, his elbows on his knees and his hands loosely clasped together. When he turned his face to me, his gaze softened, and once again, the shadow of a smile played on his lips.

"Hisoka used to be a member of my troupe," he began, "but it turns out, he had just been pretending. He used his Nen ability to fake a Spider tattoo, and on the night of my curse, he revealed that he was a fake, and that it was all simply a plot for him to get closer to me so that he could fight me."

My eyes widened, and I pursed my lips worriedly.

"Why did he want to fight you?"

"He seems to enjoy it—killing strong opponents is a very potent source of pleasure for him." Shrugging, he sighed nonchalantly. "Hisoka is a very powerful enemy. When he found out about my curse, however, he no longer wished to fight me. At the moment, it was pure luck that I didn't have any Nen to interest him—of course, if I had, there was a chance I could have beaten him, but it would be much harder to defeat such a skilled user without much preparation. I do prefer having previous knowledge. Since he knows the length of my power, though, he is determined to find a Nen Exorcist for me so that my abilities can be restored. That way, he can fight me sooner."

I was quiet for a moment, feeling a little betrayed and hurt.

"So... you're not going to train me anymore?" I asked, my voice weak as I tried to keep it from breaking.

Chrollo looked surprised for a moment, his brows coming down over his wide eyes. Then, he laughed loudly—it was a rolling sound that came from deep inside his chest. I chuckled warily, a little confused.

"Forgive me," he said through his laughter, "I probably should have addressed that bit first. I've sent Hisoka on a wild goose chase. There is no other Exorcist on Greed Island, but I gave him the name of one who I paid to enter the game and evade him at all costs. He must have accidentally made contact with them somehow and noticed their name in the contact list. If they're smart, they'll leave the game soon and make Hisoka follow them—that's what I'm paying them for, to keep him distracted. I knew that I was supposed to find my own Exorcist, and now that I have and you still need proper training, it's even more imperative that he stay distracted as long as possible." He paused, pursing his lips, his smile fading a little bit as he willed me to understand. "Does that make more sense, (Y/n)?"