Chapter Text
The Zoldyck household is currently lacking manpower. For that reason, all servants are doing twice as many chores as usual. According to Gotoh, this is the first time that something like this has happened. Although the Zoldyck is not one that shy away from handing out punishment, both for their children and their servants, the servants of the Zoldycks had a relatively low turnover.
What changed?
It first started when Hassam was suddenly crushed to death in the servant quarter. His death was sudden and brutal. And most of all, confusing. There is no one near him that could have killed him. Especially when he was in the middle of Zoldyck's servant quarter, trained to guard the most elite assassin family.
At first, none of the servants know what happened, no one bothers to explain it to them. But as the family members keep using the butlers as test subjects, the servants finally get what’s happening.
It was because of Master Alluka.
And they also understand Master Alluka’s rules, if not completely. But they know enough that a person can’t refuse her request four times, or else, the person and their most beloved person will die. Crushed to death.
As an apprentice butler, Azura only watched the chaos with mild concern. Afterall, Azura is new and barely had any interactions with the servants, so chances of her being crushed to death because she is someone’s “most beloved person” or “spend the most time with” is almost zero.
As for chances of her being a test subject? Very little. If her interactions with fellow servants are almost very little, her interaction with the family members are almost none. Azura is still an apprentice, so she’s not trusted enough to serve the family directly. If she happens to accidentally encounter the family members during chores, they treat her as if she were invisible.
The only exceptions are Master Killua and Master Alluka, who are always friendly to the servants no matter who they are. Still, her conversation with Master Killua and Alluka only consists of ‘Good morning’ and ‘Yes, master’ with a few small talk thrown in between. Hardly makes a memorable impression.
Maybe that’s why, when Azura is summoned by Master Illumi one day, she feels a dread running to her core. He had no reason to specifically request her, since she and Master Illumi had never interacted before.
Still, the masters’ order is absolute. So Azura is forced to follow Master Illumi to the Zoldyck’s mansion, down to the underground, and keep going further through multiple password-protected steel doors.
When they arrive at the destination, Illumi opens a door to a room that is covered with bright, colorful wallpapers. The room was full of toys and stuffed animals of all sizes. There, sitting in the middle as docile as the dolls surrounding her, is Master Alluka herself.
The black-haired girl doesn’t speak, but only stares confusedly at the two guests in her room. Azura knows that the little girl in front of her is not evil, but she also knows that Master Alluka is dangerous. She knows what her wish-granting power costs.
She also knows what she’s here for: as another test subject to figure out Master Alluka’s power.
And that means death.
“No matter what, don’t say no to her request.” ordered Master Illumi. Voice flat without emotion. As if he wasn’t just handed her death sentence.
Azura starred in silent horror as her life flashed behind her eyes. She’s just a nobody from meteor city that happened to be a capable nen-user with no family and friends to speak of, nobody will miss her, nobody will even notice she’s not in this world anymore. A lonely existence that no one wanted. Dying for the Zoldycks’ family should be her highest honor. That means she did her job as a servant. As stated several times by Gotoh and Tsubone, a servant worthy of the Zoldycks’s salt is not afraid to die.
But she is. She’s so afraid to die. Her life may be small and doesn’t impact anyone, but she wanted to live another day. To feel another sunlight and another warm tea. To stay up another night and wonder how she ended up from a child in dumpster city to an apprentice butler serving an assassin family. To feel her power grow and develop.
It’s unfair that her life would be cut short when she hasn’t lived that long. It feels like forever, but her mind was running at a speed she never felt before. No matter what, she had to get out of here alive.
But time didn’t slow down, as her mind was desperately thinking for survival, Master Illumi footsteps echoed behind her as he walked out. In a moment of panic and sheer madness, Azura called out to him.
“Master Illumi! Wait!”
Master Illumi stopped and turned around. Empty black eyes shifted their gaze to her, silently threatening.
Body trampled in fear, Azura bowed her head deeply. A crazy and nearly suicidal idea popped into her head. It’s risky, but it’s the only way she can think of to get out of this predicament.
“Master Illumi, I am so sorry. I know what you want me to do, but I…. I can’t follow your order.”
He took one step closer to her. Azura can’t see him, but she knows that the hands in his pocket are preparing for a kill, depending on her next words.
“I’m aware of Master Alluka’s ability. I know that if I refuse her request, I will be dead, and so will the person that is most dear to me.”
“So?” he asked.
Still bowing deeply, Azura gripped the front of her uniform, trying to stop her hand from shaking.
“That’s why I can’t do it. Because the person who is the most dear to me…is Master Killua.”
As the words left her mouth, a cold chill enveloped the room in an instant. Master Illumi’s murderous aura was spilling in black mad spiral around him. His gaze was as sharp as his needle, and when he spoke, his voice was a hissed threat.
“How dare you… a mere servant…to a member of the family….”
Azura falls to her knees, her hand and forehead touch the floor. This time, Azura can’t stop the trembling of her body. She heard him step closer and closer as she put her arms around her head, bracing herself for death that is undoubtedly about to befall her.
Then, a voice cut through the tension in the room. It comes from the speaker above them. Azura recognizes it as Master Silva’s voice.
“That’s enough, Illumi.” he ordered, “Get her out.”
The three people in the room stood still as statues, still in their respective position: Azura on the floor, Illumi standing at the edge of the room, and Alluka behind them, watching the whole event in silent wonder.
Then, as if a switch is being turned off. The murderous aura subsided. Illumi’s whole demeanor changed from intense hatred to cold impartiality once again.
But his anger is far from abated, as he roughly dragged the Azura out, he carelessly threw her on the ground in front of the manor.
As she lay on the ground, Azura doesn’t move an inch for a good 10 minutes. Her heart is still racing from adrenaline from a near-death encounter she just avoided.
Well, looks like she lived for another day.
Finally, she stood up and brushed out the dirt from her uniform. As she walked back to the servant quarter, she wondered what were the consequences of what she just did.