As Ben Hermann walked along the corridor of the guest rooms, chatting incessantly to the blue-eyed girl beside him, the stained glass inlaid in the doors reflected his "gentlemanly" image—though it appeared inevitably warped and distorted.
"Are you saying... I could be a model?"
Hermann sighed with emotion. "Miss Hayley, your beauty is more dazzling than the brightest pearl in Sicily. To be honest, seeing your graceful figure on the dance floor earlier convinced me that you are the muse our company has been searching for."
In Hermann's narrative, the latest fashion brand under his company was in desperate need of a teenage model. He claimed his standards were so high that many applicants lacked "that certain something." Seeing Hayley Grace at the banquet tonight, he was certain she was the one.
Not only could she try on the latest high-fashion clothing and shoot promotional posters, but if she were lucky, she'd gain fame and earn a massive salary—a dream for many girls.
The girl remained silent. Hermann felt a twinge of anxiety and continued his persuasion: "If such elven beauty as yours were to be buried and never appreciated by the public, what a tragedy that would be..."
Faced with such a mountain of flattery, almost anyone would start to feel a bit light-headed. Seeing Hermann exhaust his vocabulary of compliments, Gojo perfectly mimicked an innocent girl dreaming of stardom, showing a hesitant expression: "I... I have to speak with my mother first. I can't make a hasty decision."
"Of course, of course. But before discussing it with dear Lady Grace, why not meet our company's internationally renowned photographer, Betty? Let her take a few beautiful photos. Once the Lady sees them, she won't have any reason to object."
"..."
The girl fell into deep thought for a long moment, still not agreeing.
Fearing he might seem too eager and trigger her alarm, Hermann took a step back and gave an apologetic smile. "Look at me, getting so ahead of myself the moment I find the ideal model." He waved goodbye. "Forgive my presumption. Miss Hayley, perhaps another time."
He turned away decisively, as if to leave.
"Wait, Mr. Hermann."
Gojo couldn't let the fish get off the hook. He called out to the man, his posture shifting into that of a prideful, tsundere young lady. "Since you're being so sincere, I'll... give it a try."
Hermann, thinking his "playing hard to get" tactic hadn't worked only to find a turning point, was overjoyed. Things were going smoother than expected, and he suspected nothing.
What a pure soul. It makes me want to possess her... and then destroy her.
"Excellent. I'll take you to Betty right now."
He signaled to his bodyguards nearby, who nodded subtly. Hermann called "Betty," asking for her location while leading Hayley away.
The little beauty, seemingly oblivious to his true intentions, clutched her royal blue skirt and followed him closely. They moved away from the bustling hall and corridors, entering a secluded courtyard of the estate.
Gradually, Hayley felt something was wrong. "Mr. Hermann, aren't we there yet? Is Miss Betty still back at the ballroom?"
"Don't worry, we're almost there," Hermann soothed in a low voice. The girl hesitated, her footsteps slowing, but her pride seemingly prevented her from quitting halfway. She continued to follow the man in silence.
"Here we are..."
Hermann stopped before a half-open side door. "Betty said she's inside. She found a perfect spot specifically for your photo shoot."
"Is anyone in there? I don't see anyone..." Hayley scanned the area suspiciously. "Where is Miss Betty?"
"She's right there, Hayley. Look closely."
Hermann stood with his back to her, pointing toward a direction inside the room.
Hearing this, the girl approached without defense. Just as she went to pull the door open, her mouth was clamped shut from behind by a cloth held by the man, who simultaneously locked her neck with his other arm.
"Mmph! Mmmph...!"
She hammered at the man's arm, struggling for a few seconds before falling limp and losing consciousness. Clearly, the cloth was laced with a powerful anesthetic.
There was no fashion model and no photographer—only lies.
Hermann signaled his bodyguards to step forward. Looking at the fallen girl, he broke into a satisfied smile. He knelt down, stroking that porcelain cheek, and sighed: "Hayley, oh Hayley. You come from wealth; normally I wouldn't touch you. But why are you so beautiful? So beautiful that the 'little pets' I have at home pale in comparison..."
"This is entirely your fault."
Hermann was about to pick her up when a bodyguard approached and whispered something. He frowned, thought for a moment, and signaled the guard to take the girl away first, saying he would be there shortly. Then, he strode hurriedly back toward the ballroom.
Sometimes, when the prey and the hunter perform on the same stage, they lose track of their roles. The triumphant Hermann was a prime example.
Gojo was covered with a long black coat, disguised as a drunken guest, and smuggled out through the back door. The footman at the gate was handed a wad of cash and let them pass without a second glance. Then, he was tossed into the back seat of a Porsche while several men stood guard by the doors.
The bodyguards' professional standards weren't high enough; otherwise, they should have remained vigilant even against a sleeping young girl.
Gojo wasn't even bound hand or foot before being dumped on the seat. Lying comfortably, he stretched in the bodyguards' blind spot. Sigh~ Finally, I don't have to pretend to be "innocent" anymore.
A mere anesthetic obviously had no effect on the Six Eyes. When Hermann touched his cheek earlier, a sudden surge of loathing nearly made Gojo snap the man's neck right then and there. However, hearing the words "little pets at home," Gojo paused his killing intent.
If it was as he suspected... he needed to scout Hermann's lair.
The man's current address was strictly protected by the Casino family; even the Organization hadn't been able to pin it down. If his prediction was right, he was being taken directly to Hermann's house.
He pulled out his phone and sent messages to Gin and Vermouth.
The gist was: Contact established. Currently in the vehicle. Proceeding with the plan to kill him once we're alone.
The replies came quickly.
Gin: "Understood. Don't screw up. I'm following."
Vermouth: "OK. Your safety is the priority."
Before departing, Gojo had attached a tracker to himself so the two could find him accurately. As the sky grew darker, he found himself with nothing to do in the car, so he pulled up the System interface.
[Name: Satoru Gojo (Jiang Wu)]
[Gender: Male]
[Physical Age: 13]
**[Identity:
* Natural-born Jujutsu Sorcerer (Rating: You, who have yet to reach your peak, have already surpassed most.)
* Kaiser of the Black Organization (Rating: You are Renya Karasuma's foster son and the ace of the Winery hidden in the shadows.)]**
(Right, this identity appeared after meeting the Boss and receiving his codename.)
[Inventory: Donuts x10, Wagashi x10... (omitted)]
[Manga Pages & Forum (Temporarily inaccessible)]
[Red Side Impression Points: 0]
[Black Side Impression Points: 10,500]
Without realizing it, I've gathered quite a few Black Side points. It's a good sign; even if it's far from 100,000, it's impressive considering how few people are actually in the "Winery."
**[Bloodline Abilities:
* Six Eyes (Activated) - Can see through hidden information, ultra-enhanced insight.
* Limitless Cursed Technique (Unactivated)
* Domain Expansion: Unlimited Void (Unactivated)
* Reversed Cursed Technique (Unactivated)
* Taijutsu (Activated) - Master of hand-to-hand combat, powerful physique.]**
But... System, when is my Limitless going to unlock? It's been three years and I'm still stuck with just Taijutsu and Six Eyes. This is pathetic.
[Bzzzt... Please explore the development conditions and unlock them step-by-step, Host.]
So what are the conditions? Give me a hint?
[Bzzzt... Please explore the development conditions and unlock them step-by-step, Host.]
You're such a bot, System. I'm filing a complaint.
"Gojo-cat" curled his lip, decided to lay face down on the cushioned back seat, and closed his eyes.
Whatever. I'll just take a nap first~