From: Katekyo Hitman Reborn!
Timeline: 10 years later
Disclaimer:
> The original characters involved in this story belongs to me and fellow members of the DeVastella members involved in our KHR DVST Private Project 2011. Do not take them as your own character in your stories unless with our permission~ >:
> This story is of my own originality and is not associated with any other stories. Any similarities are just coincidence (YOU HEARD THAT?? XDXD)
> All the other characters which originally belongs to Katekyo Hitman Reborn! stays as the original characters of Katekyo Hitman Reborn!. I do not own any of them.
> Katekyo Hitman Reborn! belongs to Akira Amano-sensei and not me!!!! XD As much as I want to own Katekyo Hitman Reborn!, I just can't.... >.>
Author's foreword: Guess what? My SPM exams are officially OVER!!!!!! (as of 08 Dec 2010)Here I am, free and easy, finally having the time to finally sit down in front of the computer to continue on this story. It's not easy to be thinking about studies, cosplay and my stories at the same time while you're on a quest to become successful in life. You should see how many grey hairs are on my head now, proving how much stress that I've been through for these few weeks time. But now that SPM is over, I have one less thing to worry about~ YAYY~~~
So, after god knows how long it has been, I can finally resume on chapter 4!!!!!! I seem to be lacking something in my chapters, I know~ XD A lot of people says so, so I'm trying to improve and raise my fanfiction-writing skills back to the max like I was a couple of months ago (see how bad my language skills have decreased due to stress~ =w=|||)
So, for now, do enjoy CHAPTER 4!!!!!!!
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*CHAPTER 4*
-Doubt & Trust-
"hikari no moto Yami wa umare
"hikari no moto Yami wa umare
shinjitsu wa itsuwari ni yureru
kokoro o tsukisasu
fureta yoru o koorasete mo
yume to iu yokubou no kage o
yobitsuzukeru
kimi no tsumi to itami o
shinjite iku"
===================================
Iratella fastened her silver-coloured choker around her neck, a perfect match for her green-coloured knee length strapless dress. Right after that, she took her hairbrush and brushed her long brunette locks thoroughly. In front of the mirror, while she was brushing her hair, she slightly twisted from side to side to see if what she was wearing is all in place. She placed her hairbrush on the mirror table, grabbed a white beaded hairband and placed it nicely on her head. Satisfy with everything that's on her, she took her shawl and her clutch, headed back to the full length mirror and took one last look at herself. "Okayy~~ this should do~" She grabbed her car key and turned to head for her room door, when the door knob turned. The door swung open, and in came Hibari, looking smart in his full black tux and a black tie.
"Ah, Kyouya. What brings you here?" Iratella was startled by his 'grand entrance' and took a step back.
"Vongola Decimo asked me to bring you there, since you decided to go there by yourself. And also to keep you in company now that you're apparently the last of the DeVastellas to reach the Cavallone manor. And when I say the last, I mean the LAST. That includes Iratellio too."
“Wait, what?? Iratellio left without telling me? What the heck, man~ so you meant to REALLY say that right now, I’m the only one, among all the DeVastellas and my brother, left here?”
“He took your silver Mercedes, to sum it all up.” Hibari said with such a laidback tone as he took hold of another car key that was hanging on the hook beside the lamp table by her dressing table.
“Okay, he’s SOOOOO dead when I see him there. I’m down right serious about that.” Iratella said sternly, but she just sighed at the end of her sentence.
“This is why you will have to finally take your Maserati out for a drive today.” Hibari smirked at her as he shook the car key noisily in front of her face.
Iratella came to a realization that it was a few months since she drove her black Maserati. She was too afraid to drive her engagement present from her parents as it was really precious and expensive. Pushing that reason aside, she thought that she should really bring it out for a drive if she really cared about it. Then she paused and thought of another issue. “Wait, who’s driving it then? Will it be you or me?”
“Consider about the person who’s holding the key now.”
“So it’s gotta be you. Right. You never let me drive when you’re around.”
“It’s my job to ensure that you arrive at your destination safely at all times.”
“I clearly remember that I had never assigned you as my driver from the start.”
“Hence, it’s not wrong for me to volunteer, right? Although your fiancé had asked me just now for my service to come and fetch you, I had been thinking about doing so since Tsunayoshi received the invitation.” Hibari just smiled at her and walked out from the room. Like a puppy with a sash around her neck, she followed behind him. “Ah, wait, I haven’t worn my heels yet~’ before she walked out from the room, she grabbed and hastily strapped on her silver 2-½ inch heels.
In the speeding black Maserati, Hibari was in the driver’s seat whilst Iratella at the front passenger seat. Staring out of the window, Iratella kept thinking about the new Cavallone guardians. The fact that they are Russian mafias, how seemingly mysterious they look and what they had said to her. The words kept repeating in her head like a broken record player. Now that she come to think of it, she felt that those word of promise, which they call it through they way they said it, were not filled with honesty. Rather, it was just words of indirect hypnotism. Unlit lamp post after unlit lamp post passed by from her sight with a blurry view. Yet, she cared not to even look at them, considering the speed of which Hibari was driving now.
She cleared the questions that was floating from her head and turned to Hibari, observing on the way he handles her beloved car. Hibari kept his eyes on the road with a sight full of concentration. Clear enough, even though he’s driving faster than she would with the Maserati, but he is a very careful driver. Looking at the way he holds the steering wheel reminds her of her fiancé. Unknowingly, she let off a smile and stared back out of the window.
The awkward silence wasn’t the thing that is annoying Hibari, rather it was Iratella’s unusually long and deep thought accompanied by long sighs. Thinking that she was reluctant to attend the Cavallone guardians’ coronation ceremony, he decided to be the one to break the silence. “Do you really want to go for this ceremony? You don’t seem like you are into this.”
Iratella turned back to the skylark. She looked at him for a while again. He didn’t turn to her when he asked her the question; instead, he still kept his eyes on the road. “Even if I said no, I don’t have a choice, right? So I might as well attend it. Anyhow, I have never said that I didn’t want to attend the ceremony.” She smiled at him, knowing that if she does that, he’ll never catch it, knowing that he’s concentrating on the road rather than what she’s doing. “Besides, I… suddenly thought of something…about those guardians…so…I want to go back there and see them again…don’t know why, but my hunch is telling me to do so.”
“So, you do sense something weird about those newbie as well?” he blurted out something that was in the minds of everyone that was invited to the ceremony, especially Iratella’s.
“How did you – why do you know?”
“Because apparently, you’re not the only one who thinks so. That herbivore Tsunayoshi actually thought about it. To think of it, it doesn’t take Tsunayoshi’s question to make us start thinking about how weird that bronco’s choice was. Maybe we’re just over thinking about it, but considering that they consist of no-joke Russian mafias, we may have to conclude that Dino has just lost his mind. No offense.” Hibari explained as he drove, keeping his level of concentration still and not let his guard down.
“No, you’re not the only one who thinks that he’s gone haywire. Not only you~”
“So, are you really sure that you still want to go? It’s not too late to turn back.”
“No, it’s okay. No matter what, I have to be there for Dino. I want to be by his side when his new guardians get coroneted. We promised…”
“Granted.”
The massive and grand ballroom in the centre of the Cavallone manor was filled with guests, most of them which are Vongola alliances. The grand crystal chandeliers that hung from the ceiling above illuminate a romantic golden glow in the ballroom and on the guests it contains. The the beautiful full moon was given its chance to show its beauty through the big windows with its velvet curtains pulled back. The ceremony seemed more romantic rather than royal with its interior designs placed as it is. But they serve only as a background portrait for the night. The highlight programme for the night is the coronation of the new Cavallone guardians.
“She told us that she’s coming without us and to meet her here. And yet, after two hours since she said that, she herself is not here in person. Do you think she’s not coming…?” Ayame trailed behind Kikuya as she asked her confusing question, holding a glass of punch in one hand and a vanilla cream truffle in the other.
“Show some manners, Ayame, you’re in a formal ceremony, not a night club.” Shino took a bite of the truffle in Ayame’s hand as he walked past her.
“HEY!!!! If you want one, go get it yourself!!! You bit a pretty big amount here~~ dammit~~” feeling mad about Shino’s action she kept the cream truffle away from Shino and ate it herself. “Kiku, why is your boyfriend such a meanie to me~~~”
“E-e-ehhhh??? He’s not my boyf-“ Kikuya’s face went all hot red.
“Anyone saw Miss Fulmine?? I can’t find her~ and I thought she said that she’ll be here shortly, not long after WE arrive. Two hours is gone, she’s not here yet. Do you know where she is now??” Haine suddenly appeared behind Ayame and Kikuya along with Kaede and Michiru.
“You know, that’s the exact question I asked to Kiku just 15 seconds ago. No answer. No idea. No clue. Why?”
“Hopeless as usual. Why am I even talking to you in the first place…?” Michiru smirked and left the spot, not caring about continuing on searching for the DeVa lightning.
“Hey!! Don’t be so high and mighty!! And don’t you talk to me like that!! Hey!! I wasn’t even talking to you in the first place, so why do I even care???”
“Ayame~! For goodness sake, please~~ look after your attitude~~”
“It’s not my fault that she’s talking with that tone~”
“Ayame, focus!! I’m trying to find Iratella here~”
While they were arguing to remind everyone to keep their focus in check, suddenly they noticed everyone was whispering and pointing timidly to one direction. The crowds parted in the direction where some of those who were beside Haine and her family members were pointing at. “Wow, okay, what’s going on the – ahh, Iratella!! And…Hibari…?” Haine exclaimed. “EEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!”
“Sorry for being late. We had a little road block just now.” Iratella said hastily. Hibari stood beside her looking smart but fierce at the same.
“So much for the grand entry, but with him??” Kaede pulled Iratella to her and asked her in a heavy whisper.
“Dino asked him to. And I was hoping that he’ll come, actually. He did, thank God. Coz if not, I would’ve been worrying and being mad about my missing Ferrari, apparently ‘stolen’ by Iratellio. Thank God it was only him, or I’d start throwing tantrums the moment I reach here. Had to come here with my Maserati, heh, no other choice. A lot of people were staring at us just now when we first arrived.”
“Of course it’ll turn heads!! Maserati are car royalty, okay? They are more worth than Ferraris, as you always explain to me, and as if we don’t know about it.” Haine smirked.
“Okay, don’t make fun of my car before I tow your car away with mine~”
“Uhh, let’s not argue about car-towing here, okay…?’ Kikuya, with a big drop of cold sweat on her head, tried to break up the little friendly argument.
“Ah, Hibari-san, you’ve arrived with Iratella. Been a while~”
“Haha, yup, not so long, but pretty miss ya~” Iratella greeted Tsuna, dubbed as the king of the mafia empire, with a curtsey. Hibari bowed to Tsuna politely as well, something that he has learned to do ever since Tsuna wholeheartedly accepted his duty and role as the Vongola Decimo.
“Yo, minna, how’s it goin’?” the ever-so cheerful Yamamoto joined the gang and hung his hand gleefully over Iratella and Haine’s shoulders. “Looks like everyone is having fun here~”
“Seems to me that YOU are the only one having fun here. I can’t remember when was the last time you actually stopped walking around this place. You’ve practically scanned through this place more than 10 times~” Gokudera scolded Yamamoto noisily, at the same time trying to catch Kaede’s attention.
“Mission Cool Guy Acting To Attract Girl With Same Flame, epic fail, Gokudera~” Iratella laughed hard when he see Gokudera trying to act cool in front of them, especially in front of Kaede. Yamamoto let go of his hand around her shoulder and hugged Haine.
Whilst that happened, she felt someone hugging her waist from behind. “You finally made it, princess~” a familiar voice and fragrance came from behind her. Despite having suspecting him for his weird choices that he’s made for the family, she still felt a sense of relief with him holding her in his arms.
“Yup, I’m here~” she answered shyly. He twirled her around by her arm to face him. Ignoring the countless pairs of eyes observing their sweet demeanor, he gave a warm kiss on her supple lips and stayed in the position for 5 seconds, enjoying every microsecond of that moment, tasting the natural sweet strawberry taste of her lips, making blushes creep up her cheeks in a fraction of a moment. “I really can’t believe you’re here. I don’t know if it’s because of me being too busy for the whole night, I really missed you.”
“This is really an….uhm….awesome PDA now, don’t you think, Kiku?” Haine poked Kikuya.
“It is indeed.”sweet Kikuya smiled as she said.
The Cavallone Decimo, dressed in a dark silver tux with a silver-black striped necktie and a pair of shiny leather shoes, greeted Tsuna and Haine formally. “Good to have you all here tonight.”
“Well, it’s a big night for the Cavallone family. Making a change like this to the family isn’t very easy, so we’re here to give you as much support as we can.” Tsuna said with a smile.
“I believe your choice will improve the Cavallone family for the best. I know that your choice was wise and the line of choices is incredible indeed.” Haine commented.
“Yes, indeed. It wasn’t a very easy choice to make, but with support from my family members, I was able to make the right decision. And my beautiful fiancée here is always by my side to support in whatever I do.” Dino once again hugged Iratella’s waist, giving a random peck of kiss on the back of her neck. Everyone that gathered around them clapped and cheered for the couple, making Iratella a little embarrassed.
“I believe you should have a relevant reason for finally implementing the tradition of appointing guardians alongside you.” Michiru, who wandered off earlier, came back to the spot, maybe having to have heard their conversation from afar, and threw the question at him.
“Why, of course there is, but it’s a long story and…it’s a private and confidential thing, so only authorized people are allowed to receive this information only in a private and safe place where no one else can hear about it.” Hibari smirked as he listened to Dino’s answer, feeling that it’s a pretty irrelevant answer. Iratella noticed that smirk, but she just pretended to have ignored it. Yet, she was pretty sure that Hibari caught her seeing his smirk.
“Nevertheless, I think it’s a pretty cool idea to have recruited Russians as part of your guardians. I heard they were pretty hard to get.” Yamamoto questioned.
“That was not easy, actually~” Dino placed his hand over his head and laughed. “Oh, I’m so sorry, I gotta head there first, I have to meet with Romario first. I’ll see you guys later. I’ll come for you later, okay?” Dino gave another peck of kiss on Iratella’s lips before leaving her with her group of friends. She just watched him disappearing into the sea of crowds, in cloud nine.
“Well, both of you sure deserve the title as the hot couple around here. Not just Milan, but the whole Italy~” Tsuna suggested with an honest smile. Everyone seconded the motion by agreeing with what he said.
Iratella, in turn, joined in the joke and whilst that, she slowly moved towards Hibari. Upon noticing his eyes, she noticed the change in expression in his eyes. Immediately she knew he knew something everyone didn’t know. “I don’t know about how you, as a fiancée, would think about him, but he sounds a little irrelevant in the way he answered Kaiou’s question.”
“Eh…? Why would you say so?”
“It was just my hunch; I didn’t say that his answers were irrelevant. I just felt so, personally.’
"I wouldn't say it was irrelevant...maybe...I should ask him what's going on in his mind after this ceremony. Apparently, you do know that when it comes to this type of issue, he only opens it up to me, no?" Iratella's voice trailed off to a whisper, not wanting to let the other guests know that she will know something about the Cavallone Decimo's odd decision.
"As always." Hibari nodded.
"Uhm, Hibari-san, have you seen Rokudo Mukuro-san?" Tsuna suddenly turned to Hibari and spoke the name of the 'devil' Hibari hates most. "No, I haven't." Instead of giving his death glare to Tsuna like he usually does upon the mere mentioning of the Vongola Mist Guardian's name, he just answered.
“I thought he won’t be coming~” Iratella asked Hibari with a whisper.
“That’s why I haven’t seen him.”
“Well – fair enough~”
“Have you guys seen the new guardians yet?” Ayame began.
“No…no one did, right? Why?” Shino asked in disbelief.
“Huh? You didn’t see them?” Ayame was not surprised, but rather shocked to know that they haven’t taken a peek of the new Cavallone guardians. Being the usual busybody type of person as she is, she already had a sneak peek ‘preview’ of the new Cavallone guardians.
“Why the heck would I go up to them and say ‘Hi’ if I barely know them personally? I mean, think about it. They’re Russians. When was the last time any Italian mafia family actually made a deal with any of the Russian mafias?” Michiru smirked out her sentence, not hiding a single bit of her personal opinion. It was all out. Everyone’s thoughts were the same as hers.
“You guys, this type of issues do change, right? Maybe Dino has a reason for his choice. And that reason should be a good reason for someone like him. Being the most caring boss we all ever know, the choice that he has made should be for the best of his beloved family. Instead of trying to put his name in shame, we should all support him. He’s our comrade, no?” Kikuya, not wanting anyone to implement a negative thought towards the new Cavallone guardians, tried to lure them back to their optimistic side instead of talking bad behind their backs.
“I’m so sorry, Kikuya. It’s just…I know…you too have been wondering about the same thing as what Michiru had said, right…? We all are…and if we don’t figure this out, his choice might be a wrong one…no offense, princess.” Shino said.
“Oh – no, I’m in no way offended with what you said.” Iratella seconded Shino’s motion.
“So, who’s in for supporting the Cavallone Decimo? Or are you all going to back away from supporting him and continue to suspect his odd decision…?” Tsuna asked everyone with a slightly squeaky voice. He didn’t want any trouble occurring from any side at all. He wants to support his beloved ‘brother’ with all his heart, but his heart is also telling him something else about his ‘brother’.
“If only there’s something we could do abo – AAHHH!!!” Iratella, who was trying to tell everyone to not think too much about that issue, suddenly felt something brushing against her buttocks, making her jump and literally shocked. What felt like a hand slowly brushed past her buttocks. After the sudden shock, she felt as if there were not one, not two, not three, not four, not five, but six people standing beside her. She was right. It was the Varias, being the last of all guests to arrive there. Xanxus, Squalo, Lussuria, Levi, Fran and Belphegor were all there. Among the six, Iratella was pretty sure that the one who brushed his hand on her buttocks was none other than Xanxus. No one else.
“Xa – Xa—Xanxus~!!” Iratella screamed, but at her minimum screaming volume. Everyone stood frozen around Iratella to know who the culprit was. No one made any sudden movements to avoid being suddenly ambushed by a rain of knives or a sharp wielding sword staring straight into their eyes. Among the silence of the Vongola and DeVastellas, Belphegor’s signature laugh could be heard, laughing to witness the seemingly ridiculous facial expressions of the others. Fran, holding a bag of chips in his hands like he usually does, munch his chips away. “Yo, minna~” he gave a friendly hands-up greeting to the Vongolas and DeVastellas.
“Y—yo….” Haine timidly replied his greeting.
“You actually came. It’s not like you to actually agree to attend this type of ceremony, especially if the one organizing the ceremony is Dino.” Iratella walked towards him and stood with her arms crossed in front of her chest.
“I’m not here to witness any special coronation of anyone at all. It is never of my business anyway.” Xanxus replied with a smirk.
“Voiii~ don’t ask me what’s his problem for wanting to attend this ceremony for someone who hates being in this kind of situation.” Squalo complained in disbelief.
“Sounds like someone I know~” Iratella said, indicating that the person she was talking about was Hibari. The Vongola Cloud Guardian, who heard her statement, smirked, laughing silently to him to know that she actually said that about him.
“Anyhow~~~ since we came all the way here, we might as well just blend in with the crowd and enjoy ourselves, no?” Lussuria gleefully clapped his hands and twirled. Other guests looked at his actions with chills running up their spine and a big drop of cold sweat on their heads.
“Ushishishishiiii~ I agree~~ been a while since I last attended a party as grand as this~~” Belphegor seemed excited.
“Ahh, Bel-senpai, I’m coming with you~” Fran follow Belphegor away from the group of people like a little puppy.
Iratella held in her urge to laugh as she watches Belphegor kicking Fran away from him, who then stands back right up again and continues to trail behind Belphegor, leaving Belphegor no choice but to drag Fran along with him.
Xanxus sighed with disbelief and ignored the two youngsters in the next second. He then pointed at Iratella. “You, follow me. I have something to tell you now.”
“M—me..?” she wanted to confirm his instructions.
“Yes, you. Who else am I pointing at then?” with a smirk, he turned away from them and walked towards a balcony. Iratella, feeling a little confused with why he wanted to talk to her, just sighed and followed.
“Pity her…why is she always the one being chosen to receive secret information and not us?” Shino complained.
“Shut up, man. It’s more like, why are all the guys after Iratella~” Kaede joked.
“What the hell, man~ that’s sooo not funny~~” the DeVastella Sun Guardian shoved Kaede’s joke away.
“Why is she always being called to be in a private place with boss???” Levi was feeling a little jealous with the way Xanxus treats Iratella compared to the way he treats him.
“VOOOIIIII~~~ quit it with your obnoxious obsession over boss!! You’re creeping me out~~” Squalo snapped after feeling annoyed with all the Varias’ behavior on that night.
“Come on, chillax man. In this type of event, you should put all worries aside and at least have some fun.” Yamamoto came over and gave a pat on Squalo’s shoulder.
“Hey! For someone who doesn’t have anything to worry about in life should really not stick their noses into other people’s business!!” Gokudera exclaimed.
“But we should all forget about our burdens for at least a while and try to do something else to relax our mind, right?” Yamamoto explained.
“Yes!! It helps to keep our selves in tip top condition to the extreme~” Ryohei seconded Yamamoto’s motion.
“Easy for you to say~ you never have any worries to consider, anyway~” Squalo smirked, crossing his arms across his chests.
Xanxus rested himself on the railing of the balcony and observed Iratella walking closer to him. She stood beside him and rested her hands on the balcony railing. “The moon looks so beautiful tonight…doesn’t it?” Iratella tried to create conversation as soon as she arrives to where he is.
“Somehow, it doesn’t have what it takes to be compared with a pure Italian beauty.” Xanxus said with a laidback tone, complementing Iratella indirectly. Iratella smiled as she heard his indirect complement, knowing that it was meant for her. “So…what is it that you want to talk about with me?”
“I heard that your ‘long-lost’ brother have finally reappeared in front of you again, right?”
“Wow, when they say that the world is small, it IS that small after all~ indeed he has. He appeared in front of me just yesterday, but he was back here in Milan some few days ago, as what he said.”
“A few days ago…really…?”
“Yup, that’s what he said…it’s really a relief to know that he’s actually still alive…being able to escape that massacre is a miracle, and he just proved to me that miracles do happen…”
“You always have described that massacre as an impossible-to-escape-from massacre…did Iratellio really miraculously escaped that massacre?”
“Somehow yes…that’s why everyone kept saying that it’s a miracle…for someone like him, it does seem impossible at first. But we’ll never know that we can actually make miracles until we try, right? So, with all my heart, I want to believe that Iratellio had really, really, by a miracle, survived and cheated death from that massacre…” she tucked her brunette locks behind her e ears that was flowing in the direction of the soft night breeze.
“You really put a lot of trust in your brother, don’t you?”
“Well, he is my brother, right? And by right, anyone who is related by blood with me deserves a chance to get my full trust in them, and he, who is my biological brother, has the full authority to get it.”
“How about that Vongola Decimo?”
“He is my cousin right?”
“Me?”
“Well…you aren’t exactly my brother or cousin or anything, but we’ve grown up together since young, so I kinda know you a little better than your own Varia members, so you do deserve my trust.”
“Then how about your fiancée? He’s only known you ten years back, and he is not biologically related to you.”
Iratella paused for a second, and gave a sweet smile the next. The smile was always the smile she would give to anyone who asks her about Dino, her relationship with him and why she chooses him. “Dino, I’d say, will be an exception…from the time he tells me that he loves me…in that instant, I knew that he’s the one who had opened my heart and made me accept him…there’s no words to describe about that, but…he…somehow…made me put all my trust in him…believing that he will be able to guard my fragile heart…”
“Normal words that a girl in love would say, but right now, Italy’s most wanted bachelor is being doubted by the whole mafia community about his choice in recruiting Russian mafias as part of his new line of guardians. Are you still putting your full trust in him despite all the words that are spreading around now?”
Iratella stayed silent for a while. Her head was flooded again with countless questions related to that issue.
“You don’t have to protect his pride at this moment. Because you do suspect something amiss with his decision, right?”
“Well, yeah—but—I want to believe that there’s a logical explanation behind all this, because I know he wouldn’t make this kind of decision unless he wholeheartedly believes that the next step he was about to take will change the image of the Cavallone family for the best…”
“As you said. So, are you saying that we should not put too much of suspicion and concern on this issue? Because you believe that he’s not going haywire by making this choice?”
“Are you not supporting him? He’s part of the Vongola. He’s a Vongola alliance. We must, no matter what, do whatever it takes to support him.”
Xanxus stayed silent for a while, trying to make up his mind on whether to trust in Dino or not. But right now, that isn’t the main priority for him. The main priority with him is what he’s about to ask her next. “I’ll see how I’ll deal with the bronco. Back to the issue about your brother. Okay, so it IS normal for a sister to put her full trust in her biological brother.”
“Yeah, it is. Why are we back to this topic again?”
“For now…do you really thinking putting your trust in Iratellio is the right thing?”
Xanxus’ question to her made her raise an eyebrow. “Xanxus, what are you talking about? Of course it’s the right thing, no? Are you trying to tell me a joke? Because I don’t think it’s funny.”
“You said earlier that you have trust in me, right? So, right now, keep your word and trust me when I tell you not to see Iratellio the same way again.”
Iratella raised an eyebrow and sighed heavily. “Why?? Why can’t I? He’s my brother and I trust him~”
“It’s not the right time to fully put your trust in him now, especially now that he’s just recently returned back to you.”
“Why?? Why are you asking me to do something like that? First you ask me about me having my trust in my brother and then now you’re asking me to ditch my own brother? What are you trying to tell me??”
“What I’m trying tell you is—“ Xanxus snapped in impatience “—Iratellio may seem like your normal old brother that you love, but he’s not. He’s not the person that he used to be. He’s no longer the same Iratellio that you knew before the massacre occurred. He’s just not your plain old Iratellio anymore!”
Iratella looked at Xanxus almost immediately, eyes widened, a little shocked with his tone. She stared at him for a little while before looking away from him again.
Xanxus, feeling somewhat a little guilty with the way he raised his voice, cleared his throat on purpose, adjusting his loosen tie. "All I'm saying is...in times like this, even the person closest to you could be the one who's behind all evil doings...not to mention the chain of events that have happened around you..."
His words rang a bell to her. He was somewhat right. After Yumizo's family got attacked, she found a seemingly familiar necklace, Iratellio returns to her and Dino appointed a line of new guardians.
Coincidence....?
"Xanxus...h-how did you...."
"Don't ask."
"S-s-sorry...." she lowered her head, facing away from him as she tried to set her mood back to normal.
The Varia boss turned facing out towards the garden view, resting his hands on the railing of the balcony, intercrossing his fingers over one another. "There are certain things...that I know...which I can only tell you this much...and as for Iratellio's incident...this is what I can tell you for now..." his blood red eyes shimmered under the gleaming moonlight, making them seem much more beautiful rather than his usual scaringly murderous look.
Iratella looked at him with eyes widened again, staring at him for a moment without saying anything.
"You know...you're so unbelievable...you always have the heart to trust in someone who shouldn't be trusted at all..." he slowly, and surprisingly timidly lifted his right hand and placed it on her cheek. "Even in someone as hateful as me..."
Iratella knew, he didn't actually mean anything more than just a touch in that touch. "You're not hated....it's just that all the other people out there don't see you or know you the same way I do..." smiling with relief, she patted his shoulders as a sign of encouragement.
"Ahhh, there you are!!! I've been searching for you all over the place!! And....hi...X-X-Xan-Xanxus......" Iratellio stood frozen at his position upon noticing Xanxus' presence beside his younger sister. What's more, he sees that Xanxus is still, in fact, placing his hand on Iratella's face. "Am I...disturbing something important...or something...?"
"Nothing....just having a little talk with...Xanxus here..." Iratella hesitatingly pushed Xanxus' hand away from her. Xanxus' eyes followed the direction of his hand falling back to the side of his body.
"Anything that you want?" Iratella asked, wearing a smile on her face to set herself back in normal mode. Just when she was about to walk towards her brother, she felt something pulled her back by her shoulder. She fell backwards slightly and felt something rested on her shoulders. She also felt what seemed like hair brushing against her own hair and her cheek. "It's up to you to choose whose words you want to believe...but at the same time, I want you to continue to trust in my words...." Xanxus gave a slight push on her back which nearly made her fell forward. She managed to get her balance back, and continued to walk towards her brother. Soon enough, when she approaches him, Xanxus' words played again in her head, reminding her that reality isn't always as it seems. It never did anyway.
"So, what did he said to you?" Iratellio asked immediately after he hung his left hand over her shoulders.
"Do you need to know?" she tried to make conversation as normal as she can with her brother. Don't make him feel suspicious about it all, she thought to herself. At least she's the one feeling suspicious about her brother.
"Of course I need to know~ but if you insist on not telling me, then it's okay~" Iratella was glad that she didn't had to make any efforts to hide the truth. It was going well so far. But how far can it go? How long can things last like the way it is? Considering Xanxus' advice to her, it's starting to become so hard to handle this problem. Is Iratellio really as what Xanxus had said? Can he really be trusted now? She was confused. He had just returned to her, and now Xanxus is saying all these. "So...why were you finding me again?"
"Oh, right. Dino is the one who's searching for you. The coronation ceremony is about to begin."
"It's about to begin. Okay. So?"
"So~~ you have to be there, as he said. You are the one who has to be by Dino's side to carry out the coronation."
"Whoa, okay....WHAT??" Iratella stopped her pace and stayed at where she stopped, which was in the middle of the crowd. Everyone around her stopped at whatever they were doing and turned their heads to her direction, wondering what had happened with her. "Why am I the one who has to carry out the coronation?"
"Well...remember the coronation tradition of all Vongola alliances? The partner, for this case is you, of the boss of any Vongola alliance family must be there to associate in the coronation ceremony of the family's guardians to ensure the appointed guardians have ample trust, well...entrusted in them. Right? Don't tell me you forgot about that...."
"I kinda did for a second there...hmm....fine...." Iratella sounded weak and somewhat reluctant. She tried to hide it, but it was too obvious for Iratellio to sense it. Being her brother for her whole life, of course he'd know. "What's wrong? You don't sound happy about it."
"Did I...? Oh~~ no, I don't feel unhappy about it~ it's just...well, I had a little complication with his guardians yesterday...especially with the Russians......"
"Oh, the Russian session yesterday? Uh-huh, I remember that. What happened then?"
"Okay, you're starting to annoy me. For goodness sake, please don't make me feel stressed out way before the coronation starts~~"
"Sorry, sorry~ didn't mean to~~" Iratellio laughed kindly back at his sister, hoping that it'd help to calm her down before the coronation begins.
"It's okay...." she laughed along, but it wasn't exactly a happy kind of laugh.
"Iratella, you got your brother's news, right?" that familiar, sweet yet playful and sexy voice came from behind her. Yet again, she felt a hug around her waist from behind her and a peck of kiss on her neck. Dino's hand slowly slid down, until it was only just above her sacred point.
"D-Dino~~ watch where you're putting your hand~~" blushing all red, she did smile, but she refused for anyone to see it.
"Sorry about that. Anyways--" he let go of her and turned her to face him. "--you did recieve the news from Iratellio, right?"
"Yup, I did. Do I have to....?"
"Of course you should~ it's part of the ceremony~ all families under the alliances of the Vongola have to do so~" Dino said with his playful smile. "I may not have any lifetime partner yet, but you're the closest match in that category~" with that, he gave a kiss on her forehead, nose and finally on her lips. "So, you ready to go?"
"Uhm....oh-o-okay~~" she forced herself to continue to put that smile on her face. She did so while trying to recall what are the procedures of the coronation ceremony. The ever-so faithful and loyal Romario came forward to Iratella and gave a bow to her. Iratella just gave a polite smile to him. "Oh, how do I look?"
"You look beautiful as usual, My Lady." Romario complemented on her look. Perfectly beautiful as usual, to his point of view.
"Thanks, Romario. Oh, and no need to be so formal. Although this is a formal event, but, cut the formality." she reminded.
"Ah, but tonight, you carry a very important role for Master Dino, so we have to be formal to you. Don't worry, it's only for the night." he explained humbly.
"You know what~ I'm still kinda not used to being treated this formal...it's not like I'm royalty or anything, right?" Iratella smirked, feeling a little uncomfortable with the formal treatment she recieved from all the Cavallone family members.
"For this case, you are."
"Dammit, I knew it~" she snapped. "Never mind then...so, is it gonna start now?"
"Yes."
"But I don't see any of his guardians. Now that it's mentioned, I've never seen them since I arrived. Where are they anyway?" Iratella scanned through the place, trying to search for the guardians who were missing in action since she arrived roughly one hour ago.
"Oh, no worries on that. They are coming down soon. They are upstairs getting themselves ready for the coronation. It's their big night, being the first ever Cavallone guardians to be appointed." Romario said humbly.
Iratella sensed something amiss with the way Romario said his last sentence. He sounded sad, disappointed and devastated. "Oh -- okay..." she then stepped onto the platform next to her and sat on the velvet chair, adjusting her dress as she tried to find a comfortable sitting position. Not long after she settled herself down, Dino came running up the platform and sat beside her. "Where did you go?" the Catena girl asked him.
"I went to see Tsuna. Since he is, as we all know and as if we don't know, the Vongola Decimo, no? So he's gonna be the witness for this ceremony. I completely forgot to ask him about it yesterday, luckily I remembered at the brink of a second just now, or else this coronation would not be approved." he said, trying to catch a breath. A drop of sweat dripped down the side of his face. Iratella took out a handkerchief from her clutch and wiped off the sweat from his face. "You gotta look your best for tonight. It's a big night for your family." The bucking bronco smiled, took her hand and held it close to his lips. "Yes, my princess." and kissed her hand gently, his warm breath against the back of her palm made her heart race. Trying to keep it cool, the Catena girl just smiled back at him.
"The coronation ceremony of the new Cavallone family guardians will now begin." Romario announce to the crowd through the microphone. All that hears the announcement kept their voices down and concentrated on what's going on in front of them.
"Don't worry. Everything will go well. There's no need for rehearsal for this." Dino whispered to Iratella, her hand still in his grasp. She turned towards the crowd and stared out into the horizon. She isn't nervous that she'll screw up the coronation procedure. She's more concerned about the group of people that are going to be coronated. There was no way for her to stop the ceremony. Guess I have no choice but to go with the flow, she told herself.
Meanwhile, at the right side of the platform, the group of Iratella's close friends saw her sitting beside Dino. "Ah, isn't that Iratella?"
Tsuna and his gang and the DeVastellas turned to the direction of where Kaede pointed. They saw the elegant and beautiful Iratella, sitting with a poised look and a decent smile on her face, her silver choker shimmering under the light emitted by the chandelier that hung above her. "She looks like some sort of princess..." Shino admitted.
"She always has been, right? I mean in terms of her family's name..." Haine admitted too.
Hibari took a glance of her and smirk. Indeed, she always has been like that, he thought to himself.
One of the Cavallone family member, Jose, walked up onto the platform with a crystal glass box in his hands. Very carefully and gently, he handed the box over to Romario, turned around and walked away. The crystal glass box caught Iratella's full attention. She kept looking at the box, wondering what are the contents of the box.
"These are the Cavallone guardian rings, special rings made with the same processed metal that was used to create some of the most powerful guardian rings like the Vongola rings, the Mare rings and the DeVastella rings. Designs of the ring are based on the elements that make up the Cavallone family -- speed, precision, power, always racing forwards to a better future and created by the Vongola family. These rings will be handed to the new Cavallone guardians by the Decimo boss of the Cavallone family himself, Master Dino, and also his honored fiancee, Iratella Catena, one of the candidate for the position as the Decimo boss of the Catena royal mafia family." the crowds gave their cheer and applause to the two mentioned names. Dino and Iratella thanked their applause with a smile.
"And now, the ones that will recieve the rings and appointed to accept the responsibility to protect the Cavallone Decimo, we present to you, the line of the new Cavallone guardians." Romario introduced them. From one corner of the room, the applause could be heard as the Cavallone guardians walked into the ballroom with full of pride in their strut. The applause given to them slowly spreaded across the place and became louder.
The six new guardians lined up in two straight lines in front of the platform, each of them wearing a formal black coat and pants, except for Katrina who wore a black pencil skirt. After lining up, the six of them gave a polite bow to Dino and Iratella.
"To present the rings to the new Cavallone guardians, Dino Cavallone and Iratella Catena." as their names were announced, the crowd gave them a big round of applause. Upon hearing their name being announced, the two stood up from their seat and walked to the front of the platform. Iratella took the effort to take a glance of the Cavallone guardians lining up in two straight lines of three. Immediately, the same words they had said to her rang in her head again. In a fraction of a second, her smile faded from her face. She didn't frown, but there was a sort of gloom showing on her face.
The lost of smile on her face might not be obvious to the other guests, but Kikuya immediately saw it. "Ah, Iratella stopped smiling...that's not good..." she told those around her. They turned their heads at Iratella's direction to confirm Kikuya's statement. It was true. "Ah, it's true~~ something's not right...." Haine began to feel worried about Iratella. That's not like Iratella to lose her smile to an unknown situation, in this case, which only Iratella herself knows and the other have no idea about it.
"She's obviously doubting on whether or not to carry out the coronation onto those line of people, considering that she's still unable to accept the fact that there'll be three Russians as part of the guardians." a deep stern voice came out from behind the group of Vongolas. Turning towards the source of the voice, they were surprised at the sight of Xanxus in front of them.
"Dammit!! Xanxus, don't scare us like that~~" Shino exclaimed.
"I never did, you scum. You're the one who scared yourself." Xanxus smirked.
"Wait...are you sure?" Kaede asked to confirm.
"As I said, it's obvious. If you are just one of the guests, you won't notice the meaning behind the loss of her smile. But for the group of guys like you all, would know why." he told them sternly.
"Does this mean that she's sensing trouble from them?" Kikuya threw that question directly at Xanxus.
"Not just from them, but from one more person as well." Xanxus answered slumberly.
"One more person...? Is it Dino?" Ayame asked in a tone no louder than a whisper.
"Don't say unnecessary things, Ayame~ we're not sure who it is, so don't jump to conclusions just yet." Haine warned.
"Okay, okay, I'm sorry~~" Ayame apologized with her hand placed behind her head.
“The appointed Sun guardian of the Cavallone family –“ Romario introduced, “—Dmitri Sarvoshka, from Russia.” the crowd applauded as Dmitri walked to the platform. Romario took out the Sun guardian ring and handed it over to Dino. Dino lit up his Sky flame through his ring and placed it onto the Sun guardian ring, which was then lit as well, with a bright orange flame. He then handed it over to Iratella, who did the same thing as Dino did. She lit up her Lightning ring and placed it on the Sun Guardian ring. The flame on the Sun guardian ring then changed extinguished. The crowd was awed by the flame's sudden appearance and disappearance and gave an applause to it. Isvant gave a bow to Iratella and handed out his right hand to her. "With the resolution within you, protect the Cavallone Decimo using this ring, your deathperation flame and your life." she then slid the ring into his middle finger. Upon wearing it, a bright yellow flame with little sparkles in it lit from the ring. "With the resolution within me, I will protect the Cavallone Decimo using this ring, my deathperation flame and my life, to ensure that the Cavallone family will have its safety assured." Iratella accepted his oath by giving him a slight nod. With that, Dmitri backed down slowly and walked back to his position.
"We got our first Russian~" Yamamoto said to Haine in a whisper.
"Let's see who else is the Russian~" she replied back to him in a whisper as well.
"The appointed Lightning guardian of the Cavallone family, Legazpi Marco, from Spain." Romario then took out the Lightning guardian ring and handed it over to Dino. Dino did the same thing to the ring and handed it over to Iratella, which she did the same thing to it too. "With the resolution within you, protect the Cavallone Decimo using this ring, your deathperation flame and your life." Iratella told to Legazpi and slid the ring onto his middle finger of his right hand. "With the resolution within me, I will protect the Cavallone Decimo using this ring, my deathperation flame and my life, to ensure that the Cavallone family will have its safety assured." Legazpi pledged his oath in an obvious Spanish accent. Iratella too, accepted his oath by giving him a nod, watching him backing down and walking back to his position.
"The appointed Rain guardian of the Cavallone family, Hergoza Marco, from Spain." Romario took out the Rain guardian ring and handed it over to Dino. The same ring recognition process was performed on the ring. The same words were told to Hergoza and he in return pledged the same oath with a Spanish accent like his brother. And again, Iratella approved his oath.
"The appointed Cloud guardian of the Cavallone family, Aiden Wellington, from Britain." Romario took out the Cloud guardian ring from the crystal glass box and handed it to Dino. The same processes were performed and the same oath was pledged by Aiden in his British accent. Iratella approved his oath as well.
"Wow, she approved all the oaths of the guardians so far~~" Kaede whispered to Michiru.
"She has to. She can't disapproved in any way even if she wants to, because if she does, Dino still has the right to approve it since he's the boss of the Cavallone family. Iratella right now is just someone who is handing the power to the guardians, not to approve or disapprove their pledges. She, right now, is just approving their oaths because she's just handing the power to them." Michiru smirked as she explained in disbelief, can't believing that Kaede doesn't know what Iratella's responsibility at this moment.
It's the turn of those two Russians now, Iratella told herself, clenching her hands into a fist to keep herself in check, not wanting anyone to see that she doesn't want to approve their oath.
"The appointed Storm guardian of the Cavallone family, Isvant Karpova from Russia." the crowd once again applauded as Isvant's name was announced. Isvant walked up to the platform and gave a bow to Iratella and Dino. At that moment, Iratella felt a little suspicious with his action and the way he gazes at her, making her once again remember what he had told her the day before. "With the...resolution within...y--you...protect the Cavallone Decimo...using this...this ring....your deathperation flame....and your life...." she stuttered as she said it to him. Her hands were trembling as she slid the ring onto Isvant's finger. Right after it was in position, she let go of her hands immediately, trying to keep herself in check and to listen to his oath. "With the resolution within me, I will protect the Cavallone Decimo using this ring, my deathperation flame and my life, to ensure that the Cavallone family will have its safety assured." he pledged. Iratella's gazed locked with his, and for a couple of seconds, Iratella gave no respond to his pledge. She then closed her eyes for a while, and while doing so, she nodded her head reluctantly, reluctantly approving his pledge. When she opened back her eyes, she saw him still standing there in front of her. She was partially shocked, but she tried not to show it. Isvant, with a smile, bowed once again to her and to Dino before turning his back to them and walked back to his position. Iratella knew it was hard, but somehow she had to approve his pledge to keep Dino happy with his decision.
"And lastly, the appointed Mist guardian of the Cavallone family, Katrina Trishapova, from Russia." Romario then took out the last ring from the crystal glass box and gave it to Dino.
Michiru paid attention to this Mist guardian, noting that Katrina is the other available female Mist guardian known. "Looks like I got myself a competition..."
Kaede, who overheard Michiru's whisper to herself, had a cold shiver running down her spine, noticing that the gaze in Michiru's eyes has changed and there was a grin on her face. "Michiru, don't show me that face. You're freaking me out..."
After the same processes, Iratella then said the same sentences to Katrina. Katrina paused for a while. Iratella thought what Katrina was about to do to her, and took a small step back. But instead of getting anything from Katrina, she heard a smirk coming from Katrina. "With the resolution within me, I will protect the Cavallone Decimo using this ring, my deathperation flame and my life --" pausing at that part for a while," -- to ensure that the Cavallone family have its safety assured." after finishing pledging her oath, Katrina looked up into Iratella's eyes with a grin. Iratella was slightly taken aback by Katrina's grin. She tried to fight back the frightened feeling in her and, with trembling hands, slid the Mist guardian ring onto Katrina's finger. Right after that, she took her hands away from Katrina's and took a few small steps back. "Thank you." Katrina said to Iratella before she turned away and walked back to her position. Iratella felt a little heavy right after that "thank you" from Katrina. Within a few seconds, blood drained from her face, making her look pale, despite her skin being porcelain fair.
"Let's give a big hand for the new Cavallone guardians!!" Romario concluded the coronation ceremony. The crowd cheered and applaused for the new guardians, heeding no attention to Iratella's current situation.
"Iratella...Iratella, are you okay...?" Dino approached to his sick-stricken fiancee and held onto her by her shoulders. Iratella, who was feeling very dizzy all of a sudden, felt like throwing up at that moment. She didn't recall having too much alcoholic drinks for the night. In fact, she never touched any alcoholic drink that night. She just drank plain juices. Yet, she felt extremely nauseating. She shook her head slightly and clung onto Dino's sleeves tight. Yearning for a comfortable surface to lean her head on, she leaned her head on Dino's chests, feeling a little eased in her head with the warmth of his body temperature. Dino stayed paused for a moment, watching her keeping herself very close to him despite being in front of the eyes of public. But soon, his heart softened, realizing that he haven't been paying attention to her the whole day.
Romario confronted the two and touched Iratella's forehead. "Is she alright, boss?"
"I'm not so sure what's wrong with her, but it's pretty obvious that she's not feeling well, right? Help me call Dr. Hamaru to come here now."
"Yes, boss." Romario then whipped out his cellphone and dialled Dr.Hamaru's phone number. In an instant, he was already talking to her.
Meanwhile, back at Tsuna's group, Tsuna felt a little weird. He felt as if there was something going around them. To check whether his hunch was right, he shifted his sight back to the platform area where Dino and Iratella was at. His hunch was right. "Hey, guys...I think something is going on there..."
"Really?" the Vongola alliance gang then began to pay their attention at Dino and Iratella after Haine completed her one-word sentence. "Ah, damn!! What's going on there?? Why is there Cavallone people surrounding Iratella???"
"I don't know~ seems like she's fainted or something~~" Kaede tried to guess the situation, which she got it right.
Back at the platform area, Dino began to panic as Iratella suddenly lost her conciousness. "Ahh, dammit, I have to bring her upstairs. I don't want to cause an upstir here...Romario, tell Dr. Hamaru to come to my room to see Iratella. And someone, please ask Kyouya Hibari to come along with us. At this situation, Iratella needs not only me, but him as well." Knowing well on how much Iratella relies on both Dino and Hibari all this while, he immediately thought of the thought to request Hibari to follow them upstairs.
At that moment, one of the Cavallone family member came running towards Tsuna and his gang, immediately confronting the fearsome Hibari. Hibari glared fiercely at the guy first, before finally agreeing to listen to his request from Dino. "Uhh....the boss has requested you to come along with us...for Iratella..." right after hearing Iratella's name being mentioned by the guy, he raced through the crowd to look for Iratella, ignoring the guy and the Vongola alliance gang altogether.
"Uhm, excuse me...but can I know what has happened to Iratella?" Haine poked on the guy's back to ask him the question.
"It seems that Miss Iratella is having a terrible sudden health complication." he explained. Without another word, he joined his comrades to help calm the crowds down.
"Iratella is having health complications...? But she's like, one of the healthiest human being ever to walk on this earth!!" Kaede exclaimed out loud.
"I don't know...she couldn't just suddenly face serious health complications, right? There must be a reason..." Michiru knocked on Kaede's head as she say out her thoughts.
At the corner of the ballroom, nearby where Tsuna and his gang were hanging out, Iratellio overheard their conversation. He began to panic as well. "What the heck did you guys do to her...? You weren't supposed to do anything to her now~~" Iratellio continued muttering to himself, ignoring the weird stare he's getting from the people around him. Just then, Katrina, Isvant and Dmitri walked past him, all three of them wearing a grin on their faces. Iratellio stood there frozen, no movements at all from him, shocked with what they telepathed to him at that very moment.
After examining Iratella's heartbeat with the stethoscope, Dr.Hamaru straightened her back and placed her stethoscope back into her bag. She then noted down some things in her handy hard cover note book with a handwriting only readable by Dr. Hamaru herself, usual thing faced by all doctors. "It's a pretty strange situation..."
"H-how is she doing, doctor?" Dino, sitting on the chair facing Dr. Hamaru from the opposite direction with his coat and necktie off and a few shirt buttons opened, questioned Dr.Hamura timidly.
"To be honest, this is a pretty strange situation for her case...being her family doctor for so long, I've seen and recorded all her health records...and I know that she's pretty most the healthiest Catena that ever lived. And to see her now, suddenly falling sick like this, it's pretty weird..." Dr.Hamaru explained as she flipped through her note book filled with Iratella's health records.
"What kind of sickness does she have...?" Dino asked again.
"Symptomps that she's having is a sudden increase in body temperature caused by a foreign substance, nausea, fatigue, loss of conciousness and pale cold skin. And although the colour of her lips didn't change, but I'm pretty sure that Iratella has been poisoned by a strong toxic substance at a low amount. It's of a low amount, but it can cause a lot of harm. Imagine if she was exposed to a large amount of it. I can bet it's instant death~~" Dr. Hamaru whipped out a syringe and a needle, attaching the needle to the open end of the syringe. "I'll take a blood sample of Iratella's and examine what is contained in her body, and hopefully try to trace down who gave her the poison."
"How long can it take?"
"Should be at least two days if I do not recieve so much home calls, but latest should be four days, I can assure you." she tied a band on Iratella's arm just above her elbow. Then slowly and steadily, Dr.Hamaru inserted the needle into Iratella's delicate skin, pulling the piston of the syringe upwards to take some blood out of her. Dino hid his clenched teeth with his hand as he witnessed Iratella's blood being sucked into the syringe. "That should do it." said Dr. Hamaru as she wiped some of the flowing blood off Iratella's skin with an alcohol-dipped cotton wool ball. "This amount should be enough to test on~" placing the blood sample in a test tube and securing its content with a rubber stopper, she carefully placed it in a special section of her bag. She then rummaged through her bag and whipped out two bags of medicine. "Okay...this one is for fever and this one is to stop the toxic from spreading any further. Don't give it to her yet until she wakes up, though. She will recover in no time with plenty of rest and lots of water and healthy food along with the medicine. By eating these two medicines, other symptomps will wear off too, so don't worry about not giving her medicine for other symptomps."
"Okay, thank you, Dr.Hamaru."
"Most welcome. If her condition doesn't get any better by tomorrow, call me in again to check her up. See ya~" Dr.Hamaru then closed the door behind her, leaving only the two guys and the unconcious girl in the Cavallone Decimo's bedroom. Hibari walked across the room from the corner where he was standing at all the while and sat down on the chair where Dr.Hamaru used to place her bag and her apparatuses.
"She will be alright...right...?" Dino asked to Hibari as he carressed Iratella's face gently.
"She will be alright, you don't have to worry. Iratella is one of the strongest mafias I've ever seen. She won't fall to such a small thing like this." Hibari smirked in his explaination, giving enough sense of assurance to the panic-stricken Cavallone Dino that Iratella will be alright. "I find it hard to believe that Iratella was intoxicated when we were offguard."
Dino paused for a second, staring at the beautiful face of the Catena girl. He took a lock of her wavy brunette hair and gently snuffled it against his nose. "I don't know when, where or how it had happened...right after she coroneted my mist guardian, Katrina, she began to feel dizzy and then fell unconcious on me..."
"Don't look at me, I didn't give her anything while we were on our way here earlier." Hibari raised both his hands, indicating that he's innocent.
"Of course you wouldn't do such a thing to her...I bet that'd be the last thing you'd ever want to do to her..."
"Not even the last in the list...it's not even ON the list..."
"Noted. But...who would want to do this to her...? Without us knowing...the toxic that intoxicated her was a fast-acting kind of toxic when it is first enters the body, then soon after it spreads slower due to the body's defense system..."
"Must've been an inside person. It's impossible that she'd be getting the poison from any outsider. She was inside the DeVastella manor the whole day until I came to fetch her. Even in here, all those present are Vongola alliance people, and everyone was scanned for any dangerous items or substances at the entrance of the ballroom..." Hibari trailed into deep thought as he tried to consider some possibilities about the crime and criminal.
Dino sighed long and continue to stare at his beautiful fiancee. Slowly and gently, careful not to wake her up, he took her right hand and held on to it, giving a warm kiss to it. "Dammit...I knew it...she didn't want to attend this ceremony...that expression yesterday she showed me when I first introduced her to them~" he remembered that devastated expression she showed to him yesterday when he asked her to attend the ceremony with him. She masked that devastation with a smile, but she sounded reluctant.
Hibari overheard Dino's silent whisper, and in turn let out a chuckle, which seemed insulting. "You sure are stupid sometimes, you know that?"
"What the heck??" Dino nearly fell of his chair when he heard Hibari commented that about him. "I do know that I'm one of the most clumsiest person to ever walk on this Earth, but --"
"For this case, I bet you never consulted Iratella before appointing your new guardians, right?" Hibari's words struck right through Dino's heart. Dino's eyes widened, staring back straight into Hibari's fierce eyes. He then looked away with a heavy heart, with guilt starting to flood his heart because he never knew he had hurt Iratella indirectly. He never thought about it when he was making an agreement with his new guardians. And now that they are already coroneted, moreover by Iratella, it's going to be a hard time for the both of them.
"You do know that Iratella will soon be married to you and that she's going to live with you, and that I will no longer have the right to protect her anymore. And you do know that her family had never gotten along with Russian mafias which makes her hate Russian mafias naturally, right?"
"Yes, I know!!!"
"Then why did you never consulted her at the first place before deciding to appoint new guardians? And that you made the decision in less than a day??"
"I don't know, okay??? I don't know!!! I'm not sure what made me make that decision, okay?? It was all a blur situation!!! First I was standing there, next thing I know, I appointed those Russians along with the Spanish and Brits!! I don't know how it happened!!" Dino raised his voice, not wanting to lose to Hibari's hurtful statements.
"But you knew it right? That her family is an anti-Russian mafia family! Have y--"
"Ky....Kyouya....it's okay...no more fighting...." the soft and weak voice came from Iratella, amazingly regaining her conciousness after only less than half an hour. Usually, it'd take for someone to regain their conciousness a few days later.
"I-Iratella..." the skylark and the Cavallone Decimo, speechless but relieved, stopped their arguement and paid attention to the sickly girl.
"Don't mention anything about what had happened back at the ceremony...I'm fine...I was just feeling a little sick, that's all...you don't have to go all worried and argue about who's the responsible one here...."
"If there's any reason that we should be arguing about who was responsible, it's you. Don't try to hide it from us. I know you know what had happened to you, you're just not telling us." Hibari's words were just so straightforward that Iratella, who barely had enough time to try to sit up, had to defend her rights. "What are you talking about...? I really don't kno-"
"Kyouya, don't try to provoke anything out of her now. She really had no idea what had happened to her. First second she was still standing up stiil and straight in front of the crowd, the next thing she knew, she collapsed."
The Vongola Cloud guardian completely ignored Dino, shifting his focus onto Iratella's pale face. Crossing his arms across his chests, he laid back against his chair and sighed long. "Dr. Hamura said that, based on your conditions and the symptoms that you faced, you were most likely intoxicated by a strong chemical which enters into your body via touch or maybe inhalation. That should be enough for you, right?"
She tightened her grip around Dino's hand and bit her lips. She knew something had happened back at the coronation ceremony. But, no one noticed. "I really had no idea how I got intoxicated, but...I'm pretty sure it happened when I was carrying out the ceremony..."
"Well, case solved then. Isn't it obvious that one of the Cavallone Guardians did that to you? Considering that you fell unconcious right after the ceremony ended." Hibari smirked out loud.
"Even if it's a yes, but, Kyouya...don't...hurt his feelings, please..." Iratella begged with all her heart to ask the both of them to stop arguing under her presence. With Hibari crossing his arms, Iratella couldn't take hold of his hand.
Hibari stayed silent for a while, eyes shifting focus from Iratella to Dino and back to Iratella again. He gave a slight nod, indicating he apologizes. Iratella smiled weakly with his respond, and laid back down on the bed with a sense of relief in her heart. "Both of you...can you stay with me...?"
"Yes, I will." Hibari and Dino answered monotonously, with Hibari's tone sounding a little stern. Leaning over to her head, the Cavallone decimo gave a peck of kiss on her forehead, and on her lips next. "Take a good rest now, you'll need it."
“Wait, what?? Iratellio left without telling me? What the heck, man~ so you meant to REALLY say that right now, I’m the only one, among all the DeVastellas and my brother, left here?”
“He took your silver Mercedes, to sum it all up.” Hibari said with such a laidback tone as he took hold of another car key that was hanging on the hook beside the lamp table by her dressing table.
“Okay, he’s SOOOOO dead when I see him there. I’m down right serious about that.” Iratella said sternly, but she just sighed at the end of her sentence.
“This is why you will have to finally take your Maserati out for a drive today.” Hibari smirked at her as he shook the car key noisily in front of her face.
Iratella came to a realization that it was a few months since she drove her black Maserati. She was too afraid to drive her engagement present from her parents as it was really precious and expensive. Pushing that reason aside, she thought that she should really bring it out for a drive if she really cared about it. Then she paused and thought of another issue. “Wait, who’s driving it then? Will it be you or me?”
“Consider about the person who’s holding the key now.”
“So it’s gotta be you. Right. You never let me drive when you’re around.”
“It’s my job to ensure that you arrive at your destination safely at all times.”
“I clearly remember that I had never assigned you as my driver from the start.”
“Hence, it’s not wrong for me to volunteer, right? Although your fiancé had asked me just now for my service to come and fetch you, I had been thinking about doing so since Tsunayoshi received the invitation.” Hibari just smiled at her and walked out from the room. Like a puppy with a sash around her neck, she followed behind him. “Ah, wait, I haven’t worn my heels yet~’ before she walked out from the room, she grabbed and hastily strapped on her silver 2-½ inch heels.
------------------------------------------------
In the speeding black Maserati, Hibari was in the driver’s seat whilst Iratella at the front passenger seat. Staring out of the window, Iratella kept thinking about the new Cavallone guardians. The fact that they are Russian mafias, how seemingly mysterious they look and what they had said to her. The words kept repeating in her head like a broken record player. Now that she come to think of it, she felt that those word of promise, which they call it through they way they said it, were not filled with honesty. Rather, it was just words of indirect hypnotism. Unlit lamp post after unlit lamp post passed by from her sight with a blurry view. Yet, she cared not to even look at them, considering the speed of which Hibari was driving now.
She cleared the questions that was floating from her head and turned to Hibari, observing on the way he handles her beloved car. Hibari kept his eyes on the road with a sight full of concentration. Clear enough, even though he’s driving faster than she would with the Maserati, but he is a very careful driver. Looking at the way he holds the steering wheel reminds her of her fiancé. Unknowingly, she let off a smile and stared back out of the window.
The awkward silence wasn’t the thing that is annoying Hibari, rather it was Iratella’s unusually long and deep thought accompanied by long sighs. Thinking that she was reluctant to attend the Cavallone guardians’ coronation ceremony, he decided to be the one to break the silence. “Do you really want to go for this ceremony? You don’t seem like you are into this.”
Iratella turned back to the skylark. She looked at him for a while again. He didn’t turn to her when he asked her the question; instead, he still kept his eyes on the road. “Even if I said no, I don’t have a choice, right? So I might as well attend it. Anyhow, I have never said that I didn’t want to attend the ceremony.” She smiled at him, knowing that if she does that, he’ll never catch it, knowing that he’s concentrating on the road rather than what she’s doing. “Besides, I… suddenly thought of something…about those guardians…so…I want to go back there and see them again…don’t know why, but my hunch is telling me to do so.”
“So, you do sense something weird about those newbie as well?” he blurted out something that was in the minds of everyone that was invited to the ceremony, especially Iratella’s.
“How did you – why do you know?”
“Because apparently, you’re not the only one who thinks so. That herbivore Tsunayoshi actually thought about it. To think of it, it doesn’t take Tsunayoshi’s question to make us start thinking about how weird that bronco’s choice was. Maybe we’re just over thinking about it, but considering that they consist of no-joke Russian mafias, we may have to conclude that Dino has just lost his mind. No offense.” Hibari explained as he drove, keeping his level of concentration still and not let his guard down.
“No, you’re not the only one who thinks that he’s gone haywire. Not only you~”
“So, are you really sure that you still want to go? It’s not too late to turn back.”
“No, it’s okay. No matter what, I have to be there for Dino. I want to be by his side when his new guardians get coroneted. We promised…”
“Granted.”
------------------------------------------------------
The massive and grand ballroom in the centre of the Cavallone manor was filled with guests, most of them which are Vongola alliances. The grand crystal chandeliers that hung from the ceiling above illuminate a romantic golden glow in the ballroom and on the guests it contains. The the beautiful full moon was given its chance to show its beauty through the big windows with its velvet curtains pulled back. The ceremony seemed more romantic rather than royal with its interior designs placed as it is. But they serve only as a background portrait for the night. The highlight programme for the night is the coronation of the new Cavallone guardians.
“She told us that she’s coming without us and to meet her here. And yet, after two hours since she said that, she herself is not here in person. Do you think she’s not coming…?” Ayame trailed behind Kikuya as she asked her confusing question, holding a glass of punch in one hand and a vanilla cream truffle in the other.
“Show some manners, Ayame, you’re in a formal ceremony, not a night club.” Shino took a bite of the truffle in Ayame’s hand as he walked past her.
“HEY!!!! If you want one, go get it yourself!!! You bit a pretty big amount here~~ dammit~~” feeling mad about Shino’s action she kept the cream truffle away from Shino and ate it herself. “Kiku, why is your boyfriend such a meanie to me~~~”
“E-e-ehhhh??? He’s not my boyf-“ Kikuya’s face went all hot red.
“Anyone saw Miss Fulmine?? I can’t find her~ and I thought she said that she’ll be here shortly, not long after WE arrive. Two hours is gone, she’s not here yet. Do you know where she is now??” Haine suddenly appeared behind Ayame and Kikuya along with Kaede and Michiru.
“You know, that’s the exact question I asked to Kiku just 15 seconds ago. No answer. No idea. No clue. Why?”
“Hopeless as usual. Why am I even talking to you in the first place…?” Michiru smirked and left the spot, not caring about continuing on searching for the DeVa lightning.
“Hey!! Don’t be so high and mighty!! And don’t you talk to me like that!! Hey!! I wasn’t even talking to you in the first place, so why do I even care???”
“Ayame~! For goodness sake, please~~ look after your attitude~~”
“It’s not my fault that she’s talking with that tone~”
“Ayame, focus!! I’m trying to find Iratella here~”
While they were arguing to remind everyone to keep their focus in check, suddenly they noticed everyone was whispering and pointing timidly to one direction. The crowds parted in the direction where some of those who were beside Haine and her family members were pointing at. “Wow, okay, what’s going on the – ahh, Iratella!! And…Hibari…?” Haine exclaimed. “EEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!”
“Sorry for being late. We had a little road block just now.” Iratella said hastily. Hibari stood beside her looking smart but fierce at the same.
“So much for the grand entry, but with him??” Kaede pulled Iratella to her and asked her in a heavy whisper.
“Dino asked him to. And I was hoping that he’ll come, actually. He did, thank God. Coz if not, I would’ve been worrying and being mad about my missing Ferrari, apparently ‘stolen’ by Iratellio. Thank God it was only him, or I’d start throwing tantrums the moment I reach here. Had to come here with my Maserati, heh, no other choice. A lot of people were staring at us just now when we first arrived.”
“Of course it’ll turn heads!! Maserati are car royalty, okay? They are more worth than Ferraris, as you always explain to me, and as if we don’t know about it.” Haine smirked.
“Okay, don’t make fun of my car before I tow your car away with mine~”
“Uhh, let’s not argue about car-towing here, okay…?’ Kikuya, with a big drop of cold sweat on her head, tried to break up the little friendly argument.
“Ah, Hibari-san, you’ve arrived with Iratella. Been a while~”
“Haha, yup, not so long, but pretty miss ya~” Iratella greeted Tsuna, dubbed as the king of the mafia empire, with a curtsey. Hibari bowed to Tsuna politely as well, something that he has learned to do ever since Tsuna wholeheartedly accepted his duty and role as the Vongola Decimo.
“Yo, minna, how’s it goin’?” the ever-so cheerful Yamamoto joined the gang and hung his hand gleefully over Iratella and Haine’s shoulders. “Looks like everyone is having fun here~”
“Seems to me that YOU are the only one having fun here. I can’t remember when was the last time you actually stopped walking around this place. You’ve practically scanned through this place more than 10 times~” Gokudera scolded Yamamoto noisily, at the same time trying to catch Kaede’s attention.
“Mission Cool Guy Acting To Attract Girl With Same Flame, epic fail, Gokudera~” Iratella laughed hard when he see Gokudera trying to act cool in front of them, especially in front of Kaede. Yamamoto let go of his hand around her shoulder and hugged Haine.
Whilst that happened, she felt someone hugging her waist from behind. “You finally made it, princess~” a familiar voice and fragrance came from behind her. Despite having suspecting him for his weird choices that he’s made for the family, she still felt a sense of relief with him holding her in his arms.
“Yup, I’m here~” she answered shyly. He twirled her around by her arm to face him. Ignoring the countless pairs of eyes observing their sweet demeanor, he gave a warm kiss on her supple lips and stayed in the position for 5 seconds, enjoying every microsecond of that moment, tasting the natural sweet strawberry taste of her lips, making blushes creep up her cheeks in a fraction of a moment. “I really can’t believe you’re here. I don’t know if it’s because of me being too busy for the whole night, I really missed you.”
“This is really an….uhm….awesome PDA now, don’t you think, Kiku?” Haine poked Kikuya.
“It is indeed.”sweet Kikuya smiled as she said.
The Cavallone Decimo, dressed in a dark silver tux with a silver-black striped necktie and a pair of shiny leather shoes, greeted Tsuna and Haine formally. “Good to have you all here tonight.”
“Well, it’s a big night for the Cavallone family. Making a change like this to the family isn’t very easy, so we’re here to give you as much support as we can.” Tsuna said with a smile.
“I believe your choice will improve the Cavallone family for the best. I know that your choice was wise and the line of choices is incredible indeed.” Haine commented.
“Yes, indeed. It wasn’t a very easy choice to make, but with support from my family members, I was able to make the right decision. And my beautiful fiancée here is always by my side to support in whatever I do.” Dino once again hugged Iratella’s waist, giving a random peck of kiss on the back of her neck. Everyone that gathered around them clapped and cheered for the couple, making Iratella a little embarrassed.
“I believe you should have a relevant reason for finally implementing the tradition of appointing guardians alongside you.” Michiru, who wandered off earlier, came back to the spot, maybe having to have heard their conversation from afar, and threw the question at him.
“Why, of course there is, but it’s a long story and…it’s a private and confidential thing, so only authorized people are allowed to receive this information only in a private and safe place where no one else can hear about it.” Hibari smirked as he listened to Dino’s answer, feeling that it’s a pretty irrelevant answer. Iratella noticed that smirk, but she just pretended to have ignored it. Yet, she was pretty sure that Hibari caught her seeing his smirk.
“Nevertheless, I think it’s a pretty cool idea to have recruited Russians as part of your guardians. I heard they were pretty hard to get.” Yamamoto questioned.
“That was not easy, actually~” Dino placed his hand over his head and laughed. “Oh, I’m so sorry, I gotta head there first, I have to meet with Romario first. I’ll see you guys later. I’ll come for you later, okay?” Dino gave another peck of kiss on Iratella’s lips before leaving her with her group of friends. She just watched him disappearing into the sea of crowds, in cloud nine.
“Well, both of you sure deserve the title as the hot couple around here. Not just Milan, but the whole Italy~” Tsuna suggested with an honest smile. Everyone seconded the motion by agreeing with what he said.
Iratella, in turn, joined in the joke and whilst that, she slowly moved towards Hibari. Upon noticing his eyes, she noticed the change in expression in his eyes. Immediately she knew he knew something everyone didn’t know. “I don’t know about how you, as a fiancée, would think about him, but he sounds a little irrelevant in the way he answered Kaiou’s question.”
“Eh…? Why would you say so?”
“It was just my hunch; I didn’t say that his answers were irrelevant. I just felt so, personally.’
"I wouldn't say it was irrelevant...maybe...I should ask him what's going on in his mind after this ceremony. Apparently, you do know that when it comes to this type of issue, he only opens it up to me, no?" Iratella's voice trailed off to a whisper, not wanting to let the other guests know that she will know something about the Cavallone Decimo's odd decision.
"As always." Hibari nodded.
"Uhm, Hibari-san, have you seen Rokudo Mukuro-san?" Tsuna suddenly turned to Hibari and spoke the name of the 'devil' Hibari hates most. "No, I haven't." Instead of giving his death glare to Tsuna like he usually does upon the mere mentioning of the Vongola Mist Guardian's name, he just answered.
“I thought he won’t be coming~” Iratella asked Hibari with a whisper.
“That’s why I haven’t seen him.”
“Well – fair enough~”
“Have you guys seen the new guardians yet?” Ayame began.
“No…no one did, right? Why?” Shino asked in disbelief.
“Huh? You didn’t see them?” Ayame was not surprised, but rather shocked to know that they haven’t taken a peek of the new Cavallone guardians. Being the usual busybody type of person as she is, she already had a sneak peek ‘preview’ of the new Cavallone guardians.
“Why the heck would I go up to them and say ‘Hi’ if I barely know them personally? I mean, think about it. They’re Russians. When was the last time any Italian mafia family actually made a deal with any of the Russian mafias?” Michiru smirked out her sentence, not hiding a single bit of her personal opinion. It was all out. Everyone’s thoughts were the same as hers.
“You guys, this type of issues do change, right? Maybe Dino has a reason for his choice. And that reason should be a good reason for someone like him. Being the most caring boss we all ever know, the choice that he has made should be for the best of his beloved family. Instead of trying to put his name in shame, we should all support him. He’s our comrade, no?” Kikuya, not wanting anyone to implement a negative thought towards the new Cavallone guardians, tried to lure them back to their optimistic side instead of talking bad behind their backs.
“I’m so sorry, Kikuya. It’s just…I know…you too have been wondering about the same thing as what Michiru had said, right…? We all are…and if we don’t figure this out, his choice might be a wrong one…no offense, princess.” Shino said.
“Oh – no, I’m in no way offended with what you said.” Iratella seconded Shino’s motion.
“So, who’s in for supporting the Cavallone Decimo? Or are you all going to back away from supporting him and continue to suspect his odd decision…?” Tsuna asked everyone with a slightly squeaky voice. He didn’t want any trouble occurring from any side at all. He wants to support his beloved ‘brother’ with all his heart, but his heart is also telling him something else about his ‘brother’.
“If only there’s something we could do abo – AAHHH!!!” Iratella, who was trying to tell everyone to not think too much about that issue, suddenly felt something brushing against her buttocks, making her jump and literally shocked. What felt like a hand slowly brushed past her buttocks. After the sudden shock, she felt as if there were not one, not two, not three, not four, not five, but six people standing beside her. She was right. It was the Varias, being the last of all guests to arrive there. Xanxus, Squalo, Lussuria, Levi, Fran and Belphegor were all there. Among the six, Iratella was pretty sure that the one who brushed his hand on her buttocks was none other than Xanxus. No one else.
“Xa – Xa—Xanxus~!!” Iratella screamed, but at her minimum screaming volume. Everyone stood frozen around Iratella to know who the culprit was. No one made any sudden movements to avoid being suddenly ambushed by a rain of knives or a sharp wielding sword staring straight into their eyes. Among the silence of the Vongola and DeVastellas, Belphegor’s signature laugh could be heard, laughing to witness the seemingly ridiculous facial expressions of the others. Fran, holding a bag of chips in his hands like he usually does, munch his chips away. “Yo, minna~” he gave a friendly hands-up greeting to the Vongolas and DeVastellas.
“Y—yo….” Haine timidly replied his greeting.
“You actually came. It’s not like you to actually agree to attend this type of ceremony, especially if the one organizing the ceremony is Dino.” Iratella walked towards him and stood with her arms crossed in front of her chest.
“I’m not here to witness any special coronation of anyone at all. It is never of my business anyway.” Xanxus replied with a smirk.
“Voiii~ don’t ask me what’s his problem for wanting to attend this ceremony for someone who hates being in this kind of situation.” Squalo complained in disbelief.
“Sounds like someone I know~” Iratella said, indicating that the person she was talking about was Hibari. The Vongola Cloud Guardian, who heard her statement, smirked, laughing silently to him to know that she actually said that about him.
“Anyhow~~~ since we came all the way here, we might as well just blend in with the crowd and enjoy ourselves, no?” Lussuria gleefully clapped his hands and twirled. Other guests looked at his actions with chills running up their spine and a big drop of cold sweat on their heads.
“Ushishishishiiii~ I agree~~ been a while since I last attended a party as grand as this~~” Belphegor seemed excited.
“Ahh, Bel-senpai, I’m coming with you~” Fran follow Belphegor away from the group of people like a little puppy.
Iratella held in her urge to laugh as she watches Belphegor kicking Fran away from him, who then stands back right up again and continues to trail behind Belphegor, leaving Belphegor no choice but to drag Fran along with him.
Xanxus sighed with disbelief and ignored the two youngsters in the next second. He then pointed at Iratella. “You, follow me. I have something to tell you now.”
“M—me..?” she wanted to confirm his instructions.
“Yes, you. Who else am I pointing at then?” with a smirk, he turned away from them and walked towards a balcony. Iratella, feeling a little confused with why he wanted to talk to her, just sighed and followed.
“Pity her…why is she always the one being chosen to receive secret information and not us?” Shino complained.
“Shut up, man. It’s more like, why are all the guys after Iratella~” Kaede joked.
“What the hell, man~ that’s sooo not funny~~” the DeVastella Sun Guardian shoved Kaede’s joke away.
“Why is she always being called to be in a private place with boss???” Levi was feeling a little jealous with the way Xanxus treats Iratella compared to the way he treats him.
“VOOOIIIII~~~ quit it with your obnoxious obsession over boss!! You’re creeping me out~~” Squalo snapped after feeling annoyed with all the Varias’ behavior on that night.
“Come on, chillax man. In this type of event, you should put all worries aside and at least have some fun.” Yamamoto came over and gave a pat on Squalo’s shoulder.
“Hey! For someone who doesn’t have anything to worry about in life should really not stick their noses into other people’s business!!” Gokudera exclaimed.
“But we should all forget about our burdens for at least a while and try to do something else to relax our mind, right?” Yamamoto explained.
“Yes!! It helps to keep our selves in tip top condition to the extreme~” Ryohei seconded Yamamoto’s motion.
“Easy for you to say~ you never have any worries to consider, anyway~” Squalo smirked, crossing his arms across his chests.
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Xanxus rested himself on the railing of the balcony and observed Iratella walking closer to him. She stood beside him and rested her hands on the balcony railing. “The moon looks so beautiful tonight…doesn’t it?” Iratella tried to create conversation as soon as she arrives to where he is.
“Somehow, it doesn’t have what it takes to be compared with a pure Italian beauty.” Xanxus said with a laidback tone, complementing Iratella indirectly. Iratella smiled as she heard his indirect complement, knowing that it was meant for her. “So…what is it that you want to talk about with me?”
“I heard that your ‘long-lost’ brother have finally reappeared in front of you again, right?”
“Wow, when they say that the world is small, it IS that small after all~ indeed he has. He appeared in front of me just yesterday, but he was back here in Milan some few days ago, as what he said.”
“A few days ago…really…?”
“Yup, that’s what he said…it’s really a relief to know that he’s actually still alive…being able to escape that massacre is a miracle, and he just proved to me that miracles do happen…”
“You always have described that massacre as an impossible-to-escape-from massacre…did Iratellio really miraculously escaped that massacre?”
“Somehow yes…that’s why everyone kept saying that it’s a miracle…for someone like him, it does seem impossible at first. But we’ll never know that we can actually make miracles until we try, right? So, with all my heart, I want to believe that Iratellio had really, really, by a miracle, survived and cheated death from that massacre…” she tucked her brunette locks behind her e ears that was flowing in the direction of the soft night breeze.
“You really put a lot of trust in your brother, don’t you?”
“Well, he is my brother, right? And by right, anyone who is related by blood with me deserves a chance to get my full trust in them, and he, who is my biological brother, has the full authority to get it.”
“How about that Vongola Decimo?”
“He is my cousin right?”
“Me?”
“Well…you aren’t exactly my brother or cousin or anything, but we’ve grown up together since young, so I kinda know you a little better than your own Varia members, so you do deserve my trust.”
“Then how about your fiancée? He’s only known you ten years back, and he is not biologically related to you.”
Iratella paused for a second, and gave a sweet smile the next. The smile was always the smile she would give to anyone who asks her about Dino, her relationship with him and why she chooses him. “Dino, I’d say, will be an exception…from the time he tells me that he loves me…in that instant, I knew that he’s the one who had opened my heart and made me accept him…there’s no words to describe about that, but…he…somehow…made me put all my trust in him…believing that he will be able to guard my fragile heart…”
“Normal words that a girl in love would say, but right now, Italy’s most wanted bachelor is being doubted by the whole mafia community about his choice in recruiting Russian mafias as part of his new line of guardians. Are you still putting your full trust in him despite all the words that are spreading around now?”
Iratella stayed silent for a while. Her head was flooded again with countless questions related to that issue.
“You don’t have to protect his pride at this moment. Because you do suspect something amiss with his decision, right?”
“Well, yeah—but—I want to believe that there’s a logical explanation behind all this, because I know he wouldn’t make this kind of decision unless he wholeheartedly believes that the next step he was about to take will change the image of the Cavallone family for the best…”
“As you said. So, are you saying that we should not put too much of suspicion and concern on this issue? Because you believe that he’s not going haywire by making this choice?”
“Are you not supporting him? He’s part of the Vongola. He’s a Vongola alliance. We must, no matter what, do whatever it takes to support him.”
Xanxus stayed silent for a while, trying to make up his mind on whether to trust in Dino or not. But right now, that isn’t the main priority for him. The main priority with him is what he’s about to ask her next. “I’ll see how I’ll deal with the bronco. Back to the issue about your brother. Okay, so it IS normal for a sister to put her full trust in her biological brother.”
“Yeah, it is. Why are we back to this topic again?”
“For now…do you really thinking putting your trust in Iratellio is the right thing?”
Xanxus’ question to her made her raise an eyebrow. “Xanxus, what are you talking about? Of course it’s the right thing, no? Are you trying to tell me a joke? Because I don’t think it’s funny.”
“You said earlier that you have trust in me, right? So, right now, keep your word and trust me when I tell you not to see Iratellio the same way again.”
Iratella raised an eyebrow and sighed heavily. “Why?? Why can’t I? He’s my brother and I trust him~”
“It’s not the right time to fully put your trust in him now, especially now that he’s just recently returned back to you.”
“Why?? Why are you asking me to do something like that? First you ask me about me having my trust in my brother and then now you’re asking me to ditch my own brother? What are you trying to tell me??”
“What I’m trying tell you is—“ Xanxus snapped in impatience “—Iratellio may seem like your normal old brother that you love, but he’s not. He’s not the person that he used to be. He’s no longer the same Iratellio that you knew before the massacre occurred. He’s just not your plain old Iratellio anymore!”
Iratella looked at Xanxus almost immediately, eyes widened, a little shocked with his tone. She stared at him for a little while before looking away from him again.
Xanxus, feeling somewhat a little guilty with the way he raised his voice, cleared his throat on purpose, adjusting his loosen tie. "All I'm saying is...in times like this, even the person closest to you could be the one who's behind all evil doings...not to mention the chain of events that have happened around you..."
His words rang a bell to her. He was somewhat right. After Yumizo's family got attacked, she found a seemingly familiar necklace, Iratellio returns to her and Dino appointed a line of new guardians.
Coincidence....?
"Xanxus...h-how did you...."
"Don't ask."
"S-s-sorry...." she lowered her head, facing away from him as she tried to set her mood back to normal.
The Varia boss turned facing out towards the garden view, resting his hands on the railing of the balcony, intercrossing his fingers over one another. "There are certain things...that I know...which I can only tell you this much...and as for Iratellio's incident...this is what I can tell you for now..." his blood red eyes shimmered under the gleaming moonlight, making them seem much more beautiful rather than his usual scaringly murderous look.
Iratella looked at him with eyes widened again, staring at him for a moment without saying anything.
"You know...you're so unbelievable...you always have the heart to trust in someone who shouldn't be trusted at all..." he slowly, and surprisingly timidly lifted his right hand and placed it on her cheek. "Even in someone as hateful as me..."
Iratella knew, he didn't actually mean anything more than just a touch in that touch. "You're not hated....it's just that all the other people out there don't see you or know you the same way I do..." smiling with relief, she patted his shoulders as a sign of encouragement.
"Ahhh, there you are!!! I've been searching for you all over the place!! And....hi...X-X-Xan-Xanxus......" Iratellio stood frozen at his position upon noticing Xanxus' presence beside his younger sister. What's more, he sees that Xanxus is still, in fact, placing his hand on Iratella's face. "Am I...disturbing something important...or something...?"
"Nothing....just having a little talk with...Xanxus here..." Iratella hesitatingly pushed Xanxus' hand away from her. Xanxus' eyes followed the direction of his hand falling back to the side of his body.
"Anything that you want?" Iratella asked, wearing a smile on her face to set herself back in normal mode. Just when she was about to walk towards her brother, she felt something pulled her back by her shoulder. She fell backwards slightly and felt something rested on her shoulders. She also felt what seemed like hair brushing against her own hair and her cheek. "It's up to you to choose whose words you want to believe...but at the same time, I want you to continue to trust in my words...." Xanxus gave a slight push on her back which nearly made her fell forward. She managed to get her balance back, and continued to walk towards her brother. Soon enough, when she approaches him, Xanxus' words played again in her head, reminding her that reality isn't always as it seems. It never did anyway.
"So, what did he said to you?" Iratellio asked immediately after he hung his left hand over her shoulders.
"Do you need to know?" she tried to make conversation as normal as she can with her brother. Don't make him feel suspicious about it all, she thought to herself. At least she's the one feeling suspicious about her brother.
"Of course I need to know~ but if you insist on not telling me, then it's okay~" Iratella was glad that she didn't had to make any efforts to hide the truth. It was going well so far. But how far can it go? How long can things last like the way it is? Considering Xanxus' advice to her, it's starting to become so hard to handle this problem. Is Iratellio really as what Xanxus had said? Can he really be trusted now? She was confused. He had just returned to her, and now Xanxus is saying all these. "So...why were you finding me again?"
"Oh, right. Dino is the one who's searching for you. The coronation ceremony is about to begin."
"It's about to begin. Okay. So?"
"So~~ you have to be there, as he said. You are the one who has to be by Dino's side to carry out the coronation."
"Whoa, okay....WHAT??" Iratella stopped her pace and stayed at where she stopped, which was in the middle of the crowd. Everyone around her stopped at whatever they were doing and turned their heads to her direction, wondering what had happened with her. "Why am I the one who has to carry out the coronation?"
"Well...remember the coronation tradition of all Vongola alliances? The partner, for this case is you, of the boss of any Vongola alliance family must be there to associate in the coronation ceremony of the family's guardians to ensure the appointed guardians have ample trust, well...entrusted in them. Right? Don't tell me you forgot about that...."
"I kinda did for a second there...hmm....fine...." Iratella sounded weak and somewhat reluctant. She tried to hide it, but it was too obvious for Iratellio to sense it. Being her brother for her whole life, of course he'd know. "What's wrong? You don't sound happy about it."
"Did I...? Oh~~ no, I don't feel unhappy about it~ it's just...well, I had a little complication with his guardians yesterday...especially with the Russians......"
"Oh, the Russian session yesterday? Uh-huh, I remember that. What happened then?"
"Okay, you're starting to annoy me. For goodness sake, please don't make me feel stressed out way before the coronation starts~~"
"Sorry, sorry~ didn't mean to~~" Iratellio laughed kindly back at his sister, hoping that it'd help to calm her down before the coronation begins.
"It's okay...." she laughed along, but it wasn't exactly a happy kind of laugh.
"Iratella, you got your brother's news, right?" that familiar, sweet yet playful and sexy voice came from behind her. Yet again, she felt a hug around her waist from behind her and a peck of kiss on her neck. Dino's hand slowly slid down, until it was only just above her sacred point.
"D-Dino~~ watch where you're putting your hand~~" blushing all red, she did smile, but she refused for anyone to see it.
"Sorry about that. Anyways--" he let go of her and turned her to face him. "--you did recieve the news from Iratellio, right?"
"Yup, I did. Do I have to....?"
"Of course you should~ it's part of the ceremony~ all families under the alliances of the Vongola have to do so~" Dino said with his playful smile. "I may not have any lifetime partner yet, but you're the closest match in that category~" with that, he gave a kiss on her forehead, nose and finally on her lips. "So, you ready to go?"
"Uhm....oh-o-okay~~" she forced herself to continue to put that smile on her face. She did so while trying to recall what are the procedures of the coronation ceremony. The ever-so faithful and loyal Romario came forward to Iratella and gave a bow to her. Iratella just gave a polite smile to him. "Oh, how do I look?"
"You look beautiful as usual, My Lady." Romario complemented on her look. Perfectly beautiful as usual, to his point of view.
"Thanks, Romario. Oh, and no need to be so formal. Although this is a formal event, but, cut the formality." she reminded.
"Ah, but tonight, you carry a very important role for Master Dino, so we have to be formal to you. Don't worry, it's only for the night." he explained humbly.
"You know what~ I'm still kinda not used to being treated this formal...it's not like I'm royalty or anything, right?" Iratella smirked, feeling a little uncomfortable with the formal treatment she recieved from all the Cavallone family members.
"For this case, you are."
"Dammit, I knew it~" she snapped. "Never mind then...so, is it gonna start now?"
"Yes."
"But I don't see any of his guardians. Now that it's mentioned, I've never seen them since I arrived. Where are they anyway?" Iratella scanned through the place, trying to search for the guardians who were missing in action since she arrived roughly one hour ago.
"Oh, no worries on that. They are coming down soon. They are upstairs getting themselves ready for the coronation. It's their big night, being the first ever Cavallone guardians to be appointed." Romario said humbly.
Iratella sensed something amiss with the way Romario said his last sentence. He sounded sad, disappointed and devastated. "Oh -- okay..." she then stepped onto the platform next to her and sat on the velvet chair, adjusting her dress as she tried to find a comfortable sitting position. Not long after she settled herself down, Dino came running up the platform and sat beside her. "Where did you go?" the Catena girl asked him.
"I went to see Tsuna. Since he is, as we all know and as if we don't know, the Vongola Decimo, no? So he's gonna be the witness for this ceremony. I completely forgot to ask him about it yesterday, luckily I remembered at the brink of a second just now, or else this coronation would not be approved." he said, trying to catch a breath. A drop of sweat dripped down the side of his face. Iratella took out a handkerchief from her clutch and wiped off the sweat from his face. "You gotta look your best for tonight. It's a big night for your family." The bucking bronco smiled, took her hand and held it close to his lips. "Yes, my princess." and kissed her hand gently, his warm breath against the back of her palm made her heart race. Trying to keep it cool, the Catena girl just smiled back at him.
"The coronation ceremony of the new Cavallone family guardians will now begin." Romario announce to the crowd through the microphone. All that hears the announcement kept their voices down and concentrated on what's going on in front of them.
"Don't worry. Everything will go well. There's no need for rehearsal for this." Dino whispered to Iratella, her hand still in his grasp. She turned towards the crowd and stared out into the horizon. She isn't nervous that she'll screw up the coronation procedure. She's more concerned about the group of people that are going to be coronated. There was no way for her to stop the ceremony. Guess I have no choice but to go with the flow, she told herself.
Meanwhile, at the right side of the platform, the group of Iratella's close friends saw her sitting beside Dino. "Ah, isn't that Iratella?"
Tsuna and his gang and the DeVastellas turned to the direction of where Kaede pointed. They saw the elegant and beautiful Iratella, sitting with a poised look and a decent smile on her face, her silver choker shimmering under the light emitted by the chandelier that hung above her. "She looks like some sort of princess..." Shino admitted.
"She always has been, right? I mean in terms of her family's name..." Haine admitted too.
Hibari took a glance of her and smirk. Indeed, she always has been like that, he thought to himself.
One of the Cavallone family member, Jose, walked up onto the platform with a crystal glass box in his hands. Very carefully and gently, he handed the box over to Romario, turned around and walked away. The crystal glass box caught Iratella's full attention. She kept looking at the box, wondering what are the contents of the box.
"These are the Cavallone guardian rings, special rings made with the same processed metal that was used to create some of the most powerful guardian rings like the Vongola rings, the Mare rings and the DeVastella rings. Designs of the ring are based on the elements that make up the Cavallone family -- speed, precision, power, always racing forwards to a better future and created by the Vongola family. These rings will be handed to the new Cavallone guardians by the Decimo boss of the Cavallone family himself, Master Dino, and also his honored fiancee, Iratella Catena, one of the candidate for the position as the Decimo boss of the Catena royal mafia family." the crowds gave their cheer and applause to the two mentioned names. Dino and Iratella thanked their applause with a smile.
"And now, the ones that will recieve the rings and appointed to accept the responsibility to protect the Cavallone Decimo, we present to you, the line of the new Cavallone guardians." Romario introduced them. From one corner of the room, the applause could be heard as the Cavallone guardians walked into the ballroom with full of pride in their strut. The applause given to them slowly spreaded across the place and became louder.
The six new guardians lined up in two straight lines in front of the platform, each of them wearing a formal black coat and pants, except for Katrina who wore a black pencil skirt. After lining up, the six of them gave a polite bow to Dino and Iratella.
"To present the rings to the new Cavallone guardians, Dino Cavallone and Iratella Catena." as their names were announced, the crowd gave them a big round of applause. Upon hearing their name being announced, the two stood up from their seat and walked to the front of the platform. Iratella took the effort to take a glance of the Cavallone guardians lining up in two straight lines of three. Immediately, the same words they had said to her rang in her head again. In a fraction of a second, her smile faded from her face. She didn't frown, but there was a sort of gloom showing on her face.
The lost of smile on her face might not be obvious to the other guests, but Kikuya immediately saw it. "Ah, Iratella stopped smiling...that's not good..." she told those around her. They turned their heads at Iratella's direction to confirm Kikuya's statement. It was true. "Ah, it's true~~ something's not right...." Haine began to feel worried about Iratella. That's not like Iratella to lose her smile to an unknown situation, in this case, which only Iratella herself knows and the other have no idea about it.
"She's obviously doubting on whether or not to carry out the coronation onto those line of people, considering that she's still unable to accept the fact that there'll be three Russians as part of the guardians." a deep stern voice came out from behind the group of Vongolas. Turning towards the source of the voice, they were surprised at the sight of Xanxus in front of them.
"Dammit!! Xanxus, don't scare us like that~~" Shino exclaimed.
"I never did, you scum. You're the one who scared yourself." Xanxus smirked.
"Wait...are you sure?" Kaede asked to confirm.
"As I said, it's obvious. If you are just one of the guests, you won't notice the meaning behind the loss of her smile. But for the group of guys like you all, would know why." he told them sternly.
"Does this mean that she's sensing trouble from them?" Kikuya threw that question directly at Xanxus.
"Not just from them, but from one more person as well." Xanxus answered slumberly.
"One more person...? Is it Dino?" Ayame asked in a tone no louder than a whisper.
"Don't say unnecessary things, Ayame~ we're not sure who it is, so don't jump to conclusions just yet." Haine warned.
"Okay, okay, I'm sorry~~" Ayame apologized with her hand placed behind her head.
“The appointed Sun guardian of the Cavallone family –“ Romario introduced, “—Dmitri Sarvoshka, from Russia.” the crowd applauded as Dmitri walked to the platform. Romario took out the Sun guardian ring and handed it over to Dino. Dino lit up his Sky flame through his ring and placed it onto the Sun guardian ring, which was then lit as well, with a bright orange flame. He then handed it over to Iratella, who did the same thing as Dino did. She lit up her Lightning ring and placed it on the Sun Guardian ring. The flame on the Sun guardian ring then changed extinguished. The crowd was awed by the flame's sudden appearance and disappearance and gave an applause to it. Isvant gave a bow to Iratella and handed out his right hand to her. "With the resolution within you, protect the Cavallone Decimo using this ring, your deathperation flame and your life." she then slid the ring into his middle finger. Upon wearing it, a bright yellow flame with little sparkles in it lit from the ring. "With the resolution within me, I will protect the Cavallone Decimo using this ring, my deathperation flame and my life, to ensure that the Cavallone family will have its safety assured." Iratella accepted his oath by giving him a slight nod. With that, Dmitri backed down slowly and walked back to his position.
"We got our first Russian~" Yamamoto said to Haine in a whisper.
"Let's see who else is the Russian~" she replied back to him in a whisper as well.
"The appointed Lightning guardian of the Cavallone family, Legazpi Marco, from Spain." Romario then took out the Lightning guardian ring and handed it over to Dino. Dino did the same thing to the ring and handed it over to Iratella, which she did the same thing to it too. "With the resolution within you, protect the Cavallone Decimo using this ring, your deathperation flame and your life." Iratella told to Legazpi and slid the ring onto his middle finger of his right hand. "With the resolution within me, I will protect the Cavallone Decimo using this ring, my deathperation flame and my life, to ensure that the Cavallone family will have its safety assured." Legazpi pledged his oath in an obvious Spanish accent. Iratella too, accepted his oath by giving him a nod, watching him backing down and walking back to his position.
"The appointed Rain guardian of the Cavallone family, Hergoza Marco, from Spain." Romario took out the Rain guardian ring and handed it over to Dino. The same ring recognition process was performed on the ring. The same words were told to Hergoza and he in return pledged the same oath with a Spanish accent like his brother. And again, Iratella approved his oath.
"The appointed Cloud guardian of the Cavallone family, Aiden Wellington, from Britain." Romario took out the Cloud guardian ring from the crystal glass box and handed it to Dino. The same processes were performed and the same oath was pledged by Aiden in his British accent. Iratella approved his oath as well.
"Wow, she approved all the oaths of the guardians so far~~" Kaede whispered to Michiru.
"She has to. She can't disapproved in any way even if she wants to, because if she does, Dino still has the right to approve it since he's the boss of the Cavallone family. Iratella right now is just someone who is handing the power to the guardians, not to approve or disapprove their pledges. She, right now, is just approving their oaths because she's just handing the power to them." Michiru smirked as she explained in disbelief, can't believing that Kaede doesn't know what Iratella's responsibility at this moment.
It's the turn of those two Russians now, Iratella told herself, clenching her hands into a fist to keep herself in check, not wanting anyone to see that she doesn't want to approve their oath.
"The appointed Storm guardian of the Cavallone family, Isvant Karpova from Russia." the crowd once again applauded as Isvant's name was announced. Isvant walked up to the platform and gave a bow to Iratella and Dino. At that moment, Iratella felt a little suspicious with his action and the way he gazes at her, making her once again remember what he had told her the day before. "With the...resolution within...y--you...protect the Cavallone Decimo...using this...this ring....your deathperation flame....and your life...." she stuttered as she said it to him. Her hands were trembling as she slid the ring onto Isvant's finger. Right after it was in position, she let go of her hands immediately, trying to keep herself in check and to listen to his oath. "With the resolution within me, I will protect the Cavallone Decimo using this ring, my deathperation flame and my life, to ensure that the Cavallone family will have its safety assured." he pledged. Iratella's gazed locked with his, and for a couple of seconds, Iratella gave no respond to his pledge. She then closed her eyes for a while, and while doing so, she nodded her head reluctantly, reluctantly approving his pledge. When she opened back her eyes, she saw him still standing there in front of her. She was partially shocked, but she tried not to show it. Isvant, with a smile, bowed once again to her and to Dino before turning his back to them and walked back to his position. Iratella knew it was hard, but somehow she had to approve his pledge to keep Dino happy with his decision.
"And lastly, the appointed Mist guardian of the Cavallone family, Katrina Trishapova, from Russia." Romario then took out the last ring from the crystal glass box and gave it to Dino.
Michiru paid attention to this Mist guardian, noting that Katrina is the other available female Mist guardian known. "Looks like I got myself a competition..."
Kaede, who overheard Michiru's whisper to herself, had a cold shiver running down her spine, noticing that the gaze in Michiru's eyes has changed and there was a grin on her face. "Michiru, don't show me that face. You're freaking me out..."
After the same processes, Iratella then said the same sentences to Katrina. Katrina paused for a while. Iratella thought what Katrina was about to do to her, and took a small step back. But instead of getting anything from Katrina, she heard a smirk coming from Katrina. "With the resolution within me, I will protect the Cavallone Decimo using this ring, my deathperation flame and my life --" pausing at that part for a while," -- to ensure that the Cavallone family have its safety assured." after finishing pledging her oath, Katrina looked up into Iratella's eyes with a grin. Iratella was slightly taken aback by Katrina's grin. She tried to fight back the frightened feeling in her and, with trembling hands, slid the Mist guardian ring onto Katrina's finger. Right after that, she took her hands away from Katrina's and took a few small steps back. "Thank you." Katrina said to Iratella before she turned away and walked back to her position. Iratella felt a little heavy right after that "thank you" from Katrina. Within a few seconds, blood drained from her face, making her look pale, despite her skin being porcelain fair.
"Let's give a big hand for the new Cavallone guardians!!" Romario concluded the coronation ceremony. The crowd cheered and applaused for the new guardians, heeding no attention to Iratella's current situation.
"Iratella...Iratella, are you okay...?" Dino approached to his sick-stricken fiancee and held onto her by her shoulders. Iratella, who was feeling very dizzy all of a sudden, felt like throwing up at that moment. She didn't recall having too much alcoholic drinks for the night. In fact, she never touched any alcoholic drink that night. She just drank plain juices. Yet, she felt extremely nauseating. She shook her head slightly and clung onto Dino's sleeves tight. Yearning for a comfortable surface to lean her head on, she leaned her head on Dino's chests, feeling a little eased in her head with the warmth of his body temperature. Dino stayed paused for a moment, watching her keeping herself very close to him despite being in front of the eyes of public. But soon, his heart softened, realizing that he haven't been paying attention to her the whole day.
Romario confronted the two and touched Iratella's forehead. "Is she alright, boss?"
"I'm not so sure what's wrong with her, but it's pretty obvious that she's not feeling well, right? Help me call Dr. Hamaru to come here now."
"Yes, boss." Romario then whipped out his cellphone and dialled Dr.Hamaru's phone number. In an instant, he was already talking to her.
Meanwhile, back at Tsuna's group, Tsuna felt a little weird. He felt as if there was something going around them. To check whether his hunch was right, he shifted his sight back to the platform area where Dino and Iratella was at. His hunch was right. "Hey, guys...I think something is going on there..."
"Really?" the Vongola alliance gang then began to pay their attention at Dino and Iratella after Haine completed her one-word sentence. "Ah, damn!! What's going on there?? Why is there Cavallone people surrounding Iratella???"
"I don't know~ seems like she's fainted or something~~" Kaede tried to guess the situation, which she got it right.
Back at the platform area, Dino began to panic as Iratella suddenly lost her conciousness. "Ahh, dammit, I have to bring her upstairs. I don't want to cause an upstir here...Romario, tell Dr. Hamaru to come to my room to see Iratella. And someone, please ask Kyouya Hibari to come along with us. At this situation, Iratella needs not only me, but him as well." Knowing well on how much Iratella relies on both Dino and Hibari all this while, he immediately thought of the thought to request Hibari to follow them upstairs.
At that moment, one of the Cavallone family member came running towards Tsuna and his gang, immediately confronting the fearsome Hibari. Hibari glared fiercely at the guy first, before finally agreeing to listen to his request from Dino. "Uhh....the boss has requested you to come along with us...for Iratella..." right after hearing Iratella's name being mentioned by the guy, he raced through the crowd to look for Iratella, ignoring the guy and the Vongola alliance gang altogether.
"Uhm, excuse me...but can I know what has happened to Iratella?" Haine poked on the guy's back to ask him the question.
"It seems that Miss Iratella is having a terrible sudden health complication." he explained. Without another word, he joined his comrades to help calm the crowds down.
"Iratella is having health complications...? But she's like, one of the healthiest human being ever to walk on this earth!!" Kaede exclaimed out loud.
"I don't know...she couldn't just suddenly face serious health complications, right? There must be a reason..." Michiru knocked on Kaede's head as she say out her thoughts.
At the corner of the ballroom, nearby where Tsuna and his gang were hanging out, Iratellio overheard their conversation. He began to panic as well. "What the heck did you guys do to her...? You weren't supposed to do anything to her now~~" Iratellio continued muttering to himself, ignoring the weird stare he's getting from the people around him. Just then, Katrina, Isvant and Dmitri walked past him, all three of them wearing a grin on their faces. Iratellio stood there frozen, no movements at all from him, shocked with what they telepathed to him at that very moment.
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After examining Iratella's heartbeat with the stethoscope, Dr.Hamaru straightened her back and placed her stethoscope back into her bag. She then noted down some things in her handy hard cover note book with a handwriting only readable by Dr. Hamaru herself, usual thing faced by all doctors. "It's a pretty strange situation..."
"H-how is she doing, doctor?" Dino, sitting on the chair facing Dr. Hamaru from the opposite direction with his coat and necktie off and a few shirt buttons opened, questioned Dr.Hamura timidly.
"To be honest, this is a pretty strange situation for her case...being her family doctor for so long, I've seen and recorded all her health records...and I know that she's pretty most the healthiest Catena that ever lived. And to see her now, suddenly falling sick like this, it's pretty weird..." Dr.Hamaru explained as she flipped through her note book filled with Iratella's health records.
"What kind of sickness does she have...?" Dino asked again.
"Symptomps that she's having is a sudden increase in body temperature caused by a foreign substance, nausea, fatigue, loss of conciousness and pale cold skin. And although the colour of her lips didn't change, but I'm pretty sure that Iratella has been poisoned by a strong toxic substance at a low amount. It's of a low amount, but it can cause a lot of harm. Imagine if she was exposed to a large amount of it. I can bet it's instant death~~" Dr. Hamaru whipped out a syringe and a needle, attaching the needle to the open end of the syringe. "I'll take a blood sample of Iratella's and examine what is contained in her body, and hopefully try to trace down who gave her the poison."
"How long can it take?"
"Should be at least two days if I do not recieve so much home calls, but latest should be four days, I can assure you." she tied a band on Iratella's arm just above her elbow. Then slowly and steadily, Dr.Hamaru inserted the needle into Iratella's delicate skin, pulling the piston of the syringe upwards to take some blood out of her. Dino hid his clenched teeth with his hand as he witnessed Iratella's blood being sucked into the syringe. "That should do it." said Dr. Hamaru as she wiped some of the flowing blood off Iratella's skin with an alcohol-dipped cotton wool ball. "This amount should be enough to test on~" placing the blood sample in a test tube and securing its content with a rubber stopper, she carefully placed it in a special section of her bag. She then rummaged through her bag and whipped out two bags of medicine. "Okay...this one is for fever and this one is to stop the toxic from spreading any further. Don't give it to her yet until she wakes up, though. She will recover in no time with plenty of rest and lots of water and healthy food along with the medicine. By eating these two medicines, other symptomps will wear off too, so don't worry about not giving her medicine for other symptomps."
"Okay, thank you, Dr.Hamaru."
"Most welcome. If her condition doesn't get any better by tomorrow, call me in again to check her up. See ya~" Dr.Hamaru then closed the door behind her, leaving only the two guys and the unconcious girl in the Cavallone Decimo's bedroom. Hibari walked across the room from the corner where he was standing at all the while and sat down on the chair where Dr.Hamaru used to place her bag and her apparatuses.
"She will be alright...right...?" Dino asked to Hibari as he carressed Iratella's face gently.
"She will be alright, you don't have to worry. Iratella is one of the strongest mafias I've ever seen. She won't fall to such a small thing like this." Hibari smirked in his explaination, giving enough sense of assurance to the panic-stricken Cavallone Dino that Iratella will be alright. "I find it hard to believe that Iratella was intoxicated when we were offguard."
Dino paused for a second, staring at the beautiful face of the Catena girl. He took a lock of her wavy brunette hair and gently snuffled it against his nose. "I don't know when, where or how it had happened...right after she coroneted my mist guardian, Katrina, she began to feel dizzy and then fell unconcious on me..."
"Don't look at me, I didn't give her anything while we were on our way here earlier." Hibari raised both his hands, indicating that he's innocent.
"Of course you wouldn't do such a thing to her...I bet that'd be the last thing you'd ever want to do to her..."
"Not even the last in the list...it's not even ON the list..."
"Noted. But...who would want to do this to her...? Without us knowing...the toxic that intoxicated her was a fast-acting kind of toxic when it is first enters the body, then soon after it spreads slower due to the body's defense system..."
"Must've been an inside person. It's impossible that she'd be getting the poison from any outsider. She was inside the DeVastella manor the whole day until I came to fetch her. Even in here, all those present are Vongola alliance people, and everyone was scanned for any dangerous items or substances at the entrance of the ballroom..." Hibari trailed into deep thought as he tried to consider some possibilities about the crime and criminal.
Dino sighed long and continue to stare at his beautiful fiancee. Slowly and gently, careful not to wake her up, he took her right hand and held on to it, giving a warm kiss to it. "Dammit...I knew it...she didn't want to attend this ceremony...that expression yesterday she showed me when I first introduced her to them~" he remembered that devastated expression she showed to him yesterday when he asked her to attend the ceremony with him. She masked that devastation with a smile, but she sounded reluctant.
Hibari overheard Dino's silent whisper, and in turn let out a chuckle, which seemed insulting. "You sure are stupid sometimes, you know that?"
"What the heck??" Dino nearly fell of his chair when he heard Hibari commented that about him. "I do know that I'm one of the most clumsiest person to ever walk on this Earth, but --"
"For this case, I bet you never consulted Iratella before appointing your new guardians, right?" Hibari's words struck right through Dino's heart. Dino's eyes widened, staring back straight into Hibari's fierce eyes. He then looked away with a heavy heart, with guilt starting to flood his heart because he never knew he had hurt Iratella indirectly. He never thought about it when he was making an agreement with his new guardians. And now that they are already coroneted, moreover by Iratella, it's going to be a hard time for the both of them.
"You do know that Iratella will soon be married to you and that she's going to live with you, and that I will no longer have the right to protect her anymore. And you do know that her family had never gotten along with Russian mafias which makes her hate Russian mafias naturally, right?"
"Yes, I know!!!"
"Then why did you never consulted her at the first place before deciding to appoint new guardians? And that you made the decision in less than a day??"
"I don't know, okay??? I don't know!!! I'm not sure what made me make that decision, okay?? It was all a blur situation!!! First I was standing there, next thing I know, I appointed those Russians along with the Spanish and Brits!! I don't know how it happened!!" Dino raised his voice, not wanting to lose to Hibari's hurtful statements.
"But you knew it right? That her family is an anti-Russian mafia family! Have y--"
"Ky....Kyouya....it's okay...no more fighting...." the soft and weak voice came from Iratella, amazingly regaining her conciousness after only less than half an hour. Usually, it'd take for someone to regain their conciousness a few days later.
"I-Iratella..." the skylark and the Cavallone Decimo, speechless but relieved, stopped their arguement and paid attention to the sickly girl.
"Don't mention anything about what had happened back at the ceremony...I'm fine...I was just feeling a little sick, that's all...you don't have to go all worried and argue about who's the responsible one here...."
"If there's any reason that we should be arguing about who was responsible, it's you. Don't try to hide it from us. I know you know what had happened to you, you're just not telling us." Hibari's words were just so straightforward that Iratella, who barely had enough time to try to sit up, had to defend her rights. "What are you talking about...? I really don't kno-"
"Kyouya, don't try to provoke anything out of her now. She really had no idea what had happened to her. First second she was still standing up stiil and straight in front of the crowd, the next thing she knew, she collapsed."
The Vongola Cloud guardian completely ignored Dino, shifting his focus onto Iratella's pale face. Crossing his arms across his chests, he laid back against his chair and sighed long. "Dr. Hamura said that, based on your conditions and the symptoms that you faced, you were most likely intoxicated by a strong chemical which enters into your body via touch or maybe inhalation. That should be enough for you, right?"
She tightened her grip around Dino's hand and bit her lips. She knew something had happened back at the coronation ceremony. But, no one noticed. "I really had no idea how I got intoxicated, but...I'm pretty sure it happened when I was carrying out the ceremony..."
"Well, case solved then. Isn't it obvious that one of the Cavallone Guardians did that to you? Considering that you fell unconcious right after the ceremony ended." Hibari smirked out loud.
"Even if it's a yes, but, Kyouya...don't...hurt his feelings, please..." Iratella begged with all her heart to ask the both of them to stop arguing under her presence. With Hibari crossing his arms, Iratella couldn't take hold of his hand.
Hibari stayed silent for a while, eyes shifting focus from Iratella to Dino and back to Iratella again. He gave a slight nod, indicating he apologizes. Iratella smiled weakly with his respond, and laid back down on the bed with a sense of relief in her heart. "Both of you...can you stay with me...?"
"Yes, I will." Hibari and Dino answered monotonously, with Hibari's tone sounding a little stern. Leaning over to her head, the Cavallone decimo gave a peck of kiss on her forehead, and on her lips next. "Take a good rest now, you'll need it."
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END OF CHAPTER 4
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Author's note: Don't blame me for the slightly weird ending. I was half asleep at that time~ |D also, I posted this chapter a little late because right after my SPM finished, I was busy preparing for Comic Fiesta. Yes, Malaysia's massive ACG event. And plus, this chapter was pretty LONG, if you noticed~~ >.<
Well, I keep my end note simple this time. Coz I have to rush to something now~~
Gomen ne~~ *bows bows*
Btw, I'm working on chapter 5 now, so you can expect it to be posted up soon, kayz?
See ya~~ :D
