That angel had his cold gaze on hers. Those icy blue irises were passing through her.

The skin of that monster was so perfect that it seemed like porcelain and his blonde hair fell into a soft tuft that hid his right eye under a blanket of golden threads. On the other side there was a braid that merged in a ponytail on his left shoulder, where the remaining hair feel lose in waves of light.

His neck was wrapped in a indigo shirt, while a cream blazer laid on his shoulders.

Marie was so focused observing him that she almost didn't hear her father's voice introducing her to this mysterious character.

"Marie, can you hear me?"

Only Mori's hand on her shoulder got Marie out of the trance she entered the moment her eyes fell om the blonde.

She blinked trying to get her composture back.

"Yes!"

She answered a little too enthusiastically.

Mori smiled briefly.

Marie's trance hadn't gone unnoticed, but he couldn't blame her.

Anyone would have recognized the inhuman beauty emanated by Verlaine.

He had also struggled remaining indifferent during his first meetings with him, but with time he got used to it.

There was little to do, his creator had done a wonderful job.

It was a good thing Verlaine hadn't realized jet the power his charm had.

He wasn't sure how he was going to react if he knew Marie was in trance just because to his beauty.

It happened to almost all his students on the first meeting, but Verlaine seemed not to pay special attention to it or maybe he even didn't notice it.

Several years had passed since he had entered the Mafia, but Mori wasn't yet able to understand his soul deep inside and his strategist's calculations couldn't anticipate Verlaine, also this time he had taken a gamble, but he was sure the risk was worth taking.

At least he hoped.

He really hoped so.

Or he was going to pay the highest price.

"I was saying. Marie, let me introduce you to Paul Verlaine. Verlaine, this is Marie."

There was a brief pause.

"Verlaine will be the one in charge of your training. I've already spoken with him about your difficulties, but I think he'll know what to do."

His mouth curled into a smirk.

"No worries. I'll turn her into a fine jewel."

"You've always shaped skilled assassins. I cannot doubt your endless resources."

Marie felt her father's hand moving away from her shoulder.

"I expect great things."

Marie panicked hearing her father walking away from them, she was definitely not ready for it.

She still hoped it was just a nightmare.

She lowered her gaze nervously looking at her hands, waiting for a sign from the mam wh stood up just a few steps from her.

She didn't dare to raise her eyes to meet those icy irises.

They really seemed more frightening than her fathers.

With no humam feelings.

Suddenly she was thrown against the wall.

She caught her breath feeling a blade on her neck.

An incredible weight kept her shoulder anchored to the wall.

She raised her eyes panic-stricken and crossed Verlaine's eyes.

She stared at them thinking that at least she was going to die enjoying such a beautiful show.

She widened her eyes as the blade cut through her skin.

So my father really wanted to kill me.

I was right.

She was giving up to reality when her alleged murderer let her go.

Marie slided down, her trembling legs no more able to support her.

She brought her hand to her throat trying to understand the extent of the damage.

It couldn't be that serious if she was still able to breath.

She felt Verlaine's sharp look on her, but she didn't had the heart to look at him.

What was it? A test to test her skills?

"If I wanted to kill you, you'd be already dead."

Her angel's voice forced her to lift her gaze.

How could it be so melodious after what he've done to her?

She looked him walking away to take his blazer off and carefully placing it on a near by sofa.

He got closer to her with something in his hands.

Marie was keeping her hand on her neck, almost not daring breathing seeing him bending down to her.

"Let me see."

He whispered in a calmer tone.

The girl stood still, it was as if she couldn't move anymore.

"Marie, if you remove your hand, I can try and treat your wound"

He went om impatiently.

He didn't like wasting his time

The girl lowered her bloody hand.

"Mm..." Muttered the man.

"Maybe I went too far..."

He disinfected her wound while Marie kept standing still, her mind in a mess.

Was that man really going to be her teacher?

Verlaine invited her to sit on the table while he took some bandages to bandage her neck.

"I suggest you to keep it until it's healed."

There was a brief pause.

"W-was it a test?" Asked Marie hesitant.

The man sighed as he leaned against the chair.

"I had to understand your level."

Another pause.

"Mori was right. You can't even defend yourself. You haven't even tried to resist me."

Marie didn't reply.

She knew he was right

She and violence were like two ships passing in the night.

"How old are you? Asked Verlaine.

"I'm 20."

"20?" He stopped to think ."With no doubt you're the most curious case Mari gave me. You know, usually I deal with much younger people, with children if I have to be honest. And it's much more easier. You're practically an adult... And adult that can't do any thing."

Or maybe just an adult who has managed to escape Mori's clutches in the past.

After all the boss hadn't explained to him the reasons why he wanted to train her, but he usually didn't it.

He simply sent to him the new recruit and he dealt with them without questioning.

His job was to transform his students into skilled assassins, not to build relationships with them.

He knew the Boss was more than satisfied with his results, when they met during the times he decided to attend the executive meetings, Mori always praised his talent as a teacher saying how everyone of his students had become an amazing assassin.

The problem was that usually there was some predisposition of his students to fight, while he couldn't see anything in Marie.

He didn't make a big deal over it, but he thought it was strange.

There was always a reason behind the Boss'moves.

A reason that could bring benefit to the Mafia.

He brought back memories of his meeting with Mori.

"Her ability is a little gem."

This had to be the reason.

The answer to his inquiries.

The girl's ability had to be really interesting.

And so why hasn't she used it to depend herself?

He wanted to ask her, but he preferred not to.

It would have been funnier to figure it out alone.

He was going to patiently wait the moment in which the girl would have been forced to use it.

In his clutches it was definitely going to happem.

"No worries, we're going to remedy this and sooner of what you can hope, you'll be a skilled assassin."

He took a dramatic pause.

"Assuming you'll be able to survive the training."

He chuckled.

To instill some fear wasn't that bad, if one didn't exaggerate.

The right amount was enough to remember their gap, but it wasn't his intention to terrify that poor girl.

It was hard to think that acting like this could have been of any help.

He had seen the results of the unorthodox methods of his ex executive colleague.

Akutagawa has surly become one of the scariest and unprincipled members of the Mafia, but his mental balance was really questionable and he had the tendency to pour the anguish he experienced on everyone in his sight.

He had heard more than once from Ozaki how that demon interacted with Kyouka and more than once he had a fight with the woman because he had suggested her to intercede for the little girl, but her answer had always been the same: "Get out from your hole if you want to change something, I don't care about other people's affairs."

She was definitely a fiery woman.

It was not without reason one of the four Mafia's executives.

Maybe she was right, until he hasn't left his underground shelter he had no rights to interfere with what happened with his ex students.

He sighed.

The outside world was still rather grey.

It wasn't worth it.

It wasn't worth his time.

Not even his students were worth his time, it was also the reason why he never interfered much.

He knew what it meant to devote your entire life looking after someone.

It didn't always end in the best way.

And now he had Marie to look after.

He was going to train her, transform her, discover her ability and once they'll be done she was going to be just another one of his students.

Nothing more and nothing less.

She was still a stimulus for his days.

"Well Marie. Usually the training takes place all week from Monday to Friday. It should last all day, but maybe we could start only on mornings. To see how much your body can handle. What do you think about it?

He tried to use a rather concessive tone.

"I don't really have much choice."

"No, I don't think so."

"What if we find out I have no talent?"

Asked Marie hopefully.

Who knows, perhaps if she was too inept in Verlaine's eyes he could have reported to Mori that it didn't make sense to train her, but she doubted something similar could happen.

She gained a smile from Verlaine, but she didn't see it because she was busy looking at the ground.

"Trust me, it's not going to happen."

Marie sighed.

"By the way you can call me Verlaine. If you need to call me by my name."

"O-okay. Verlaine."

"Perfect. We're done with formalities. You won't have to bring anything there 'cause I already have anything you need there. We're going to have fun."

He stared at her neck where he caused her injury.

"That cut shouldn't be that severe, but, considering how bad you reacted before, I think it's better if we'll officially start tomorrow. And I guess you're not going to oppose to this."

Marie shook her head vigorously.

Verlaine looked at her amused trying not to reveal his feelings.

"See you tomorrow then."

"See you tomorrow!"

Marie hurried to walk backwards the way that had brought her in that hell, once again without paying attention to her surroundings.

She went out from the Mafia's building as fast as she could and she headed home.

Her father was probably staying in the office until late and she'll have all the time in the world to relax.

At least to try.

After many hours on the bed she was asking herself what was she was supposed to do with the wound on her neck.

It had never happened to her to wound herself, so she really didn't know how to deal with it.

Even thought she had spent her first years of her life observing her father carry out the most disparate operations, often under equally questionable conditions.

She had seen it, but never got her hands on it.

Maybe she could wait for her father to come back to ask him what to do?

Her expression dimmed thinking about the look of disgust her father would cast her once he'd seen how easy it was to wound her even before starting and probably we already knew she had been dismissed ahead of time.

She hadn't time to decide which one was the best tactic because her thoughts were interrupted by the opening of the door and by a too familiar voice calling her name.

She went down.

Maybe he wouldn't tell her anything.

"You're here soon today."

"You think?"

Mori's gaze felt immediately on his daughter's neck.

He restrained himself from commenting how he really wanted to.

"I see there has been movement since the very beginning. He has been easy on you."

Marie didn't answer.

Anything she was going to say could have been turned into a double-edged sword in the skillful hands of the Mafia's Boss.

The man went to the ground floor bathroom and made her a sign to follow him.

"Let me check what we have here even if it shouldn't be that bad if you're still on your feet."

He took the bandages off checking the wound.

It wasn't that deep and it had already started the healing process.

He tried not to make his relief visible.

And neither his desire of suddenly stopping the training with Verlaine.

He knew he had dismissed her almost immediately and he didn't dare to think what he was going to do to her once they've started for real.

He remembered why he had never been able to train Marie with his own hands.

He hated to make her suffer and he hid it so well that he was sure Marie doubted his feelings for her.

The apprehension he read that morning in her eyes proved it.

His personal memento of the price he paid every day to sit at the top of the most dangerous criminal organization of Yokohama.

"I think you don't need further treatment, but you can tell me if it starts hurting, okay?"

Marie just nodded.

She noticed the not positive aura of her father.

She was asking herself what would have been worse from now on: dealing with her father or with Verlaine?

06/04/2024

See you next week <3

Next chapter: 3 - Umi to Dokuyaku