Kurome hesitated for a moment and suddenly struggled like a frenzied kitten, her legs kicking furiously.
"Settle down," Kaguya said impatiently, giving her another slap.
However, Kurome seemed to ignore it, thrashing around like a fish out of water, her delicate face turning red as she shouted, "I'll kill you, I'll kill you!"
Seeing that Kurome refused to stop struggling, Kaguya finally became genuinely annoyed. She furrowed her brows and said in a low voice, "If you move again, I'll strip you and throw you onto the street."
Kurome froze, her flailing limbs coming to an abrupt stop. She turned her head away, biting her lip, her eyes full of humiliation and resentment, as if she wanted to bite her.
"That's more like it," Kaguya said with a satisfied smile, lifting Kurome's chin with her finger, "That's the look a girl should have."
Years of killing had almost turned Kurome into a cold-blooded killing machine, making her feel only coldness and numbness. Now, at least she had a bit more life, even if it was anger and hatred.
"Alright, back to bed with you."
Kaguya set her down, lifting her by the neck like a kitten and throwing her onto the bed. It was the same bed Kaguya usually slept in, covered in thick, soft goose down, so she wouldn't get hurt.
The moment she landed on the bed, Kurome tensed her body as if preparing to attack, but under Kaguya's gaze, she ultimately gave up and sat on the bed. She was aware of the difference in strength between her and Kaguya, though her eyes still glared at Kaguya angrily.
Kaguya ignored her and went to the table in the bedroom. She casually picked up a bag, opened it, sniffed, and turned back to ask, "Is this bag of cookies yours?"
Kurome's gaze was instantly drawn to the bag in Kaguya's hand, faintly sparkling with interest. When she looked up at Kaguya again, the resentment in her eyes intensified.
Kaguya's expression twitched, a sweat drop appearing on her forehead. She felt as if she were not only bullying a child but also stealing from her.
"So, it's yours," Kaguya said, tossing the bag of cookies toward the trash can, "But you won't need them anymore."
Kurome suddenly panicked, jumping up from the bed like a kitten, rushing toward the cookies, reaching out to catch them. But halfway there, her wrist was caught.
With a thud, the cookie bag fell into the trash can.
Kurome turned around abruptly, glaring at Kaguya, her little body tensed tightly.
This was too much!
Not only was she being humiliated, but her cookies were also taken from her, and her favorite cookies had been thrown away!
Just as Kurome was about to go all out against Kaguya, Kaguya said something that stunned her.
"Do you want the power to surpass your sister?" Kaguya said with a faint smile.
Kurome's eyes widened, staring at the silver-haired girl in front of her, as if not quite believing it.
Kurome's beautiful eyes locked onto Kaguya. "How can you guarantee that you can do it?"
"You can choose not to believe me," Kaguya replied, sitting down in a chair and stretching lazily.
After a moment of silence, Kurome raised her head and said seriously, "As long as you can do it, I'll do anything."
"Really?" Kaguya smiled.
"Yes." Kurome nodded firmly.
Kaguya stood up from the chair and walked over to Kurome, standing in front of her. Kurome seemed uncomfortable with someone being so close, shrinking back a little, her face turning slightly red. Kaguya, however, didn't seem inclined to let her go, leaning down and whispering in her ear.
"I want you to belong to me," Kaguya said softly, smiling as she spoke near Kurome's ear.
"Belong to you?" Kurome's ears tingled from Kaguya's breath, her face blushing as she asked uncomfortably.
"Yes, every deal has its conditions. I will give you power strong enough to surpass your sister," Kaguya said, straightening up and returning to her chair. "And in return, you will belong to me, not just your life but everything about you will become my property."
"Are you sure you can make me stronger than my sister?" Kurome stared at Kaguya intently, as if trying to discern the truth in her words.
"I said, you can choose to believe or not," Kaguya said with a light laugh.
After a while, Kurome looked up and said seriously, "Alright, I agree. But I hope you can keep your word, or I will kill you."
"Deal."
Kaguya clapped her hands and walked over to Kurome, placing her alabaster hand against Kurome's chest.
"What are you doing?" Kurome blushed, stammering.
"What am I doing?" Kaguya smiled lightly, "Giving my client some confidence."
An hour passed quickly, though it was a long ordeal for Kurome.
Don't get the wrong idea—they weren't doing anything inappropriate, nor did Kaguya have the leisure for such things. She was helping Kurome detoxify.
To enhance Kurome's strength, the first step was to eliminate the toxins that had been forcibly injected into her body to boost her power. Although these toxins could temporarily enhance a person's strength, they were merely a temporary fix and came at the cost of one's life.
Despite being in her teens, Kurome's body was already deteriorating, largely due to these toxins.