"Wow, a frog!"
Soye chased after the frog as it hopped away.
It was not because she was truly interested in frogs.
She only did it because her nanny hated it.
"You cannot do that, young lady! It rained yesterday, so the ground is dirty."
Gong-hui rushed over and scooped Soye up.
"But the frog over there…!"
The nanny slipped the shoes off the squirming child, wiped away the mud, and changed her skirt.
Having finally gained her freedom, Soye pouted.
"The frog went away."
"Besides the frog, you have plenty of toys here, young lady."
Gong-hui coaxed her gently.
Soye stared indifferently at the fairly shiny toys meant for children.
Though there were somewhat sinister toys mixed in, like unsharpened daggers, it was not strange considering this was a martial clan.
There was something even stranger.
Why is everything brand new?
Normally, things children play with wear out and break quickly.
Yet every single toy and piece of clothing the nanny brought Soye was brand new.
The bedding was the same.
It felt as if they had hurriedly packed the place full right before Soye returned home.
The pavilion feels like someone lived here, though.
Pondering deeply, the moment Soye made eye contact with her nanny, she drooped her eyes.
"I'm bored…"
Soye whined.
What was the point of returning to the main estate when there is no one I can meet? At best, my grandmother, the Poison King?
However, as the matriarch of a family, Tang Yiseo was an extremely busy person who could not stay long.
It also seemed like her expression darkened the longer she faced Soye.
Perhaps because the poison arts training had just flared into a poisoning incident, there was no pressure to learn martial arts either.
Her days consisted entirely of eating well, sleeping well, and playing well.
If she were an ordinary child, she might have enjoyed it without a second thought.
However, the soul inside this body belonged to a fully grown adult, the Divine Moonshadow Thief.
Maybe because the Tang Clan is inherently secretive, I haven't even uncovered a fraction of this body's situation.
"I want to see father."
At the sudden request, Gong-hui looked troubled.
"Only fifteen nights have passed so far."
Soye nodded.
Of course, just as the nanny said, ten nights had not passed ten times yet.
"But! Soye takes naps too!"
However, it was a mistake to think logic would work on a child.
"That still makes it thirty nights."
The nanny smiled and stroked Soye's smooth forehead.
"Poor young lady."
It was a murmur that sounded like a thought voiced aloud.
Soye's eyes narrowed.
Sympathy was unpleasant.
She had not asked because she genuinely wanted to see this body's father.
She was merely throwing out various cards to find a breakthrough.
Because she was young, her range of movement was far too narrow, making it difficult to grasp what was happening around her.
"I know very well that you are lonely, young lady."
Gong-hui looked completely lost in her own emotions.
"You may think of me as your mother. This nanny will take good care of you."
Whether it was pity or an act, the nanny hugged Soye tenderly.
It was truly strange that warmth could still be felt in an embrace like this.
Mother, my foot.
"I want to go out and play."
Soye declared after squirming out of her arms.
"It is dangerous here, so you must not wander around alone. It is different from the Tang Clan village."
Soye stomped her foot.
"Then I will go see father."
Gong-hui frowned.
She realized at a glance that this stubbornness was not something easily broken.
"…I suppose I have no choice. Shall we go for a short walk with your nanny just up ahead?"
"No."
Soye, who had been waiting eagerly for today, let her eyes shine.
"Play hide-and-seek with me."
Naturally, Gong-hui could not say no this time either.
* * *
"Underestimating a former thief will lead to a rude awakening."
Soye hummed a ragged melody as she walked along.
Now that she was finally free, excitement surged naturally.
Gong-hui was probably wandering around on the opposite side.
She had let herself get caught during the first few rounds of hide-and-seek.
Mostly indoors.
By now, the nanny would assume Soye would not step outside the pavilion.
Thanks to that, Soye was able to slip out of the building with ease.
There was almost no hesitation in her steps.
She had never robbed the Sichuan Tang Clan out of loyalty to the Poison Demon.
However, wealthy clans were all pretty much the same.
Besides, I did visit once, even if it was just that single time.
Since it was a martial family, she had to move carefully, but if a place were truly dangerous, the guards would be tight, so she could just avoid it.
Soye moved with a reasonable amount of caution.
Factoring in her child's stamina, she surveyed her surroundings thoroughly whenever she paused to rest.
Scouting the premises beforehand, no matter when or where she robbed, was a thief's basic skill.
A few servants spotted her along the way, but no one stopped her.
Who would dare stop the granddaughter of the Poison King, the head of the house, from walking around?
She could have concealed her presence as much as she wanted, but Soye did not bother hiding.
Not to mention she had yet to properly master martial arts.
In her current state, clumsily mimicking presence concealment would only draw the eyes of the martial artists roaming the Tang Clan.
It was better to make rustling sounds and pretend to be completely harmless.
By nature, humans tend not to think deeply and lower their guard around young children.
And—
I should leave behind enough clues for the nanny to find me later.
Even if Gong-hui caught up and scolded her, she had an excuse ready.
She could simply say she wanted to hide really well because the nanny kept catching her too easily.
Being a child is convenient at times like this.
Rebellious behavior that would never be tolerated in an adult was forgiven.
Even if she babbled ridiculous excuses, people brushed it off as just a kid being a kid.
On top of that, discipline ended with nagging rather than the rod.
I am glad I am in a noble body.
Losing the body she had at her peak was bad luck, but this was a stroke of good fortune in its own way.
What a child too young to protect herself needed most was a shield.
Soye knew very well how rare and precious a luxury it was to have her life and safety guaranteed until she grew up.
Why is the path so winding here?
Spotting a path that was relatively poorly maintained, Soye tilted her head.
Since it was not on the outer perimeter, this ought to be a residential area as well, yet it felt as if the path had been deliberately twisted.
Normally, places like this held something important.
Soye stopped and waited for a moment.
However, no matter how much time passed, no guard was to be seen.
I do not hear the clinking of metal.
Soye twitched her fingers.
Perhaps because she had been out of work for quite a while, her body was itching for action.
"Hide tight, wherever you are."
Or the Divine Moonshadow Thief will steal you away!
Soye took a firm step forward onto the narrow path.
There were noticeably many weeds, as if few people frequented the area.
Is this pavilion completely abandoned?
She tilted her head.
She could not think of any reason why they would leave a plot of land in such a prime location unused.
Couldn't they put something like a storeroom on the outer edges?
Even so, it was odd for it to be this neglected.
Spurred by curiosity and suspicion, Soye heightened her guard compared to before.
As she moved forward while deadening her presence as much as possible, the shape of a building came into view.
Looking around to see if anyone was there, Soye froze.
In the pavilion courtyard, where she was certain no one was around, a person was hunched over.
I thought nobody lived here.
Soye soothed her racing heart.
If she had let her guard down thinking there were hardly any signs of foot traffic, she would have been caught already.
She grumbled inwardly.
I can pick up on the Poison King's approach three out of five times, so who is this person to have almost no presence at all?
Even without practicing martial arts specifically, her innate sensory perception was quite keen.
Wasn't that how she had managed to dodge constables and pursuers to survive?
This talent carried over intact into her new life.
What is this person doing?
Given the circumstances, the person likely belonged to the Tang Clan.
Staying deep inside the Tang Clan's quarters… and martial arts so formidable that there is barely any presence…
Soye leaned forward a bit more to check the person's face.
Right then, the mysterious person raised an arm.
Something reflected the sunlight and flashed.
It was definitely a blade.
At a glance, something dark red seemed to coat it.
Soye's heart thumped into her stomach.
Did I… just witness something dangerous?
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