"Ugh, seriously, how annoying."
After the Poison King left, Soye stomped her feet for no reason.
It flustered her that her usually busy grandmother had dropped by just to quietly show her affection.
It seemed there was also a reason why the man called her father hadn't come to check on her.
Ugh.
She felt like living comfortably wouldn't be too hard even if she just stayed like this.
After all, didn't the Poison King, the highest authority in the clan, seem to care for her?
Yet the shadow lingering on Yiseo's face weighed on her mind.
"This is all because of the Poison Demon."
Soye grumbled.
Yirak used to talk about his sister quite often.
A feisty little sister.
She had listened endlessly to stories about how she was prickly on the outside but warmhearted on the inside.
She's someone who could become terrifyingly dangerous… yet she left without being forgiven.
At the time, Soye thought she had let it go in one ear and out the other.
Now that she had faced her in person, her heart softened, wondering if it was a strange sense of familiarity.
Maybe it's just blood calling to blood.
She imagined telling the Poison Demon in the afterlife, I died and came back to life, only to become your grand-niece!
What would he even say?
He might flick her forehead and tell her to stop talking nonsense.
Giggling to herself despite her best efforts, Soye stood up.
She tried to ignore it all, but that wasn't going to work.
She needed to figure out what was happening around her new life.
She had almost choked to death because of the nanny the family assigned her. Having barely clung to life, if she died now as collateral damage from surrounding schemes, all the vast wealth she had hidden across the Central Plains would go to waste.
Even an emperor needs to be alive to wield power, and even a rich man needs to be alive to spend his wealth.
Scratching the bridge of her nose, Soye mumbled in a voice no one else could hear.
"Ah, well, if I get on the good side of the family's powerhouse, at least I'll get some scraps."
It really was just for the scraps.
* * *
In front of the pavilion where the children of Tang Clan village stayed, a boy and a girl gathered together.
"Socheong, today we go exploring."
Soye clenched her fists, her eyes sparkling.
It was best to choose a play theme that allowed a wide range of movement.
If they played something like hide-and-seek, the nearby servant wouldn't let them wander too far.
"Explore!"
Socheong didn't even know what that meant, but he seemed thrilled just at the thought of playing.
Just then, the door opened, and Soso walked out.
Her gaze as she glanced at the noisy children excited to play wasn't entirely prickly.
"Hey. Socheong, you need to put on your outer coat before going outside."
Perhaps because the brother and sister had come to the main estate alone, she seemed to be acting a bit more mature.
Still, she was terrified inside the carriage…
Soso was still just a child too. She only acted mature because she had to take care of her younger brother.
"Put it on me!"
As the boy toddled over, the servant tended to him.
Left alone with Soye for a moment, Soso spoke up abruptly.
"Is playing with Socheong really fun?"
To be honest, with her mature personality, Soso was merely entertaining her younger brother, not actually playing with him.
Yet Soye came to find Socheong without fail to hang out with him.
Seeing Soye's face flush bright red with excitement, it was clear she was genuinely having fun.
"Yeah."
Soye nodded her head repeatedly.
Her inner self might be a Divine Thief, but she had to empty her mind and play whenever she had the chance.
Especially when she had to face the nanny, a father who never showed his face, and a troubled Poison King every day.
If not for Socheong during times like this, Soye would have felt extremely stifled.
"…I don't know why those rumors were going around when we were at the village."
Soso mumbled as if talking to herself.
"What rumors?"
Soye asked back, despite knowing perfectly well.
She had vivid memories of the girl hurling accusations right at her face, so there was no way she had actually forgotten.
"The rumor that the young lady discriminates between direct descendants and branch families."
Soso answered honestly.
Direct, without beating around the bush.
Is it because she's a child?
No, it just seemed to be Soso's personality.
Unfiltered and squeaky clean.
"I don't know what that is. Playing with Socheong is just fun."
"…I understand."
Soso nodded seriously and turned away.
In the meantime, Socheong, bundled up in clothes, was jumping down from the porch as if rolling off.
"I told you to be careful!"
Just when it seemed she was setting a serious mood, she was already nagging at her brother's clumsy behavior again.
Even as his sister nagged him, Socheong only smiled innocently.
"I'm not hurt. Hehe."
At that adorable contrast, Soye couldn't help but laugh.
Hearing the laughter, Soso glanced over in her direction.
Soye expected a frown, but for some reason, Soso looked hesitant instead.
After waiting a moment, Soso took Socheong's hand, walked over, handed him over, and spoke.
"I don't really like going outside to play… but if there's something to do indoors, I'd like to join you."
"Sure!"
Soye brightened up.
"We'll be careful!"
The two children roamed every corner of the Tang Clan.
Even when they darted like arrows, their tiny strides made them look adorable.
"Woah!"
Socheong gasped in admiration at the guard's spear.
"So cool!"
The sullen guard's eyes twitched. He seemed to be holding back a laugh.
They lowered their guard because any trouble kids could cause was harmless anyway.
However, while Socheong had no objective, Soye had one.
Like a herding dog, she subtly nudged the boy in the direction she wanted.
Bright, cheerful children naturally melt people's defenses wherever they go.
That exact effect was what Soye was aiming for.
Even if we stray off the path a bit, who would think it's suspicious? Nah. They'll just think we're playing.
Socheong, who was being used, was thoroughly enjoying the moment.
"Is that a dog hole?"
Along the way, they found a gap in the perimeter wall and passed through the area where servants hung laundry to dry.
It was surprising that even in a flawlessly managed great clan, there were spaces that smelled of everyday life like this.
"…Huh?"
Soye, who was guiding Socheong toward unexplored areas, suddenly paused.
Because the boy who was running around between the fluttering fabrics and drying clothes had vanished.
"Aigo. I forgot kids this age vanish the moment you take your eyes off them."
With no eyes on her, Soye put her hands behind her back and clicked her tongue.
She wasn't particularly startled.
A master thief naturally excelled at tracking.
That's how you dodge the constables!
After scanning her surroundings meticulously, Soye noticed a broken branch near the thicket and stepped toward it.
From a distance that felt both far and near, she heard the sound of the laughing child running around.
"This way."
Got you, little rascal.
Soye smiled brightly and moved forward.
Just then, sunlight filtering through the branches hit something and gleamed.
"Huh?"
Soye tilted her head.
Because the moment she turned her head, the glint disappeared in a flash.
Did I see wrong?
However, Soye trusted her instincts.
As she slowly approached the source of the light she had seen, a piece of jade hidden in the grass came into view.
Seeing its subtle, flawless luster, Soye swallowed hard.
This is…
Though small in size, it was a high-grade jade.
It looked barely large enough to carve into a jade ring.
Why is a jade piece like this dropped in a place like this?
There were no pavilions around here, so not many people passed through.
It didn't look like there was a storehouse either. Such buildings were usually built in areas with tighter security.
Soye carefully observed her surroundings.
She hadn't noticed at first, but a portion of the overgrown grass was slightly trampled. Meaning someone had trodden over it.
It's wider than Socheong's stride.
Furthermore, looking at the angle of the bent grass, it meant someone heavier than Socheong had passed through.
Is it the owner of the jade?
Soye swallowed hard and clenched her fist tightly.
The jade, warmed by Soye's body heat in the meantime, rolled smoothly inside her palm.
She placed the jade back in its original spot for now.
Since it's this valuable, someone might come looking for it.
Unexpectedly, the child's voice was also coming from that direction.
She slowly moved forward.
A guard on duty? Or could it be an intruder?
All sorts of possibilities flashed through her mind.
The hyper-vigilant little thief ultimately couldn't help but burst into a wide grin at the sight that greeted her.
"Oh dear, Socheong."
A chubby bottom stuck in a dog hole in a crumbling wall was wiggling side to side.
The outer coat Soso had bundled him in was crumpled and sticking out.
It looked just like a swallow's tail.
Soye had to desperately hold back her laughter.
"Are you stuck?"
* * *
A moment later.
"How on earth did you end up getting stuck in there again…"
Having rushed over at the news that her brother had caused trouble, Soso placed a hand on her forehead.
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