Book II: There's Always a Bigger Thief
After finishing her evening porridge, Soye received a medicinal elixir from Gong-hui.
"Hmm?"
The smell was subtly different from the dose she had taken during the day.
"What's wrong?"
Soye shook her head at the nanny's question.
"Do I have to drink dis? I hate bitter stuff."
When she spoke in a childishly sullen tone, Gong-hui chuckled softly.
"If you finish it all, I'll give you some sweets."
"Sweets!"
Soye's eyes sparkled.
It was the first time Gong-hui had ever offered her a snack.
She quickly downed the medicine.
"Oh my. Did you want sweets that badly?"
Gong-hui brought over a small plate of sweet treats.
It seemed like she had prepared them in advance.
"Mhm. Mmm!"
Taking a bite of the candy, Soye nodded without thinking.
Now that's the stuff!
"My lady."
The nanny spoke cautiously.
"Don't you miss your father?"
"D-daddy?"
With food in her mouth, Soye stuttered before she even realized it.
"Yes. Your father, Lady Soye. The second young master."
At the nanny's question, Soye's gaze drifted thoughtfully.
At this point, she had more or less accepted the fact that she had been reincarnated.
But it still didn't feel real that she actually had parents now.
In her past life, Soye had no memory of her parents.
It was one of the side effects of her demonic arts.
She did know one thing, though: they had sold her to the Demonic Cult.
The Demonic Cult, always looking for a chance to conquer the Central Plains, bought young children and raised them as living weapons.
Before becoming the Divine Moonshadow Thief, Soye had been one of those children.
So why would I suddenly miss a father whose face I don't even know?
Setting all that aside, her so-called father dumped his own biological daughter in the Tang Clan village.
Father, my foot.
Soye scoffed inwardly.
"Soye only needs nanny!"
"I understand."
The nanny pulled Soye into a warm embrace, a soft smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.
Soye found herself sinking into the warmth before she even realized it, blinking in surprise.
It's warm.
A corner of her heart tickled.
Before meeting Gong-hui, she never knew she had a soft spot for adults.
I'm glad she is my guardian.
Considering her rough past life, she was pretty lucky in her current one.
Gong-hui stood up and spoke.
"I'll get your bed ready."
Gong-hui tucked Soye into bed and blew out the candle.
As darkness fell, her voice dropped to a soft, soothing murmur as she began to sing a lullaby.
Soye closed her eyes, pretending to sleep.
After a while, Gong-hui stopped.
She began shaking Soye softly, calling her name again and again.
"My lady. My lady."
Is she trying to wake me up?
Soye frowned inwardly in confusion.
Instead of getting up, she kept her breathing steady and rhythmic.
Satisfied, the nanny stood up and left, her footsteps gradually fading away.
Thinking Gong-hui was finally gone, Soye opened her eyes.
The shadow of the paper-lined window was cast across the ceiling.
Everything was dead silent.
Then…
A long, trailing shadow appeared on the ceiling.
Is that… a person?
Soye held her breath and darted her eyes around.
"…ma'am."
Who is it?
She slowly pulled down the blanket and perked up her ears.
If birds hear the words spoken by day and mice hear the words spoken by night, then a thief hears both.
The figure called out to someone again.
"…Madam Gong-hui."
A second shadow appeared on the ceiling.
A jolt ran through Soye's body.
She realized whose voice was calling for her nanny.
Isn't that the maid from before?
Perhaps because the maid was so terribly anxious, her voice sounded just like the sharp tone she used when snapping at Soye.
Why is that woman looking for my nanny?
A frown crept onto her face.
"Geum-a."
She had her suspicions, but it really was Gong-hui's voice.
It wasn't the gentle tone Soye was used to hearing.
Instead, it carried a sharp warning.
"Are you sure it's okay for us to meet here?"
The figure by the window shifted restlessly before asking.
"As long as the young miss is asleep, who would even come here?"
The nanny's voice was shockingly cold.
"She's just a little brat abandoned by her own father anyway."
Soye swallowed a gasp that almost slipped out.
The nanny's words felt like an ice-cold dagger piercing her heart.
"I've heard children sleep through anything, but isn't this still a risk?"
The maid asked hesitantly.
"I already took care of everything."
Soye flinched at those words.
She remembered the medicine that smelled different earlier.
Yet, even after drinking it all, she was perfectly fine.
Looks like this body has built up a tolerance to sleeping pills, huh?
Soye bit her lip.
"Besides, what could a brat who lost her memories and can't even tell right from wrong possibly do? Anyway…"
A crisp slap cut through the silence.
"You're in no position to be questioning me right now. Where's the item?"
"Y-you see…"
The maid named Geum-a mumbled, holding back a groan.
"I definitely stole it, but it vanished."
Soye thought of the miniature porcelain gourd she had carefully hidden under her bed.
The nanny had ordered her to steal it? But why?
"Didn't I tell you? If you don't bring it to me, I'll tell the branch head that you've been stealing the young miss's jewelry."
The maid whimpered.
"B-but you gave it to me…"
"Did I?"
Gong-hui tilted her head.
"Why on earth would I steal a runaway mother's belongings from her daughter just to give them to a lowly maid?"
Soye was appalled.
I thought my mom was dead, but she actually ran away from home?
"That is a rather tasteless joke."
The taller of the two shadows leaned forward.
"Ugh."
Seeing the smaller shadow recoil, Soye tensed her shoulders.
"Am I really such a bad person?"
Wow, this is a whole new side of her.
Soye blinked rapidly.
"Tsk."
The nanny's shadow slowly straightened up.
"I'll give you three days. I don't care where you dropped it. You better find it before time runs out."
"That's not enough time!"
A half-scream of despair escaped Geum-a's lips.
"Geum-a. I've already done you a favor once. Haven't I?"
"…Hic."
"I can easily prove this isn't the first time you've laid hands on your master's belongings. You know that."
Gong-hui continued, her voice light and sing-song.
"Bring me the item used to poison the young lady."
Poison?
Soye's eyes shot wide open.
Didn't they tell me I suffered a backlash while practicing poison arts?
"If you don't, you'll be the one taking the fall for her poisoning."
An arm extended from the nanny's shadow and grabbed the maid's shadow.
"Nod your head…"
The top of Geum-a's shadow bobbed up and down.
"Good girl."
Given the situation, she was clearly being forced to nod.
"Now then. You may go."
Geum-a hiccuped, swallowing her sobs for a moment.
The smaller shadow fled like a scared animal.
The nanny's shadow stood there for a while longer.
Then, as if joining the dark night, it slowly melted away beyond the window frame.
What the hell was that?
Soye stayed frozen under the covers.
She felt like she had just watched a shadow play out of a nightmare.
Teetering on the edge of death from poison had never been an accident.
The item the maid had stolen was likely the evidence related to that incident.
Otherwise, there was no way they would be searching for it so frantically.
They were looking to dispose of it before anyone from the main family arrived.
And in all likelihood…
The nanny tried to kill me.
"Hah…"
Soye swallowed a hollow laugh.
Betrayed the very second she started getting attached.
No, that's not right.
The nanny's betrayal had come first, long before Soye ever opened her heart.
Lying alone on the wide bed, Soye clenched her fists tightly.
It wouldn't be too hard to handle everything on her own.
I might look like a kid, but I'm basically a veteran trapped in a child's body. For situations like these… it's best to pit them against each other.
Having made her decision, Soye closed her eyes and hugged her blanket tight.
She shivered and told herself it was only the night breeze.
* * *
Dozens of candles illuminated the dark room.
Though it wasn't a temple where incense was offered, the interior was filled with a deep, lingering fragrance.
In a corner shrouded by haze, a man sat alone.
He was incredibly handsome, his plain clothes doing nothing to hide his striking features.
Hunched over, the man held a small piece of jade in his hand.
With his other hand, he carefully guided an ox-hair needle.
The ox-hair needle, typically used as a hidden weapon, served as a perfect carving tool.
His brow was slightly furrowed in deep concentration, his lips tightly pursed.
A teardrop mole under his eye lent him a delicate, sorrowful look.
Around this man were countless jade statues.
A young child, a teenage girl, a grown woman, a middle-aged lady, and even an old crone.
Their ages varied, yet they all shared a striking resemblance, as if depicting the exact same person.
Wherever the man's delicate touch passed, the raw jade transformed.
The rippling hem of a skirt, the slender fingers holding it.
A radiant face and gentle phoenix eyes.
His craftsmanship rivaled that of any master artisan.
Every sculpture filling the room was unmistakably his own creation.
Just before etching a fairy-like smile into the jade, the man's hands abruptly halted.
"Have you arrived?"
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