The Phantom Thief - 4

"Chief Steward. Have you read the novel everyone's been talking about these days?"

The Mangeum Estate. The Mangeum Lord spoke as he turned the pages of the book that had made such a name for itself in Wuhan.

"Young Master Kang—ah, forgive me, you mean Tale of the Wind and Cloud Chivalric Hero, by the author Hopil. I read it a few days ago."

"I'm reading it right now myself. I knew the boy had a gift for commerce, and that he was no slouch with the pen either, but this truly exceeds anything I imagined."

A faint smile never left the Mangeum Lord's face as he turned the pages.

"It shames me to admit it, but at my age I forgot sleep entirely and read the thing through to the end."

"Heh heh. So that's why you've been so out of sorts these past few days."

"You noticed?"

The Chief Steward lowered his head as if embarrassed.

"Heh heh heh. I hear even my granddaughter—shy little thing that she is—can't keep her composure around that boy these days."

The business Kang Yunho was running showed the strongest prospects of any successor candidate, and his new novel drew admiration to rival his commercial genius.

The arrangement had begun as something of a gamble, but his granddaughter seemed not entirely without feelings for the young man he had matched her with—the two were still living together, after all.

The Mangeum Lord stroked his beard, thoroughly satisfied.

"It's only natural. The young lady Jegal does love her novels, and the finest novelist in all of Wuhan right now is none other than... Hmm? What is it?"

When a maidservant hurried in with urgent steps, the Chief Steward asked what the matter was.

"Young Lady Jegal has arrived."

"Young Lady Jegal Hyang?"

Before the maid could even answer him, a silver-haired woman poked her head into the study.

Had it been anyone else, they would have scolded her roundly for daring to enter without so much as a word of notice—but the person who appeared now was different.

"G-Grandfaaaather!"

For the woman at the door was Jegal Hyang, the granddaughter the Mangeum Lord had matched with the man on whom he pinned his greatest hopes.

"What brings you here? Why do you look ready to cry?"

Could something have gone wrong between her and Kang Yunho? Even the great Mangeum Lord asked with a stiffening face.

But the words that ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠left Jegal Hyang's mouth were nothing he could have predicted.

"Y-Young Master Kang has been hauled off to the government officeee!"

"What?!"

It was the moment the Left Head Constable's fate was sealed.

"The b-barbarian whelp is a marriage prospect of the Jegal Clan?"

What in the world was this man saying? Clutching the spot where the Chief Constable had struck him, the Left Head Constable barely hauled himself upright and asked.

"The Jegal Clan! That Jegal Clan! Among officials, you'd be hard-pressed to find a single man who hasn't shared a meal at the Jegal estate through one connection or another! What are you going to do about this?!"

The Jegal Clan was a martial house renowned for excellence in both pen and sword.

Some of its members had become martial artists, while others had chosen the path of officialdom—and it was also a clan that spared no expense in inviting talented men to serve as its retained scholars.

"Th-there must be some misunderstanding."

"If even the courtesans of the pleasure house know it, how is it that you don't?"

The Chief Constable fumed, recalling what the courtesan seated beside him at the pleasure house had said just the evening before.

In truth, it had all been arranged by Kang Yunho's design to funnel the news into the Chief Constable's ears—but there was no need for the man to know that much.

"I-it must be that barbarian pulling some trick."

"I wondered the same, so I made busy with inquiries the whole way here."

"That can't be..."

The Left Head Constable's face drained to ash.

"Someone from the Mangeum Money Exchange is already here at the office! What do you intend to do about this! Did you at least find solid grounds for suspicion!"

"I-I was just about to make him confess."

"You found ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠nothing."

One frosty sentence from the Chief Constable. In those few words, the Left Head Constable felt the bone-chilling resolve of a general preparing to carve away a rotting left arm.

"There has to be a connection between that thief, the Shadowless Divine Thief, and Daseogak! Give me only the time to interrogate that barbarian who runs the place!"

If things went on like this, he was finished. The Left Head Constable protested with everything he had.

"Right. Well said. The person in charge of Daseogak should be called to account. So tell me—why are you interrogating Kang Yunho?"

"Pardon? Isn't Kang Yunho the very man who operates the two Daseogak branches? He's also a close friend of the author who wrote that problematic book."

Though he sensed something ominous coiled in his superior's mocking tone, the Left ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Head Constable laid out what he knew.

"Yes. Kang Yunho does run the Daseogak branches in Yichang and Wuhan. But tell me—who do you think owns those establishments?"

"It couldn't be..."

There were people who ran them, and owners behind them—separate? The Left Head Constable's pupils dilated.

"One belongs to the Jegal Clan. The other, to the Sichuan Tang Clan."

"..."

Checkmate. Faced with a situation beyond all excuse, the Left Head Constable screwed his eyes shut.

"What's this sudden urge to interrogate the parties involved? I could summon one of them for you right this instant. She is the youngest daughter of the Jegal Clan's head, after all."

"Heh... heh..."

"The Mangeum Money Exchange, and the Jegal Clan? Fine. You've truly lost your mind and decided you want my head!"

The Chief Constable could contain his fury no longer.

"Kgh!"

The man who had been poised to inflict one-sided violence on Kang Yunho was now receiving it in full measure himself.

"Screaming, are we?! You dragged in a man who keeps a household with the Jegal Clan's youngest daughter under the Mangeum Lord's tacit blessing, and you meant to brand him with a hot iron? Do you have any idea?! Of course you don't!!!"

"Ch-Chief Constable! P-please, I beg you, spare my life!"

The man who, once the money changed hands, had been deaf to anyone's pleas for mercy now begged for it himself.

"I always knew your greed crossed the line, but I never dreamed you couldn't tell up from down to this degree!"

Taking bribes was one thing. But a man had to know where the lines were drawn—and when to read the room.

This time, he had crossed the line so far there could be no mistaking it.

"Chief Constable! Kgh! Please!"

"Throw the Left Head Constable in a cell! And search this bastard's house for his bribe ledgers!"

He had no intention of answering for a subordinate who had crossed the line all on his own. Gritting his teeth at the fallen Left Head Constable, the Chief Constable barked his orders to the bailiffs.

"Yes, sir!"

"I knew from the start this wasn't a problem that words could solve."

The infirmary of the government office. I lay alone on the cot, murmuring to myself.

My opponent was an official on the take—what good would a hundred days of righteous argument have done? This time, I'd needed to put my backing to work as well.

Of course, officially speaking, I was not Jegal Hyang's fiancé.

Even though her maternal grandfather, the Mangeum Lord, had arranged our match, claiming the official status of Jegal Hyang's betrothed required a far more convoluted process.

First, I would have to pass an internal review by the head of the Jegal Clan and the rest of the family.

Survive that, and I would then be invited to the Jegal Clan compound, where I'd have to face the clan head himself—and the mother before whom Young Lady Jegal trembles in fear.

Only with the Jegal Clan's final approval could I go about proclaiming myself Jegal Hyang's fiancé in any official sense.

I needed the Jegal Clan's backing—but I was in no position to wield it directly.

Fortunately, I had more than enough cards left to play.

"If I'm taken in, as we planned, please have Young Lady Jegal contact the Mangeum Money Exchange and Young Lady Hayeon contact the Gi-mun. I'll be needing both of their help."

"L-leave it to meee!"

"I'll run straight to the Gi-mun Hyangju!"

Would even the Mangeum Lord turn away his darling granddaughter's plea? Not a chance. And even if he didn't stir, it wouldn't matter.

All I needed was for people to draw the wrong conclusion.

I'd have the Gi-mun carry word of my plight to the senior officials. Once they learned I was living under one roof with Jegal Hyang, at least one of them was bound to come bursting out in shock.

And sure enough, the Chief Constable had appeared exactly as predicted.

"Young Master Kang, are you alright?"

The Chief Constable approached my cot with a worried face. The blood spattered across it—surely that wasn't the Left Head Constable's?

"With a red-hot branding iron waving back and forth before my eyes, I find it rather difficult to calm my heart, you understand."

Clutching my chest like some sickly scholar, I poured out my woes.

"I always knew that bastard would cause trouble one of these days! I'll sit him down myself and let him taste just how hot that iron burns! Ease your grievances, young master."

Perhaps he was still shuddering at how close his own neck had come to the block. The Chief Constable spoke to me, his clenched fists trembling.

That was quite enough about the Left Head Constable—time to bring up the matter I'd actually been aiming for.

"I know you'll see the Left Head Constable's affair handled properly, Chief Constable, but my chest still burns with this unjust ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠accusation—an accusation that could never have been cleared on its own."

Mister Chief Constable, sir. How about stamping that little 'innocent' seal for me?

The betrothed of the Mangeum Lord's granddaughter and a marriage prospect of the Jegal Clan nearly suffered torment over a false charge, after all.

You're not thinking of closing the matter by feeding me one subordinate, are you? Honestly, I'd lie awake wondering whether there'd be lingering grudges.

I'll lay a bargaining chip on the table, so take it quietly.

"I've read your statement through. However I look at it, you're innocent. I'll post a notice under my own name declaring that Daseogak had nothing to do with this affair!"

An official proclamation from the highest office in charge of Wuhan's public order—that's as good as a press conference, isn't it? Fortunately, the Chief Constable hadn't climbed to his seat on fists alone.

"Chief Constable. A guest from the Mangeum Money Exchange is here asking for Young Master Kang."

"Whew. A good thing we settled this when we did. Well then? Will you be returning with the guest from the Mangeum Money Exchange?"

Letting out a small sigh, as though a ten-year burden had rolled off his shoulders, the Chief Constable asked me.

"I will. And please—do catch that thief, so that there are no more in-no-cent people like me."

"Of course. My bailiffs will never come looking for you again, so worry no more."

With the Chief Constable's solemn assurance, I left the government office behind.

"He's out... Oof!"

The moment I stepped into the house, two—no, four—armfuls of soft flesh tackled me.

"Darling! Are you hurt anywhere?"

"Young Master Kang. They say you were hurt? Sh-shall I take a look at you?"

"Fortunately, there's not a scratch on me. Young Lady Hayeon—take my clothes off."

The clothes coming off was something I'd have preferred at a different time, in a different place.

"You always pretend you're fine even when you're not. Let me see, just for a moment."

Under the worried gazes of the two women, I slipped my upper body into view.

"Y-you look fine."

"Mmm."

Somehow their worried gazes seemed to be shifting into something laced with personal interest.

"I'm sorry for the worry I caused. It must have been a heavy favor to ask of you, Young Lady Jegal. Thank you for granting it."

Pulling my clothes back on, I bowed my head to Jegal Hyang.

"I-It was nothing at aaaall!"

"And you have my thanks as well, Young Lady Hayeon."

"You're the one who had it rough. I never wanted to see you dragged off to a government office."

Did she think it was her own doing? There was no need for her to look so crestfallen.

"I'd have had to clear away that suspicion sooner or later regardless. From now on, no one will suspect Daseogak over the Shadowless Divine Thief affair."

It was bound to come up at some point. If anything, it had been resolved cleanly, and I was one worry lighter for it.

With the Chief Constable himself declaring he would post a notice of non-involvement, word that the Wuhan Daseogak belonged to a daughter of the Jegal Clan would surely spread far and wide.

From this day forward, no one would dare pick a quarrel with Daseogak over the Shadowless Divine Thief.

"That's a relief, but..."

"No one can touch Daseogak over the Shadowless Divine Thief now. So let's move—right away."

"Move to do what?"

"There are those who still haven't come to their senses after being hit by the Shadowless Divine Thief, aren't there?"

I said with a smirk to the two women.

"Darling... you don't mean...?"

"If you've been robbed, you pay it back in kind. That's only proper, isn't it?"

Now that I'd secured a sturdy shield, it was time to thrust the spear once more.