episode_0013

When I was kidnapped, the Emperor was right before my eyes.

I was experiencing something nobody else could twice over.

“Haa…”

The Emperor’s deep sigh could be heard.

Is something wrong?

“Your Majesty, your sigh is deep. Is something amiss?”

At my question, the Emperor looked at me, then pressed his brows as if troubled.

“Last night, it’s said that Phantom Thief Cardinal appeared at Baron Ashro’s estate. And that story spread throughout the entire Empire overnight. Was that your doing?”

“Of course! Didn’t I tell you I had a good method?”

Who else but me could have come up with such a brilliant method in an instant?

At my answer, the Emperor let out a hollow laugh.

“Yes, it was a good method, indeed. Thanks to it, everyone in the Empire has started taking an interest in Phantom Thief Cardinal.”

Just as the Emperor said, this incident caused everyone to become interested in Phantom Thief Cardinal.

Those who were around when Phantom Thief Cardinal was active made various conjectures about his sudden movement after more than 20 years.

Those born after Phantom Thief Cardinal’s activities ended learned about him through this incident.

Everyone began to take an interest in Phantom Thief Cardinal, but no one could possibly know that Phantom Thief Cardinal was the Emperor.

That’s because all the servants in the Imperial Palace knew the Emperor was present there last night, when I was active.

“Haa… Until now, not a single person has impersonated Phantom Thief Cardinal.”

Of course not. What lunatic would impersonate Phantom Thief Cardinal, who stole the Empire’s national treasures? The moment someone did, the entire Empire would try to catch them.

“Thanks to that, it was easy for me to impersonate him.”

Only I could be such a lunatic.

“At any rate, since the fact that I am Phantom Thief Cardinal won’t be exposed, I’ll give you the elixir I promised.”

“I worked to alleviate Your Majesty’s worries, as you always suffer ruling the Empire. It wasn’t specifically for the elixir.”

“Then consider the elixir null and void—”

“I’ll gladly accept it!”

I cut off the Emperor and replied.

I thought I’d get another elixir if I flattered him, darn it.

“Here’s the elixir you so desired. Take it.”

I received the elixir the Emperor handed me. It was a golden, shimmering elixir. It was an imperial elixir that couldn’t be obtained no matter how much money one had.

As I rejoiced after receiving the elixir, the Emperor spoke casually.

“So, what did you steal from Baron Ashro?”

However, unlike his casual words, I couldn’t take them lightly. It felt as if his words were drilling into my head. It was proof that the Emperor was using his ‘Domination’ ability.

The first time it happened, I could barely breathe and my hands trembled, but now, on the second time, I could endure it. The Emperor looked at me enduring the aura of Domination with amusement.

“Hoo? You’re growing day by day.”

“That’s just one of my many charms.”

“But I’m not really in the mood for jokes right now.”

The aura of Domination pressing down on me grew stronger.

As if it wouldn’t tolerate any lies.

“From what I know, didn’t the newspaper state that Baron Ashro said Phantom Thief Cardinal stole nothing?”

I checked this morning’s newspaper, and Baron Ashro did say that Phantom Thief Cardinal appeared, but nothing was stolen.

“That would be a lie. Reports have come in that Baron Ashro is mobilizing knights to search for Phantom Thief Cardinal.”

To have put him under surveillance so quickly…

“Baron Ashro kept it secret either because he didn’t want the fact that Phantom Thief Cardinal stole something to be revealed, or to hide what the stolen item was.”

The Emperor’s thoughts were exactly right. I had stolen ‘that’ from Baron Ashro last night, and Baron Ashro must have lied because he didn’t want it to be exposed.

“So, what did you steal from Baron Ashro?”

“It’s—”

I tried to tell the Emperor, but I couldn’t. Someone had opened the door and entered.

Thump!

Someone entering without permission while the Emperor was present was unbelievable at first, but seeing who it was, I understood.

Beautiful appearance with golden hair and golden eyes. The Empire’s Princess.

Yerika Leonhart.

She burst the door open and entered. Even for a princess, entering where the Emperor was without permission was against etiquette, so the servants behind her fidgeted, unsure what to do.

The Emperor pressed his brows, as if troubled, and said.

“You all may leave.”

At the Emperor’s words, all the accompanying servants left.

“Yerika, we have a guest, so show proper etiquette.”

Only then did Yerika seem surprised to see me, but she smiled and greeted me. The way she slightly bowed her head and delicately lifted the hem of her dress was full of grace.

“We meet again, ordinary Clown-nim. Were you kidnapped and dragged here again this time?”

‘I was kidnapped and dragged to the Imperial Palace.’

Yerika seemed to remember what I said last time, and she smiled as she spoke.

“Yes! This time, I was dragged away while eating breakfast!”

This was surprisingly true. I’d suddenly lost consciousness and collapsed while eating breakfast at the inn.

“You’re still an amusing person. Yesterday, while I was talking to Oppa through the communication orb, I mentioned meeting Clown-nim at the Imperial Palace, and he was very envious.”

Talking through a communication orb? Is Lucas not in the Imperial Palace right now?

“Where is Lucas-ssi now?”

Yerika smiled as she answered my question. Yerika’s smile strangely had the power to put people at ease.

“Hehe, it seems seeing Clown-nim at the entrance exam shocked him, so he left to train. It was truly enjoyable to see Oppa go off to train with such a joyful expression after a long time.”

The Emperor, who had been quietly observing Yerika and my conversation, spoke.

“Are the two of you acquainted?”

The way the Emperor looked at me was different from before.

Just moments ago, he had been looking at me with a troubled gaze.

Now, it was like the gaze of someone looking at a hyena clinging to his daughter.

Before the Emperor could misunderstand, I quickly spoke.

“Yesterday, as I was leaving the Imperial Palace, I happened to meet Her Imperial Highness, the Princess, and we spoke ‘briefly’.”

I emphasized the word ‘briefly’ as I spoke.

Even in Croaca, many sentences mentioned that the Emperor especially doted on Yerika.

If I, who possesses nothing but a handsome face, were to flirt with the Princess, there’s no telling what the Emperor would do to me.

Hearing my words, he seemed to drop his suspicions and now asked Yerika.

“Yerika, why did you open the door and come in without permission?”

Though his words contained a rebuke for entering without permission, contrary to his tone, a warm smile lingered on the Emperor’s lips.

At the Emperor’s question, Yerika seemed to remember why she had come and spoke. Her voice held an undisguisable emotion of excitement.

“Father, Phantom Thief Cardinal has finally appeared this time!”

“Haaa…”

At Yerika’s words, the Emperor let out a deep sigh and looked at me.

Suddenly, I recalled the Emperor’s words from yesterday about someone recently investigating Phantom Thief Cardinal. I had asked why he couldn’t just use his imperial authority to stop them.

‘Because they’re not the kind of person who would stop just because I ordered the investigation to cease.’

The Emperor had replied like that.

No way.

‘The Princess isn’t that person, is she?’

At my gaze, the Emperor quietly closed his eyes.

It was clearly a sign of affirmation.

Yerika, unaware of the Emperor’s tormented feelings, continued speaking.

“Father, if you send me just a few people to catch Phantom Thief Cardinal, I will surely capture that phantom thief.”

That phantom thief is your father, though.

“Haa… I’ll think about it, so you may leave for now. I still have things to discuss with Loki.”

Yerika spoke to me on her way out.

“Clown-nim, if you happen to know anything about Phantom Thief Cardinal, please let me know!”

“Ahaha.”

I could only respond with a laugh.

How could I say, ‘The two people right before your eyes are the Phantom Thief Cardinal Her Imperial Highness is looking for!’

“Haaa…”

As Yerika left, the Emperor let out a deep sigh.

This time, I somewhat understood the Emperor’s feelings.

From the Emperor’s perspective, his daughter was asking him for troops to investigate him.

‘By the way, why is Yerika trying to find Phantom Thief Cardinal?’

No matter how much I thought, I couldn’t figure out why Yerika wanted to catch Phantom Thief Cardinal.

That’s because both Yerika and Phantom Thief Cardinal were barely mentioned in Croaca.

Perhaps wanting to think about Yerika later, the Emperor changed the subject.

“So, what did you steal from Baron Ashro?”

It felt a bit awkward to show ‘that’ to the troubled Emperor. But since the Emperor couldn’t be ignorant of it, I handed ‘that’ to him.

“What I stole from Baron Ashro is precisely this.”

The Emperor’s expression, upon receiving ‘that’ from me, utterly soured.