What the Thief Stole

Leila Lewellin's name had been circulating diligently among the servants of the ducal household these past few days, just as before—but the nature of the talk had shifted dramatically.

A thief had broken into the gardener's cottage.

The news spread through the entire mansion in no time. Most people wondered what bold thief would dare infiltrate the Herhardt ducal estate, but the sight of Bill Remmer half out of his mind, searching frantically for the culprit, was more than enough to erase any such doubts.

Matthias left the mansion just as the uproar reached its peak. If he was to arrive for luncheon on time, he needed to set out soon.

A man with no interest in trivial gossip, he only sensed the unusual atmosphere as his carriage passed along the driveway lined with plane trees. Mounted policemen were approaching from the opposite direction. Since this road led solely to Arvis, there was no need to wonder where they were headed.

"They say a thief broke into the gardener's house," his sharp-eyed attendant answered before Matthias could even ask.

"Bill Remmer's house?"

"Yes. It seems the money set aside for the child's university tuition has vanished, and they're in complete disarray."

Thief. Tuition. Leila.

Matthias tilted his head slightly, murmuring the words as if they intrigued him. It was only after the carriage had just emerged from the shade of the plane-tree avenue that he recalled the unfamiliar man he had encountered that morning by the Schulter River.

The man had introduced himself as Daniel Rayner, cousin to Mrs. Etman. He claimed he had come to visit the Etman household and, while he was at it, wished to offer Leila his congratulations on her acceptance. After that he had prattled on about this and that—his small investment firm, mining rights in overseas mines, the stock market—but most of it had washed over Matthias and left no lasting impression.

What Matthias did remember was the time. As the middle-aged man stood before him, sweating profusely and launching into his long-winded speech, Matthias's wristwatch had shown a time not yet nine o'clock. For a cultured middle-class businessman to come offering congratulations on the university acceptance of the girl who would become his cousin's nephew's wife, it was far too early an hour.

But it had been none of his concern, and so he had let it pass without a second thought. He had believed that was the end of it—until he heard the absurd news that a thief had broken into the gardener's cottage.

But why?

No matter how dire his circumstances might have become, it made no sense for the man to travel all the way to unfamiliar Arvis simply to steal a gardener's money. If he were going to steal, it would have been far more plausible to do so from his wealthy cousin's house.

"Linda Etman."

Just as he was about to dismiss the whole trivial matter, Matthias unconsciously murmured the name.

Inserting Linda Etman's name between the man and Leila produced a rather plausible connection. Of course it was still little more than conjecture, yet the way the pieces now fit together more neatly than before was quite interesting.

Before stepping out of the carriage that had stopped in front of the hotel where the luncheon was to be held, Matthias issued a brief order to his attendant.

"Look into Daniel Rayner. As quickly as possible."

The food on the evening table remained almost untouched. It was a rare occurrence at a table shared by the hearty eaters Bill and Kyle.

Knowing the reason all too well, Leila quietly cleared the dishes. Bill Remmer, who had barely managed half a plate, went straight out to the porch and lit a cigarette. Ever since the theft, the atmosphere in the cottage had remained this heavy and subdued.

"It's all right, Leila."

Kyle, who had been helping her, carefully opened his mouth. Leila's busy hands stilled, and she lifted her green eyes to look at him.

"About the thief—we'll catch him for sure."

"Yeah."

"And even if we don't, don't worry about the tuition. Father said he'll pay yours as well. He told me to pass that on."

"Kyle."

"Don't even think about refusing. Father wanted to cover it from the start. He only backed down because Uncle Bill was so stubborn about it."

Kyle's tone was uncharacteristically firm.

"Getting married means we're becoming family, Leila. It's not about being indebted—it's family, so of course we help each other. Right?"

Leila stood frozen for a moment, then slowly nodded. Her gaze remained gently lowered. In just a few days her face had grown much thinner, and the sight only sharpened Kyle's hatred for the thief who had upended their peaceful forest life.

"Anyway, this is just in case. For now, let's focus on catching the thief."

Even knowing full well how slim the chances of catching the thief truly were, Kyle spoke as if filled with hope. Only then did Leila offer a faint smile.

"...Yeah. Thank you, Kyle."

"What for? I haven't done anything."

"Just... for everything."

Leila smiled again, a soft little huff of laughter, but Kyle's heart only grew heavier.

He remembered clearly how overjoyed Leila had been when she learned she would be traveling to the capital with Uncle Bill. She had said they were going to pay the tuition, but in truth it was their first family trip. Uncle Bill was too gruff to express it well, yet Leila had been certain that was how he felt, and she had been as happy as a child. She had boasted that since this would be her second time in Lutz, she could guide him properly, and Kyle had teased her while sharing in her happiness.

The places she would go with him, the food they would eat together, the things they would do. Leila had chattered away so excitedly that she had been utterly adorable, and Kyle had nearly found himself jealous of Uncle Bill.

And then the thief had ruined everything. Even if they recovered the money, there was no way Leila and Uncle Bill could set out on that trip with the same joyful hearts, and that was something Kyle could do nothing about.

Drawing a steadying breath to shake off the crushing sense of helplessness, Kyle approached Bill Remmer, who sat dejectedly on the porch. Bill glanced at him as he sat down, then went back to chain-smoking. He looked as though he almost missed the past few days, when he had been burning with hostility toward the thief and devising dozens of ways to kill the man.

"It's all my fault."

When Bill finally spoke after a long silence, his voice was drained and flat.

"Leaving that much money in the house and not even locking the door properly..."

"It's not your fault, Uncle. Who would ever think a thief would break into the Arvis estate?"

"Registration closes next week, and I don't know if we can catch that damn thief by then."

"Don't worry about that. If there's no progress catching the thief by then, Father said he'll pay Leila's tuition as well. I've already told her."

Looking at Kyle's smiling face, Bill Remmer's eyes grew deep as a well.

"He's also going to contact the police station tomorrow. He said he'll ask a detective friend of his to investigate the case properly."

"Thank you, Kyle. Ending up indebted to the Etmans for everything from start to finish... I don't know how to face them."

"Hearing you say that makes me sad. I haven't even repaid half the value of all the meals I've eaten here yet."

At Kyle's shameless reply, Bill managed a weak chuckle.

"Be sure to pass my thanks to your parents. No—tell them that once this is resolved, I'll come myself to express my gratitude."

Bill gripped Kyle's shoulder firmly.

Kyle had been about to say it wasn't necessary, but he slowly nodded instead. He couldn't explain it clearly, yet he had a feeling that this was what Bill Remmer needed.

Kyle wanted to protect the man's pride.

The ducal residence had two studies. The one on the second floor was a vast space filled with enough books to rival a proper library, while the study at the end of the third floor, near the master suite, was smaller. Stocked mostly with volumes on history, politics, and economics, it had long served as the place where successive Dukes of Herhardt received guests and conducted their affairs. Matthias von Herhardt was no exception.

Mark Evers's steps were hurried as he made his way toward that third-floor study.

He had served as Matthias's secretary and attendant since the year the duke came of age, yet never once had he received an order that urged haste. For a time he had simply thought Matthias's natural temperament was unhurried, but he soon realized the truth: under the sky of the Berg Empire, there might simply be nothing that could make the Duke of Herhardt rush or grow impatient.

It was a life that possessed everything, and in which everything proceeded smoothly.

Matthias von Herhardt was a man who knew he would conquer the world. Mark was certain that the tolerance and kindness he displayed stemmed from that knowledge—like the leisure of a well-fed predator. Being near Matthias sometimes made even the air itself seem to flow at a more unhurried pace. That was the Duke of Herhardt Mark knew.

So when Matthias had added the condition "as quickly as possible," Mark Evers had briefly doubted his own ears. Once he grasped that it was indeed true, urgency seized him, and he threw himself into investigating Daniel Rayner with frantic energy.

"My lord, it is Evers."

Driven by his haste, Mark Evers practically ran to the door of the third-floor study. Light spilled from within, but no particular reply came from beyond the door. That was permission enough.

He quietly opened the door and entered. Matthias was seated deep against the back of a broad leather sofa. Though the night was late and he had only just finished receiving the directors, he still maintained a formal appearance.

"The materials on Daniel Rayner that you requested, my lord."

Mark Evers respectfully placed the file of documents on the reception table.

Matthias picked it up with the hand that had been pressing against his temple. One page, then another. As he slowly read through the papers, he seemed little different from the Duke of Herhardt Mark had always known.

But the relief was short-lived. Mark Evers soon found himself facing an even more bewildering situation. After carefully reading through to the final page, Matthias let out a low chuckle. Mark could not begin to guess what about this pathetic man—who had been taken in by fraudulent overseas mining rights, mortgaged his house to invest a huge sum, and ended up losing every last bit of it, facing the prospect of being thrown out onto the streets—could possibly amuse the impassive duke.

"Daniel Rayner. He must have dramatically paid off his bank debts recently."

Holding the folded file, Matthias lifted his head. One corner of his mouth curved upward. When expressionless, his face gave a rather gentle impression, yet the soft laughter of amusement made him seem cold instead.

"Yes, my lord. I was just about to report that. Not the full amount, but enough to keep the house from being seized. It happened this afternoon, so it wasn't included in the report yet."

"And the source of that money would be the Etmans."

Matthias continued, still wearing that faint smile.

"Linda Etman."

Pronouncing the name slowly, Matthias looked for all the world like a man thoroughly enjoying himself.

"How did you...?"

"Well done. Call Hessen for me."

Instead of answering, Matthias issued a polite command. Though his face was blank with astonishment, Mark Evers obeyed without further question.