A man, at least once, fantasizes about a beautiful woman sneaking into his bed.
Morning came. “Onii-chan,” a fantasy step-sister wakes me up every morning with a smile from the edge of the bed.
In this world, I wonder how the architecture laws work when my childhood friend from next door jumps through the windows to watch the protagonist’s morning physiological activities. It’s a somewhat twisted desire, isn’t it?
I gazed momentarily at Im Ha-yeon, who wore a stiff expression.
So, she’s come to steal something precious.
Her outfit, a full-body tights costume that I can’t fathom where she got it from, either for protection of certain areas or perhaps to entice someone specific.
Her gazelle-like figure showed off an elasticity that suggested no one could catch her at night, except for that one area that bore some flab.
“To think she’d come to steal dressed like that.”
While I am the subject of pity among friends when talking about girlfriends, and though not a virgin in the strictest sense, thanks to that, I do have something to offer at such moments.
But then an unsettling thought crossed my mind.
Is it really something precious for men? To be honest, it’s something I’d want to throw away.
I gathered my thoughts and opened my mouth to Im Ha-yeon.
“Do I look like the kind of person to hand something over just because you came to steal it? If it were someone else, they would be prostrating themselves in thanks, but not me.”
“What do you mean by that?”
It’s about timing. “You should’ve come a year earlier.”
“There are a lot of reservations ahead of you.”
“Already reservations? Who are they?”
Im Ha-yeon tilted her head in surprise, looking curiously at me.
“Even if it’s the legendary Shadowless Thief, those who steal recklessly won’t end up well.”
If she gets on the wrong side of one woman, it could be dangerous. Steal recklessly, and you might find yourself in hot water.
“If I want to, I can steal as much as I want.”
Well, she does look like it.
Not only her words but also her body, where my gaze keeps wandering, exudes confidence.
“Confidence is good, but your opponents are just as formidable.”
“…Is she perhaps a martial artist from the Sichuan Tang Family?”
Where did that come from?
Hwa-rin rarely went out due to her skin condition, usually handling minor tasks like organizing ledgers or printing for the Tea Bookstore.
I only heard the rumor of her coming when those regulars on the second floor disturbed the Tea and Book Club. Rumors about the Tang family involving inhumane experiments and being intertwined with the Demonic Cult and Tang Geoh’s stories had me waiting for the day her skills would rise to the occasion.
“There are some in the Sichuan Tang Family.”
“If it becomes an enemy of the Tang Family, that would indeed be a bit dangerous.”
Im Ha-yeon bit her lips tightly, looking forlorn.
“Im Ha-yeon, it’s not good to come barging in like this. Of course, I understand when someone acts before thinking, but if you truly want something, it should start with building trust and having a conversation with me.”
“I don’t have the time for that.”
“If you can’t invest that much time, then you won’t be stealing anything.”
Of course, if she came towards me, ripping that tights off, I might be a bit hard to endure. I said firmly to keep my thoughts hidden.
Did my firm attitude work?
Im Ha-yeon seemed to be disappointed, lowering her head as if she had taken off the mask on her face.
“…As expected, the fourth volume of The Rise of the Tang Family is too precious to just show off.”
The fourth volume of The Rise of the Tang Family? Why? It’s still just a rough draft, right? Ah, so that’s what was so precious.
“Y-yes.”
I couldn’t hide my surprise and my words trembled a little. Did I mess up saying that? I didn’t anticipate that, and it would be troublesome if I was treated like some strange shopkeeper.
After all, there aren’t many weirder than a woman coming in dressed like this at night.
Goodness, let’s try to be calm.
I neatly adjusted my previously disheveled clothes and rose from the bed, heading to where the teapot was.
So she’s just going to stand there and watch, huh?
“…I’ll be going.”
As I poured tea into my cup, Im Ha-yeon rose from the bed with a determined look.
“Where will you go?”
“I have to go back since I couldn’t steal it.”
Steal? What is there to steal? It didn’t seem like she came to steal in the first place.
“I know it’s not the real reason you came looking for me, so where will you go? I’ll let you listen to what I have to say from now on, so sit down.”
Where did I put another cup? I leisurely pulled out the cup and poured tea for Im Ha-yeon as well.
“What do you mean ‘the real reason’?”
“You didn’t come to steal the third volume when it was released, right? You could have snuck in to check out the fourth volume. You woke me up for a reason.”
Sure, the legendary Shadowless Thief wouldn’t wait for a person to wake up before stealing something.
Initially, the act of coming to steal was probably a way to hide her embarrassment. It wouldn’t be easy to say she came looking for advice from a guy she usually bickers with.
“……”
Silence usually means agreement.
While sipping the tea I poured, she continued to look at me with her mouth firmly shut.
Is it too embarrassing to talk after coming all this way? Then let me explain why it’s okay for me to talk.
“I am the Shadowless Thief’s business associate. You are the daughter of a beloved brother.”
I spoke to her as if I were looking at a cute niece visiting during a holiday.
“What does that mean…?”
I interrupted her and continued.
“You are my precious subordinate and a brilliant talent to lead the Tea Bookstore. And…”
Also a true heroine candidate. I paused for a moment, not really wanting to say that out loud.
“And?”
Im Ha-yeon inquired, sending me a look as if she wanted to confirm something.
“Just know that. Simply sharing what you’ve been holding in your chest with someone can lighten your heart. So don’t think of leaving empty-handed.”
“…Hmph.”
Did my words resonate with her?
Im Ha-yeon’s expression brightened a tad, and she accepted the tea I offered, holding the cup with both hands.
After a while of fidgeting her fingers as if choosing her words carefully, she wore a heavy expression and opened her mouth.
“A public document has come down from the Wuhan branch of Hao-mun to arrest the escaped courtesan, Im Ha-yeon.”
An event so significant it momentarily squeezed my heart, impossible to even predict.
“Arrest the one who informed about the upheaval in the Usan branch?”
It’s strange to arrest someone who informed about the upheaval in the sect. It seems like blaming an innocent witness as the criminal.
“That’s… The Usan branch is fine, apparently.”
“Wasn’t there an upheaval in the Usan branch leading to the escape?”
“On the day the faction attacked, the Hao-mun branch fought back and managed to repel the attack.”
If what she says is true, then the situation has escalated significantly.
For her, escaping was to inform about the sect’s upheaval, but to others, she’d appear to be just a runaway courtesan taking advantage of the chaos.
“Wait a moment. Isn’t it strange? I’m sure the faction chased you that very day. If that’s true, it’s already been over a month. Why didn’t we hear about it?”
“That’s what’s strange. The attacked Hao-mun branch was annihilated.”
“Didn’t everyone from the Usan branch who could be called executives die? The branch head in the gyobang also passed away?”
Were they all people I knew? The grip on the cup in Im Ha-yeon’s hand tightened.
“Everyone died, yet it’s still fine? Doesn’t it sound off?”
“The faction’s gambling den took revenge on the attacking faction.”
“A gambling den? You mean those betters?”
While people often think of Hao-mun as one sect, it’s not exactly the case. Hao-mun is more like a loose network besides core executives.
Courtesans pass information to their organization, while gamblers pass theirs to their respective groups.
Ultimately, the top tier of various groups relays the info to the executives.
“Yes. Yet, it’s too coincidental. The gambling faction, which has less power than the courtesan faction, awaited the chance and succeeded, swallowing up all the businesses of the Usan Hao-mun.”
Im Ha-yeon said that the head of the Usan branch was affiliated with the courtesan faction.
For the courtesan faction to be annihilated with a single attack while the gambling faction seizes power, that’s clearly suspicious.
“Does this have anything to do with the Wuhan branch trying to arrest you, Im Ha-yeon?”
“I’m the only survivor of the Usan branch’s courtesan faction. But even if I go there, it won’t change anything. The vengeance has ended, and only the runaway courtesan remains. Even if I were to go through a formal interrogation, I wouldn’t provide any damaging testimony against the gambling faction.”
“Why is that?”
“They hold my license.”
That meant her master was one of those gambling thugs. Annoyed, she frowned.
“Wasn’t it originally from the courtesan faction?”
“Because Hao-mun is also a faction. They unjustly took it by force, so it won’t be returned.”
The courtesan faction complained about that, but when it comes to buying a runaway courtesan, they demanded a proper price and made threats.
Im Ha-yeon shared with me the specific amount.
“That’s an absurd sum!”
The amount she mentioned was not comparable to that of a printing press or mansion.
“Because I’m a runaway courtesan. Once I run away, I’d be paying off a debt I could never repay and have to work in the brothel for the rest of my life.”
Im Ha-yeon lowered her head, looking distressed.
It seemed like a number that words alone couldn’t express the level of despair it brought on her.
Even if I had been a star host at the Yangqilu, if they had asked me to repay that amount, I would’ve yelled that my life was over.
‘So this is how the original story continues.’
The Im Ha-yeon I know isn’t from Usan or Yichang, but the best courtesan of the Hubei province, Wuhan.
Even without me, the attack on the Usan branch and her escape would have played out as originally intended, so she would have historically ended up as a runaway courtesan being dragged to Wuhan.
The Shadowless Thief, Im Ha-yeon.
The best courtesan in Wuhan during the day and a little bit of a fool at night.
Even though she’d make a ton of money with just one job, she’s working two to repay her debt as a runaway courtesan.
Briefly about thievery?
No way.
“What’s the reason behind the recent ruckus happening in Yichang?”
