Let me succeed in this life

chapter 6: theif II

I opened the door and entered the jewelry shop, slowly walking inside. The place was plastered with so many different gems and accessories, it looked much more different than yesterday, everything was sparkling with gold and diamond stones.

I looked around and tried to find Joseph but after a few steps inside, a worker stopped me with a hand. The worker looked at me firmly but also conflicted about something.

"Uhm, sir... I mean, young master... You can't go any further inside this place..."

"Why? Did something happen?" I asked with a slightly raised eyebrow, turning to him.

"No, but... The duke rented this place so no one was allowed to..." Before he could explain any further, someone spoke in between our conversation, interrupting us. "No, I will explain what happened. The young master is my guest."

Joseph walks in, the same smile on his lips as last time i visited this shop. He nodded at his worker, giving him a sign before turning to me. "Greetings young master, if you don't mind, may you follow me?"

I agreed, he led me through the hallways from his shop to the second platform of this place. Towards a room, we entered and i sat down on a couch. With a flick of his fingers, his servant began serving the both of us a warm tea and he started talking. "Young master, what has brought you to my shop today?"

"I wanted to ask you something, but before that can i ask what happened there?"

"Ah, right. The duke did rent this place, but to be honest, he rented every shop in the town..."

The duke? The guy that gave cyril's family a debt? His servant poured in the tea in our cups, bowing before putting the tea cup down. Joseph picked up his cup, continuing his words before sipping his tea. "His daughter is coming back from her university and he wants to welcome her with a bunch of gifts."

"Oh? What a luxurious gift indeed. Any reason why she's coming back?"

"As for today, it's still a mystery. Even her father is still wondering the reason behind it, but moving on... Why did you decide to visit me today?" He asks, immediately changing the subject as soon as the other dies down. "Did something happen to you too?"

¹Well, i must say a lot of things happened... A thief stole a few things in the mansion and the servants are putting their suspicions on me."

He looked a bit stunned earlier for a few seconds but laughed at the end of my words, his eyes were closed it didn't seem that funny so what is he laughing about? I caught his servant letting out a chuckle and immediately hiding it with a cough.

"..."

"Oh i apologize to the young master, i apologize" he shakes his hands, ending his laugh with a cough. He straightened up his posture, sighing. "Is there any reason for their suspicion?"

"A maid caught the thief running towards the door of my room and disappeared in front of it."

"I mean, if it was for me that would be suspicious but if it were you, how did you steal that stuff when you were in a coma?" He asked with two fingers under his chin with an expression that makes him look like he's thinking.

"Exactly, that's why it's pure stupidity..." I put a hand in my forehead massaging it gently, i felt my head ache all of the sudden for no reason. He chuckled once more while he gazed at me in distress before saying something . "Well, would you mind drinking tea to ease you up for a bit? You've been tense the whole time."

I processed his words while looking at him and realized how stiff my body was, i looked down on the tea and nodded and decided to give the tea a try. I sipped on it and sighed, my body relaxed slowly with the fragrance of the tea. "However, that's not what i came here for. I originally wanted to ask you about the "puzzle" you were talking about."

"... Ah, you forgot about that too." He mumbles, though i almost didn't notice, his servant looked a bit more serious than before as he was serving us some pastries. "Well, about that puzzle, you wanted to know something about the past. A past of someone you weren't included in."

"... And how will that book help me know that?" He shrugged, grabbing a small macaroon and taking a bite on it. With a thumb swiftly brushing over the side of his mouth and wiping away the crumbs, he once again spoke. "The young master never said anything about it. You said that the answers will be in the book."

"I see... Thank you for your reminder."

He huffed with a small smile, with a grin he pushed the plate of macaroons in front of me. "Wont you ease up, young master? After all, we are not strangers now."

I shifted my gaze down to the sweets In front of me, I'm not really a fan of sweets though. But i picked up one and took a bite, it was quite pleasant at least.

We spent the rest of my visit quietly eating a few snacks and drinking tea, after my third cup i decided to leave as i have no more business to do here. We parted and i said goodbye before leaving the shop, it was my second time visiting this town and yet the atmosphere has never changed with all these people looking at me.

The coachman noticed my presence after a few steps near the carriage, he waved at me with a hand straightening his clothes. "Let's go ba-.." As he was opening the door for me, a small kid suddenly bumped onto me and it didn't feel like an incident.

The kid moved swiftly and snatched the bag of gold in my hips, before he could go i grabbed the hook of his shirt and lifted him up. "Got you. Now where do you think you're going?" I asked, I didn't know this trap would work so i forgot about it, thankfully this kid reminded me.

I held out a smug at the kids face, he looked like a stubborn child... How displeasing. He was dirty and very annoying, i tried snatching back the bag of gold in his hand but he hugged it like his life depended on it. "Hey, let it go. Thats mine. You shouldn't steal stuff, you know?"

I felt my eyebrow twitch at his stubborn defiance, he finally looked up. With a bloodshot glare, he whined. "That won't work on me, kid" is what i thought before he started taking people 's attention. The mumbles of gossip made me turn my head, with my slight change of focus the kid took it as a chance and escaped.

I wanted to go after him but there were so many people looking, i groaned in annoyance and entered the carriage. A hand on my cheek as i looked at the window, well that bag didn't have anything anyway so it's useless.

It was all rocks, i wanted to lure that snatcher out and catch him. But it's useless now, i doubt that'll work again next time. I will just have to be extra careful next time i go outside...

But first, i will have to fix the issue on that gloomy mansion first. I want all the people who judged me to look at me with shame in their eyes after i catch that thief.