I hung a torch on the wall and looked around at the jewelry boxes neatly displayed on the shelf.
It was a world of beautiful jewels that even I, who is not particularly interested in shiny gold, was enchanted by.
Although I wasn't very knowledgeable about jewels, I learned quite a bit just from living in the palace.
'They are all of immense value.'
The treasures here were not valued solely for being made of diamonds or gold.
These were things whose historical and artistic value surpassed the value of the materials.
Some jewelry boxes even had descriptions of what kind of necklace a Queen had worn in the past and at what event, and some jewelry boxes had a design that told you which era and which craftsman made them just by looking at them.
One-of-a-kind, renowned jewels created or worn by great men of the past.
In between, I saw things that my mother originally had, and things that seemed to have been owned by Kavala.
The dark warehouse seemed to sparkle brightly because of the jewels.
'I don't have time to just sit around and watch.'
I was so captivated by the treasure that I almost lost my mind, but I quickly pulled myself together.
'How do I take all this?'
I put things like necklaces and bracelets on my wrists.
Every time I moved, the jewels clanked and made a rattling sound.
Soon I sighed.
'I foolishly came to steal treasure without even preparing a bag to put it in!'
After blaming myself for a while, I gave up.
It was funny how I was torturing myself again when it was only recently that I decided to cheer myself up.
"It's amazing you made it this far without being caught, Chloe. Let's calm down and find a better way."
Then, strangely enough, a sack that had not been seen before came into view.
It was a sack covered with something in a dark corner.
'What is that?'
All the other items are in fancy boxes, so why is that thing in such a shabby bag?
'Isn't it a treasure?'
But this was a treasure trove. There were so many places to store things, so why bother organizing other items in the treasure trove?
'It's none of my business.'
Although I was curious, I quickly lost interest.
What I needed was a bag to wrap that thing in.
I untied the rope knot that held the things together and pulled on the sack.
Then the object inside the bag appeared.
'...?'
I glanced at the item absentmindedly.
Inside the bag was a large chalice about a hand and a half high.
A cup, usually used for religious ceremonies, with a jar-shaped handle attached to an oval bowl and a domed base.
The Holy Grail, ornately decorated with rubies, blue diamonds, and gold, did not look so impressive compared to the other treasures here.
Although the items here aren't judged solely by their appearance, the jewel-cutting techniques themselves don't appear particularly impressive, and the minerals used aren't even the finest. They even had numerous minor flaws.
It seemed like it was something that had gone through a turbulent time.
If there was one thing that was a bit unusual, it was that it was clearly shaped to hold liquid, and there was a long hole that went through the bowl, handle, and base.
'Is it for decoration?'
If it were actually used, the liquid poured into the Holy Grail would just flow out.
'Is it meaningful to Kavala?'
Having obtained the hilt, I passed by the Holy Grail without a second thought.
Even if I took it, it would just be heavy, and I didn't think I would get a good price for it when I sold it.
'Let's take only the smallest and lightest jewels that anyone can see are worth a lot of money.'
I threw the jewels into the bag haphazardly.
After filling it up with satisfaction for a while, I lifted the bag to leave the warehouse, but I ended up letting out a small groan and collapsing.
'Ah.'
The pupils shook slightly.
'It's heavy...!'
What is it that makes it so heavy?
I was embarrassed.
I looked back and forth between my bare arms and my bulging shaft, like dry grass roots.
Who knew I was the unexpected enemy in their perfect warehouse robbery plan?
'Let's calm down.'
I wore the gold chains as close to my body as possible to distribute the weight.
I wore a necklace dangling with diamonds around my neck, and as many bracelets and anklets as I could carry on my wrists and ankles, hiding them neatly under my clothes.
That alone made my body sway as if I had been wearing a heavy dress at my engagement ceremony.
With tears in my eyes, I took out half of the jewels from the bag.
There are now three or four necklaces, three tiaras, and a few rings and pairs of earrings left in the bag.
'Is this enough?'
As I turned around, I felt regretful and put a few more rings and earrings in my bag.
Among them was a ring that my mother often wore, but I was afraid I wouldn't be able to sell it even if I took it, so I left it behind, but in the end, I greedily packed it away.
The most expensive of all jewelry would be a necklace with several large gems, rather than a ring or earrings, but the Kavala's ornate necklaces, with their multiple layers, were so heavy that they were impossible to carry.
'Ugh.'
I gasped and hugged the sack.
Because my back was not straight, I was in a hunched position and could barely hold the torch.
There was a reason why the torch was brought here.
I boldly set fire to the velvet cushion on the shelf with a torch.
In an instant, the cushions on the shelf were engulfed in flames one by one.
'Good!'
I set fire to the warehouse to erase my tracks and make it harder to figure out who did this and what jewels were missing.
There was a high possibility that the jewels I had left behind and failed to steal would have been stolen in large quantities by the palace maids while they were busy putting out the fire.
'Then, even if the lost jewel were to appear in the world in the future, it would be difficult to trace it back.'
A thrilling excitement spread through my entire body along with the rising flames.
I hugged the sack and quickly left the warehouse.
No, I tried to get away.
“Hmm...”
The Holy Grail I saw earlier somehow caught my eye.
'If that really is something meaningful to Kavala...'
Wouldn't that be more helpful in making Kavala unhappy?
The hand that had just put down the torch was empty.
I gritted my teeth.
'Let's try a little harder, Chloe!'
Even if I have to lie down sick tomorrow.
I escaped from the warehouse and came to my palace without anyone knowing, and hid the stolen treasures in a place I had previously checked.
It was in a small hole under an ornamental tree in the garden.
The ornamental tree, whose roots were exposed when heavy rain washed away the soil, had been neglected for a long time by a lazy gardener.
After finishing everything, I returned safely to the bedroom and carefully tidied up my clothes.
'I'm glad there's no one here.'
There were no guards or maids in the residence.
Judging by the loud shouts of “Fire!” outside, it seemed that everyone had run out after hearing that the Kavala treasure vault was on fire.
Originally, if a fire broke out in the palace, the guards would protect the Emperor, while the rest of the palace staff would put everything else aside and rush to carry water.
At this time, other members of the royal family, other than the Emperor and his wife, are treated with disdain.
It would take a lot of people working quickly to keep this magnificent palace from burning down.
Although members of the imperial family other than the Emperor and Empress may receive more special treatment than other nobles, they are not considered more valuable than the assets of the palace.
Such is the cold-blooded imperial code.
I lay down on the bed calmly as if nothing had happened.
I lightly pray that an assassin will not suddenly appear in the empty quarters where not a single guard remains and kill me.
“Hwaaam.”
It was a rewarding day.
The rich, burnt smell drifted gently into my bedroom on the breeze.
I fell asleep to the sound of the palace servants searching for water and screaming as a lullaby.
There was no need to be anxious.
Because the Kavala warehouse and my residence are far enough apart.
That day, I had a dream.
It was a dream in which Kavala was running wild and bursting into tears as she watched me wrapped in gold and silver treasures.
The next day.
The maids who had been running around all night putting out the fire looked very tired.
The excitement from last night's events still lingered on their faces.
“How on earth did the fire start there?”
“I heard there was a thief in the Empress’s quarters last night. Could it be the thief’s fault?”
"How on earth did that thief disappear from this palace with so many eyes on her? Has she not been caught yet?"
“I asked a guard I know there, and he said she was definitely caught once, but when he went back, she had disappeared without a trace.”
“This is something a ghost would cry about.”
I nodded my head contentedly alone.
As planned, the courtiers suspected that the red-haired thief was the culprit who had set fire to Kavala's warehouse.
“Why did you set fire to that warehouse of all places! I heard it was full of incredibly valuable treasures!”
"What happened to all those jewels? Did a thief set fire to them and steal them all?"
“I heard that a lot of them disappeared.”
“What should we do with our Empress... I heard you could buy a mansion with just that necklace.”
“Wouldn’t it just be one mansion? I heard there was something like a necklace that the first Empress, Empress Lucia, wore at her wedding. Like, the Drop of God?”
The very drops of God were buried in my garden.
At that moment, a maid lowered her voice and whispered.
“But I... I think I saw a suspicious person yesterday.”
It was a world of beautiful jewels that even I, who is not particularly interested in shiny gold, was enchanted by.
Although I wasn't very knowledgeable about jewels, I learned quite a bit just from living in the palace.
'They are all of immense value.'
The treasures here were not valued solely for being made of diamonds or gold.
These were things whose historical and artistic value surpassed the value of the materials.
Some jewelry boxes even had descriptions of what kind of necklace a Queen had worn in the past and at what event, and some jewelry boxes had a design that told you which era and which craftsman made them just by looking at them.
One-of-a-kind, renowned jewels created or worn by great men of the past.
In between, I saw things that my mother originally had, and things that seemed to have been owned by Kavala.
The dark warehouse seemed to sparkle brightly because of the jewels.
'I don't have time to just sit around and watch.'
I was so captivated by the treasure that I almost lost my mind, but I quickly pulled myself together.
'How do I take all this?'
I put things like necklaces and bracelets on my wrists.
Every time I moved, the jewels clanked and made a rattling sound.
Soon I sighed.
'I foolishly came to steal treasure without even preparing a bag to put it in!'
After blaming myself for a while, I gave up.
It was funny how I was torturing myself again when it was only recently that I decided to cheer myself up.
"It's amazing you made it this far without being caught, Chloe. Let's calm down and find a better way."
Then, strangely enough, a sack that had not been seen before came into view.
It was a sack covered with something in a dark corner.
'What is that?'
All the other items are in fancy boxes, so why is that thing in such a shabby bag?
'Isn't it a treasure?'
But this was a treasure trove. There were so many places to store things, so why bother organizing other items in the treasure trove?
'It's none of my business.'
Although I was curious, I quickly lost interest.
What I needed was a bag to wrap that thing in.
I untied the rope knot that held the things together and pulled on the sack.
Then the object inside the bag appeared.
'...?'
I glanced at the item absentmindedly.
Inside the bag was a large chalice about a hand and a half high.
A cup, usually used for religious ceremonies, with a jar-shaped handle attached to an oval bowl and a domed base.
The Holy Grail, ornately decorated with rubies, blue diamonds, and gold, did not look so impressive compared to the other treasures here.
Although the items here aren't judged solely by their appearance, the jewel-cutting techniques themselves don't appear particularly impressive, and the minerals used aren't even the finest. They even had numerous minor flaws.
It seemed like it was something that had gone through a turbulent time.
If there was one thing that was a bit unusual, it was that it was clearly shaped to hold liquid, and there was a long hole that went through the bowl, handle, and base.
'Is it for decoration?'
If it were actually used, the liquid poured into the Holy Grail would just flow out.
'Is it meaningful to Kavala?'
Having obtained the hilt, I passed by the Holy Grail without a second thought.
Even if I took it, it would just be heavy, and I didn't think I would get a good price for it when I sold it.
'Let's take only the smallest and lightest jewels that anyone can see are worth a lot of money.'
I threw the jewels into the bag haphazardly.
After filling it up with satisfaction for a while, I lifted the bag to leave the warehouse, but I ended up letting out a small groan and collapsing.
'Ah.'
The pupils shook slightly.
'It's heavy...!'
What is it that makes it so heavy?
I was embarrassed.
I looked back and forth between my bare arms and my bulging shaft, like dry grass roots.
Who knew I was the unexpected enemy in their perfect warehouse robbery plan?
'Let's calm down.'
I wore the gold chains as close to my body as possible to distribute the weight.
I wore a necklace dangling with diamonds around my neck, and as many bracelets and anklets as I could carry on my wrists and ankles, hiding them neatly under my clothes.
That alone made my body sway as if I had been wearing a heavy dress at my engagement ceremony.
With tears in my eyes, I took out half of the jewels from the bag.
There are now three or four necklaces, three tiaras, and a few rings and pairs of earrings left in the bag.
'Is this enough?'
As I turned around, I felt regretful and put a few more rings and earrings in my bag.
Among them was a ring that my mother often wore, but I was afraid I wouldn't be able to sell it even if I took it, so I left it behind, but in the end, I greedily packed it away.
The most expensive of all jewelry would be a necklace with several large gems, rather than a ring or earrings, but the Kavala's ornate necklaces, with their multiple layers, were so heavy that they were impossible to carry.
'Ugh.'
I gasped and hugged the sack.
Because my back was not straight, I was in a hunched position and could barely hold the torch.
There was a reason why the torch was brought here.
I boldly set fire to the velvet cushion on the shelf with a torch.
In an instant, the cushions on the shelf were engulfed in flames one by one.
'Good!'
I set fire to the warehouse to erase my tracks and make it harder to figure out who did this and what jewels were missing.
There was a high possibility that the jewels I had left behind and failed to steal would have been stolen in large quantities by the palace maids while they were busy putting out the fire.
'Then, even if the lost jewel were to appear in the world in the future, it would be difficult to trace it back.'
A thrilling excitement spread through my entire body along with the rising flames.
I hugged the sack and quickly left the warehouse.
No, I tried to get away.
“Hmm...”
The Holy Grail I saw earlier somehow caught my eye.
'If that really is something meaningful to Kavala...'
Wouldn't that be more helpful in making Kavala unhappy?
The hand that had just put down the torch was empty.
I gritted my teeth.
'Let's try a little harder, Chloe!'
Even if I have to lie down sick tomorrow.
***
I escaped from the warehouse and came to my palace without anyone knowing, and hid the stolen treasures in a place I had previously checked.
It was in a small hole under an ornamental tree in the garden.
The ornamental tree, whose roots were exposed when heavy rain washed away the soil, had been neglected for a long time by a lazy gardener.
After finishing everything, I returned safely to the bedroom and carefully tidied up my clothes.
'I'm glad there's no one here.'
There were no guards or maids in the residence.
Judging by the loud shouts of “Fire!” outside, it seemed that everyone had run out after hearing that the Kavala treasure vault was on fire.
Originally, if a fire broke out in the palace, the guards would protect the Emperor, while the rest of the palace staff would put everything else aside and rush to carry water.
At this time, other members of the royal family, other than the Emperor and his wife, are treated with disdain.
It would take a lot of people working quickly to keep this magnificent palace from burning down.
Although members of the imperial family other than the Emperor and Empress may receive more special treatment than other nobles, they are not considered more valuable than the assets of the palace.
Such is the cold-blooded imperial code.
I lay down on the bed calmly as if nothing had happened.
I lightly pray that an assassin will not suddenly appear in the empty quarters where not a single guard remains and kill me.
“Hwaaam.”
It was a rewarding day.
The rich, burnt smell drifted gently into my bedroom on the breeze.
I fell asleep to the sound of the palace servants searching for water and screaming as a lullaby.
There was no need to be anxious.
Because the Kavala warehouse and my residence are far enough apart.
That day, I had a dream.
It was a dream in which Kavala was running wild and bursting into tears as she watched me wrapped in gold and silver treasures.
***
The next day.
The maids who had been running around all night putting out the fire looked very tired.
The excitement from last night's events still lingered on their faces.
“How on earth did the fire start there?”
“I heard there was a thief in the Empress’s quarters last night. Could it be the thief’s fault?”
"How on earth did that thief disappear from this palace with so many eyes on her? Has she not been caught yet?"
“I asked a guard I know there, and he said she was definitely caught once, but when he went back, she had disappeared without a trace.”
“This is something a ghost would cry about.”
I nodded my head contentedly alone.
As planned, the courtiers suspected that the red-haired thief was the culprit who had set fire to Kavala's warehouse.
“Why did you set fire to that warehouse of all places! I heard it was full of incredibly valuable treasures!”
"What happened to all those jewels? Did a thief set fire to them and steal them all?"
“I heard that a lot of them disappeared.”
“What should we do with our Empress... I heard you could buy a mansion with just that necklace.”
“Wouldn’t it just be one mansion? I heard there was something like a necklace that the first Empress, Empress Lucia, wore at her wedding. Like, the Drop of God?”
The very drops of God were buried in my garden.
At that moment, a maid lowered her voice and whispered.
“But I... I think I saw a suspicious person yesterday.”
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