Chloe, The Thief Lady - Chapter 8-1

Chapter 8 : Your Highness, I Think You’ve Been Cheated? (1)

Illuminem is a poisonous herb that causes nerve paralysis, so when she heard that she had eaten it, it felt like her eyes were on fire. Oops. 

“Rayleigh Theodore!”

A single, breathless word rang out darkly from her throat. After eating Illuminem, she will soon stop breathing because she will become paralyzed. If so…

I won’t die alone.

At this time, Chloe was looking for a chance to attack. She grabbed a dagger, since she never missed her target using one, not even when thrown.

“Roy. Didn’t I tell you to put the dagger down?”

Shit. She glanced away for one second due to the ringing in her ears, and now her wrist holding the dagger is being held by Rayleigh. She was bent over like she was bending down to pick up a dropped sword, but funnily, she was numb and there was no pain at all. Weapons were also taken away, poisoned, and crushed. Don’t cheat when Rosie trains. I belatedly regretted it.

“Ha…”

Chloe closed her eyes due to her helpless outlook. The dagger was also stolen, so there was no hope now. How long has it been so far?

“Roy. How about breathing?”

“It’s not cut off yet, so wait a bit.”

“The wicked one.”

Perfect! When I open my eyes to a cheerful sound, I can see Rayleigh taking my hand. The angle of my arm takes the same shape as a finger.

“Did you just hit a dying man? What a mean…”

“Mr. Illuminem’s subordinate. Isn’t your breathing too quick still?”

Chloe’s mouth suddenly shut at his words. Illuminem was notorious as a type of poison that is very dangerous, and the effect was also immensely fast so there was no way to cure it. Usually, when a person eats Illuminem, his breathing stops in less than 5 minutes. We’ve been fighting for a long time since I took the medicine, at least 10 mins…?

“…Is this Illuminem?”

Chloe’s voice has become distinctly poorer than before.

“That’s right.”

“But, why am I not dead yet?”

“I can’t kill my only subordinate.”

“…I thought you said it was Illuminem?”

“Get up.”

Rayleigh raised his body and reached out his hand. Though he seemed to hold it out to ask her to get up, Chloe only tilted her head instead of reaching out her hand.

“Hey, Your Highness. I shouldn’t say this right now, but it looks like you’ve been cheated.”

“…Get up.”

Rayleigh’s face, which seemed a little loose, crumpled  again, urging Chloe. Chloe quickly rose up, as her hesitation caused his eyes to be so hideous that he could grab her by the collar. Although she didn’t feel anything, her condition was pretty good.

“…What is this?”

“Well, the mean Theodore man handed you poison.”

“Your Highness.”

“You called me Rayleigh.”

He seems to be quite sulky, judging from the fact that he is coming out like this. Chloe also had a lot to say.

“Your Highness. I’m sorry.”

Chloe, kneeling down, offered an apology.

“Huh?”

Rayleigh couldn’t hide his laugh at Chloe’s appearance.

“Should I say that you don’t have any courage, or should I think that you’re quick to grasp the situation?”

“Please understand that the wounds from Theodore are deep, Your Highness.”

“The wicked one.”

I was a little sorry, but when you look at it, ‘Theodore’ was the problem. Wasn’t Arne betrayed and I was misled? So Chloe was able to straighten her back without looking away from Rayleigh. I am not ashamed of anything.

“Your Grace, what is it called?”

“Illuminem.”

“It’s because I was cheated, it’s like an anesthetic…”

“It is Illuminem made into a pill by moderately neutralizing the poison by mixing in an antidote. It is not an anesthetic. It paralyzes the senses, but you can move with your mind intact.”

“Wow. Is it? Your Highness, I’ve never heard of anything like that.”

“Of course. It hasn’t been revealed to the public yet.”

Would it break you to tell me that kind of thing earlier? Chloe muttered ‘fucking Theodore’ like a spell.

“So, what will you do in the future, Roy?”

As Chloe was sitting down on her knees, Rayleigh bowed his torso and approached closely. Did you tell me to trust you or obey properly? Chloe stared at Rayleigh. Rayleigh’s eyes shining in the distance resembled a flawless winter sky. The sky I saw every day in the north. The spirit of trust and obedience shifts to one side.

“Your Highness. I will try my best to be loyal.”

“Good. I will do my best to earn your trust.”

Rayleigh smiled slightly. He was already bound by a contract, and he said they were in the same boat. However, it was only now that Chloe thought that Rayleigh was on her side. So she smiled a little at him. Just as he did.

“No, really, I can’t understand. Even if Theodore is educated to upset people, what is it?”

****

Chloe grumbled as she was climbing over the wall. The moment when the forced relationship became entangled with something stronger than the contract was touching at first glance, but at that moment, Rayleigh ruined it as if he had been waiting.

“Do not laugh.”

“Yes?”

“Do not laugh because it’s weird.”

“Oh, how annoying!”

When I think of Rayleigh’s face, I feel a sense of humiliation that is hard to explain in words. Even if it wasn’t as much as Elio’s, Chloe had seen quite a bit of beauty in the north. It meant that his smile was not enough to make me lovesick, as if I had seen something I wouldn’t see again. This was the first time in my life I felt this way, so the damage was considerable. Even if I try not to, I think of Rayleigh’s face, and I can’t help but get angry when I think of his face.

“It’s pretty, just pretty!”

Unable to cope with the boiling temper, Chloe kicked the wall with a loud bang. The reason why she couldn’t do this openly in front of Rayleigh was because he was such an enormous beauty that she had nothing to say even if he laughed. But still! *Bang* Chloe started kicking the wall in earnest because she could hardly climb over the last wall.

“Who is there!”

It wasn’t long before there was a sound of the guards running and breathlessly crossed the wall. Chloe saw it clearly just before she crossed the wall; The Imperial Palace wall was soiled with muddy footprints. Is this what “small revenge” is? She felt a little relieved.

“Fuck Theodore.”

Before running, she was able to swear once, and then she felt better. By the time she walked through the back door of the Duke’s house, Chloe was able to hum.