I Became a Gallery Manager in Another World-Chapter 171: The Thief Is First-Class, But The Pussy Is Third-Class (3)

Thump-! Thump-!

‘I thought I was dead!!’

Despite acting calm with all my might, my heart was pounding like crazy.

Of course, how could I not be startled when a robber was threatening with a knife… no, when a phantom thief was threatening with a cane?

I wasn’t careless.

Even when Chloe was acting like a clumsy graduate student, I never let my guard down for a moment.

But when Chloe decided to strike, I couldn’t even react.

‘Is it because she’s at that level that she can operate as a phantom thief…’

The difference in skill was so overwhelming it was laughable, but I didn’t feel despair.

Because I never intended to fight and win against Chloe from the start.

How could an ordinary academy boy like me defeat a legendary phantom thief?

Honestly, even if we took away magic and artifacts and fought barehanded, I felt like I’d lose.

But…

Even someone like me had one talent that could overwhelm Chloe.

「Sex」

When it came to sex, I was so talented that even Goddess Elise would vouch for it.

I was confident I could beat anyone in a sex duel on a bed.

…However, the problem was that I had no way to get Chloe into bed.

At first, I briefly considered using her identity to blackmail her into a relationship, but I quickly dismissed that thought.

‘That would be rape! I’ve really decided never to rape again!’

One mistake was enough.

I vowed not to rape anyone after Valentine.

So, Chloe’s ‘corrective sex’ must start with consent.

‘Then how can I get Chloe to agree to corrective sex?’

It wasn’t an easy question, but humans always find a way.

A few days before meeting Chloe.

“You… are you crazy?”

Helen, with a venomous expression, crossed her arms and spoke.

“That’s harsh…”

“Harsh?! You need a slap to come to your senses?! Someone who didn’t even contact for a while suddenly shows up asking to borrow the Golden Rose, isn’t that crazy?! Ha! Seriously! Do you think the Golden Rose is some kind of toy for kids…”

“…So… can’t you lend it?”

“What, what is that… that look like an abandoned puppy on a rainy day… No, no way! Even with that look, it’s not going to work! This is really an important item!”

“…Helen… really, there’s no way?”

“I said no!! Stop whining… Eh? What, what? Why are you coming so close all of a sudden!”

“Just, since it’s been a while, you look even prettier.”

“Eek!!… If you think I’ll fall for that, you’re wrong! Rather, step back… Eek!? W-where are you touching!”

“….”

“No, no! Not… not now… I said no… I haven’t even showered… I only made time because you came, I have to go back soon… Hup?!♥”

First step of ‘punishment sex’ was to get hold of the ‘Golden Rose’.

The source of this c𝓸ntent is frёeweɓηovel.coɱ.

Rub- Rub-

“Huh? Helen, just lend it to me for a moment.”

“Ugh…!♥Hick!♥…Th…that’s right!♥…Just because… you act cute…!♥…Hic! I…I’ll lend… it!♥Haah!♥ Initially… where are you… going to use it… Hic!♥”

“I told you it’s for the peace of the empire? I’ll use it quickly and return it. Trust me?”

“Th-then…!♥ Trusting you… has… nothing to do with…♥ it… Hic!?… While you… talk… your… finger in my… butt!?…♥Huuuh?!♥”

“I’ll keep bothering you until you say yes.”

“I… I…♥ Hic…Hick!!♥!…While… you rub… my… clit…!.. Hic… my… butt…♥… if you keep prodding…!.. Huuuh!♥…I… I’ll give… you the… Golden Rose!♥”

Squeak-! Creak-! Creak-!

“Hiiii?!♥ A-alright…!♥…Gah!… I’ll lend… it!♥…Ohhh!!?♥… Now… please… stop torturing me!!!♥♥”

Through a very high-level negotiation process with the successor of Redrose, I succeeded in borrowing the ‘Golden Rose’.

“Haah… Here you go… I’m telling you again, treat this as if it’s your life. If it’s revealed that I let this out of the family, my position as successor could be jeopardized.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll feed you if that happens.”

“What, what are you saying! How can a commoner like you feed me, Helen Redrose… Hmph!”

“But… Helen, I need something else.”

“What?! After borrowing the Golden Rose, what else do you need? …What, what? You need a suit and an artifact for cognitive decline too?”

“…Can’t do it? Harin’s mom?”

“Really, only when you need something do you call me Harin’s mom!!”

“….I see.”

“Aargh!!! I didn’t say I wouldn’t do it!! So stop looking at me with that face!! Ugh… Seriously… after not contacting for so long, all you do is ask for artifacts, clothes, and now this… Do you think I’m some kind of convenient woman for you?”

“No way, how much I love Helen.”

“With that mouth… well, I love you too, but…”

Glancing away while barely whispering, that must be Helen’s charm.

“Haah… I’ll say it again, you have to return the Golden Rose no matter what.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll return it right after securing the empire’s peace.”

“That’s what worries me more. What kind of thing are you going to do to mention the peace of the empire… Haah, I’m lending it to you because it’s you.”

“Is Helen worried about me or the Golden Rose?”

“Hmph! Both, why ask? And… even for you, today’s not free. Think of it as a debt.”

“Do I have to pay? How much do I have…”

“Ha, forget it. That petty cash. How much could you possibly have? Go buy some snacks with it.”

“….”

From Helen’s perspective, the money I gathered might be petty cash, but it somehow stung.

“So how should I repay you? With my body?”

“Wh-what are you talking about, body!! Sigh… No. This is serious talk. I’ve been trying to buy land for a new branch of the guild, and guess what? The central part is owned by the church.”

“So?”

“…What do you mean so? You clueless man. You’re close with the next saint candidate, right? Use your connection.”

“Can’t I just go to Lady Yuris and talk?”

“Ha…!!”

Helen sneered and twisted her lips at my words.

“You really know nothing about the saint candidate, do you? Why did I approach you in the first place? Wasn’t it because you have connections to the saint candidate and the royal family!”

“What… was that the reason?”

“…Ah!! What, what! So what!! The past doesn’t matter!! Don’t be petty…!! I’m not with you for those reasons anymore, so it’s fine!!”

“I didn’t say anything…”

“Sh-shut up!! Anyway, that saint candidate. She looks innocent on the outside but she’s as cunning as a fox. I tried to approach her several times before, but she cut me off so sharply that I couldn’t establish a connection.”

“….?”

I didn’t distrust Helen, but I couldn’t believe Lady Yuris would do such a thing.

“Aren’t you mistaken? Lady Yuris wouldn’t do that.”

“You… are you taking another woman’s side right in front of me?”

“No, that’s not what I meant…”

“Hmph! Whatever! Just remember that the saint candidate is a fox pretending to be a bear! And arrange a meeting where she and I can talk!”

“…Just to be sure, you’re not trying to scam Lady Yuris, are you?”

“Are you crazy!? What do you think of me! Do you know what would happen if I tried to scam the church!! I plan to propose very reasonable and appropriate terms!!”

Helen glared at me fiercely, seemingly upset by the word ‘scam,’ so I changed the subject.

“Oh, by the way, am I not learning etiquette? I’ve been in the Redrose family for days now, but it feels like I’m not really doing anything.”

I had prepared myself mentally to diligently learn etiquette as Helen had told me before the vacation…

Surprisingly, the last few days have been a cycle of eating, playing, and sleeping.

“Changing the subject… Well, as a husband, that’s a good attitude.”

Helen, having said that, narrowed her eyes at me.

“It worked out well. I was going to ask anyway… What exactly were you doing at the royal palace before you came here? Your royal etiquette isn’t perfect, but you know enough to not embarrass yourself anywhere.”

“Oh, really? That good?”

If Helen, who had high standards, said that much, it was quite a compliment.

“Stop grinning and answer.”

“It’s nothing special. I was just wandering around because I had a lot of waiting time at the palace, and a maid offered to give me an etiquette lesson, so I learned. It’s like I was doing some advanced study for what I’d learn here.”

“……So, the one who taught you was a woman?”

“Huh? Of course, it was a woman since she was a maid. She was very kind. She even gave me her address, telling me to visit when I have time.”

“Ha……. You, really… sigh….”

Perhaps it was my imagination, but Helen looked at me as if she were looking at a bug.

Anyway, after preparing various things in this way, I was able to stand in front of Chloe.

…In the process, I had to keep changing the dates because Helen took longer than expected to prepare the items.

“You came up with this plan just to bring a counterfeit and try to deceive me?”

“….”

“Ha, I was foolish to expect more.”

But this was an unexpected development.

Honestly, I thought Chloe would be shocked the moment I took out the ‘Golden Rose’…

“Let’s check it first.”

“No need to look. If someone had stolen the Golden Rose, I would have heard about it first.”

Chloe, with a cold face, raised her cane.

Just thinking that my life would end the moment that cane swung made my mouth dry.

“Well, then, since I’ve won the bet, shall you tell me how you found out my identity?”

“…I told you before? A first-class thief is one whose existence isn’t even known. The same goes for theft. A first-class thief like me can steal without anyone knowing.”

“Ha, first-class…”

Swoosh─

“Is there such a sloppy first-class thief in the world?”

With a mocking tone, Chloe now held the ‘Golden Rose’ in her hand.

“Okay, I’ll give you credit. I don’t know where you made it, but it’s pretty well done… enough to fool someone other than me. But fakes always miss something, like the star engraving on the innermost petal of the Golden Rose… Huh? This… this is correct? Hmm… But the petal part of the rose definitely… Eh? This is here too?… Then…”

A confused Chloe turned the ‘Golden Rose’ this way and that, trying to find evidence that it was fake, but naturally, no evidence of it being a counterfeit appeared.

“Impossible!! This can’t be!!”

“Is it possible for such a perfect counterfeit to exist in this world??”

“Because it’s real.”

“Don’t spout nonsense! If something as significant as the Golden Rose were stolen, there would be rumors immediately! This must be fake! Fake!!”

Despite Chloe denying reality and checking the Golden Rose repeatedly, the result was the same.

Thud-

“…No… way… You really robbed the Redrose vault…? And even did it without them knowing…? Is that… possible?”

I approached the seated Chloe and naturally took back the Golden Rose while saying,

“So, what’s the conclusion? Is the Golden Rose real?”

“…Grr!”

Chloe bit her lower lip in frustration but eventually had to admit,

“…Yes… it’s real. I lost…”

“Good! Then, as promised, shall we take the most valuable and the least valuable things?”

“Yes… I don’t know what they are, but… if you tell me, I’ll bring them right away…”

Seeming shocked by the defeat, Chloe muttered with her fox ears drooping.

“No need for that. The most valuable thing is already right in front of me.”

“…In front of you? …Ah… ugh….”

Did she think I was going to take her cane?

Chloe’s hand, gripping the cane tightly, trembled.

But don’t worry, I was not interested in that cane.

Bite-!

“Yipeek?! What, what?! What did you do?”

I approached Chloe and gently bit her drooping fox ear while saying,

“From now on, I will steal your virginity.”