The thief was swift. Angel had only just reached the first floor and hidden herself in the shadows beside the stairs when the front door silently opened.
A short figure squeezed through the gap, then gently closed the door behind him. The living room was pitch-black, save for a streak of crimson moonlight shining through the bay window facing the street. Mostly blocked by the curtains, it illuminated only a tiny area by the window.
Yet under Angel's Dark Vision, the thief, who looked as though he was not even an adult, nimbly crossed the dark living room, reached the study, pushed open its half-closed door, and slipped inside.
Angel did not alert him. Instead, she waited patiently in the darkness of the living room.
Though young, this thief was skilled and clearly purposeful. He was certainly not here to steal valuables, but for something more important.
She did not believe that she, having arrived in Backlund only two days ago and met no one but the landlord and the maid, could have provoked such a person. That left only one possibility:
He had come for something belonging to the previous tenant.
After renting the house, Angel had thoroughly searched the rooms and had even used Spirit Vision. She had found neither secret doors nor hidden compartments. Yet judging from tonight's incident, she had clearly missed something.
She decided to have this Mr. Thief do her a small favor.
About five minutes later, the study door opened again. The short thief quietly slipped out with a document bag tucked beneath his arm. His target was obviously that file; having obtained it, he headed straight for the front door without hesitation.
"Evernight."
The Hermes word Angel spoke made the thief stiffen all over. The next second, he kicked off with both