Rain poured down in torrents, pounding every window and rooftop along the manor's outer walls. The racket made for perfect cover for a game of hide-and-seek.
Carlos emerged soundlessly from a dim corridor, his steps light and graceful, as though he were taking a leisurely stroll.
He had already received the signal that his paper double had perished heroically. The thought of Funai Er's fury at being tricked kept the smile tugging at his lips.
Oh, my~
They'd sent people to catch him, had they?
Truthfully, the wards Funai Er had set up outside the manor couldn't hold him at all. For the world's greatest magician, "escaping from a prison" was an old, familiar trick. He could even use paper doubles to pull off conceptual abilities like "escape is guaranteed to succeed." He'd stayed in the manor only because he wanted to use this chance to confirm a few things.
Carlos followed the thickly carpeted corridor, his emerald eyes sweeping the dim surroundings as he quickly mapped out the sprawling manor in his mind.
The place was so peaceful that he even began humming softly. His eerie tune echoed through the halls, making him seem more like the boss than the actual boss.
Suddenly—
As he passed a junction and was about to turn left, a burst of hurried, somewhat disorganized footsteps sounded behind him, rapidly approaching.
There was more than one person. Their steps were heavy and purposeful, as if they were searching for something.
So they really came to catch me. They reacted a little faster than I expected, Carlos grumbled inwardly.
His expression didn't change, but his body reacted at once. With a quick sidestep, he slipped through a half-open door nearby and gently pulled it shut behind him, leaving only a barely visible crack.
The room