"Love is the most twisted curse of all"
- Gojo Satoru (JJK)
...
"Can you explain to me, Ignatius?"
Penguin spoke with his usual tone, gently and slowly taking out a photo.
Under his gaze, Ignatius showed a hint of surprise on his face, but there was no sign of panic or hiding.
It wasn't until Penguin showed the photo to Ignatius that he carefully looked at the person in the picture and shook his head.
"Boss, I'm sure I haven't seen this person before in my memory."
Indeed, the photo Penguin showed was not of the henchman Ignatius had killed.
'That damn old penguin almost made me think there was a mistake, but it turns out he was trying to trick me.'
Ignatius cursed silently in his mind, grateful that his mental composure was good enough to suppress any emotion of suspicion.
Otherwise, Penguin could have easily fooled him right now.
He could even guess that he wasn't the only one asking this question; it was likely that every person in the room had been tested by Penguin.
"Really? Isn't he the one you killed at the casino?"
Penguin pretended to be surprised and asked.
"Their bodies may look a bit similar, but their faces are quite different. It must be a case of getting the wrong person."
Ignatius replied without hesitation, "I killed that person at the casino because he was cheating in a blackjack game. According to the rules, I couldn't let him live."
Ignatius had a good story ready in case he decided to kill and silence someone at the Iceberg Casuno.
He had arranged for his henchman to play blackjack and pretend to cheat before entering the casino.
The reason for this was that Ignatius's henchman was not an insider from the Penguin's gang but someone Ignatius himself recruited.
There were many similar people hidden in different corners of Gotham, each of them having direct contact only with Ignatius.
Naturally, an outsider wouldn't have the chance to randomly encounter a casino manager unless there was a specific reason, such as cheating.
Of course, it couldn't be an actual cheating incident because it was against the strict rules of the Iceberg Casino.
Regardless of who it was, cheating meant death.
As long as Ignatius's henchman made a few hidden and weird actions captured on the surveillance footage, making others think he was cheating, it would be natural for Ignatius to talk with him without arousing suspicion.
In the end, the misunderstanding would be cleared up, and Ignatius would let him go, so he wouldn't be violating Penguin's rules.
Unfortunately, it was all just Ignatius's lies.
He had never intended to let his henchman leave alive. If Penguin asked about the murder at the casino, Ignatius had a perfect excuse ready.
"The records from yesterday are still in the casino, including footage of him cheating."
Ignatius told Penguin.
"Ah... I see. So, it must be a case of the wrong identity, as you say."
Penguin pondered for a moment and then nodded, as if he believed what Ignatius had said.
"I am satisfied with your plan to deal with the Phantom Thief. You will be in charge of running it. I have other matters to attend to and no time to deal with a mere thief."
As Penguin spoke, his gaze turned cold.
"Lark and William have been with me for over a decade, and now they've been cruelly killed without any clear reason. If I don't show any response, I'm afraid the whole Gotham will be in chaos!"
He looked at the other henchmen in the room and spoke in a chilling tone, "Gather all of Gotham Mafia families. We are going to have a long-overdue gathering..."
...
Meanwhile, at the entrance of Chandler Manor, a group of reporters gathered to interview the old-looking Mrs. Chandler.
Camera flashes were going off continuously.
Mrs. Chandler covered her eyes with her hand and remained calm, even though she looked old and had a lot of wrinkles.
"Mrs. Chandler, the infamous Phantom Thief, has stolen the Chandler family heirloom. You seem quite calm. Don't you have any resentment towards Phantom Thief?"
Asked a young female reporter with long black hair.
"There are rumors that after stealing treasures, the Phantom Thief returns them to their rightful owners after some time. If Phantom Thief hasn't changed his ways, then the Dragon's Egg Ruby Necklace should also be returned," the reporter continued.
Mrs. Chandler smiled softly and replied, "Since the necklace will eventually return to me, why should I hold any grudge against Phantom Thief?"
'Only one person truly deserves to be resented.'
Mrs. Chandler thought, filled with anger.
"You truly have a generous heart. It's no wonder you are currently leading the Chandler family."
The reporter said it admiringly. She continued by asking, "Mrs. Chandler, the Chandler and Cobblepot families have collaborated to organize an exhibition in which the Dragon's Egg Ruby Necklace is on display for the first time."
"Oswald Cobblepot, the only heir of the Cobblepot family, is the head of Gotham's largest criminal organization with multiple criminal records. Why did you decide to collaborate with someone with such a notorious reputation?"
The reporter asked.
"Some have suspected that there may be some ulterior motive or even use of force by Cobblepot for the exhibition. Can you confirm if this is true?" she added.
Mrs. Chandler's expression changed, and she quickly responded, "No comment!"
"Alright, one last question. What can you see from the sky?"
When the female reporter asked, Mrs. Chandler didn't understand the meaning of the question.
She slowly lifted her head, and her pupils shrank at the view of something in the sky.
Suddenly, a strange white balloon appeared in the sky, slowly falling towards the ground with a box-like object hanging beneath it.
On the balloon, there was a famous cartoon image of the Phantom Thief!
Mrs. Chandler instantly had a thought and quickly looked down at the female reporter who had just asked her a question.
But in that split second, the reporter disappeared without a trace.
When asked about her, none of the other reporters or photographers recognized her or noticed her leaving.
Mrs. Chandler at first tried to find the reporter in the crowd below, but she soon gave up on the idea.
If the Phantom Thief was so easy to find, he wouldn't still be active without being caught.
However...thinking back to the young female reporter in her professional clothes, with an attractive figure, a good face, and a lovely voice, Mrs. Chandler couldn't help but ponder deeply.
Is Phantom Thief really a "he" and not a "she"?
After a while, the balloon fell to a height that Mrs. Chandler could reach with her hand.
She took the box attached to the bottom of the balloon and opened it.
Sure enough, inside was the Dragon's Egg Ruby Necklace.
...
A/N: SEND POWER STONE PLEASE.
patreon.com/Sothisq
You can find up to 20 advance chapters at my patreon.