Chapter 163
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 163
The gambling hall was in an absolute uproar.
“This is insane! Simply insane!”
“Five hundred billion gold? Has there ever been a pot this big before?”
“They’re saying it’s a new record. Apparently, it’s the largest sum ever wagered since this place opened—no, since the founding of the empire!”
Everywhere, nobles and wealthy merchants were busy whispering amongst themselves.
The card tables and roulette wheels were already deserted; people stood around with champagne or wine in hand, too preoccupied with processing the astronomical sum that had just changed hands.
And as for me…
“Lady Tulia Frezier! You cheated, didn't you?! Answer me this instant!”
I was taking the brunt of Duke Hitman’s finger-pointing, his eyes bloodshot with rage.
The Duke was so far gone that he seemed to have forgotten my status and position entirely. Well, I suppose five hundred billion gold is enough to drive anyone mad.
‘Even in real-world terms, that’s five hundred billion won. Considering the economy of this game world, it’s probably worth even more.’
Besides, he’s the one who cheated first. The bastard who stole from me sure has a lot to say.
Normally, I would have put on a grand performance to drive my opponent even crazier. I could have summoned the manager and assistant manager to demand proof of my "cheating" just to escalate the situation, or I could have pointed right back at Duke Hitman and mocked him for having so much to say after losing to a novice.
But today, I hadn't descended upon this gambling hall just to annoy the man.
I placed my hands on my hips and raised my voice.
“Manager!”
“Yes, Lady Tulia Frezier.”
As the general manager of a gambling hall where shouting matches were common, he didn't lose his composure despite my sharp tone. However, he looked genuinely concerned that a fight between high-ranking nobles might spiral out of control.
“Duke Hitman keeps accusing me of cheating. You were watching from the side, weren't you? The assistant manager and the other dealers too! Did I really cheat?”
The manager politely stated that he had "seen no such thing." Or rather, he tried to.
“If I had cheated, you should have said something then! Why didn't you? Are you all in league with me?!”
He probably didn't expect me to use such stubborn logic and strike first. By making such an absurd accusation, I forced the manager to desperately prove my innocence to protect his own reputation.
“‘In league with you’? What on earth do you mean…?”
The manager, momentarily stunned, saw his expression shift. He countered with a cold face.
“That is preposterous. Since our opening, we have never compromised our fairness, even when members of the Imperial Family have graced us with their presence. What possible gain would we have in standing by while Lady Frezier cheated?”
The manager even went so far as to direct a rare spark of anger toward Duke Hitman.
“Furthermore, it was you, Duke Hitman, who sat in the royal seat and placed the wager first. Lady Frezier wasn't even the one who initiated the game. How could a novice like her possibly possess the sleight of hand required to cheat? This is an insult and a desecration to our establishment, Duke Hitman.”
“N-Now, see here…!”
“If you continue to tarnish the reputation of our establishment in this manner, we will be forced to take legal action, regardless of your title.”
“No, I—I didn't mean it like that!”
As expected, Duke Hitman’s face turned from pale white to a sickly blue. He seemed to have completely forgotten about attacking me as he struggled to deal with the furious manager.
‘Yes, yes. Good, good.’
The manager might have a lower rank, but he was still a nobleman and a man of imposing stature. Moreover, as the manager of such a massive gambling hall, his connections were undoubtedly vast. Consequently, Duke Hitman looked a bit intimidated.
‘Hmph.’
“Duke Hitman.”
The Duke turned to look at me, his face still pale. It was hilarious. For a split second, he looked at me as if I were his savior for interrupting his argument with the manager. His expression quickly soured again, though.
Well, whatever.
“It’s not that big of a loss for you, is it?”
I deliberately lowered my voice as I continued.
“Since you’ve been meddling with my business lately.”
“…!”
Duke Hitman’s shoulders flinched. His eyelids trembled. I could practically see the thousands of thoughts racing through his brain. If it was obvious to me, it would be even more obvious to the more experienced nobles watching.
So, I lowered my voice just a little more. Just enough to make it seem like a secret, but loud enough for those nearby with their ears perked to hear.
“To think you’d covet White Tulip seeds… I suppose the Belus Territory was a bit too lax. However, a noble with any sense of chivalry or refinement would never stoop as low as you have, Duke Hitman.”
To drive the point home, I looked him up and down with a look of pure contempt, then spun around sharply and walked away.
The gathered nobles moved aside to clear a path. I focused on my facial muscles, maintaining a slightly annoyed expression until the very end.
By tonight at the earliest, or tomorrow morning at the latest, at least a fifth of the empire’s nobility would know that Duke Hitman had smuggled my White Tulip seeds.
‘They’ll also start speculating that the only reason he wagered such a massive sum of five hundred billion gold was because he had a hidden ace up his sleeve.’
They’d think he only bet that much because he had something to fall back on.
‘I wonder what time the fastest noble will start moving?’
Tomorrow at lunch? Or maybe even tonight?
Dark hands would likely reach out from all directions, hoping to steal my White Tulip seeds, just like Duke Hitman did.
‘I know the shallow hearts of these nobles all too well.’
“Ramus.”
“Yes, Lady Tulia.”
This time, I whispered without even moving my lips.
“Are you ready to distribute the White Tulip seeds?”
Ramus whispered back just as quietly.
“I have people stationed everywhere. I’ve made it so that anyone willing to pay a fortune can successfully ‘smuggle’ the seeds out.”
“Sell them to everyone who approaches. And don't you dare knock a single cent off the asking price.”
“Understood, Lady Tulia.”
Ramus Jeremiah had been puzzled when he first heard my order, but after hearing my explanation, he looked at me with the kind of awe one might reserve for a money-obsessed demon.
Having finished our brief conversation, I scanned the room with a sense of relief. I could feel the nobles who had been peeking at me quickly averting their gazes.
But you guys don't know, do you?
“Yeah, yeah. Sell them, sell them. Act like you’re selling them in secret and charge five billion for each White Tulip seed.”
“But in the long run, the value of the White Tulips will…”
“It’s fine, it’s fine.”
They wouldn't know yet.
That White Tulip seeds only bloom in the Belus Territory.
In short, I’m basically shaking you all down.
* * *
Late that night.
“Prince Benjamin. Good night.”
Since Benjamin didn't care for young maidservants, Trini had been the one to prepare his bed since they were children. That hadn't changed even after coming to the Brillant Empire.
“Sir.”
“Yes?”
“Are you leaving this time?”
Trini’s hands faltered for a moment. He had thought that once they returned to the empire this time…
‘I thought Lady Tulia would tell me it was time to return to her side.’
Surprisingly, Tulia hadn't summoned him. She simply told him to continue guarding Benjamin.
‘I wonder why? Shouldn't I be the one getting protection from this prince by now?’
It was half-joke, half-truth. The scrawny boy whose body was never without bruises had grown into a full-fledged young man, and he hadn't neglected a single one of his royal duties. In fact, he was so brilliant that he was hailed as the greatest genius in the history of the kingdom.
Trini had once sparred lightly with Benjamin and sensed that the prince would eventually become a formidable knight who would far surpass him.
‘Does the Lady still see this massive man as that scrawny little boy?’
Surely not… Our Lady isn't exactly the sentimental type…
While indulging in thoughts he would never dare voice in front of Tulia, Trini remembered that Benjamin was waiting for an answer.
“Where would I go? I promised your mother that I would always stay by your side.”
Benjamin’s smile wavered. It seemed to soften, yet grow faint at the same time. It almost seemed to blur.
A moment later, a voice full of amusement drifted out.
“She really does think of me. I’m grateful.”
Benjamin’s words were incredibly ambiguous. It sounded like he was referring to his late mother, but it also sounded like he was talking about Trini’s mysterious true master.
Trini, however, had realized long ago that it was the latter. Since Benjamin didn't pry further and Trini had no intention of revealing Tulia’s secret, their vague conversations usually ended there.
‘Maybe he’s already figured out that the Lady is my master? Why else would he have gone to the gambling hall today?’
“Sir Trini.”
“Yes, Prince?”
“You should go and get some sleep as well. Even if the Brillant Imperial Palace is more relaxed with its protocols than Sorsen, you still need to recover from the journey.”
After Trini gave a light bow and withdrew, Benjamin lay in bed and closed his eyes. However, even after ten minutes had passed, sleep wouldn't come.
It was a dark night. A quiet hour where only the moonlight poured through the slightly parted curtains. If the moonlight had been just a bit brighter, or if the servant had left even a single candle lit in the bedroom, the color staining his face would have been clearly visible.
Red.
The face of this beautiful prince, with his golden curls and sun-like eyes, was flushed a deep crimson.
Benjamin slowly wiped his face with both hands.
The astronomical five-hundred-billion-gold wager that would go down in history had long since faded from his mind. Only a different image flickered in the head of this long-limbed prince.
“You’ve grown quite a bit, haven't you, Prince Benjamin?”
“…You remembered me.”
Benjamin’s face turned so red it looked ready to burst.