Chapter 59
Chapter 59
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 59
Chapter Title: Night's Play After the Mission Ends (1)
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Chloe placed her hand on the wooden block and spoke.
"There's a fun card game that's popular among the gamblers in the Imperial Capital. If you're not sleepy, Count, would you like to play a round with me?"
With that, she channeled mana into her hand. The mana enveloped the wooden block, gradually reshaping it.
Chloe had conjured wooden cards on the spot using alchemy. They were on an entirely different level from crudely carved ones.
Each card was uniform in thickness and size, with intricate engravings of suits and numbers.
It was just like the renowned alchemist she was.
"The game I'm suggesting is called 'Baccarat,' brought over from the Western Kingdom Alliance. The rules aren't too complicated."
The rules were similar to those of a card game by the same name from the real world.
Each playing card had a unique number from 1 to 10. You drew two cards and added their values.
The player whose sum's last digit was closest to 9 won.
"For example, if you drew a 4 and a 9, that adds up to 13, so your result would be 3."
Conversely, if Chloe drew a 2 and a 5 for a total of 7, she'd win as it was closer to 9. Just as she said, the rules were straightforward.
"Shall we have one more drink before we start?"
She poured my liquor and hers into the glasses she'd brought. It was the rich red fruit wine Anton had filled generously for me. Chloe seemed to like the taste too.
'It was similar to bokbunja wine. Not bad at all.'
The deep crimson liquid slowly filled the glasses. Fittingly, the nightdress Chloe wore was also red.
A slip-style dress held up by thin shoulder straps. Her shoulder lines, collarbone, and ample bosom were fully exposed.
I glanced subtly at Chloe's lower body. She sat with her legs crossed. The hem of her dress had ridden up slightly, accentuating the allure of her long legs.
Black band stockings hugged her legs tightly, with a garter belt peeking above. Her thighs had just the right amount of soft flesh, making the exposed skin above the stockings all the more tantalizing.
She looked like a wealthy young lady striding confidently into a casino in provocative attire.
"Then, to celebrate your successful first mission, Lord Julian. Shall we toast?"
Chloe raised her glass. Her white hair was tied up high this time. Her ruby-red eyes seemed weary somehow.
But beneath that depth, I could sense the desire she kept hidden.
'Hmm. She surely didn't come here without purpose. Maybe she spiked the drinks or snacks like last time.'
I clinked glasses lightly with her and took a sip. But no warnings appeared on my Hundred Poisons Immunity passive other than for the alcohol.
The dried fruits and nuts she brought as snacks were the same. Surprisingly, she might really have come just because she couldn't sleep.
'Of course, that would leave me a bit disappointed.'
Truth be told, whatever Chloe's intentions, I now had full confidence in taking complete control of her. And tonight, I felt a clear urge to assert that dynamic.
Taking another sip of the bokbunja—no, red fruit wine—brought a gentle warmth surging through my veins. With Chloe lounging there in her revealing outfit, my tyrant was already swelling eagerly.
'There's plenty of liquor left. Maybe wait for Chloe to get drunk.'
Anton's words came to mind. A remote rural estate without reinforcements. Two young people, a man and a woman, tension released after completing their mission.
Just as Chloe had seduced me before, tonight I wanted to take her. Perhaps some bond had formed while fighting as a pair.
The room's subtle atmosphere felt like permission for a night of playful mischief.
A few more light rounds passed between us.
I deliberately refrained from using my passives. The alcohol coursed through me unimpeded. And the red fruit wine's proof was higher than expected.
After just a few exchanges, Chloe's cheeks were already flushing pink.
"Then... since we're both nicely buzzed... shall we start the game?"
I nodded. Chloe spoke up.
"Truth be told, its simplicity is what drives people mad. Baccarat is so easy and straightforward that it doesn't require much brainpower. That's why it's the card game that rakes in the most money at the Imperial Capital's illegal gambling dens. Of course, skilled gamblers are another story."
As befitting the daughter of a massive merchant guild, she knew the underworld's moneymaking ways well.
"They say gambling's addictiveness surpasses even the intense pleasure of raw sex. Even Pantheon cadets from noble families secretly frequent those illegal dens. Naturally, it's strictly forbidden by Pantheon's code of conduct."
Chloe casually dropped the word "sex." Well, I hadn't gambled myself, but I'd heard as much from her before.
"Is that so? Seeing you bring it up, it seems you have a bit of interest in gambling yourself, Chloe."
"Do I? Now that you mention it, you're right. Merchants are always gambling, after all."
"Unfortunately, I'm not much for gambling. But if it feels too plain to just play like this, shall we wager something?"
"Oh my. I wasn't suggesting we bet money, Lord."
She flashed a meaningful smile.
"Neither of us is some penniless commoner short on coin. But playing a plain card game like this would be no fun at all, right? A midnight frolic... How about we wager something more entertaining than money?"
Chloe rose briefly from her chair and approached me. Then she whispered softly into my ear.
Hearing her proposal, I couldn't help but curl the corner of my mouth upward.
"That sounds fun."
A warm room with a crackling fireplace. The flickering flames of scented candles placed around cast dancing shadows.
In that orange-lit space, the two were engrossed in the card game Baccarat.
They had switched seats for the game. Before the table Anton had prepared sat not just personal chairs, but a spacious sofa large enough for two.
We sat side by side there, with the table in front of the sofa.
"7 and 8. So mine totals 5."
"Mine are 3 and 5, totaling 8. I win."
"Hmm. Guess I have to take the penalty then."
"Yes. Lord Julian. If I may."
Chloe, seated beside me, pressed her body close. Her breath, thickened with a hint of alcohol, brushed my face.
Then Chloe slipped off my robe.
The penalty for losing was removing one article of clothing—from each other. Precisely, not undressing oneself, but the winner stripping the loser, per Chloe's rule.
"Not too chilly, are you?"
"The heating's sweltering, so no issue."
I still wore clothes under the night robe: a shirt like a t-shirt and pants. No nudity yet.
Returning to their seats, they continued. This time, my total was 8, Chloe's 6.
"My win this round."
Chloe nodded. Her face flushed even deeper.
"It's all part of the game. You can start wherever you like, Lord."
As if to hide her embarrassment, she unnecessarily reiterated the rules.
But the moment my hand approached, she closed her eyes. Her expression held anticipation. Chloe was aroused too.
'Getting off on being stripped? Lewd girl.'
Come to think of it, she'd reacted strongly when I spanked her before. Chloe probably had masochistic tendencies.
Leisurely, I brought my lips close to her ear and murmured.
"Anywhere I want, huh. Then I'll start here."
I placed my hand on Chloe's head and undid her hair tie, letting her bound hair cascade free.
Chloe opened her eyes. Her red pupils trembled slightly—she seemed disappointed.
Seeing that, I was tempted to strip and ravage her right then. But if Chloe wanted this night with me too, no need for me to show it first.
I said,
"Let's keep playing."
I won again. My total 5, hers 4. Chloe fell silent once more.
"Turn around for a moment, Chloe."
She obediently turned her back.
The revealing nightdress plunged deep at the back. Heat bloomed across Chloe's smooth skin. Probably not from the heating. She was subtly excited.
I slipped my hand between her armpits and into the gaping top of her dress.
"Ahng!"
The instant my hand touched bare skin, she let out a short moan.
Chloe wasn't going braless. She wore a nude bra, like the kind women use under dresses to avoid visible lines—similar to a nu bra—covering her bare breasts.
'She could've gone full no-bra. Must've planned the game's rules before even coming here.'
This was Chloe's way of seducing, no doubt. Plenty of men get thrilled stripping a woman. No reason not to reward that effort.
I slipped my hand under the nu bra and began kneading her bare breast.
"L-Lord...? Haht! Ahng...!"
She seemed startled at first by my action. But Chloe didn't resist the touch at all. She accepted it meekly.
Her soft, jelly-like nipples. As I gently circled one with my fingertip, it stiffened erect.
As expected, her ample breasts overflowed a single hand. Warm with her body heat, I squeezed them softly—light enough to make her crave more.
"Haang..."
Her voice melted sweetly in response. I stopped the breast play there and pulled the nu bra out from under her dress.
"Haa... haa... Let's... continue the game... Lord Julian..."
"No rush. Plenty of snacks and drinks left. One more?"
I leaned back leisurely against the sofa. A dominant male's posture. I took another casual sip of the wine Chloe politely poured.
And one for Chloe. Her intoxication deepened; her lascivious breaths grew ragged.
I lost the next round. She carefully removed my top. My upper body muscles stood out more from today's battle.
Chloe pressed tight against me, tracing those muscles with her fingertips. Her fingers glided through the gaps between them.
Her red-painted nails suited her well. She brought her face to my nipple and flicked out her crimson tongue to lick.
"Chup... lick... lick..."
The erotic sight doubled the pleasure tingling at my extremities. She continued until her saliva soaked the spot.
"Haa... haa... haa..."
When she pulled back, her eyes burned even hotter.
The game went on. I had only panties left. Chloe had her nightdress and black band stockings.
Just before, stripping her black panties revealed the crotch soaked with her lewd juices where it had pressed against her folds.
"You win this time, Lord... Hngh!"
Now it was my turn to remove her band stockings.
I slipped one hand between the slit of her dress skirt. Plump flesh enveloped my hand on her thigh. The yet-to-be-removed stockings felt silky smooth.
Savoring their beauty and allure, I slid my hand between her legs.
"Aahng... hooht... ngh!"
She immediately clamped her thighs and squirmed. Her inner thighs were drenched in love juices too.
In this intimate drunken play, Chloe burned hotter than at the banquet.
Once both band stockings were off, her pale legs gleamed strikingly. Now only the red nightdress remained on her.
Chloe's face showed a flicker of regret, then she whispered into my ear. Her breath was thick with moisture.
"There's still wine left. Ending the game like this would be a shame, wouldn't it?"
I nodded leisurely.
"Then... changing the rules a bit could be part of the fun."
Chloe made a new proposal. Instead of stripping the last remaining clothes, choose a different penalty.
"Namely... tasting each other's bodies as we desire, once each. And this is just drunken revelry—no complaints about the rules later. What do you say, Lord? My proposal?"
I agreed. Two cards each were dealt again. 7 and 9. Chloe had the 9.
"Haa... Then I'll have... this part of you..."
Chloe climbed onto me as I sat. She pulled my face close and pressed her lips to mine.