Chapter 90
Chapter 90
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 90
Chapter Title: 41. The Empire Awakens (3)
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I'd let my guard down for a moment.
Yuri was fatigued from the long journey, and upon arriving at the hotel, his attention had been scattered by old memories.
So he'd immersed himself from head to toe in the water, focusing entirely on soothing his weary body and mind with the warm bath.
That's why he hadn't noticed someone entering the room.
As Yuri sat cross-legged underwater, resting, a faint sound began to reach his ears.
It was humming.
The moment he realized it, Yuri's body stiffened.
Feeling the faint melody drawing closer, he hoped the voice would thicken into something more masculine.
But ignoring his wish, the humming's pitch only rose higher.
Moreover, the soft rustle of fabric falling away didn't sound like it came from a man's clothes.
It was women's attire.
Underwear, even.
This meant his reputation was about to hit rock bottom.
Yuri thought calmly.
There were two possibilities.
First, the hotel staff had guided him to the wrong room.
In other words, this wasn't his room.
The worst-case scenario.
The world wouldn't care about the truth of the incident. It would just light fireworks at the scandal. All his hard-earned glorious achievements would scatter like seashells in the receding tide.
Imagining that situation nearly brought tears to his eyes.
But there was still one other possibility.
Second, the owner of that humming had entered the wrong room.
In that case, he could probably get away with it.
But he lacked information. He couldn't tell which it was.
What was the wisest course of action?
Fearful of any potential disaster, Yuri hesitated on how to respond.
Then, a voice echoed in his mind.
'Do not fear the enemy.'
Right. He was Brioll's heir. He wasn't the type to run from whatever mishap might unfold.
'Act on your convictions.'
Recalling the dry skull of that nameless ancestor who had spoken those words, Yuri closed his eyes and raised his face above the water.
Fortunately, he was facing away from the entrance.
Yuri opened his mouth.
"Looks like you've come to the wrong room."
His voice echoed through the bathroom.
He spoke with the confidence of the room's true owner, without a hint of hesitation.
The humming stopped.
Silence followed.
Yuri sank back underwater naturally, like a whale spouting water before diving. He held his breath, waiting for the intruder to leave.
Only the bubbles from his exhaled air floated on the surface, popping softly.
It was getting harder to hold his breath.
"Um..."
The visitor hadn't left and was even addressing him.
"This is my room..."
Yuri felt a despair like his heart dropping.
If he was the one who needed to leave instead of that woman, how much more complicated would things get?
He'd have to stand up awkwardly, dry off awkwardly, dress awkwardly, apologize awkwardly, pack his bags awkwardly, and leave in humiliation. Yuri wasn't sure he could endure such a sequence.
The voice spoke again.
"It seems like you came in by mistake... I'll step aside for now..."
And the bathroom door closed.
Yuri wanted to die right there holding his breath, but he steeled himself.
If he was going to die, he'd take the staff who misdirected him first.
He shot up from the water.
Clean clothes he'd set out to change into were now placed near the entrance—likely set there by the woman.
Since things had come to this, Yuri roughly finished his bath, dried off with a towel, and got dressed. He faced the mirror and steadied his resolve.
Time to confront fate.
'Brioll never abandons honor. Not even in death.'
He calmed his mind. He had to act as nonchalant as possible.
Yuri swept back his wet black hair and stepped out of the bathroom.
"Hoo..."
He let out a sigh as if troubled.
The man who had been holding his breath underwater, ready to die, was gone. Only a cool city man inconvenienced by a mishap remained.
Lifting his impassive gaze, he saw a woman standing by the bed, clutching a robe.
He could see her rigid expression gradually softening.
Perhaps because he looked somewhat decent.
Yuri blinked, then bowed his head politely.
"The staff personally showed me to this room, but there must have been a mix-up. It wasn't intentional. I sincerely apologize for this incident."
His etiquette was flawless. Straight from the Brioll palace manual: a deep bow held long enough to inhale and exhale fully, then slowly straightening.
His wet bangs swayed, briefly revealing his smooth forehead and thick eyebrows before falling back.
"I hope my apology eases your mind."
Yuri offered the softest smile he could muster.
The woman, who had been staring blankly at him, finally spoke.
"Y-Yes..."
"Then, if you'll excuse me."
"Um..."
"More business?"
"Well..."
She hesitated for a long while, then bowed her head deeply.
"You can dry your hair here if you like..."
Thanks to the woman's consideration, Yuri didn't have to go complain to the staff dripping wet.
After fixing his hair in the mirror, he expressed his gratitude once more.
"I owe you one."
"Okay..."
She asked him not to scold the staff too harshly.
"Everyone makes mistakes. I mess up a lot too..."
"I won't. You have a generous heart."
"No, not really..."
Yuri wanted to leave quickly.
"Then, really, goodbye."
He shouldered his bags and left the room immediately. Gone was the earlier gentleness; he marched to the reception with a devilish glare.
The staff bowed so low his head nearly touched the floor, apologizing profusely.
"To make such a mistake. I'm truly sorry. So sorry. Kill me..."
He even tried to kneel, forcing Yuri to physically pull him up.
"Be more careful next time."
"Yes. I'm truly sorry. I have no words, even ten mouths wouldn't suffice."
"Fortunately, nothing major happened."
"Pardon?"
"It's true."
"Ah, understood."
Yuri was assigned a new room.
Coincidentally, it was right next to the woman's room he'd accidentally entered.
"Hmm..."
It felt off, but with no other rooms available, he had no choice.
The new room was identical in layout to the previous one.
Yuri unpacked, locked the door, and sat on the bed.
Strange things kept happening since arriving in the Empire.
"Only natural, stepping into the tiger's den."
Yuri lay back on the bed for a rest.
But the world wouldn't let him be.
A knock sounded.
Yuri sighed deeply and irritably opened the door.
The visitor was unexpected.
"Still more business?"
The owner of the room he'd mistakenly entered stood there.
She gave an awkward smile.
"I heard a noise and came over... Guess you're next door..."
"I see."
"I'm Pamia."
She shyly avoided his direct gaze, rambling.
"Sorry to bother you suddenly, but I have a favor to ask..."
"A favor?"
"Well, maybe not exactly a favor..."
"What do you mean?"
"Since you saw my body, it's only right to make a proper demand..."
"No, I didn't see. Couldn't see. You saw the steam too..."
"You can't prove that."
"I swear on my honor."
"Your honor?"
"My honor is worth more than gold."
"Ah..."
Pamia looked up at Yuri with a smile.
"You're Prince Yuri, right?"
"Yes."
"Knew it from your hair. Heard you'd arrived in the capital..."
Dale had mentioned on the way to the hotel that news of Yuri's arrival was spreading fast.
To the gossip-loving citizens of the capital, Yuri was already an object of admiration and curiosity.
That's how she'd recognized him.
"Anyway, since you intruded into a lady's room..."
"Hmm..."
"I believe you'd grant a small request."
Yuri reluctantly nodded.
"Fine. If it's possible."
"Then, could you take me out for a bit...?"
"What do you mean?"
"There's something I've always wanted to do since coming to the capital, but I'm scared to go alone..."
"What is it?"
"Basregas..."
She said it so softly he almost missed it.
"I want to go to Basregas, but alone is a bit..."
Yuri's eyes widened.
He'd momentarily forgotten.
Basregas, the continent's greatest casino, was here in the capital. Its massive scale rivaled a decent kingdom's castle.
"Basregas...!"
"Do you hate casinos by any chance?"
Pamia asked timidly. Yuri replied as if entranced.
"No, quite the opposite. I love them."
"Oh, really?"
In the past, Hernando had seen Basregas in Erich's dungeon. For any card player, it was the dream stage worth visiting at least once.
Yuri felt the same.
"If it's just a quick visit..."
The table where the continent's top gamblers gathered to bet their fates, where the winner took all in a ruthless game.
Who wouldn't want to see it?
He had time until meeting Dale in the evening anyway.
Yuri nodded.
"Can't be helped. Let's go."
The continent's premier casino stood in the capital's outskirts.
The two rode a carriage there.
Even in broad daylight, the sign blazed conspicuously. Powered by who-knows-how-many magic stones, the lights on the exterior outshone the sun.
The coachman stopped the horses.
"We're here."
"Thanks."
Stepping out, Yuri spread his arms toward Basregas and let out an ecstatic sigh.
"So this is the scent of Basregas."
"You seem to like it more than I do..."
"I'm only here because you asked."
"Yes..."
Yuri walked inside.
Unlike the bright exterior, the interior was dimly lit.
A man in a tuxedo appeared and greeted Yuri. Despite the formal attire, his jewelry was flashy.
"We welcome Your Highness to our casino. I'm the manager of Basregas. May I guide you personally?"
His earrings and eyebrow piercings clinked with every smile.
Yuri shrugged.
"As if you were expecting me."
"Not at all. I noticed when you stepped from the carriage."
"You already recognize me."
"Brioll's Third Prince is already famous."
The manager glanced cautiously at Pamia.
"And this side is...?"
Yuri knew nothing about her beyond her name. Passing the question with a glance, Pamia answered softly.
"Just a companion..."
The manager nodded with a smile.
"Understood. And Your Highness?"
"Hm?"
The manager leaned in and whispered so only Yuri could hear.
"I'll keep quiet about this beautiful young lady."
What secret?
Confused, Yuri tilted his head. The manager smirked oddly and added,
"The Holy Kingdom's princess won't hear of this. Heh heh heh..."
Yuri recalled something he'd forgotten.
To reject Ragnar's matchmaking, he'd lied about dating Sibylla.
That rumor had spread already too. What a city obsessed with others' affairs.
Yuri shook his head.
"We're not like that."
"Yes, yes. Of course. Still, I never dreamed you'd come here, and with such a beauty. Truly stunning. Haha..."
Growing ruder, Yuri moved to stop him when the manager suddenly thrust something forward.
A mask covering half the face.
Magic emanated from its surface.
"Our casino prioritizes guest privacy above all. We provide these to those who need them. Of course, only to esteemed guests."
It was an artifact to conceal one's identity.
"Does the lady need one?"
"I'm fine."
"Yes. A beauty too fine to hide. Heh heh..."
Yuri tried on the mask. It covered his eyes and nose, altering his iris and hair color.
The manager smiled enigmatically and led them inside.
Before parting, he whispered to Yuri,
"If you need a private space, just say. Everything that happens in Basregas stays here."
He bared his neck, revealing a tattooed magic circle.
"I'm bound not to speak, even if I could. No worries. Heh heh heh..."
A seal preventing disclosure of casino happenings.
His smile under the glittering lights looked utterly decadent.
Yuri frowned.
"Won't need it."
"Understood. Heh heh..."
Yuri turned away, unwilling to chat more.
Basregas offered every kind of gambling imaginable. Sampling each would take a full day.
"So many types."
"All the same in the end. The real deal is card games."
But Yuri favored only one.
And Pamia seemed the same.
"Oh, Your Highness. You play cards...?"
"Of course."
"Then let's play together."
"You know how?"
"Yep."
Pamia smiled shyly and grabbed his arm, leading him.
"I'm pretty good. You might lose to me today."
The manager had called her a great beauty. But Yuri hadn't noticed at all.
Same with Sibylla or Maryrose, tangled as they were. Undeniably beautiful, yet they stirred no feelings in him.
Perhaps too much beauty had dulled his senses.
Yuri sighed.
Not a welcome affliction.
But this time, it proved useful.
"Why so slow? Hurry up and play. Hehe..."
It let him see through her act.