Royal Straight Flush
Royal Straight Flush
Where did it all go... wrong?
My vision went dark.
The person smiling across from me.
'Leon Silberg'
He opened his mouth.
"With this, I am all-in. So, let us have our final showdown."
Watching his detestable figure, pressuring me with a light tone as if it were nothing, I had no choice but to admit it.
That I was already pushed to the edge of a cliff.
And again, I grimaced as I looked at the hand I held and the coin he had placed down.
The coin Leon Silberg had placed down was no ordinary coin.
It was what was known as the 『Silberg Coin』.
In the past, it was a kind of blank check the Imperial Family used when bestowing rewards upon the Silberg Viscount family, who refused both titles and material rewards.
The coin's purpose was simple.
With just that, one could 'demand' anything from the Imperial Family.
And the Imperial Family could not refuse their demands, as long as they were within their power to grant.
It was a master key that could cover everything from various material rewards to even abdication.
It was the best measure the Imperial Family could take for the Silberg family, who had rendered such great service since the founding of the nation.
And over the passing generations, the number of coins that had flowed into the Silberg family reached dozens.
However, they had never once used those coins.
It was as if they considered the coin's purpose to be merely for settling empty praises.
So, people implicitly believed.
That the Silberg family would never use those coins.
But why.
Why now.
Why on earth did he bring it out today?
"Hmm? What are you worrying about?"
"Keuk...! Le, Leon Silberg... P, please wait a moment."
"Well. Take all the time you need to think. Huhu-hut."
The problem lay in the fact that I couldn't win.
Just as the Silberg Coin came with the immense condition of being able to demand anything from the Imperial Family, there was also one restriction attached to it.
That was...
...if anyone other than the direct Silberg family line possessed the coin, treason would be charged.
It was a rule the Imperial Family had created so that the Silberg family wouldn't suffer harm from the coin.
If that hadn't existed, no matter how powerful the Silbergs were, there would have been many targeting them.
Anyway....
For that reason, I was currently in a situation where I was caught in an unblockable trap.
It wasn't a matter of whether my hand was good or bad.
...If I were to win?
My life would be over that very day.
Not only would I be beheaded for treason, but due to guilt by association, my family, subordinates, knights, and servants... all of them would die.
But that didn't mean I could lose either.
According to the rules of noble poker.
In a game where someone has declared an all-in, if someone folds before revealing their hand, that person must compensate the all-in player for the amount they bet.
In other words, if I declare defeat in this game right now.
It means I have to provide compensation worthy of that coin.
There was no way I had something like that.
Then there was only one way.
Accept his bet and lose with my hand revealed.
If I did that, I would just have to give the 100 gold I had already bet, and it would be over.
However.
The hand I held in my hand was.
♠10 ♠J ♠Q ♠K ♠A
A whopping Royal Straight Flush.
It was the highest ranking hand in a poker game and an invincible hand.
A hand that a poker player might receive once in a lifetime was held in my hand.
In other words, there was no possibility of losing by playing the hand.
I didn't know how he had done this in a game where we dealt the cards ourselves without a dealer, but
this was probably.
A trap laid by Silberg.
"Ugh... ugh."
My hands were shaking.
I should have been more careful because it was Silberg.
I was foolish.
I had been deceived by his easygoing smile.
But now, there was no turning back.
And the options given to me... were practically non-existent.
Because I was already
prey caught in Silberg's trap.
Now, all that remained... was to be eaten.
In the end, I
"I............ lose."
had no choice but to put down my cards.
The game ended.
Count Lugner, who had been agonizing for a while, put his cards on the floor and declared his defeat.
Hmm.
I thought he had boldly bet because he had a good hand, but
looking at it now, it seems he was bluffing just like me.
"...What do you desire as compensation?"
But why was Count Lugner asking me such a strange question while I was trying to shuffle the cards with the winner's authority?
I tilted my head, wondering what he meant,
and heard talk about noble poker amidst the surrounding murmurs.
Ah, so.
If someone goes all-in, and the opponent declares defeat, i.e., folds. Does that mean the person who went all-in has to compensate the amount they bet?
At those words, I looked at the coin I had pushed forward.
A coin slightly larger than a 500-won coin.
It was gold-colored, but
according to Cecil,
it wasn't real gold.
Then, assuming it's roughly gold-plated.
Would it be worth about 10,000 won?
"Hmm...."
Then I felt like I knew why Count Lugner had asked me such a question.
He probably couldn't decide what to give as compensation for such a toy-like object.
It would be funny for nobles to exchange 10,000 won items, after all.
It seemed he wanted to hear what I preferred and provide something appropriate.
As expected of Lugner-hyungnim.
He has such a generous spirit.
"Huhu. Please just provide something appropriate to the value."
However, I didn't want to receive anything too good.
I felt sorry enough for not bringing a proper gift to his daughter's birthday party, and now I'm receiving a gift instead?
Honestly speaking, that was something that pricked my conscience too much.
"...Understood. I will prepare it and send it to your room."
"?"
But what do you know?
I was about to shuffle the cards for the next game, but Count Lugner stood up from his seat.
I tried to catch him, saying let's play one more game, but I let him be, thinking he must have his reasons.
Well, if I think about it positively....
Maybe he was being considerate so I wouldn't have to show the sight of me being busted?
And that was
"Oh? Royal Straight Flush?"
proven by the other nobles who, judging that the game was over,
looked at the cards on their own.
Wait, he folded with a Royal Straight Flush in poker?
That only means one thing.
Wow... Lugner-hyungnim. Seriously.
You really went easy on this younger brother so I wouldn't go bust.
A deep sense of emotion washed over me anew.
But then.
One of the nobles who had peeked at Lugner-hyungnim's hand asked me.
"Um... Viscount-nim, by any chance, could we know what your hand was?"
At that, I showed them the hand that was still lying in front of me.
Then, the nobles who saw the hand were shocked.
"No, no-pair...!"
Well, actually, the hand wasn't important in this game.
Perhaps they hadn't read Lugner-hyungnim's grand intention.
So I kindly explained.
"It was just a predetermined result."
I just phrased it a bit indirectly.
Directly saying it was Count Lugner's big picture... would not only be a bit uncool, but it would also be disrespectful to Lugner-hyungnim, who had silently conveyed his heart.
"As expected...!"
"Keuk! Count Lugner...!"
As expected, since they are smart nobles.
It seemed they understood even with just that much.
Perhaps moved by Lugner-hyungnim's big heart, some even wiped away tears.
Hut.
Isn't this a heartwarming ending?
Thus, the night at the party was deepening.
The party ended at the same time the poker game finished.
It was quite late.
The gathered nobles moved to their lodgings, guided by the Count family's servants.
According to Cecil, when there's a party like this, staying overnight is the default.
"This way."
For that reason, I too was on my way somewhere in the mansion, guided by a servant.
But I became slightly anxious.
Unlike the other nobles who were guided to the annex, I was being guided alone into the inside of the main building.
"Hmm~ Interesting."
"What is?"
"Nothing. Family Head-nim, then I will return to the carriage."
"Hm? Cecil. Why? Why not just ask for a room here?"
"No. It doesn't seem like a situation for me to intervene, and it doesn't look like you need protection. And the other knights in the carriage must have made their own preparations, so I will stay there."
"Uh... uh-huh. Okay."
With that, my bodyguard Cecil said so and left.
To be honest, I didn't understand even half of what she said, but since Cecil always had strange ways of expressing herself, I just let it slide now.
Because of that, my anxiety grew even more.
But I soon calmed my heart.
Actually. Come to think of it, I didn't need protection.
There were five or six Marquesses here, and Counts were as common as dirt, so why target a mere Viscount who rules a small territory?
It was too petty for a villain who had infiltrated a Count's mansion to do.
So, I thought perhaps Cecil, having realized that fact early on, went to take some rest.
Come to think of it, she's stuck with me every day.
It's good if she takes a break while she can.
Thinking that, I walked following the servant.
"...How much further are we going?"
"We are almost there. The Family Head-nim has prepared the compensation for the game... so we need to go in a little further."
"Ah! I see."
And the anxiety that had arisen when Cecil left was momentary.
The uneasy feeling that I was going strangely deep into the mansion was also resolved by the servant's explanation.
Perhaps Lugner-hyungnim prepared some kind of gift.
I thought maybe he was being considerate, worrying that I might feel uncomfortable if he gave it where other nobles were present.
Either way.
There must be a reason for everything.
"Here it is."
That was how I was assigned a room.
A large door.
I am a noble in my own right, so I knew a little about the structure of noble mansions.
Using a door of this size also meant it was an important room.
So, assigning me such a room was also one of Lugner-hyungnim's considerations.
"Can I go in?"
"...Yes. Then, I will take my leave."
"Huh?"
But something was strange.
The servant who suddenly left me and walked away with quick, mincing steps.
Since she wasn't someone I employed, I couldn't do anything, and as she left, I was left alone in the long hallway.
"...What is this?"
Or is this the culture here?
In the Silberg mansion, the servants open all the doors and even attend to me in front of the room, so I naturally thought the servant who came here with me just a moment ago would take care of things.
Since she left, I couldn't help but be bewildered.
But well, even in my previous life, cultures were different for each household, and thinking that this place, a romance fantasy world, would be more extreme if anything, not less... well, I just let it be.
Maybe leaving me like this is one of the cultures of the Lugner Count family?
Maybe they left to give me space to rest comfortably.
"Can I go in...?"
Anyway, after the servant left, I carefully opened the door.
A heavy door.
"Excuse me~"
As a native of South Korea, I entered while greeting, and saw a huge room.
Just looking at the silhouette visible through the window, it was a room so large that even a decent auditorium couldn't compare.
With various furniture placed there, I could tell just by looking at the entrance that it was a quite nice room.
However, perhaps they hadn't paid attention, the magic lamps were off, and it was dim.
I went inside to turn on the lights.
━ Click.
"Damn, you scared me."
And the door closed as soon as I entered.
There was no one in the hallway just a moment ago, so it must have been a structure that closes with magic.
Anyway, I closed my eyes first.
I saw it on some TV program a long time ago.
They said if you close your eyes like this for about 30 seconds and then open them again, you can see well even in the dark.
But.
━ Rustle.
"...Hm?"
A sound was heard by my ears, which had become sensitive from closing my eyes.
At first, I thought I had misheard.
However,
"...."
I soon knew.
That someone was in this place.
Surprised, I hurriedly grabbed an object nearby.
My eyes hadn't adjusted to the darkness yet, so I didn't know what I had grabbed, but it was something like a club.
And I slowly approached the place where the presence was felt.
To think there would be someone hiding in the Count's mansion.
I thought such a thing wouldn't happen, but it seems they chose an easy Viscount as their target for an attack.
No wonder. Even if they were giving me the compensation for the game, there was no reason to bring me to an inner room.
Since we had finished the poker game on a warm note, it wouldn't be something Lugner-hyungnim would be involved in.
Then the culprit was obvious.
There's no way a planned contract hit would come to me, who has no grudges with anyone... it was probably one of the nobles I had fleeced during the poker game.
Then, if it's someone I fleeced, it narrows down to one or two.
And the servant from earlier must have been a bribed accomplice, so thinking that way, it all fit together.
Hmm... is that so?
If the scenario I guessed is correct, it was better to attack first rather than run away.
Because a hastily made plan would collapse rapidly when it goes awry due to variables.
Fortunately, the intruder didn't seem to notice my approach.
They remained crouched in one spot, not moving.
One step.
Two steps.
I walked slowly.
"...."
And the moment I reached the place where the presence was,
Preemptive strike is the key to victory!
I swung the club I held in my hand.
━ Thwack!
And at the same time, a loud sound rang out.
"Kyaaaaak!! Ugh... ugh...!"
It was a woman's scream.
...What is this?