Casino Wizard

Surprisingly, her heart wasn’t pounding wildly.

Maybe it just didn’t feel real yet.

Lucy first checked Hyden’s hand.

A gambler’s hand. The kind of hand that had likely held far more cards than magic tomes.

The moment she grabbed it, a searing rush of emotion surged up from inside her—but she held it in for now.

“You used a bottom deal?”

“Yeah.”

She really hadn’t noticed.

But the bottom deal itself wasn’t what mattered.

It was about memorizing the order of the cards, avoiding other players’ gazes, stealthily collecting the ones you needed, and then slipping them out at just the right moment… Of course, she could do all that too.

The man in front of her, Hyden, had once been her teacher. But at some point, she’d surpassed him.

Lucy wasn’t just skilled with her hands—she was also sharp at reading people.

So then, why this time…

“It’s not about the technique.”

“Sorry?”

“You know it too—people’s willpower is incredibly fragile. After a few hours of poker… especially if they’re being played or have lost a lot of money because their luck’s bad… at some point, they stop really seeing what’s in front of them.”

“……”

“When you’re using a trick on someone like that, you don’t even need a distraction. Their grip changes, their shuffling style changes, and even if you blatantly deal from the bottom, they’re too busy checking their own hand to notice.”

That was Hyden’s diagnosis for how she’d been fooled.

For someone who made a living off gambling, it was nothing short of an insult.

He’d made a hand right in front of her face, and not only had she failed to catch it, he’d handed himself a royal straight flush—and she hadn’t suspected a thing.

If this had been a battlefield, she’d have been a fool struck dead by a stray arrow…

No, worse than that. A soldier who tripped during the march and was trampled to death.

But strangely, Lucy didn’t feel upset at all.

“I was being stupid.”

“Yeah. This time.”

“If I’d won, I could’ve had everything—but I didn’t even realize that.”

“Still, you won in the end, didn’t you?”

Lucy had the royal flush, while Hyden had just a two of hearts and a three of clubs.

The weakest hand in the entire hierarchy of mini-poker.

And while he had been blatantly stacking the deck in front of her, she had just stood there like a blind idiot…

She felt a little hollow inside. All sorts of excuses to tell Hyden flitted through her mind—but she decided to let them go.

Because thanks to that mistake, Hyden had finally answered her feelings.

And that was enough.

“Hyden oppa…”

Lucy had so many things she wanted to ask him.

What exactly did he mean when he said you won?

What was he going to do about the royal engagement proposal?

When would the wedding be?

And how many kids did he want?

“Ask me. Anything.”

But for now, just seeing the faint smile on his face was enough.

He really did have a handsome face.

A legendary womanizer and scoundrel, yet so good-looking that people still passed around portrait books of his birth father—and Hyden had inherited that face.

It was probably why he’d never been able to hide the fact he was an illegitimate child of the Mantovan family and had lived a hard life.

But now, even he was smiling.

Lucy, cheeks flushed, finally managed to speak.

“I won’t make that kind of mistake again.”

“You better not.”

“I’m not going to pretend to be a noble lady anymore either, acting all prim and proper.”

“Good. I wouldn’t like that either.”

“That’s a relief. Instead, I’ll take full responsibility for the household… of the casino empire you’ve built—and will build. I’ll take care of it, and I’ll succeed.”

Casino empire.

It was a clumsy attempt to express her feelings in a grand way.

But now that she’d said it out loud, it didn’t sound all that bad.

A place where all sorts of people came with burning passion to gamble, only to leave in despair. Yet they always came back, unable to give up hope… If a casino was a kingdom, then Hyden was its rightful king.

And he was the man she loved.

“Alright. I’ll trust you.”

He trusted her.

It was a moment filled with a joy she couldn’t quite describe.

A man who had never trusted anyone, who was skilled only at deceiving others, was now choosing to trust her…

Along with joy came desire.

She didn’t want it to end with just a confirmation of trust.

She wanted to savor the thrill she hadn’t fully felt when she revealed her royal flush.

Because now… she could.

So Lucy rose to her feet and slowly walked toward Hyden.

So close, there was no space left between them.

“Hyden oppa.”

Instead of answering, he gently pulled her arm toward him.

Lucy forgot everything she was going to say and slowly tilted her head.

It had been a strange confession—starting with bottom deals and sleight-of-hand, and ending with talk of building a casino empire. But she still wanted the ending to be beautiful.

Honestly, she just wanted to do it.

Smooch.

Their lips met for the first time.

Lucy was overcome with a feeling so intense there weren’t even words for it.

Not even when her struggling casino had finally turned a profit and she received her first bonus. Not even when snobby nobles who once mocked the Pierrot Party came sneaking in, trying to act like they belonged.

Even if she added all those moments together—

Nothing compared to this.

She couldn’t even begin to compare.

To Lucy, this was the jackpot.

****

Wouldn’t this be enough?

Just for a moment.

A fleeting instant — so brief it could be called a flash — the thought passed through my mind.

At first, she simply tilted her head and pressed her lips to mine. But before I knew it, Lucy had climbed on top of me, actively sucking on my lips.

She was way better than me at underhanded tricks, but honestly, her kissing was clumsy.

Still, maybe because she’s a fast learner, at some point she began nibbling on my lower lip — awkwardly, but definitely trying.

Slide.

In the meantime, my hand had naturally moved to her thigh.

All I did was brush the back of my hand against her firm thigh, yet I could feel Lucy’s breath growing heavier.

I wasn’t perfectly composed either — I let out a tense breath.

Why wouldn’t I be? A cute, curvy girl who says she only likes me is in my arms.

So we stayed close, kissing for quite a while. And that’s when a small, cautious thought crept in.

‘Settling down here… maybe that wouldn’t be so bad.’

I entertained the idea of not expanding the business any further — of just being content where I was.

I already had enough wealth to live in luxury for the rest of my life.

Once the middle-aged hero in the demon realm returns, I could give him an easy-to-manage arcade. And the shield knight could climb the ranks to city guard sub-commander, maybe even commander — with generous bribes, of course.

I had that kind of power even before I got the slot machines.

That was my original plan — to be satisfied with that much. That ambition had just resurfaced.

But the moment passed.

“Lucy.”

“Ah…”

I slowly pulled away from her lips.

What I saw then was her still-flushed face.

I gently brushed her cheek with my fingers and said,

“Not right now.”

“Not… right now?”

It might have been fine to get a little distracted, but once we started, there was no way it would end quickly. And now wasn’t the time to be that relaxed.

“In just a few hours, the royal matchmaker will arrive at the casino… That kind of behavior would be a breach of etiquette. They might even go looking for my teacher. He’s a weird guy with zero presence and a cranky personality, but technically, he can stand in as my guardian.”

“……”

“Or, they might approach me directly to prevent rumors from spreading.”

This wasn’t over yet.

Realizing that, Lucy slowly nodded.

Her face still hadn’t cooled down completely, but I could see her gradually regaining her composure.

“You’re right. That makes sense.”

It was a satisfactory response.

It’s because she’s capable of this kind of reason that she managed to reach me — that I could respond to her.

Lucy straightened her slightly disheveled clothes and stepped back from me.

“You’re not just going to turn them down? Just like that?”

“No.”

“Figures. I didn’t think you’d refuse without a counterplan. So what’s the plan?”

“I’ll make them withdraw. And apologize for the trouble while they’re at it.”

We had started discussions to bury this engagement rumor before it surfaced — like we always do.

It didn’t feel particularly tense or serious.

We’d already made it through far worse and more dangerous situations together.

This was nothing.

****

The Next Morning – Royal Palace Garden

“The dignity of the royal family may be harmed.”

“I beg your pardon, Your Majesty… But Brother Alfonso is now the subject of gossip even in the border taverns of the Hundred Nations, and Brother Stefano is locked away in a monastery, spending his days in prayer and labor. I don’t believe this is a time when we can afford to worry about dignity.”

“Hmph.”

“More importantly, it was Your Majesty who first brought up the matter. I merely added my opinion.”

Princess Beatrice was strolling through the royal garden alongside her father.

She continued her persuasion.

It was a plan first proposed by her father, then subtly reshaped by her own involvement.

“He is a man with shadows. This is not about his status.”

“I understand that. But I don’t believe that mere caution is the answer.”

“Even so… Fine. But proceed with care.”

The princess quietly followed behind her father, who still looked visibly displeased.

She didn’t offer any unnecessary words.

Even without using her usual talents, it wasn’t hard to guess what was weighing on his mind. She could understand his worries.

After all, how hard must the life of a monarch be—especially one plagued by mental burdens despite no great political failures? At times, Beatrice even found herself pitying her father.

That was why she had to succeed.

After the brief conversation, Beatrice returned to her chambers.

“Your Highness. Esteemed guests are waiting in the reception room.”

There were more than a few influential figures—both domestic and foreign—who sought an audience with Beatrice, now recognized not just as the strongest candidate for succession, but as the sole heir.

These days, she was also more active in receiving them.

Sometimes she was baffled by guests who came of their own accord, only to act uncomfortable and guarded. But—

Well, it had to be done, so she would do it.

She prepared to proceed as usual.

“Baron Hyden is among those waiting in the reception room.”

“What?”

Beatrice’s eyes sharpened at the unexpected name.

It wasn’t strange for Hyden to request a meeting.

But not like this.

The reception room was inherently a social space.

It wasn’t meant for sitting quietly and waiting one’s turn for a formal audience with the princess.

A visit made this openly was bound to spark rumors. It didn’t match the usual methods of someone like Hyden, who was known for leveraging politics while staying behind the scenes… If he truly wanted to negotiate something, a private audience would’ve made far more sense.

‘I don’t know what he’s thinking.’

It was almost too straightforward—so much so, it made her suspicious.