Casino Wizard

It was a fair judgment.

Beatrice still thought so even now.

But…

Was it a wise one?

That part, Beatrice couldn’t be sure of.

Kyle Fraser, heir to the influential Fraser family of the City Alliance. And Hyden Sadie, owner of the Hyden Casino.

She had taken the role of mediator between their conflict, siding with neither.

In the end, it had wrapped up smoothly enough.

Even the nobles who had come to see her today gave similar evaluations.

“Your Highness. A wise course of action. Just the volume of olive-based products the Fraser trading company buys every year… Ah, not that we need to pander to them, of course. But there’s no reason to make an enemy out of them either, is there?”

“From my perspective, Baron Hyden was too aggressive. He usually handles himself flexibly at the casino. I can’t imagine why he acted like that today.”

“From now on, Baron Hyden will probably act more cautiously.”

And it seemed someone rather enjoyed what happened.

Like Count Immobile, who once lost half his fortune to Hyden over poker, and since then had been clinging around Beatrice, desperate to establish even the faintest connection.

He seemed positively delighted by Hyden’s misfortune.

The fact that he praised Beatrice’s decision was proof enough.

It was praise, yes—but not at all pleasant.

And the reason was now standing right before her.

Hyden Sadie.

The newly appointed noble whose title she had arranged along with her brother.

And the magician of the Hero’s Party.

Though the latter was more a mark of shame than honor—at least, it used to be. These days, not so much. Hadn’t he defeated Archmage Hilde, no matter the method? And beyond that, he had a knack for something she couldn’t quite describe.

That’s probably why he was usually full of confidence.

“…I acted arrogantly and caused Your Highness trouble.”

“Baron Hyden.”

“If not for Your Highness’s mediation, I might have caused another diplomatic incident. Thank you for helping me avoid that.”

But now, he looked utterly crushed.

His vacant gaze fixed on the floor.

Hands loosely clenched, resting on his knees.

And his lips bore the marks of being chewed in frustration.

In truth, Beatrice and Hyden had no real emotional rapport.

Unless someone was being sent away or summoned formally, they rarely interacted.

But considering the nature of the matter at hand, she needed to ease the mood.

“Baron Hyden.”

“I’m truly sorr—Pardon?”

“No one will dare look down on you over something like this. On the contrary, they’ll think you exercised restraint.”

“Yes. You’re absolutely right.”

Hyden nodded eagerly, forcing a smile and readily agreeing with her.

It didn’t feel like flattery.

More like… he was doing his best to keep the princess in a good mood, even in his current state.

His faintly trembling eyes seemed to be pleading—Please don’t bring that up anymore.

It’s humiliating enough just remembering it. Please don’t dig into the wound.

She could understand his feelings.

But should she really just let it go?

Or should she apologize now?

But an apology would feel odd.

Wouldn’t that be the same as saying, “Sorry I didn’t favor you”? That would only hurt his pride.

She hadn’t expected him to take it this hard.

Now Beatrice herself felt at a loss.

“Your Highness, regarding the marriage proposal…”

“There’s no need to bring that up right now…”

“If not now, then when?”

Of all times, he chose now to bring up marriage.

There was no avoiding it.

Hyden had already started speaking, not even looking her in the eye, as if trying to get it over with and escape.

“I know it’s presumptuous of me to bring this up… but I was wondering which family proposed a match with me. And who the bride-to-be might be. As you know, I have no parents to discuss such conditions with.”

“Well…”

“Is nothing set in stone yet?”

There was a prearranged candidate.

But Beatrice was hesitating because it was too awkward to reveal who it was.

Hyden, on the other hand, looked visibly relieved.

“That’s a relief.”

“A relief?”

“Yes. If nothing’s confirmed yet, then we can still negotiate—pardon the term. But surely we can align the terms to be mutually beneficial?”

Beatrice was dumbfounded.

Does he think I’m just a matchmaker or something? Surely not…

No matter how she looked at it, this wasn’t the way to go about such matters.

It wasn’t ideal, but she had to stop him.

As Beatrice raised her hand to change the subject—

“It’s alright. I understand, Your Highness.”

“…Hm?”

“It’s unseemly for a suitor to personally negotiate the terms. I know how this must look in your eyes. But I ask for your understanding. You know I have no parents, after all.”

An illegitimate child, with neither parents nor relatives.

With no one to lean on, he had no choice but to discuss even political marriages on his own.

Hyden gave a hollow chuckle, as if even he found his situation pathetic.

Even to Beatrice, who wasn’t particularly empathetic, it sounded tragic.

“If I may, I’d like to propose an alternative.”

Maybe that’s why she didn’t stop his next words.

“Adoption, Your Highness.”

“What do you mean?”

“I was thinking of taking in a girl suited to my station… an adopted daughter of a family loyal to the Emanuele royal line. Preferably a poor noble house that couldn’t sustain itself without royal generosity. Then I’d propose to her.”

That… seemed unnecessary.

“Your Highness, this is the right way.”

“……”

“A proper family wouldn’t want to send their cherished daughter to someone like me. It’d only bring them shame—selling their daughter for money. Even though I’ve been granted a title, who would truly see me as nobility?”

It felt like he was being too self-deprecating.

But Beatrice couldn’t stop him.

When Hyden was publicly humiliated, and asked for help in restoring his honor, it had been Beatrice who chose to remain neutral under the guise of mediation.

She hadn’t sided with Kyle Fraser, per se—but she had been cautious, nonetheless.

Hyden, still maintaining a submissive posture, politely clasped his hands and made a heartfelt plea.

“Please allow it.”

“……”

“This alone will ease the royal family’s burden. One way or another, I’ll be bound to the royal family, will I not?”

I’m not someone noble enough to marry into a prestigious house. But I understand your concerns. So why not at least formalize our connection somehow…

It was an incredibly humble proposal.

Lowering himself as much as possible, trying to placate her.

He was being sincere—but his expression was icy cold.

That’s why Beatrice hadn’t stopped him until now.

But… something feels off.

That was when she remembered something she had forgotten amidst the guilt.

She was being cornered.

There was no room to refuse Hyden’s humble offer.

Refusing would make her look like trash.

She’d be the villain who crushed a loyal retainer who had helped elevate her to this position and build her foundation—however slight it may be.

Unless she wanted to sever ties with him entirely, there was no choice but to accept.

Maybe…

Maybe this had been Hyden’s plan all along?

When she first heard that Hyden had come to the reception chamber, she’d had a faint suspicion. He was always calculated, always digging traps.

Given his past actions, it was plausible.

“Your Highness.”

His voice, quiet as if he’d expected this, called out to her.

“If you’re unsure of my sincerity, you may use that method—the one only you can employ. To see if I bear any hostility toward you, or intend to hinder your succession. That’s what worries you, isn’t it?”

And then, with a look full of quiet resentment, he suggested she use the confession spell.

Beatrice’s gaze momentarily turned blank.

I didn’t distrust him that much…

Then again, it had started with distrust.

She’d shoved her brother Stefano into a monastery, purged Archmage Hilde together with Hyden, collaborated on slot machine strategy—she had almost forgotten that it all started as a hostile relationship.

Their alliance had always been one of mutual interest.

Now, it had simply returned to square one.

“Please. Use the confession spell.”

Hyden’s face was faintly twisted as he made the offer again.

It wasn’t supposed to turn out like this, Beatrice thought—but it was already too late.

Just a few hours ago, she had chosen to ignore Hyden’s humiliation. That was entirely her decision.

Beatrice stared briefly into Hyden’s subdued gaze.

“…Baron Hyden. I will respect your proposal. It was a good one.”

She surrendered.

There were words drifting in her mind.

I didn’t intend for things to go this far. I was planning to arrange a proper meeting soon. And at that meeting, I would’ve formally discussed the marriage proposal. I was even going to tell you who the other party was.

But what difference would that make now?

She couldn’t possibly say that to a man wearing an expression like that.

“Thank you, Your Highness.”

Hyden replied weakly, then slowly stood and bowed with perfect decorum.

Almost excessively so—it was a heavy, weighty bow.

****

That achieved the goal.

I stood up, still wearing a gloomy expression until the very end.

Just before I left, Beatrice threw out a question, almost in passing.

“What should I have done?”

She was asking what she should’ve done when I was clashing with the nobles of the City Alliance.

I could’ve just brushed it off.

But I didn’t want to become complete enemies with Beatrice either.

If I got too serious, it would only stir up guilt—and maybe even suspicion.

Besides, saying a few words wasn’t that hard.

“…If I had been in Your Highness’s position, I would’ve sided with me on the spot. Of course, it would’ve come with a price. People would’ve talked, saying you were favoring a wandering noble who runs a gambling business. But… at the very least, I would’ve felt deeply indebted to you.”

“And then?”

“I would’ve done anything for the one who protected my honor. I would’ve run around like crazy to make up for the trouble I caused.”

Like crazy. I finished there, then gave a weak smile.

Beatrice reached out to me hesitantly—then lowered her hand again.

I looked at her with a trace of pity for a while before speaking again.

“Even from afar, I’ll be rooting for Your Highness.”

And with that, I reaffirmed my unwavering support.

Along with the distance.

Beatrice lowered her head in silence, giving no reply.