The End of a Fake Marriage

No Limit.

It was a magical word that allowed players to raise the stakes without any limit. As a result, the amount quickly soared, and before Renee’s eyes, 20 million Renin was in play.

For Renee, it was a dizzying amount of money, but for others, it was just a little thrilling. They were all excitedly clapping their hands as the sum grew larger.

“Anyone else?”

Lauren Hite, looking confident, looked around the room. Margaretta, who had been holding out for quite some time, sighed in regret, saying that her cards were not good, and folded her hand.

Rene had a flush. It wasn’t a bad hand, but she felt there was no need to take any further risks.
The fun had been enough for now.

After some thought, Renee fold her cards away. Once again, Lauren Hite claimed victory in the fourth round. Her hand was only a two-pair, an absurdly bold bluff.

“Wow, Miss Hite’s victory is overwhelming.”

“See? The Goddess of Victory is on our side.”
“Looks like it. This is a whole different level compared to Pale. Well then, shall the gentlemen who’ve been watching finally join in for the last game?”

“Wait a moment!”

Lauren interrupted Noah’s words, cutting him off. She added, her face showing clear dissatisfaction.

“I don’t want Pale to ruin everything we’ve won. And I don’t like the idea of the men swooping in at the end after the women have heated things up. I want to finish it myself, without handing the cards over to Pale. Is that alright?”

Pale, whose skill was inversely proportional to his love of card games, slumped his shoulders with a sullen face.

Noah looked at Alexander, who shrugged, giving his consent.

“This has been the most exciting card game at this table today. It’s thrilling!”

“Honey, do you think you can beat Miss Hite? She’s really incredible!”

The wives who had been playing the game stood up to cheer on their husbands. Their flushed faces were all rosy with excitement. Some couples even exchanged celebratory kisses, as if it were a play.

Renee, thinking that it might be for the best, stood up from her seat, which had been feeling suffocating. She had been so tense that her fingertips had turned pale.

The slight relaxation brought the effect of the single drink she’d had. The sounds of the people around her seemed to fade and then come back into focus.

Amidst the excited revelry, she felt like an old, drifting sailboat.

“What about me?”

In that moment, a large hand grabbed Renee’s wrist, pulling her back from her drifting thoughts. Her consciousness, which had been drifting away, was suddenly came back to reality.

The hand that held her wrist felt as if it were burning, a stark contrast to her own cool, chilled skin.

When she stared at him, as though asking what this was all about, Alexander playfully tapped his cheek. Just like the other couples, he was requesting a kiss to celebrate his victory.

‘…How could he be so shameless?’

But Renee lacked the energy to argue with him now. And she didn’t have the audacity to pull his hair after he’d essentially thrown his money away.

‘He told me to let him lose it all, so I won’t say anything… but still, I feel sorry for him.’

Renee carefully kissed his cheek, standing on tiptoe. Alexander’s eyes widened in surprise at the unprotesting kiss.

“Win back what I lost, honey. You’re good at this.”

Renée smiled faintly, then gently pushed him towards his seat. The chandelier light seemed to glide down his broad shoulders. Coincidentally, his seat was bathed in the most light. Gold seemed to envelop him.

Prince Noah’s eyes widened in surprise as he stared at him, then broke into a weak smile.

‘That face…’

When Alexander Chambler wore that expression, it was not a good idea to challenge him. He would inevitably claim victory.

As Noah had been Alexander’s long-time rival, he was certain of this.

This round was clearly lost. He quickly threw down his cards.

***

*Whoosh—*

Renee, lost in the card game, was startled by the sound of rain and turned her head. At some point, it had started to rain. But no one had noticed until the rain intensified considerably. Only Renee seemed to be paying attention to the downpour outside. Everyone else was as captivated by the card game as Renee had been moments before.

“…No way. A straight flush, really?”

Lauren Hite, holding her cards until the very end, slammed the table in disbelief.

“Lies! How could that happen here…!”

Unable to accept her defeat, her voice was high-pitched and agitated.

“Are you implying that I cheated here, Miss Hight? With so many people watching?”

Alexander who had claimed the victory, remained remarkably calm, almost unbelievably so for someone who had just won with a straight flush.

“My goodness! I’ve never seen such an exciting card game before!”

“An all-in with a full house, and then a straight flush! This is a game that will be talked about for a long time!”

“Exactly! I’m so glad I came here today! Can you imagine how disappointed I’d have been if I had heard about it from someone else?”

The people watching them play became even more excited and let out their own gasps.

Margaretta, who had been watching the game with a tight grip on Noah’s forearm, let out a breath she had been holding and whispered to her fiancée, “My goodness. You were wise, Noah. If you hadn’t folded so early, you’d have lost everything you have right now!”

Tens of millions of renins were piled before Alexander. The people cheered, and the Hight siblings despaired in different ways.

Pale, feeling defeated, muttered about how that bastard was once again favored by the goddess of victory. On the other hand, Lauren, as if bewitched by something, still stared at the table with a dumbfounded expression.

Alexander, rising from his seat, glanced at the rain outside. His brow furrowed for a moment, but thankfully, that seemed to be the extent of it.

Turning, he approached Renee. Leaning towards her stiff figure, he placed a green chip in her palm.

“Recovered, my dear. I’m good at this.”

“……”

“Do you like it?”

Renee looked down at the dozen or so chips in her hand. Had Louis said it? That he was a man blessed by the Goddess of Gold.

‘Somehow, today, those words sounded almost believable.’

As Renee smiled softly, she looked up at him again, just as the song playing on the gramophone changed.

*Bang—!*

A song famous for its powerful introduction and a favorite among central Leverdians on rainy days.

“Summer Festival.”

‘This is…’

Renee’s eyes widened in surprise as she looked up at him. In an instant, his expression settled into something else—no, it actually paled.

It was a completely unfamiliar side of Alexander—a side Renee had never seen before.

***

“Alexander!”

A small woman desperately chased after a man striding purposefully down the hallway. She managed to grab his sleeve, but his cold rejection caused her to lose her grip.

“I told you to go ahead.”

The man muttered under his breath without looking back. His voice was chilling, cold, and dark—like a shadow half-consuming his face.

The dark, deserted hallway was filled with the sound of rain pouring down and Renee’s rapid breathing.

Renee, who had barely caught her breath, tried to keep her voice from becoming impatient and asked.

“Are you okay?”

“……”

“Where are you suddenly trying to go? Let’s go together.”

She reached out her hand again, but despite her trembling fingers, she barely managed to grab his arm. Yet, his hand shoved hers away even more coldly and resolutely than before, when he had pushed her away.

“There’s a knight waiting downstairs. Take that car and go inside first.”

“Alexander.”

“Please, just go…! Don’t worry about me!”

His breathing was ragged. His complexion was deathly pale, and cold sweat beaded on his smooth forehead. The man who always looked so strong was shaking.

The man who seemed made of composure, confidence, boredom, and arrogance—that was Alexander Chambler.

‘But…’

‘Who is this man before me now?’

He felt unfamiliar. This man, trembling so helplessly, looking so endlessly pitiful.

To Renee, he was so unfamiliar.