The Guide Played Her Role as a Stand-in a Little Too Well - Chapter 88
The dealer, also wearing a mask like us, spoke bluntly and started shuffling the cards.
We were going to play Blackjack.
Even I, who had never gambled before, was familiar with this card game.
The goal was to get a total as close to 21 as possible.
“I will deal the cards.”
The dealer handed each of us a card. A card was placed in front of me too.
‘…I can’t focus.’
But I couldn’t concentrate fully on the game.
The intense gaze I felt from beside me was too piercing. I could feel it without turning my head.
‘He definitely recognized me.’
I wasn’t the only one who recognized Hedonia.
Seeing Hedonia staring at me so intensely that it felt like my cheek was on fire, I could tell.
‘It’s like he’s asking what I’m doing here.’
But that was the very question I wanted to ask him.
What was he doing here when I thought he would be at the mansion today?
Sighing, I flipped over the card in front of me.
“Oh, it’s an Ace.”
Shaelock’s words made my eyes widen.
She was right.
It was a Spade Ace, which could be either 1 or 11.
It was the best card to get close to 21.
‘Beginner’s luck?’
I was bewildered because I hadn’t played many card games like this before.
“Oh, good hand. Let’s go all in.”
“What?”
I turned to Shaelock, who was encouraging me.
All in? Betting all my money just because of one Ace was unreasonable!
“Even if it’s an Ace, we haven’t seen the other cards yet. We should be cautious…”
Shaelock shrugged her shoulders at me.
“Sometimes, being impulsive is better.”
Her words made me pause.
“We’re here to have fun, after all.”
Her words sounded like a devil’s whisper.
I was already under a lot of stress due to the Duke of Apharantes’s overbearing actions and control.
…Yeah, it’s not even my money, and we’ll get it back later anyway.
‘Sometimes you need to be bold.’
Especially when you’re not usually.
Her words solidified my resolve.
I pushed all the chips in front of me forward and shouted dramatically, like the heroine in a movie.
“All in.”
Just saying those words made me feel surprisingly good. Acting impulsively without second thoughts was thrilling.
Maybe it was because it wasn’t my money.
This must be the joy of reckless pleasure!
Then, one by one, the cards were revealed.
“King. I’m out.”
After revealing a Spade of 5, a Heart of 7, and one more card, Shaelock was out.
“…I’ll stop here. Stay.”
The silver-haired man stopped at a Queen and a Club of 10.
A total of 20.
“Stop.”
Hedonia’s cards were a Heart Ace, followed by a Diamond 6 and a Heart 5, perfectly making 21.
The pile of chips in front of me was so large that it started drawing people’s attention.
I held my breath as I flipped the next card.
It was a Club King, making a perfect 21.
Shaelock’s gambling advice had paid off perfectly.
“Now, it’s my turn.”
The dealer spoke in the same monotonous voice, but realistically, her chances of winning were slim.
A shiver ran through my entire body.
The dealer flipped her cards one by one.
The dealer’s total was 18.
I won.
* * *
‘Life really is about taking chances.’
The moment I realized I had won, an exhilarating thrill washed over me.
The amount of chips I had won was staggering.
Even the dealer and other staff had to come and help pack the chips into bags.
I truly felt like a rich person.
I wondered if I was using up a lifetime’s worth of luck in one day, I felt that good.
The back of my neck still tingled, but I didn’t regret following Shaelock here.
We continued to draw attention as we played a few more games.
Afterward, I kept winning small amounts.
I lost occasionally, but the losses were minimal.
Hedonia participated in every game.
The strange thing was that the unusually quiet silver-haired man also stayed in our games.
Shaelock didn’t find it strange at all.
She acted as if she knew him.
Anyway, we kept betting and winning and losing a huge number of chips.
The money lost today could probably buy a mansion.
“Well, I’d like to cash in these chips now.”
We had spent enough time and enjoyed ourselves thoroughly. Shaelock handed over an enormous amount of chips representing both our winnings.
“Please wait a moment.”
The staff member, who had been staring at the chips, left briefly.
“…They should have come by now.”
As Shaelock muttered, dealers wearing similar masks gathered around us.
“The Master wishes to see you.”