Casino Wizard

Beatrice Rainerio Emanuele.

The kingdom’s only princess.

She was also a necessary ally to safely and perfectly send off the second prince.

It wasn’t hard to ask for a meeting. There were several nobles in the VIP room right now. I simply chose one and made the request.

But the princess’s answer was a refusal.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Hyden.”

This was the response delivered through Baron Ebola, who was known to be close to Princess Beatrice. It arrived within a day.

The reason for the refusal was simple.

Unlike her brother, the princess had intelligence.

“If you go in and out of Princess Beatrice’s reception room now, what kind of rumors do you think will spread? Right after the second prince… was taken out of the picture, no less. People will probably say you were acting on Princess Beatrice’s orders, or that you schemed to gain her favor.”

“Is that your opinion, Baron? Or…”

“I don’t have an opinion. I’m not that close to the princess.”

“Ah, so it’s the princess’s own decision.”

It seemed that Princess Beatrice thought it was a time for caution.

‘Wise.’

It wasn’t exactly wise to praise, but it was a completely normal judgment.

The second prince, who had recently made a fool of himself and was now temporarily confined under the guise of self-reflection. The first prince, born into a poor commoner family, might have ended up selling himself for a few coins to work as a circus performer.

Princess Beatrice had no real work to do, yet her status was rising.

Given this situation, it made sense she wouldn’t want to mingle with someone like me. I understood that.

However, there was a misunderstanding on the princess’s side.

“I’m not asking to be invited to Princess Beatrice’s reception room. Nor am I asking to be invited to the social gathering she leads.”

“Hmm?”

“What I’m asking is for the princess to come to see me. The casino might be… too public for that, so we can meet in a different location.”

At this, Baron Ebola let out a casual “Ah,” a sign that he wasn’t exactly one of the princess’s inner circle.

If anything, he was just someone who had made a small gesture toward her.

Princess Beatrice didn’t have many true inner circle members. It wasn’t just because of her brothers—there were other reasons.

“Well… shall I pass on your message?”

“Yes, Baron.”

“If the meeting happens, what are you planning to talk about?”

“The purpose isn’t conversation. Of course, we’ll talk, but the goal is poker.”

Poker. Baron Ebola nodded as though he didn’t really care.

Naturally, I also paid the price for using a noble as a messenger.

It wasn’t money, but a privileged reservation at the baccarat tables for the next fifteen days. It might seem trivial, but it was a huge perk at the casino. I suspected there would be people willing to pay a lot for it.

‘She’ll agree. This time.’

I hadn’t asked a noble to deliver my message for no reason.

The princess’s weakness was the lack of a strong foundation…

Even if she became the crown princess by outmaneuvering her brothers, she would still lack the authority.

With this, it was only natural for her to be intrigued by a bastard-born casino owner using a noble as a messenger. She could probably tell I wasn’t just calling to play poker. If she turned me down now, I wouldn’t be able to do anything about it.

Fortunately, the princess agreed to my request for a meeting.

“She’ll visit your house tomorrow morning with just one attendant.”

A quiet visit, intending to hide her identity.

The meeting was set, and now it was only a matter of drawing her into the work.

****

The next morning, Princess Beatrice visited my house.

“I heard you’re a wealthy man who scrapes up money, but your house is unexpectedly modest.”

She had the same reddish-blonde hair and blue eyes as her brothers. At first glance, she looked like just another pretty noblewoman.

But she was a remarkably capable woman, even without her title.

“I didn’t expect you to come with just a maid, without any guards.”

“I don’t need them.”

First, swordsmanship.

She wasn’t just casually trained; her skill alone could get her into the royal guard.

And it wasn’t just swordsmanship.

“I last saw you three years ago at the victory commemoration.”

“Yes, I attended then.”

“You, and your party, kept to yourselves during the festivities and quietly left right before the banquet began. The Saint didn’t even attend.”

“Thank you for remembering.”

Her memory was also extraordinary.

She could remember every word she read. At least, that’s what was known.

At this point, she seemed like a highly capable person.

Certainly much more talented than the second prince, but—

‘She’s alone.’

The reason she came to my house was likely because of that.

“Someone who calls themselves a court baron played the role of your messenger. And they even did so with a smug look on their face.”

“He’s my casino customers.”

“They barely show their face at the social gatherings I’m involved in, so I don’t understand why… they’re so willing to fulfill your request with such pleasure.”

“I asked politely.”

In fact, nobles tended to keep their distance from her.

She only had a few servants and knights guarding her, but no one close enough to be considered an ally.

There were some nobles who supported her, but they weren’t true allies. They merely cheered her on from a distance.

Even the second prince, a scoundrel, had a larger group of true supporters, but the reason Princess Beatrice lived so alone was…

“Wizard Hyden.”

“Yes?”

“I want you to look after this.”

She was showing it to me now.

Her piercing blue eyes, her finger pointing directly at me.

I soon felt a faint magical aura.

‘Is she casting magic the moment we meet?’

Princess Beatrice wasn’t a mage.

Her magical power was on the level of an ordinary person, maybe even less.

But she had a unique ability—her own magic.

“I’ll ask you a few questions now. Are you willing to answer honestly?”

Truth-telling magic.

It was basically a confession spell.

Once her small amount of mana was depleted, I would have to answer every question she asked without any deceit. It wasn’t without limitations—her spell would only work if I explicitly agreed to it.

It was a realm beyond the reach of ordinary mages like myself, who only knew elemental magic.

It was certainly useful, but for someone who needed to gain the trust of others, it was also a flaw.

How many people would want to be completely honest in front of their lord?

This was also the reason Princess Beatrice lacked a solid foundation. As a child distant from the throne, she had used this magic too freely.

Young, a woman, and with no idea when she would ask someone to speak the truth.

Even if she was more capable than her brothers, it was hard to follow someone like that.

‘So I’ve heard she keeps it sealed most of the time.’

I wondered why she chose to use it as soon as we met.

Fortunately, she explained it herself.

“There was a minor disagreement with my second brother in a restaurant. Less than two weeks after that, he was confined to his residence. Officially, it’s said to be self-reflection, but it’s really imprisonment.”

“I’m aware.”

“Right after that, you called for me. I’m sorry, but…”

“It’s understandable that you’d be suspicious.”

She’d probably leave if I didn’t meet her expectations. She wouldn’t even bother listening to me.

Though it was aggressive, her attitude might have been appropriate for a princess.

“I promise I’ll only ask about this matter.”

She added this, likely to make sure I didn’t think she was being overly suspicious. I nodded, deliberately taking my time before responding.

And I agreed out loud.

I would answer everything she asked honestly from here on out.

A faint sense of discomfort, urgency, nervousness, and slight dizziness washed over me as she continued.

Then Princess Beatrice, staring directly at me, asked her first question.

“The reason you asked to meet me, the excuse of playing cards, and what you hope to achieve through me. I want you to answer honestly.”

The urge to answer surged within me. Not just an urge, but something that seemed like… there was no need to deliberate. I spoke.

“I want to deal with Prince Stefano Emanuele, the second prince. Soon, he will lose his title, wealth, and connections, and fall into ruin. Don’t worry, I have no intention of killing him.”

That was the purpose.

“And the cards are not an excuse. You must know, the second prince loves poker. He especially enjoys the Hold’em variant that I popularized. I’ve heard he plays it deep stack with his entourage two to three times a week. So, everyone around him plays poker too.”

The card game.

“I don’t plan on becoming one of your inner circle. You don’t need to reward me later. I’m simply asking you to help me take down Prince Stefano Emanuele, who is also your competitor. Our interests align, don’t they?”

I clarified her misunderstanding.

As I spoke, the intangible compulsion faded.

Princess Beatrice was now looking at me with a face full of surprise.

To be honest, I didn’t need her confession magic. I had intended to be upfront from the beginning. It had saved me time, thanks to her.

Now, it was time to present the specific plan.

I slowly took out the cards from the box.

“With this, I will turn the closest allies of the second prince into beggars. Then I will use them to oust him from power. You can provide a place where I can be active, and later, you can take in some of his allies to form your own base. In the end, no one will truly follow you, so controlling them through debt and fear shouldn’t be an issue, right?”

It was a request to become her accomplice.

I was already prepared for rejection. But after a brief silence, the princess nodded.

“Alright. But how is that possible? They’ll be on guard.”

“It’s possible. And it won’t take long.”

I immediately began explaining in detail.

For some reason, Princess Beatrice kept glancing at me in surprise.