Casino Wizard

I Caught a Sucker.

But this was just the beginning.

“Madam Bonucci, the art of baiting a fool is not so different from how you entice men. After all, the goal is still money. Just follow my instructions.”

Madam Bonucci stiffened as she recalled the teachings of Baron Hyden, her employer and mentor.

Their target, Mario, was a seasoned gambler.

Before running a casino, he had once been a Gold-ranked adventurer.

A Gold badge meant he had access to the VIP rooms of Hyden Casino. Back in his prime, Mario had been famous for hunting demonic beasts.

Still, there was no need to be overly cautious.

As Baron Hyden had said, handling men was her specialty.

Madam Bonucci furrowed her brow slightly, feigning confusion.

“Mr. Mario, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Come on!”

“Come on?”

“I—I mean, yes. I raised my voice. My apologies. But, Madam Bonucci? If we work together, things could go very smoothly. Please, give me a chance to get closer to Malena.”

Not “Hey, you,” but “Come on.” Not “Give me a chance” but “Please, give me a chance.”

He really thought Malena was an easy mark.

It made sense. Just the jewelry Malena was wearing could fetch at least 200 gold. She had been perfectly dressed for the part.

But agreeing right away would be amateurish.

It would be like a woman immediately following a man to his bed just because he bought her dinner.

If she wanted to truly reel him in, she had to make him more desperate.

…Give and take. Feigned disinterest. Or—

Ignorance that wounded his pride.

That was the play for now.

“Mr. Mario. I’ll say it again—I don’t understand what you’re getting at.”

“Stop messing around.”

“I’m saying this for your sake—drop it. You… can’t handle it.”

At those words, Mario’s lips twitched.

His appearance was intimidating—massive biceps, a completely bald head, and a thick mustache.

But Madam Bonucci wasn’t scared.

She hadn’t lived an easy life either.

“You can’t handle it. Not with your finances.”

“Hah. And you think you can?”

“Well, I put in the effort. Do you have any idea how much I’ve spent trying to get close to Malena?”

“How would I know that?”

Madam Bonucci sighed and shook her head as if pitying him.

“Then just live without knowing. It’s easier that way.”

Mario’s face was turning red with humiliation.

It was time to ease the tension.

She ran a silk handkerchief between her cleavage, wiping away nonexistent sweat.

A distraction, of course.

No matter how furious a man was, he wouldn’t ignore a soft, bouncing chest right in front of him.

Sure enough, Mario’s eyes flickered up and down for a split second.

Now, she had to leak some information.

Just enough to let Mario’s imagination run wild—to make him believe that if he didn’t act soon, he would suffer a huge loss.

“I’ll say it one more time. Drop it.”

“But it just started.”

“Do you know how long it took me to bring her here? She’s already suspicious of everyone, and she’s heavily guarded.”

A blatant suggestion that Malena had a powerful benefactor.

Mario was surely crafting a background story in his head by now.

A rich old patron, paranoid about his young mistress cheating, never letting her out of his sight—yet somehow, Madam Bonucci had managed to sneak her away.

“Just how rich is this guy? Her shoes looked like griffin leather…”

Ignoring Mario’s muttering, Madam Bonucci called out to Malena.

“Malena. You’ve lost enough money. Shall we leave?”

“But I wanna keep playing, Sis.”

“It’s not even your money. You shouldn’t waste it.”

“Ugh, it’s just pocket change.”

Malena’s act was perfect.

An immature girl recklessly gambling with someone else’s fortune.

In truth, it was someone else’s money—Hyden’s. And she was inexperienced at gambling. So she didn’t even have to act. She just had to keep playing.

A pretty fool.

The kind of fool you couldn’t just let walk away.

“Let’s go, Malena.”

“Okay. But can we come back tomorrow?”

“Not sure. The owner’s been staring at you a little too intently.”

With that, Madam Bonucci led Malena out of the casino.

But before leaving—

She turned back for one last glance at Mario.

Drop it.

She mouthed the words.

Mario glared at her, his expression full of resentment.

How wounded must his pride be?

A woman who made a living seducing men had just dismissed him.

Now, it wasn’t just about money—his ego was on the line.

Madam Bonucci was certain.

Mario would take the bait.

…

The Expectation Was Spot On.

“Are you still going to say no? Huh?”

At a tavern used as a hideout by Mrs. Bonucci.

Mario showed up, tossing a hefty pouch of coins onto the table.

Mrs. Bonucci pretended to hesitate, then flashed a sly smile.

“The scale of this project is quite large. Are you sure you can handle it?”

“Of course!”

And so, Mario fell into the trap.

Bonucci’s alluring smile deepened as she accepted the partnership.

Now, it was time to strip the flesh from the fish that thought itself the fisherman.

Slowly. And meticulously.

****

Mario, the owner of Tantonian Dice, was elated.

He had joined the scam far more easily than expected.

After intense negotiations with Bonucci, they had agreed on an even 50-50 split of the profits.

In return, Mario would cover 80% of the upfront construction costs…

But that was a price he was willing to pay.

You had to invest to make big money.

“Wow! Tied bet! Nailed it!”

Malena’s bright voice rang out, fully captivated by baccarat’s allure.

What a cute little thing. She was going to get drained dry.

Holding back a smirk, Mario locked eyes with Mrs. Bonucci.

Bonucci gave him a meaningful nod.

Teaming up with a beautiful woman seemed to be bringing him good luck.

A premonition of a jackpot.

…

Mario made sure Malena got a taste of winning, getting her hooked on baccarat.

“Wow, I won again! Sis, I really have talent for this, right?”

“You’ve got great instincts. I should start following your bets.”

“Just trust me, sis! I’ll make you rich!”

Per Mario’s instructions, the dealer subtly helped Malena win.

Since Malena always went all in, the financial hit was considerable.

50 silver, another 50 silver, another 50 silver… the money drained fast.

50 silver wasn’t a huge sum, but considering baccarat’s pace, it was significant.

Mario occasionally winced at the losses but held firm.

For days afterward.

Mario kept losing to Malena on purpose. It stung a little.

…

On the fifth day, his men started grumbling.

“Boss, isn’t that chick taking too much? She won 50 gold today alone!”

“Chick? She’s a valuable guest.”

“She’s a damn thief! Who the hell comes to a casino to win money?”

“50 gold is nothing. You’ll see soon enough.”

Mario dismissed their complaints.

“Oh, boss! Come on!”

Was it frustrating to keep bleeding money?

Sure.

But he had to endure it.

According to Mrs. Bonucci, Malena had a powerful backer—some filthy rich sponsor who had nothing but money.

“A woman like Bonucci wouldn’t waste time and resources on a mark for no reason.”

Patience was key.

So Mario endured for another day.

But by then, his patience was running thin.

“Mrs. Bonucci, can we start making money now?”

Impatient, he pulled her aside, pressing her to move forward.

Wasn’t the groundwork finished? It was time to cash in.

Bonucci narrowed her eyes, unimpressed.

“Didn’t we agree to at least two weeks of setup?”

“I think this is enough.”

“Oh? You were so sure you could handle it before. Did I ever beg you to partner up with me? Weren’t you the one pushing to get in on this?”

Each time Bonucci repeated “handle it,” Mario’s pride stung.

But money mattered more.

He wanted to crack open the honey pot.

“…Fine. Maybe it’s a bit early, but let’s begin.”

Luckily, Mrs. Bonucci agreed.

Though she seemed reluctant, she still provided instructions on how to bleed Malena dry.

“I’ll bring Malena again tomorrow. At first, you’ll keep losing to her.”

“And then?”

“I’ll subtly encourage her to raise her bets. …You just need to set up a high-limit table when I give the signal. Oh, and place a decoy to bet against her.”

Easy enough.

Now it was time to reap the rewards of his investment.

The thought of stripping an innocent, overconfident girl clean made him grin.

He clenched his fist.

This was going to be delicious.

…

The day of the big score.

Malena arrived at the casino with Mrs. Bonucci once again.

She lounged back, calling her bets like a baccarat pro. “Fifty on Player.”

Completely unaware of what was about to happen.

Now was the time to set up the special table.

Mario gave the signal, and Bonucci went to work on the naïve little fish.

“Malena, don’t you find the betting limits a bit dull?”

“A little. I actually want to play in the Hyden Casino VIP room, but that’s probably impossible, huh?”

“You don’t have to go that far. If you ask the boss here, I’m sure he can accommodate. This place is pretty flexible.”

“Hmm… I’ll think about it.”

Good job, Bonucci. Not just a pretty face after all.

Mario’s excitement built as he clenched his fist.

Just a little more. Just a little more pushing, and—

“Give me my money back, you thieves!!!”

A furious voice suddenly shattered the atmosphere.

An old man known as “40-to-1 Grandpa.”

A regular troublemaker. They had even broken his leg to keep him away.

And yet, he showed up at the worst possible moment.

Mario’s eyes darted between the old man and Malena.

Praying. Praying she wouldn’t notice him.

Praying she wouldn’t hear a word he said.

But his prayers went unanswered.

“Everyone! You can’t cash out your winnings here! I won perrrrrf—mmph!”

Malena frowned as the casino’s enforcers dragged the screaming old man out.

“Sis, let’s go somewhere else.”

“Oh? Why?”

“They don’t let you take your winnings. This place feels shady.”

And just like that, the golden goose took her bankroll and walked out.

Bonucci shot Mario a look of utter disappointment.

No. Don’t go.

Mario watched helplessly as Malena’s stunning figure disappeared.

The dazzling jewelry. The expensive dress.

It was over.

…

That evening.

Mario went to see his associate, Bonucci, desperation written all over his face.

“Just one more chance. There has to be a way.”

“A chance? Mario, your mess nearly ruined my business. How do you even run a casino?”

“I’m sorry… Damn that old bastard, I had him handled.”

After much grumbling, Bonucci finally agreed to create another opportunity.

But this time, Mario had to cover 90% of the costs.

Barely, just barely, the scheme stayed alive.

“This time, do it right. Understand?”

Of course.

With a grim expression, Mario nodded.

There was no turning back now.