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Eventually, the jackpot exploded.

Whether it was due to the influence of my personality or simply Bella’s good luck, I couldn’t tell.

The slot machine that hit the jackpot spat out all the money it had. With that money alone, Bella immediately qualified to enter the Advanced Area.

That meant she could now take Duke Fred with her.

“Count. If I play games here, I can win even more money, right?”

“Yes. But on the flip side, you could also lose even more.”

“Hmm…….”

Bella fell into deep thought for a moment.

Meanwhile, as I looked around the Advanced Area, I spotted Duke Fred sitting in a corner. Thankfully, he wasn’t gambling.

He was just sitting there, looking gloomy, sipping on the free champagne.

Even as a gambling addict, it was only natural for him to react like that when his beloved daughter came looking for him. Seeing him sitting there like a child waiting to be scolded made me feel a bit relieved.

I could easily imagine Fred being dragged away by Bella from now on.

After some contemplation, Bella finally spoke. But what came out of her mouth was completely different from what I expected.

“Let’s try a little more, shall we?”

“……Do as you please.”

Since she was now a guest, I had no reason to stop her, but I couldn’t help feeling a bit uneasy.

What if Bella, like Duke Fred, had developed a taste for gambling? If that happened, it would be quite troublesome.

The symbol of resistance, who fought against the players until the end, and would later be called the Saint of Meikahel—her being a gambling addict? That’s not even a funny joke.

Unaware of my troubled heart, Bella was looking around the Advanced Area.

What game would she choose? As I waited, I noticed something strange about her demeanor.

“Ahem, ahem…. The atmosphere here is quite different from the beginner’s area.”

“Is it?”

“Yes. Especially the uniforms of the women working here… they’re a bit… you know.”

“Uniforms?”

Ah… I finally understood why Bella was so flustered.

The Advanced Area mostly caters to wealthy customers with solid financial backgrounds. Naturally, the atmosphere here is tailored to entertain them.

As a result, the uniforms of the women working here are quite revealing Bunny Girl outfits.

Bunny Girls in high-leg outfits that expose their thighs were walking around everywhere.

“What are you looking at? Pervert.”

Bella, puffing her cheeks, tried to step on my foot.

But with minimal movement, I dodged her high heel.

“Ah! Why did you dodge?”

“Your foot is slow.”

“You’re really annoying….”

“You might not know this, but most of them were sold by parents who were deep in gambling debt.”

“What?”

Bella’s eyes widened as she stared at me.

“You… don’t tell me you’re exploiting them under the guise of debt….”

“Don’t misunderstand. I’ve never told them to pay off their parents’ debts. I just gave them an opportunity to work and learn here.”

Actually, this was a guideline set by Arthur Ruelberta, not Tristan.

When the casino business was just starting to take off, a significant number of nobles and wealthy individuals went bankrupt. After selling off their assets, some even resorted to selling their own children into slavery.

Arthur, who had a big heart, took in all the children who had been reduced to slaves. He fed, clothed, and sheltered them, and even sent them to schools owned by the Ruelberta Foundation to educate them, eventually accepting them as members of the casino.

Arthur’s philosophy was that to make more money, you had to treat the people who bring in the money even better.

The original Tristan wasn’t too fond of Arthur’s policies, but I thought Arthur was right.

So, as soon as I possessed Tristan, I spared no expense in improving the welfare of those working for the Ruelberta Family. It was all part of a plan to restore Tristan’s fallen reputation.

But the effects were starting to show on the faces of the Bunny Girls working in this casino.

With generous salaries, ample rest, and free access to the family’s hospitals… With all possible welfare benefits provided, the employees’ faces were glowing.

Ah, of course, the reason I told Bella this story was simply because I wanted her to be cautious. It’s unlikely, but her father, Fred, was also a gambling addict.

“I see…. They don’t look like they’re being exploited at all….”

“Right. You misunderstood.”

“…Sorry. But do men like those outfits? The ones that… show so much….”

“What do you think?”

“Hmm….”

As Bella looked around, she easily noticed the male customers leering at the Bunny Girls with lustful eyes.

“…They seem to like it. A lot.”

“That’s how it is.”

“Hmm…. What about you, Count?”

“…?”

“Be honest. Do you want to see me in something like that? Those shameless outfits?”

“If I said yes, would you wear it?”

“…Pervert.”

Bella looked up at me with disdain, but her cheeks were slightly flushed.

Having grown up as a princess, Bella probably had no tolerance for such revealing outfits.

“That’s completely the wrong answer. I’m disappointed. Zero points. The correct answer to such a question is to say that you’re the prettiest even without wearing such outfits.”

“…Noted.”

“Good. Then I’ll ask again. Count. Would you like me to wear something like that?”

“I plead the fifth.”

“You’re so mean…. If you keep dodging like that-.”

“Would you like some champagne?”

Just then, a Bunny Girl holding a tray with a champagne glass appeared in front of Bella.

“Huh? Oh, no. I….”

“Come on, just try one glass. It’s the finest champagne made from grapes grown in the Lockhart region last year.”

“I can’t drink….”

“It’s complimentary for guests in this area.”

“Oh…. Then thank you.”

“Enjoy your time.”

The Bunny Girl, who handled the situation skillfully, bowed deeply to me and then stepped back.

Despite their outfits, these women are elites who have even received higher education. Their etiquette is so perfect that even I could learn from them.

But that aside….

“I thought you couldn’t drink?”

“But it’s free, so I just….”

Bella was holding the champagne as if she didn’t want to waste it.

If that’s the case, why did she accept it so casually….

“…Give it here.”

“Ah….”

I drank the champagne for her instead.

The alcohol content wasn’t too high. Even I, who don’t know much about alcohol, could tell it was top-notch. The luxurious sweetness made it unlike any other drink I’ve ever had.

As I was savoring the aftertaste, I suddenly locked eyes with Bella.

“What’s wrong?”

“Count. Do you do this with other women too?”

“…?”

What does she mean? As I made a confused face, Bella sighed and said.

“Sigh…. Don’t drink other people’s drinks for them in the future. I’m fine with it because we’re close, but if it were other women, they’d probably misunderstand.”

“What’s there to misunderstand?”

“There is. You’re so clueless, Count.”

Bella pouted and walked past me.

I didn’t know what I did wrong, but Bella didn’t seem too upset, so I quietly followed her to the gaming area.

Ironically, the game Bella chose was the Magic Roulette that Duke Fred had been playing.

“Welcome. Is this your first time playing this game?”

“Yes.”

“Then let me explain the rules of Magic Roulette.”

According to the Bunny Girl dealer’s kind explanation, Magic Roulette wasn’t much different from real roulette. It was an intuitive game where you guessed which numbered slot the ball would land in.

After listening quietly, Bella spoke up.

“Count. I’m only planning to play one round.”

“One round?”

“Yes. I’ve already got the money I need. So even if I lose the rest, it’s not a loss, right?”

Bella bet the remaining money after setting aside the 10 million Kael required to enter the Advanced Area. Even after subtracting 10 million Kael, it was still a significant amount.

The Bunny Girl dealer collected the chips from everyone and asked each person for their number. The last person was Bella.

“What number would you like to bet on? Or you can choose odd or even.”

“I’ll bet on 0.”

“0…?”

The dealer flinched upon hearing the number from Bella. I, too, was quite surprised, though I didn’t show it.

According to the dealer’s earlier explanation, the 0 in Magic Roulette was the least likely number to come up. The reason was that, unlike the other numbered slots, the 0 slot wasn’t indented.

In other words, unless the ball balanced perfectly, it would never stop in the 0 slot.

“Ma’am. Please reconsider. 0 will never come up….”

“It’s fine. Please bet on 0.”

According to the dealer, the 0 slot was a joke slot created by the roulette designer.

A 0% chance of winning. Since the casino opened, the ball had never stopped on 0 even once, so that statement was likely true.

But… why was Bella doing this?

It was an uncharacteristic choice for her frugal personality.

Just as I was about to ask her, I felt a soft touch on the back of my hand. Bella had reached under the table and grabbed my hand.

“…?”

“Count.”

Bella whispered in a voice only I could hear.

“You once told me that if you and I met, we could never be happy. That we could never be together.”

“……I did.”

“This game is the same. So I’m going to bet on the chance that we can be together.”

What the…?

Seeing my dumbfounded expression, Bella chuckled.

“Ah, of course, it’s just for fun. I don’t mind losing it all. If it works out, it’s a jackpot, right?”

Right. As she said, the payout for betting on 0 was high. But that was only if the ball stopped on 0.

The dealer was looking at me for confirmation, but I signaled that it was okay to proceed. Looking at Bella’s face, it seemed pointless to argue.

“Then…. Let’s begin.”

The ball was thrown onto the spinning roulette wheel.

Watching it, I said to Bella.

“This is reckless. Are you testing your luck?”

“Hehe…. Maybe? But a game is just a game. You shouldn’t get too immersed.”

“Says the one who just bet a fortune on a game….”

As the roulette spun, Bella spoke.

“I think I understand why people get addicted to gambling. They try dozens, even thousands of times for that one big win. In the end, they’re willing to risk everything.”

“That’s quite the romanticization….”

“Hehe…. Maybe. But if I know I can’t be happy… if the only happiness I can have is one that can never be….”

Just then, the dealer, who had been watching the clock, shouted.

“Any last bets? 10 seconds until betting closes.”

Bella took something out of her pocket and said.

“Then I want to bet on you, Tristan.”

It was a 10 million Kael chip.

Everything Bella had. She rolled it toward the dealer.

It happened so fast I didn’t even have time to stop her.

Clink-

Her chip and the ball on the roulette wheel stopped almost simultaneously.

It felt like a lie.

The result on the roulette wheel made even me doubt my eyes.

“Oh, my god…….”

“…Is this a joke??”

Not just the dealer, but everyone who had been playing the game was stunned. The casino was in an uproar. The commotion drew people from all around.

And their reactions were all the same.

“This can’t be…!”

I felt the same way.

Because something unbelievable had just happened before my eyes.

The ball was precariously balanced on the number 0.

The 0% chance had been broken.

If it weren’t for my ‘Patience,’ I would’ve been standing there with a dumbfounded expression. Bella, seeing me, smiled shyly.

“Even so… can’t we be happy?”

At that moment, her smile was unbelievably beautiful.

 

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