Clicking her tongue, Carynne decided on her answer. She hoped that what she’d say would sound normal.
“Sir Raymond, as I said last time, I continue to live again and again. That’s what I believe.”
“Ah… Yes…”
Raymond answered begrudgingly, and as Carynne observed his face, she asked.
“Tell me honestly, what are you thinking about?”
“I wouldn’t have decided to hold your hand if I knew you were crazy.”
“Oh my, that’s a bit regrettable.”
She thought that this was how it would have also been in the past anyway. Contrary to what others thought, Carynne knew that Raymond was coldhearted. Raymond was warm and kind only to Carynne. And flipping that supposition over, it could be said that Raymond acted coy only to Carynne.
She thought that torturing Dullan would be the easiest way to get a hint. However, Dullan would protect himself, and Raymond wouldn’t move according to her wishes. Apart from all that, Carynne wasn’t sure what kinds of threats would work against Dullan, who already showed that he thought little of death.
“Carynne.”
“Yes.”
“Please tell me.”
“Sir Raymond, in my repeated past lives, we’ve married each other many times.”
“…Um, yes…”
“Time and again, you told me you loved me and told me that you’d remember me. But that promise has yet to be fulfilled, not even once.”
“I… see.”
Raymond clenched his hands into fists. Suppressed laughter could be seen in his expression. If Carynne hadn’t done such a thing at the Hare mansion before, Raymond would have laughed out loud at this point.
That’s what he did in the past. He laughed, then he kissed her, saying that he would love her again. But if she looked at him now, oh, she wondered.
Carynne sighed.
“I expected you to react like that, so I’ve been thinking.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I knew you’d look at me like that. I’m not crazy, okay?”
He continued to have a look that said, ‘How should I respond to that?’ Raymond, too, let out a sigh.
“Alright.”
“What exactly are you alright with?”
“As I said, I don’t like complicated things. And I’m not willing to break my promise either.”
Carynne answered vacantly. He was handling this as a soldier would.
“Efficient. That’s good.”
“So then, please gamble against Baron Ein again and make another bet. Your maid was shaking when I found her. Definitely and thoroughly crush him in a game so that no one could dispute the outcome.”
“My back is still…”
“Use my money.”
Then, Raymond took out a pouch. Its weight sank down on Carynne’s bed. Staring at the pouch full of gold coins, Carynne commented.
“This is your salary for one whole year, Sir Raymond.”
This money was quite literally earned through blood and sweat. It was a small sum compared to what he’d earn as a member of the Assembly in the future, but it was quite a shame to spend this much, especially as he had just recently paid Verdic back.
“Yes. Use that as a wager. Please win using this money. Then, I will trust you and help you with anything, no matter what. And I hope that you won’t continue making crass jokes about dead bodies or whichever else.”
“Still though, the people who’ll die, will die. They haven’t even—”
“Stop. I’ve since attached someone to Baron Ein. Any strange behavior has yet to be confirmed. Honestly, I don’t believe you, but… If you play a game of cards with Baron Ein again and you’ll beat him, I’ll help you. That’s a promise.”
Carynne accepted Raymond’s proposition.
* * *
The hall buzzed with everyone’s incredulous chatter. This was impossible.
Carynne closed her eyes. She hadn’t tried it this way before. A faint sense of excitement tingled from her fingertips. She had already gotten fed up with card games decades ago. But again, this time, she couldn’t believe that she was getting thrilled by mere pieces of paper.
“I just want to be sure. Won’t you regret it?” the baron asked.
“Are you not confident?”
“……”
With a twist of one’s mouth, Baron Ein laughed. It was unbecoming of an adult like him to have fallen for the provocation of someone as young as Carynne, but he would have become even more of a laughingstock if he’d refuse now after coming this far.
Carynne looked at the people around her. She saw Crown Prince Gueuze some distance away. See, eventually, she would meet the people she needed to meet. Counts, dukes, even royalty.
She picked up a card. There’s no need for her to look at it. There’s no need to worry about whether she was going to win or not. There’s no need to think about appealing to Raymond’s sympathy or about how she could get more answers.
Here was one answer: Carynne wins, and Baron Ein loses.
“I’ll settle with these cards.”
“……”
Some nobles watching in the audience snickered at Carynne’s stupidity, while others clicked their tongues at Baron Ein. However, some were also looking forward to the outcome.
“…So you’re not going to look at the card?”
“I don’t even have to look. I’ve decided to leave it all to chance.”
“You must think of me as a joke.”
“Just for today’s game, I even woke up at dawn to pray.”
Carynne smiled and opened the card. There’s no need to check. Carynne had been reading all the numbers thus far. And this was a bet that Raymond had laid out. In order to make him believe her—in order to get his help—the man in front of her had to lose.
The cards were opened.
Baron Ein’s expression grew stiff first, then, a forced smile. And finally—
“…It’s my score,” she said.
—He shouted.
“N…No, no!”
Baron Ein’s face turned gray.
Carynne won 77 times over.
It’s a bankruptcy, a real complete bankruptcy. Baron Ein wouldn’t be able to pay this off with just his money alone—he would be forced to sell even his mansion.
With his complexion going completely ashen, Baron Ein scattered the cards on the table.
“T…This is a scam! It’s invalid! This is impossible! Everyone saw!”
“Baron Ein.”
“Y-Y-You scoundrel Raymond! You planned this, didn’t you? You and your fiancée planned this, huh? This doesn’t make sense!”
“Goodness gracious, Baron Ein. Please just accept your loss.”
Behind her fan, Countess Elva smirked and threw sarcasm at the man. After she had been robbed of a fortune by Baron Ein before, seeing him be so helpless like this was just too funny to her.
“Ridiculous! Everyone— Everyone saw, right? Isn’t this absolutely impossible?!”
“It’s quite amazing, really…”
“How did she do that?”
“She really does take after her mother.”
“She definitely cheated.”
“Honestly, since she didn’t even look at the card…”
Gosh, was she too drunk on her victory? Carynne shrugged and looked for Raymond. Everyone else didn’t matter anymore. Carynne won the wager. And now, she would receive her prize: Raymond’s trust.
“……”
However, with all these people around her, she couldn’t find him.
“How the hell did she do that?”
“Carynne? Lady Catherine’s daughter?”
“After that, one time with me…”
An excited crowd closed in on Carynne, who in turn became suffocated by so many people.
“T-This is impossible. Impossible!”
As Baron Ein continued to shout, he looked entirely pathetic, nobody paid attention to him. Win or lose, Carynne was the one in the spotlight here.
Everyone welcomed her victory. After all, it was an interesting story to tell. Carynne greeted people here and there as she was passed off to one person and another. In the end, she was only able to relax after Raymond swooped in to save her from that place.
And, Raymond promised to believe her.
This was the prize.
* * *
“Pack up. You don’t have to be shackled to Mister Verdic anymore.”
“Are you completely turning your back on him now?”
“Yes. I have to take responsibility for you now, too.”
“It’s like we’re two lovers eloping.”
“…I suppose so.”
Carynne laughed. And, she had no luggage. Her belongings here were all Verdic’s anyway. Only the maids packed their bags.
“Let’s go. Right now… Mister Verdic and I have really become enemies,” he added.
Carynne took Raymond’s hand. For a moment, he was surprised by this, but he soon wrapped his hand over Carynne’s. Then, she deliberately turned his head to glare at the Evans mansion.
Verdic was looking down at them from behind one window. By the looks of his face, he was positively seething. She wondered if she’d see Dullan, but he was nowhere to be found.
Would Raymond be able to give her ‘true love’?
She didn’t know. But for Carynne, that was now important. At the very least, she’d have to mimic it so that Dullan would acknowledge it.
Raymond’s hand was warm. She quite liked this. He was still Carynne’s knight, and he rescued her from Verdic.
Everyone was under the impression that Raymond was in love with Carynne. Sooner or later, Dullan would think so, too.
Clicking her tongue, Carynne decided on her answer. She hoped that what she’d say would sound normal.
“Sir Raymond, as I said last time, I continue to live again and again. That’s what I believe.”
“Ah… Yes…”
Raymond answered begrudgingly, and as Carynne observed his face, she asked.
“Tell me honestly, what are you thinking about?”
“I wouldn’t have decided to hold your hand if I knew you were crazy.”
“Oh my, that’s a bit regrettable.”
She thought that this was how it would have also been in the past anyway. Contrary to what others thought, Carynne knew that Raymond was coldhearted. Raymond was warm and kind only to Carynne. And flipping that supposition over, it could be said that Raymond acted coy only to Carynne.
She thought that torturing Dullan would be the easiest way to get a hint. However, Dullan would protect himself, and Raymond wouldn’t move according to her wishes. Apart from all that, Carynne wasn’t sure what kinds of threats would work against Dullan, who already showed that he thought little of death.
“Carynne.”
“Yes.”
“Please tell me.”
“Sir Raymond, in my repeated past lives, we’ve married each other many times.”
“…Um, yes…”
“Time and again, you told me you loved me and told me that you’d remember me. But that promise has yet to be fulfilled, not even once.”
“I… see.”
Raymond clenched his hands into fists. Suppressed laughter could be seen in his expression. If Carynne hadn’t done such a thing at the Hare mansion before, Raymond would have laughed out loud at this point.
That’s what he did in the past. He laughed, then he kissed her, saying that he would love her again. But if she looked at him now, oh, she wondered.
Carynne sighed.
“I expected you to react like that, so I’ve been thinking.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I knew you’d look at me like that. I’m not crazy, okay?”
He continued to have a look that said, ‘How should I respond to that?’ Raymond, too, let out a sigh.
“Alright.”
“What exactly are you alright with?”
“As I said, I don’t like complicated things. And I’m not willing to break my promise either.”
Carynne answered vacantly. He was handling this as a soldier would.
“Efficient. That’s good.”
“So then, please gamble against Baron Ein again and make another bet. Your maid was shaking when I found her. Definitely and thoroughly crush him in a game so that no one could dispute the outcome.”
“My back is still…”
“Use my money.”
Then, Raymond took out a pouch. Its weight sank down on Carynne’s bed. Staring at the pouch full of gold coins, Carynne commented.
“This is your salary for one whole year, Sir Raymond.”
This money was quite literally earned through blood and sweat. It was a small sum compared to what he’d earn as a member of the Assembly in the future, but it was quite a shame to spend this much, especially as he had just recently paid Verdic back.
“Yes. Use that as a wager. Please win using this money. Then, I will trust you and help you with anything, no matter what. And I hope that you won’t continue making crass jokes about dead bodies or whichever else.”
“Still though, the people who’ll die, will die. They haven’t even—”
“Stop. I’ve since attached someone to Baron Ein. Any strange behavior has yet to be confirmed. Honestly, I don’t believe you, but… If you play a game of cards with Baron Ein again and you’ll beat him, I’ll help you. That’s a promise.”
Carynne accepted Raymond’s proposition.
* * *
The hall buzzed with everyone’s incredulous chatter. This was impossible.
Carynne closed her eyes. She hadn’t tried it this way before. A faint sense of excitement tingled from her fingertips. She had already gotten fed up with card games decades ago. But again, this time, she couldn’t believe that she was getting thrilled by mere pieces of paper.
“I just want to be sure. Won’t you regret it?” the baron asked.
“Are you not confident?”
“……”
With a twist of one’s mouth, Baron Ein laughed. It was unbecoming of an adult like him to have fallen for the provocation of someone as young as Carynne, but he would have become even more of a laughingstock if he’d refuse now after coming this far.
Carynne looked at the people around her. She saw Crown Prince Gueuze some distance away. See, eventually, she would meet the people she needed to meet. Counts, dukes, even royalty.
She picked up a card. There’s no need for her to look at it. There’s no need to worry about whether she was going to win or not. There’s no need to think about appealing to Raymond’s sympathy or about how she could get more answers.
Here was one answer: Carynne wins, and Baron Ein loses.
“I’ll settle with these cards.”
“……”
Some nobles watching in the audience snickered at Carynne’s stupidity, while others clicked their tongues at Baron Ein. However, some were also looking forward to the outcome.
“…So you’re not going to look at the card?”
“I don’t even have to look. I’ve decided to leave it all to chance.”
“You must think of me as a joke.”
“Just for today’s game, I even woke up at dawn to pray.”
Carynne smiled and opened the card. There’s no need to check. Carynne had been reading all the numbers thus far. And this was a bet that Raymond had laid out. In order to make him believe her—in order to get his help—the man in front of her had to lose.
The cards were opened.
Baron Ein’s expression grew stiff first, then, a forced smile. And finally—
“…It’s my score,” she said.
—He shouted.
“N…No, no!”
Baron Ein’s face turned gray.
Carynne won 77 times over.
It’s a bankruptcy, a real complete bankruptcy. Baron Ein wouldn’t be able to pay this off with just his money alone—he would be forced to sell even his mansion.
With his complexion going completely ashen, Baron Ein scattered the cards on the table.
“T…This is a scam! It’s invalid! This is impossible! Everyone saw!”
“Baron Ein.”
“Y-Y-You scoundrel Raymond! You planned this, didn’t you? You and your fiancée planned this, huh? This doesn’t make sense!”
“Goodness gracious, Baron Ein. Please just accept your loss.”
Behind her fan, Countess Elva smirked and threw sarcasm at the man. After she had been robbed of a fortune by Baron Ein before, seeing him be so helpless like this was just too funny to her.
“Ridiculous! Everyone— Everyone saw, right? Isn’t this absolutely impossible?!”
“It’s quite amazing, really…”
“How did she do that?”
“She really does take after her mother.”
“She definitely cheated.”
“Honestly, since she didn’t even look at the card…”
Gosh, was she too drunk on her victory? Carynne shrugged and looked for Raymond. Everyone else didn’t matter anymore. Carynne won the wager. And now, she would receive her prize: Raymond’s trust.
“……”
However, with all these people around her, she couldn’t find him.
“How the hell did she do that?”
“Carynne? Lady Catherine’s daughter?”
“After that, one time with me…”
An excited crowd closed in on Carynne, who in turn became suffocated by so many people.
“T-This is impossible. Impossible!”
As Baron Ein continued to shout, he looked entirely pathetic, nobody paid attention to him. Win or lose, Carynne was the one in the spotlight here.
Everyone welcomed her victory. After all, it was an interesting story to tell. Carynne greeted people here and there as she was passed off to one person and another. In the end, she was only able to relax after Raymond swooped in to save her from that place.
And, Raymond promised to believe her.
This was the prize.
* * *
“Pack up. You don’t have to be shackled to Mister Verdic anymore.”
“Are you completely turning your back on him now?”
“Yes. I have to take responsibility for you now, too.”
“It’s like we’re two lovers eloping.”
“…I suppose so.”
Carynne laughed. And, she had no luggage. Her belongings here were all Verdic’s anyway. Only the maids packed their bags.
“Let’s go. Right now… Mister Verdic and I have really become enemies,” he added.
Carynne took Raymond’s hand. For a moment, he was surprised by this, but he soon wrapped his hand over Carynne’s. Then, she deliberately turned his head to glare at the Evans mansion.
Verdic was looking down at them from behind one window. By the looks of his face, he was positively seething. She wondered if she’d see Dullan, but he was nowhere to be found.
Would Raymond be able to give her ‘true love’?
She didn’t know. But for Carynne, that was now important. At the very least, she’d have to mimic it so that Dullan would acknowledge it.
Raymond’s hand was warm. She quite liked this. He was still Carynne’s knight, and he rescued her from Verdic.
Everyone was under the impression that Raymond was in love with Carynne. Sooner or later, Dullan would think so, too.
