episode_0012

As we entered the building, the variety of games made us question if the gambling we had been doing so far was really just child’s play.

“Ah, the card games we’ve been playing were just kids’ stuff.”

Lotus shook his head, sticking out his tongue in disbelief.

“Huh? Isn’t that darts over there?” I pointed to where people were throwing darts.

Watching people earnestly aiming darts at the round target, the four of us were momentarily captivated by the game.

“Are we supposed to be playing darts now?” Aramis snapped us out of our trance.

“We almost got carried away by the darts and lost our minds.”

We started exploring the building.

People were engrossed in their respective games.

“I don’t see anything suspicious…”

After wandering around the building for a while, we couldn’t even spot anyone drinking, let alone drugs.

“Looks like we wasted our time today.”

“Yeah, we thought there would be something fishy in the biggest gambling den…”

“Let’s just have fun here today and investigate elsewhere tomorrow.”

Aramis’s suggestion lingered in mine and Lotus’s ears.

“Hehe… I can’t wait to join the card games and have a blast.”

Lotus chuckled and disappeared into the area with card games.

“Well… I think I’ll go have a drink. There must be a place selling drinks in this building. I’ll head there, so come find me if anything happens later.”

Aramis made a money gesture with his thumb and forefinger, showing it to me.

“Come find me if you need help.”

“I will.”

Although I said I would, I had never actually repaid Aramis for the small investment he made when I served as a sniper in the war 30 years ago. Who would have known that it would lead to such happiness?

Aramis left to have a drink, leaving only Laurent and me behind.

“What about you?”

I asked, and Laurent shrugged in response.

“Well… My father always told me not to gamble. I’ve never touched a card before.”

Laurent, with his rural background, had a subtle air of a country gentleman.

“Have you ever tried betting or anything like that?”

“I’ve done a lot of sword duels for bets.”

Laurent grabbed the hilt of the rapier hanging from his waist.

“The winner would buy drinks at the tavern that evening.”

“I see…”

I felt like I was looking at some rare monster.

Seeing a nobleman who had never gambled before was a first for Laurent.

“Do you have anything you’d like to try? Among all these games, there must be something that piques your curiosity.”

At my question, Laurent pointed at the darts.

“That’s darts… right? It looks quite fun.”

It seemed like he was intrigued by darts, being new to all this.

“Then let’s go play some darts.”

As we headed towards the dartboard, many people glanced at me as I passed by.

Some young noble gentlemen seemed to be looking at my chest rather than my face, but I just ignored them and kept walking.

“Excuse me.”

A man approached us, and Laurent grabbed him.

“Excuse me, sir, are you perhaps interested in this lady here?”

He waved his finger in front of Laurent’s face, teasingly.

“That’s not the case.”

“Hmph!”

He shook his arm, brushing off Laurent’s hand holding his arm.

“Then stop meddling and step aside. I will definitely talk to that woman.”

He approached me confidently.

“Ahem! Look here, Yeong-ae.”

He cleared his throat and spoke to me in a low voice.

“Don’t lower your voice.”

“…Yes?”

I stared at him coldly.

When the man spoke to me in a low voice, it felt like goosebumps were rising on my arms.

Unconsciously, I responded to him in a cold tone.

“Um, Yeong-ae, would you like to play a card game with me if you’re okay?”

“It’s fine.”

He seemed a bit taken aback and coughed before suggesting a card game to me.

Although I liked card games, I didn’t feel like playing with him, so I shook my head and declined his offer.

“Stop that… Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Cruang de Ingule.”

He bowed and extended his right hand towards me.

Reluctantly, I extended my left hand to him, not wanting to be rude.

Laurent was giving me a sharp look as I shook hands with Cruang.

‘What’s wrong with that guy?’

Nevertheless, I shook hands with Cruang. He pretended to kiss my hand and straightened up.

“Um… may I know Yeong-ae’s name?”

“It’s fine.”

“Haha! You’re quite shy. Now that I’ve introduced myself, shall we play a card game together?”

He grabbed my left arm and tried to pull me towards the table where he was sitting.

I started feeling annoyed as he grabbed my wrist.

Why does he keep holding my wrist, even when I’m trying to leave?

“Let go.”

“Yes?”

Suddenly, anger surged through me, and I slapped his head.

Smack!

“Ouch!”

He fell to the ground, holding his head and looking at me.

“Get lost.”

“Look here!”

Realizing that he had been hit by me, he started getting angry.

Who started this and who is getting angry at whom?

Smack!

I hit his head again.

“Ow!”

As he fell to the ground, I started kicking him.

“Why! Why! Why!”

Why did I have to endure this pain without even knowing English?

Why does he keep annoying me? I wouldn’t have even looked at him before!

Why do I have to go through this? Why, why, why!

“Yeong-ae!”

Laurent grabbed my shoulder as I was kicking Cruang.

“Ugh… Ugh…”

I glared at Cruang, breathing heavily.

“I… I’m sorry! Ugh!”

He clutched his waist in pain and ran back to his table.

“Ugh, that jerk.”

Laurent watched him being teased by others at the table, with a disgusted look on his face.

“Thank you, Laurent. I got too angry and… ”

“No, it’s okay.”

Feeling calmer, Laurent let go of my shoulder.

I sighed and brushed my hair back.

How nice would it be if a pretty woman came running to me instead of a man?

Even though I had turned into a woman on the outside, my heart still raced at the sight of a pretty woman.

“Let’s go play darts now.”

“Sure, let’s go.”

After a brief commotion, Laurent and I headed to the dartboard.

The dartboard was simple, with two targets allocated per line, and we had to stand on the line to throw.

“Here are the darts for you.”

The staff handed us each three darts.

The dartboard looked quite straightforward.

The circles overlapped like a target, each with a different color.

“The goal is to hit the smallest red circle as closely as possible. You throw three darts per turn, and the person with the highest score after three sets wins.”

The employee explained the rules to me and Laurent.

“Seems easy.”

I grabbed three darts and simultaneously threw them at the left target.

Thunk!

All three darts I threw hit the coin-sized red circles accurately.

“Wow…”

The employee alternated between looking at the darts on the target and me, impressed.

“I’ll give it a try too.”

As if determined not to lose, Laurent grabbed three darts in one hand and threw them at the right target.

Thunk!

Despite a wider spread than mine, all of Laurent’s darts hit the red circle.

Looking around, I noticed people nearby had stopped what they were doing to watch us.

“Guest, you’re supposed to throw one dart at a time.”

“Oh…”

“Usually, people who hit the red circle with one dart are rare… haha…”

The employee chuckled in disappointment.

“Since you seem to understand the rules, you can leave now.”

“Oh, okay.”

The employee nodded at my words and left.

I picked up three darts and this time threw them one by one at the target.

Each dart I threw hit the red circle, and Laurent’s darts did the same.

“Ahem! Watch this.”

A burly man with a mustache throwing darts at the next lane called out to us.

I turned my head to look at him.

“Your dart skills seem quite exceptional… How about a match with me?”

“Let’s do it.”

I nodded in agreement to his proposal, and the people who were throwing darts gathered behind us to watch the match.

“Laurent, sorry, but could you make room for this gentleman?”

Laurent nodded and stepped back, standing to my right.

“I’ll go first.”

The man pulled his arm back and swiftly threw the dart.

Thunk!

Clack clack clack clack clack!

As the darts hit the red circle, the people behind us applauded.

“Let’s continue.”

Thunk!

Thunk!

As all the darts hit the red circle, the crowd clapped again.

“Now it’s my turn.”

Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!

I quickly threw all three darts, hitting the red circle each time.

The match between him and me went on for three sets, but the outcome was still undecided.

“I’ve never seen someone like you in my 15 years of dart experience.”

He wiped the sweat off his forehead with a handkerchief.

Facing someone who had been throwing darts for 15 years, saying something like “Actually, today is my first time playing darts” could lead to an embarrassing situation, so I kept my mouth shut.

“May I know your name?”

“Marie de Roan.”

“Oh… You’re the young lady who recently entered the Roan family.”

He reached into his pocket and took out a watch, handing it to me.

“What’s this?”

“My name is Morvis. This watch may come in handy someday, so please keep it safe.”

I opened the lid of the watch he handed me.

On the watch, a black background with a white rose was drawn.

Unable to recall any familiar family crest, I closed the watch.

“Thank you.”

I bowed to Morvis, put the watch in my pocket, and left.

“Look here! Young lady, have a dart match with me!”

“No, with me first!”

As I thought about what drink to have, people rushed towards me, wanting to have a dart match.

Everyone had their eyes fixed on me, ready to compete in darts.

“Don’t come any closer.”

Laurent spread his arms in front of me, blocking the people rushing towards me.

“Laurent, why don’t you take on these people?”

“What?”

Laurent looked at me with a bewildered expression at my words.

“Everyone, if you can defeat this friend first, I will take you on.”

After patting Laurent on the back, I left the place.

“What? Mary Young, what does that mean?”

Leaving Laurent surrounded by people, I wandered around looking for a place to sell alcohol.