Casino Wizard

Audience

An uncomfortable silence settled between King Carlo III and Princess Beatrice.

‘He suspects me.’

Beatrice instinctively knew that her father’s suspicions were directed at her.

It wasn’t as if she had used her so-called confession magic to know this. How could she dare, when the person before her was the King?

Her father simply wasn’t bothering to hide his displeasure.

His posture, forcing his hunched back straight.

His loosely clenched fists.

The way he avoided looking at his own daughter.

To be honest, suspicion was the natural reaction.

Not wanting to provoke him further, Beatrice maintained a respectful posture.

She fidgeted slightly, wearing a troubled smile to feign nervousness—an act meant to portray her as an obedient daughter. But—

“There’s no need for that.”

Her father spoke with a shallow sigh.

Beatrice immediately dropped the act and returned to her usual blank expression.

“My apologies.”

“It’s fine.”

It wasn’t as if their relationship as father and daughter was particularly bad.

Beatrice knew this. She knew her father neither despised nor disregarded her.

Why would he hate her? She was the youngest of three siblings, with doll-like features, an exceptional memory—if not intelligence—and swordsmanship skills nearly rivaling the royal guards.

As a child, it had been enough to simply display her talents and receive love.

But at some point, she had begun to sense wariness from him.

And the reason was, ultimately, politics.

After a brief hesitation, Beatrice decided to offer a swift explanation. If the situation was already uncomfortable, she might as well clear the suspicion.

“It wasn’t me.”

“Oh?”

“I did not incite Hilde Rakae of the Dragon Kingdom to put Alfonso in a difficult position, nor did I scheme with the casino owner. However… I did discreetly inform Hyden that the introduction of a sin tax was under review.”

“That’s all?”

“That’s all.”

If you don’t believe me—

She barely restrained herself from adding that.

If she offered to use confession magic on Hyden or Hilde to prove her innocence, it would be as good as challenging her father’s authority.

Fortunately, the King nodded slowly.

“I’ll believe you.”

Beatrice closed her eyes. That didn’t mean the tangled situation had suddenly unraveled.

Hyden was on his way.

The grand magician of the Dragon Kingdom. And with him, his severed foot.

It was a difficult situation. Though not as burdensome as what the Dragon Kingdom would have to endure, that wasn’t much of a comfort.

“Daughter. The gamblers are still running wild.”

The Marquis of Tripolia and his noble allies—

Over twenty titled nobles were currently residing in the palace.

Their sole purpose: to push for the reopening of the casino.

They had divided into groups, occupying six reception rooms, staging what was essentially a protest.

Marquis Tripolia, who had held all sorts of key positions during King Carlo III’s reign, was leading them.

A standoff between the King and the nobility, all over a mere casino. They might even demand a collective audience at any moment.

It was madness.

But compared to another issue, this was nothing.

“What on earth are we to do about that mad magician from the Dragon Kingdom?”

“……”

“And what about your poor brother?”

Hilde had caused trouble within the royal domain—within the King’s own territory, no less.

Yet she was also a war hero, one of the few who had defended humanity from the Demon King’s army.

If one were to count the heads of the Demon King’s forces she had slain, she ranked just below the three great Heroes.

Not all lives held the same value.

“The Dragon Kingdom, especially the dragonfolk, won’t easily abandon Hilde. Even if their internal circumstances forced them to, should we be the ones to punish her? Or should we use this as leverage to demand compensation from the Dragon Kingdom?”

“Your Majesty.”

“This is a difficult matter.”

Looking at her father, Beatrice’s eyes held a trace of sympathy.

A problem with no clear gain and no clear loss.

If Hilde Rakae had gone mad and massacred civilians, that would be one thing—but she hadn’t.

Even Beatrice didn’t have a clear solution.

‘Still, I can’t stay silent.’

What mattered now was showing her willingness to share her father’s burden.

“I will step forward.”

“Hmm?”

“I will meet with Haidin, the victim of this incident—who, regardless of the truth, must remain a victim. His opinion will be crucial in determining both the casino issue and Hilde Rakae’s fate.”

“……”

“If you permit it, I will handle this matter.”

Beatrice lowered herself respectfully, volunteering for the troublesome role.

In the next moment—

The troubled King immediately relaxed his expression and nodded.

“Do so.”

It seemed he had been testing her. Or, if not, he had at least harbored hopes that she would step up. No matter how difficult the situation, a monarch had a duty to evaluate potential successors.

Beatrice let out a breath of relief.

She had not disappointed her father.

And she was relieved to see that, despite his weary appearance, he was still strong.

‘Not that this is a situation to be relieved about.’

With a hardened expression, Beatrice returned to her quarters.

To prepare to meet Hyden. He would arrive soon.

By classification, he was an ally.

But he was also a gambler who intentionally kept his distance from the royal family.

This time, however, it seemed he would be the one reaching out for help. Because she possessed a skill that only she could wield. A skill that was particularly useful in moments like these.

‘I must find a way through this.’

What you need to show right now is your willingness to share your father’s burdens.

“I will step forward.”

“Hmm?”

“I will personally meet with Haydin, the victim in this matter—regardless of the circumstances, he must remain a victim in the public eye. The issues surrounding the casino, as well as the handling of Hilde Rakae, will ultimately hinge on his stance.”

“……”

“If you permit it, I will take responsibility for this matter.”

Beatrice spoke with deference as she volunteered for the unpleasant task.

At that moment, the troubled expression on the king’s face eased, and he nodded.

“Do as you will.”

It seemed he had been testing Beatrice from the start—or perhaps, even if that weren’t the case, he had been subtly hoping for this outcome. No matter how difficult the situation was, as a monarch, he had a duty to assess his successor.

Beatrice let out a quiet sigh of relief.

She had not disappointed her father.

And despite his haggard appearance, her father was still strong.

‘Though this is no situation to be happy about.’

Beatrice steeled her expression as she returned to her quarters.

She was preparing to meet Haydin. He was expected to arrive soon.

Strictly speaking, he was an ally.

But he was also a gambler who deliberately kept his distance from the royal family.

Even so, this time, he seemed to be the one reaching out for help. Because Beatrice possessed a unique skill—one that was especially useful in moments like these.

‘I have to overcome this somehow.’

This could be an opportunity to prove herself as a worthy successor.

The princess regained her composure.

…

But her fragile composure was soon shattered.

Because of the unexpected visitor who came to see her.

“Your Highness, Prince Alfonso has arrived. He is waiting outside the receiving room.”

“What?”

“It is true.”

The maid reaffirmed it with calm certainty when Beatrice asked again in disbelief.

The first prince’s visit was that shocking.

It meant he had willingly subjected himself to the scrutinizing gazes of palace staff, night-duty knights, and the courtiers constantly trying to ingratiate themselves with Beatrice.

For an ordinary person, being watched was nothing.

But for the first prince, it was a challenge in itself.

He had suffered under those gazes his entire life.

“Let him… bring him in.”

Beatrice barely managed to suppress her surprise as she faced her eldest brother.

He must be swallowing his pride to ask for help.

If his request wasn’t too unreasonable, Beatrice had every intention of assisting him.

But the first prince’s purpose was something else entirely.

“I heard there was an incident. I will ensure that my presence does not become an obstacle!”

He boldly offered to help manage the situation.

Despite not being in a position to help anyone.

Beatrice looked at her older brother in bewilderment.

****

After finishing my leave, I returned to the capital.

By royal decree, I entered the palace immediately.

But the one waiting for me was not the king, but the princess.

‘Doesn’t matter to me.’

After all, Beatrice’s involvement was essential in dealing with Hilde. I had planned to formally request her cooperation with proper etiquette.

“You must have a plan.”

Beatrice spoke first. That was fine.

“Does my eldest brother happen to be part of that plan? Ah, you don’t need to be polite with your answer.”

“Actually, yes.”

“A purge?”

“No. Though I will be imposing some inconvenience on His Highness, Prince Alfonso.”

But something about the princess’s words seemed strange.

It was true that the first prince was deeply entangled in this mess.

It was undeniable that he had accepted Hilde’s request and proposed the introduction of the sin tax to the king.

With Hilde now detained and struggling in the palace, wasn’t it likely that both she and the Dragon Kingdom would try to implicate the first prince? To reduce their own responsibility?

If we wanted to dismantle that argument, the first prince’s role was indeed crucial.

So it wasn’t surprising that Beatrice had anticipated that.

But that wasn’t all.

“A few hours ago, my eldest brother came to see me.”

“……”

“He admitted that his poor judgment had escalated the situation and said he would do whatever it took to make amends. He even reiterated multiple times that he had no lingering desire for the crown prince’s title.”

His intentions were baffling.

He had fallen for Hilde’s shallow manipulations—

And now he wanted to help clean up the mess?

It was likely that he was simply trying to rectify his own mistakes.

The real question was whether he was sincere.

When I hesitated to ask directly, the princess glanced at me and provided the answer.

“I verified it. Using the same method you’ve experienced.”

“You already did it, I see.”

“He said he has no ambition for the throne and no intention of interfering with your business. In fact, I asked him many things.”

She must have used a truth spell on him.

The first prince had probably volunteered for it.

What was he thinking? My curiosity only deepened.

Was he a disillusioned royal who had abandoned his ambition?

Or did he have another purpose?

At the moment, he seemed closer to the former.

“He did, however, have one condition. After this complicated situation is resolved, he wants to recommend you for a noble title as a gesture of apology for the damage done to your business. Since nominating you alone could invite suspicion, he suggested we jointly petition His Majesty.”

A proposal to grant me a title once the chaos settled.

And he wanted to ensure that both he and the princess made the recommendation together.

It was an entirely beneficial offer for me.

It would prevent people from thinking I was merely clinging to Beatrice out of pity for the unfortunate first prince. And it would also mitigate some of the indignities I had suffered due to my lack of status. Compared to the second prince, who had tried to buy me off with a title in exchange for controlling the casino, this was far more respectful.

“I have no reason to refuse.”

“Hyden?”

At this point, his intentions didn’t matter.

The first prince had no desire to stay involved in this game.

And even if he did, it had nothing to do with me.

Speculating whether his offer was a bluff or not would be a waste of time.

“Good. Then let’s go over the plan.”

Fortunately, the princess agreed. She began explaining the plan immediately.

A strategy to thwart any potential interference or accusations from the Dragon Kingdom and bring an end to Hilde.

If the two royal siblings actively cooperated—

“The Dragon Kingdom might even prefer a swift and thorough resolution.”

Now, it was time to act.

****

Shortly afterward, in the isolated quarters within the palace grounds.

“I will heal you.”

A priest arrived, and under strict surveillance, Hilde was granted medical attention.

But they did not mend her fractured ankle—only alleviated her pain.

A faint glimmer of clarity returned to Hilde’s eyes. Moments later, a caretaker was assigned to her.

Why?

Surprised by the unexpectedly humane treatment, Hilde murmured weakly.

No answer came.