NOVEL NEXT 20. More famous than she knows
A carriage adorned with the emblem of Duke Von Roseblood came to a halt by the curb. The elderly guard promptly leaped down and opened the door for his mistress. Extending his arm, he offered it to the lady, and her delicate hand rested in his calloused palm. With a slight bow, he assisted Eliz as she stepped out of the carriage.
Eliz donned a black evening gown featuring a ruched bodice adorned with emeralds in place of buttons. The only touch of purple she wore was in her eyes and the expensive bracelets adorning her wrists. However, all of this was concealed beneath a flowing, elegant cloak.
The guard, who had been assigned to her in the past, glanced at her and then at the building they had stopped in front of. With a hint of uncertainty, he inquired, "Young lady, are you certain this is the correct location?"
Eliz maintained her gaze fixed upon the place before her and nodded. "Yes, we have arrived at the right place," she replied resolutely.
They both stared at the large, ornate building with a glowing sign emblazoned on the wall above the arched, squiggly entrance.
'Golden Goose Casino'
The Golden Goose was the largest and most prestigious casino in the capital. It was only for those who could afford to spend money. The middle or lower class could not even step on the welcome mat here.
From the description in the story, this place was ostentatiously luxurious. Eliz had to agree. The entrance alone looked like a preview of a highly anticipated movie with a star-studded cast.
Red carpet, velvet ropes, elegant ushers, and a long line of people waiting to be let in. Not even the lights went out. That was not because of the cameras but because of the magical explosions on the wall that looked like gold coins raining down.
Eliz turned her gaze back to the queue and pursed her lips.
She signaled the carriage to depart and made her way to the entrance, ignoring the line. Her guard was right behind her, and although he still had doubts, he would do his job.
People began to watch her walk confidently forward, some recognizing her, others frowning just because she was outrunning them. Eliz did not care.
The servant at the entrance stopped her. "My lady. I am sorry, but I must ask you to get in line. Your turn will come soon." He was a middle-aged man with a bright and welcoming smile, but the look in his eyes said otherwise. He was probably used to arrogant young people who thought they could do whatever they wanted.
Unfortunately for him. Eliz was just like that. The Silk Kingdom itself had only a few dukes. Eliz had no qualms about taking advantage of that privilege.
Eliz gave the man a cursory glance before turning her head away and signaling to her guard, who immediately turned to the man.
"It would be nice if you could make an exception for Lady Elizabeth Von Roseblood. Besides, this is her first visit." Said the guard, discreetly slipping him a few gold pieces.
The servant smiled more genuinely. "Ah, I see. Of course, it's different. We have special rules for the first entry of prominent customers." He bowed and let them pass.
Eliz nodded her thanks and walked through the arched doorway, finding herself in an anteroom where she could take off her coat. It was a medium-sized room with two counters staffed by three people either receiving or issuing clothing.
Everything shone with polished mahogany, marble, obsidian, and gold. Right in the middle were the double doors, beautifully decorated with carvings that reminded Eliz of a feast scene filled with greed, gluttony, and cornucopia.
Eliz took off her coat and revealed her beautiful luxurious dress. Eliz couldn't help herself. She had never been concerned with appearance but needed to show it off when she was suddenly so pretty.
As she approached the door, it opened of its own accord. Her guard was close on her heels so he could continue protecting her.
As soon as the door was open, a lot of noise came out. Lots of voices, music, the sounds of slot machines, a spinning roulette wheel, the clink of coins.
The room was well-ventilated, but Eliz could smell the scent of perfume, wine, and cigarette smoke.
She walked through the door and looked around. Mana could make incredible things happen. If people were dressed more modern, she would have thought she was in a typical casino she knew from television.
Eliz looked around the large room. It was divided into several sections. The blackjack, poker, and canasta tables were on the right side. The roulette tables were in the middle, and the various slot machines were on the left. Nicely dressed waiters and waitresses walked among the guests and brought the customers' orders.
None of this interested Eliz, for her eyes, fell on the back of the room, where a large and flashy door set into a golden fountain that spat out gold coins. That was where she had to go. But things were not that simple.
Only a true patron of the casino could go through the Golden Gate. That is, someone who had lost or won a lot.
Eliz could not get in without an invitation, even with her status. She turned her head toward the slot machines.
"Well... I have always wanted to try a pull at the bar." She muttered to herself as she walked towards the machines.
Her guard immediately followed her, fearing that his mistress would get addicted to Gambling. But he couldn't do anything.
Eliz chose a machine and gave it a try. Initially, she played for amusement, observing the symbols spin across the screen. Some of the figures were completely different from what she knew. For example, the moon. A vase. A cat. But the principle was the same. Line up the figurines and win.
Eliz observed the spinning signs. She had already lost a few gold pieces but felt like she was getting used to it.
She watched them intently, and after a moment, she felt the spinning slow down.
"Huh?" she was surprised and blinked. But the speed was back to normal. She frowned and tried to focus again.
'There, it's slowed down again!'
Eliz wondered for a moment what that could be, but all she could think about was her new Achievement Coordinator. Aside from making her subordinates more successful, whatever that meant, she paid more attention to detail and acted more precisely. Could that mean her reflexes were better, too?
"Hmm. Let us give it a try, then." She muttered to herself and rubbed her hands together.
She put her hand on the lever and watched the spinning figures. It did not work immediately, but she focused on the sign and pushed the lever whenever the spinning slowed.
Click
Click
Two of the cat's characters lined up, but she missed the third by two spaces. She clicked her tongue. But it looked promising! With practice, Eliz was sure she'd get there.
"Hehe." She laughed.
Her guard gave her a worried look.
"Ooooh!"
"No way!"
"How is that possible?"
"Miss, would you blow on my dice because you are a child of luck!"
"Is the machine broken?"
Lorenzo Dreegront, the manager of the Golden Goose Casino, turned his head as he heard a commotion. As he did every hour, he made a tour of the casino to check everything and fix any minor problems, but as always, everything ran like a well-oiled machine.
A small crowd at the slot machines was watching one of the guests play. Naturally, he walked over to see what was going on.
He walked rather casually and was in no hurry, but his ears picked up the sound of the slot machine winning and the jingling of dropped coins.
He heard it twice before reaching the place, and the crowd shouted excitedly in disbelief each time.
When he reached the place, he found a beautiful young woman with black hair and bright violet eyes sitting at one of the machines. Next to the machine stood her guard, looking a bit pale, but Lorenzo immediately noticed the emblem on the guard's clothing.
House Von Roseblood.
He glanced at the young woman, and the corners of his eyes twitched as the young Lady Roseblood again lined up the pictures of the cats side by side and spat out the coins. He could not help but notice that there was already a rather large bag of coins next to her.
He found a number at the slot machine and stepped aside again to uncover his wrist, on which he wore a blue crystal bracelet. He used mana on it and spoke.
"Check the slot machine number 41." He ordered.
"Right away, boss."
Lorenzo waited and winced when he heard the following jingle of a win.
"Everything's working fine, boss. No mana fluctuations and no malfunction. According to the records, the overhaul was done two days ago."
"Good; how many gold coins did the machine withdraw?"
"Um... quite a lot, boss. The numbers already show about three thousand."
Lorenzo almost choked when he heard that.
"Good, that's all." He said goodbye and went back to Lady Roseblood.
He began to smile kindly and turned to Lady Elizabeth. "I beg your pardon, my lady. There has been a problem with this machine. May I ask you to go to another one?" He addressed her while her guard watched him intently.
Lady Elizabeth looked up at him, and Lorenzo was a little taken aback by her bored expression. Was she not winning? Should she not show a little more enthusiasm? "Moving on? Very well. I do not mind," she replied. She got up and sat down next to the one standing beside her while her protector moved the bag of coins. The crowd of onlookers moved with her. Lorenzo watched expectantly as Lady Elizabeth inserted the coin and began to play again.
A loss, another loss. Lorenzo sighed, and the onlookers made disappointed sounds. When she lost for the fifth time, they, too, began to disperse slowly, and Lorenzo decided to leave. He had barely walked a few steps when he heard the clink of a win again. He stopped.
Dingding!
Dingding!
Dingding!
Lorenzo quickly returned. "Milady, it seems that this is not a challenge for you. May I offer you entrance to the Golden Gate, where a real challenge awaits you?" He smiled and offered her a golden card.
Lady Elizabeth immediately came to life and took the card from him. "Well, it's about time. I feared I'd have to go through all the slot machines to get it."
Lorenzo kept smiling, but the idea that she was planning to withdraw all the money from the slot machines was horrifying.
Eliz waved to her protector, who picked up her loot bag and followed her. Eliz walked to the Golden Gate, holding the golden card between two fingers in her raised hand. People took notice and followed her stride with glances.
Eliz was relieved. Playing the slot machines was no fun. It had become easy for her once she found a system to utilize her new skill as a coordinator. She made mistakes occasionally, but generally, only two out of ten attempts.
The only thing that brought her happiness was the money she had won.
Eliz reached the gate and inserted the gold card into the slot. As soon as she received the card back, the gate opened, and the fountain's gold coins fell at a faster pace.
As she entered, a young servant approached her. "Welcome, dear guest. Please follow me to the money exchange," he requested.
Eliz raised an eyebrow but didn't ask any questions. She did not know what lay behind the Golden Gate. The story only explained who could enter and how prestigious it was, but it didn't provide further information when no Male Lead had ever made it to the Golden Gate. None of them were gamblers.
On the other hand, she knew there were secrets within the casino, but she had no intention of getting entangled in them. She would take what she wanted and leave.
"Please. Here you can exchange your money for Golden Goose coins. Every five hundred gold coins equal one Goose coin, and every thousand gold are one Golden Goose coin."
Eliz understood. The actual game was being played here. She glanced at her bag of money. Until now, she had thought she had a substantial amount, but when she calculated it mentally, it wasn't as much as she had anticipated.
She handed over the coins and waited for them to be exchanged. In return, she received two gold goose coins and four goose coins, equivalent to four thousand gold coins. Eliz felt a bit uneasy when she converted it to dollars. It was no small sum of money! She began worrying about having enough funds to carry out her plan.
"Please follow me, my lady," said the waitress when she was finished, leading her to the game room.
The style of the room was the same as the previous one, but it was much quieter. It was almost silent. A live band played a soft tune in the background, and people conversed in hushed voices. It was evident that significant amounts of money were being wagered here. People were serious.
"This is where all the magic happens. Of course, all the games you saw next door are available here. There's a lounge where you can relax and observe others play or place bets on the players. If you require anything, signal, and one of our waiters will promptly assist you," he explained before bowing and departing.
Eliz let her gaze wander around the room until she found her target. He was sitting at the table where Canasta was being played. She resisted the urge to go there immediately and instead focused on the money she had. It was too little. So, Eliz shifted her attention to the slot machines first.
She sighed. Eliz would have tried something else if she had more money, but now she couldn't risk it. Eliz didn't want to touch her own money.
Eliz chose a larger slot machine than the previous ones, with higher potential winnings. She studied the symbols and determined which ones offered the biggest payouts. Her eyes widened when she discovered that aligning the golden fountain symbol could multiply her winnings by up to ten times if she used a Goose coin.
She swallowed. 'Okay. This is getting a little exciting,' Eliz thought to herself as she inserted the coin. As the reels began to spin, she grabbed the lever and watched intently.
Now she really had to give it her all.
Did she imagine it, or was it spinning faster here? She focused so intensely that she barely registered anything except the spinning symbols. Her hand gripped the lever tightly, and all other sounds faded into the background as she became aware of her own racing heartbeat.
"Now!"
Click
Click
Click
Doodooo
The machine signaled a loss, and Eliz sighed in disappointment. It seemed this was going to be more challenging than she had anticipated.
Miel Hadfield sat at the Canasta gaming table. His expression remained blank, displaying a superb poker face, but he could feel the sweat on his back. He had significant money at stake in this game, and winning was crucial. He desperately needed it.
He glanced up from his cards to observe his fellow players. He was already familiar with them as he played with them regularly. After all, the more you know someone, the better your chances of outplaying them. If only that advantage didn't work both ways.
Miel was a charming and attractive young man with a talent for seduction and flattery. He took pride in his persuasive abilities, which ensured a steady stream of financial support. With his green-blue eyes, short wavy blond hair, and a well-built physique from regular workouts, Miel had no shortage of admirers.
As the son of Viscount Hadfield, Miel came from a privileged background. He had a younger sibling who was just five years old. Miel often found himself at odds with his father, who expected him to settle down and enter a committed relationship. However, Miel, in his early twenties, remained a bachelor. He had a reputation as the most sought-after single man, but he was known as a womanizer.
"You appear quite self-assured today, golden boy," a woman's voice remarked, capturing Miel's attention. He turned to face the robust woman who, despite her size, exuded a warrior's confidence and a lady's elegance.
Madame Pristine Vesnee may not have held a noble title, but she was a prosperous businesswoman who owned the renowned Vesnee brand of luxury beauty products. Describing her as wealthy would be an understatement; she possessed vast fortunes. She could easily acquire a title and perhaps a few more if desired.
"The usual, Madame Vesnee," Miel replied, flashing her one of his charming smiles. However, Madame Vesnee remained impervious to his charms. Not that he didn't try, especially given her wealth, but he had soon discovered that Madame Vesnee preferred big and hunky men. That was something beyond his control.
Madame Vesnee's dark purple hair, which was naturally long, had been meticulously braided into two neat chignons atop her head. Her slightly smaller eyes possessed a captivating hazel gaze that exuded a unique touch of sensuality. Her big and well-proportioned figure was adorned in an elegant dress that unmistakably showcased her confidence to all who looked at her.
Madame Vesnee's smile widened. "Hoho, it always amazes me how you maintain such composure even in the face of defeat."
Miel chuckled softly. "How could I possibly display an unsightly countenance in your presence, Madame Vesnee?"
"On the other hand," the older man at their table interjected, "I find it quite fascinating how you persist in showering a woman with flattery even after being rejected." His hair and beard were already white, and his wolf ears constantly twitched as he listened to the surrounding sounds. However, his eyes remained closed. Miel had never seen his eyes before and assumed the old wolf to be blind.
That would explain why he resided in capital but not among his packmates.
Nevertheless, given the old wolf's remarkable card-playing skills, Miel suspected he wasn't truly blind.
This man was Fraril Wildborne. Miel had no clue about the true nature of the old wolf's activities, but for his own sake, he chose not to delve any further. He had a suspicion that Fraril had some involvement with the underworld.
People of the wolf race typically live in smaller settlements in packs of no more than 200 members. It would be common for them to appear in cities, but only a few have settled permanently. But the wolf race was also known to admire strength and despise weakness. Old and weak individuals could leave voluntarily or be driven away by the pack's alpha. And who said old wolves did not have the strength to carry their weight?
This one certainly could.
Miel offered a nod to the wolfman. "I simply strive to embody the qualities of a true gentleman, making those around me feel at ease."
The final member seated at the table emitted a snort of disapproval. "That's a load of rubbish. How about you stop bullshitting and get on with the game?"
The harsh words were delivered sternly and intimidatingly by Kuron Frosthound, a dwarf from the mountain dwarves race. Mountain dwarves were renowned for their tough exterior and could be easily distinguished from their city-dwelling counterparts. These rugged individuals possessed weathered, leathery skin due to prolonged exposure to the mountainous climates. They were proud and skilled Makers, and earning the respect of mountain dwarves was indeed an accomplishment.
Kuron Frosthound, as the head of the Frosthound clan, had ventured down from the mountains for a business opportunity. However, it appeared that he was currently indulging in the pastime of gambling within the casino. Such a characteristic was not uncommon among dwarves, as they were fond of gambling.
Though Kuron's beard had already turned gray, traces of its once dark black hue were still discernible. The most striking feature about him was his fiery-colored eyes, indicating a trace of Fire Dwarf heritage. The Fire Dwarves were renowned for their exceptional Makers in weapon crafting and were known to inhabit volcanic regions. The largest and most illustrious tribe among the Fire Dwarves, the Firehammer clan, had even constructed an entire city within an active volcano.
Madame Vesnee chuckled flatteringly. "Don't be too hard on the golden boy, gentlemen. He's quite charming."
Kuron let out a chuckle and scrutinized Miel with a critical gaze. "In our household, he'd be a goner. Such soft skin wouldn't last a day in the mountains."
Miel flashed another smile. "Indeed, I am far too delicate to withstand the harsh conditions of the mountains. No matter how hard I try, I could never match the resilience of the mountain dwarves."
Kuron nearly choked on his beard upon hearing Miel describe himself as delicate. Not a word the dwarves would use. Not at all.
"Chm chm... At least you know that, kid."
Their conversation was interrupted by a small commotion that caught their attention.
Ding ding ding!
They all turned their heads in the direction of the sound. One of the slot machines was making a loud ringing noise and glowing with light.
"Ho! Someone hit the jackpot! Lucky bastard!" Kuron exclaimed, standing up to get a better look.
Miel's interest was immediately piqued. To hit the jackpot, one had to possess remarkable skill or luck. It was a significant sum that could afford them an entire mansion with vast acres of land.
"Well, well! It's young Lady Elizabeth Von Roseblood!" Madame Vesnee declared, her eyes shining with excitement.
"Ah! This is my chance to finally see her. Her allure is beyond words. I'd love to have her promote some of my products that perfectly match her looks," Madame Vesnee added, her enthusiasm evident.
"What? Is that Elizabeth Von Roseblood? Ha! What a stroke of luck! My future business partner has come straight to me," Kuron proclaimed, his eyes gleaming with opportunity.
Fraril also showed keen interest in the young woman but for different reasons than the others. His sources had informed him that she was the one responsible for unveiling the Rank 2 Dark Manipulator, a feat that even his network had failed to achieve. He was curious about how she had discovered the truth.
Meanwhile, Miel watched in amazement as his companions swiftly rose from their seats and pursued Lady Elizabeth Von Roseblood individually. Glancing at his cards, he decided to fold, saving himself from a crushing defeat. He made his way over to join the others, sporting his most charming smile.