Entering the building, I wondered if the gambling we had done until now was really gambling, as there was such a variety of games.
"Hoo, the card games we've been playing are child's play."
Lotos clicked his tongue and shook his head.
"Huh? Isn't that darts?"
I pointed to where people were throwing darts.
Watching people diligently throw darts at the round target, the four of us were momentarily captivated by the darts.
"Guys, is this the time for us to be playing darts?"
Aramis's words brought us back to our senses.
"I almost lost my mind being distracted by darts."
We began to look around the building.
People were engrossed in their respective games.
"Not really... I don't see anything suspicious."
After wandering around the building for a while, honestly, I couldn't see anyone even drinking alcohol, let alone drugs.
"So, did we strike out today?"
"I know, I thought there would be something suspicious since it's the largest gambling house..."
"Then let's play here today and investigate somewhere else tomorrow."
At Aramis's suggestion, Lotos and I grinned from ear to ear.
"Ehehe... I need to quickly join that card game and have a blast."
Lotos smiled brightly and disappeared towards the card games.
"Hmm... I should go have a drink. There must be a place selling alcohol in this building. I'll head that way, so come find me if anything happens later."
Aramis bent his thumb and index finger, making a hand gesture for money, and showed it to me.
"Come find me if it's really urgent."
"I'm always in your debt."
I gave him a thumbs up.
"But, don't forget you have to pay it back."
"Alright."
I said alright, but I had never paid Aramis back a single time.
Who would have known that the small investment I made in him when I participated as a Musketeer in the Thirty Years' War would bring such happiness.
Aramis left to drink, and only Laurent and I remained.
"What about you?"
I tilted my head and asked, and Laurent tilted his head as well.
"Well...?"
"You don't know how to gamble?"
"My father told me not to gamble. I've never touched a card."
Laurent, being from the countryside, had a somewhat scholarly temperament.
"What, you've never even made a bet or anything?"
"I've made plenty of bets on sword fighting duels."
Laurent grabbed the hilt of the rapier hanging from his waist.
"The winner would buy drinks at the tavern that night."
"Heoigo..."
I felt like I was looking at a monster.
Like a monster that is occasionally found in the outskirts of Elans, Laurent was the first nobleman I had ever seen who had never gambled.
"Then is there anything you want to try? Among all these games, there must be something that piques your curiosity."
At my question, Laurent pondered for a moment and then pointed to the darts.
"That's darts... right? That looks kind of fun."
As expected of a martial artist, he seemed to be drawn to darts.
"Then let's go play darts."
I headed towards the dart area, and Laurent followed me, trotting along.
As I headed towards the dart area, many people glanced at my face as I passed by.
Some of the younger male nobles seemed to be looking at my chest more than my face, but I just ignored them and walked on.
"Where are you going?"
As a man strode towards me, Laurent grabbed him.
"Excuse me, are you perhaps related to this Young Lady in some way?"
He raised his pinky finger in front of Laurent's face and wiggled it.
"That's not it."
"Heng!"
He shook his arm, brushing off Laurent's hand that was holding his arm.
"Then don't interfere and get out of the way. I will definitely talk to that Young Lady."
He strode towards me.
"Ahem! Excuse me, Young Lady."
He cleared his throat once and then spoke to me in a low voice.
"Don't lower your voice."
"...Pardon?"
I stared at him silently with cold eyes.
When the man lowered his voice to talk to me, goosebumps seemed to rise on my arm.
Perhaps that's why I unknowingly spoke to him in a cold tone.
"Ahem! Well, Young Lady, if you don't mind, would you like to play a card game with me?"
"I'm fine."
He seemed embarrassed and cleared his throat, suggesting a card game to me.
I liked card games, but I didn't particularly want to play with him, so I shook my head and declined his offer.
"Don't be like that... Ah, I haven't introduced myself. My name is Crouin de Inguilem."
He bowed to me and extended his right hand.
It was annoying, but I was also conscious of the people around me, and it would be impolite to refuse here, so I extended my left hand to him.
Laurent was staring at Crouin and me with fiery eyes from the front.
'What's wrong with that guy again?'
Whatever Laurent was doing, I extended my left hand to Crouin. He then brought his lips to my left ring finger, pretended to kiss it, and straightened up.
"Well... may I know the Young Lady's name?"
"I'm fine."
"Ahaha! You're very shy. Still, since I've introduced myself, let's play a card game together..."
He grabbed my left arm and tried to drag me to the table where he was sitting.
As he grabbed my wrist, I suddenly started to get annoyed.
Why do people keep trying to grab my wrist, just like when I was trying to send the pigeon?
"Let go."
"Pardon?"
Suddenly, anger rose to the top of my head, and I hit him on the head.
Ttchak!
"Eugh!"
He looked at me, clutching his head while sprawled on the floor.
"Get lost."
"Hey!"
Realizing that he had been hit by me, he started to get angry at me.
Who was the one who made me angry first? Who is getting angry at whom?
Ppak!
I hit him on the head again.
"Ugh!"
As he fell to the floor, I started kicking him.
"Why! Do I! Always! Fucking! Fucking! Why!"
"Ugh! Ugh! Uueogh!"
Why did I have to become a woman and suffer from pain for no reason?
Why do people keep annoyingly talking to me? I wouldn't have even looked at them before!
Why do I have to go through this? Why, why, why!
"Young Lady!"
Laurent grabbed my shoulder as I was stomping on Crouin, his eyes wide open.
"Heoeok... Heoeok..."
I glared at Crouin, breathing heavily.
"I'm... I'm sorry! Ugh!"
He grabbed his waist, as if he had twisted it from being stomped on by me, and ran back to his table.
"Tsk, that idiot."
Laurent clicked his tongue and looked at him, who was sitting at the table looking dejected and being teased by the others.
"Laurent, thank you. I was so angry that I..."
"It's nothing."
Laurent let go of my shoulder, sensing that I had calmed down enough.
I sighed and swept my hair back.
How nice would it be if pretty women, instead of men, liked me and ran to me.
Even though my appearance has changed to a woman, my heart still beats when I see pretty women.
"Let's go throw darts now."
"Okay, let's go."
Laurent and I, after the brief commotion, headed to the dart area.
The dart area was like an archery range, with two targets assigned to each line, and people stood on the line to throw.
"Here are your darts."
An employee handed three darts each to Laurent and me.
The dartboard looked quite simple.
It was shaped like overlapping circles of different colors, like an archery target.
"The closer you get to the smallest red circle, the higher the score. Each person throws three darts, and the person with the highest score in a total of three sets wins."
The employee explained the rules to Laurent and me.
"Easy."
I grabbed all three darts at once and threw them at the left target.
Teoteodeok!
All the darts I threw accurately hit the red circle, all the size of a coin.
"Wow..."
The employee alternated between looking at the darts stuck in the target and me, and was impressed.
"I'll try too."
Laurent, not wanting to be outdone, grabbed all three darts in one hand and threw them at the right target.
Teoteodeok!
The dispersion was greater than mine, but Laurent's darts also all hit the red circle.
Looking around, I saw that people around us had stopped what they were doing and were watching us.
"Sir, darts are usually thrown one at a time."
"Ah..."
"It's rare for people to throw one at a time and hit the red circle... Haha..."
The employee laughed weakly.
"I think I understand the rules roughly, so you can go back now."
"Ah, yes! I understand."
At my words, the employee nodded and left.
I picked up three darts and this time threw them one by one at the target.
Every dart I threw hit the red circle, and the same was true for the darts Laurent threw.
"Ahem! Excuse me."
A man with a magnificent mustache who was throwing darts in the next line called out to us.
I turned my head and looked at him.
"Your dart skills seem quite excellent... How about a match with me?"
"Let's do it."
I nodded and accepted his offer, and people who were throwing darts gathered behind us to watch the match.
"Laurent, I'm sorry, but please give up your spot to this gentleman."
Laurent nodded and stepped back, and he stood to my right.
"I'll throw first."
The man pulled his arm back and threw the dart with fierce speed.
Teok!
Clap clap clap clap clap!
The people behind us applauded as the dart hit the red circle.
"I'll continue."
Teok!
Teok!
Again, people applauded as all the darts hit the red circle.
"It's my turn this time."
Teok! Teok! Teok!
I quickly threw three darts and stuck them into the red circle.
The match between him and me continued until the third set, but no winner was decided.
"In my 15 years of dart throwing, you're the first person I've seen like you."
He wiped the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief.
I kept my mouth shut, knowing that if I said something like, "Actually, this is my first time playing darts today," to someone who had been throwing darts for 15 years, I might see something unpleasant.
"May I know your name?"
"Marie de Roang."
"Oh ho... so you're the adopted daughter that Cardinal Roang recently took in."
He put his hand in his inside pocket and took out a watch, handing it to me.
"What is this?"
"My name is Morvis. That watch may be helpful someday, so please keep it safe."
I opened the lid of the watch he gave me.
The watch had a black background with a white rose drawn on it.
No matter how much I racked my brain, I couldn't think of any family, so I closed the watch.
"Thank you."
I bowed to Morvis, put the watch in my pocket, and left the area.
'Should I go have a drink?'
"Hey! Young Lady, a dart match with me!"
"No! Me first!"
As I left, wondering what kind of alcohol to drink, people rushed at me, saying they wanted to have a dart match with me.
Everyone's eyes were burning with the desire to compete with me in darts.
"Don't come any closer."
Laurent spread his arms in front of me, preventing people from rushing at me.
"Laurent, have a match with these people."
"Pardon?"
Laurent looked at me with a bewildered expression at my words.
"Everyone, if you beat this friend first, I'll compete with you."
I patted Laurent on the back and left the area.
"Pardon? Lady Marie, what do you mean?"
Leaving Laurent surrounded by people, I wandered around looking for a place that sold alcohol.