A lady in a glamorous dress, unsuitable for the narrow alley, stepped down from the opposite carriage.

“Let’s go back together, my son.”

A heavy silence filled the carriage.
Hys had a stern expression, while his mother, adorned with a bright smile, leisurely fanned herself with a vibrant feathered fan, scattering a rich perfume scent with each flutter.

“Why have you come here, my son?”

The two-syllable sound at the end of each word, like a nasal tune, was the only sound that irritated Hys. ‘My son.’

“It’s not a place suitable for a Crown Prince of a kingdom.”

Venice, the largest trading city near the border, was a place where money naturally gathered due to its proximity not only to Crysia but also to the imperial capital and other kingdoms.

Although it appeared to be a beautiful city with its glamorous buildings and bustling merchants, if one ventured a little deeper into the alleyways, a completely different world would emerge.

The back alleys of the city were tightly controlled by those who took care of gambling, rogues, and various illicit activities.

Hys looked out the window with a nonchalant expression. The carriage was now leaving the alley and smoothly traveling along a well-maintained road.

“It’s not a place suitable for Duke Belluna either, is it?”

Even with Hys’s bone-dry remark, Duke Belluna only responded with an elegant smile.

“I couldn’t help but be curious when I heard that my son, who refuses even my small requests, is in a place like this.”

“Small request.”

A slight chuckle escaped involuntarily.

His mother lived and died for Belluna. Even the welfare of all of Crysia was willingly sacrificed before the interests of Belluna. That was why she suffered such humiliation, up to her abdication.

“There might not be a place as active for the illicit trade of magical stones as the back alleys of this city. Regardless of your impression, my son, have you made up your mind to grant my request?”

“If this is about the development permit for the magical stone mine, I’ve told you several times that it’s not possible.”

Hys uttered the words as he pressed his throbbing head.

As feared, his mother began making unreasonable requests as soon as he became the Crown Prince. She saw him as a means to strengthen the position of Duke Belluna before her son.

“If it’s about profitability, you don’t have to worry.”

His mother’s voice was soothing.

“There are rumors that Viscount Majenne has been buying magical stones like crazy these days, and their prices are expected to soar.”

“I’ve repeatedly told you that trying to extract magical stones deeply embedded in hard bedrock may sacrifice many lives.”

His mother sighed slightly. Even that shallow sigh seemed effortlessly feigned and light.

“If that’s your intention…”

Thinking that she might finally give up, Hys glanced at his mother.

“We have no choice but to continue persuading you.”

His mother had a bright smile. Then, she took out a letter from her sleeve.

“It seems Viscount Majenne’s darling is making her debut. Why don’t you attend the debutante ball with an invitation?”
Mother wore a subtle smile, as if convinced that he would soon come over to her side.

“Once you attend, you’ll realize how much it will benefit to join hands with Viscount Majenne.”

“Number 1, Number 2.”

Now the words flowed out like a sigh.

With so many gang members, it was difficult to remember names, and partly, it was because I didn’t want to get attached for no reason, so I ended up calling them by numbers.

But it seemed like my unnecessary precaution. Names and everything else were revealed, and even the attachment that wasn’t there appeared.

“How can you not remember even after telling you a hundred times?”

“I’m sorry!”

“I apologize for my poor memory!”

I grabbed my head. Despite Hys leaving and training until midnight, I was gradually losing hope.

“Uh…”

At that moment, Number 5, who had been watching from the side, cautiously spoke up.

“I’ve been watching, and the rules are quite simple, so I unintentionally memorized them…”

I opened my eyes wide. When my gaze focused on him, Number 5, who seemed somewhat awkward, continued slowly.

“Even I managed to memorize them without realizing…”

“Can’t I give it a try?”

“Really?”

I pushed the deck of cards toward him.

“Go ahead and try.”

Carefully holding the card deck, Number 5 awkwardly shuffled the cards and started distributing them according to the rules.

“He’s a smart guy, unlike us.”

Number 1, who smelled an opportunity, immediately spoke up, and Number 2 joined in.

“That’s right. He used to be in charge of our organization’s accounts.”

“If it weren’t for him, we wouldn’t know how many sets to deal, um, we wouldn’t know how much to charge whom.”

After playing with the cards for a while, Number 5 gained confidence, and his hand movements became skillful.

“Good.”

I poked Number 5 with a twig.

“You, attend the debutante ball.”

However, one spot was still vacant. I had specifically requested three spots, and even if Hys and Number 5 took two, we still needed one more person.

“We need someone to watch our backs…”

At that moment, urgent footsteps echoed in the corridor, and Matt appeared at the door.

“Dad’s back! It’s all thanks to Mr. Ant!”

Even after Hys had sent a certain amount of money to the security office to release Pablo, it seemed to work. In short, he wasted the money.

But when Matt joyfully embraced me, I thought it was worth paying that much.

“I’ll make sure Dad never goes to the gambling den again! Thanks to Mr. Ant, I’ll keep a close eye on him!”

Although it wasn’t something a child should say, Matt clenched his fist with a determined expression.

Only then did it suddenly occur to me.

“Wait a minute. If it’s Pablo…”

He must know the rules of the card game better than anyone else.

I chuckled.

“Matt, could you bring your father here?”