The Regressed Empress Tames the Hunting Dog - Chapter 49

Callid checked the cards with a natural movement. Then he opened one card. After checking the additional card dealt, he placed a bet.

Everyone participating in the game followed Callid’s bet, as if unwilling to lose.

“Oh?”

“Your Highness hasn’t been here for a while. So you must not have found your rhythm yet.”

One participant provoked Callid. At that clumsy provocation, Callid sneered and folded his arms. Although his expression didn’t change at all, their gazes moved busily.

“Call.”

Starting with someone’s voice, everyone uttered a word.

“Call.”

“Fold.”

Chips continued to pile up on the table.

After a moment, the dealer waited for their conversation to stop and dealt one more card to each.

“Hmm.”

Sighs were heard here and there.

Once again, unfamiliar terms poured out and chips continued to stack on the table.

Bellia blinked her eyes as she watched them.

After the same process was repeated several times and the game concluded with an enormous amount of chips piled up, the remaining players revealed their hands.

“Two pair.”

“Not a good hand. Straight.”

“Full house. Hahaha. Seems it’s not your day, Your Highness?”

A man laughed as he placed his hand on the chips.

But Callid laid down his cards on the table and said.

“I see… Today’s not my lucky day. Just four of a kind.”

Callid grinned and gestured to the manager. Then he swept up the chips on the table.

Bellia couldn’t quite grasp what was going on, but it seemed Callid had won. So she was awkwardly clapping along when Callid, seeing her, made a mischievous expression.

“Want to look around elsewhere?”

“Yes!”

Although Bellia didn’t know the rules or what the game was, somehow she found it a bit fun.

Seeing Bellia’s slightly excited expression, Callid gathered the chips and moved to sit at another nearby table.

“What’s this?”

“This time, try participating directly.”

At those words, Bellia was startled and spoke without hiding her bewilderment.

“But I don’t know anything?”

“It’s not difficult.”

Callid explained kindly.

“Since you don’t know the rules, I’ll explain simply. The dealer will roll three dice. You can bet on whether the sum of the dice will be greater or less than 11. You can also bet on whether the sum will be even or odd. Easy, right?”

“Hmm. So I just guess numbers and bet?”

“That’s right. So you can do it too.”

Soon after, Callid announced Bellia’s participation, and the game began.

Bellia thought for a moment and decided to bet on even and greater than 11.

The result was odd, greater than 11.

“Ah…”

A sigh of disappointment escaped Bellia’s lips.

“Hehe. You lost half and gained half, so it’s a draw in the end?”

Callid laughed and handed more chips to Bellia.

Bellia focused on the dice again with determination.

Every time the dice rolled, Bellia’s eyes sparkled.

Callid found her adorable and couldn’t help but smile.

Sometimes Bellia gained, sometimes she lost everything. After repeating this a few times, she had no chips left in her hands.

“…Huh?”

Bellia, who had been so focused, looked around as she realized her empty hands.

Callid was watching her from beside, resting his chin on one hand.

“Was it fun?”

Bellia couldn’t bring herself to say no, so her face turned bright red.

She really hadn’t noticed the time passing.

‘So this is how people get addicted to gambling…’

Experiencing it firsthand, she couldn’t help but be captivated by the new stimulation. She felt ashamed for having such thoughts even for a brief moment.

Despite having a clear purpose for coming here, to be so distracted by something else!

Suddenly sobering up as if doused with cold water, Bellia jumped up from her seat, grabbed Callid’s hand, and left the place.

“Hahaha.”

Guessing why Bellia was acting this way, Callid laughed and walked as she led him.

Entering the lounge they were initially guided to, Bellia calmed her flushed face for a moment before speaking.

“What should we do now?”

Are we going to raid the hidden room now? What about the guards?

Given the nature of the content, she couldn’t bring herself to say it out loud, but Callid seemed to understand everything from her expression as he took her hand and left the room.

“Eh?!”

Not deeper into the casino, but towards the opposite exit.

“Wait…!”

“I’m glad you enjoyed yourself.”

What is this?!

Bellia turned back in bewilderment, but Callid tightened his grip on her hand and pulled her along.

Thus, Bellia found herself unexpectedly leaving the casino and boarding the waiting carriage, her expression filled with astonishment.

“Is this really okay?”

“Of course.”

The carriage headed towards the imperial palace without hesitation.

Bellia couldn’t understand what was happening at all.

To just have fun and return like this.

“Raul is in there right now! Are we just leaving him be? He’ll surely be on guard against us now.”

Since they had visited after hearing that Raul had entered an illegal gambling den, she naturally thought they would capture him.

But Callid chose to merely make his presence known and leave, drawing everyone’s attention. Moreover, his calm attitude as he sat in the carriage suggested he had planned this from the beginning.

“It doesn’t matter. We’ll visit often from now on.”

“…I don’t understand.”

She really couldn’t comprehend the reason for this.

Couldn’t they have captured him right away earlier?

Callid smiled and stroked Bellia’s cheek.

“Even if we capture Raul now, he’ll surely find a way to escape. For example, he could make excuses that we framed him.”

Bellia was surprised and questioned Callid, who was making plausible assumptions.

“Even though we discovered him there?”

How could we be blamed when we caught him red-handed?

Bellia couldn’t understand why it would turn out that way when there was clear evidence.

“We happened to discover an illegal gambling facility on our first visit to the casino and encountered Raul there? Anyone would find us suspicious.”

Callid explained calmly.

Although Bellia knew many things and was very wise, she didn’t know much about these behind-the-scenes machinations. She had only vague ideas about how people could deceive and frame others.

That’s why Callid, not Bellia, had to take the lead when plotting schemes.

“What if he claims that the 2nd Prince and his consort were using the illegal facility, and he was visiting to further investigate it? It wouldn’t be difficult to silence those operating the illegal facility or the people present, and others wouldn’t know the true situation, so they’d believe his words. After all, today was the first time we showed ourselves.”

Moreover, if the charges were reversed, they couldn’t explain how they knew in advance that Raul was using the illegal facility. That would be the worst move.

There was no clear evidence they could present, and they would only be accused of trying to excuse their own crimes.

With Raul already praised extensively by the Emperor for investigating and eliminating all illegal facilities, it was obvious where public opinion would lean.

Thinking about it carefully, Bellia realized his words made sense.

“So we need to openly show ourselves. This requires a slightly different approach than your knowledge of various incidents.”

Bellia nodded slightly, understanding his words.

“Surely there will be a moment when he lets his guard down and frequents the place again. That’s when we’ll set a perfect trap that he can’t escape from. Plus, we get to have a date.”

“But Raul will surely be suspicious of us after we showed ourselves today.”

Bellia said worriedly, but Callid shrugged and replied calmly.

“It’s fine. Thanks to you enjoying yourself so much today, we’ve eased one concern.”

Everyone there saw Bellia experiencing games for the first time and thoroughly enjoying herself. That will lend credibility to the claim of ‘accidentally discovering’ when the crucial moment to catch Raul comes.

‘Ah…’

Bellia’s face flushed hot.

She realized why Callid had her play the games.

And she had been so excited without knowing…

“You should have told me beforehand…”

Maybe it would have been less embarrassing then.

Bellia fanned her heated face vigorously with her hands.

“You were cute enjoying yourself.”

“I was just trying hard because you told me to, you know?”

Bellia puffed out her cheeks.

Callid leaned back against the chair and said with a hint of laughter in his voice.

“I’ve planted someone there. They’ll keep us informed of the situation.”

And there was already someone else designated to report.

“…You seem a bit different suddenly.”

“What?”

Well…

Hadn’t he only shown her a side that craved her love recently?

“Hmm. In what way do I seem different?”

Bellia didn’t answer.

She felt her face heating up again just as it had cooled down.

“More handsome? Or, about to fall for me?”

Callid asked, bringing his face close to Bellia’s.

His eyes were beautifully curved like crescent moons.

This was the look he always showed.

“Move away.”

Bellia pushed Callid’s shoulder.

But Callid pressed even closer instead.

“How am I? Tell me, Bellia.”

“…”

“This time, really tell me you’ve fallen for me. Hmm?”

Bellia felt like her face was about to burst.

But telling him she had come to like him would have to wait a little longer.

For now, getting revenge on Raul took priority over sharing her feelings with him.

“Bellia. Look at me.”

Moreover, if she confessed her feelings to him now, she might truly be unable to handle her own emotions. Bellia was afraid she might forget about revenge and fall completely for him.

‘…Later.’

Later, when we bring down Raul, that’s when I’ll tell him.

Bellia knew she was being cowardly.

But now was the time to maintain focus and move forward.

“…I looked. What is it?”

When Bellia spoke with a sulky expression, Callid burst into laughter.

“Haha.”

Then he hugged Bellia tightly again.

“I know you’re wavering towards me. Please understand even if I keep rushing like this because it’s overwhelming.”

Callid said as he pulled Bellia’s waist closer.

Bellia finally let out a small sigh and could only answer like this.

“…Thank you.”

At that moment, she couldn’t bring herself to say anything else.