IHDOE Ch 9

Satina easily guessed which male lead target would escape from a slave trader around this time.

A black-haired slave abandoned right at birth, raised without learning human etiquette or knowledge. Rescued by chance by the original heroine, he received a new name and became a loyal knight.

Having two such striking slave characters in a single game was improbable, so it was definitely him.

[Satina] "Winning the auction within three days is quite tight. In the game, I recall him meeting the heroine much further in the future."

[Liv] "According to Liv's analysis, Male Lead Target 4 will be sold to another region in three days."

[Liv] "Missing this opportunity makes the probability of encountering the target before the Summer Foundation Festival slim, so completing this quest is highly recommended."

[Liv] "After all, I am Liv, an AI system existing solely for the player."

[Satina] "He probably gets sold like that, causes trouble, and returns to the capital later."

Satina tapped the table, lost in thought.

First, the biggest problem is getting an introduction to the slave trader.

The most common method to contact a slave trader was receiving an introduction from a noble who knew him.

Then three days is not enough. Right now, no noble exists who would introduce a slave trader to me, and money to buy the slave is also required.

199 gold.

This modest sum—far too meager for a duke's daughter and Crown Prince's fiancée—was her entire wealth.

Standard methods will not work. I must use a shortcut. To do that, first……

[Satina] "I must earn money first."

[Liv] "To help the player acquire gold coins, Liv will present recommended routes."

[Satina] "Let us hear them first."

[Liv] "First, a method exists to borrow money from a male lead target by utilizing his Affection."

[Satina] "In exchange, Affection will drop, right?"

[Liv] "If requesting from Sharlan, along with sarcasm, a risk of Affection dropping by 5 exists, but the probability of borrowing money reaches approximately 87.3%."

[Satina] "Forget it. Pass on that method."

She needed to raise Affection quickly to bring up breaking the betrothal, yet losing 5 Affection was unacceptable.

How many more times would she have to see Sharlan's face and endure disgusting conversations?

When she shook her head, Liv spoke again.

[Liv] "Second, a method exists to secretly sell artwork displayed in the mansion. According to Liv's analysis, pawning the candlestick decorating the end room on the third floor carries approximately a 2.6% chance of discovery within a month, yielding an amount of about 150,000……"

[Satina] "Forget it. Not happening. If caught, I will immediately be branded a thief and confined."

Briefly, the loading window spun before her eyes.

[Liv] "That statement is accurate. In that case, is the player abandoning the quest?"

[Satina] "No. You said 20 Affection. I can't miss an opportunity like this."

[Liv] "Then what do you plan to do?"

[Satina] "I will gamble."

[Liv] "Incomprehensible."

[Liv] "By Liv's judgment, the player's gambling skills are hardly impressive. Above all, the probability of winning money through gambling is……"

[Satina] "No, not me."

She pointed at the loading window floating in midair.

[Satina] "You. You will do it, Liv."

[Liv] "……Me?"

---

That night, as darkness deepened, Satina slipped quietly out of the mansion.

Having spent years avoiding servants' glares, she knew the mansion's secluded spots well. Moreover, few servants bothered to pay attention to her in the first place.

Satina could guarantee that even if she vanished for a week, no one would notice.

Only when my personal maid Cheney or torment-seeking Rebecca comes by will they realize I vanished.

Even then, whether they would actually search for her remained doubtful. Unless they rejoiced that an eyesore of a nuisance left on her own feet.

Either way, thanks to that, she exited the mansion with ease. Afterward, she followed the system's navigation guidance.

The destination reached at last was a gambling house located in a back alley. Though several cleaner and far more glamorous gambling dens existed nearby, her reason for choosing this place was clear.

This is the very place operated by the slave trader.

Since she ventured out anyway, she intended to handle meeting the slave trader in a single trip.

When she entered the gambling den wearing a mask, a rough-looking man nearby called out to her.

[Man] "Hey, hey, miss. First time here? If so, how about a round with me?"

[Patron] "Don't listen to him! He is trying to scam you. Why not play a round with me instead, huh?"

At the arrival of a fresh face never seen in this gambling house, patrons rushed over to speak with Satina without exception.

They clearly intended to strip a beginner like me clean.

Yet instead of declining the wagers offered, she accepted with a bright smile.

This works out even better. I worried about how to find opponents, but they approached me first.

Upon her agreement, a table was arranged immediately.

The man who won the right to be her first opponent through rock-paper-scissors offered a despicable smirk.

[Opponent] "Now then, we must set the stakes……"

She tossed her pouch onto the table.

[Satina] "I go all in."

At her words, the opponent made no effort to hide his wide, splitting grin.

[Opponent] "Hehe, all in? All in, you say? Miss, you seem to believe in beginner's luck, but in this card game, such things are pure myth."

He smirked, eyeing her pouch.

[Opponent] "Don't resent me when you lose everything. This is a world where crying and begging after losing money gets you no refund."

The patrons in the gambling house gathered around Satina and the man, whispering among themselves.

[Crowd] "Well, well. That miss clearly looks like a newcomer. She is going to end up completely ruined today."

[Crowd] "This is why theater plays are a problem. Plays always feature people shouting 'all in' when playing cards, so a naive lady like her shouts 'all in' thinking it's something good."

The cards were dealt. Less than five minutes passed before the man's expression turned to sheer despair.

---

[Liv] "Odd."

[Satina] "Odd."

Satina spoke as she placed her card down according to Liv's instruction.

[Liv] "Even."

[Satina] "Even."

[Liv] "The total is equal."

[Satina] "Equal."

[Crowd] "W-Woah! What on earth is with that lady!"

[Crowd] "She predicted correctly over twenty times already! Is that possible for a human?"

[Patron] "Hey, hey! Miss! Teach me that secret too!"

[Patron] "Did she collude with the dealer? She acts as if the opponent's hand is visible right before her eyes!"

Listening to those comments, Satina replied inwardly.

That is correct; it is visible.

To be precise, Liv was looking, not Satina.

As a human, she could only see the opponent's face before her, but Liv was different. It could freely manipulate its field of view to observe from afar without possessing a physical body that drew attention from others. Thus, she utilized those system traits directly for the card game.

The man who first challenged her was stripped of all his funds on the spot and forced off the table.

The same happened next.

A woman who confidently sat at the table aiming for the gold Satina won surrendered even her bracelet to Satina in less than ten minutes.

The next opponent, and the opponent after that, suffered the same fate.

Everyone had to hand over all their possessions to Satina, who saw straight through their hands.

The current opponent was no different.

Clutching his head, the opponent seated opposite Satina stomped his feet violently.

[Opponent] "Damn it! Damn it!"

He threw his cards onto the floor and bolted from his seat.

As Satina gathered the gold coins resting on the table, cheers erupted around her.

[Liv] "The player's holdings exceed 200,000 gold."

Multiplying her wealth a thousandfold in a few short hours showed the sheer terrors of gambling.

[Liv] "Liv admires the player's resourcefulness. How about using this opportunity to become the empire's greatest gambler?"

Not happening.

Satina responded inwardly.

Empire's greatest gambler sounded nice, but in plain terms, it meant a degenerate gambler. A single mistake could cause Fame to plummet.

I didn't wear a mask to conceal my identity for nothing. At any rate……

Satina carefully read the dealer's expression. With one person sweeping away funds continuously, trouble showed on the dealer's face.

It should be time for them to approach me.

To deal with a slave trader, one normally needed an introduction from a noble who traded with him, but another method to meet the slave trader existed.

At that moment, a man who had been merely watching her performance sat down opposite Satina.

[Canahel] "Beginner's luck seems to stretch long today! But it won't work against me!"

[Crowd] "W-Woah! It's Baron Canahel!"

[Crowd] "That man is impressive! Rumor says he bought his noble title with money won through gambling!"

Unlike other patrons in the gambling house dressed in shabby clothes, Baron Canahel wore a stylish suit.

Tapping his temple with an index finger, he spoke.

[Canahel] "Gambling is originally done with brains, not feelings! Watching your play all this time, I finished analyzing how you conduct your game!"

Is that even possible to analyze?

Liv simply read the opponent's cards directly, so Satina had no idea what Baron Canahel thought he analyzed. Instead, she didn't miss the change in the dealer's expression the moment he appeared.

Good. If I handle this man, I can meet the slave trader.

[Canahel] "How much will you wager?"

He asked, seated opposite Satina. She replied with an indifferent expression.

[Satina] "If you watched my play all this time, you should know. All in."

[Canahel] "All in! You mean to wager all 200,000 gold? That must be quite a large fortune for a miss like you!"

[Satina] "Are you frightened? If so, you may stop here. The cards have not been dealt yet."

[Canahel] "Frightened? Me? No! I was merely concerned for you, miss!"

He smirked, scanning her neckline revealed beneath the mask.

[Canahel] "Well, if things don't work out, another way to find a bed for tonight exists."

The cards were dealt.

Baron Canahel wore a triumphant smile as if already certain of victory.

The spectators watching the two set up side bets among themselves.

[Crowd] "I'm betting on the Baron this time."

[Crowd] "Ayy, but that miss is impressive too. Didn't you see her predict everything correctly until now?"

[Crowd] "It's just beginner's luck! Did you forget the Baron stripped the butcher of his house deed last time?"

The card dealing stopped.

At that moment, Satina snatched Baron Canahel's wrist.

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