Guidelines for the Perfect Goodbye - Chapter 248
At first, Christian joined the game with a light heart, intending to crush the knight who had been persistently pestering him lately.
The first round: he won.
The second, third, and fourth rounds: he won.
The fifth round: he lost.
‘Well, that happens. Even I can’t expect to be lucky every single moment.’
It was fine. In the end, he would win anyway. He had never lost money when it truly mattered. Not once.
Not ever…
“…Again.”
“Again? Christian, you don’t even have any money left.”
Damn it. That smug bastard with the ponytail was already assuming he’d lose. How could he be so confident about that?
The game dragged on, and Christian lost round after round. The ponytailed man, who had previously addressed him formally as Sir Christian or Lord Christian, was now acting as though they were close friends.
‘Overstepping your boundaries.’
But he didn’t call him out. That wasn’t what mattered now. The only thing that mattered was how he could turn the game to his favor and secure victory.
“Have you forgotten who I am? Christian Pierce, heir to the House of Pierce. I have plenty of resources to draw on.”
“Of course, Your Lordship. But, Young Duke, money that isn’t in front of us at the table means nothing.”
“Is that so? Then I’ll bring it here right now.”
“Sorry, but if you leave, we’ll immediately fill your seat and continue. There’s no guarantee your spot will still be available later.”
“……”
Would he let this end in defeat? He couldn’t. The last round had to be his victory.
Christian remained in an awkward half-standing, half-sitting position. His thoughts swirled around one thing: How can I win this game?
Not even the woman he once fancied crossed his mind anymore.
All he could see were the spades, hearts, clubs, and diamonds spinning in his head. That was it.
Grinding his teeth, Christian swallowed his pride and finally opened his mouth.
“Could you… perhaps lend me some money?”
“Me? Well, I don’t have much on me today. I just came for a drink, you know? Haha…”
The ponytailed man feigned an awkward expression, as though just remembering something.
“Oh, right. Why don’t you just borrow money here?”
“Here?”
“They lend money to people who lack cash on hand, based on their creditworthiness.”
“……”
Taking a loan from an untrustworthy establishment wasn’t wise. But if he left the table now, the game would end here. He would never get the chance to win. Never.
“……”
“Of course, with that sculpted face of yours, your identity is already guarantee enough. You could borrow a few thousand Lis easily.”
The ponytailed man egged him on.
“If you want, I could even act as your guarantor.”
“Is that so?”
“Of course. Sure, if something goes wrong, I might end up in debt alongside you, but…”
The man smoothed back his stiffly waxed hair and chuckled.
“I trust your luck. You’re going to win, right?”
“…Yeah.”
He would win. He’d earn enough to recover all his losses and more, enough to cover not only this man’s drinks but also those of everyone in the café upstairs.
Because he was fortunate.
“Fine. I’ll borrow the money.”
“How much?”
“Enough for one decent round… No, wait.”
One round wouldn’t be enough to recoup everything he had lost. Even if his opponent went all in, it wouldn’t suffice.
In that case…
“As much as I can borrow.”
The ponytailed man’s eyes widened.
“Are you sure? The interest here is pretty steep.”
“Of course. Whatever the amount, I can pay it back.”
With your money—and the money of everyone at this table.
“Well, you are the sole heir of a dukedom, after all.”
With the ponytailed man acting as his guarantor, Christian borrowed money. He kept borrowing, so much that he didn’t even know the total amount anymore.
And then…
“Again.”
“Fine. But do you even have any money left?”
“……?”
“It seems you can’t borrow any more.”
“What? What do you mean…?”
The ponytailed man offered him an awkward smile.
“Exactly what I said. Looks like we’re both in a bit of trouble now, huh?”
“What… No, that can’t be. You’re lying, right?”
“Why would I lie to you? We’re in the same boat, aren’t we?”
“……”
He had borrowed beyond his repayment ability.
In other words, he had lost an amount of money equivalent to the entire fortune of the ducal house—overnight.
In just one day.
“……”
A joker card flickered in his vision. The joker that had never once been dealt to him.
“No. This can’t be.”
He denied it.
But no matter how much he tried to rewind time, the reality before him was immutable.
Aluashka
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