The dimly lit room in the heart of the Galencia complex was filled to the brim with tension as Elizabeth Abraham III faced off against Ruddi Galencia. They had come to the agreement that a high-stakes game would determine the ownership of the rare, mystical heirloom.
The heirloom, an ornate silver locket, lies at the center of the antique card table. An eerie presence cast a faint, ghostly glow in the room. Elizabeth couldn't deny the allure of such a powerful artifact, and she was determined to outwit Ruddi.
I'll need more than just luck to win...
The game began with a dealer, an impeccably dressed member of the Galencia family, shuffling and cutting the 52-card deck between the two gamblers. Elizabeth's hand held a 7 of Hearts, a Jack of Hearts, a 4 of Clubs, and a 3 of Spades.
Ruddi's hand consisted of an Ace of Hearts, a King of Diamonds, a 10 of Clubs, and a 5 of Spades.
They placed down their hands, revealing their point total.
The dealer announced, "Gambler Ruddi Galencia has won this round with 25 points. 1 point more than the Gambler Elizabeth Abraham, with 24 points."
Elizabeth scoffed at the outcome. "Tsk. An unlucky round."
"Oh my, how lucky of me! It seems that lady luck is on my side."
"Enjoy the luck while it lasts, you old pig." Elizabeth let out a twisted smile as she drew her next four cards. She placed her hand on her chin as she plotted out the structure of the game.
The lack of complexity within the game lends itself far more to luck than technical skill. It isn't a problem, but it certainly does make the game more annoying. If I can't find a way to plant a "lie" within the old guy's head, I'll certainly lose.
On the opposite side of the table, Ruddi Galencia drew his 4 cards. His eyes seemed to glance at Elizabeth's various cards for no discernable reason, but he prevented his lips from forming a crooked smile, maintaining a neutral gaze.
The old man heard the mad ravings of the ornate silver locket pound at his ears, as though it were driving him mad.
Oh maiden, does my opponent have a face card in his hand?
The maiden's spectral hands slowly approached Elizabeth's cards, caressing them and revealing their true form.
"No...No...No..." The old maiden whispered.
"Hm...I see." Galencia then revealed his hand without any worry or rush. He had estimated that at most, Elizabeth could only have 39 points this turn, as the 10 of Clubs had already been used during the last turn. It was also highly unlikely that her points would be within the 30s. As such, he decided to use only 3 of his number cards this turn and save his last card, the Queen of Diamonds, for a later turn.
The dealer announced, "Gambler Ruddi Galencia has won this round with 23 points. 5 points more than Elizabeth Abraham, with 17 points."
"E-Eh? A-All right...I just lost 2 matches. It's okay." Elizabeth's face was filled with false confidence. Despite her determined smile, her constricted pupils and trembling hands indicated worry and unease.
Ruddi Galencia couldn't help but laugh. "What's wrong young one? Where did that confidence go? A lady such as yourself shouldn't make such a troubled face."
"Whatever. I haven't lost yet."
The third turn rolled by.
The dealer announced, "The round has ended with a tie. Both participants have earned 20 points."
Elizabeth let out a large sigh of relief at the outcome. It was as though she had been lifted out of a deep body of water and could finally catch her breath. It wasn't a guaranteed win, but it also wasn't a complete loss.
The two combatants would go turn after turn, carefully calculating their next move and giving their fates up to lady luck. Elizabeth slowly rubbed her cards with her thumb as she waited for the turns to progress.
However, something strange happened during the 9th turn. Ruddi glanced at the remaining deck and began to feel a creeping unease.
Isn't the deck a bit too thin? I'm sure I've been counting my cards right. Oh well, it doesn't matter anymore.
Oh maiden, does my opponent have a face card?
"No...No...No..." The maiden of the ornate silver locket replied.
"How unfortunate, Elizabeth Abraham. You're only down by a single round, yet this is where you will lose. I can guarantee you that you will not be able to draw a card past 10 during any of your turns."
Elizabeth let out a quiet laugh from under her breath. "You know, all of this is really nostalgic," Elizabeth said as she gazed deeply into the eyes of Ruddi Galencia. "Go ahead and draw your next card. Let's see what lady luck has to offer you this time."
Ruddi Galencia almost felt nauseous upon hearing Elizabeth's words. How could she possibly be so confident in a situation where she would clearly lose?! Ruddi currently held a 6, a 10 of Hearts, and a Queen of Diamonds! This match is over.
"Even a child wouldn't fall for a bluff that crude. Dealer, announce the tally."
Both parties laid down their hands.
"Gambler Elizabeth Abraham has won this round with 33 points. 7 points more than the Gambler Ruddi Galencia, with 26 points."
"Match is now tied at 4-3-4"
"..."
"..."
"..."
"Huh? What? Can you repeat that? I'm certain...I'm certain that there weren't any more face cards. No matter what, you couldn't have drawn one! You must have cheated!"
Galencia's eyes had lost their luster as his advantage had been tarnished in an instant. It was as though he was falling into an endless black void, the distant candle being snuffed out in an instant. Galencia had never doubted his memorization ability, so how could he have been bested by some middle-class brat?
Elizabeth rested her head on her arm as she looked at Galencia with a cruel smile. It was a smile devoid of kindness and love. Her eyes were empty, without a single shred of pity or mercy. This was surely a woman who had bet her life numerous times, coming out victorious at every opportunity.
"You know, I really do love guys like you. You lie through your teeth so easily that it's almost laughable. It's what makes you so easy to read."
"How...how did you possibly win this round? What trick did you pull?"
"Well, if you want me to explain the whole trick, it started in the 3rd round."
"Third?"
"That tie we had after your two consecutive victories felt far too obvious to be a fluke, so I used the remaining rounds to gauge your ability. I noticed that you could accurately predict my hand every time I had a face card and countered it appropriately. I knew that you could see my cards, or at least only see if I had any face cards."
"S-So what? That has nothing to do with the last round! How did you pull out an extra 10 points when all of the face cards and tens were used up?"
"Well for that, it was surprisingly simple. Do you know what I had during my 7th round?"
"Of course I do! It was 2 of Diamonds, Queen of Hearts, and a 7 of Diamonds! That's it! No more face cards."
"That's the exact moment that you believed in my lie. Let's go back a bit, shall we?"
Elizabeth picked up the "7" card in the middle of the desk and turned the edges of the card towards Galencia. She then revealed an extra mouth on her right palm, exposing her identity as a witch. "It occurred during the end of the 7th round. While you were too busy focusing on my queen, I spread some saliva on the front of the Jack of Diamonds card and stuck it onto the back of the 7 of Diamonds card. I thought that if I layered on cards, I could easily fool you into believing I have no face cards."
"From that point on it was pretty easy. The 8th round was a final test to see if you could truly see if I had no face cards, and the answer was a resounding 'yes'. In the 9th round, I knew that without the hidden jack card, the maximum number I could muster with my hand was 23 points, while the minimum you could muster was 24. If I hadn't caught on to your act, I would have truly lost."
What? That's impossible! How could she have possibly planned that far on a vague assumption like that? What kind of maniac would take such an insane gamble on such flippant evidence?
In a wild panic, Ruddi Galencia scoured the board to find any potential weakness in Elizabeth's plan.
Finally, he noticed one spark of light that could turn the entire situation around. There were still two cards in the reserve deck. Since both parties had run out of cards, the only option was to give each player one card.
"Wait! There's still hope. The deck still has 2 more cards. Draw! Go ahead and Draw! Do you think you've won just because of a fucking fluke you bitch?! Just try it! I'll fucking kill you in the next round!"
"Very well. Go ahead and draw."
Galencia drew the last card. It was an 8 of Diamonds.
Fuck! That last trick completely threw off my card counting. Just how many total points were there? If I can remember what the current point total is, then I can accurately predict which card she'll have!
"You really are a fool. A man who relies solely on luck is a man not worthy of gambling. The path was right in front of you, yet you missed something so simple."
The dealer announced the final results of the match. "Gambler Elizabeth Abraham has won this round with 9 points. 1 point more than the Gambler Ruddi Galencia, with 8 points."
"..." Galencia's body grew limp, as though he were a puppet that had his strings cut. For the second time in his entire life, he had felt an indescribable fear. This woman was truly the devil.
"What? What just happened? Did I lose? No...I didn't lose!"
Elizabeth got up from her seat and let out a long stretch before snatching the artifact and sealing it shut. "Well, that was a fun match. Would you like to head back Derrick?"
Derrick looked at Elizabeth with a face of astonishment. "You really are a shady person after all."
The dimly lit room in the heart of the Galencia complex was filled to the brim with tension as Elizabeth Abraham III faced off against Ruddi Galencia. They had come to the agreement that a high-stakes game would determine the ownership of the rare, mystical heirloom.
The heirloom, an ornate silver locket, lies at the center of the antique card table. An eerie presence cast a faint, ghostly glow in the room. Elizabeth couldn't deny the allure of such a powerful artifact, and she was determined to outwit Ruddi.
I'll need more than just luck to win...
The game began with a dealer, an impeccably dressed member of the Galencia family, shuffling and cutting the 52-card deck between the two gamblers. Elizabeth's hand held a 7 of Hearts, a Jack of Hearts, a 4 of Clubs, and a 3 of Spades.
Ruddi's hand consisted of an Ace of Hearts, a King of Diamonds, a 10 of Clubs, and a 5 of Spades.
They placed down their hands, revealing their point total.
The dealer announced, "Gambler Ruddi Galencia has won this round with 25 points. 1 point more than the Gambler Elizabeth Abraham, with 24 points."
Elizabeth scoffed at the outcome. "Tsk. An unlucky round."
"Oh my, how lucky of me! It seems that lady luck is on my side."
"Enjoy the luck while it lasts, you old pig." Elizabeth let out a twisted smile as she drew her next four cards. She placed her hand on her chin as she plotted out the structure of the game.
The lack of complexity within the game lends itself far more to luck than technical skill. It isn't a problem, but it certainly does make the game more annoying. If I can't find a way to plant a "lie" within the old guy's head, I'll certainly lose.
On the opposite side of the table, Ruddi Galencia drew his 4 cards. His eyes seemed to glance at Elizabeth's various cards for no discernable reason, but he prevented his lips from forming a crooked smile, maintaining a neutral gaze.
The old man heard the mad ravings of the ornate silver locket pound at his ears, as though it were driving him mad.
Oh maiden, does my opponent have a face card in his hand?
The maiden's spectral hands slowly approached Elizabeth's cards, caressing them and revealing their true form.
"No...No...No..." The old maiden whispered.
"Hm...I see." Galencia then revealed his hand without any worry or rush. He had estimated that at most, Elizabeth could only have 39 points this turn, as the 10 of Clubs had already been used during the last turn. It was also highly unlikely that her points would be within the 30s. As such, he decided to use only 3 of his number cards this turn and save his last card, the Queen of Diamonds, for a later turn.
The dealer announced, "Gambler Ruddi Galencia has won this round with 23 points. 5 points more than Elizabeth Abraham, with 17 points."
"E-Eh? A-All right...I just lost 2 matches. It's okay." Elizabeth's face was filled with false confidence. Despite her determined smile, her constricted pupils and trembling hands indicated worry and unease.
Ruddi Galencia couldn't help but laugh. "What's wrong young one? Where did that confidence go? A lady such as yourself shouldn't make such a troubled face."
"Whatever. I haven't lost yet."
The third turn rolled by.
The dealer announced, "The round has ended with a tie. Both participants have earned 20 points."
Elizabeth let out a large sigh of relief at the outcome. It was as though she had been lifted out of a deep body of water and could finally catch her breath. It wasn't a guaranteed win, but it also wasn't a complete loss.
The two combatants would go turn after turn, carefully calculating their next move and giving their fates up to lady luck. Elizabeth slowly rubbed her cards with her thumb as she waited for the turns to progress.
However, something strange happened during the 9th turn. Ruddi glanced at the remaining deck and began to feel a creeping unease.
Isn't the deck a bit too thin? I'm sure I've been counting my cards right. Oh well, it doesn't matter anymore.
Oh maiden, does my opponent have a face card?
"No...No...No..." The maiden of the ornate silver locket replied.
"How unfortunate, Elizabeth Abraham. You're only down by a single round, yet this is where you will lose. I can guarantee you that you will not be able to draw a card past 10 during any of your turns."
Elizabeth let out a quiet laugh from under her breath. "You know, all of this is really nostalgic," Elizabeth said as she gazed deeply into the eyes of Ruddi Galencia. "Go ahead and draw your next card. Let's see what lady luck has to offer you this time."
Ruddi Galencia almost felt nauseous upon hearing Elizabeth's words. How could she possibly be so confident in a situation where she would clearly lose?! Ruddi currently held a 6, a 10 of Hearts, and a Queen of Diamonds! This match is over.
"Even a child wouldn't fall for a bluff that crude. Dealer, announce the tally."
Both parties laid down their hands.
"Gambler Elizabeth Abraham has won this round with 33 points. 7 points more than the Gambler Ruddi Galencia, with 26 points."
"Match is now tied at 4-3-4"
"..."
"..."
"..."
"Huh? What? Can you repeat that? I'm certain...I'm certain that there weren't any more face cards. No matter what, you couldn't have drawn one! You must have cheated!"
Galencia's eyes had lost their luster as his advantage had been tarnished in an instant. It was as though he was falling into an endless black void, the distant candle being snuffed out in an instant. Galencia had never doubted his memorization ability, so how could he have been bested by some middle-class brat?
Elizabeth rested her head on her arm as she looked at Galencia with a cruel smile. It was a smile devoid of kindness and love. Her eyes were empty, without a single shred of pity or mercy. This was surely a woman who had bet her life numerous times, coming out victorious at every opportunity.
"You know, I really do love guys like you. You lie through your teeth so easily that it's almost laughable. It's what makes you so easy to read."
"How...how did you possibly win this round? What trick did you pull?"
"Well, if you want me to explain the whole trick, it started in the 3rd round."
"Third?"
"That tie we had after your two consecutive victories felt far too obvious to be a fluke, so I used the remaining rounds to gauge your ability. I noticed that you could accurately predict my hand every time I had a face card and countered it appropriately. I knew that you could see my cards, or at least only see if I had any face cards."
"S-So what? That has nothing to do with the last round! How did you pull out an extra 10 points when all of the face cards and tens were used up?"
"Well for that, it was surprisingly simple. Do you know what I had during my 7th round?"
"Of course I do! It was 2 of Diamonds, Queen of Hearts, and a 7 of Diamonds! That's it! No more face cards."
"That's the exact moment that you believed in my lie. Let's go back a bit, shall we?"
Elizabeth picked up the "7" card in the middle of the desk and turned the edges of the card towards Galencia. She then revealed an extra mouth on her right palm, exposing her identity as a witch. "It occurred during the end of the 7th round. While you were too busy focusing on my queen, I spread some saliva on the front of the Jack of Diamonds card and stuck it onto the back of the 7 of Diamonds card. I thought that if I layered on cards, I could easily fool you into believing I have no face cards."
"From that point on it was pretty easy. The 8th round was a final test to see if you could truly see if I had no face cards, and the answer was a resounding 'yes'. In the 9th round, I knew that without the hidden jack card, the maximum number I could muster with my hand was 23 points, while the minimum you could muster was 24. If I hadn't caught on to your act, I would have truly lost."
What? That's impossible! How could she have possibly planned that far on a vague assumption like that? What kind of maniac would take such an insane gamble on such flippant evidence?
In a wild panic, Ruddi Galencia scoured the board to find any potential weakness in Elizabeth's plan.
Finally, he noticed one spark of light that could turn the entire situation around. There were still two cards in the reserve deck. Since both parties had run out of cards, the only option was to give each player one card.
"Wait! There's still hope. The deck still has 2 more cards. Draw! Go ahead and Draw! Do you think you've won just because of a fucking fluke you bitch?! Just try it! I'll fucking kill you in the next round!"
"Very well. Go ahead and draw."
Galencia drew the last card. It was an 8 of Diamonds.
Fuck! That last trick completely threw off my card counting. Just how many total points were there? If I can remember what the current point total is, then I can accurately predict which card she'll have!
"You really are a fool. A man who relies solely on luck is a man not worthy of gambling. The path was right in front of you, yet you missed something so simple."
The dealer announced the final results of the match. "Gambler Elizabeth Abraham has won this round with 9 points. 1 point more than the Gambler Ruddi Galencia, with 8 points."
"..." Galencia's body grew limp, as though he were a puppet that had his strings cut. For the second time in his entire life, he had felt an indescribable fear. This woman was truly the devil.
"What? What just happened? Did I lose? No...I didn't lose!"
Elizabeth got up from her seat and let out a long stretch before snatching the artifact and sealing it shut. "Well, that was a fun match. Would you like to head back Derrick?"
Derrick looked at Elizabeth with a face of astonishment. "You really are a shady person after all."
