Chapter 501: Founding: Darkness

"Mr. Hamilton!"

Outside the door was Tifa's voice. She had actually returned, and her tone was a bit anxious:

"Wang Hou Diana wants to see you, but you can't be found anywhere, so Miss asked me to bring you back immediately."

Xia De looked at Lei Qianya's expression again; she was pursing her lips and breathing heavily.

Angelina was holding her teacup, drinking black tea that was a bit hot in small sips, looking back and forth between the two people here with great interest:

"Mr. Hamilton, you'd better wipe off all the lipstick before you leave."

She even kindly reminded Xia De, and seeing Xia De look at her, she even took out her handkerchief. It was a silk handkerchief with a butterfly pattern embroidered on it:

"You can borrow this."

Because of Princess Angelina's reminder, when Xia De met Wang Hou Diana, there were no traces of impropriety on his face. The meeting place was the same waiting room where he waited to meet Larus III after being shot on the street last time.

Wang Hou Diana didn't meet Xia De alone, so besides Miss Galina, there were several noblewomen Xia De didn't know beside her. Because they were the ones accompanying the Wang Hou down from the third floor just now, Xia De guessed that these should also be people related to the royal family.

When Xia De was brought into the room by the attendant, Wang Hou Diana was holding that round pearl, which was more than half the size of a fist, under the light of the gas lamp, showing it off to others.

This kind of jewelry, which neither men nor women could refuse, was something even the Wang Hou hadn't seen before. After all, even if naturally formed pearls were larger than this, they would absolutely never be as round as this.

"Your Highness, good evening. Ladies, good evening."

Xia De greeted everyone here, because he didn't know most of them, so the address of "Ladies" was still appropriate.

"Look, who's here?"

Wang Hou Diana's enthusiasm seemed a bit excessive. She smiled and greeted Xia De to come over, handing the pearl to others to check.

Half of the people here were looking at the pearl, and the other half were looking at Xia De.

The noblewomen occupied that sofa. Fortunately, servants brought chairs in time, giving Xia De a place to sit.

"Detective, I heard about the opera house incident a few days ago. Thanks to you saving little Angelina, otherwise I really don't know what would have happened."

Actually, judging from the situation that day, even without Xia De, Princess Angelina should have been fine.

"That was what I should have done."

Xia De said, looking at Miss Galina beside the Wang Hou, who nodded at him.

"So, it means there's nothing to pay attention to in the following conversation."

Xia De thought to himself, and the Wang Hou spoke again:

"Today is my birthday; I didn't expect you to send such a valuable gift. Very good, this is probably the most precious gift I received this year."

Lei Qianya had said before coming here how to answer, so Xia De started reciting directly:

"Such beautiful jewelry is only worthy of a lady with your noble status."

"Look, the knight speaks as if he's performing an opera. However, I know you aren't that kind of rich person, so I won't take this gift for nothing. Last time we talked here, I promised to give you a rare Tarot card."

She nodded at the maid standing behind Xia De, who placed a metal box on the coffee table in front of Xia De.

It was brass material, but with a glass plate on top. Through the glass plate, one could see the soft velvet lining inside, and on the lining lay a card.

The card was face down, and Xia De could only see the pattern on the back of the card.

"You are too kind."

He said with a smile.

"Yes, I am really kind."

Wang Hou Diana's answer was unexpected. She unfolded the white bone fan decorated with glitter in her hand, blocked her mouth, lowered her head slightly, bent her eyes, and revealed a smile:

"Take a look at this card; it was really not easy to get it."

Miss Galina raised an eyebrow at Xia De, and Xia De nodded in surprise:

"Okay, Your Highness."

He held the box up and found that on the left and right metal plates of the four sides, there were small grooves on the top, embedding the glass plate on top. So he carefully pulled out the glass plate. Just as he wanted to reach out, he shook his head and took out the white gloves he had prepared from his pocket and put them on.

This action made the noblewomen laugh. Xia De didn't look up but turned the card over to check the front.

The relaxed smile on his face revealed a look of astonishment in the next moment:

"What?"

The front of the card only had white, black, and cold colors near the two colors. White occupied most of the card surface. A black humanoid creature was in the center of the card, half-exposed, facing the outside of the card sideways. It had no hair on its head, wings extending from its back, and curved spikes at the tips of the wings. The exposed eyes were clearly snake eyes, and it seemed to be looking at the person outside the card at an angle. There were strange-shaped, unknown biological scale marks on its face.

The background of the card was dense ruins of temples and spires.

The number 11 was marked on the upper right corner of the front, and a small star logo was on the upper left corner. Between the two, which was the center of the top of the card, a black vertical line was drawn in a white circle; this was the logo of the "Founding" series.

At the very bottom of the card, there was a little blank space, where two lines of small text were written:

【When drawing this card, if this card is the first hidden card, ignore any rules and conditions to win directly; when drawing this card, if this card is not the first hidden card, then before the end of this round, the cardholder has the right not to show the remaining cards, and can continue to draw cards after busting, but only the first two special cards drawn in subsequent draws can exert effects.】

"Founding: Darkness?!"

Xia De almost couldn't control his voice.

Miss Galina clearly knew about this card in advance, and among the other noblewomen, the few who knew about Tarot cards also raised their eyebrows.

Wang Hou Diana, who covered the lower half of her face with a fan decorated with feathers, nodded, and the smile in her eyes became even more obvious:

"Yes, 【Founding: Darkness】. It was really not easy to get this card. It was discovered by the Ice-Mining Legion in the far north of the Old Continent at the very top of the Sothos Glacier in the far north. It was frozen in the cold ice at the top of the glacier, like an altar, and I don't know how many years it had been lying in the cold ice facing the sun. Seventy years ago, this card was brought to Tobesk by the Legion Commander at the time and presented to the royal family. Later, the card had been lying in the royal treasury, and it could only be found in the warehouse catalog. I think, Knight, you should like it."

The "Ice-Mining Legion" didn't mean that this army specifically mined ice in the far north, but that they had been stationed in the north of the Old Continent all year round, which was why they had this nickname. The official name was the Jibei Garrison of the Third Legion of the Delarion Royal Army.

"Like it, very much, but Your Highness, the value of this card is really too great."

Xia De stood up from the chair and said with some trepidation.

The trepidation was, of course, feigned. After the 【Innocent Creator】 reminded him, Xia De understood the value of the Thousand-Change Cards, so he had the determination to collect all thirteen Thousand-Change Cards. He now wished he could stuff the card directly into his pocket, then run home quickly, and laugh out loud in the unlit study while holding his cat.

It was just that in this kind of occasion, he still had to pretend a bit.

"You saved me, helped little Angelina, and also sent me this birthday gift."

The Wang Hou moved the fan away from her face and took the pearl from Miss Galina's hand:

"But you're right, the value of this card is a bit too great. How about this, I heard that Tarot card players like you like to win Tarot cards by winning."

A special rule Tarot card cost at least 40 pounds each. Depending on the year of issue and other historical values, the price of the card was almost limitless. Trading a house for a card was not a rare thing among nobles. But for top nobles like Old Duke Lucas, spending time to collect a set of 54 special rule cards might take some time, but it was absolutely not an impossible thing.

But true Tarot card players could allow themselves to spend money to buy cards, but they were more inclined to obtain cards by gambling. So even if Xia De had played cards with many nobles, he hadn't seen anyone who owned more than ten special rule cards.

"Yes, we prefer to win Tarot cards with Tarot cards."

Xia De nodded, almost knowing Wang Hou Diana's idea in his heart.

"Hou Jue Glassley is holding a card game at my birthday banquet. How about this, this card will stay with me for now. You need to win against your opponents in the gambling game, and then this card will belong to you. And if you lose, I will auction this card."

She looked at Miss Galina with a smile:

"At that time, you can let others help you buy this card."

"This idea is very good, Your Highness."

Xia De put the card back into the box.

"Oh, Hamilton from Lei Jiede, are you that confident?"

The Wang Hou asked with a smile.

"Yes, Your Highness. After all, playing Tarot cards, I have never lost."

When he said this, the powerful confidence revealed on his face made this man standing under the crystal chandelier seem to be shining all over.

The news that Wang Hou Diana was going to take out the royal treasure 【Founding: Darkness】 Tarot card and gamble with Hamilton from Lei Jiede on the banquet's card game on the condition of whether he won or not soon spread throughout Yodel Palace.

She was going to watch the card game on the side herself, and Hou Jue Glassley, who had originally invited Xia De, immediately re-discussed the rules with the Divination Society staff after hearing the news, and after getting permission, had the Yodel Palace servants carry over a huge conference round table and place it in the center of the second-floor banquet hall.

Surrounding this round table, other guests attending the banquet could continue to enjoy the banquet, and the banquet flow wouldn't be disturbed. And guests who loved Tarot cards could watch from the side. ===== CHAPTER 502 =====