Chapter 854: Coins and the Ball

Feisu Chinese.

The order of the game was decided after the seven of them deferred to one another. Xia De was placed right in the middle, which was the fourth position. He watched as his opponents took off their coats one after another, standing there in their white shirts and looking ready for action, and he found it quite amusing.

He had played plenty of Rod Pai games at banquets, but this was his first time playing a coin-tossing game like this.

"I wonder what Mia is doing right now."

When bored, he thought of his cat, and then suddenly wanted to laugh. Because his opponents at this moment, with their enthusiastic and deliberately showy demeanor, really resembled a cat that was desperate to eat in the middle of the night and was therefore fawning over him to show affection:

"The nobles of Huntington City are truly interesting."

The crowd gathered around, discussing the Princess's banquet game.

The first to step up was the youngest son of Marquis Helius, 20-year-old Mr. Mig Helius. The young gentleman was wearing a white shirt with a warm brown vest over it.

Clutching the coins, he was blindfolded by a servant before the starting line. Then, amidst the jeers of the crowd, he waved to those around him before throwing the first coin:

"Go!"

"Oh!"

He threw it with far too much force; the coin flew directly over the coffee table and nearly hit the wife of the Mayor of Huntington City, who was sitting on another sofa. The crowd burst into laughter, and the plump noblewoman also laughed and whispered a refined curse, and even Princess Margaret covered her mouth and chuckled, which made the atmosphere even livelier.

Mr. Helius, blindfolded, couldn't see anything, but hearing the laughter, he knew he certainly hadn't hit the mark. So, he held a gold coin in each hand and threw them forward at the same time.

This time he knew to control his strength, but unfortunately, the two gold coins just touched the tabletop and then rolled off to the side.

The second to step up was Baron Galal, 29 years old, with two exquisite mustaches under his nose. He also clutched the coins and let the servant blindfold him, then held one of them and shook it tentatively. The gold coin reflected the light of the gas lamps, and Xia De was also guessing whether the other party would be able to hit the target:

"May the gods bless me!"

Baron Galal said softly, then suddenly raised his hand. The coin was thrown high into the air, nearly hitting the ceiling. After falling in a parabolic arc, it flew accurately toward the tabletop, and then, with a clatter, it actually landed in the glass.

"Baron Galal, you hit it!"

Someone said immediately, followed by applause and jeers; regardless of whether they hit the target, people enjoyed the process rather than the result.

Because he had just been blindfolded and knew the specific location of the glass, it wasn't strange that the first one hit. But the Baron didn't have such luck afterward; the remaining two gold coins both touched the coffee table but failed to touch the glass.

The third to step up was the grandson of a Duke, whose identity Xia De didn't catch clearly. This young gentleman was more cautious than the first two; after missing the first time, he adjusted his hand movements according to the sound and let the second one hit accurately. As for the third, although it hit the edge of the glass, it bounced, and the gold coin landed on the table, which was indeed quite a pity.

"The next one is Mr. Holmes from Deraerion."

Hearing the Princess's personal maid calling his name, Xia De walked out of the crowd. Like the three gentlemen before him, he first got the coins and then let the servant help blindfold him. The blindfold was tied very tightly, and the cloth itself was very thick, so there was indeed no possibility of peeking:

"This kind of game is really not as interesting as Rod Pai."

Xia De thought to himself, holding two gold coins in his left hand and pinching the third with his right, preparing to throw. He also learned from his opponents and took off his coat, wearing only a white shirt. Under the bright crystal lamps and gas lamps, his well-proportioned figure attracted many sidelong glances.

【Downward.】

Xia De's hand went a little lower.

【A little to the left.】

Xia De's hand went a little to the left.

【Relax your muscles, yes, relax a bit more.】

Xia De adjusted his force.

【Throw.】

He threw the coin forward quite casually. Under the gaze of people who were either laughing, nervous, or expectant, the coin fell straight into the glass at the far vertex of the triangle, clattering as it spun in the glass.

"Great! You hit it!"

Xia De heard this answer with satisfaction, and the voice in his ear also reminded him softly:

【Princess Margaret is applauding for you.】

"So why did she invite me?"

【Relax a little, to the left, then to the right, good.】

The second gold coin was thrown by Xia De immediately after. Before people had even stopped applauding the first one, they saw the gold coin hit the second goblet accurately again:

"Hit it again!"

This time it was a man's voice, seemingly one of the blood-kin from before, who had also come to watch the banquet game here.

Xia De held the last coin in his right hand and, after a moment of hesitation, threw it forward gently. When he took off the blindfold, he saw that each of the three goblets contained a gold coin.

Clutching the strip of cloth, he walked toward the coffee table amidst the congratulations of the crowd. The ladies on the sofa also praised Xia De one after another; of course, this was not only because he ended the game early, but also because his handsome appearance and temperament were indeed very likable.

"Congratulations, Mr. Holmes, you performed very well."

Princess Margaret said softly, letting the servant hand the three gold coins to Xia De, then she took off her earrings, fetched a jewelry box, and handed it to Xia De as well.

Girls all liked to use jewelry boxes to store jewelry, unlike Xia De who would put everything directly into his pocket... or turn them into toys and put them in his pocket.

Although he didn't know how much the pair of earrings was worth, Princess Margaret's generosity also made Xia De feel favorable toward her. After taking the jewelry box, he expressed his gratitude very respectfully and praised Princess Margaret's beauty in broken Karsinrik.

Everything was in accordance with etiquette and tradition, so even though Xia De, a Deraerion, won the banquet game, no one said anything. Princess Margaret kept Xia De for a few more pleasantries, allowing the noble girls who were interested in Xia De to ask him about the situation in the New Continent and Deraerion.

Soon, with the sound of a melodious cello, it signaled the start of tonight's ball. It was 8:30, and there was more than an hour left before the banquet ended. The people around dispersed to enjoy the banquet time tonight, but just as Xia De wanted to turn and leave to find Mr. Bernhardt, who was still playing cards over there, the Princess called Xia De again:

"Mr. Holmes, the ball has started. Since you won the game, are you interested in dancing with me?"

"Hmm?"

Xia De was a little surprised, hesitating whether to agree. The other party's witch power was pitifully small; if he danced with gloves on, he wouldn't have to worry about his special nature being discovered; only direct contact would make that possible. He hesitated because he didn't know what the Princess wanted to do.

"Oh, Your Highness, you didn't add this bet to the game just now!"

Before Xia De could speak, Mr. Mig Helius, who had thrown the coin first, hurriedly objected.

At this time, there were still many people gathered in the sofa rest area. Seeing everyone looking at him, Mr. Helius flushed and said:

"Your Highness, you never dance easily with people at the ball, how can you dance with this Deraerion..."

These nobles from the South still had some opinions about Deraerions, especially since Xia De had just beaten them.

Margaret Anjou, wearing a crown, frowned with some dissatisfaction. Mr. Helius naturally saw that the Princess was displeased with his words, so he hurriedly added:

"I want to bet on Rod Pai with this gentleman. If he wins, I have no opinion! Rod Pai is the most important part of the banquet game. I think Mr. Holmes shouldn't refuse."

"Ha, I've been in this world for so long, and I've finally encountered this kind of thing!"

The outsider thought with some joy. The people around talked in low voices; no one objected and no one echoed.

And Princess Margaret, who was about to lead the delegation to visit Tobesk, could not let a conflict between her own nobles and foreign gentlemen appear at her farewell party. She intended to speak to mediate, but Xia De suddenly said:

"You want to bet on Rod Pai with me?"

He stared at the other party, and while Mr. Helius felt a little uneasy, he took out his Rod Pai deck unhurriedly.

Apologizing to the young girls around him, he sat opposite the Princess. Leaning forward slightly, he slapped the deck onto the coffee table, pressed the top of the deck with his right hand, pulled it gently, and the cards were arranged in a fan shape on the coffee table.

Picking up the card at the end, he flicked it gently to the right, and the face-down deck turned face-up smoothly; then he flicked the cards to the left again, letting the cards return to face-down. He gathered the cards together, shuffled them a few times, and slapped the rearranged deck onto the table:

"How do you want to play?"

He asked with a smile.

"Hmm..."

Mr. Helius, stunned by Xia De's "performance," pursed his lips and hesitated for a moment, then shook his head decisively:

"I respect the Princess's idea. Sorry, sir, I was abrupt just now."

After speaking, he turned and left. Such an exit was still decent, but if he really played cards and lost, that would be a real loss of face.

"What happened?"

Mr. Bernhardt, who heard the commotion here, finally walked over.

"Nothing, someone wanted to bet on Rod Pai with me."

Xia De said. Mr. Bernhardt first greeted Princess Margaret, who was standing up, and then asked Xia De in surprise:

"Bet on Rod Pai with you? Who is so bold?"

He knew very well that Xia De was the champion of "Dacheng Player 1853," and he had also witnessed Xia De's card skills and luck at the 【Sin Mansion】.

"It was Mr. Mig Helius, but he was scared away!"

Someone said, followed by a burst of laughter, and the atmosphere of the ball became even livelier.

"Viscount, is Mr. Holmes's card skill very powerful?"

Princess Margaret asked curiously. The middle-aged blood-kin noble tried hard to find the words:

"Your Highness, it's not a question of whether it's powerful, it's... Mr. Holmes often plays Rod Pai with those rude sailors on sea ships, so he has practiced extraordinary card skills. What's more, his luck has always been unmatched."

"So that's how it is."

The Princess with light golden long hair said with a chuckle. After Xia De took back his cards, he reached out his hand to the Princess:

"Your Highness, it is an honor to dance with you... Please forgive me, I am not good at this."

"It doesn't matter."

Princess Margaret placed her hand on Xia De's outstretched palm, and then they walked together toward the crowd dancing to the music.

Leaving Mr. Bernhardt standing there alone, very puzzled about what had happened while he was playing Rod Pai:

"Princess Margaret Anjou, hasn't she always been cold to men?"

On the other side, Xia De had already started dancing with Princess Margaret directly under the crystal chandelier. Karsinrik dance music is relatively slow, or rather, the current one is relatively slow, so there is no need for too intense movements.

But even so, Xia De was still very carefully controlling his steps, moving his feet according to the "slow four" steps taught by Princess Lei Qianya, and Princess Margaret seemed to be very good at dancing.

Xia De's right hand was closed, his middle and ring fingers slightly bent inward, tightly clasping the edge of Princess Margaret's dress below her left shoulder blade, and his hand held the Princess's right hand slightly. This contact area was not large, because the Princess obviously did not want to have too much contact with Xia De either.

Sure enough, there was a reason why she invited Xia De to dance. In the sound of the violin, the Princess said very cautiously:

"Mr. Holmes, sorry for involving you. I once heard Mr. Bernhardt say that you have had long adventures in the New Continent and have extraordinary attainments in swordsmanship, marksmanship, and horsemanship, so I invited you to participate in the game just now."

Needless to say, it was this Princess who asked Mr. Bernhardt to hide those goods, and the latter "bragged" a little about his friend.

"Then you invited me to participate in the game because..."

"Those earrings."

She lowered her voice to prevent a third person from hearing:

"Using earrings as a bet was not my own idea, it was my cousin, the annoying Yilin's idea."

She was talking about Yilin Cullen, the daughter of Duke Krum Cullen, who had been sitting beside Princess Margaret just now. This lady's mother was the younger sister of the contemporary Karsinrik King "Lion Ryan," so she was Princess Margaret's cousin.

"That was a birthday gift from my mother, so..."

She said embarrassedly. Xia De finally understood:

"After this dance, wait half an hour, I will wait for you in the courtyard, and you send a maid to take the earrings away."

"I'm really sorry for involving you in this matter."

The Princess apologized again. Xia De didn't think there was any problem with this. Everyone has relatives who are helpless but do exist. Of course, the outsider doesn't. This kind of conflict and dispute between noble girls, which finally turned into a jewelry dispute, is actually very common in contemporary palace novels, but Dorothy thinks similar plots are "boring and cliché."

Therefore, Xia De didn't intend to tell Dorothy or Princess Lei Qianya about the story at this Karsinrik-style banquet tonight. After all, this story was too boring.

"Mr. Holmes, are you satisfied with this banquet?"

The Princess asked again, probably to ease the atmosphere.

Xia De thought for a while, but in the end, he didn't forget Princess Lei Qianya's "prank":

"Very good, especially the food. Mr. Bernhardt recommended the vegetable salad to me. The taste of Karsinrik sweet onions, purple cabbage, and Huntington water radishes are all very good."

As a result, Princess Margaret didn't talk to Xia De about food again until the dance was over.

Xia De and Princess Margaret only danced one dance and then parted politely. The Princess returned to the sofa rest area, looking like she didn't want to dance a second dance, while Xia De found Mr. Bernhardt. This rather high-class blood-kin Viscount was very surprised by Xia De's performance:

"You are really good at dealing with young girls."

He didn't feel there was anything wrong with this, but was surprised by Xia De's methods:

"There are actually some rumors among the nobles of Winndale that this Princess Margaret doesn't get close to men on weekdays."

Mr. Bernhardt held his wine glass and lowered his voice, then made a strange expression. Xia De nodded knowingly, knowing that this was because Margaret Anjou had never given up on becoming an apprentice to a Great Witch.

Although it was agreed to exchange the earrings, in order not to attract attention, Xia De didn't set off immediately, but watched people play Rod Pai with Mr. Bernhardt.

Mr. Bernhardt's luck tonight was a bit bad, so he didn't intend to play cards anymore. Xia De didn't want to attract attention at this banquet again, so he didn't join the game either.

It was Mr. Bernhardt who mentioned that when Xia De went to Miss Sylvia, a lady joined the game and left after winning two special cards in a row.

The atmosphere is open now, but it is very rare for women to openly play cards with men at a banquet. Mr. Bernhardt told Xia De about this interesting thing, and then pointed out the lady's position to Xia De.

She didn't dance with anyone, but was chatting with a middle-aged gentleman who looked like a scholar, standing by the window looking at the night view of the courtyard. Because only her back could be seen, it was impossible to judge her age. The lady was wearing a long dress that was black on top and red on the bottom, and her hair color was a rare light golden color close to white.

They were a bit far from Xia De and Mr. Bernhardt, but Xia De still frowned slightly:

"Ring Ringed Ringed Shushi?"

"Is that lady a Ring Ringed Ringed Shushi?"

Bernhardt looked over with some interest:

"I'm sure she shouldn't have cheated when she was playing cards just now."

"There are really a lot of Ring Mages at this banquet."

Xia De muttered. Mr. Bernhardt nodded and didn't say much:

"As long as they don't cause trouble, aren't we just here to attend the banquet?"

"Yes."

Xia De looked at Princess Margaret's direction again, very sure that there were no Ring Mages around her:

"There is one more hour, and this banquet will end... I hope everything is safe." ===== CHAPTER 855 =====