Chapter 14: CH 13

The Third Prince, Yuu Bauer.

Among the three princes, the word prince is most appropriate for him, he’s The Prince.

With gentle character and fluffy refreshing looks, he gathers favor of noble women, but in fact, he’s also a fine schemer.

Throwing his opponents off their guard by being particularly modest, behind this face he manipulates them however he desires.

I think his personality resembles Lene in some aspects.

Like Rod-sama, Yuu-sama is always surrounded by people.

It’s a different scene though.

“Yuu-sama, I ordered an excellent black tea from the south. Would you like to drink it?”

“Oh, how unusual. Yusche’s residence was in the southern trade zone, wasn’t it. Thank you.”

“I obtained new Blume’s sweets. It seems to be called chocolate”

“Hee? I’ll have one…. Yup, delicious. The bitterness and fragrance are wonderful. Thank you, Mill”

“Say ahh, Yuu-sama. I will――”

He’s extremely popular with women.

No, Rod-sama is also popular, but as I said before, he often engages with the same sex.

When it came to popularity among players, Rod-sama is the firm number one, but within the game Yuu-sama is the clear victor.

Sein-sama?

It’s fine if the select few understand his good points.

“It’s a check”

“So it came”

Completely disconnected from such showy Yuu-sama and his companions, I’m playing chess with Claire-sama.

Thanks to that one game with Rod-sama, her unyieldingness flared up.

For now, chess is the only thing that I can say to be teaching her.

The situation on the board is that I’m being attacked.

If I make a single wrong move, the match will be decided instantly.

“Then, I’ll move like this”

“Gugu…”

Claire-sama groaned at my knight’s move.

In the last five minutes, the situation has changed a little in my favor.

Claire-sama’s way of playing is clear.

She intently forces an attack―― that’s what she relies on.

For that reason, when playing against Claire-sama, what’s effective is to take initiative after she began her attack, that is to counter.

For me, who’s familiar with Claire-sama’s way in the minigame, it’s not a hard work.

However, she doesn’t retort.

It hasn’t been a week since Rod-sama’s fight, yet we’ve played 20 games.

Can you understand with that how much Claire-sama hates to lose.

“Hmph… Claire, Qf4”

“Eh…? Ah!”

The one who interrupted Claire-sama’s pondering was Yuu-sama.

Moreover, what he said was inconsiderate.

Qf4 refers to the way of moving a piece.

Q means queen, f4 is the specific location on the board.

Like that my defense will break, it’s a strong move that will tip the situation in Claire-sama’s favor straight away.

“Thank you, Yuu-sama. But, please do not talk to me during the game. I wanted to notice it by myself”

“Ahaha, sorry, sorry. It’s because Rei was bullying Claire too much”

“Ha?”

Claire-sama looked puzzled.

“Rei is getting attacked on purpose. With it, she guides the pieces to positions convenient for her. If you think about winning against Rei, you need to revise the way you attack”

“You were doing something so despicable!?”

“Yes. But, I’ve explained it in my commentary many times over”

No matter how many times I’ve explained, she hasn’t changed her aggressive attitude, what’s more, with my guidance she was all the more likely to be caught.

“How about a little change of mood? Let’s all play poker”

Yuu-sama took out cards and broadly grinned.

Vying with each other, young ladies started gathering around us.

It’s pleasant Misha shrewdly mixed with them.

“Deed. Please be a dealer”

“Certainly”

It seems one of Yuu-sama’s attendants will act as a dealer.

With short black hair he’s quite a refined handsome man.

The rules are simple.

The person who has the strongest combination after two exchanges wins.

“Rei is surprisingly strong at chess. I’ve heard it from my older brother”

“Well, I lost to Rod-sama”

“I’ve heard you weren’t serious?”

“Eh!?”

“That’s Rod-sama thinking too highly of me”

Claire-sama showed a startled face at Yuu-sama’s words.

I’ll feign ignorance to the bitter end… That was the plan.

“Rei. You, did you go easy on Rod-sama?”

Misha brought back the topic.

“Um. That’s just Rod-sama’s false impression. I played with all my strength”

“That’s fine. Rod-sama hates when the opponent goes easy on him the most”

I’m well aware.

Or rather, as a matter of fact, that was my goal of going easy on him, I wonder what was with that reaction.

I can’t understand it.

“Fufu, after all Rei is an interesting child”

The ladies around us showed unamused faces at his fluffy laugh.

Misha included.

She’s a maiden after all.

“Did everyone get their cards? Then, let’s start the first round. First Rei”

The cards dealt to me are 2 of clubs, 4 of clubs, 3 of hearts, ace of spades, 7 of spades.

Not bad.

Or rather, it’s one away from straight.

“I’ll replace one”

Discarding 7 of spades, the dealer dealt me one card.

The dealt card is 2 of spades.

Currently, I have one pair.

“Next is Misha”

“I’ll replace two”

The dealer dealt her two cards.

Looking at the dealt cards, Misha’s expression didn’t change.

When she’s not involved with Yuu-sama, Misha is a cool beauty.

Then the other ladies replaced cards one after another.

Somehow it seems they’re replacing cards according to their social status, from the lowest.

I guess there’s no particular meaning.

“Next is Claire”

“I shall replace one”

It seems Claire-sama was dealt good cards.

“I’m last. I’ll keep my cards as is”

How like Yuu-sama to immediately make such declaration.

He must have a great hand.

“Let’s go for the second round. What will Rei do?”

“I’ll replace all of them”

“Oh”

With Yuu-sama not replacing a single one I expect him to have quite a good hand.

Straight might be a little too weak.

I bet on replacing all.

The result is a splendid high card (=garbage).

“Misha”

“I’ll replace two”

And then it’s Claire-sama’s turn again.

“I shall replace one”

Looking at the dealt card, Claire-sama smiled with satisfaction.

She’s easy to understand.

“Then, should we open. Rei?”

“It’s a high card”

“Fufu, you were unlucky”

I guess I should have aimed at the more reliable straight.

“Misha?”

“It’s three of a kind”

It’s not a bad hand.

Considering she replaced two cards at the start, her three of a kind might have been completed then.

Among other ladies that had high cards like me, one had a two pair.

“Claire? Judging by your expression brimming with confidence, I think you have a fairly good hand?”

“Fufu, it is a full house”

She showed them with an extremely satisfied smile.

To beat Claire-sama, there’s only four of a kind, straight flush, or royal flush.

“Then, my turn. Four of a kind”

It’s four aces.

This sly prince.

“Oh? Rei, do you want to say something?”

“Nothing in particular”

Sure, I want to say something.

In the hand I was dealt at first there was the ace of spades.

In other words, this game was a fraud.

Come to think of it, the dealer was Yuu-sama’s attendant.

I have no doubt the dealer was an accomplice.

“Fufu… I see. Rei reacts like this”

Yuu-sama said so with an unapologetic smile.

For some reason he’s in an awfully good mood.

“What is it? Rei, did you do something?”

“No. If I had to say anything, it’s that Claire-sama is cute”

“Every single time, I will not be deceived by that!?”

Even if she says that, becoming so unsettled is so like Claire-sama.

“Rei. Let’s play again”

“If possible I’d like to refrain”

I nonchalantly declined the sly prince’s offer.