Any rules set by the salon organizers are absolute within the salon, no matter what those rules may be.
It was an unwritten rule among the aristocracy, because the salon was not just a place for socializing, but was considered the future of Barceha.
Therefore, anyone who ignored the organizers or rules was forever ostracized from the aristocratic society.
The host of this salon, 'Lady Karin', attracted attention by elegantly hitting a glass with a spoon before announcing the rules.
"Whatever happens in this salon, no matter how trivial, must never be spoken of outside."
There are about 20 rules in a typical salon, but you only have one rule.
And the host is none other than 'Lady Karin'? The only Duke's daughter in this empire, along with Odette, the most famous lady in the empire.
So no one dares to break this rule, because the moment they do, it is no different from turning everyone in the social world into their enemy.
Damien thought as he sat at the poker table.
'I should've just stayed in my room and played. Did I come here for nothing...?'
Damien was nothing more than a gentleman and had no manners whatsoever to participate in the discussion.
He would not have come near the salon this morning if he had not overheard the Ladies gossiping about how Lady Odette was in fact a very empty woman.
Since it was a rumor that felt malicious, be attended the salon to find out where it originated... They were just talking about difficult words that he couldn’t understand...
'It's getting to the point where we can't even turn the conversation around to talking about poker.'
It was at that moment that he decided to leave the salon, just to see what was going on. The door to the salon opened, and Odette, a latecomer, came in.
Damien's eyes widened.
'Damn it. Why on earth is that girl in here?'
Before coming to Athena Island, Damien had been briefed in detail on Odette's plan.
Odette clearly said she had no business attending the salon...!
'My lady, she's fallen into a trap...How do I rescue her?'
Damien was at a loss. He had no idea how to rescue a woman in such a formal setting, let alone a den of gangsters.
“Wow... This is the first time I’ve seen Lady Odette appear in a place like this.”
Next to the distraught Damien, a middle-aged gentleman sitting next to him exclaimed in admiration.
“Is that so?”
“I guess she really hates getting involved with other people. She’s also arrogant and has a very vicious personality.”
“You talk as if you know her, Baron Vogel, even though you haven’t even spoken to her directly.”
“If it’s true, then the gossip papers would have been so consistent. How could it be easy for a maid working in a Count’s residence to consistently report to the gossip papers?”
Baron Vogel clicked his lips slightly and continued speaking.
“But... I heard from the servant yesterday that she seems to be terribly stupid. She always has her chin up high and ignores everyone’s conversation.”
“...”
“She didn’t want anyone to find out that she was completely empty-headed.”
At the end of Baron Vogel's words, there was a very sincere regret for the new grapes.
'It doesn't matter whether other people's heads are empty or not. Who cares if their own hair is empty?'
It seemed that an old bachelor, no, a middle-aged man, had some presumptuous desire for Odette.
“Let’s go back to what we were talking about earlier, Sir Kwendel. What was the name of that casino where you had fun?”
“This is Wolfgang Casino.”
“Hmm, that doesn’t sound like a noble name... Is the owner a commoner?”
“I don’t know about that. As for me, all I wanted was to make money.”
Damien shrugged his shoulders shamelessly in response to Baron Vogel's question. It was the pseudonym he had given his uncle.
That was when.
“Lord Kwendel, Baron Vogel.”
He heard a soft voice reminiscent of a flute.
“It’s a nice afternoon. Would you mind if I join in on your conversation?”
“...Lady Odette?!”
As if they had not imagined that Odette would speak to someone, the people in the salon immediately started to murmur.
Baron Vogel, who had just been talking about Odette's arrogance and wickedness, was so shocked that he looked ugly.
“I enjoy playing poker too.”
But the most surprising thing about this huge hall was clearly Dolly. She was completely lost in thought.
Damien, who was given the duty of imitating the gentleman, had to try hard to suppress his laughter at the world-ending expression.
'The origin of the rumor was probably that maid.'
Damien, who had a quick wit, saw through it but did not feel the need to report it to Odette.
Judging from the corners of her lips, it seemed like this girl already knew.
“Oh, of course!”
As Baron Vogel was excitedly giving up the sofa, another voice interrupted.
“I would like to be included in this position too.”
“Oh my God. L, Lady Brentano?”
The host was Lady Karin.
Baron Vogel was now in a state of near-faintness, breathless with the glory of being in the company of two of the most famous ladies in the Empire.
“Well, by the way. Wasn’t Lady Brentano famous for hating Lady Odette?”
Baron Vogel whispered in Damien's ear.
'That's true. It's a rumor that even a commoner like me would know.'
The nobles gathered in the salon stared openly at this table, astonished at the historic sight of Lady Odette and Lady Karin sitting together.
Baron Vogel began to shuffle the deck clumsily.
It was a place where conversation should have flowed naturally, but no one opened their mouth.
Odette opened her mouth first, recalling the bad reputation she had in the quest window, the 'flower of the arrogant social circle', that needed to be erased.
“What were you talking about?”
“Oh, we were talking about the, uh, Wolfgang Casino. Lord Kwendel said he had a very pleasant experience there.”
Lady Brentano responded to Baron Vogel's words in a stiff tone.
“That place looked really cheap right from the entrance. Gambling is a pastime for the nobles. Where can you find joy in a place where there are commoners who are all glaring at you because they want to make money?”
Damien frowned ever so slightly, but he smiled faintly.
'It's the same personality as in the game. An overbearing and noble personality.'
It's really consistent.
Brentano was the only Duke of the Empire.
Originally, there were four ducal houses in the empire, but the current Emperor has eliminated all of them except for the Brentano ducal house through political maneuvering.
The Emperor then tried to destroy the Brentano dukedom as well, but no matter how much he stripped away the humble Brentano dukedom, not a single speck of dust was found. In the end, without any bloodshed, the Emperor confiscated all of their property under various pretexts.
Now, the young lady of a Duke's family has nothing left but honor and history, and not even a shred of wealth or glory.
'...and Charlotte's rival in the game.'
If Odette was the 'villain', Karin Brentano was the 'rival' who competed with Charlotte in good faith.
A strong rival competing for the top spot in the social world.
“I also agree with Young Lady Brentano’s opinion.”
Odette said, drawing a card from the deck. Damien looked betrayed at her words.
Lady Brentano also bit her lip as if she didn't know she would agree.
But you can't miss this opportunity, right?
'The Lady of Brentano is the exact opposite of pleasure. She is modest and worthy of emulation, but she is a boring image.'
The fact that Lady Brentano dislikes Wolfgang's Casino promotes it as a symbol of pleasure.
In her case, Odette has a 'wicked woman' image, so of course it's more effective for publicity if she says she doesn't like it.
“It’s so embarrassing. Perhaps I’m not very noble. I’m embarrassed to show it to the two ladies, but it was a really happy memory for me.”
“What kind of pleasure did you find in superficiality?”
Damien pretended to meet Brentano's cool gaze, but in reality, he was scanning the other attendees who were concentrating at the table.
Among those listening, there are three people in the illustration he sent.
“Of course, it’s fun to press the dealers’ noses.”
“Oh, I heard the rumor. Lord Kwendel won a lot of money with a full house. Wolfgang Casino almost went bankrupt.”
When Odette asked lightly, Damien answered a beat later.
“It was really fun to see 1 Atasha become 3000 Atasha in one go.”
“Gasp, 3000 times?”
“Eek.”
3000 times. At that absurd number, sighs of amazement escaped from the people who had been listening intently.
Even the stiff-faced Lady Brentano looked very surprised for a moment.
Damien was the only one who looked relaxed, but she knew he wasn't as relaxed as he looked.
'Full House'.
Because that word was the code she was sending to Damien.
It was an unwritten rule among the aristocracy, because the salon was not just a place for socializing, but was considered the future of Barceha.
Therefore, anyone who ignored the organizers or rules was forever ostracized from the aristocratic society.
The host of this salon, 'Lady Karin', attracted attention by elegantly hitting a glass with a spoon before announcing the rules.
"Whatever happens in this salon, no matter how trivial, must never be spoken of outside."
There are about 20 rules in a typical salon, but you only have one rule.
And the host is none other than 'Lady Karin'? The only Duke's daughter in this empire, along with Odette, the most famous lady in the empire.
So no one dares to break this rule, because the moment they do, it is no different from turning everyone in the social world into their enemy.
***
Damien thought as he sat at the poker table.
'I should've just stayed in my room and played. Did I come here for nothing...?'
Damien was nothing more than a gentleman and had no manners whatsoever to participate in the discussion.
He would not have come near the salon this morning if he had not overheard the Ladies gossiping about how Lady Odette was in fact a very empty woman.
Since it was a rumor that felt malicious, be attended the salon to find out where it originated... They were just talking about difficult words that he couldn’t understand...
'It's getting to the point where we can't even turn the conversation around to talking about poker.'
It was at that moment that he decided to leave the salon, just to see what was going on. The door to the salon opened, and Odette, a latecomer, came in.
Damien's eyes widened.
'Damn it. Why on earth is that girl in here?'
Before coming to Athena Island, Damien had been briefed in detail on Odette's plan.
Odette clearly said she had no business attending the salon...!
'My lady, she's fallen into a trap...How do I rescue her?'
Damien was at a loss. He had no idea how to rescue a woman in such a formal setting, let alone a den of gangsters.
“Wow... This is the first time I’ve seen Lady Odette appear in a place like this.”
Next to the distraught Damien, a middle-aged gentleman sitting next to him exclaimed in admiration.
“Is that so?”
“I guess she really hates getting involved with other people. She’s also arrogant and has a very vicious personality.”
“You talk as if you know her, Baron Vogel, even though you haven’t even spoken to her directly.”
“If it’s true, then the gossip papers would have been so consistent. How could it be easy for a maid working in a Count’s residence to consistently report to the gossip papers?”
Baron Vogel clicked his lips slightly and continued speaking.
“But... I heard from the servant yesterday that she seems to be terribly stupid. She always has her chin up high and ignores everyone’s conversation.”
“...”
“She didn’t want anyone to find out that she was completely empty-headed.”
At the end of Baron Vogel's words, there was a very sincere regret for the new grapes.
'It doesn't matter whether other people's heads are empty or not. Who cares if their own hair is empty?'
It seemed that an old bachelor, no, a middle-aged man, had some presumptuous desire for Odette.
“Let’s go back to what we were talking about earlier, Sir Kwendel. What was the name of that casino where you had fun?”
“This is Wolfgang Casino.”
“Hmm, that doesn’t sound like a noble name... Is the owner a commoner?”
“I don’t know about that. As for me, all I wanted was to make money.”
Damien shrugged his shoulders shamelessly in response to Baron Vogel's question. It was the pseudonym he had given his uncle.
That was when.
“Lord Kwendel, Baron Vogel.”
He heard a soft voice reminiscent of a flute.
“It’s a nice afternoon. Would you mind if I join in on your conversation?”
“...Lady Odette?!”
As if they had not imagined that Odette would speak to someone, the people in the salon immediately started to murmur.
Baron Vogel, who had just been talking about Odette's arrogance and wickedness, was so shocked that he looked ugly.
“I enjoy playing poker too.”
But the most surprising thing about this huge hall was clearly Dolly. She was completely lost in thought.
Damien, who was given the duty of imitating the gentleman, had to try hard to suppress his laughter at the world-ending expression.
'The origin of the rumor was probably that maid.'
Damien, who had a quick wit, saw through it but did not feel the need to report it to Odette.
Judging from the corners of her lips, it seemed like this girl already knew.
“Oh, of course!”
As Baron Vogel was excitedly giving up the sofa, another voice interrupted.
“I would like to be included in this position too.”
“Oh my God. L, Lady Brentano?”
The host was Lady Karin.
Baron Vogel was now in a state of near-faintness, breathless with the glory of being in the company of two of the most famous ladies in the Empire.
“Well, by the way. Wasn’t Lady Brentano famous for hating Lady Odette?”
Baron Vogel whispered in Damien's ear.
'That's true. It's a rumor that even a commoner like me would know.'
The nobles gathered in the salon stared openly at this table, astonished at the historic sight of Lady Odette and Lady Karin sitting together.
***
Baron Vogel began to shuffle the deck clumsily.
It was a place where conversation should have flowed naturally, but no one opened their mouth.
Odette opened her mouth first, recalling the bad reputation she had in the quest window, the 'flower of the arrogant social circle', that needed to be erased.
“What were you talking about?”
“Oh, we were talking about the, uh, Wolfgang Casino. Lord Kwendel said he had a very pleasant experience there.”
Lady Brentano responded to Baron Vogel's words in a stiff tone.
“That place looked really cheap right from the entrance. Gambling is a pastime for the nobles. Where can you find joy in a place where there are commoners who are all glaring at you because they want to make money?”
Damien frowned ever so slightly, but he smiled faintly.
'It's the same personality as in the game. An overbearing and noble personality.'
It's really consistent.
Brentano was the only Duke of the Empire.
Originally, there were four ducal houses in the empire, but the current Emperor has eliminated all of them except for the Brentano ducal house through political maneuvering.
The Emperor then tried to destroy the Brentano dukedom as well, but no matter how much he stripped away the humble Brentano dukedom, not a single speck of dust was found. In the end, without any bloodshed, the Emperor confiscated all of their property under various pretexts.
Now, the young lady of a Duke's family has nothing left but honor and history, and not even a shred of wealth or glory.
'...and Charlotte's rival in the game.'
If Odette was the 'villain', Karin Brentano was the 'rival' who competed with Charlotte in good faith.
A strong rival competing for the top spot in the social world.
“I also agree with Young Lady Brentano’s opinion.”
Odette said, drawing a card from the deck. Damien looked betrayed at her words.
Lady Brentano also bit her lip as if she didn't know she would agree.
But you can't miss this opportunity, right?
'The Lady of Brentano is the exact opposite of pleasure. She is modest and worthy of emulation, but she is a boring image.'
The fact that Lady Brentano dislikes Wolfgang's Casino promotes it as a symbol of pleasure.
In her case, Odette has a 'wicked woman' image, so of course it's more effective for publicity if she says she doesn't like it.
“It’s so embarrassing. Perhaps I’m not very noble. I’m embarrassed to show it to the two ladies, but it was a really happy memory for me.”
“What kind of pleasure did you find in superficiality?”
Damien pretended to meet Brentano's cool gaze, but in reality, he was scanning the other attendees who were concentrating at the table.
Among those listening, there are three people in the illustration he sent.
“Of course, it’s fun to press the dealers’ noses.”
“Oh, I heard the rumor. Lord Kwendel won a lot of money with a full house. Wolfgang Casino almost went bankrupt.”
When Odette asked lightly, Damien answered a beat later.
“It was really fun to see 1 Atasha become 3000 Atasha in one go.”
“Gasp, 3000 times?”
“Eek.”
3000 times. At that absurd number, sighs of amazement escaped from the people who had been listening intently.
Even the stiff-faced Lady Brentano looked very surprised for a moment.
Damien was the only one who looked relaxed, but she knew he wasn't as relaxed as he looked.
'Full House'.
Because that word was the code she was sending to Damien.
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