“Next round, I’ll be the Dealer! Also, stop staring at my feet!”
Feeling the two’s burning gazes, Liyakade unconsciously shrank back her small jade feet wrapped in black stockings, curling up into a ball, looking very cute.
“Who told you to suddenly put your feet up for no reason? Since you raised them, why shouldn’t we look?”
Field argued seriously, sounding righteous and logical.
Although Field had already taken off one of her socks, she wasn’t squatting on the sofa like Liyakade. She just sat as before, with her toes lightly touching the ground.
“Exactly, and besides, isn’t Miss Liakade the Dealer right now? Who else should we look at if not Miss Liakade?”
Alice chimed in from the side.
“You’re clearly not looking at me… but at my feet!”
Liyakade said, both embarrassed and annoyed.
“Isn’t it the same? Doesn’t looking at your feet count as looking at you?”
“…Just you wait.”
Unable to argue, Liyakade could only glare at the two with a vicious look, declaring fiercely that she would go all out in the next game and defeat them both.
Liyakade shuffled the poker cards, then dealt two cards each to Alice and Field, and kept two for herself—one face up, one face down.
The face-up card was a 6. Not big, not small, hard to tell.
“…Liyakade, I know you like me, but there’s no need to make it so obvious, is there?”
“Miss Liakade, so… you really want to take off your clothes.”
After receiving their cards, Alice and Field both smiled at the same time. It seemed they had good hands this time.
What did you get? Hurry and flip them so I can see!
Hearing their words, Liyakade felt a bad premonition and hurried them to reveal their cards.
When the two flipped their cards and slapped them on the table, Liyakade couldn’t help but suck in a breath, her jade feet wrapped in black stockings nervously gripping the sofa leather.
Alice had a 9 and a 10, Field had an A and a 9, meaning their totals were 19 and 20—both high numbers. Liyakade needed at least 20 to avoid losing, and only 21 to win.
“You… you two…”
Liyakade stared at their totals, unable to speak, her face flushed with frustration. She looked down at her own cards again—her face-up card was a 4.
“Do you two… want another card?”
Liyakade asked sullenly.
“What do you think, Liyakade?”
Field just smiled and shot back.
“Understood, you want a card!”
Liyakade responded immediately, pulling the top card from the deck and tossing it at Field in a flash.
“As if!”
Field reacted quickly, flicking her hand to send the flying poker card back.
“I’m standing!”
“Damn… Alice, you definitely want another card, right? 19 is high, but not stable! What if I have 20 or 21? Take a card, Alice! It’s for your own good!!!”
Liyakade started spouting nonsense seriously, trying to force the card onto Alice.
“It’s fine.”
Alice shook her head, smiling as she declined Liyakade’s “kindness.”
19 is plenty high—if I lose with that, I’ll accept it. I’m standing!
“Damn it…”
Liyakade glared at the two who had stood, clutching her face-down card tightly.
“I… I won’t lose. I’ll never give up!!!”
As she shouted, Liyakade flipped over her own face-down card.
It was a J.
But even with a J, which is worth 10, Liyakade only had 14 points. She had to keep drawing.
Moreover, if she got more than 7, she’d bust. If she got between 2 and 4, she’d still lose to Alice and Field.
“Hey, Liyakade, what are you doing, why are you putting that card at the bottom?”
Field watched Liyakade’s action, questioning her.
“That card was meant for you guys earlier, and it even flew around in the air. For all I know, Field, you might’ve already seen it.”
Liyakade answered warily.
“Since you’ve both seen this card, how could I possibly keep using it?”
“Tch, so you noticed?”
Field snorted coldly, but in the end let Liyakade be.
“I was even planning to let you take that card, but if you want to change it, do as you wish.”
Liyakade put the card at the very bottom, then pressed her palms together and closed her eyes in silent prayer, hoping her earlier luck would continue.
However, after she closed her eyes, Field suddenly revealed a strange smile.
Of course she had seen what that card was. It was a card that could have completely reversed the game. When Field caught a glimpse of it, her joy had nearly evaporated, but she hadn’t expected Liyakade to try to act clever and change cards.
So, would the Lucky Goddess still favor Liyakade this time?
After bowing to the deck a couple of times, Liyakade nervously drew the top card.
It was an A—but it could only be counted as 1 now. If counted as 11, she’d instantly bust. That meant her total was 15 points, giving her one more chance to draw.
But one more chance just meant prolonging the suspense, which was just more pressure for Liyakade.
“5 or 6 is fine, please! I don’t have to win, but I absolutely can’t lose!”
Liyakade cried as she turned over the final card that would decide her fate.
K!
“No!!!”
With a slap, Liyakade collapsed onto the table in despair, clutching the K in her hand.
She had busted, no doubt about it.
“Ugh, how could this happen…”
“Pfft… Hahahahaha! Looks like this time, the Lucky Goddess didn’t favor you, Liyakade.”
Field laughed at the sight of Liyakade sprawled on the table, then suddenly remembered something.
“Liyakade, look at the card you put at the bottom just now.”
“What?”
Hearing this, Liyakade hurriedly pulled out the card she’d placed at the bottom, flipped it over—and saw it was a 7!
“How could this be!!!”
Liyakade screamed in utter regret, then slammed her head back onto the table.
“Ugh, you’d have been better off not telling me… it’s like a punishment for my soul…”
“Hehehe, I really thought I was going to lose, but I didn’t expect you to be so cautious, Liyakade.”
“Why, why didn’t your expression change at all when you saw I’d get 21 if I took the card? Field, weren’t you even a little scared?”
Liyakade suddenly looked up, demanding answers from the smiling Field.
“Aren’t you afraid at all!”
“Afraid of what? Even if I lose, it’s just taking off two pieces of clothing. Besides, haven’t you heard that poker requires a Poker Face? No matter what happens, you can’t show it on your face. If I’d panicked, wouldn’t you have kept the card instead of putting it at the bottom?”
“No, it doesn’t count! That card should have been mine!”
Liyakade tried to protest.
“No way, Miss Liakade.”
Alice puffed her cheeks.
“A bet’s a bet.”
“Hmph, don’t even think about cheating this time.”
Field agreed with Alice.