Chapter 54: Heartfelt Roulette

"If this world wants to play dirty, then who am I to refuse?" Lydia grinned. "The casino cheated first. I merely returned the favor! That’s called fair play, isn’t it?"

Her eyes sparkled as the silver surface of her card had changed. Its dull metallic color had given way to a ? gold sheen, reflecting the bright lights of the casino.

Finally!

Without wasting another second, Lydia hurried back toward the stairs.

The guards who had blocked her earlier stepped aside at the sight of her golden card, letting her pass without question.

If only everything in Zachary’s Spiritual Domain could be solved this easily. Unfortunately, her troubles weren’t over.

Several of the adult women followed her as Lydia rushed into the inner lounges. At first, she assumed they were simply heading in the same direction.

However, when Lydia quickened her pace, they did the same.

"Why are they floating? Are they ghosts?"

Countless women with beautiful figures floated after Lydia, their bodies gliding through the air as though gravity had no meaning in this part of the Spiritual Domain.

Were they models?

Some even shed their clothes as they approached, offering themselves with sultry smiles and voices that sent uncomfortable shivers down Lydia’s spine.

"Would you like to feel the love tonight?

"Heaven. Let me guide you to heaven."

"Don’t be shy, darling. I can make you forget your worries."

"Let’s indulge and get lost in each other."

"I need you inside me. Now."

What was wrong with these people? Did they have no shame?!

She had no interest in their invitations. Lydia hurried down the marble hallway.

The surroundings grew more extravagant with every step. Everything screamed wealth, from the polished marble beneath her feet to the elaborate details carved into the doorframes.

Yet Lydia couldn’t enjoy any of it.

Something about this floor made her uncomfortable. The air felt colder, and even the distant jazz music seemed to fade, leaving the hallway eerily silent.

A bulky bodyguard stood beside the door at the far end of the hallway.

The man was enormous, with broad shoulders straining against his black suit. His arms were thick with muscle, and his expression remained blank as he watched Lydia approach.

Well, that’s welcoming.

The bodyguard didn’t ask for her name. Instead, he glanced at the bracelet on her wrist before stepping aside and opening the door.

Beyond it stood a private gaming room. A large roulette table occupied the center, surrounded by plush chairs and a few elegantly dressed guests.

The wheel gleamed beneath the chandelier, its red and black pockets arranged in alternating patterns.

A man in a white suit gestured toward the empty seat. Unlike other people in this Spiritual Domain, this man had a face on him!

He had a huge burn scar on his left cheek. His stern expression made him look less like a servant of a luxury establishment and more like someone hired to break bones for a living.

"You want to pass through this hallway? Then beat me at roulette."

Lydia raised an eyebrow. "And if I lose?"

"Then you turn around and leave."

He pulled out a chair and gestured toward the roulette table. The thin glass covering the wheel gleamed under the chandelier.

"You may be beautiful, and you may have money, but neither will get you through that door. If you want to proceed, prove you have the brains to win."

Lydia glanced at the wheel, then back at the scarred man.

Oh? So this is a test, not a game.

"Fine," Lydia said, taking her seat. "But don’t complain when you lose. What’s the game?"

"Roulette. Place your bet, and let the ball decide your fortune."

The wheel spun after she placed her bet. A small white ball rattled around its outer track, bouncing from one pocket to another before settling into a losing number.

Lydia clicked her tongue.

Again.

She tried different bets, watching the wheel from several angles. Each time, the ball landed just outside her chosen number.

Faceless men and women surrounding her burst into laughter, mocking her every loss. By now, she had lost seven rounds in a row, and the eighth was already underway.

The ball’s path changed too smoothly.

It should have bounced unpredictably around the wheel. Instead, it changed direction at the last moment, as though an invisible hand had nudged it away from her chosen pocket.

Oh, you have got to be kidding me.

Lydia channeled her mental power and lowered her gaze to the glass cover.

Beneath the polished surface, she sensed a faint disturbance in the Resonance surrounding the mechanism.

It was subtle, almost impossible to notice, but something beneath the wheel was interfering with the ball’s movement.

So that was how they did it.

A concealed mechanism controlled the wheel, while the glass prevented anyone from touching the ball directly.

How clever and utterly shameless.

Lydia focused her power on the mechanism. She couldn’t see its internal structure, but she could feel the unnatural Resonance holding it in place.

Instead of forcing my way in, I need to find the disturbance first, then soothe it gently, like a mother calming a crying child. Once it settles, I can guide the Resonance into place.

She guided the Resonance with gentle, sweeping motions, smoothing out its tangled currents as though flattening wrinkles from a piece of cloth.

A thin crack appeared in the glass.

The bodyguard straightened at her action. Before anyone could react, Lydia pressed her power harder against the mechanism.

A thin crack spread across the glass with a sharp tick, branching outward as she widened it. A tiny fragment broke loose and fell onto the table.

The ball was already rolling. With the mechanism no longer guiding its path, it bounced wildly around the wheel before dropping into Lydia’s chosen pocket.

Silence fell over the room. Lydia leaned back in her chair and smiled.

"The Goddess of Luck is finally smiling on me!"

Her gaze shifted toward the man in the white suit.

"Unless your roulette table has something to say about it."

Wait. Did I provoke him?

The bodyguard looked at her with a complicated expression. Amazement flickered across his face, though a hint of irritation lingered beneath it.

After a moment, he let out a quiet chuckle.

"You really are something else, young miss." His gaze softened as he regarded her. "If it’s you, I’m sure you can do it."

He paused, as though there was something else he wanted to say.

"Please... take good care of our young master for me."

Lydia blinked, caught off guard by the sudden change in his tone.

Before she could ask what he meant, the man’s figure began to fade. His white suit dissolved into the dim light, leaving nothing behind.

For a moment, Lydia could only stare at the empty space.

...What was that supposed to mean?

She kept moving until she reached the door at the far end.

Unlike the other golden doors, this one was sleek black, with a thin line of golden light running along its rim.

It stood apart from everything else, its dark surface almost swallowing the light around it.

For some reason, she had a feeling that this was the place she needed to find.

Lydia swallowed her uneasiness and reached for the handle.

She had come this far. There was no point turning back now.

Lydia opened the door.

Beyond the door lay a luxurious private lounge decorated in sleek black and gold marble.

Plush sofas stood around the spacious room, their elegant designs matching the luxurious surroundings.

Everything looked expensive, polished, and perfectly arranged.

But Lydia barely had time to appreciate the room.

A little boy stood in front of her.

He had black hair and green eyes, and his small face immediately turned toward her.

For a moment, Lydia could only stare at the bored looking boy, unable to understand why a child was waiting inside such a strange room.

Then the boy spoke.

"At last you’ve come, big sister! I’m starting to get lonely." He scowled a bit.

Big sister?

Before she could even process his strange greeting, the little boy continued speaking with a flat expression that didn’t suit someone of his age.

He might be around 7 or 8 years old.

"Your breasts aren’t as big as those pretty aunts but you’ll do. Unlike them, your hands felt calming."

"W-what?!"

Lydia’s jaw nearly dropped.

The little boy stood there as if he had said something perfectly ordinary.

What had she just heard? What kind of a little boy said such things?