Chapter 402: An Unexpected Victor

Eventually, the three hands began shrinking. Sacha had three cards remaining. Stan had two and Camilla had two.

Sacha looked between them and realised she was about to get absolutely demolished by one of these two again...

"Wait." she said softly but neither responded.

"You two are actually taking this seriously."

Stan glanced at her. "You’re just noticing?"

Sacha shook her head. "This isn’t playing anymore. This is warfare."

Stan smiled. "You said it yourself earlier."

Sacha sighed. "Fine. Let’s see who survives."

She knew even though they were both 1 card less than hers, she still has a chance to clutch this, she wasn’t about to let it go to waste...

The next turn began and Camilla played a card. Stan studied it and immediately recognized what she was doing.

’She’s setting up the color... Huh...’

He knew what she was trying to accomplish. He had seen her preserve a particular card earlier. So he made his move. He changed the color.

Camilla paused. Then calmly drew a card. Stan smiled. ’Got her.’

But Camilla didn’t look frustrated. She simply picked up the card and added it to her hand.

The game continued. A few turns later, Stan after some up and downs was down to two cards. Camilla was also back to two.

Sacha still had three. Her heart began beating faster. ’Do I really have a chance at winning this?’

Stan glanced at Camilla’s cards. He had a fairly clear idea of what she was holding. At least, he thought he did.

He had correctly identified most of the cards in her hand throughout the game.

There was only one particular action card he believed she still possessed. He had seen the way she had played earlier. He had accounted for the cards that had appeared, so he was certain.

So when the opportunity came, he built his next move around that assumption. He changed the color.

Camilla looked at the card. Then at him. Her expression remained calm. She placed another card down.

Stan’s eyes narrowed. That wasn’t what he expected. He quickly recalculated. Then his eyes widened slightly.

’Wait. That card isn’t in her hand.’

The realization came too late. The card he had assumed Camilla was holding had already been discarded two turns earlier.

He had simply failed to account for it. Worse, Camilla had noticed that he had begun predicting her based on her previous behavior.

She had deliberately altered her pattern and allowed him to build the wrong conclusion.

Stan stared at the cards. ’She baited me.’

He thought he can easily control and outsmart Camilla the way he handled his sis... But he was given a hard slap of reality... Camilla’s intelligence and IQ wasn’t to be underestimated.

Not that he was underestimating her when this round, but he should never had allowed for that mistake.

Meanwhile, Camilla immediately exploited the opening. She placed an action card at exactly the right moment.

"Reverse."

With that, the direction changed.

Sacha blinked in complete surprise; "Wait, what?"

Camilla calmly continued. She changed the color. Stan attempted to respond. He couldn’t, it was too late to do anything at this point...

Sacha was forced to draw. "What?!"

Camilla remained composed. Stan looked at the discard pile, then at Camilla’s hand.

Everything suddenly made sense. She had maneuvered both of them into positions where neither could immediately stop her.

He had been so focused on predicting her cards that he had overlooked the possibility that she had deliberately fed him false information.

Sacha looked between them; "What just happened?"

Stan smiled faintly: "I think she got us."

Camilla placed another card, "I believe that is accurate."

Sacha’s eyes widened as she gritted her teeth and said, "Don’t sound so pleased with yourself."

"I am merely stating the situation." Camilla replied calmly with an expressionless face.

Stan laughed and added, "She’s definitely pleased."

Camilla ignored him. She placed her second-to-last card down, "Uno."

Sacha’s expression changed immediately, "Wait!"

Stan looked at his own hand. Two cards. Neither could stop her.

Camilla placed her final card. It landed on the pile with a soft, decisive tap; "I believe I win."

Silence settled over the table. Sacha stared at the empty space in front of Camilla.

Then she looked at Stan, then back at Camilla, "You actually won?"

She sounded immensely disappointed in herself...

Camilla nodded once, "Yes."

"You just learned this game!"

"I did."

"And you beat both of us?"

Camilla considered the question with the same calm she had shown throughout the game, "Yes."

Sacha looked personally offended. Stan began laughing. Sacha immediately rounded on him.

"Don’t laugh! You lost too!"

He raised both hands, "I know."

"You’re laughing at your own loss?"

"I made a mistake."

Sacha blinked. "What mistake?"

Stan looked toward Camilla. "I made one wrong assumption."

Camilla met his eyes. "You underestimated me."

A small smile touched his mouth.

"Yeah. I did."

There was no embarrassment in his voice. If anything, he seemed genuinely impressed.

Camilla had proven her earlier words. She hadn’t been bluffing when she told Sacha that she believed they were underestimating her.

Sacha folded her arms, "You were both acting like geniuses five minutes ago."

Stan laughed, "And now she’s the one celebrating."

"I am not celebrating." Camilla’s expression remained perfectly composed as she said this...

Sacha pointed at her, "You’re smiling."

"Only slightly."

"That still counts."

Camilla allowed the faint smile to remain.

Then she looked at Sacha, "You said I was a newbie."

Sacha groaned, "Don’t remind me."

Camilla’s smile edged a fraction wider, "I believe I have graduated."

Stan laughed again.

Sacha pointed a finger at Camilla. "Don’t get cocky. We’re playing again."

Camilla calmly gathered the cards. "I expected that."

Recounting her immense confidence moments ago, Sacha shook her head and sighed, ’It might be newbie luck or whatever. Or maybe it’s God’s way of cutting my immense pride...’

With that, she immediately reached for the deck, "Again."

Stan nodded. "I’m in."

Camilla accepted without hesitation. "Very well."

Sacha’s hand stopped halfway to the deck.

She looked at Camilla. "No."

Stan raised an eyebrow.

"No?"

"We’re changing the system."

"What system?"

Sacha pointed directly at Camilla, "She’s not a newbie anymore."

Camilla nodded calmly. "I agree."

Sacha narrowed her eyes, "That’s exactly why I’m worried."

Stan laughed, he could tell, Sacha was trying so hard to humour the atmosphere with her jokes, considering that he and Camilla had very stiff and serious personalities...

And she was doing a really good job at that, shaking his head, he smiled and focused back at the game...