A Game of Cards and a Sister’s Introduction

While the social engagements within aristocratic circles were not entirely insincere or sycophantic, they were, at the very least, a blend of truth and pretense.

Marriages were forged for profit, trade relations established for gain, and legislative cooperation pursued for advantage.

Amidst the clinking of glasses and hushed conversations, such matters were subtly yet decisively arranged, meticulously predetermining the destinies of those at the bottom of society.

Today, however, was different; the Consecration Mass was no place for such discussions.

The clamor of worldly interests was to be left outside the church doors, far from the pristine sanctuary within people’s hearts.

Even so, Rhine found himself utterly out of his depth—encircled by a throng of noble ladies and young misses who plied him with questions, their gazes fixed upon him as if he were some rare and exotic creature.

Beyond probing for details about his crayfish culinary skills or his daring rescue of the second son from two malevolent assassins, the most frequent, and frankly, intrusive, question remained:

‘Are you truly a boy?’

Such a demeaning question, aside from sending the recipient’s blood pressure soaring, served absolutely no purpose, invariably eliciting the same retort:

“My masculinity is as undeniable as your femininity.”

Ultimately, Daniel reluctantly extricated him from the suffocating circle, the torment of this interrogation proving infinitely more stifling than his previous ordeal at the Duke’s residence.

“I meant nothing by it, merely observing that you appeared somewhat distressed.”

“My thanks; indeed, I am quite vexed.”

Daniel, who had braced himself for a scathing rebuke from Rhine for his presumed meddling, was utterly taken aback by the appreciative response, a wave of relief washing over him, followed by an unmistakable surge of elation.

“The Mass doesn’t officially commence for another forty minutes or so; you’re welcome to join me and escape this scrutiny.”

“As you wish.”

Daniel drew a deep breath, then turned back, lowering his voice to say, “You needn’t be so overly deferential with me; that manner of speaking… it strikes me as rather incongruous.”

“Why ever would you think that? Are you perhaps questioning my professional competence as a servant?”

“No, that’s not what I meant at all,” Daniel hastily denied, then, as if struck by a sudden realization, continued, “No, it truly is your manner of speaking that feels so contradictory! One moment you’re exceedingly deferential, and the next, remarkably sharp-tongued.”

Rhine pondered this for a moment, and it dawned on him that, perhaps, he was indeed prone to such fluctuations in his usual demeanor.

“Then how, precisely, do you believe I ought to speak?”

“I imagine you should simply speak as you find most comfortable; feel free to dispense with the pleasantries.”

“You are the young master, and I am your servant.”

This emphasis was not born of Rhine genuinely viewing himself as a mere servant, but rather from his intrinsic need for a safe emotional distance, a tangible barrier to effectively separate himself from others.

“But you also saved my life… Ah, never mind. Equality for all is a core tenet of the Norman Royal Family, so let us simply treat each other as equals, like… friends.”

“…As you wish.”

At the very least, his little admirer wished to befriend him, and a certain haughty individual was never one to be overly critical; the appellation of ‘friend’ felt considerably more intimate than ‘idol.’ ‘Why had none of his fans from the Eastern Continent ever displayed such initiative?’

An unconcealed joy bloomed across Daniel’s face as he promptly guided Rhine to a private reception room within the church.

As they stepped into the room, fragrant with burning incense, a girl with long black hair sat quietly on a wooden chair.

Upon their entrance, she rose, gracefully lifted her skirt, and executed a perfect curtsy.

“A pleasant day to you, Brother.”

She opened her clear, cerulean eyes, her serene gaze settling upon Rhine.

“Greetings, Mister Rhine; I trust my eyes do not deceive me.”

Rhine acknowledged her with a nod, his expression subtly shifting.

“Daniel, is this your sister?”

“Indeed, this is my younger sister. Her name is Colette. She often resides with Mother in the earldom and attends a noble girls’ academy, which is why she rarely visits Lanburg County. She is, I might add, consistently at the top of her class.”

She was adorned in a gown of understated elegance, its delicate light purple hue complementing her fine black hair perfectly.

Her posture was graceful, her demeanor soft and reserved.

She was a lady of impeccable refinement, her politeness bordering on excessive.

Reputedly a year Daniel’s junior, it was truly remarkable to witness such a composed demeanor in a maiden still in the bloom of her youth.

“I believe I now understand precisely what you meant by ‘incongruity.'”

Indeed, such an elegant demeanor would have been perfectly suited to Audrey.

Alas, the beauty who might have enjoyed a life of serene tranquility was, in reality, a veritable little hellion.

Yet, with each passing day spent in Audrey’s company, he had been subtly, almost imperceptibly, influenced; now, he would feel utterly out of sorts if the young lady failed to stir up some mischief.

Thus, he had come to naturally embrace the peculiar blend of innocence and charm that was uniquely Audrey’s.

“So, for the remaining forty minutes, are we simply to sit here idly?” Rhine, with an exasperated sigh, procured two chairs, offering one to Daniel.

“Er, I confess I hadn’t considered any particular way to pass the time; such moments of complete idleness are rather infrequent…” Daniel stood awkwardly, his hand resting on the backrest of his chair.

“Alas, I, too, failed to bring any books from home, though I believe you both would have enjoyed them immensely.” Colette, with a hint of regret, also shook her head.

Observing the siblings’ resigned expressions, Rhine, a triumphant gleam in his eye, pulled forth a low table.

“Perfectly so; passing the time is, after all, my forte.” He settled himself onto a chair, then, with a flourish, produced a deck of playing cards crafted from thin, stiff paper from his pocket, slapping them onto the table before casually crossing his legs.

“Landlord, Bluff, Old Maid, or Golden Flower?”

Following a brief discussion and an explanation of the Landlord rules…

Rhine: ‘I find merely playing cards rather dull; why don’t we wager something?’

Daniel: ‘Gambling for money is out of the question.’

Colette: ‘Indeed, such pursuits only lead to idleness and a loss of ambition.’

Rhine: ‘Who ever mentioned gambling for money? Let’s simply keep score, with the option to double points. The player with the lowest score at the end performs a forfeit.’

Daniel: ‘That, I could agree to.’

Colette: ‘Since my brother has already agreed, I have no objections.’

Rhine: ‘Call the Landlord.’

Daniel: ‘Pass.’

Colette: ‘Do not bid.’

Rhine: ‘You’re not even bidding? Are you serious? Let me just flip over the Landlord cards and see… A 3 and a pair of 6s. These cards weren’t properly shuffled, were they?’

Daniel: ‘You were the one who shuffled the cards.’

Rhine: ‘Never mind such trivialities; this is merely a teaching round. Allow me to demonstrate some true card artistry!’

Indeed, with his superior card skills, it was a simple matter to utterly dominate two novices who could barely hold their hands steady.

Rhine: ‘Oh dear, how did I manage to win again~ What sort of hands are you two holding? How did you play that, saving the Joker for the new year?! And you, breaking up a perfectly good straight to play it piecemeal—what on earth are you doing? Do you even know how to play? Luckily, you’re not my teammate; even a golem would play better than you!’

Rhine: ‘Alright, alright, alright, alright, alright—what in the world are these blasted cards? Eight, nine, ten, Jack, King, but no sequence… Ugh, never mind, let’s reshuffle and play with wild card rules, shall we…?’

Rhine: ‘Lady, my lady, do hurry up; I’ve waited so long the flowers have wilted! My lady, don’t dilly-dally; let me pour you a cup of tea, alright? I’ll even make you a cappuccino.’

Colette: ‘How terribly mean of you! I am still a young lady; even my classmates, at most, refer to me as a “noble young lady.” If you insist on calling me that, then I shall call you “Uncle”!’

Rhine: ‘Then call me “Uncle,” if you wish; I’m not afraid of getting used to it. Nyeh nyeh nyeh~’

‘Hah, these two little rascals were still far too green.’

Even individuals with the most placid temperaments would surely suffer a heart attack from his relentless barrage of deceptive maneuvers and taunting ‘trash talk.’

Unsurprisingly, Daniel and Colette, without a moment’s hesitation, forged a united sibling front, determined to utterly rout the ‘stinky Landlord.’

Unbeknownst to them, Rhine was, in his own subtle way, inadvertently bridging the long-standing chasm between the siblings who had been separated for far too long.

Moreover, he genuinely yearned for companions to play cards with, a simple pleasure to mend the decade-long void of solitude he had endured within the towering confines.