Casino Wizard

Dividends were, in the end, just another part of the construction.

The finishing work.

Just like poor insulation or waterproofing would cause problems later, so would an unfair distribution.

When you were on the receiving end, you didn’t have to worry much.

If someone tried to cheat you out of your share, made excuses to cut your portion, or started talking about “holding it in escrow,” then there was a problem. But fortunately, that rarely happened.

Now, however, I was the one distributing the money.

Being too generous could cause issues. Holding back could also create problems.

In truth, the amount wasn’t the most important thing—fairness was.

People needed to feel they had been compensated according to their efforts. That way, there would be no trouble later. That was why I had gathered them all in one place.

Three people sat before me.

Maria Bonucci.

Malena Muti.

And Lucy.

Originally, only the first two had been included. But at the last moment, Lucy was added.

Her contribution had been too significant to ignore.

Without Lucy’s help, things would have taken at least a few more days… And though unlikely, Boss Coboli might have sensed something was off and backed out.

Most of all, Lucy herself had requested a share.

Even when I had offered her bonuses before, she’d always said, “I don’t even have time to spend the money I already have.”

And yet now, she was openly demanding her cut.

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t thinking about it. But first, I needed to settle things with the actors and send them on their way.

Starting with Bonucci.

“I’ll be paying you 400 gold as compensation.”

“Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me yet. I’m also adding an extra 50 gold. This isn’t part of your payment—consider it an advance for a new job.”

“What…?”

“Mario Del Pozzo. That man currently locked up in jail—I’m paying you to manage him. He’ll probably get a sentence of simple imprisonment without forced labor.”

“Ah.”

The money was to keep Mario from causing problems later.

Even now, he still believed Maria Bonucci was on his side.

Or maybe he just desperately wanted to believe it.

A man who had lost everything, even his freedom, needed something—someone—to hold on to.

“Bribe a guard to send him extra food now and then, Bonucci.”

“I think I understand. By now, Mario is probably eating nothing but black bread and watery onion soup. A monthly visit with a few cigarettes wouldn’t hurt either, would it?”

“Exactly. Something like that.”

Bonucci was sociable enough to handle it on her own. That was enough for now.

Next was Malena.

A young lady who had been drifting through high society, searching for her first real patron, before getting involved in this operation.

Even now, her face was full of anticipation.

I could guess what she was thinking.

How much will Baron Hyden give me?

It’s probably less than Bonucci, but I did well, didn’t I?

What should I do with the money?

For her, I had prepared—

“600 gold.”

“What?”

“600. Is that not enough?”

“No, it’s just…”

She glanced sideways at Bonucci, bothered by the fact that she was receiving more.

This wasn’t just a bonus.

Bonucci could take her share and continue living as she always had—hosting poker nights, maintaining connections, and gliding through salons and banquets.

But Malena?

“Malena, you’ll be leaving tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow…?”

“I heard your hometown is the Barony of Marsala. I’ve already arranged your transportation. You just need to pack and go.”

“You want me to leave immediately?”

Confusion flashed across her face.

She didn’t understand why she had to flee.

After all, Mario was in jail, and his subordinates had abandoned him—what was the danger?

But I wasn’t sending her away to hide from Mario.

The real reason was simple.

Once an actor became too well-known, it was best to send them far away.

The world was chaotic enough that just getting her out of the capital would suffice.

“At least a hundred people saw you storm a gambling den with hired muscle, Malena. The rumors are already spreading. Now, imagine you continue attending high-society gatherings as if nothing happened.”

“Ah.”

“Leaving will be easier for you, too.”

That was why she was getting this money.

To go home, far from the capital, and enjoy a comfortable life.

And I wasn’t shutting the door on future opportunities.

Malena had worked as an actress for just over two weeks and earned 600 gold.

She’d had a taste of big money.

Living a quiet, ordinary life in the countryside would be difficult after this. At some point, she would crave another job, another payout.

“I’ll call you again in the future.”

“Is that even possible? You said my face is too well-known.”

“Right now, people think of you as an old man’s young mistress. If you return as a woman who left that old man and came back with a generous parting gift, high society will accept you again. Keep a low profile, and I’ll find a role for you later.”

At last, her face brightened. She nodded eagerly.

From here on, I’d manage her remotely through Bonucci.

With that, the actors’ dividends were settled.

“Both of you did well.”

“So did you, Baron.”

“Let’s meet again sometime.”

I had no regrets about the money.

Bonucci and Malena had practically carried the Tantonia’s Dice operation. Bonucci had even contributed to securing Coboli Casino.

Thanks to them, I now had the foundation to rapidly expand my business.

The actors seemed satisfied with their payments.

So far, so good.

But…

“Now, it’s my turn, isn’t it?”

One person still remained.

Lucy sat across from me, legs crossed, staring intently.

She must have been bored waiting. A deck of playing cards spun between her fingers.

Not just idly holding them—she was executing a one-handed triple cut, effortlessly shuffling the deck with a single hand.

When I glanced at her hands, she even spun the divided packets smoothly.

I had taught her that trick, yet somehow, she had already surpassed me.

Her expression was equally composed.

She was smiling—but only with her mouth.

No sign of nervousness, no anxiety.

This wasn’t a challenge to a game of cards.

I already had a good idea of what she was doing.

She was demonstrating her skill.

Reminding me of how fundamentally competent she was.

And unlike the two women who had just left, she had no intention of settling for a simple payout.

This conversation wouldn’t take long.

Lucy—my most trusted colleague.

I already had a rough idea of what she wanted.

Up until now, it had been easy to pretend not to notice.

Even on vacation, I could have brushed it off.

But now…

No. I needed to hear her out.

“Alright, Lucy. It’s your turn.”

At that moment, Lucy’s fingers stopped.

It was time to talk.

…

The conversation unexpectedly started with business talk.

“You’re planning to build a hotel too, right?”

“Yeah.”

“That means there’ll be a banquet hall as well. That way, nobles will have an excuse to stay at the casino hotel for days… even weeks, under the guise of social activities. Especially for provincial nobles or foreigners, having a place to entertain them will be even more important.”

That was only natural.

On top of that, I was also planning to establish a luxury shopping district—essentially a department store.

The dopamine-fueled spending of gamblers who hit it big was not something to overlook.

How many people would just let their winnings sit untouched in a vault?

To absorb even the impulsive spending of gamblers, a shopping district was necessary.

If I wanted to scale up, a hotel, a department store, and a banquet hall weren’t optional—they were essential.

“Yeah. We have to expand the business.”

Lucy paused for a moment before letting out an exclamation.

“You’re going to make a lot of money.”

“Not just money.”

“Right. Your influence will grow too. Even when you only had a single VIP room as leverage, dozens of nobles were willing to move for your sake. If everything goes according to your plan, provincial nobles and even foreigners will end up under your influence.”

“If it all goes as planned, yes.”

“Has there ever been a time when your plans didn’t work out?”

Of course there had.

Take Dragon ear, for example.

I had been content with just one casino, but it was because of Dragon Ear that I even considered expanding my business in the first place.

But I didn’t bother contradicting Lucy. She wasn’t entirely wrong—the business itself had a high likelihood of proceeding as planned.

“Oh, by the way, I stopped by the workshop yesterday, and it looks like the new game will be produced just the way you designed it.”

“I know. The real issue is mass production.”

“Less labor, steady profits, and a low entry barrier so even beginners can jump in easily. That’s what you’re banking on for expansion, right? Cutting labor costs while safely increasing revenue?”

“That’s right…”

We even touched on the topic of new games that would require less management.

“Jerome introduced some decent people.”

“Oh?”

“Retired city guards. He says they’d be solid hires to handle security at the branch locations.”

We discussed staffing for the new branches as well.

Up to this point, it was the usual kind of conversation.

The type of everyday discussion that the number one and number two of a casino would have.

But unlike usual, it didn’t seem like this was going to end with, “So, what do we do next?”

After talking business for a while, Lucy suddenly smiled meaningfully and looked straight at me.

“You’re going to get richer and richer.”

“…….”

“I won’t bother asking what all that success means to you. A guy who’s not even thirty yet being so dedicated to his work isn’t something I can really criticize.”

She said she wasn’t going to bring up the emptiness of a goal-driven life.

Lucy would obviously understand.

After all, she was one of the beneficiaries of our success.

If not for the casino, Lucy might still be wandering through some dungeon, her hands covered in monster blood. That, and she’d still be carrying the disgrace of having been a scout for the Pierrot Party.

She wasn’t the kind of person who’d fail to realize that success had its own significance.

“It’s a bit sudden, but… thanks, Oppa.”

Nor was she the type to forget to be grateful to the person who had given her this life.

But…

This didn’t seem like she was just here to say thanks.

At some point, Lucy had set down the cards in her hand and was staring at me intently with those sharp, blue eyes.

“Thanks to you, I get to live a life of luxury, and I can send donations every season to the nuns who took care of me at the orphanage. Even the nobles who come through here don’t look down on me—that’s all because of you, Oppa.”

“Lucy.”

“I really do appreciate it. That’s why I’m still devoted to you.”

Lucy trailed off before slowly rising from her seat.

Her skirt was shorter than usual.

About a fingertip higher than a standard mini.

Her toned, healthy legs stood out. My eyes were drawn to them without me realizing, and just as my attention faltered—

Lucy naturally closed the distance between us.

Closer than usual.

“But Oppa?”

Her hand rested gently on my shoulder.

Her voice carried a trace of coyness.

There was no avoiding this conversation.