Seeing that all four had chosen their opponents, Valerius waved his hand.
"Begin."
Smack.
Aventurine had been about to say something to Shenhe—
But she had already placed a card face-down on the table.
"You… you're playing already?"
He was genuinely startled.
This wasn't just bold.
This was reckless.
She didn't even hesitate?
"Uh… maybe think about it a little?"
"No need."
Shenhe shook her head calmly.
"Isn't this a game of luck? If my luck is good, any card works. If it's bad, thinking won't change anything."
"…I see."
Aventurine stopped trying to persuade her.
If you want to rush to your doom, don't blame me.
He glanced at his hand.
One Emperor.
Four Citizens.
As long as he played steadily, there was no reason to lose.
He calmly placed a Citizen card on the table.
They revealed their cards.
Citizen. Citizen.
"Tch. If I'd known, I would've played Emperor."
He felt a flicker of regret.
Such a good chance to end it early—gone.
Smack.
Shenhe placed another card down.
Fast.
Without looking.
Without thinking.
"…You didn't even check your hand?"
Aventurine saw it clearly.
She hadn't examined her cards at all.
She simply took the top one and threw it down.
What was this?
If she at least checked, he might read something from her expression.
But this blind play—
It was completely off-script.
"What is it this time?"
His mind raced.
Slave?
No… probably not.
She didn't look.
So statistically, it's another Citizen.
If I play Emperor now, I win instantly.
He picked up the Emperor card—
Then hesitated.
Wait.
What if?
What if it really is Slave?
Better to stay safe.
His hand extended.
Retracted.
Hovered midair.
The livestream exploded.
[Topaz: What's wrong with him? Did Aventurine short-circuit?]
[Jade: This isn't like him. Something's off.]
[Herta: Is he… overthinking himself to death?]
[Ruan Mei: This is not his usual style.]
[Screwllum: Hypothesis: Before elimination, Miss Sparkle said something to him.]
[Sampo: So he got tricked?]
[Fu Xuan: Most likely. We just don't know what she said.]
[Bronya: This is the moment to decide. Hesitation will only lower your odds.]
[Feixiao: Hesitate and you lose.]
[Jing Yuan: The longer this drags, the worse it becomes for the Emperor side.]
They were right.
At the start, Emperor had the highest win rate.
But every Citizen-vs-Citizen exchange reduced his margin.
If both burned Citizens repeatedly, it would eventually become a 50-50.
The optimal move—
Was Emperor on the first round.
"Is it Slave?"
Aventurine stared at Shenhe.
Her eyes were calm.
No fluctuation.
Was she pretending to be dull?
Was this all an act?
Was she actually calculating everything?
Or…
Was she truly just playing blindly?
"I'll steady it one more round."
Finally, he placed another Citizen.
Reveal.
Citizen. Citizen.
"Ah—what am I doing?!"
He nearly coughed blood.
Another wasted opportunity.
Smack.
Shenhe placed her third card.
"Again?!"
What is it?
Citizen?
Or Slave?
"I've got it."
Suddenly, Aventurine's eyes lit up.
She's using psychology.
She wants me to fear the Slave.
She wants me stuck in Citizens.
Then I'll play Emperor now.
He lifted the Emperor card decisively—
Then froze again.
What if she truly never looked?
What if her luck is absurdly good?
What if this exact card is Slave?
"Pfft."
Yae Miko couldn't hold back her laughter.
This man was tying himself in knots.
Meanwhile, she had already figured out the optimal strategy for this game.
First round Emperor.
Highest probability.
Simple.
Though…
Her eyes flicked toward Zhu Yuan.
There were other ways to play this.
Citizen. Slave. Citizen. Slave.
So many mind games.
"Could you hurry up?"
Shenhe's calm voice cut through his spiraling thoughts.
That somehow made it worse.
And then—
Aventurine suddenly stopped.
What am I doing?
When did I start doubting myself like this?
I believe in one thing.
All… or nothing.
Why am I calculating and second-guessing like a coward?
If I lose, I lose.
If I win, I win.
That's it.
His eyes cleared.
Sparkle's earlier whispers faded from his mind.
He straightened.
"Fine."
"All… or nothing."
With renewed confidence, Aventurine flipped his Emperor card face-up and placed it firmly on the table.
"I'm playing Emperor. Let's see what you've got."
"Oh."
Shenhe calmly turned over her card.
Slave.
Silence.
Then—
Aventurine smiled.
"So that's how it is."
There was no bitterness.
No regret.
Only relief.
He was a gambler.
And gamblers accept the outcome.
If anything, this loss was born from his own hesitation.
Had he trusted himself from the start—
He wouldn't be here.
[Aventurine eliminated.]
A beam of light descended.
As his figure faded, he gave Shenhe a courteous bow.
"Congratulations on your victory."
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