Chapter 9 : A High-Stakes Gamble—Do You Dare to Play?

SMACK!

That slap rang out loud and clear!

If not for the soundproofing barrier in place, that crisp smack might’ve echoed through the entire castle!

“You—you?!”

Crasis was stunned stiff by the slap.

Ron had struck Crasis’s right cheek earlier.

Whether it was a coincidence or an unconscious act driven by rage—Jon’s slap landed perfectly on her left cheek!

Now she had taken a slap on both sides.

Her face had reached a kind of… delicate symmetry.

Unfortunately, Jon’s slap was much heavier than Ron’s.

With that one blow, blood trickled from the corner of Crasis’s mouth!

Even Ron was startled by the intensity of that slap.

After a moment of stunned silence, Ron couldn’t help but feel a wave of schadenfreude.

Damn right! 

That vile woman deserved it!

Just as he was secretly rejoicing over Jon stepping in— Jon suddenly spun around!

A magic circle spun before his palm, and a tongue of flame shot straight toward the gray-white moth perched on Ron’s left hand!

FWOOOSH!

In an instant, the moth was swallowed by the flames and burned to ash.

Ron froze momentarily—then clutched his left hand in agony!

Though the flames didn’t directly strike his skin, the scorching heat still severely burned his hand.

Watching his swollen, pale hand blister and swell, cold sweat poured down his face.

The pain was so intense he couldn’t even stand, collapsing to the floor and gasping from the sheer agony.

“Heh…”

“Played with hawks all my life, almost got blinded by a goddamn sparrow like you.”

“Good thing I had you, Crasis.”

“Nice performance just now.”

“Stirred the waters real well.”

“Without your little act, my slap wouldn’t have caught him off guard so perfectly.”

Jon smirked coldly, extinguishing the lingering heat from his palm.

He looked down at Ron, writhing in pain yet not letting out a single scream.

Crasis, meanwhile, was utterly confused.

Huh?

That was… acting?

Even though it was more like a pig accidentally ramming into a tree, it ended up perfectly assisting Jon’s plan.

Realizing this, Crasis forced a smile.

“Heh, all… all part of my plan.”

Even though her swollen, bruised face could barely move at all.

Still, she felt a rare flicker of satisfaction.

Now, Ron’s only trump card was gone.

Looking at Ron, groaning on the ground like an ant, Crasis stared down with cruel amusement.

“Weren’t you acting all tough just now?”

“Go on then—act tough now!”

Furious, Crasis raised her leg and kicked Ron hard.

At that moment, Jon also felt a wave of relief—like he had just narrowly escaped disaster.

Even though Ron was his opponent, the truth was—Ron had almost pulled him down with him.

Still, Jon couldn’t help but feel a bit of admiration for Ron.

In this world where magic reigns supreme, the gap between an ordinary person and a mage is even greater than the gap between a slave and a noble.

For someone like Ron—a so-called “worthless” person with zero magical talent—to come this far was already quite impressive.

“It’s over, Ron.”

“Your only card is gone.”

“Now, reconsider my offer.”

“Die with dignity and secure your family’s future support.”

“Or…”

“Shall we help you die ‘with dignity’ instead?”

“In that case, you won’t just die—your entire family will suffer the consequences.”

“Your mother might even go to war with my family to avenge you.”

“And then, the Castrellero family will be wiped from history altogether.”

As he spoke, Jon reached into his robes and pulled out a pitch-black potion bottle.

This was the same “Elixir of Drunken Dreams” he had previously given Ron to die peacefully.

“You’re a smart boy.”

“I trust you’ll choose the right path between these two.”

With a flick of his hand—

Clink.

The bottle dropped near Ron’s head, like a coin being tossed to a beggar.

Staring at the familiar potion, sweat pouring from his face in pain, Ron suddenly began to laugh.

“Heh heh heh… haha~”.

His laughter was unhinged, full of madness and bitter irony.

At first, Crasis and Jon thought Ron had finally cracked— laughing in despair now that his scheme had failed.

But as his laughter grew more eerie, twisted, and manic— the smiles on Crasis and Jon’s faces began to fade.

Feeling annoyed, Crasis stomped on Ron’s shoulder.

“What the hell are you laughing at?”

Ron didn’t answer—he just shook his head repeatedly.

Then, he brushed her filthy foot aside, struggled to his feet, and looked at the two of them with a mocking glint in his eyes.

“You two… What makes you so sure…”

“…that I have no cards left to play?”

“What if—”

“I’m just saying, what if—”

“What if I made a backup?”

“Hehehe~”

As soon as those words left his mouth—

Jon’s heart instantly sank.

But the next moment, he forced himself to stay calm, confidence returning to his face.

“You’re bluffing.”

“To imprint a recording from the Magic Whisper Moth, you’d need prior preparation.”

“And if you really had predicted I’d destroy the evidence, you wouldn’t have given me the chance to act.”

“You’re just trying to bluff us.”

Faced with Jon’s logical and well-reasoned deduction, Ron just grinned and, using the only hand that wasn’t injured, swept aside the bangs covering his forehead.

“Is that so?”

“Hard to say~”.

As he spoke, Ron picked up the Elixir of Drunken Dreams from the ground.

“Wanna test it?”

“I already gave orders in advance.”

“If I die, the backup I prepared will be made public.”

“My mother loves me dearly. She would absolutely go to war to avenge me!”

“Sure, your family is stronger than mine right now.”

“But even if your family wins, the scandal will ruin your reputation.”

“If it were just a moral stain, it might be fine—strong families can always ignore rumors.”

“But…”

“What if the Phinip family’s power is drained in the process?”

“The Castrellero family may be in decline, but a centipede doesn’t die easily.”

“Even if you defeat us, it’ll cost your family greatly, right?”

“Now guess—would anyone take this opportunity to replace our two families in the noble hierarchy?”

“After all, I’ve already given the world a perfect excuse to destroy you.”

As Ron spoke, he lifted the black potion high above his head.

“Hey~”

“Uncle Jon.”

“Wanna place a bet?”

“On a future where both of our families perish together?”

“Sounds kinda fun, don’t you think?”

With a playful flick of his tongue, Ron tilted the bottle— and the dark liquid inside began to spill slowly toward his mouth.

Seeing the potion about to pour in, Jon finally panicked.

Like a madman, he lunged forward and smacked the bottle out of Ron’s hand,

then grabbed Ron by the collar and slammed him against the wall!

Jon’s bloodshot eyes stared intently into Ron’s, searching for the slightest hint of a bluff or hesitation.

“Tell me…”

“Tell me!!”

“You’re lying!”

“You’re faking it!”

“There’s no backup, is there?!”

“Everything you just said—it was all a bluff, wasn’t it?!”

As he roared, Jon pushed Ron further outward—

Soon, Ron’s upper body was hanging outside the castle wall.

From the fifth floor of the castle, this wasn’t like falling from a normal building.

At this height, a fall would be fatal—especially for someone like Ron, who had no magical powers to protect him.

But in the face of this life-and-death situation, Ron looked utterly relaxed.

He spread his arms wide, relishing the untainted evening breeze.

In the midsummer night, unknown insects chirped in the distance.

“Uncle Jon, as they say—‘truth comes from practice.’”

“If you want to know whether I’m bluffing…”

“Just let go—and everything will be revealed~”.

Eyes closed, Ron spoke softly.

His body was completely relaxed—not only was he unafraid of falling, he even leaned back slightly, trying to feel more comfortable.

Feeling Ron’s calm composure, Jon gave in.

He pulled Ron’s half-suspended body back over the wall.

“You win.”

Jon’s face darkened with frustration.

He didn’t dare to gamble.

If the future Ron described came true, it would be the nightmare of the Phinip family.

Jon was a meticulous egoist—everything he did was to serve the family’s interests.

That was precisely why he had been willing to act as Crasis’s dark hand,

to help her get rid of Ron.

Ron staying alive would definitely hold back the Phinip family’s path to greater glory.

But if he were to die, and take the Phinip family down with him—

Then it wasn’t worth the trouble.

Pulled back by Jon, Ron sat back in his chair with a calm smile.

During the scuffle just now, the severe burn on his hand had torn open again.

A large chunk of flesh had been scraped off—his hand was now a bloody mess,

and one could faintly see the white of exposed bone.

“State your terms, Ron Castrellero,” Jon said, looking at him with genuine respect.

Ron, gasping for breath, replied:

“Stop trying to kill me.”

“Crasis must marry me under a blood oath.”

“But my family and I will not take a single coin of dowry from the Phinip family, nor accept any of your support.”

“Crasis and I will be husband and wife in name only. We’ll live completely separate lives.”

“Can you accept that?”

Faced with Ron’s cold and firm conditions, Jon bowed deeply and gave a formal noble’s salute.

“As you wish.”

“On behalf of the Phinip family, I accept your terms.”

“Not only will we cease all threats to your safety, we will also do our utmost to ensure your protection.”

“Please, take care of yourself as well. Don’t let any…accidents happen.”

At that moment, Ron was no longer a ‘good-for-nothing’ in Jon’s eyes—he had become the true heir of the Castrellero family, Ron.

Having received Jon’s affirmation, Ron nodded in satisfaction.

They had reached an agreement.

But beside them, Crasis completely broke down!

“No! How can you just speak for me like that?!”

“I don’t want to marry him!”

Seeing Crasis’s shocked expression, Jon replied calmly:

“Didn’t you hear what was said?”

“It’s a marriage in name only.”

“You don’t have to sleep with him. You can still live your own life.”

Hearing this, Crasis frantically shook her head.

“No, no!”

“Of course I know I can live my own life.”

“Even without your agreement, that cripple wouldn’t be able to stop me!”

“What I mean is—”

“I don’t want to be married to him, not even in name!”

“My purity and status are for my true love—not for him!”

Hearing this, Jon let out a cold laugh.

“You have so many conditions? Then handle it yourself.”

“I’m done helping you.”

With that, Jon spun around and strode off, his tailcoat fluttering behind him.

Though Crasis was filled with resentment, seeing the mocking smile on Ron’s face, she knew—

She was no match for this man.

Fuming, she had no choice but to chase after her uncle.

“Wait! Hold on!”

“This isn’t over yet…”

Once Ron confirmed the two had completely left, he finally collapsed into the chair as if all his strength had drained away.

Cold sweat poured down like rain.

Ron reached out with trembling hands, grabbing the now-warm glass of red wine.

He had just taken a sip when his pain-numbed hand gave out, and the wine glass shattered to the ground.

Crash!

Glass shards flew in all directions.

The deep red wine mixed with the blood already pooled on the floor.

Ron could no longer hold on— he passed out in the chair.

“Young master!!”

The hidden guards rushed in.

Sensing how weak Ron’s breath had become, they hurriedly lifted both him and the chair, and carried him toward the castle’s private infirmary!

Bouncing and jostling along the way, Ron barely opened his eyes and murmured weakly:

“You… all of you… listen carefully.”

“What happened today… not a word to my mother. Not a word to anyone else…”

Hearing Ron’s order, the guards—who had witnessed his reckless gamble—

had tears welling in their eyes.

“Yes, sir!”

Only after receiving their firm response did Ron finally let himself drift off into unconsciousness.

At the infirmary, the doctor was woken from sleep and arrived at Ron’s side still half-dazed.

But the moment he saw Ron’s bloodied, mangled hand and the cut on his face,

the doctor was so shocked his sleepiness instantly vanished.

“Oh my god…”

“How did young master end up like this?!”

“Quick! Go get my assistants—now!”

“I can’t handle this alone…”

The doctor frowned deeply and got to work immediately.

In the ordinary world, wounds of this severity would have required amputation.

But thankfully, this was a world of magic.

With advanced magical techniques, the doctor wouldn’t just be able to save Ron’s hand, he could even ensure no scars would be left behind.

However… the treatment process and the energy it required were considerable.

Under a combination of healing magic and surgical procedures, Ron slowly regained consciousness.

Seeing that Ron had woken up, the doctor—who had been fully focused on treating the wounds—gave a helpless smile.

“Young master, you really gave me a big job this time!”

As the doctor carefully cut away the burned and damaged tissue, he simultaneously used magic to stimulate the regrowth of new skin and muscle.

The scene was gruesome and bloody— but luckily, if there was one thing the Castellero family wasn’t short on, it was money.

Anesthetics?

They had more than enough.

It was precisely thanks to the anesthesia that Ron didn’t pass out again from the intense pain the moment he woke up.

As he stared at the bloody operation, sucking in cold breaths, the door to the operating room suddenly opened.

The one who entered was none other than Ron’s mother, Elenda!

The moment she stepped in and saw the bloody scene, Elenda let out a shocked scream.

Thankfully, the doctor was experienced and remained unfazed, continuing the delicate work.

Elenda covered her mouth, tears streaming uncontrollably down her face.

Completely distraught, she sat down beside Ron.

“Tell me honestly—how did this happen?”

Facing his mother’s concerned questioning, Ron replied with a calm, neutral expression:

“I wanted to do a bit of open-air barbecue on the viewing platform.”

“Accidentally burned my hand.”

“The cut on my face was from a metal skewer.”

“That’s all.”

Hearing such a lame excuse, Elenda’s face darkened.

“Barbecue?”

“And charcoal did this to your hand?”

Facing her suspicious gaze, Ron forced a weak smile.

“Really… I just burned it by accident.”

Seeing that Ron refused to change his story, Elenda took a deep breath, stood up, and left the room.

As she left, she also called away the hidden guards who had been standing beside Ron.

About ten minutes later, Elenda returned, her face stormy.

She sat down beside Ron again, her tone heavy and deliberate:

“You can tell me honestly, don’t be afraid.”

“I’m your mother. I will stand up for you.”

Upon hearing these words, Ron let out a long sigh.

He knew—

Elenda had definitely found something out.

The informant might not have been one of the bodyguards—after all, they weren’t the only ones who could have witnessed the incident.

After all, Elenda was the head of the Castellero family. 

On her own turf, she surely had her own network of spies.

Realizing the truth had likely already been exposed, Ron could only speak with a heavy heart:

“Mom.”

“You are my mother, but you’re not just my mother.”

“You also carry the burden of the family. You have to think about the future of all our people.”

“I burned my hand because of my own carelessness.”

“Don’t overthink it.”

“Now that Miss Crasis and I are both of age, it’s time to fulfill the blood pact.”

“Let’s not let this incident interfere with the engagement.”

“I don’t want to suffer soul-burning from breaking a blood contract.”

Seeing that Ron was adamantly sticking to the “accident” story, Elenda let out a deep sigh.

She knew then— Her son wasn’t just grown up in age.

“You’ve grown up, Ron…”