Transmigrated as Baron, Married with my Lovely Maid-Chapter 84

"Can you play Black Jack, Atreus Vermillion...?"

Ah, Black Jack.

A relatively fast-paced game, the point of the game is to beat the dealer.

Whoever gets a total of 21 wins outright; going over 21 (bust) loses immediately, and whoever gets closer to 21 wins.

Cards numbered 2 through 10 have their face value, but Jack, Queen, and King are worth 10, and Aces can be worth 1 or 11.

The dealer and player are each dealt two cards, and from there, it’s decided whether the player will draw another card or keep their hand and compare it to the dealer’s.

Just remembering the rules of the game reminds me of how I used to play it with my coworkers.

Yes, Black Jack is a game I used to play with my coworkers after work to unwind a bit.

Of course, I was just playing Black Jack for fun with my friends.

I never played Black Jack like my friends who wanted to win big.

I’ve even seen some go bankrupt because they were too aggressive.

The reason I didn’t play Black Jack at such high stakes was so I could set aside some of my hard-earned money for my wife and daughter.

I didn’t want to waste my money because I had a family.

But what did I get?

Ejection.

Ejection and ostracism from both of them, who felt my giving was still very small compared to other men who were much wealthier than me.

They even accused me of being a manipulative failure, so what I had saved and accumulated to buy a house, a car, and other financial assets was simply lost to my ex-wife, Ela.

Ironically, I was now facing my ex-wife’s new husband, with Black Jack, which they called a Death Game.

"I used to play Black Jack," I said, after recalling my past.

"Good. Because we’re going to play Black Jack. But of course, we have to decide first how much we’re going to bet... but certainly not just money, Atreus," Ulrich said with a sly smile.

I could already guess this when he pushed me to get in this Death Game.

Ulrich pointed to the stack of chips in front of him, and suddenly, I could feel a flow of magical energy flowing into the chip he was pointing at.

The chip slowly changed color from a combination of blue and red to a blackish purple.

At the same time, I also saw the stack of chips in front of me change color from red and blue to black.

I picked up one of the chips, and I could feel it magically connecting with me, as if the magical currents in my body were connecting with each other.

"Those chips are the price you’re betting in this Death Game, Atreus," Ulrich said, breaking me out of my reverie.

"...and so are these chips," he continued, pointing to the blackish purple chip presented right in front of him.

Each chip had a number on it, which, if I counted them, added up to roughly 1,00,000.

"You don’t need to worry, Atreus... I’m betting the same amount as you: 1,00,000. Fair enough, right?"

It was still too early for me to assume this kind of betting arrangement was fair.

I knew these chips carried the value of my soul, which meant I was risking everything I had, not just my possessions.

"So, we’re playing Black Jack with this amount?" I asked to confirm.

"That’s right, Atreus...! I’m the Dealer, and you’ll be the Player in this Black Jack game! Are you ready?"

This bastard couldn’t wait to play Black Jack, which I knew would be full of cheating, systematically designed to ensure my loss.

"So, how much do you want to bet, Atreus?" Ulrich asked.

"One thousand," I said, pushing a few of my chips in front of me.

"Ah...you want to warm up first? Of course, Atreus...take your time. We have plenty of time to enjoy this game..." 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

Ulrich picked up the cards from the stack nearby: one for me, one for him, one for me, and one for him face down.

The dealer always places his second card face down, so the player has to guess whether to continue drawing or stay put.

I looked at my two cards, the Jack of Diamonds and the Seven of Clubs, for a total of 17.

If I draw, I only need a card with face value 2, 3, 4, or maybe an Ace to bring my total closer to 21.

On the other hand, I saw Ulrich, the dealer, holding the 9 of Hearts and a face down card.

If the face down card is an Ace, I’ll definitely lose, as he could have a total of 19.

Tch, I’ll have to draw one more card.

"Hit."

"Ah, sure..."

Ulrich gave me a card, and unfortunately, it was the five of hearts, which meant my total was twenty-two.

It’s a bust, which means I lost this game.

"Ahahahah... looks like you were too hasty, Atreus."

Ulrich opened his cards and revealed that his hole card was the seven of clubs.

Damn it.

If I hadn’t drawn a card, I should have had a chance to win.

And because I lost, Ulrich took a thousand of my chips.

At the same time as my chips were taken, I felt some of my magical power disappear.

Although it wasn’t much, I could feel the impact of a major loss if my remaining chips were gone.

"Hah...! Good, darling...! Make him sell his worthless soul...! He’s definitely losing this game of Black Jack...! He can’t help but blame his wife!" Ela exclaimed contemptuously.

"B-Baron Atreus... calm down... you can still win this game..." Lesha said, reassuring me.

I smiled briefly at Leysha, hiding my rising panic.

I knew I couldn’t lose to Leysha in a simple gambling game with my life on the line like this.

"Come on, Atreus! Next game!"

The game continued.

Second round: I got a three-card combination totaling 23, I lost again due to bust.

Third round: I got a four-card combination totaling 25, I lost again due to bust.

Fourth round: I got a three-card combination totaling 22, I lost again due to bust.

Fifth round: I got a four-card combination totaling 24, I lost again due to bust.

Damn.

What the hell?

I’ve lost five times in a row because bust?

I’ve already had five thousand souls taken by Ulrich, and I can feel my magic power and soul draining away.

"Come on, Dear! Let him lose a hundred times! I’ll definitely support you!" Ela repeatedly encouraged Ulrich.

"Heh... a hundred games is too long, dear. The rule is that every five rounds, the bet must increase to five times the initial bet, which means you have to bet 5,000 chips for the next game, Atreus...!" Ulrich exclaimed with a sly smile.

Damn it.

The bets are increasing, and I can’t make the same mistake again.

I took a deep breath to calm myself, evaluating myself. Maybe there was something wrong with my playing style.

I knew the rules, but my playing style still seemed haphazard.

Looks like I need to change my strategy.

I knew my mistake was being too aggressive in chasing cards to reach 21, thinking the dealer would reach 21 first.

And that’s why I ended up taking cards recklessly, leading to a bust.

I calmed myself down for a moment, then downed the wine Leysha had provided nearby.

"Next round, Ulrich....!"