Fair Trade

Giulio told her not to worry so much as he had invited Yuri Petrov out of plain curiosity. Since there were two mafia groups on the same ship, this meeting was arranged as a truce to prevent unnecessary bloodshed. So, there was no need to be so scared.

However, it was not easy to calmly shrug off this situation where it would not be strange if a gunfight broke out suddenly.

She wasn’t the only one suffering from this tension. The faces of the dealers who entered the game room and guards on both sides overlooking the casino area were not much different from hers.

… But what the hell is happening here?

The people sitting at the game table were Kirill and two unknown Russian men along with Sei and Giulio Parenti. They exchanged greetings in their native tongues and not in the official English language as if this was something they had agreed on earlier.

What kind of weird upmanship is this?

Sei, standing behind Giulio, interpreted the three languages ​​simultaneously and processed them in her head. It was actually easy for her to grasp the languages. Should we say that more than understanding them, she could interpret them naturally?

Having traveled the world with her father, who had lived all his life as a fugitive, she was able to pick up and interpret the languages of all those countries.

“「I see you’re Russian as well.」”

Giulio did not take his eyes off Kirill, who boasted a showy appearance.

The furrow on the tip of his chin deepened. It was a characteristic of Giulio that was revealed when he clenched his molars whenever he was deep in thought.

However, Sei’s attention was focused on Yuri standing near the entrance. He was dressed in a perfectly fitting black suit. Besides, the color of his hair this time was black. She knew he was wearing a wig, but she never thought that dark hair would suit him so well.

She couldn’t believe how his whole image changed just by changing his hair color.

I’ll figure him out even if it takes time. ‘Cause I’m not the type to have a chip on my shoulder.

She unknowingly clenched her fist. She only knew that today was a very important day where she would need all her faculties intact and ready in case something unexpected happened.

When the dealers were about to take their seats, a glass of champagne was placed in front of them each. The server holding the tray also handed her the champagne, but she refused.

“We’ll go with blackjack. Minimum 1,000. There is no maximum.”

“「Let’s start from 3,000.」”

With a pretentious smile, Sei inconspicuously glanced at Yuri.

Fortunately, Yuri didn’t seem to have any intention of sitting at the table. She could now see why this man’s face has been unknown till now. He was a man covered with numerous protective masks like herself.

After quietly contemplating the situation, he left the game room with a cold smile. At that time, Giulio wrapped his arms around her shoulder and lowered his voice with a smile.

“「The one in the middle with the tattoo is Yuri Petrov’s closest associate, Kirill Kuzmin. Even though he looks worse than a sickly man, he actually slit open Ilikai’s throat the last time someone crossed him. With just one razor knife. A razor knife. Keep your ears open. Listen to everything closely even when he draws in a breath.」”

A razor knife?

Sei looked at Kirill with a terrified expression. Then Kirill, who looked into her eyes, accepted the card with an inscrutable face.

The atmosphere was too ordinary and perplexing.  They leisurely chatted about the dinner menu and made comments on the major ship accidents that occurred a few years ago.

A huge amount of chips began to pile up on the table rampant with the calls of ‘hit,’ ‘raise,’ and ‘call.’ The dealer’s face changed from moment to moment.

Sei looked at the cards on the table. Despite the dealer’s card being Ace, no one called out ‘insurance.’ What was the purpose of playing a game where one can see the ‘hand’ clearly?  Is this really the strange truce that Giulio mentioned before?

The first game ended with the dealer’s victory. An awkward smile bloomed on the dealer’s face as he grabbed the chips. Giulio picked up two black chips, pressed them lightly to Sei’s lips, and grinned.

“「 Let’s take a short break. Since everyone lost this game on purpose, this game is only going to get drawn out. So, let’s take things slowly.」”

“「There wasn’t anything useful in their conversation. They’re quite thorough with hiding him… I don’t think Yuri Petrov is here.」”

“「 Hmm, we won’t know that until we get to the end.」”

Sei didn’t refuse him and got up, accepting Giulio’s chip.

When she came out, the eyes of the members of both the mafias who were guarding the game room focused on her. She felt a chill run down her spine.

Sei scowled back at Lorenzo, who was following her, and walked towards the bar.

Meanwhile, where did Yuri go?

Inside the casino, Giulio placed his gang everywhere to find him and monitor the whole situation. If by any chance anyone suspected his identity…

She held onto this like hope for her uncertain future.

Just when she was walking, searching for Yuri under the dazzling light of the grand chandelier, someone blocked her way.

“Lady, who are you looking for?”

The protagonist of the unpleasant voice was Michael Dylan. Just a few days ago, she had stolen $500,000 from him. But didn’t she now look completely different from then?

Sei thought he couldn’t recognize her and decided to turn the other way, ignoring him.

“You seem to be wandering around for a while.”

When she ignored him, Michael grabbed her slender arm.

Her body reeled from the strong force. The corner of the man’s mouth curled up dangerously and he pushed her against a pillar. When her back hit the column, she felt a shock run through her body.