On Sunday night a week ago, at roughly this same time, Shade had won his Rhodes Cards wager with an exceptionally brilliant game. Today, one week later, he had added Origin · Silver Moon to his deck and won with an even more spectacular play, without even dragging the match into a third round.
Last week's events had been due to the luck produced by the Dice Counterattack Script, while this week's events were probably truly the luck brought by Origin · Silver Moon.
"Origin · Silver Moon!"
The crowd first murmured in low voices, then erupted into a staggering roar, as though a Steam Bomb had exploded here. People helped the smiling Viscount Ford to his feet, while even more squeezed forward to make sure their eyes were not deceiving them.
Amid wave after wave of noise, Vice President Mark loudly told everyone to step back. Duke Lucas, seated opposite Shade with both hands pressed against the table as he leaned forward, wore such an astonished expression that it was as though he had discovered Shade was Miss Galina in disguise.
Having seen plenty of "grand occasions," Vice President Mark immediately declared that Shade had won the first two rounds of the wager and thus the entire match.
Only then did Shade's opponent, the old duke in an old-fashioned red army uniform, ask the young Detective in disbelief:
"The genuine article?"
He still seemed unwilling to believe it.
"Yes. Miss Galina has seen it."
"Will you sell it?"
Before Shade could shake his head, the Black-Haired Maid behind him finally spoke. Her voice was crisp and clear, pitched just right for everyone to hear:
"Detective Hamilton is Miss Galina's friend. That Rhodes Card is jointly owned by Miss Galina and the Detective."
The card naturally belonged entirely to Shade.