The casino has no windows, completely cutting off sunlight and the sea view, making you instantly forget where you are.
The ceiling was very high, with several huge, tiered crystal chandeliers casting a soft yet dazzling light that shone in harmony with the spotlights embedded throughout the ceiling.
The lights illuminated the entire space in a golden glow, yet without being glaring; instead, they created a dreamlike atmosphere of extravagance and decadence.
The thick, soft, dark carpet beneath my feet absorbed all footsteps, making walking on it completely silent.
There was no bustling noise in my ears as I had imagined.
Instead, it flows with deep, soothing jazz music.
The clearest sounds were the clinking of champagne glasses, the hushed conversations of gamblers, the brief instructions given when placing bets, and the occasional sigh of frustration or a low gasp of excitement.
All sounds were controlled within an elegant decibel level, appearing orderly yet subtly turbulent.
The air seemed to have been specially treated, making it exceptionally fresh, but Draco's keen magical senses detected a very subtle and unique fragrance wafting through the air.
The initial scent is relaxing and uplifting.
However, upon closer inspection, one can discover that it seems to have a subtle exciting effect and lower one's vigilance.
Is this one of the methods to make it easy to get in but difficult to get out?
After a cold laugh, Draco reached into his inner pocket, touched his wand, and silently cast a Reviving Spell.
A cool breeze rushed in from above, instantly dispelling the excitement and restoring clarity to the mind.
Alright, now you can have some fun.
Looking around, all the male guests were dressed in suits and ties, while the female guests wore glamorous evening gowns, high heels, and sparkling jewelry.
Waiters, dressed in white shirts, skirts, and bow ties, moved among the crowd carrying trays, serving champagne and towels.
The dealers, dressed in appropriate uniforms and wearing professional smiles, silently and efficiently run the gambling games.
On the ceiling, countless miniature cameras, like indifferent eyes, silently watch over every corner.
The chip exchange counter was a row of long, dark wood counters covered with dark green velvet, on which were placed several small metal card readers and chip trays.
The tellers wore uniforms similar to those of the croupiers, with thin checkered ties at the collar, and their expressions were polite and professional.
Draco walked to an empty window, took a wad of crisp new British pound notes from his suit pocket, and placed them on the counter.
Then tell the teller what combination of chips to exchange.
"Okay, sir, please wait a moment."
The female teller quickly counted and verified the money, and after confirming that everything was correct, efficiently exchanged the corresponding chips for Draco.
The £100 was exchanged for 100 small, silver metal tokens, each worth £1, for playing slot machines. They featured a simple cruise ship logo and the denomination number.
Then came the chips at the card table: six large, dark blue chips, each worth five hundred pounds. These chips were much larger than slot machine coins, about the size of a playing card.
It has a gold border around the edge and the number 500 is printed in gold in the center. It is mainly used for card games such as Blackjack and Baccarat.
Finally, there are the Texas Hold'em chips.
The five largest chips, each with a face value of one thousand pounds.
These chips are black.
The front is embossed with the number 1000 and the cruise ship's logo in silver foil, while the back features intricate geometric patterns. Draco picked one up and twirled it between his fingers, finding it to feel quite nice.
Draco casually gathered them up and put them in his pocket.
Then move to the outermost area.
The lighting in the slot machine area was dim and warm.
This area isn't as brightly lit as the area around the gambling tables.
Rows of slot machines were arranged facing the wall or back to back, their fluorescent screens standing out starkly in the dim environment.
The colorful patterns scrolled rapidly, accompanied by electronically synthesized ding-dong sounds and occasional winning sound effects.
The noise level here is much higher than at the card tables.
Because gamblers don't need to use their brains much—just press a button and pull a lever to start a bet—they have more time to chat, laugh, curse, and cheer.
Draco, who was about to find a machine to play with, suddenly stopped in his tracks, his gaze drawn to a figure in front of a slot machine.
A woman sat there quietly, somewhat out of place in the noisy and excited environment around her.
He could only see the woman's back and her long, flowing hair.
Most of the slot machine players around her looked excited or tense; some had cigarettes in their mouths, others held drinks, their eyes glued to the screen. But this woman was different...
The woman sat there quietly, her back straight, her posture as upright as if she were attending an afternoon tea party.
Her gaze wasn't on the slot machine, but rather on something else. She carried a khaki canvas backpack on her back, with two wide shoulder straps hanging down, suspending the bag on either side of her waist.
Unlike many of the female guests who wore evening gowns, she simply wore a beige linen shirt and dark trousers.
Such attire stood out conspicuously in this casino.
That's why Draco noticed her.
Draco walked slowly closer, stopping a step behind her, his gaze lingering on the canvas bag for two seconds.
He joked, "Ma'am, are you planning to buy some goods here with those two bags hanging behind you?"
The woman had actually noticed someone approaching much earlier.
Although the sound of footsteps was swallowed by the carpet, the extra scent in the air still made her tilt her head to listen.
But she didn't pay attention.
Because my mind isn't on this.
Her gaze drifted from the slot machine area towards the brightly lit card tables in the distance, worry and weariness lingering between her brows.
So when Draco's joke suddenly drifted over from her side, she was only startled, not startled, but rather felt gently pulled back from her reverie.
The woman slowly turned her head.
The light fell on her profile as she turned around.
What came into Draco's view was a neatly styled bob haircut with inward curls at the ends and smooth lines.
Her short bangs, just past her eyebrows, made her face appear even smaller, cleaner, and more refreshing.
The woman's features were clear and well-defined, with striking, arched eyebrows, a straight nose, and lips pressed into a straight line.
She doesn't have the sweet and cute looks, but rather a cool and aloof beauty that makes it hard to look away.
Every feature on his face is in the perfect position.
Although the woman exuded a cool aura, Draco was still amazed by her sudden turn.
His fingers, still clutching the coin, were frozen in mid-air; his eyes were wide open, and he seemed to have been put on pause.
He looked away in just a second or two.
Then, as if nothing had happened, he flipped the coin over.
But the smile on his lips had faded somewhat.
The woman was completely unaware of his scrutiny.
Or perhaps she simply didn't care to notice, because there wasn't a hint of a smile on her face, not even a flicker of her brow.