Chapter 25
They moved to the playroom that had previously been Eugene’s space.
Since Eugene had been the sole resident of the room for a while, she knew most of the toys inside. Having played with some by herself when no one else was around—sometimes just watching them or sucking her thumb in boredom—she now took them out one by one.
“Do you know how to play this?”
Her eyes sparkled as she held onto a game table.
It was a toy much like a modern soccer game, where the player could manipulate knight figurines suspended by strings. Eugene was fascinated by the realistically decorated figures and curious about how to control them.
“Oh, I haven’t seen this in a while.”
The intricately decorated toy was expensive enough that Sir Hatten, who hadn’t had such toys as a child, looked curious. Felix, standing nearby, quickly stepped in.
“You hold this string in one hand and that one in the other, and then move it like this.”
“Wow!” Eugene admired the knight doll as if it were battling, fascinated by its movements. Sir Hatten also watched intently as Felix manipulated the figurine.
Felix carefully taught them how to operate the toy, drawing both of their attentions.
“All right!”
Feeling she had grasped the basics, Eugene grabbed the strings herself.
“Let’s have a match!”
Her eyes gleamed with a challenging look as she faced them, holding the strings connected to a silver-haired knight. The two knights’ eyes widened at her enthusiasm.
Sir Hatten and Felix exchanged glances and chuckled, taking turns playing against Eugene.
“……”
And Eugene was utterly defeated.
The two knights manipulated the figurines’ arms as if they had spent their lives controlling marionette strings instead of swords. Eugene could only enjoy the game when Sir Hatten deliberately slowed down to let her catch up.
“T-There are other games too… should we switch?”
After tasting the bitter defeat, she picked up another toy—a shiny set of colored marbles. Though the official name might have been different, it worked much like the traditional game of gobstones. Eugene mentally calculated that her childhood skills might give her an advantage.
“……Ah.”
But contrary to her expectations, even the marbles game was harsh. She hadn’t realized that the knights’ reflexes applied to this game as well. A single mistake in dropping a stone meant her turn never came around again.
“Felix, how long are you going to keep this up?”
Even Sir Hatten intervened, but the large knight continued flawlessly, never dropping a single marble.
‘……Damn.’
Eugene glared at Felix, who grinned mischievously at her, relishing her frustration. She tasted the bitterness of defeat and vowed revenge.
She tried all the games she knew, but the versatile knights were unbeatable. Chess was lost to their strategic prowess, rolling hoops were uncatchable thanks to the sticks they held, spinning tops, word games, and card games—the nobles’ specialty—were all swept away by Felix.
‘I’ll win. I must win!’
Her competitive spirit awakened, perhaps stirred by a long line of cyber-battle ancestors.
After repeated humiliating defeats, Eugene combed through the room, searching for a perfect game.
Finally, she found it.
‘This is it!’
It was a game where physical ability, social status, or accumulated knowledge didn’t matter—everyone was equal before probability.
A board game akin to Monopoly. The name differed slightly here, but the principle was the same. Even historical generals had enjoyed similar games, and modern people played as well. Eugene chuckled and raised the board in a silent challenge.
“All dice are equal!”
Her assumption was partly correct.
‘……Does the dice hate Felix?’
Strangely, in this world, the dice seemed to have free will. Whenever they landed in Felix’s hand, they rolled the worst numbers.
Moreover, Felix, having grown up as a nobleman of a duke’s family, had an extreme approach to spending: “Money? It exists to be spent, why save it?” This, combined with the dice’s “rebellion,” repeatedly led him into bankruptcy.
“Bankrupt again!”
Before the game, Eugene had added bankruptcy rules from her previous home and joyfully played the banker herself.
Every time the large, bear-like Felix shrank under the rules, Eugene’s face lit up with a broad smile.
‘As expected…’
She reflected on the most important lesson in gaming:
‘A fun game needs a balance patch!’
To enjoy the game, fairness was key. Eugene abandoned her search for advantageous positions and relished the importance of playing under equal conditions.
For several days, Eugene enjoyed defeating the playroom’s toys with her new companions. During that time, the three became close enough to speak freely with one another.
Since graduating school, she had only spent her days with coworkers she didn’t even want to see in dreams. So spending long hours with these friends felt refreshingly different.
Of course, she hadn’t minded her previous solitary life in the palace.
In fact, life without responsibilities had been liberating. She remembered those times fondly—but recently…
‘I didn’t realize, but… maybe I missed having people around?’
Eugene thought this as she spent more time with the two knights, enjoying their company in ways she hadn’t anticipated.
Sir Hatten was not only handsome but thoughtful and kind. Felix could be mischievous but fun to tease, bringing snacks and new toys—his “bribe” of bringing Sir Hatten’s biography proved very effective.
Among the three, only Felix held a high social status. Naturally, he could be teased when he acted naïve about the world.
As Eugene looked at the latest toy Felix had brought, she asked:
“Do you train, Felix?”
“Huh?”
“You’re a knight too, right? Don’t you have to practice swordplay every day? You’re just… playing with these toys all the time…”
Having spent nearly all day together, she hadn’t seen him handle a sword. And seeing him constantly bring in new games and snacks from outside, she suspected he spent his off-duty hours playing rather than training. Eugene looked at Felix skeptically.
‘You don’t have a master either, do you? What are you going to do…?’
Felix laughed, ruffling her hair.
“Really, worry about something important, little one. I am still a palace knight, you know?”
“Stop calling me that,” Eugene growled, brushing his hand away. Only a master could call her “puppy.”
“Felix, do not be rude to Lady Eugene,” Sir Hatten scolded.
“She started it, senior,” Felix replied, grumbling as Sir Hatten’s stern gaze made him behave.
Eugene then turned to Sir Hatten, realization dawning on her.
“…Could it be, Sir Hatten…?”
“Huh?”
“You train even after spending time with me?”
“Yes. Fortunately, the training grounds are lit with torches after sunset, so I can practice without issue.”
Hearing this, Eugene’s face darkened further.
“That’s so late…”
She hadn’t expected her guarding would extend Sir Hatten’s working hours. She quickly suggested:
“Couldn’t you do it during the day? There’s Felix too, so you could take turns…”
She didn’t think two knights were necessary to guard her. Feeling guilty for making him work longer, she hesitated.
Sir Hatten, with a gentle smile, reassured her:
“Thank you for your concern. However, this is a duty I must perform as a knight. Personal training outside of duty is conducted in my own time.”
From behind him, Felix quietly muttered a rebuttal to himself.
