chapter 16
“Jackpooooot!!”
It was a scream of pure joy.
Someone had shouted it almost like a shriek.
“Oh dear.”
Who announces a lottery win that loudly?
Tsk, tsk.
There was another reason why the 148th lottery draw became famous enough to appear in the social news at the time.
Namely…
“My life is set! Finally!!”
“A winner has been found! The winner, please come into the Conisa first-floor lobby and speak to the information desk!”
Because not long after shouting it out like that so openly… he died.
If he had won, he should have immediately hired an escort from a reliable guild. But he didn’t.
And that mistake cost him his life.
He died on the very day he returned home after claiming the prize money.
When his body was found later, it was practically in rags—his limbs not even intact.
The money he had deposited in the bank had completely disappeared.
The bodies of his family were found there as well.
People speculated that he had been brutally tortured—or threatened using his family as leverage—forcing him to withdraw the money himself and hand it over.
‘The culprits were some bandits.’
Thinking that, I tucked the lottery paper a little deeper inside.
“Jackpot? A jackpot?”
“Wow, how much money has accumulated by now?”
“I heard it’s about 380 million gold…”
That’s right.
Three hundred and eighty million…
That was roughly equivalent to three years of the empire’s operating budget.
Normally, the empire’s annual budget was around 150 million gold.
In other words, the winner would have more money than most nobles.
Considering that the largest prize until now had been around 50 million gold, this was extremely unusual.
‘I’ll just go in quietly.’
If there was one annoying thing about this lottery win…
…it was the rule that the prize must be claimed on the same day.
Otherwise, I would have come with Father.
‘Father doesn’t trust me much…’
Which was understandable.
‘But since I snuck out without telling him, I should hurry back.’
Letting out a deep sigh, I quietly followed the man being escorted by Conisa employees, receiving envious and jealous stares from the surrounding crowd as if he were returning in triumph.
“Oh! After examining the many tickets submitted for the 148th draw, the magic-stone analyzer has discovered something astonishing…! There isn’t just one winner—there are three!”
The announcer’s loud voice echoed from outside.
‘Wrong. There are two.’
Good thing I came inside before things got even louder.
After glancing around the lavish interior of Conisa, decorated with extravagant gold ornaments and gemstones, I headed straight for the information desk.
“Hello.”
When I spoke, the employee leaned forward over the desk and widened her eyes.
“Oh my. Child, children aren’t allowed in here. You should go outside.”
“No, actually… I won the lottery.”
“What? Where are your parents?”
“I came to test my luck and ended up winning, so they’re not here right now. I’d like to receive the prize money. Oh—and I think it would be good if you could contact my father as well.”
As I spoke clearly, the employees at the desk exchanged surprised looks.
“…C-could I see the winning ticket?”
I stared at the employee quietly.
‘She wouldn’t run away with it, right?’
I was a little nervous…
…but I had two tickets, after all.
When I slowly handed them over, the employee examined the numbers and the paper carefully before returning them to me.
Her expression completely changed.
The employee stood up from her seat and bowed.
“I will report this to my superiors immediately.”
“Yes.”
Is this what it feels like to become rich?
The staff guided me to a nearby sofa and brought orange juice and snacks.
I was already full, so I didn’t eat.
As I sat there, nervously tapping my feet while waiting, someone entered from the noisy lobby outside.
“A winner has appeared?”
“Ah! You’ve arrived, Owner. Yes, a winner has appeared.”
“Where are they? The second-floor reception room?”
“Yes. The first winner is there… and we’ve just identified the second winner, so a report has been sent upstairs.”
“The second winner? There are two winners?”
“Yes. According to the magic-stone analyzer, three winners have appeared.”
The man narrowed his eyes, turned his head sharply—and then paused.
“…A child?”
“She is the second winner.”
That man was…
‘…Count Kilvar?’
A middle-aged man with slightly faded blond hair.
‘Currently the manager of Conisa… but in reality, he’s the leader of the Emperor’s Shadow Knights.’
Anything that reached his ears reached the Emperor’s ears as well.
The Emperor’s shadow order—
Sencrad.
Among them, he was the only one allowed to operate outside with his face uncovered.
‘Huh?’
On the surface he looked easygoing and pleasant, but in truth he was a cold man who could kill even a newborn baby if ordered.
‘But… how do I know that?’
I blinked once.
It was strange.
‘I’ve never met him before…’
Yet the knowledge was clear in my memory.
I had never seen this man before, so how could I recognize him and know such details just from his face?
I slowly inhaled.
“Hello there, little lady.”
With his hands in the pockets of his long coat, the man walked over and bent slightly at the waist with a gentle smile.
“Ah… hello…”
I shrank my neck a little, answering like a child suddenly approached by an adult.
‘It’s better to act like a real kid around this man.’
Otherwise he might find something suspicious.
Or start doubting me.
“What a cute young lady. I heard you won—may this uncle take a look at the ticket?”
“Yes…!”
Smiling brightly, I fidgeted a bit before pulling out the two tickets I had hidden and handing them over.
“…Two?”
“Yes! I thought I was supposed to write the same numbers, so I used the same ones… but the man outside said that’s not how it works. The stamp had already been placed, so I couldn’t change it…”
I spoke with a slightly sulky expression, then smiled brightly.
“But if there are two the same… do they both win?”
“…Ah.”
At my innocent question, the count quickly erased the suspicion from his eyes and nodded.
“That’s right. You’re very lucky. Ah, I’ll hold on to these for now.”
“Um…”
I hesitated with a slightly nervous expression, clasping my hands together.
“Um… who are you, mister? My dad says I shouldn’t give important things to strangers.”
“Well…”
The count smiled with his eyes.
“I’m the owner of this establishment. I’m also the one who handles the procedures and pays out the money. So may I keep them?”
“Ah! Yes…!”
Only then did I nod up and down as if I finally understood.
“Good. You’re a smart child. Let’s go to the second floor for now.”
“Yes!”
Clenching my fists, I followed him energetically.
“Did you come here to test your luck today?”
“Yes! I have a wish, and I was really curious whether it would come true.”
“Hahaha! I see. Since you won twice, your wish will surely come true.”
At the count’s words, I giggled as I climbed the arched staircase.
“I hope so!”
“What was your wish?”
His pleasant deep voice asked kindly.
“To get a house where my dad and I can live together so he can live proudly!”
“Oh. That wish will definitely come true. If it’s a house, you can buy as many as you want.”
“And I also wanted to see if my dad could forget me quickly and become happy even if I wasn’t around!”
At my innocent words, the count suddenly paused and looked down at me.
‘It never hurts to gain a little sympathy.’
Feeling his gaze, I smiled inwardly and lowered my eyelids.
