RURO Chapter 32

Russian Roulette /̵͇̿̿/’̿’̿ ̿ ̿̿ ̿̿ ̿̿

CHAPTER 32

Frederick hid himself in a blind spot among the shadows, watching as Vicente entered. Even with his back turned, cloaked in a coat, the man’s mere presence radiated a sense of dissonance. It was as if his existence alone proclaimed that he could never truly blend in with the people gathered here.

His reason for visiting the casino was clear. Frederick watched Vicente approach Tessa, then raised the radio he had hidden in his pocket to his ear.

“Mr. Reed.”

He spoke in a low voice, and a reply came quickly.

— Speak.

“I think he knows.”

— I told you. You’re playing in that bastard’s front yard.

“But this makes it harder to keep an eye on Tessa.”

— I know Zermo well. If I’m right, he won’t lay a finger on you. He knows there’s no point wasting his attention on you.

“So that means…”

— If he found out you made contact, the one who’ll be punished is Tessa.

Alex’s voice was coldly businesslike. Frederick’s gaze returned to Tessa. She was completely frozen in front of Vicente.

Wasn’t this supposed to be some messy affair?

“Deputy Director, may I ask you something?”

— Go ahead.

“Isn’t Zermo just toying with Tessa for his own amusement?”

— What does it look like to you?

That wasn’t how a woman in love looked. What kind of woman trembles in terror, pale as a ghost, in front of a man she longs for?

Then what about Vicente’s side? Frederick turned his attention to the ruler of the underworld. Vicente hadn’t taken his eyes off Tessa for even a moment. That wasn’t the way a man looks at a woman. Since when did we start calling this kind of thing a romantic entanglement?

“I’m… not sure.”

— I sent you to figure out what exactly ties those two together. Keep watching. What’s clear is that Vicente Zermo has started showing unnecessary interest in Tessa.

“Understood.”

The line went dead. Frederick pulled the earpiece from his ear again.

But he couldn’t tear his eyes away from Tessa.

* * *

Vicente, who had been staring at her with eyes sharp enough to devour, suddenly lowered his gaze. Before she could react, Tessa’s injured right hand was seized.

Gripping her wrist, he stared at the bandaged area and asked,

“You’re hurt?”

What he wanted was simple—he wanted her to explain it herself. For a moment, she considered making something up, but then remembered a crucial fact she couldn’t afford to forget.

Vicente could read her thoughts.

He might already be flipping through her mind as they stood there.

Lying in front of him was not an option.

“I got hurt because a glass broke.”

“Tell me more.”

His pitch-black eyes demanded the truth. In the end, Tessa had no choice but to comply.

“I broke the glass. Myself.”

“How did that happen?”

“…”

“Tessa, are you not going to answer me?”

“I lost control of my emotions during an argument.”

“An argument, huh.”

Vicente gently brushed the area where the shards had pierced her skin with his fingers. It was a delicate touch, as if he were handling something precious. Tessa thought he was an unpredictable man. He treated her like a discarded toy, yet showed moments like this.

Unlike Vicente, she couldn’t read his mind. That in itself was frustrating.

A faint smile appeared on his lips.

“So, you’re saying you got injured because of a fight.”

“…It’s not like that.”

“And yet, someone dared to leave a mark on you.”

He muttered to himself, then suddenly pulled a pistol from his coat. Bang! With a loud crack, he fired into the air, shattering the crystal decorations of the chandelier.

People underneath screamed and scrambled to avoid the falling glass. The music came to an abrupt halt. Even the dancers on stage hurriedly fled.

The once-raucous casino fell silent in an instant.

Vicente lifted Tessa’s right hand and showed it to everyone.

“This—who did it?”

He didn’t look angry. Had he not just shattered a chandelier, the question might have sounded casual.

His face was eerily emotionless as he scanned the room. Many of the people present lived under his rule. And they knew very well just how short Vicente’s temper could be.

Some witnesses quickly dragged in the men who had been pestering Tessa earlier. As soon as they were forced to kneel before Vicente, they turned pale and could not speak a word.

“Was it these guys?”

Vicente asked. Tessa, too, felt her mind go blank. She couldn’t nod. Doing so would be a death sentence.

But Vicente had no intention of interrogating her for long. He pulled a nearby chair and sat down, looking down at the three young men like sacrificial offerings.

The men, standing at the edge of death, trembled in misery. They were incredibly unlucky. To injure the woman who belonged to Vicente without even knowing who she was. And right now, Vicente was in a particularly foul mood.

It was the worst possible time to hope for mercy.

Vicente leaned back, resting his chin on his hand, saying nothing for a moment. The revolver in his hand clicked ominously. The men were on the verge of breaking into sobs.

“First time here?”

“…”

“I asked if it’s your first time in my city.”

They shook their heads in panic, trying to answer before it was too late.

“N-no, sir.”

“Then I suppose you knew the rules.”

“We—we had no intention of causing trouble! We didn’t know the lady would get hurt, we truly didn’t—”

“I don’t want any trouble in my city.”

Vicente cut him off coldly. He let out a soft, dismissive breath through his nose and leaned back in his chair.

“You must’ve had thoughts of messing with Tessa.”

“T-that’s not— I mean—!”

“How persistent were you that she shattered a glass over it?”

There was a trace of amusement in his voice, but it only served to underline his displeasure. Were they going to be killed? Tessa felt that was exactly what would happen. She barely managed to open her mouth.

“Mr. Zermo. They’re not the ones who hurt me.”

“Now that I think about it, didn’t you say you didn’t know how to play any games?”

Vicente turned to her. Meeting his eyes, Tessa felt a surge of panic. He had no intention of sparing the three men.

Bringing up games while planning to take their lives—these men’s lives meant absolutely nothing to Vicente.

“You came to a casino, so you should at least learn one game. Perfect timing, since we have enough players.”

With unreadable eyes, Vicente loaded a single bullet into the revolver’s chamber. The men, sensing death, finally began sobbing pitifully.

Tessa tried to stop him, but it was no use.

“Mr. Zermo, please!”

“Watch closely. This is a revolver that holds six bullets. I’ve loaded only one. So, what are the odds it’ll fire?”

Click. The sound of the cylinder turning echoed loudly.

So he really was going to gamble their lives on chance?

“This game’s famous in the military. Normally it’s a cheap way to deal with prisoners. But if we’re talking gambling, you won’t find better odds. There’s over an 80 percent chance of survival.”

Click. Click. He kept spinning the cylinder as he spoke.

“Anyone who’s ever gambled knows—there aren’t many games that promise odds this high.”

“Vicente.”

“If the gun doesn’t fire, I’ll let them live.”

Finally, he raised the revolver to the head of the man sitting on the far left.

“Don’t you think that’s fair?”

Just before he pulled the trigger, a thousand thoughts raced through Tessa’s mind. Should she snatch the gun and throw it? But that would only make things worse. What could she do? What should she do…

She had to stop this. They couldn’t die. They were civilians, and to lose their lives over a single mistake was too heavy a price.

A long-standing lesson echoed in her mind.

‘Listen closely. Sentinels exist to protect people.’

‘You must be ready to sacrifice anything to fulfill your sacred duty to the state.’

‘Even if that price is death.’

‘Be proud of who you are.’

Tessa closed her eyes.

There was nothing she could do. A crushing sense of helplessness engulfed her. She had never once resented being born a C-class Sentinel, but now—now she bitterly hated her own powerlessness.

If only I had an ability.

Would I have been able to save them then?