Spirit Poker.
A psychological board game where you flip over cards featuring 8 types of spirits, hand them to the opponent, and guess whether their claim about the spirit is true or not.
Leisha and Kyle Byron got tangled up because of Kyle Galli, but what truly brought them closer was Spirit Poker.
It was a board game Leisha cherished deeply. Even though she interacted with spirits through Kyle Galli, she would never play Spirit Poker with them.
So, after Kyle left, she waited for the day they could play Spirit Poker together again.
“This is the Lightning Spirit!”
“…You’re right, it is the Lightning Spirit.”
“Adela, can you see? How is he guessing them all correctly?”
“There’s a method to it.”
“Y-young Master! This is the F-Fire Spirit!”
“Uh… no.”
“Ah, as expected of the Young Master! This isn’t the Fire Spirit!”
“Sally, did you just switch the cards? I’m pretty sure that was the Fire Spirit…”
“N-no, absolutely not!”
Watching these bratty girls’ antics and Kyle Byron generously playing along, Leisha couldn’t help but frown.
‘What a mess.’
It was a mess. Everything.
The reunion she had longed for, Spirit Poker, everything she had prepared—all ruined.
Her outfit and makeup were a disaster, and their private Spirit Poker game was tainted.
The only consolation was that the cleaning seemed effective, as the turret was praised for being spotless.
‘Every time they come, I’ll have to do a deep clean.’
Leisha, who was already imagining the spirits going on strike if they heard her thoughts, soon had her turn. Her expression shifted from blank to a smile as she handed a card to Kyle.
“This is the Water Spirit.”
“Hmm, correct. It is the Water Spirit.”
“You’re good at this. Is it because you’ve played with me a lot before?”
“Maybe so.”
Leisha smiled, and Kyle followed suit.
But there was something in Kyle’s gaze that only Leisha could see.
“My turn next.”
Hmph.
The magician, pretending to be indifferent, was gripping the armrest of the chair so hard it might break.
“Heh, hehe.”
The maid, giggling, was holding up her middle finger under the table toward Leisha.
It was a bizarre sight for Leisha. If she had her way, those girls wouldn’t even be allowed in the turret. Instead of showing gratitude, they were acting so crudely.
They were far beneath the dignity of a man like Kyle Byron.
Above all, Leisha was the youngest daughter of the Everts Duke family from the west. Even though she had secluded herself in the turret, her social standing was by no means low.
‘Maybe that magician, but…’
From calling her a bitch in the Arkhé Magic Tower to actually stabbing her with a dagger in the royal palace, that maid was a genuine lunatic in Leisha’s eyes. She couldn’t understand why Kyle kept such company.
‘But she’s his friend.’
So, as Kyle Byron’s “friend,” Leisha had to deal with that maid somehow.
How could someone who wouldn’t hesitate to stab a spirit—or a person—be allowed near Kyle?
Since this was the first human friend she had made outside of spirits, Leisha was utterly serious.
If necessary, she was even considering using physical means to handle the maid.
“But, um, why is everyone only handing cards to me?”
“………….”
“…………….”
“……….”
“……So it was a strategy. To exclude me, who knows this game the best!”
Well, it’s because I don’t want to mix words with other girls.
That’s why, even though Spirit Poker was being played by four people, it was practically a 1-on-1 game.
Leisha, Adela, and Sally were all handing their cards to Kyle.
Naturally, only Kyle’s pile of cards kept growing, but he seemed to think of it as a board game strategy.
Leisha didn’t know, but that was actually a viable strategy in Cockroach Poker. Since you can give cards to anyone, it’s not hard for three people to gang up on one from the start.
At least, thankfully.
“Board games are definitely more fun with more people…!!”
Kyle’s skills were so good that he didn’t get eliminated easily, and he himself seemed to enjoy the situation.
It was also possible because the girls, trying to keep the game going as long as possible, swapped cards or secretly peeked using magic.
Anyway, as long as they kept playing this Spirit Poker, they could naturally chat with Kyle Byron.
While Kyle was the only one fully focused on the game, the magician’s grip and the maid’s finger gestures were getting more intense.
It was Leisha’s turn again.
“This is the Water Spirit.”
“Two Water Spirits in a row… Hmm.”
With three Water Spirit cards already piled up, the game could end here if things went wrong.
So Kyle became more cautious.
[Grrr!]
“You’re not wrong, but…”
The Water Tiger, who had been sitting next to Kyle watching the game, chimed in. It didn’t matter what he chose, so just pick anything.
That was fine, but…
[Grrrr!]
“Got it, buddy. Just stay quiet for now.”
[Grrr…….]
“………!!”
Kyle patted the Water Tiger’s head, which had been urging him.
The Water Tiger, perhaps wanting that pat, quieted down, but Leisha found herself flinching in her seat.
That touch, that warmth, that pat.
Leisha remembered the sensation vividly.
For the past month or so during their sync, it had been hers, a privilege only she could have.
But now, that Water Spirit had taken it away.
‘Why a tiger? That sly fox-like thing.’
Spirits don’t have genders. They’re made of pure elements and take the form of the first animal they see.
Leisha, being a Spirit Master, knew that, but right now, she needed someone to blame.
And as always, her relationship with spirits was strictly hierarchical.
‘Get off.’
[Grr, grrr!?]
“Tiger? What’s wrong?”
That nickname was supposed to be for me. Until now, the Water Tiger you’ve been with was me. It was me.
Not that spirit.
Me.
“……Kyle, you’re playing with me right now, right?”
“Ah, my apologies, Princess. Well, um…”
After sending the command for the cheeky spirit to get off, it whined and moved away from Kyle.
……Leisha knew. The Water Tiger she had been synced with was essentially her, but Kyle didn’t know that.
To Kyle, the Water Tiger wasn’t her, just that spirit.
Now that the sync was broken, Leisha couldn’t be the Water Tiger anymore.
‘How envious.’
And.
“Jealous.”
“That’s the Water Spirit……….”
“……Anyway, worrying about it is pointless, so just pick anything.”
“Haha, Princess. You’re saying the same thing as the tiger. Do Spirit Masters and Spirits communicate? You didn’t see my card this time, did you?”
“…………Nothing else?”
“Princess?”
“Nothing, never mind.”
Her gaze unintentionally drifted to Kyle’s hand, but she quickly shook her head.
She had the desire but couldn’t bring herself to say it. She couldn’t ask him to pat her head like he always did.
If it were a Spirit in the form of a tiger, maybe, but patting a person’s head was something only a child would ask for.
Even Leisha, who lacked common sense about friendships, knew that much.
……If it were just her and Kyle here, maybe it would’ve been different.
“This isn’t the Water Spirit!”
“……It’s the Water Spirit.”
“Ah.”
And finally, the game ended.
Considering Kyle was the only one constantly drawing cards, he lasted surprisingly long.
A few hours ago, she would’ve begged to play Spirit Poker all day, but now she didn’t want to play anymore.
She couldn’t let their board game be tainted any further.
Just.
“Kyle, did you have fun?”
“It was particularly harsh on me, but board games are more fun with more people. Don’t you agree, Princess?”
“……Yeah. It’s definitely the board game you made just for me. Perfectly tailored.”
“………….”
“…………….”
It only served to show the difference to those who knew nothing.
The fact that Kyle, the Board Game Creator, made a board game just for her was meaningful enough.
Whether they realized it or not, the maid and the magician’s expressions turned slightly grim.
“Then, shall we play one more round?”
“No. It’s been a while since I’ve seen you, so I’d like to hear about what’s been going on.”
Even though she already knew.
I just want to hear it from your mouth.
“Understood. Since I was last, I’ll clean up the cards───”
“………Huh?”
The moment Kyle nodded and leaned over the table to tidy up the Spirit Poker.
The collar of his shirt slightly opened, revealing something to Leisha.
Beneath the layers of clothing, though thoroughly hidden.
Only Leisha, who shared her vision with the Spirits, could notice the small mark.
It was.
“Kyle? What’s under your clothes………?”
“Huh? Ah, this is……!!”
Kyle suddenly leaned back to avoid Leisha’s unintentionally reaching hand.
As Kyle was about to fall from the sudden movement.
‘Catch him!’
[Growl!]
The Water Tiger, following Leisha’s command, immediately moved to catch Kyle.
Thanks to that, he didn’t fall, but because of it, the shirt he was trying to hide came undone even more.
The mark hidden by his clothes became even more visible.
“……Is that a scar?”
“Kyle. What is that?”
Only then did Leisha, and Adela, who was about to use magic to help Kyle, realize.
The scar Kyle had been hiding under his clothes.
Not a small one, but a deep scar, as if something sharp had been thrust into him repeatedly.
He must’ve wanted to hide it, but Kyle’s reaction was unexpected.
Kyle didn’t rush to cover the scar or…
He wasn’t displeased.
Rather, he ignored even the worried voices of Leisha and Adela.
“Sally, turn your head!”
He had just called out to the maid, who had been unusually quiet for a while.
Leisha also followed Kyle’s voice and looked at the maid.
“Ah, ah, ah, ah………ah?”
The maid.
The maid, who was abnormally, almost fanatically loyal and obsessed with Kyle Byron.
The maid, who acted pure and naive in front of Kyle but was endlessly talkative and cheeky in front of her and Adela.
The maid froze upon seeing Kyle’s scar.
“Sorry, sorry. I, I messed up.”
“Sally!”
“Sorry, sorry. I messed up. Ah, don’t hurt. Don’t die.”
“Sally! Snap out of it!”
“It’s, it’s because of me. Me. Me. This damn bitch. A beggar from the back alleys. A worthless bitch who wouldn’t even deserve to live if it weren’t for the Young Master───”
She screamed, she wailed. Covering her ears with both hands, clutching her head.
The maid’s wail wasn’t loud. Rather, compared to the emotions it conveyed, it was infinitely small.
Was it because she was terrified?
The maid crouched down as if having a trauma-induced seizure, bowing her head and muttering like a madwoman.
And then.
“This, this hand. The hand that stabbed the Young Master……!!”
She pulled out a dagger from somewhere.
She brought the dagger to her right hand, which had been covering her ear.
“Adela, Sleep Magic!”
“……Understood.”
Clang.
Only after Adela used Sleep Magic did the maid fall into a forced slumber.
Due to her extreme mental instability, she couldn’t even resist basic magic.
Kyle caught and embraced the maid as she fell asleep, dropping the dagger.
It was a somewhat familiar response.
“Phew……thank you, Adela.”
“……May I hear an explanation?”
“That……I’m sorry. It’s ultimately something Sally and I have to resolve.”
“Kyle, even from me?”
“I’m sorry, Princess.”
However.
“I can only say that Sally didn’t stutter from the beginning.”
“………….”
“It’s my fault. The mood isn’t right for board games anymore……I’ll take my leave.”
“……Kyle.”
As she watched Kyle force a bitter smile, Leisha, for some reason.
Felt envious of the maid in Kyle’s arms.
Even though she had suddenly screamed and fallen asleep.
Instead.
She would be able to feel Kyle’s warmth and touch.
That alone……was the only thing that had connected Leisha and Kyle all this time.
Leisha quietly lit up her eyes.
‘Like this.’
Absolutely.
I can’t let it go.
