"Hey, have you heard? There's a new Executive in charge."
"I heard already. You mean The Gambler, right? I heard the Mora Rain in the Frozen Tundra the other day was the work of The Gambler!"
"Seriously!? That's… amazing!"
"I'm just passing along what I heard, but it should be true."
…
Shajin yawned lazily as he placed another piece on the chessboard. With a sharp click, the board shifted, and his queen devoured his opponent's king, signaling the end of the game.
Shajin yawned again, fiddling absentmindedly with his opponent's queen, but his gaze drifted toward the full moon outside the window.
Across from him, Rosalyn looked absolutely furious.
"Rosalyn, that's the thirteenth game today. I'm going to bed," Shajin said lazily.
"No! One more game!!!" Rosalyn gritted her teeth, clearly unwilling to let go.
"You said the same thing an hour ago~" Shajin sighed, laying his head on the table.
He had been in Snezhnaya for over three years since taking the Harbinger role, gradually adjusting to the lifestyle here.
All of the Harbingers were staying in Snezhnaya now, waiting for the Tsaritsa's orders.
As for why Rosalyn and Shajin had grown closer, it all began on Shajin's first day as an Executive.
…..
After Shajin's ceremony of appointment, the people of Snezhnaya all knew that a new Executive had arrived.
At the welcome banquet for Shajin, nobles from all over Snezhnaya gathered to chat with him, but Shajin only exchanged a few casual words with them.
Seeing that The Gambler had no interest, they politely took their leave.
There were no dramatic moments of face-slapping—Snezhnaya was a society with clear hierarchies. The Tsaritsa's Executives were undoubtedly at the top of that power structure.
Shajin sat alone at the banquet table, savoring the local drink, Firewater. The high-proof alcohol burned down his throat, but soon his body began to warm, a perfect fit for the freezing cold of Snezhnaya.
He looked up and saw Columbina approaching, draped in an Executive's cloak, and sitting beside him.
They exchanged a long gaze.
After a while, Columbina spoke a word that seemed out of place.
"Hello?"
Why a question?
Shajin rubbed his forehead. He hadn't realized before, but it seemed that The Damselette was a bit… airheaded?
"So, Columbina, what brings you here?"
"No reason. Just wanted to come over," she said, taking a sip of Firewater, her face scrunching up as she stuck out her tongue.
"It still tastes horrible," she muttered.
Shajin: "…"
The two fell into a silence. Every so often, Columbina would casually place some food onto Shajin's plate.
Shajin, ever polite, accepted it.
But his eyes never strayed far from Columbina's face.
Columbina glanced at him, then down at her plate of Snowboar King Roasted Tenderloin, her hand protectively covering it.
"I'm not giving this to you~"
Shajin's lips twitched slightly.
"Don't worry, I don't want it."
Only then did Columbina lower her hand and continue eating in small bites.
…
Hours passed, and the banquet was drawing to a close.
Columbina, in Shajin's silent gaze, had fallen asleep beside him.
She was even letting out cute little snoring sounds.
"Shajin, I was looking for you just now."
"Oh? Columbina's here too?"
Pantalone, wearing his trademark smile, walked over to Shajin and stared in surprise at the sight of Columbina next to him.
He remembered Columbina never appearing at such occasions.
"Pantalone, is there something you need?" Shajin finished the Firewater in his glass.
"You and I are both from Liyue. Shajin, I must say, I've never seen someone from Liyue with such a drinking capacity. Truly rare," Pantalone complimented, then continued.
"I just came to tell you that your house is numbered 9527. Just follow the signs, and you'll find it. Here's the key. The master key's been lost, but fortunately, there's a spare."
Shajin took the key.
"Ummm, milord, about that…"
"Do you have a comment, Yusupov?"
"…Sorry."
Pantalone was the head of the North Bank, whose reach spread through all the Seven Nations, powered by blood, sweat, and tears.
Just hearing the name was enough to make anyone quiver.
Shajin waved his hand dismissively.
"By the way, Pantalone, do you know where Columbina's house is?"
"Columbina? Honestly, except for the Tsaritsa, no one knows where it is~"
Shajin flicked the fringe of his hair with a sigh.
"How troublesome~ I can't just leave her here, can I?"
"My house should have plenty of rooms, right?"
"Yes, both rooms and other facilities will definitely satisfy you." Pantalone smiled.
"Good."
Shajin then lifted Columbina and walked toward the door.
"I'll take my leave now~"
"Safe travels~"
Pantalone watched Shajin leave, his gaze deepening until Shajin disappeared from sight.
"By the way, Yusupov, you were about to say something?"
"Well, milord, that house you mentioned… Lady Rosalyn took it yesterday."
Pantalone: ???
…
'So what's going on here?'
Shajin, carrying Columbina, opened the door to his room, only to bump into Rosalyn, who had just come out of the bath, wrapped in a towel.
Before Rosalyn could explode in anger, Shajin quickly pressed one hand on Columbina and the other on Rosalyn's mouth.
"Let me explain… No, listen to my side of things, Rosalyn."
…
After a while, Shajin, his left cheek sporting a slap mark, finally finished explaining everything to Rosalyn. He laid Columbina on a bed in one of the rooms.
With Rosalyn now beside him in the living room, Shajin's gaze was drawn to a chess set on the side table.
"Rosalyn, let's play chess. If you win, I'll grant you any one wish. If you lose, there will be no punishment. Consider it an apology. What do you say?"
"Oh?" Rosalyn raised an eyebrow.
"Heh, in chess, I'm second to none in Snezhnaya. No one dares to claim first. You better think carefully."
Shajin moved forward and picked up the chessboard.
"I've made up my mind. Let's go."
…
Rosalyn stared at her lone king, deep in thought.
"Alright, I won. I'll take my leave now~"
"No way!"
Rosalyn grabbed Shajin's shoulder, her expression twisted with rage.
"Another round!"
"Alright then."
…
"Alright, you lost again." Shajin knocked over Rosalyn's king.
"Rosalyn, you're terrible at this." Columbina, who had woken up at some point, casually chimed in.
Rosalyn's forehead twitched.
"One more time!"
…
"Rosalyn, you lost again~" Columbina said lightly.
"Shut up! One more round!"
And so, the chess games continued until the next morning.
Even after Shajin found his quarters, Rosalyn came by every day to play chess with him.
She hadn't won once.
Shajin: Truly, congratulations.
.....
Some might noticed that the actual name Rosalyn is used much much more than Signora in last chapters, this chapter, and in future chapters. This is because the original author uses this name more than Signora.
Embrassingly, I never noticed this preference and only remembered this when the author suddenly used Signora in ch 40+(cut me some slack, the last I played was Fontaine and also it's been a while since I last saw her in the game).
Hopefully you guys don't mind it.
_
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