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Scarlet Rose [ABO] - What Happens When the Villain Dies at the Beginning? (21)
Upon seeing the gun in Steven’s hands, everyone began whispering amongst themselves.
“He even took out a weapon, what is he thinking?”
“Betting their lives? Isn’t that a bit extreme?”
“Hush, it doesn’t matter what they want to do. As subjects, all we need to do is wait and see what happens.”
Playing with the revolver, Steven provoked Payne in a cocky manner. “You should’ve heard about Russian Roulette before, right? One bullet, six chances. Whoever is shot loses. Do you dare bet with me?”
Prime Minister Lu voiced his opposition, “We’re only seeking the truth, why should the two Highnesses bet on their lives so hastily?”
Steven looked at the Prime Minister in dissatisfaction, impatiently saying, “Shut up, should he not pay the price for slandering his Majesty? What, if anyone can dare to slander the royal family, where would our faces be?!”
“But this price is too great, it would be difficult to control the situation regardless of who gets hurt. Today’s banquet is very important, so why should there be bloodshed?” Prime Minister Lu continued to argue.
Payne didn’t pay attention to the debate between Steven and Prime Minister Lu; he was thinking about what Gu Zhong just said to him.
The Gu family had been in charge of guarding the royal family for generations, and Gu Zhong was exceptionally loyal to Neptune.
So why would he deliberately tell him to bet with Steven?
This game was a bet with regard to their lives. The loser wouldn’t just lose the bet, but with a single gunshot, their life would be gone!
And besides, Payne had no reason to bet with Steven.
Payne held a lot of doubts as he casted another inconspicuous glance toward Gu Zhong, who was behind Neptune.
Gu Zhong noticed Payne’s gaze and lowered his head to touch his wrist, fiddling with a button on his cuff.
Payne’s eyes widened, he recognized that button!
It was the same kind as the one Lu Shijin had given him!
If it was not a coincidence—
“Payne, do you dare to bet or not?!”
Steven had been passionately speaking this entire time, but realized that Payne had been lost in his own thoughts, and had not been paying attention to his words. This made him very angry.
He walked over to Payne with a menacing air, his not very appealing face becoming even more convoluted from anger.
“I’m willing to put my life on the line to guarantee my father’s character! You? Do you dare use your own life as a guarantee for your words? If you can’t even do this, it means that you’re guilty! Everything you just said is slander!”
“Your Highness! Your identity is precious and you shouldn’t bet your life. This subject is willing to replace you in the bet between you and his second Highness!” Maupay suddenly stepped out, putting his right hand across his chest as he looked at Payne with conviction.
“What a joke, what even are you? Do you think you have a say here?” Steven pushed Maupay with dissatisfaction, but Maupay didn’t budge. Steven felt embarrassed and angrily said, “Payne! If you don’t dare, then just admit it! If you give three kowtows to his majesty, maybe he’ll be gracious enough to forgive you!”
Payne slowly swept his gaze across Neptune, Cassia, and Gu Zhong.
The emperor’s bright eyes held malice, the empress had a face full of pain, and the attendant slightly hooked his lips up.
“I’ll bet.” Payne took his gaze back and said in a low voice.
Cassia suddenly stood up. “Don’t!”
Maupay nervously lifted his head, “Your Highness!”
Payne glanced at Cassia in disappointment, then waved his hand to tell Maupay to back down. He adjusted the white gloves on his hands and coldly looked at Steven. “How are we doing it?”
Steven was a bit surprised that Payne had been fooled so easily, and his eyes showed his excitement.
Steven eagerly put a bullet into the revolver and randomly spun the cylinder a couple times before stopping.
“There is only one bullet in this gun, six chances. You can choose to shoot or give up, but giving up is equivalent to losing and admitting that you’re guilty! Do you understand?”
Payne lifted an eyebrow, calmly asking, “Who’s starting?”
“Your highness!” Prime Minister Lu couldn’t help but speak out, shaking his head at Payne.
Although Payne didn’t know what made the Prime Minister change his mind and support his side, he felt moved at how only the prime minister was willing to stand up for him out of all these subjects.
Payne smiled calmly, “It’s fine. I am willing to risk my life to guarantee that everything I have accused Neptune of is true. I will accept this bet to prove my determination!”
“Good!” Steven clapped, “Since this bet was brought up by me, I’ll take the first shot for fairness! To prevent people from saying that I’m deliberately hurting you!”
“Sure.”
Steven put the gun against his temple, and everyone momentarily stopped breathing due to nervousness.
Although he knew that the revolver had already been adjusted so that only the sixth shot would shoot, Steven still felt his heartbeat accelerating when he pointed the gun at himself. Cold sweat poured down and he couldn’t shoot for a long time.
Payne watched Steven’s performance with humor, while Neptune was thoroughly disappointed in his cowardly and weak biological son.
Only when Neptune coughed did Steven squeeze his eyes shut and pull the trigger as he trembled violently— Kacha! The first round was empty!