Chapter 403: The Battle for a Win
Stan laughed, he could tell, Sacha was trying so hard to humour the atmosphere with her jokes, considering that he and Camilla had very stiff and serious personalities...
And she was doing a really good job at that, shaking his head, he smiled and focused back at the game...
The three of them began preparing the next hand.
The earlier stiffness between Sacha and Camilla had almost completely dissolved, replaced by the sharp, living tension of genuine rivalry.
Somehow, a simple card game had done what hours of polite conversation could not.
Sacha no longer looked at Camilla as merely the mysterious woman who had appeared beside her brother.
Now, she looked at her as a genuine rival. And judging by the faint smile on Camilla’s face, the feeling was mutual.
Stan looked at his sister’s smile, and a warm brotherly feeling settled in his heart.
He had seen that competitive spark in her eyes before. It reminded him of the days when the two of them had little more than each other, when a simple game of Uno had been enough to make them forget, even for a little while, about everything they were going through.
He couldn’t help but smile. ’I can’t let Sis leave without winning at least one game.’
He decided then that he would help her in every way he could.
Without cheating, of course. That would defeat the entire purpose. But helping her while remaining her opponent was going to be difficult. Fortunately, he already had a plan.
Unbeknownst to Camilla, the next round had quietly become a two-versus-one battle.
Stan’s goal wasn’t to win. It was to make sure Camilla didn’t win.
He would subtly disrupt her plays whenever possible, manipulate the flow of the game to Sacha’s advantage, and create opportunities for his sister without making it obvious that he was doing so.
If Sacha happened to win in the process, perfect. If she didn’t, well... He would simply keep trying.
’Unless Sis’s luck is unbelievably terrible and I’m somehow forced into a position where my final card leaves me no choice but to win, I should be able to pull this off.’
He was confident in his ability to control the game without directly giving Sacha an obvious advantage.
Still, Stan wasn’t foolish enough to underestimate Camilla a second time. She had already proven how quickly she could adapt.
Even knowing exactly what he intended to do, winning against her would have been difficult.
And this time, she wouldn’t be playing as a newcomer. She had already experienced a full game. She understood the rules. She had studied both of them.
More importantly, she now knew what Stan was capable of.
’This won’t be easy.’
His gaze briefly shifted toward Camilla. She was calmly arranging her cards, seemingly unaware of the little scheme taking shape across the table.
’The chances of Camilla winning are still pretty high.’ Stan’s smile deepened slightly. ’That only makes things more interesting. Because this time, I’m not playing for myself.’
He glanced at Sacha. She was already preparing for the next round, that familiar competitive smile still on her face.
’Let’s see if I can get my sister a win.’
Meanwhile, Sacha gathered the cards with a satisfied little smile, clearly enjoying the fact that the previous round had ended with Camilla’s victory.
She shuffled the deck several times before looking up. "This time, I’m dealing."
Camilla nodded. "Very well."
Stan leaned back slightly as Sacha began distributing the cards.
His eyes moved between the two women. Unlike the previous round, he wasn’t thinking about how to win.
His objective was much simpler. ’Sis needs a win.’
He glanced at Sacha. She was already looking far too pleased with herself.
Then his eyes shifted toward Camilla. She sat with the same composed posture as before, her crimson eyes following every card that Sacha placed on the table.
’If I directly help Sis, Camilla will notice. If I play too badly, Sis will notice. And if I keep targeting Camilla, both of them will notice.’
Stan’s lips curled into the faintest smile. ’So I need to make every move look like something I’d naturally do while trying to win.’
That was the difficult part. He wasn’t simply playing Uno anymore. He was playing Uno while pretending he wasn’t playing a different game entirely.
Sacha finished dealing and placed the remaining deck in the middle. "Everyone ready?"
"I am," Camilla answered.
Stan nodded, "Let’s go."
The first card was turned over. The game began. At first, everything proceeded normally.
Sacha quickly established the rhythm she was comfortable with, playing aggressively whenever she saw an opportunity to reduce her hand.
Camilla was the opposite. She took her time. She studied the discard pile. She studied the cards in her hand.
And, more importantly, she watched the choices everyone else made.
Stan noticed immediately and shook his head, ’She’s already getting better.’
He wasn’t surprised after all, Camilla’s ability to absorb information was frightening.
After only one round, she had already developed an understanding of the game’s basic rhythm. Now she was beginning to understand the players.
Sacha placed another card down. "Looks like this round might actually go my way."
Stan glanced at her, "Don’t celebrate too early."
Camilla placed down her own card, "That would be premature."
Sacha stopped. Her eyes moved between them, "Why do you two suddenly sound like you’re teaming up against me?"
Stan answered immediately, "I’m not teaming up with anyone."
"Neither am I," Camilla added.
Sacha narrowed her eyes, "Then why does it feel like both of you are trying to lecture me?"
Stan shrugged, "Maybe you’re just imagining things."
"I’m not."
Camilla calmly added, "She may not be."
Stan looked at her, "Whose side are you on?"
Camilla’s face was expressionless as she replied bluntly, "My own."
Sacha immediately laughed, "Finally, someone honest."
Stan smiled faintly. ’If only you knew.’
***
A/N:
What do you guys think of the story so far?
Sorry if these UNO scenes feel a little long. Throughout the story, Stan has always had a strong bond with his girls, but he’s never really had the chance to share a proper sibling moment with his sister.
That’s what these little UNO scenes are meant to give Stan, a chance to have that moment with her and strengthen their bond. Especially since the next arc we’re about to enter is going to be pretty intense.
I wanted to give them these small, lighter moments before things get serious.