Chapter 2: Cards Disasters In The Miload Manor

The library of the Miload Manor was tranquil as Beatrice sat in her favorite armchair, a small pink book nestled in her hands. The fire crackled softly in the hearth, casting a warm glow over her surroundings. But her mind is on the pages before her. she found herself reminiscing on a page about a night filled with chaos, laughter, and a strange card game that Subaru had brought into their lives.

That night had been as absurd as the man who orchestrated it, and despite herself, Beatrice's lips curled into a faint smile as she recalled the madness that ensued when Subaru introduced the Emilia camp to "Uno."

Flashback Pov:

It had all started in the dining hall, where Subaru stood proudly at the head of the table, holding up a small deck of brightly colored cards. Around the table sat Emilia, Roswaal, Ram, Garfiel, Frederica, Otto, Petra, and even Meili, who looked intrigued but a little wary of the commotion. The only one absent was Rem, who was still resting in her coma—a fact that made Subaru's determination to bring everyone together all the more poignant.

"Ladies and gentlemen, spirits and beastmen!" Subaru declared, puffing out his chest. "Today, I bring you a legendary game from my world—a game of cunning, strategy, and betrayal! I give you… Uno!"

The group exchanged curious glances.

"What's an Uno, I suppose?" Beatrice asked, crossing her arms.

"It's a card game!" Subaru exclaimed, waving the deck dramatically. "Super easy to learn, incredibly fun to play, and guaranteed to ruin friendships!"

"Ruin friendships?" Emilia repeated, tilting her head in confusion. "Subaru, that doesn't sound very fun."

"Trust me, Emilia-tan, it's all in good fun," Subaru said with a mischievous grin. "You'll love it. Well… most of you will."

"I don't get what all th' fuss 's 'bout Cap'n," Garfiel grumbled as he didn't like thinking, leaning back in his chair. " 's just a bunch of cards, yeah? Don't see how 's supposed to be a big deal."

"Oh, you'll see," Subaru said ominously, shuffling the cards with exaggerated flair.

Subaru explained the rules with dramatic flair, emphasizing the importance of matching colors and numbers, the chaos of action cards like "Draw Two" and "Reverse," and the critical rule of calling out "UNO!" when down to a single card.

"So, if ya don't call Uno when 'y have only got one card, ya gotta draw more?" Garfiel asked, his sharp teeth glinting in the light.

"Exactly!" Subaru said. "And believe me, it's not as easy as it sounds when everyone's gunning for you."

Roswaal chuckled softly, resting his chin on his hand. "Oho, this sounds like a gaaaaame where clever minds can thrrrrrive, yes? I do believe I'll enjoy this."

Beatrice rolled her eyes. "Betty feels this will be a disaster, I suppose."

"Don't worry, Beako," Subaru said, winking at her. "I've got your back."

The first few rounds were relatively tame as everyone got a feel for the game. Emilia hesitated before playing her cards, Garfiel slammed his cards down with excessive enthusiasm, and Otto overanalyzed every move like his life depended on it.

"Frederica, you skipped me!" Petra protested, pouting as Frederica played a "Skip" card.

"Apologies, Petra-chan," Frederica said with a gentle smile. "But that's how the game works."

Meili, quietly observing at first, quickly proved to be a dark horse. She grinned mischievously whenever she played a "Draw Four," sending Garfiel into a fit of frustration.

" 'Y're evil, Squirt!" Garfiel growled, glaring at Meili.

"Thank you, Kitty Onii~san" Meili replied sweetly, giggling as Garfiel begrudgingly drew his cards.

Meanwhile, Roswaal seemed far too confident, his unsettling smirk never fading. He played his cards with a flourish, often pulling unexpected moves that made the others suspicious.

"Roswaal-sama, are you… cheating?" Emilia asked hesitantly after Roswaal miraculously avoided drawing cards for the third time in a row.

"Cheating? Me? Perish the thought, deeeeear Emilia-sama," Roswaal said, his voice dripping with faux innocence.

Beatrice narrowed her eyes at him. "Betty knows you're up to something, I suppose."

Subaru, however, wasn't about to let Roswaal get away with it. "Alright, clown, you've been shuffling cards into your sleeve, haven't you?"

Roswaal chuckled. "Why, Suuuuuuubaru-kun, such accusations wound me!"

Subaru leaned forward, narrowing his eyes. "Then prove it. Show us your sleeves."

Roswaal sighed dramatically before revealing his sleeves… and the three cards hidden within.

"HA! Caught you red-handed!" Subaru shouted triumphantly.

"Oh deeeeear, how clumsy of me," Roswaal said with a sly grin, clearly unbothered by being caught.

As the games continued, the tension rose. Garfiel got into a heated argument with Otto over a "Reverse" card, Petra and Meili formed a temporary alliance to take down Subaru, and Frederica calmly played her cards while sipping tea.

Roswaal, despite his constant cheating attempts, found himself repeatedly losing, much to everyone's amusement.

"Roswaal-sama, you're terrible at this game," Otto said bluntly, not even bothering to hide his smirk.

Roswaal gave a theatrical sigh. "Perhaps I'm simply too benevolent to wwwwwwin, yes?"

"More like you're too obvious with your cheating," Subaru quipped.

"Quiet both of you, especially you Barusu, If Roswaal-sama wanted to, he could win if he tried." Ram tried to defend her master only to get plus 4 by Petra.

Beatrice, meanwhile, watched the chaos unfold with a mix of amusement and exasperation. Though she didn't particularly care for card games, seeing everyone so lively and engaged warmed her heart in a way she couldn't quite explain.

"Betty thinks you're all ridiculous, I suppose," she said, though her tone lacked its usual bite.

Subaru turned to her, grinning. "C'mon, Beako, admit it—you're having fun."

Beatrice huffed. "Betty refuses to admit anything, in fact."

As the night wore on, the group decided to play one last round—a high-stakes match where the loser would have to clean the kitchen.

Subaru, determined to win, played aggressively, targeting Roswaal whenever possible. Meili continued to wreak havoc with her "Draw Four" cards, Garfiel went on a wild streak of yelling "UNO!" at the wrong times, and Emilia managed to hold her own despite her hesitation.

In the end, it came down to Subaru, Beatrice, and Roswaal. The room was tense as they each eyed their cards, calculating their next moves.

"Your move, Roswaal," Subaru said, smirking.

Roswaal played a "Draw Two" card, his grin widening. "Yoooour turn, Subaru-kun."

Subaru, without missing a beat, slammed down a "Reverse" card. "Back to you, clown!"

Roswaal's eyes narrowed, but before he could play, Beatrice placed her final card—a "Skip."

"Betty wins, I suppose," she declared, crossing her arms smugly.

The room erupted into cheers and groans as Roswaal sighed dramatically, accepting his defeat.

Present day Pov:

Back in the library, Beatrice's faint smile lingered as she closed her book. That night had been pure chaos, yet it was one of the most memorable evenings she'd ever experienced.

"Beako!" Subaru's voice echoed from down the hall, pulling her from her thoughts. "We're playing Uno again! You in?"

Beatrice sighed but couldn't suppress the small smile that crept onto her face. "Coming, I suppose," she muttered, slipping off her chair.

As she headed toward the dining hall, Beatrice couldn't help but feel a sense of warmth. For all the absurdity Subaru brought into her life, it was moments like these that made everything worthwhile.

But as she put away the Pink Book it seemed to glow as many different pages began to separate and add new chapters in the book. Beatrice feeling something off turns around but was distracted when Subaru called her. The pink book vanished as it landed somewhere else only to be replaced by a similar book but instead it had a blue cover.

"W-what is this I suppose" a broken spirit sees her own book replaced by a pink version of it.