"Madame de Cedoux got a pair of socks from me, once," he says, lightly, at the unusual wager. "I thought it was a joke and she'd eventually give them back, but she insists they're quite warm."

A light smile, which suggests absolutely nothing about his hand. He's not a regular in the sense of coming to the game every week, but this isn't his first time. He usually wins slightly more than he doesn't, but only very slightly; whether that speaks to average skill or above-average diplomacy is anyone's guess.

"Though I admit, currency does make gambling a bit more convenient. Not trying to value various items of collateral on the fly makes Wicked Grace go much quicker than I grew up playing it."