TGLWM 23

Chapter 23

Ash Tulie**

A half-naked man popping out of the lounge—what a bolt from the blue. Florence had already thrown off her mask, so she couldn’t very well go back outside. Turning her back, she shouted.

“Why aren’t you wearing clothes? At least wrap something around yourself, please!”

“Y-yes, sir—I mean, ma’am!”

The man hurriedly wrapped himself in a blanket that had been left on the sofa, then went a step further and said something absurd.

“I didn’t order any service like this. Could you possibly have the wrong room…?”

After that blue-haired pest, this one seemed to be no pushover either. What did he take her for, to say such a thing? Florence’s voice sharpened as she shot back.

“I simply came in here to rest. *You* look more like the one offering ‘such services,’ what with wandering around undressed in broad daylight.”

“…….”

An awkward silence hung between them. Realizing there had been some misunderstanding, the man was the first to apologize.

“I misspoke and offended you. I apologize, my lady. However, this is my hotel suite… may I ask how you came to be here?”

At the word “suite,” Florence’s eyes went wide. She was sure Shana had said there was a VVIP exclusive lounge on the second floor?

—

*‘The VVIP exclusive lounge is located on the left side of the second floor…’*

—

Ah—which way had she come? She couldn’t remember clearly. She had been so focused on escaping the crowd and rushing to the lounge that she had completely forgotten about directions.

“I heard the lounge was on the second floor, but I had no idea the guest rooms were directly connected to the casino…”

When people are utterly embarrassed, anger often flares up instead. As Florence mumbled her excuses in a creeping voice, the man chuckled kindly and began explaining patiently.

“The casino of the Rika Duchy operates together with the hotel. This suite is a room for those who enjoy gaming. Sometimes card games lead to business deals or small drinking parties, and this drawing room is used for just such occasions. It’s convenient because it connects to the casino. The layout also includes a bedroom beyond the bathroom.”

“I-I see. I must have mistaken the direction. Um, could you please pass me that mask over there?”

Her face burning with shame, Florence couldn’t bring herself to look properly at the man. She kept her head turned away and extended one hand.

“I’m sorry. I’ll leave right away.”

But instead of handing her the mask, he plucked a single red rose from a vase on the table, carefully checked it for thorns, and gently placed it in her hand.

“……?”

Puzzled by the soft touch against her palm, Florence glanced at the man. He smiled warmly and met her eyes.

He had slightly droopy eyes, and his deep green irises gave off a fresh, olive-leaf-like impression. His hair was the color of well-malted barley, and his gentle features reminded her of a golden retriever. Despite being quite tall and broad, he gave off no sense of threat at all—probably because of that milk-soft expression.

*‘He seems like the complete opposite of the Grand Duke.’*

If Edelston was like a feline beast of prey commanded by a demon, this man was like a divine beast guided by an angel.

Wrapping the blanket securely around himself, he chose his words carefully to spare her further awkwardness as he stood up.

“Why apologize? It was my fault for not locking the door properly. I’d like to introduce myself properly—would you care to have a drink and wait a moment? I imagine you rushed in here in a bit of a fluster.”

“Thank you. I’ll accept your kind offer.”

Florence liked his gentlemanly attitude. Their first meeting had been chaotic, but he had remained courteous throughout, and his considerate tone was welcome. Besides, she wasn’t in a position to leave immediately anyway.

When the man disappeared beyond the bathroom door, Florence gazed at the flower in her hand.

*‘I’ve received flowers twice in one day. And from two different men, at that.’*

Even though she had been engaged to Clark for ten years, she had never once received flowers from him. The feeling was odd. What if she hadn’t been engaged to him all those years? Would she have been happier? Just as the future is unknowable, so too is the past that never happened.

Putting the flower down on the table to shake off her tangled thoughts, she sipped the drink she had been having earlier. Then the man, now fully dressed, reappeared. Now that he was clothed, his image looked completely different.

He was tall, elegant, and had an air of a well-bred, proper young gentleman. The kind who enjoyed horseback riding and polo matches, frequently attended academic symposia, and would be impeccably polite to old ladies—that was the impression he gave.

With his long legs, he strode over to Florence and bowed deeply in greeting. It wasn’t an Imperial-style bow, but it was a respectful gesture, as if a knight were addressing a lady.

“Let me introduce myself. I am Ash Tulie from the Kingdom of Grit. Please feel free to call me Ash.”

“I am Florence Elga. Please call me Elga.”

Normally, in a formal introduction, one gives both first and last names. But Florence noticed that this man named Ash had not given his full name, so she too gave only her middle name and smiled.

Ash also caught on that she did not wish to reveal her identity, but as a seasoned socialite, he skillfully guided the conversation and sat opposite her on the sofa.

*‘This actually works out well.’*

Truth be told, Florence herself had been uncertain whether to introduce herself as Sinclair or Riccardo. Since she had married—whether willingly or not—calling herself Sinclair would be a lie, while saying Riccardo felt like admitting to the marriage with the Grand Duke, which sat uneasily with her.

“I’ve caused you trouble, Sir Ash. But what brings you here? Are you here to gamble?”

“No, I never gamble, as a rule. Actually, I came because of a friend. A close childhood friend, but sadly he’s fallen into gambling. I’ve been staying here for several days trying to persuade him to go home, but it’s not easy.”

He said this was the third time he had come to fetch his friend, and his face was full of regret and sorrow.

“If it weren’t for gambling, he’d be a highly capable man. But he squanders every penny he earns at the casino, so his finances are deteriorating, and his parents are terribly worried…”

Listening quietly, Florence cut him off—gently but firmly.

“That’s not right.”

“……Pardon?”

“Even if he could produce gold, it’s all over if he loses it all at the casino. It’s not ‘if it weren’t for gambling’—it’s *because* of gambling that he can never become a capable person. Don’t make excuses for him, and don’t try to persuade him. It’ll only waste your time.”

“But he is a dear friend to me. I owe him my life, in fact. I can’t give up on him like this.”

Watching Ash drop his head dejectedly, Florence felt a pang of sympathy and thought him a rare upright person these days. She spoke again.

“I never told you to give up, though. Just tie him up and drag him away if you have to. No matter how many times you tell him not to gamble, he’ll keep coming back to the casino. Instead, it would be better to persuade him to go to a facility for addicts. Of course, your relationship with him will sour immediately, but if you truly care about him, you should be prepared to be hated for a while.”

“……Prepared to be hated, you say.”