“Is that a compliment?”
“Yes, it is.”
Worried that Ruth might have meant ‘quirky’ in a displeased sense, I asked with an anxious heart, only for him to readily admit it was indeed a compliment. I felt secretly relieved when Ruth changed the subject.
“From now on, we’ll act as if we’re newlyweds. I am Baron Neglans, who made a fortune from a reservoir development project in the eastern region, and you are my bride, whom I married a few days ago.”
“Baron Neglans, you say…”
“It’s a fake identity I use whenever I sneak out.”
As I tilted my head at a family name I had never heard before, Ruth provided further explanation.
Finally understanding the situation, I hesitated briefly before linking my arm with his. Then, I took a solemn breath and spoke.
“Then let’s not waste time here and go inside.”
Ruth glanced at me and chuckled lightly.
“Just remember not to call me ‘Your Highness’ once we’re inside.”
“Then what should I call you…”
“Ruth.”
Before my question was even fully formed, the response that came back caused me unwarranted irritation, making my face twist in displeasure. It wouldn’t have been proper to behave as though I knew his nickname here.
After forcing myself to manage my expression, I struggled to lift the corners of my mouth into a smile. Then, I finally uttered the name I had only called him in my thoughts since our reunion.
“Yes, Ruth.”
“……”
Despite the long time apart, the way the name rolled off my tongue felt disturbingly familiar, sending an indescribable shiver down my spine.
As I fiddled with my fingers, caught up in this strange feeling, a pained groan sounded from just above my head.
Following the unusual noise with my gaze, I caught sight of Ruth, his complexion now significantly darker.
Ruth, making eye contact with me, eventually broke into a crumbling smile. It was a smile that seemed to carry an emotion akin to despair.
“In that case, I shall address you as ‘my lady.'”
“Your Majesty could also address me with a nickname if you wish….”
“It’s just that,” Ruth suddenly cut me off, twisting his lips bitterly.
“I don’t particularly feel like it.”
“……”
Right. The simplicity of his response, for some reason, got stuck in my throat, unable to come out.
It was quite paradoxical that he wanted me to call him by a nickname, yet he didn’t want to call me by mine.
When both of us fell silent at the same time, a silence as thin as ice covered the alley.
Just when the atmosphere had sunk and my shoulders started to hurt, Ruth broke the silence.
“Shall we go then, if you’re ready?”
His face, now cleared of deep emotions, was moderately kind as usual.
“Yes.”
That made me incredibly sad.
***
The hotel Ruth and I entered from the alley was as splendid as any noble’s mansion. The marble floors were spotless, without a single blemish, and dazzling light poured from the large chandeliers.
It was markedly different from the shabby alley we had just been standing in, which made me harbor a subtle skepticism. Why would they build such a hotel in a poor area?
Aren’t hotels whose main clientele are nobility usually found in more developed areas?
Moreover, it was located in a hidden spot where not many people pass by…
“Madam?”
“Yes?”
Ruth called me, noticing that I had drifted into my thoughts amidst my series of questions.
“We need to start acting soon, what if you lose focus already?”
“Oh. Sorry.”
“There’s no need to apologize for something so minor…”
“Good day. I am the general manager of the Laurent. May I ask who you are?”
Someone interrupted our whispering conversation.
The man who introduced himself as the general manager of Laurent had black hair and wore a smile that slightly induced discomfort.
Seeing the man with an unpleasant demeanor made me hesitate, but Ruth, holding my hand firmly, calmly and smoothly lied with an air of composure.
“They call me Ruth Neglans. This here is my wife. We were on our way to the south for our honeymoon and stopped by to stay at this hotel, but do you have any rooms available?”
As I had mentioned earlier, the man showed a few seconds of bewilderment at the unfamiliar family name. Then, he exaggeratedly lowered the corners of his eyes and shrugged.
“Ah, I am truly sorry, but our hotel operates on a reservation basis, so if you haven’t made a reservation…”
“Just then, someone I met earlier gave me this.”
Ruth pulled out a casino entrance ticket from his pocket just before a complete rejection could fall from the man’s lips.
Instantly, the man’s eyes returned to their original state, and with a beaming smile, he placed his hand on his left chest and bowed deeply.
“You are a guest. I will guide you to your room.”
Unlike me, who was puzzled by the man’s sudden change of attitude, Ruth did not show any signs of being taken aback.
Instead, he wore an indifferent expression, as if he had expected this to happen all along.
Led by Ruth, we followed the man into a square elevator with buttons marked with numbers and a lever attached to it.
The man pressed the largest number, 12, and pushed the lever, and I could feel the elevator we were in gradually ascending.
So, this existed.
I swallowed the exclamation that was about to burst out and observed the quaint interior of the elevator.
Despite hearing that recent technological inventions had advanced, I had not directly experienced one, so the elevator that delivered people to their desired floor fascinated me.
When the elevator reached the 12th floor, its doors opened to either side with a pleasant chime. The man who had led us out of the elevator stopped in front of a room at the end of the long corridor.
“Here we are.”
“Thank you for showing us.”
“If you need anything, please pull the bell rope.”
“Will do.”
“Alright, then I’ll take my leave. I hope you have a comfortable stay here at Lorante.”
With those words, the man quietly withdrew. Ruth only stopped his act after confirming that the man had completely disappeared down the corridor using the mover. Observing Ruth stretching his neck tiredly, I suddenly sensed something odd.
“…Wait a moment. Do we only have one room?”
“Can’t you see?”
“The room… there’s really just one?”
It was unbelievable. Even 11 years ago, when our relationship had been closer, we had never shared a room.
The mix of nervousness and anticipation made my heart race. Could there be only one bed… ?
As I stood silently, imagining what the room might look like, Ruth voiced his doubt.
“Why is that?”
“It’s nothing.”
“It seems like it’s not nothing though.”
“I said it’s nothing.”
“Hmm.”
Noticing my suspicious reaction, Ruth stared at me with eyes full of doubt. Then, as if dumbfounded, he crossed his brows.
“Don’t tell me you are mad?”
“…”
I wanted to say no, but contrary to my will, my lips were tightly sealed.
“Seeing that you’re not answering, I guess I’m right.”
“Well, it’s just…”
“But we’re supposedly a newlywed couple, using separate rooms would be odd, wouldn’t it? So, even if it’s a little uncomfortable, please bear with it, ma’am.”
“It’s not uncomfortable.”
“Thanks for saying that.”
While I sincerely meant it wasn’t uncomfortable, he seemed not to believe me.
Indeed, it would be odd to welcome sharing the same room given the nature of our relationship.
As I wrestled with the urge to justify the situation from Ruth’s perspective, Ruth opened the door slightly and stepped aside.
“Go in first.”
“Okay.”
I entered the room lightly, responding to his consideration with a small smile.
The suite consisted of a spacious living room, two bedrooms, and two bathrooms. The unique feature was one of the walls being entirely made of glass doors, designed to lead out to a terrace.
Continuously amazed, I scanned the room and then went out to the terrace, approaching the railing.
Perhaps because it was on the 12th floor, I could see the entire village at a glance. It was an incredible sight. An indescribable feeling surged within me.
While I was looking at the point where the sky met the land in the distance, Ruth spoke from behind me.
“Do you like it?”
“Yes. It’s my first time looking down from such a high place, it’s really fascinating.”
“Well, the palace is more expansive than high. Now that we’ve looked around, shall we talk about what we’re going to do today?”
“Oh.”
I blushed, belatedly realizing with his pointed tone that we weren’t out just for fun.
Ruth, seeing me slowly remove my fingers from the railing, relaxed his lips in a satisfied smile.
After coming in from the terrace, he sat at the table in the middle of the living room and began to speak, waiting until I had taken a seat on the sofa.
“First of all, it’s not yet the peak hour for the casino, so we plan to go there around 7 PM. To do that, we’ll have to have dinner a bit early.”
“Will you be having dinner at the hotel restaurant?”
“It would be better to do so. It’s more convenient for us to move around.”
“That makes sense.”
I visualized the route to the casino in my head and nodded.
Understanding what I grasped, Ruth continued the conversation.
“And at the casino, it might draw attention if we move around together, so it’s better to split up and act separately.”
“Split up?”
“Yes. While I look for the space used by Duke Draight, you should mingle among the people and do something else.”
“Something else…”
Mingle among people and do something else?
I pondered over his meaning for a moment and then was startled to realize. Since there was only one thing people do at a casino, what Ruth was instructing me to do was crystal clear.
“You mean gambling?”
