Chapter 174
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This tent, which could almost be considered a small home, now welcomed a guest.
He was a tall, middle-aged man who stood out easily. He wore long Quidditch robes with wide yellow and black stripes, and a large wasp was printed across his chest.
His slightly protruding stomach suggested he had lacked exercise recently. For a middle-aged man, that was hardly unusual.
"Hello, Ludo."
Lucius immediately stood up from the mahogany chair, walked around the exquisite round table, opened his arms, and warmly greeted the man at the entrance of the tent.
There was no doubt about the guest's identity. He was the well-known gambler who maintained a respectable image on the surface but was deeply addicted to betting — Ludo Bagman.
"Ah! Lucius!" Bagman called out enthusiastically, his usual way of greeting people as if he were familiar with everyone.
But his eyes were already wandering, drawn to the luxurious furnishings inside.
As soon as he stepped into the tent, he felt the softness beneath his feet. A glance downward revealed a high-end carpet covering the entire floor. Its main colors were black and green, arranged in a low-key yet elegant pattern. The thick, plush material was clearly no ordinary fabric — it seemed to be made from the hair of some magical creature.
And that was only the beginning.
The mahogany furniture, the finely crafted chairs, and the magnificent crystal chandelier overhead left him momentarily dazzled.
While Bagman was still taking in the surroundings, Lucius had already approached him.
Raising his cane slightly in a welcoming gesture, Lucius said in his smooth, low voice,
"I imagine what you need most right now is a cup of hot tea. It must be extremely cold outside. The weather hasn't been very good these past few days."
"Yes… I'm not even sure the Quidditch World Cup will start on time," Bagman replied with a worried sigh.
"Dobby, tea for our guest," Lucius ordered.
Dobby immediately appeared and respectfully placed a steaming cup on the table.
"Honored guest, please enjoy," he said in a deferential tone.
Bagman sat stiffly in the mahogany chair, shifting uncomfortably.
Gamblers — especially those burdened with heavy debts — had an unusually sharp instinct for value. When they saw expensive objects, they didn't appreciate them aesthetically. The only thing they thought about was how much money those items could be sold for.
One of Bagman's hands unconsciously touched the edge of the mahogany table. Even to his untrained eye, it was clearly valuable. His other hand lifted the teacup, but he barely tasted it.
His mind was elsewhere.
He had believed that his years of experience as a professional Quidditch player would give him an advantage in betting.
Reality had proven otherwise.
Matches were unpredictable. His analyses had failed again and again.
He had been addicted to gambling for years, carefully maintaining a polished public image. When borrowing money, he had avoided ordinary wizards and instead turned to goblins.
But now he had reached a dead end.
If he could not win back enough money in the upcoming final to repay his enormous debts, the goblins would take legal action — and his reputation would be ruined.
"What's wrong, Ludo?" Lucius asked, observing him. "Is the tea not to your liking? Perhaps you'd prefer the coffee I had brought from Brazil. It's excellent."
Then he added coldly to the house-elf beside him,
"It seems your tea does not suit our guest. Your punishment will be discussed later. For now, bring Mr. Bagman coffee."
Dobby trembled in fear, then forced himself to steady.
The young master is much easier to serve, he thought, bowing before hurrying toward the kitchen.
"No, no, no — it's fine! Very good!" Bagman said quickly. "Your house-elf did an excellent job."
He didn't want someone punished on his account.
"Very well. Then perhaps we should move to the inner room and talk," Lucius suggested, raising an eyebrow.
He assumed Bagman was simply uncomfortable. He could not imagine the world through a gambler's eyes.
"Of course," Bagman agreed.
The two walked into a small room at the corner of the tent.
After some time, they emerged again.
Bagman looked pleased. Lucius also wore a satisfied expression. Whatever had been discussed, both parties seemed to have achieved what they wanted.
"Pleasure doing business, Lucius," Bagman said, extending his hand.
"Likewise," Lucius replied, shaking it.
They exchanged knowing smiles.
"I'll contact you after the match begins. I'll do my best," Bagman said before lifting the tent flap and leaving.
"Father? Who was that?" Draco asked at that moment, stepping out of a side room after seeing Lucius escort someone out.
"Ludo Bagman," Lucius replied dismissively, his polite expression already gone. "An outdated Quidditch player. I had a few matters to discuss with him."
"In that case, I'll go take a look!" Draco said, clenching his fists as if excited. He ran toward the entrance, lifted the curtain, and went outside.
Lucius watched his son leave in surprise.
"When did Draco become interested in Quidditch?" he muttered.
If he remembered correctly, when Bagman had still been playing, Draco had only just been born.
"…Never mind."
Lucius rubbed his temples and decided not to think about it further.
He assumed Draco had simply gone to ask for an autograph.
And when Bagman saw the boy approaching him, he thought exactly the same.