742 Decided (1/2)
After a brief moment of silence, Klein raised the black tea and took a sip. He said with a smile, ”It's something that can be considered, but Emperor Roselle once said to never be in a rush to make a decision. Only after repeated comparison will one receive the best answer.
”Are there any other options?”
Walter, who wore a white glove, replied without any abnormality to his expression, ”Phelps Street would also satisfy your request. I recall that Unit 9 is available for rent. It's a two-story villa with more than ten rooms. It comes with a stable, the servants' quarters, and a small garden. The furniture and wares are relatively old, but they're considered decent. The annual rent is 220 pounds.”
That's quite a reasonable price… Reasonable… However, Phelps Street means that it's less than 100 meters away from Saint Samuel Cathedral. Although this does help in being right under their noses, many of the pedestrians will be Nighthawks. It would be very inconvenient for me to leave and return, making it easy to make mistakes… Klein, who originally had a budget of about 160 pounds, suddenly felt 220 pounds was a pretty good price after undergoing the catharsis of the gardened manor's price.
This made him suspect whether Butler Walter had deliberately offered him an expensive choice at the very beginning.
Klein pondered for a few seconds and said, ”Any others?”
Walter replied without showing any signs of impatience, ”160 Böklund Street is also available for rent. It's a three-story house which also comes with a garden, a stable, servants' quarters. There are more than ten rooms, but its location isn't as good as Unit 32. The decorations, furniture, and wares can be considered decent. It has an annual rent of 315 pounds.”
315 pounds… The rental fee flashed past Klein's slightly numb mind. He asked in thought, ”What do you suggest?”
At that moment, he had already decided on an answer, but as an employer, he wasn't in a rush to express his decision. This was because he would easily be belittled if his decision had a slip up in common knowledge.
Walter seriously thought and said, ”160 Böklund Street.
”In comparison, the neighbors here will be more helpful in entering high society. As for Unit 32, it's overly extravagant. To rent it immediately will make your surrounding neighbors believe that you lack the necessary self-restraint, making it seem inappropriate.”
To put it simply, to rent a house costing 1,260 pounds a year so easily will make neighbors define me as an ostentatious nouveau riche… To a tycoon who's trying to enter high society, such a reputation will be terrible… Klein sipped his black tea and asked with a smile, ”Then, why did you offer me the selection of 32 Böklund Street?”
Walter unhurriedly bowed and said, ”Honorable sir, I'm only a butler. My responsibility isn't to decide, but to present all suitable options and give you certain suggestions for your consideration.
”In a situation where I'm unaware of your exact preferences, I have to do my best to provide you with all possible options.”
Very professional… He's likely worried that Dwayne Dantès is a nouveau riche who enjoys flaunting his wealth, so he first gave the choice of 32 Böklund Street as a way to probe me, so as to adjust his suggestions and management style… Klein smiled and said, ”Let's eliminate Unit 32. We shall choose one of the two.
”Before I make the decision, I'm accustomed to paying a visit. Let's head off after lunch.”
”Yes, sir.” Walter continued wearing that stern, old-fashioned expression.
…
South of the Bridge, Harvest Church.
Emlyn White was wiping the silver candle stands as he was mulling over the clues provided by Miss Magician.
A secret Beyonder gathering… That's equivalent to providing no clues. It will be rather difficult to pursue the matter. And I won't be able to participate in the gathering in short notice… Emlyn observed himself in the silver stand's surface as he combed his hair.
Then, he put down the wiping cloth, retreated to the first pew in the cathedral, and sat down as he watched Bishop Utravsky praying seriously before the altar with his gaze unfocused.
Thoughts came to his mind as they occasionally created sparks. Emlyn suddenly grasped a detail.
Why would a puppet that garners the Primordial Moon believer's immense interest happen to appear?
Moon Puppet… This feels like it's bait. C-could it be a trap designed by Rus Báthory and the others? Emlyn's eyes lit up as he suddenly stood up.
Rus Báthory was a Sanguine Baron who was participating in the hunting competition. He was viewed by Emlyn as his strongest competitor.
The more Emlyn thought about it, the more he found it as a possibility. This was because he knew that Báthory was an antique enthusiast, one who especially enjoyed collecting all sorts of strange trinkets from the Southern Continent!
After pacing back and forth a few times, he curled the corners of his lips and chuckled. He silently said, I have no way of entering the Beyonder gathering to seek out the location of Windsor, but I can monitor Rus Báthory and finish off the target before he does!
Haha, I look forward to his expression when that happens.
Yes, Miss Magician's clue is indeed worth 100 pounds.
Just as Emlyn was feeling abnormally excited, Father Utravsky ended his prayers, walked over, and looked down at him. He said with a gentle voice, ”Our piousness is not in our language, but in every detail of our body language. You were not being focused enough today.
”Wipe the candle stand again.”
”A-alright,” Emlyn replied, suddenly feeling ashamed.