Upon entering the house, the first thing Klein saw was a foyer. It was very spacious, with many chairs and umbrellas. Furthermore, it was decorated elegantly and appropriately. If he hadn't known the structure beforehand and had done an on-site inspection, Klein would've thought that it was a guest hall.
After passing through the second door, his eyes suddenly opened up to a hall that could accommodate dozens or even hundreds of guests to dance.
The center of the hall was covered with colorful, thick, and soft carpet, surrounded by shiny marble tiles. There were pianos, stone carvings, and other objects. There were also stone pillars inlaid with ornaments supporting the second floor.
On the left was a row of floor-to-ceiling windows. Outside was a green lawn and a blooming garden. On the right were walls, wooden doors, and corridors that led to the lounge, storeroom, washroom, kitchen, and butler's room.
The hall was two stories high, with crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. It was easy to imagine what it would be like at night.
Walking to the end, there were stairs on both sides that led to the second floor.
The corridor here was square, and the empty space in the center was where the hall was covered with carpet. Klein only needed to hold a glass of wine and stand behind the railing on the second floor to enjoy the ball below.
There were many rooms on the second floor. There was a living room, a living room, a dining room, a washroom, a billiard room, and a large number of bedrooms. If guests needed to stay overnight, they would stay here.
Similarly, there were two staircases on the second floor that led to the third floor. That was where Dwayne Dantès lived. There was an exaggerated master bedroom, a semi-open room with a bar counter that allowed one to bask in the sun and enjoy the scenery. There was also a study that could be called a miniature library. There were two cloakrooms, separate bedrooms for the valet and maid on duty, as well as rooms and washrooms that belonged to family members. However, Klein was currently alone.
As for the other servants, they lived in the row of single-story houses at the back of the building. On the other side was the stable.
The basement of the building was also spacious, with a large storeroom and wine cellar.
Taking off his coat, Klein stood straight on the balcony of the semi-open room on the third floor. Looking at the scenery around him, he couldn't help but sigh in his heart.
"There's a reason why it's expensive. The 315 pounds rent wasn't too wasteful …"
He had already paid a year's rent yesterday afternoon, and all he could do was force himself to find this place more pleasing to the eye.
At the same time, he directly paid Walter a year's salary of 115 pounds. This was because he was likely to abscond after obtaining the Antigonus family's notebook, causing his butler to lose his job.
With this in mind, he had also paid the housekeeper, Taneja, an annual salary of 42 pounds. This allowed the lady to have a preliminary understanding of Mr. Dawn Dantès's extravagance and magnanimity.
As the two housekeepers discussed and busied themselves, the servants were all hired. A male household property manager had an annual salary of 30 pounds, a valet, Richardson, had an annual salary of 35 pounds, two male servants in charge of receiving guests and serving them at the dining table had an annual salary of 25 pounds each, two first-class female servants had an annual salary of 18 pounds each, two second-class female servants had an annual salary of 12 pounds each, and two menservants who did manual labor also had an annual salary of 12 pounds each.
Apart from that, the chef's annual salary was 30 pounds, the kitchen assistant 15 pounds, the kitchen maid 13 pounds, the storeroom maid 11 pounds, the home nurse 25 pounds, the laborer 10 pounds, the carriage driver 25 pounds each, the two gardeners 20 pounds each, and the two laundry maids 10 pounds each. That was a total of 413 pounds, which was about eight pounds a week.
Adding on the two housekeepers' salaries, Klein had to pay 570 pounds a year, or about 11 pounds a week. This didn't include the expenses of food, clothes, and daily necessities.
Every Monday, without any income, I'll have to spend more than ten to twenty pounds … Klein casually did the math and forced himself to cast his gaze towards the garden.
At noon, after paying the rent for the two carriages and the servants' first week's salary, as well as giving Taneja 1,000 pounds for her daily expenses, he was left with 1,286 pounds in cash and 18 gold coins. However, the money for Miss Justice and Ma 'am Hermit would arrive within the week.
I wonder how long Taneja's 1,000 pounds will last. Just stocking up enough alcohol for the ball and banquets will cost at least a few hundred pounds … The tycoon Dawn Dantès fell into deep thought.
In order to calm his emotions, he decided to head above the gray fog while the housekeepers and servants were busy dealing with the affairs of his new home. He wanted to study the strange puppet that Emlyn White had sacrificed.
After the Blood Moon happened, Klein had no choice but to return to the mysterious space. He pulled Fors in and listened to her ramble on about Baekeland's daily life while resisting his drowsiness. By the time everything calmed down, he was just too sleepy. After accepting Emlyn's sacrifice and confirming that there were no abnormalities, he returned to the real World and fell asleep.
After straightening his well-lined, dark-colored vest, Klein walked to the entrance, opened the door, and said to his valet, Richardson, who was standing outside, "I'm used to taking a three-quarter hour nap at this time.
"I'm used to taking a three-quarter hour nap at this time. Don't let anyone disturb me."
"Yes, sir," Richardson replied humbly.
He was a mixed-blood illegitimate child. His father was a Rouen citizen, a steward of a manor. His mother was a native of East Balam, a slave of the manor. After he was born, he suffered discrimination and bullying, resulting in him developing a cowardly and obedient personality. As his looks were rather good, making him suitable for receiving guests, he was chosen as a valet by the owner of the manor and brought to Baekeland.
When the Upper and Lower Houses of the Rouen Kingdom passed a bill to abolish slavery, he lost his job and had no choice but to seek help from the Household Servants Assistance Association.
Before Klein, he had served two families and made some mistakes, but he had also accumulated a lot of experience. He caught the eye of Butler Walter and became Dawn Dantès's valet.
Looking at the tall and straight Richardson, who was about the same height as him, Klein shook his head indiscernibly and sighed inwardly.
This fellow who looks like a celebrity can only be a servant in this day and age. Furthermore, despite being so tall, he's cowardly. However, this is also a good point. He's obedient, silent, and obedient. He does whatever his master orders, and he definitely won't act on his own …
"If I only have a valet and need him to handle various matters, then Richardson would definitely be unqualified. However, I still have Butler Walter and so many servants. With his experience and abilities, he should be able to handle the remaining matters."
Without another word, Klein locked the door and returned to the reclining chair. He took four steps counterclockwise and went above the gray fog.
He sat at The Fool's seat and beckoned with his hand, making the charred Moon Puppet fly over and land in front of him.
After repeated examination, Klein didn't find anything special. Hence, he conjured a pen and paper and wrote a divination statement:
"Its origins."
Putting down the fountain pen, Klein waited for a few seconds before picking up the piece of paper and leaning back in his chair.
Hmm, my spiritual intuition didn't stop me from divining. This means that the hidden danger of the Moon Puppet isn't as great as the Rose School's Beyonder characteristic … Klein mumbled as he skillfully recited the divination statement.
In the hazy world, he saw an altar with a ring of torches.
The altar was covered with what looked like human skin, and there were traces of blood everywhere. In the middle were three candles and a few puppets that resembled wooden stakes.
These miniature puppets had curved eyes and mouths, as though they corresponded to the crimson crescent in the sky.
Therefore, they constantly wore strange smiles, and their bodies were embedded with withered grass and dried flowers.
A priest dressed in a dark red robe was circling the altar with great effort, as though he was dancing a dance invented by an epileptic.
At some point in time, moonlight gathered and shone on the puppets, making them brighter and brighter. In the end, there seemed to be water rippling gently.
The ritual quickly came to an end. The priest picked up a slender puppet and walked to a human tied to a rack. He then stabbed it into the human's eye socket.
Amidst the shrill screams, the scene quickly changed. The deceased with Moon Puppets in their eye sockets were buried in an orderly manner.
The scene began to develop in leaps and bounds. Every time there was a full moon or a blood moon, light would scatter over the burial ground, seeping in like water. The surroundings were dark and deep.
Klein opened his eyes and adjusted his sitting posture. He roughly understood the origins of the Moon Puppets.
They originated from a ritual that prayed to the Primordial Moon, a ritual that lasted for centuries!
Over the centuries, they absorbed the power of the crimson moon and mutated bit by bit until they were excavated by certain colonists.
They usually didn't do anything odd, and only the believers of the Primordial Moon could activate them using the correct method. As for the effects, Klein wasn't sure.
In a sense, these puppets are equivalent to the Primordial Moon's benefactors … After I killed one last night, the evil god was enraged, resulting in the Blood Moon? Klein tapped the edge of the long mottled table and made a preliminary judgment.
Yes, the wrath of the Primordial Moon directly changed the lunar phenomena, manifesting as a Blood Moon … If this guess is correct, it means that in the domain of the crimson moon, the Goddess is inferior to the Primordial Moon. It might even be a title that wields a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact … Klein nodded slightly as he attempted to divine the weakness of the Moon Puppet.
This time, he saw the sun and the lightning.
That is to say, the Beyonder powers of the Sun domain and the lightning of the Storm domain are most suitable to deal with it … As Klein deciphered the contents of the revelation, he threw the Moon Puppet into the junk pile and returned to the real World.
An hour later, Walter, dressed neatly and wearing white gloves, knocked on the door and entered the room.
He bowed and said, "Sir, I'll be printing some of your name cards and sending them along with some small gifts to the neighbors.
"They will observe for a few days and confirm your situation. If they are willing to accept you, they will return the gesture and invite you over as a guest.
"What title do you need added to your name card?"
Title … The Fool that doesn't belong to this era? Klein lampooned inwardly as he replied with a smile, "Merchant from Desi, Dawn Dantès, is sufficient."
Walter silently lampooned and replied with a smile, "Merchant from Desi, Dawn Dantès, is sufficient."
Walter nodded and said, "Based on your intentions, I will immediately arrange etiquette lessons for you.
"According to your wishes, I will immediately arrange etiquette lessons for you. The focus will be on dancing. I will hire a professional tutor to come over."
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