After a brief silence, Crane picked up his红茶, took a sip, and smiled. "This is a choice worth considering—but Emperor Roscel had once said never to rush decisions. Only through repeated comparisons can one arrive at the best answer. 'Are there any other options?' Walter, wearing his white gloves, spoke calmly, without the slightest sign of surprise. 'Pasefier Street could also meet your needs. I recall that the house at number nine is currently seeking tenants. It's a villa-style two-story home with over a dozen rooms, a stables, servant quarters, and a small garden. The furnishings and household items are somewhat outdated but still respectable. The annual rent is 220 pounds.' "The price is still reasonable... reasonable... though 'No. 9 Pesfeil Street' means it's within 100 meters of St. Samuel's Church, which fits well with the theory of overlooking the issue, there will surely be many night-watchmen among the pedestrians, making it very inconvenient—especially when I want to leave and return secretly—and prone to complications. Originally budgeting only for one hundred and fifty to one hundred and sixty pounds, Klein found himself pleasantly surprised by the 220-pound figure after being exposed to the price of the earlier garden villa. He began to suspect whether the housekeeper, Walter, had deliberately mentioned a higher price first. After a moment's thought, Klein asked, 'Is there anything else?' Walter responded without the slightest sign of impatience: 'The house at No. 160 Berkland Street is also for rent—a three-story villa with a garden, stables, and servant quarters, featuring around twelve rooms. However, its location is less favorable than No. 32, and the furnishings and interior appointments are only decent, with an annual rent of 315 pounds.' " "315 pounds... The rental price flashed through Caine's slightly numb mind, and he pondered, asking, 'What's your recommendation?' In truth, he already had his answer in mind, but as an employer, he didn't want to rush his decision—any basic oversight in the proposal might make it seem unimpressive to others. Walter thought seriously and replied, 'Number 160 on Berkley Street. 'The neighbors here will be more helpful in helping you establish yourself in the upper echelons, whereas the building at number 32 is too luxurious. If you rent there, your neighbors may perceive you as lacking in grace and proper refinement.'" In short, when you're new to the area and rent a house for £1,260 a year, you're likely to be perceived by your neighbors as a showy, newly-wealthy homeowner—something that's quite unfavorable for a wealthy individual striving to enter the upper echelons of society. Klein sipped his红茶, smiled gently, and asked, "So, why did you specifically suggest 32 Berkland Street?" Walter bowed with calm composure and replied, "Mr. Klein, I am merely a butler. My role is not to make decisions, but to present all suitable options and to offer a few recommendations for your consideration. Without a clear understanding of your personal preferences, I must strive to present a comprehensive range of choices." "Very professional indeed... He must have been concerned that D'Artagnan is a showy, up-and-comer, so his initial suggestion of 32 Berkley Street was, in a way, a试探—intended to gauge his receptiveness and allow room for adjustments in direction and management style. Klein chuckled and said, "Eliminate 32 Street, and we'll choose between the two. Before making a decision, I always like to visit the site in person. We'll head out after lunch." "Yes, sir." Walter remained as stiff and formal as ever. ... In the southern district of the Bridge, at the Harvest Church. Emlyn White wiped the silver candlesticks, reflecting on the clues provided by the "Magician" lady. "A secret gathering of the extraordinary—well, that's hardly a clue at all. To pursue this trail, it will be quite difficult, and in the near term, I won't be able to join that gathering." Emlyn studied himself in the gleam of the silverware, then raised his hands to smooth his hair. Then he laid down the cloth, moved to the first row of chairs near the altar, and sat down, gazing blankly at the bishop, Utravsky, who was praying earnestly before the sanctuary. One after another, thoughts surged forth, occasionally sparking with intensity. Suddenly, Emlyn grasped a detail: "Why would there be a puppet—specifically one that would be of extreme interest to the followers of the 'Primordial Moon'?" The moon puppet, the moon puppet... It felt like a fishing lure. Could it be? Could it be that the Rúsz Bátory had designed a trap? Emlyn's eyes lit up and he sprang to his feet. Rúsz Bátory was a baron of the bloodline who had participated in the hunt competition, and Emlyn regarded him as his strongest competitor. The more Emlyn thought about it, the more likely it seemed. He remembered that Bátory was an enthusiast of antiquities, particularly fond of collecting odd and unusual items from the southern continent. He paced back and forth a few steps, a subtle curve forming at the corner of his mouth. He gave a quiet "huh," murmuring to himself: "I can't penetrate the gathering of the extraordinary ones to find out where the devotee of the 'Primordial Moon,' Chawngs, is, but I can monitor Rus Batthyány and strike the target before he does! "Hah! I'm really looking forward to seeing his expression." "Well, the clue about the 'Magician' lady is certainly worth one hundred pounds." Just as Emlyn was unusually excited, Father Utravsky finished his prayers and approached, looking down at him with a gentle tone: "Our piety isn't measured in words—it must be evident in every detail. And today, you weren't fully attentive." "Let me wipe the candlestand again." "Right, right." Emlyn responded, suddenly feeling embarrassed. Only when the priest turned toward the confessional room did he realize, and he whispered to himself, half-amused, half-irritated: "I'm not at all pious. I don't even need to demonstrate it!" "...A row of straight, elegant Indian-fig trees stood on either side, lending the street a quiet, serene atmosphere. Caine stepped out of the house at number 160, holding a hand cane inlaid with gold. He took a silent breath and turned to the butler, Walter, saying, 'Tell the owner here that I'm very satisfied. I'll rent the house for one year for now—though we may move to a better location, such as the Queens district in the near future.' This remark subtly conveyed his ambition to attain a noble title, as the Queens district is where the nobility reside. As for why he chose a one-year lease instead of a six-month one to save costs, it was because such high-end homes only accepted long-term leases, with one year being the minimum term." To be honest, if money weren't an issue, Caine still quite liked the house—it had a clean lawn, beautiful gardens, well-appointed interiors, refined furnishings, multiple bedrooms, ample furniture, and multiple bathrooms on each floor. The stables and servant quarters at the side and rear were also well-executed, making it the very best residence he could have imagined. Walter immediately responded, "I'll have a property lawyer over shortly." "Mr. Caine, do you have any specific requirements for your staff?" Caine walked beneath the elms of Intis, smiling. "I'd like to hear your suggestions first." After a moment's thought, Walter said, "Mr. Caine, regardless, you'll still need a female housekeeper." During their earlier meeting, Caine had mentioned that Doane Thantès was unmarried, childless, and had no romantic interests in Beckett, so he didn't require a personal maid. Dowd Thénardier only gave a slight nod, without expressing an opinion. Walter continued: "Her responsibility is to oversee the housemaids and manage household finances, sir. You can't expect to delegate all matters to me, to the same person. Balance is the art of politics, as well as an effective way of managing a household. Emperor Roscelin once said that absolute power leads to absolute corruption. "I have confidence in myself when it comes to finances, but that confidence is limited." Indeed, quite honest... A housekeeper is certainly necessary. I'd estimate an annual salary of about thirty to forty pounds. Kline nodded: "Agreed." At that moment, Walter walked steadily behind and to the side of Kline, extending his hand to hold a hired carriage. Once inside, he added: "I will have the 'Household Servants' Association provide a list of candidates for the position of housekeeper, and you will personally select one. I will not offer any recommendations." "Given the current living arrangements, you will need a household manager—either a man or a woman. You'll also need one personal male servant, two first-class female maids to attend to the bedrooms, two second-class female maids for the living rooms and drawing rooms, two male servants to handle guest接待, one maid for the storage room, one kitchen maid, and two laundry maids, plus two male servants for general housework. In addition, you'll need a chef, two gardeners, and either two carriage drivers or one driver and one assistant driver—should the need arise, you may also add a footman, a junior laborer, a household nurse, and a chef's assistant. You currently have no carriages, but you will need two: one four-wheeled sedan, approximately 300 pounds, and one two-wheeled carriage, roughly 100 pounds." Listening to the butler give a detailed account of the required staff, Craine felt a moment of numbness, hesitating to calculate the exact cost himself, since all payments would be made monthly or weekly, rather than as a one-time annual sum. Not counting attendants, junior staff, household nurses, or kitchen assistants, there are ten to eleven male servants and nine to ten female servants—including the housekeeper—so roughly double what I had anticipated; weekly expenses will likely exceed ten pounds... This will only be confirmed once all positions are filled and salaries finalized... And then there's the carriage... Klein watched Walter's mouth move continuously, his thoughts drifting away. Walter, noticing the steady, refined, and polished demeanor of Mr. D'Arcy Thaddeus, naturally expanded the conversation a little: "You won't need to rush in renting a country estate to host friends for pleasant weekend getaways—there's no urgency; you can wait until you've hosted several dances and dinner parties at No. 160. "Mr., you needn't mention your housekeeper to your neighbors in this block—only households earning less than five hundred pounds annually, unable to hire enough maids to manage various duties, typically employ a general housekeeper." "..." Klein listened in numb silence, reflexively offering a gentle smile. Back at the hotel, only after seeing Walter depart did he sit down, his expression now completely still. By two forty, Klein rubbed his temple and slowly rose, entering his bedroom to convene this week's Tarot meeting.