Back at the estate, Elisa first made good on her promise and gave the male servant his overtime pay and bonus.
[Simon received Miss Elisa’s two gold pounds from Maria.]
[Intimacy +1]
Only one point?!
The male servant was getting greedier and greedier. I need to think of a way to harvest the money in his hands!
Just like those estate owners in the Archipelago. Whenever payday came around, they would take their hired hands to the hay market in town. Hehe, there were cheap taverns, promiscuous women, and dimly lit gambling dens there.
Elisa had no intention of using feminine charms. Instead, she planned to use [knowledge]. Inspired by the Simon Q&A Machine she had used today, she decided to launch a paid question-and-answer service.
Hey, I can deliberately leave out certain pieces of knowledge during [The Young Lady’s Late-Night Lessons], forcing the male servant to pay for answers.
But to preserve my image, I can’t do this myself. I’ll need to operate under an alias.
This project needs some careful thought. There’s no rush.
Elisa reviewed the day’s activities. Just as I expected, Mabel’s investigation team didn’t make any progress. How could a transcendent case be that easy to solve?
She picked up the [Searl Daily] and glanced at Eve. The personal maid tactfully left the bedroom.
As expected of a personal maid earning thirty pounds a year. One look is all it takes for her to understand what I mean.
Elisa took the [Mirror of Mist] from the pocket of her men’s clothes. Sure enough, the male servant’s prayer soon came through.
[Simon briefly recounted the day’s events to Teacher, including how the three young ladies had frightened little Beth.]
Elisa nodded. The male servant was very sincere with Teacher and hadn’t concealed anything, though there was really no need to mention the part about frightening little Beth.
Through the male servant’s account, she went over the entire investigation again and felt sorry for what little Beth’s family had been through.
With the money Mabel and I left them, their lives should be much easier.
[After hesitating for a moment, Simon added that little Beth’s family might be under threat from a gang.]
…Where did that information come from?!
Elisa thought back over the male servant’s report and quickly realized what he meant.
Little Beth’s reaction had been strange. She had been far too terrified. And her older sister Ruth had been somewhat hostile throughout the entire visit… the way she had snapped at Eleanor was proof enough.
They were on guard, which meant they must have sensed some kind of threat. And in the slums, threats usually came in the name of gangs.
[Simon asked Teacher whether he should help little Beth’s family.]
Elisa hesitated. She had come to the royal capital for revenge, not to help the poor of the East District. More importantly, there were transcendent traces surrounding what had happened to little Beth’s family. Getting involved could very well drag her into a transcendent incident, which would make it harder to keep herself hidden.
[Simon waited for the results of his test. From Teacher’s answer, he could judge whether Teacher was good or evil and use that to make some guesses about his own situation.]
What? He’s actually testing me!
If this is a test, then I can’t dodge the question. I need to maintain the image of a kind person.
It’s not a big deal anyway. I can just go over there and teach the gang a lesson. Maybe I should also find out why the gang has its sights on little Beth’s family. Is it because of that murder? Was there a gang behind it?
“Follow what your heart tells you,” Elisa said through the [Mirror of Mist].
“I understand.” In the mirror, Simon nodded. “Teacher, how should I find the gang threatening little Beth’s family?”
Elisa immediately perked up. The male servant had finally asked about something she was good at.
There were very few gangs in the Archipelago, but plenty of pirates. The gangs there were also far better organized than the gangs in the slums, so there was a clear difference between the two.
But some things were universal. Gangs liked to base themselves in two kinds of places.
“Look for a nearby tavern or brothel,” Elisa replied.
Those were the two core businesses of most gangs. Gambling dens were usually located in the same places, so there was no need to mention them separately.
“Thank you for your guidance, Teacher. Your vast knowledge never ceases to amaze me,” Simon’s voice came through.
Elisa straightened her back and proudly accepted the male servant’s praise. It was rare to get a proper, normal compliment from him! Not one of those twisted compliments that left her embarrassed!
Smiling, she looked over at [Simon’s Log], wanting to savor the praise all over again.
[Simon pretended to compliment Teacher while interpreting the results of his test. This Teacher has quite a lot of real-world experience. She isn’t one of those pampered transcendents.]
“..…?”
That was part of the test too? And the compliment was fake?!
Bastard, give me back my happiness!
The happier Elisa had been moments ago, the more embarrassed she felt now.
Damn male servant! Why do you have to test everything for no reason?! I’m your teacher!
[Simon told Teacher that he had no means of concealing himself, making it difficult for him to enter the slums at night.]
When the streets were quiet in the dead of night, it was actually even harder to remain hidden. Patrol officers aside, practically everyone in the slums was an informant for the gangs.
Elisa was still fuming over what had just happened, so she refused Simon’s request for help.
“This is a test,” she said.
Hehe, you tested me, so now I’m going to test you!
If the male servant simply gave up, that would be even better. She hadn’t wanted to get involved in some transcendent case in the first place. That was the military’s job.
[Simon ended his conversation with Teacher.]
After sending those words, Simon sighed.
He had originally planned to use this opportunity to ask for the [Finger Bone] back, but he hadn’t expected Elisa to be so cold and heartless.
Fortunately, his main objective had already been achieved. Elisa had agreed to help little Beth’s family, which was an important turning point in preventing her from becoming the [Blood Queen].
In [Black Tide], only the beginning of Elisa’s route was relatively warm and lighthearted. By the middle and later stages, the blonde young lady was forced to make one painful choice after another and endure loss after loss until everything around her was stripped away and she completely descended into darkness.
To avoid such an ending, he had to increase Elisa’s Honor and strengthen her sense of justice.
Normally, Simon was always awkwardly praising Elisa in the [Log]. It wasn’t to mess with her… Well, it wasn’t “just” to mess with her. He was also trying to brainwash her, building up her sense of honor and making her believe she was a good person.
Haah, I really have shouldered far too much.
There was still some time before nightfall, so Simon left his room and went to the housekeeper’s office.
“Mr. Simon!” Eve was pouring tea for Maria. When she saw Simon come in, she waved happily and poured him a cup as well.
She was dressed in a classic black-and-white maid uniform. As she bent over to pour the tea, the neckline of her dress revealed a pronounced curve.
Simon picked up the cup and took a sip. “Excellent tea.”
“These are tea leaves Miss Elisa gave me.” Eve smiled.
“The tea really is quite good.” Maria raised her head, pushed up her glasses, and looked at Simon.
After becoming the housekeeper, she had traded her copper-framed glasses for gold-rimmed ones, which made her even more attractive. Simon did have one regret, though: Ms. Maria had also traded her maid uniform for a housekeeper’s outfit. It gave her a more mature, commanding charm, but maid uniforms were where the romance truly lay.
Maria took out a stack of papers and handed them to Simon. “Get to work already. Stop slacking off.”
Simon accepted the papers. They contained the estate’s expenses for the week. Maria had already finished checking the accounts and was handing them over to him for a second review.
Papers in hand, Simon walked over to his desk.
He picked up the fountain pen Elisa had given him, opened the ink bottle, and dipped the nib inside, only to find it completely dry. He had run out of ink and forgotten to refill it.
Maria sighed and held out her own ink bottle. “Always forgetting something.”
“I’ll go get a new bottle of ink.” Eve put down the teapot and headed for the storeroom.
[Simon enjoyed a pleasant time with Eve and Maria.]
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