[Simon didn’t continue through the Eastern District and quickly left.]
[Simon hurried all the way back to the estate, reported to the head maid, and submitted his expense report.]
Elisa’s morning etiquette lesson had also come to an end.
During lunch, Elisa casually brought up the letter and obtained Simon’s expense report from Head Maid Maria.
Three shillings for the round-trip carriage fare. Hehe. You only spent 1 shilling on the way there, and you didn’t even take a carriage back!
Out of the 3 shillings in expenses, you pocketed a full 2 shillings!
Even those government officials aren’t as good at embezzling as you are!
“Young lady,” Maria said softly, “Simon said that on his way back, he saw a poor little girl by the roadside, starved so thin she looked like a scrawny dog.”
“He gave her money?” Elisa took a sip of black tea.
“You’re practically a prophet, young lady,” Maria marveled.
Elisa smiled with dignified restraint, thinking, Not only do I know he gave the little girl money, I even know exactly how much. 1 shilling, which is more than a day’s wages for him.
“He’s quite kindhearted.” Elisa nodded. “Find some inconspicuous way to reimburse him for the money he gave the little girl.”
The reason she wanted it done inconspicuously was to prevent the estate’s servants from finding out that charitable donations were reimbursed and starting to farm good deeds.
“Your compassion rivals the radiance of the moon,” Maria flattered her.
Elisa felt thoroughly pleased. Partly because Maria’s flattery was pleasant to hear, and partly because it made her feel as though she too had contributed to Simon’s aid for the little girl, soothing her conscience.
After finishing her black tea, she realized she’d forgotten to ask how much he’d actually given. Although she knew it was 1 shilling, she wasn’t supposed to know that.
She hurriedly patched up the oversight. “How much did he give the little girl?”
“3 shillings,” Maria replied. “He said that should be enough to keep the little girl’s family going for a month.”
Elisa didn’t hear a word Maria said after that.
The young lady stood frozen in place, two words echoing over and over in her mind.
Three shillings, three shillings, three shillings…
You clearly only gave her 1 shilling!
You’re even embezzling money off this?!
Elisa gritted her teeth. She wished she could kick down the door to the male servant’s room and drain him of every drop of blood.
There is no doubt about it. The male servant told Maria about the little girl because he was trying to scam a reimbursement out of me, and I actually fell for it!
The stated expenses for this errand came to 6 shillings in total, and he pocketed a full 4 shillings! That’s already half a week’s wages for him!
Is it too late to take back the reimbursement?
Elisa agonized over it for a long while before reluctantly giving up.
I can’t tell Maria to cancel the reimbursement. The head maid would think I’m going back on my word, not to mention being petty and stingy.
And I can’t prove Simon only gave the little girl 1 shilling.
Forget it. I’ll just consider those 4 shillings the price of buying 2 points of Intimacy.
Come to think of it, just a few days ago, 1 point of Intimacy only cost 2 pence. Now it’s gone up to 2 shillings!
That’s a twelvefold increase!
Even capitalists don’t jack up their prices as badly as you do!
Elisa was still mourning her hard-earned money when the screen suddenly changed again.
[Simon lay down on his bed for an afternoon nap. Thinking back on what he had seen in the Eastern District, he felt saddened.]
[Intimacy -1]
“???”
The poor people in the Eastern District have miserable lives, so why are you lowering your Intimacy with me?! Is that somehow my fault?!
Give me back my money! You owe me 2 shillings!
Lady Elisa was overcome with grief.
Fortunately, aside from Intimacy, I still have [Simon’s Log].
This log is a great feature, much more interesting than the Status screen.
I’ve heard nobles keep pets and spend their free time watching them play. Isn’t that more or less what I’m doing right now?
Hmph, they have to get close to their pets to watch them, while I only need to open the screen. Clearly, I’m operating on a higher level!
Elisa basked in her delight for a moment before instinctively reflecting on herself.
Elisa, oh Elisa, you can’t let yourself become so obsessed with entertainment that you neglect your ambitions. You must remember your mission!
It’s decided. From now on, I’ll cut back on checking the screen from once every 3 minutes to once every 5 minutes!
I’ll devote more of my time and energy to things that are actually worthwhile!
Come to think of it, if reaching 10 Intimacy unlocked a new feature, could reaching 20 unlock one too?
[Simon’s Log] is already this interesting. Wouldn’t the next feature be even more fun?
Elisa’s heart raced with anticipation. She opened the screen, intending to investigate, but accidentally tapped [Log], then accidentally tapped the history records as well.
To her delight, she discovered that the history records even contained yesterday’s logs!
“Young lady.” After an unknown amount of time, Maria’s voice came from outside the door. “It’s almost time for your lesson.”
Elisa tore her gaze away from the screen and stared at the door in shock.
What?! I actually spent my entire lunch break reading it!
No, I can’t keep sinking into depravity like this!
Lady Elisa wanted to leave the screen behind in her bedroom, but the damned thing refused to obey her!
All she could do was hide it and desperately restrain herself from summoning it again.
Her extraordinary willpower paid off, and her etiquette instructor acknowledged her progress.
“You’ve basically mastered the fundamentals of etiquette. The remaining details are things you can gradually pick up with time.” Her etiquette instructor smiled at her. “Lady Elisa, you are the most diligent and fastest-learning young lady I have ever taught. At first, I thought we would need half a year.”
Elisa felt a little guilty. Before the screen appeared, she really had been diligent, but ever since she got it, she’d spent nearly half her lessons distracted. Thanks to an adventurer’s keen instincts and quick reflexes, however, her etiquette instructor had never noticed.
She gave her instructor an elegant curtsy, lifting the hem of her skirt. “It’s all thanks to your teaching.”
“It’s your own natural talent,” the etiquette instructor said, then tentatively asked, “I believe you no longer need my instruction.”
“I’d still like you to come twice a week to advise me,” Elisa said, asking her to stay.
The etiquette instructor charged 3 pounds per lesson. It was expensive but necessary.
Not only because she was a professional, but because she had once been a lady-in-waiting at the royal court. After leaving the palace, she had worked as an etiquette instructor for nobles and wealthy merchants ever since, making her a member of high society in her own right.
Elisa needed her social connections and experience.
Suppressing her impatience, she asked, “I’d like to host a gathering. What do you think would be the best way to go about it? I’ve been studying every day lately, and I can’t wait to relax a little.”
The etiquette instructor replied, “A banquet would be too formal. You could host a literary salon instead, sponsor a few young novelists, and invite some young ladies who might be interested.”
Elisa nodded her head. She couldn’t appear too eager. Instead of directly inviting members of powerful social circles, she needed to take a roundabout approach and disguise it as a gathering based on a shared interest.
Now this was what 3 pounds a lesson got you.
She continued, “What should I pay attention to?”
“Three things. First, make sure the servants know how to conduct themselves. Second, refresh your memory of the novels written by the authors attending the salon. Third, maintain your composure.”
Elisa automatically translated that in her head. First, get the basics right. Second, remember to skim through the novels so I don’t end up unable to say anything about them when the time comes. “Refresh your memory” was such a wonderfully tactful way of putting it. Third, don’t act like a dog that’s just spotted a bone.
The second and third weren’t problems. She could handle those herself. Ironically, it was the most basic requirement….the first one that posed the real problem. Her servants had to be reliable.
Elisa once again thought of Simon who had swindled her out of 4 shillings and gritted her teeth.
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