If this had been a week ago, Miss Elisa would still have been worrying about how to raise her male servant’s Intimacy. Now, however, there was no need, because her male servant had something he was short on.
She checked her male servant’s money.
[Money: 57 pounds, 10 shillings, 9 pence]
Over the past week, her male servant had been asking a question worth more than 10 pounds every day, rapidly draining his savings. At this rate, another week would leave him destitute.
So now, all she had to do was give her male servant some gold pounds.
Elisa turned to look at her personal maid, Eve. Eve’s chest had already returned to normal. She had stopped binding her chest after being persuaded by the male servant.
Elisa sighed. This really saved me a lot of trouble. Otherwise, every time I saw my maid with her chest bound, I’d remember all those embarrassing things. Maybe the other maids would even start copying her, which would be even more awkward! It might even reach Mabel and Eleanor’s ears!
You could say my male servant rescued me from dire straits.
Though he was the one who put me in those dire straits in the first place!
His merits and faults canceled each other out, so Elisa decided not to make trouble for him.
Shifting her gaze away from the maid’s chest, Elisa pretended to suddenly remember something and asked, “Did I ever set aside a budget for Simon to purchase equipment?”
Naturally, Eve’s answer was no.
Elisa tapped herself on the head and feigned annoyance. “Have Miss Maria give him 15 pounds to purchase some items for self-defense.”
It was the perfect excuse for giving him money. Fifteen pounds would be far too much for a simple reward, but purchasing equipment was another matter.
Needless to say, her male servant would pocket most of it, then recharge it to me and give me Intimacy in return. Not only will I not lose any money, I’ll even earn a hefty amount of interest!
Why does this feel so much like the loan sharks of the Archipelago? Have I actually become one of those people? Hmm… this feels pretty good, actually.
Eve acknowledged the order and left to pass it along, while Elisa opened [Simon’s Log].
[Simon discussed the autumn purchases with Miss Maria. Maria reminded him that with the weather turning cooler, damp, and rainy, he needed to take care of his health and should bring out his autumn clothes to check them over and have them ready.]
Elisa had mixed feelings. This male servant was either slacking off or charming the maids.
Of course, “charming” was only a joke. Her male servant was actually quite the gentleman and never crossed any lines. He was witty and humorous in conversation. If he weren’t a servant, he would surely be very popular among the ladies and young misses of high society. No, he was already quite popular as it was.
[Eve came to the butler’s room and relayed Miss Elisa’s instructions. Maria left to fetch the money, and Eve took the opportunity to ask whether Simon’s autumn clothes still fit. She could alter them for him if necessary.]
[Simon sighed with emotion. Miss Maria’s concern and Eve’s thoughtfulness were both wonderful gifts.]
Elisa narrowed her eyes and leaned back. If she were in the Archipelago, she would definitely have let out a boo.
[However, neither was the best gift. The best was Miss Elisa’s generosity. Simon accepted the 15 pounds Maria handed him, his heart filled with joy.]
[Intimacy +3]
Hmph, money really is the most charming thing after all!
Come to think of it, the exchange rate between Intimacy and gold pounds has already reached 1:5. It just keeps getting more expensive!
Even at the end of the old century, during the Mad King’s reign, prices didn’t rise as fast as you do!
Elisa consoled herself. It doesn’t matter. These gold pounds will come back to me anyway.
She looked at the newly unlocked function.
[Intimacy: 101]
[Intimacy has reached 100. Additional function unlocked. Simon’s Adventure Log.]
[Simon’s Adventure Log: An auxiliary function of Simon’s Log. During Simon’s activities, there is a chance he will discover explorable areas. Dispatch Simon to explore them, and upon success, he will receive generous rewards.]
Explorable areas? Dispatch him to explore and earn rewards?
This is starting to feel more and more like I’m training a subordinate.
But how is this any different from assigning my male servant a task? I could just order him to explore somewhere directly.
Elisa read the description again and felt that the key lay in the words “upon success, he will receive generous rewards.”
When adventuring, it was common to spend a great deal of effort for nothing. Coming back empty-handed or even suffering a loss was perfectly normal. But with the [Adventure Log], as long as the exploration succeeded, there would always be a reward, and a generous one at that!
However, there was another point she needed to pay attention to. The description specifically said “upon success”, which meant failure was also possible. Hmm, adventure always comes with danger. Whenever I use this function, I’ll have to keep a close eye on my male servant and be ready to rescue him at any moment.
Elisa opened the [Adventure Log], eager to try out its ability. However, the [Explorable Areas] section was completely blank. Her male servant had yet to discover any areas to explore.
Disappointed, Elisa closed the log and continued examining the main interface. Aside from the [Adventure Log], something else new had appeared on the screen.
[All Log functions have been unlocked. Photo function granted as a bonus.]
[Photos: During Simon’s activities, there is a chance of obtaining a photo depicting the relevant scene.]
Photos? As in photographs? Elisa opened the log.
[Miss Maria sat by the window with sunlight glinting off her gold-rimmed glasses. She looked intellectual yet warm. Simon preserved this scene in his mind, generating a Memory Photo.]
It triggered already? Elisa eagerly opened it.
[Miss Maria With Her Busty Chest.jpg]
Elisa closed the photo and rubbed her forehead, feeling that this function was actually rather unnecessary.
[Eve looked just as beautiful in her maid uniform. Simon preserved this scene in his mind.]
[Personal Maid With Her Busty Chest.jpg]
Can I return this function?! Elisa clenched her fists.
Who wants to see photos of you ogling women?! Can’t you take pictures of something normal?!
Exhausted, Elisa closed the log and sighed. She returned to her bedroom to prepare for the afternoon gathering.
This gathering was being held at Eleanor’s mansion in the city center. The estate itself wasn’t very large, but its location was exceptional. The Parliament Building stood directly across from it, while the Supreme Court was right next door.
Facing the Parliament Building, the royal palace was only another two streets away.
Elisa brought Eve and Simon with her to the gathering. As she stepped down from the carriage, she looked toward the royal palace. The magnificent, gilded building gave her a strange sense of familiarity.
She thought, According to the information I found, my father was practically the designated next king at the time. Perhaps our family frequently visited the palace, which is why it looks somewhat familiar.
Is the person living in that palace now, sitting upon the throne, my greatest enemy?
No, I can’t jump to conclusions. Teacher said the situation back then was extremely complicated. Even she couldn’t see clearly what was happening.
Still, the current king is indeed the prime suspect.
Elisa cut off that train of thought and shook her head.
One step at a time. I have plenty of time anyway. Advancing from Fifth Rank to demigod requires years of accumulation. Only after becoming a demigod will my revenge truly begin.
For now, I should focus on the path ahead and attend Eleanor’s little gathering.
But first, let’s take a look at [Simon’s Log].
[Simon swept his gaze over the surrounding streets. This was the political heart of the royal capital. Nobles generally wouldn’t hold gatherings here. There were no courtyards, and the area was far too cramped. Only urgent or clandestine political gatherings might be held in a place like this.]
Elisa fell into thought. Eleanor’s gathering obviously had nothing to do with politics. Perhaps it was simply because this was such a small gathering that there was no need for a large courtyard.
“Elisa!” Mabel’s voice came from upstairs. Elisa looked up and spotted the red-haired girl and the black-haired girl on the balcony overlooking the street.
Mabel pulled Eleanor away from the balcony and hurried downstairs, where they met Elisa and her two companions.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Simon.” Eleanor looked at Simon; her smile held its usual touch of haughtiness, yet it was also tinged with a hint of mischief.
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