"Look, isn't that the new millionaire who moved into District X?"
"Are you referring to Mr. Dantes?"
"Yes, exactly! I heard from a maid who worked at his house before that there's something a bit off about Mr. Dantes. One night, she got up to use the bathroom and accidentally ran into Mr. Dantes coming back from outside. She swears she saw some red liquid at the corner of his mouth..."
"Ah, she must have been mistaken, right?"
"Who knows? Haven't you heard? Lately, people around town have been reporting seeing large bats flying at night. Could it be…?"
At the Trier Domestic Servants Association, two staff members whispered to each other, occasionally glancing toward the distance, their expressions a mix of curiosity and fear.
In the direction they were looking stood a gentleman around forty years old. He had deep blue eyes, with finely sculpted features. Even the slight traces of white in his sideburns added to his charm. Anyone could tell that he must have been exceptionally handsome in his youth.
Standing beside him was a young man, no more than eighteen or nineteen. He seemed to have noticed the commotion from the two staff members and suddenly glanced in their direction. A bright, almost radiant smile appeared on his face, showcasing a warmth that even revealed two small canine teeth.
However, the young man's smile, coupled with his paler-than-usual complexion and, under the candlelight, the faint illusion of red in his eyes, was impossible to ignore.
The two staff members immediately stopped their conversation, too afraid to speak further.
"There's no need to scare them…" Dwayne Dantes—who was, in fact, Klein Moretti under a new alias—had also noticed the whispering staff. While maintaining his smile, he lowered his voice and spoke.
"I'm just adding to your performance…" Lynn withdrew his gaze and looked at Klein, his eyes more orange than red. With a grin, he said, "If I don't act like this, how will your vampire duke persona take root?"
Klein could only offer a helpless smile in response.
Yes, though Lynn's suggestion had initially sounded utterly ridiculous, after much thought, Klein had eventually agreed. After all, together with Roselle, they had arrived in the capital of the Intis Kingdom, Trier, and taken on this new identity—Dwayne Dantes.
Of course, The Fool had initially been reluctant to adopt such a wealthy persona, as it came with a hefty financial burden. However, Lynn's constant nagging about it being "destined for you" and how "rumors surrounding wealthy people spread more easily in this era" eventually swayed him. Lynn even promised to cover all expenses during the roleplay.
Thus, Klein begrudgingly accepted and took on the alias of Dwayne Dantes. At the same time, rumors of vampires, giant bats, and all sorts of supernatural creatures began to circulate in the city.
By the way, this entire arrangement had already been cleared with the Church of Steam and Machinery. Both Lynn and Klein were now members of the church, carrying out special tasks. So, no matter how wild the rumors became, Dwayne had no reason to fear being investigated by the church.
"Mr. Dantes, this is the fifth batch of servants you've dismissed this month. What exactly are you looking for in a servant? Perhaps if you specified your requirements more clearly, we could assist you better."
At this moment, a blonde woman emerged from a room further inside, holding a booklet in her hands. She was also a staff member at the Trier Domestic Servants Association, and her expression was one of concern.
"I have no complaints about the servants you recommended to me before. Each of them is excellent. It's just that, unfortunately, they don't seem to be quite suitable for working in my household," Dwayne replied with a slight, apologetic smile.
Maintaining the persona of a vampire duke came at a price, one of which was that it often frightened the servants in his home. Additionally, frequent servant turnover was a way to add depth to his character. As a result, the servants at Dwayne Dantes' residence were replaced frequently enough to draw attention.
Of course, being a conscientious person, Klein had made arrangements behind the scenes to compensate the servants he scared or dismissed, ensuring they wouldn't be left with psychological trauma. He also made sure they had enough luck to quickly find new employers and that their dismissal wouldn't negatively impact their future.
Hearing the apologetic tone in Dwayne's voice, the blonde staff member's demeanor softened. In this era, the gap between the nobility, wealthy individuals, and commoners was vast. It was exceedingly rare for a wealthy person to speak so kindly about servants.
So, even though the frequent dismissal of servants was unusual, and despite all the strange rumors surrounding Mr. Dantes, the blonde staff member couldn't help but develop a certain fondness for him. She recommended another batch of new servants.
After the recommendations were made, and as Dwayne began to browse through the list of names, the blonde woman couldn't resist glancing at him a few more times. She hesitated before asking in a soft voice, "Mr. Dantes, isn't this something your butler usually handles? Why did you come in person this time?"
Although Intis wasn't as particular about subtlety and etiquette as Loen, where even compliments were tightly controlled, it was still a kingdom with its own customs. Nobles and the wealthy were typically quite particular. Usually, the replacement of household staff was handled by a butler.
However, upon realizing that she might have overstepped, the blonde staff member quickly apologized, "I'm sorry, Mr. Dantes. I shouldn't be prying into your personal affairs…"
"It's alright, there's nothing secretive about it. Alfred is just handling some matters for me and isn't home at the moment, so I had to come personally," Dwayne said with a warm smile. His voice was deep and magnetic. "But because I came in person, I had the pleasure of meeting a lovely lady like yourself, didn't I?"
The blonde woman blushed instantly, lowering her head and remaining silent. Still, she couldn't help but steal another glance at Dwayne, her eyes filled with a hint of longing.
The atmosphere in the Intis Kingdom was much more liberal compared to Loen. Here, it was quite normal for a wealthy individual or noble to have many lovers, regardless of gender.
In fact, it was said that in Intis, a noble or wealthy person would only be criticized if they had no lovers at all. People would start questioning whether there was something wrong with them—how else could someone be so conservative?
(End of Chapter)
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