A luxurious carriage glided smoothly through the street, with the coachman instinctively trying to avoid trouble. From inside, a soft, elegant voice commanded, "Stop for a moment!" The coachman quickly halted the carriage, and a regal lady stepped out. She glanced at the residence, gently clenched her silk-gloved hand, and the swirling black mist above gathered into a classical painting, which she instructed to be sent to 25 Mignan Street. Afterward, she reboarded the carriage, and it departed.
The patrolling city guards, who had witnessed the scene, dared not interfere because they recognized the golden pheasant tail emblem on the carriage—a symbol of someone too powerful for even their superiors to challenge.
As the endless corridors and towering, skinless monster vanished, the mansion returned to reality. Charlotte, uneasy with the situation, avoided the main entrance and broke through a window to escape the mansion. Spotting several city guards in the distance, he quickly walked in the opposite direction, wanting no further involvement with the Milne family.
As he wandered the streets, Charlotte heard a carriage rapidly approaching. A crisp voice called out, "Mr. Mecklen, please get in." After a moment's hesitation, Charlotte boarded the carriage, where he found the unharmed young lady. Out of courtesy, he asked, "Miss Anne Brittany, are you unharmed?"
Anne Brittany, still shaken, replied, "I'm fine, thanks to you barging in and saving my life. Otherwise, I would've been trapped in the dimensional corridor created by that painting of an overseas evil god." She expressed her gratitude with a noble bow, her face filled with appreciation for Charlotte.
Charlotte had killed Mr. Mills but hadn't managed to rescue the young lady, and he himself had barely escaped the dimensional corridor. As for how they both got out, he hadn't seen the lady's intervention and was still confused.
Knowing there was no need to explain, he simply smiled and said, "Any gentleman would have done the same; I just happened to be there." Anne Brittany's gaze towards Charlotte now brimmed with affection. As a favored child of the heavens, she was usually surrounded by many talented young men, but at this moment, none of them seemed to match up to Mr. Charlotte Mecklen. He had courageously stepped forward in a critical moment and was now modest and unassuming, a true gentleman.
After a moment's hesitation, Charlotte said, "Miss Anne Brittany, if you have nothing more to attend to, I must take my leave. I have only one day off, and I intended to find a place to live closer to my new job."
Anne Brittany, intrigued, asked, "Mr. Charlotte, have you been transferred?"
Charlotte smiled faintly and replied, "I've been transferred from the Central Government Office to Kilmainham Prison. The place I currently live in, Alexander District, is a bit far from there, so I'm thinking of moving to the Picardy District."
These work-related matters weren't something to hide, so Charlotte spoke candidly. Although the title of a clerk in the Central Government Office sounded more prestigious than that of a prison officer, the position of a first-class clerk was far superior to that of a first-class clerk in a lower grade.
Charlotte had no intention of boasting about this to a young lady from a top noble family. Showing off one's position as a civil servant to such a person was not a sign of sophistication.
Anne Brittany's eyes showed a hint of delight as she said, "What a coincidence! I have a relative who is selling a house in the Picardy District. I can help you get a good price."
Charlotte, feeling a bit embarrassed, said, "I don't have much in savings—probably only about eighty écus."
Anne Brittany smiled and reassured him, "Mr. Charlotte, don't worry. The house is within your price range." She then instructed the coachman, "Head to Élysée Garden Avenue."
As the carriage set off again, Charlotte, now curious, thanked her.
Although he had never been to Élysée Garden Avenue, the name was familiar to him. The Picardy District, like the Alexander District, was a commercial area—what we might call a handicraft district on Earth. The latter was known for its large markets and high-end consumer spots, while Picardy was more down-to-earth, selling everyday goods.
Élysée Garden Avenue was the busiest street in Picardy, filled with bakeries, patisseries, cafés, and various general stores, spice shops, tailor shops, and even a marketplace for servants.
It's said that Élysée Garden Avenue used to be farmland that was eventually incorporated into the city. Most of the farm owners were compensated and bought new estates in the countryside, but a few old residents stayed. Because of its commercial atmosphere, the avenue attracted many merchants to buy properties, though these were mostly commercial properties, and the residential market was relatively quiet.
As Charlotte peeked out the carriage window and saw Élysée Garden Avenue, despite having memories from two worlds, he couldn't help but exclaim in admiration. This avenue, stretching about 3,000 meters, had been designed very broadly since it had originally been farmland.