Charlotte accompanied Sylvie Martin out without bringing any firearms, carrying only a newly customized magical alchemy cane.
The cane was simple yet somewhat ornate, made from a rare type of wood that was lightweight, resilient, and flexible. It was embedded with dozens of silver stars, smelted from an old sword sheath from the Sherlock dynasty. When waved, it sparkled with brilliant silver light, which Charlotte found very appealing.
Of course, it wasn't a magical item, just a piece treated with magical alchemy to increase its durability.
No matter how resilient wood might be, the chances of it cracking after embedding dozens of silver stars were quite high. However, after being treated with magical alchemy, its flexibility was comparable to steel.
A good cane is not only a luxurious and handy weapon but also a gentleman's favorite accessory, popular in every country on the Old Continent.
Recently, Charlotte's finances had improved. He initially planned to use the smelted sword sheath to forge a magical sword, but after finding out the price exceeded his budget, he opted for this magical alchemy cane, which cost one florin and twelve sous.
After all, he wasn't skilled with swords, so using a cane was no different than a rapier.
Sylvie Martin felt somewhat apprehensive as she left 58 Elysee Garden Street with her former fiancé.
Charlotte chose the first restaurant they passed by and picked a window seat, skillfully ordering two dishes.
The culinary style of the Farce Empire was quite unique; instead of ordering individual dishes, meals were presented as set courses on the menu.
Each dish consisted of a main course, a side, an accompaniment, a wine pairing, dessert, soup, and so on. Even the simplest menu offered at least five items per dish, with the wine pairing and soup being essential.
This restaurant was of decent quality. Charlotte ordered himself a set that included lamb chops, croissants, potato wedges, mushroom soup, sparkling apple cider, a few pieces of roast chicken, and a vegetable platter—a substantial meal, typical of a gentleman's order.
For Sylvie Martin, he ordered a set focusing on desserts, including cheese, a few types of biscuits, and a serving of milk tea—typical of a lady's order.
Both of them were hungry, so they ate in silence without much conversation.
After finishing the meal, Charlotte paid the bill and even bought a few bottles of wine. His new home was lacking in many things, and he had no stock of wine. The sparkling apple cider he had tasted was quite good, so he bought some more.
As was his habit, Charlotte didn't take the wine with him but asked the restaurant to deliver it later to 58 Elysee Garden Street.
The two of them left the restaurant and soon found a general store.
They bought the items Sylvie Martin needed, and Charlotte also purchased twenty pounds of kerosene. He had been staying up late researching the journal, and the kerosene for the lamps was running low.
After paying, he again arranged for the store to deliver the items and took Miss Sylvie back home.
Charlotte, mindful of his current romantic involvement—though his relationship with Annie Brittany hadn't yet been clearly defined—thought it best to be cautious. He called out to Sylvie as she was about to head upstairs, smiling gently, "Miss Sylvie, I have a small favor to ask. I hope you could refer to me as 'cousin' for the time being. You know how being alone together can invite rumors, which could be more detrimental to you."
"Alright, Cousin Charlotte."
Sylvie agreed without giving him any chance to explain further, and quickly went upstairs.
The young woman didn't hold back, choosing the innermost and largest bedroom on the second floor. It had bright windows on three sides, an en suite bathroom, and a massive built-in wardrobe.
The large bed left by the previous owner was well-made but too bulky to move, so it remained in the house.
For a young girl, the room was nearly perfect, except for a slight sense of unease due to its spaciousness.
Sylvie Martin stood by the south-facing window, looking out at the scenic Lucavaro River, feeling a surge of courage.
The girl clenched her fists slightly and whispered, "New life, here I come."
Young girls' hearts are always full of dreams.
About ten minutes later, Charlotte knocked gently on the door and said, "The store clerk has arrived with the delivery."
Sylvie opened the door, and the store clerk brought in the various items, placing them where she directed.
Throughout the process, Charlotte stood at the door and didn't enter, maintaining his gentlemanly demeanor.
This left Sylvie with some doubts about her former fiancé.
The old Charlotte Mecklen wasn't like this.
This wasn't the Charlotte she knew.
After the clerks had arranged everything, Charlotte politely said goodbye to Sylvie, escorted the clerks to the first-floor hall, locked the door, and returned to his room on the third floor.
Charlotte had chosen the suite closest to the stairs, on the east side. It included a bedroom, a study, a washroom, and a sitting room. From the sitting room, he could access a terrace on the Elysee Garden Street side. The terrace ran the length of the building, with a waist-high wall, and the entrances to all five suites were on this terrace.
The south-facing terrace, however, was not continuous, and each suite had its own private outdoor area. Sitting on the south-facing terrace, one could enjoy tea while admiring the beautiful scenery of the Lucavaro River.
He lay on the old sofa left by the previous owner, silently calculating his wealth.
"I originally had five florins saved up, earned seventy-five florins from selling the multi-headed flail, won thirteen florins in the card game, and my brother sent five hundred and fifty florins. After deducting the fifty florins for the down payment on the house, I still have…"
"Five hundred and ninety-three florins!"
"That's quite a sum."
"Lately, my research into the Agremilas Maze hasn't been going well. Even the professors at my alma mater, Sheffield University, have no research on such overseas mazes. I should consider buying some materials or finding an expert in maze studies."
The next morning, as usual, Charlotte went to work at Kilmainham Prison.
He had just stepped into the office when an unexpected visitor arrived—Madam Pascal, the reception secretary.
The lady brought shocking news. She lowered her voice and said, "Miss Meniëlman Sormay might be transferred out of Kilmainham Prison, stepping down from her position as warden to take up a military post."
Charlotte was greatly surprised by this news.
After that day, Meniëlman Sormay had never returned to Kilmainham Prison. Although this first rose of the empire, the warden, had been kind to him, Charlotte, anxious as he was, still preferred that she not return for the time being.
But there was a big difference between temporarily not returning and never coming back. He was considered Meniëlman's protégé, and if she were to leave her position, he would lose his protector, which would be detrimental to his future prospects.
Madam Pascal clearly wasn't there to gossip; she stared at Charlotte intently, waiting for his response.
Although Charlotte wasn't well-versed in workplace dynamics, he quickly realized that Madam Pascal was trying to get some information from him. The news that Meniëlman might step down as warden and be transferred from Kilmainham Prison was just a test from the lady.