Nine o'clock in the morning, in a high-end hotel in Hillston District.

Klein picked up a bottle of beautifully packaged white wine and handed it to the old man opposite him with a smile.

“Mr. Asnia, thank you very much for coming to meet with me. This is a small gift, please accept it.

"I will make a decision by tomorrow at the latest, and then I may come to visit you."

He was using a euphemism to indicate that the other party had lost the election.

Frankly speaking, he was actually quite satisfied with the old man Asnia. He perfectly met his imagination of a butler: rigorous, decent, professional, perceptive, and good at handling all kinds of troublesome problems.

As the oldest and the one who lived the farthest away among the three butler candidates, he actually arrived patiently outside the door half an hour in advance, while Ribak and Walter only arrived a quarter of an hour early.

If it weren't for the "Magic Mirror" Arrodes's suggestion that the latter two had some additional clues, Klein felt that he would choose this old gentleman. After all, his main goal was to use the butler's connections to blend into the upper class more easily and naturally and get in touch with the corresponding targets.

As for the bottle of white wine, he bought it at Intis Serenzo Restaurant specially because he considered that some people would return disappointed today and waste the round-trip carriage fare. Each bottle was worth 2 pounds.

This can effectively enrich the image of Dwayne Dantès as a mysterious wealthy man who is generous and elegant.

In addition, he also believed that a butler from an aristocratic family should not be underestimated. In his past career experiences, such people must have known a large number of upper-class people, many professional butlers and countless servants, covering the upper, middle and lower levels. They could effectively influence a gentleman's reputation, which was a necessary reference for entering higher-level social circles.

In this era, the 55-year-old Asnia's hair has turned a lot white, and his blue eyes are filled with the wisdom brought by the years. He did not refuse Dwayne Dantès's gift. He took it, looked at it, and saluted meticulously:

"I love this white wine from Caraud, thank you for your generosity and compliment your manners."

"Carlod?" Yes, the waiter introduced it yesterday. This is a winery in the Champagne Province of Intis, famous for producing mid- to high-end wines. Some of the vintages are top-notch. Alas, a butler knows more about wine than I do. Yes, Mr. Asnia just said that the wine cellars of nobles and wealthy people are directly managed by the butler or a butler's assistant... Does this mean that I will have a wine cellar in the future? The 2-pound tier is the bottom type, and the 1330 Olmier red wine at 126 pounds is not the best... How much does such a wine cellar cost... Thinking about it, Klein felt a little stuffy in his chest, and suspected that the 2,888 pounds on him, excluding the gold coins, would not last long.

If he hadn't had the experience of being a "clown", he would have definitely lost his composure at this moment, instead of smiling and saying:

"Your liking is the greatest compliment to me, Mr. Asnia. Please invite Mr. Ribak from the cafe downstairs to come up."

Asnia agreed without hesitation, and in less than five minutes, Ribak knocked on the door and entered the living room.

This gentleman had neatly combed light blond hair, and a few wrinkles around his eyes and mouth, but they were not too obvious. He had a healthy complexion and a masculine temperament. At first glance, he looked like the kind of butler who could accompany his master on hunts or even fight against enemies.

After greeting each other, Klein smiled and asked the other party to sit down, and said directly:

"Forgive me for being frank. I don't quite understand why you became Baron Syndras's steward. Your father was the deputy steward of the Nigan family, and your grandfather was the steward of the family's manor. Many of your ancestors served the Duke and his relatives until they returned to the embrace of God, and you should have had the same life trajectory."

Because of the influence of Emperor Roselle, the countries of the Northern Continent originally liked to use the fiefdom plus the title to indicate a noble, but now they use the surname plus the title. The former is only used in very formal occasions. Of course, there are also a small number of nobles whose surnames are directly derived from the fiefdom name.

Riback replied with a typical smile:

"Baron Sinderas is a newly promoted noble and a friend of the old duke, so I was sent to his home to help him and his family adapt to the life of aristocrats and master the corresponding etiquette."

The old duke he was referring to was the father of the current Duke Negan, Pallas Negan, who was assassinated last year.

"Then why did you leave the Baron's house?" Klein asked carefully.

Ribak said frankly:

“Although Baron Sindras obtained his title with the help of the Conservative Party, he himself is one of the most famous bankers, investors, and business owners in the kingdom, and one of the earliest multimillionaires. He has strong sympathy for the new party and is willing to provide certain assistance. This has caused conflicts between him and many conservative nobles, including the little duke.

"So, in order to avoid embarrassing the Baron, I took the initiative to leave. He actually tried to keep me. He is a very good employer."

Klein nodded and asked:

"Do you believe in the 'Lord of Storms'?"

Riback responded seriously:

“Yes, the Lord gave us courage, enthusiasm and a sense of responsibility.”

Klein asked a few more questions about the butler's domain and received detailed answers. He then smiled and said to Riback:

“Please go to the cafe downstairs and ask Mr. Walter to come up.

"I will make a decision once I finish talking to him. You can wait in the cafe for ten minutes."

"Okay." Without any further ado, Ribak immediately stood up, saluted, and left in a very military manner.

After watching him leave and closing the door, Klein sat down again, picked up the black tea, took a sip, and muttered to himself:

"If you choose him, you should be able to establish contact with the current Duke Negan and the Conservative Party. The additional developments may include some of the circumstances of the previous assassination..."

Not long after, Walter arrived and knocked on the door to enter.

Klein first exchanged a few pleasantries with the other party, then asked:

"What is the conflict between you and Viscount Conrad's butler? You know, I have to figure this out. I can't afford the risk of offending a nobleman."

Walter has a broad forehead, shiny black hair, and serious brown eyes, but not to the point where it seems impossible to talk. He thought for a few seconds and said:

"As the butler's assistant, I was originally responsible for the Viscount's children. During this process, due to some things, I was appreciated by a certain important person. As a result, I was valued by the Viscount and guarded against by the butler.

"Later, that important person passed away due to an accident. The Viscount's attitude towards me changed, and the butler became even less friendly. This made me think that there was no need to wait for a turnaround."

The children in charge of the Viscount met an important person... Well, Talim also met Prince Edsak while teaching Viscount Conrad's youngest son, and the prince died a few months ago due to the Backlund smog incident... This is consistent with Walter's statement... It seems that this butler was a marginal victim of the incident... He is still very cautious and professional. He did not expose the employer's shortcomings, did not leak the prince's affairs, and did not say much bad about the Viscount's butler... If he is chosen, the additional development is worth looking forward to... Klein listened quietly and thought of some things.

He turned to ask some professional questions and expressed his desire to enter the upper class. After receiving a satisfactory answer, he straightened his clothes, stood up with a smile and said:

"Let me get to know you again, Dwayne Dantès, your employer."

Walter immediately saluted and said:

"Sir, how can I help you?"

He always maintained a serious, old-fashioned and calm appearance, as if he thought this was the professional quality of a butler.

"Two things." Klein laughed. "First, help me bring this bottle of white wine to Mr. Riback in the cafe downstairs and convey my apologies and gratitude. Second, hire a lawyer to draft a professional contract for you and the other servants."

"Yes, sir." Walter saluted again.

Klein handed the white wine to the other party and asked casually:

"Walter, how many servants do you think I should hire to avoid being disrespectful?"

Walter took the bottle of Carold white wine and answered without hesitation:

"You should first decide where you will live. Only then can you know exactly how many servants you will need."

"Well, what suggestions do you have? My requirements are simple. I live in the North District and I am a devout believer in the goddess." Klein casually drew a crimson moon on his chest.

According to the information I read in newspapers and magazines, the rent of a garden villa in an upscale neighborhood in the city is at least 3 pounds per week, which is 156 pounds per year... Although there is no direct data, it can be inferred that a very good garden villa in the suburbs costs about 2 pounds per week, and a room in a high-end apartment with several bedrooms and living rooms is about the same. This is commented as quite luxurious and is a place that only the upper middle class can afford to rent. Well, we can use this to preliminarily infer the rent of the rich's houses...

It's really expensive when you think about it. When we were in Tingen, Benson, Melissa, and I rented a townhouse without a garden for only 13 soli per week, plus an extra 5 pence for furniture use. The house we lived in on Minsk Street before cost less than 1 pound...

Well, 3 pounds is 3 pounds. I still have 2,888 pounds. It doesn’t matter if I rent a better place. It doesn’t matter… While waiting for Walter’s answer, Klein silently recalled the house rental information in his mind and calculated the money he would have to pay every week and every year.

Walter thought for two seconds and answered seriously:

"Sir, you can choose 32 Bocklund Street, which is close to St. Samuel's Church. It is a three-story building with more than ten rooms, stables, servants' quarters and a fairly large garden. Baronet, members of the House of Commons, senior barristers live nearby...

"Its furnishings are very exquisite, with many famous paintings and antiques. All the furniture and utensils are enough to set off your status. You can rent it for a year and then consider whether to buy it as a whole if you are satisfied."

That sounds great... Klein asked with a smile:

“How much does it rent for a year?”

Walter reported the numbers seriously and expertly:

"Including the use of furniture, £1,260 per annum." (Note 1)

“…” Klein was thankful that he wasn’t drinking tea, otherwise he would have sprayed the butler in the face.

He used almost all of the Joker's control abilities to prevent his expression from showing any abnormality.

Note 1: The house rental situation comes from "How Much Money Was Worth in the Past" and "A Study of Marriage and Family Life of the British Middle Class in the Victorian Period".

The building that cost 1,260 pounds was rented by the Qing Dynasty as an embassy. I don’t know whether it was overpriced.

PS: I recommend a book "The Disaster of Tomorrow". The dark and desperate world background has a unique charm. The lazy system of the protagonist prevents the whole from being tense all the time, and there is a sense of relaxation.