Leonard Mitchell sat on a chair with his legs raised onto the side of his desk.
Following that, he leaned back, causing the wooden headrest to creak from the pressure. His breathing gradually turned long and slow.
After an unknown period of time, his eyelids drooped and covered his eyes.
At this moment, Leonardâs spirit had arrived in a gray, hazy world, but he was still in his bedroom.
He flew to the window and saw thick gray fog blanket the nearby streets and extend outwards. It seemed to be embracing all of Backlund.
The street lamps along the streets and the warm light from the different houses appeared abnormally dim. They were only able to illuminate a very tiny region, and everything seemed to be tainted with a sense of blurriness.
At the same time, blobs of illusory oval lights appeared as they enveloped a house in an intersecting manner, as though it was the source of their existence.
This was the city through a Nightmareâs eyes.
Leonard followed up on his previous investigations and leaped out the window in a Nightmare state. He then flew to 17 Minsk Street.
He didnât attempt to storm in. He stood at the door in the thick fog as he politely pulled the doorbell.
Cuckoo! Cuckoo! Dressed in her nightgown, Stelyn Sammer opened the door.
She placed her silver-inlaid pleated fan at her chest as she asked in confusion and puzzlement, âWho are you looking for?â
She was none other than Kleinâs landlord back when he was acting as Sherlock Moriarty. She was a blonde-haired, blue-eyed lady in her thirties.
Leonard had already changed into a black-and-white checkered police uniform. He casually showed his identification and asked, âDo you know Sherlock Moriarty?â
Trapped in the dream, Stelynâs reaction was very slow. She asked after a few seconds, âDid something happen to him?â
Just as she asked, her impression of Sherlock Moriarty appeared beside her under Leonardâs influence.
He wore a half top hat, a double-breasted frock coat, gold-rimmed spectacles on his nose, and a bushy mustache around his mouthâŚ
This was identical to the information he previously received about Sherlock Moriarty. Hence, he didnât show any doubts and said, âHeâs been involved in a case and is undergoing an investigation.
âI hope you can cooperate with us.â
âA-alright.â Stelyn wished to raise her chin, but for some reason, she felt a little horrified.
Leonard thought for a second and asked, âSince when did he rent this place from you?â
âEarly September last year,â Stelyn said after recalling her memories.
Leonard continued asking, âWhat do you know of him? Or should I say, what kind of person do you think he is?â
When that was mentioned, Stelyn appeared as though she had long considered the answer to such a question.
âHe comes from Midseashire, and he has an accent from that area. Heâs a very capable detective, and he once exposed the adultery which Maryâs husband was undertaking. However, his income isnât too high. He doesnât even hire a full-time housemaid. All he can do is get my maid to help him part-time⌠My children tell me that heâs good at telling stories, especially detective-related stories. This might be why he had chosen this professionâŚâ
Without giving Leonard a chance to interrupt her, she droned on incessantly, âHeâs not as boorish like the typical detective. He went to grammar school and studied history. What leaves me most envious of all is how he obtained Maryâs gratitude. He joined the Quelaag Club where its members are people with significant status. Iâve only been there a few timesâŚ
âLater, he apparently became famous in the detective circles, and private detectives often came to look for himâŚâ
Leonard lost his patience listening to her drone on as he couldnât help but rub his temples.
He had failed to obtain any useful information from Mrs. Stelyn. Apart from Sherlock Moriartyâs poor financial situation and him being good at telling detective stories, the rest was within the scope of what he had previously investigated. He even knew that Sherlock Moriarty had good ties with Isengard Stanton.
Next, Iâll investigate those from the Quelaag Club who have good relationships with Sherlock Moriarty⌠Once he patiently finished listening to Mrs. Stelynâs droning, he immediately thanked her and left her dream.
In the hall that could accommodate more than a hundred dancers, Klein was embracing a lady in her thirties as they danced.
This was the etiquette teacher that Walter had hired. Her name was Wahana Heisen.
She had a common name, but she wasnât ordinary at all. Her facial features were only above average, but her disposition was impeccable. Her every action was filled with charm.
According to Walterâs introduction, she was born in a baronâs family. She received a good education from a young age and later entered the palace. She had the job of court lady until she was married.
As her family had declined and her husbandâs financial situation was only ordinary, being a believer in the Evernight Goddess prompted her to choose to become a private tutor in etiquette. She often went to the families of nobles and tycoons to teach their children.
Although the butler didnât spell it out, Klein knew that he couldnât perform badly in front of this lady, or there was no way to save his reputation.
The way members of high society asked about a personâs situation was mainly through common acquaintances. And at times, the interaction between servants also mattered.
With nimble footsteps and graceful moves, the black-haired Wahana nodded approvingly.
âMr. Dantès, itâs hard for me to imagine you not having learned these dance steps before.
âIn less than half an hour, youâre as skilled as a noble who received education on this from a young age.â
âItâs all thanks to your teachings.â Klein gave a humble smile as he wore a warm, humble look.
With the Clownâs balance, dancing was a very easy matter for him.
Wahana lowered her head and chuckled softly.
âYouâre a gentleman who can really make a lady happy.â
She immediately raised her light brown eyes and swept her gaze across Dwayne Dantèsâs silver sideburns and deep blue eyes.
âThatâs the best praise Iâve heard today,â Klein replied with a smile. During this period, his feet kept moving as he spun Wahana gently around. Not far away, the hired quartetâs melodious music echoed through the hall.
He had the intention to have close ties with Wahana, not to improve his reputation, but because she was once a court lady.
After Wahana corrected a minor mistake that Dwayne Dantès committed, she said, âWhen inviting a lady to dance, itâs not only a dance. You also need to converse. You canât be like two dolls unless both of you are so immersed in the dance and musicâs rhythm that you do not wish to speak. Of course, thatâs also a form of communicationâa form of communication of the heart.
âWhen conversing, you must be euphemistic because this is Loen, not Intis.
âTo put it simply, do not be direct and crude. You need to appear gentlemanly.
âLet me raise an example. If you wish to compliment a lady for her perfume, you canât directly tell her how nice it smells, nor ask what kind of perfume it is to praise her. You need to connect a more euphemistic meaning to it and mention that. Yes, you can say something like: It feels like Iâm out in the spring meadows.
âOf course, this needs to match the traits of perfume.â
Thereâs no literary feel. Shouldnât you say that âthe moon is beautiful, isnât is?â Klein lampooned with a Japanese-styled euphemism as he said with a self-deprecating smile, âThank you for not telling me that my praises werenât gentlemanly enough.â
Wahanaâs smile deepened.
âMr. Dantès, do you know what kind of gentleman is very welcomed by women at social events?â
âPray, do tell.â Klein honestly shook his head.
Wahana said without a change in her smile, âThe second most popular type are men who make women think that heâs very intelligent.â
âWhat about the first?â Klein asked cooperatively.
Wahana glanced at him and said, âThe most popular type are men who make women think that they are very intelligent.â
Upon saying that, she smiled and didnât say another word. Klein instantly understood she was hiding her praise in between the lines.
So this is Loen-styled euphemism⌠Itâs not like Intis where they just aim straight for the lower half of the body⌠Hmm, thatâs whatâs written in papers and magazines. Iâve no way of confirming what real Intis social events are like. Anyway, both countries often sully each other⌠The emperorâs era does match that description though⌠Klein nodded in enlightenment.
The two-hour etiquette lesson ended in a harmonious mood. Klein walked Teacher Wahana Heisen to the door with Butler Walter and Valet Richardson before giving her a tiny gift.
It was Moonlight, a perfume from the Dream Company. It was mixed with gray amber, making it rather expensive.
As for how much it was, Klein wasnât sure, as Housekeeper Taneja was responsible for buying it. The payment was through her. Only when the 1,000 pounds was almost expended would she come to him with receipts and a list for him to vet so as to receive fresh funds.
The reason why Klein knew the company and perfume was that his butler had informed him ahead of time. It was to prevent him from appearing insincere if Maâam Wahana were to ask.
From this detail, he had a deep understanding of the use of a good butler.
Watching the satisfied Maâam Wahana Heisen leave, Klein held back the urge to rub his temples as he sighed inwardly, This is more tiring than a Beyonder battle. I have to constantly watch my actions and deliberate over my words⌠I need some rest.
At that point, the white-gloved Walter took a step forward and said, âSir, since you wish for your etiquette studies to progress faster, we can move the remaining lessons forward.â
âWhat lessons?â Klein felt a headache.
âHistory, international politics, philosophy, music, as well as general knowledge of sports like golf, racing, huntingâŚâ Walter answered meticulously.
âPhilosophy?â Klein asked in surprise.
Walter nodded.
âItâs one of the most common topics discussed in high society. You donât need to have very deep research into it, but you need to know what others are discussing. You need to know that the origins of philosophy stem from Kongsoka, Mareddy, and Paterson, and not Emperor Roselle. You need to know that âMan was born freeâ came from Leumi.
âWhen tycoons first enter high society, many of them often make mistakes in such aspects. Theyâre used to attributing certain sentences and philosophical thoughts to Emperor Roselle.â
Klein felt his head ache the more he heard. He forcefully smiled and said, âI havenât got any matters to do recently, apart from my afternoon naps and heading to the cathedral. You can arrange the lessons to be at anytime.â
âŚ
In a dark room, a letter floated up and opened by itself before shaking the piece of paper.
In her tiny bonnet, Sharronâs figure was outlined. She grasped the letter and seriously read through it.
She then wrote a reply and set up a ritual to summon Sherlock Moriartyâs messenger.
During this process, she didnât forget to prepare a gold coin.
Soon, Sharron finished the incantation as she watched the candle flame burgeon and be tainted with a gloomy green color.
Reinette Tinekerr, with the four blonde, red-eyed heads in hand, appeared out of the candlelight and appeared before Sharron.
Sharronâs eyes constricted as her doll-like face suddenly showed immense emotional fluctuations.