It was nine in the morning, in a high-end hotel in the Hillsston District.
Klein picked up a beautifully packaged bottle of white wine and, smiling, handed it to the elderly man sitting across from him.
"Mr. Asnia, thank you very much for coming to meet with me. This is a small gift; please accept it. I'll make a decision by tomorrow at the latest. When I do, I might pay you a visit."
He was using this tactful approach to indicate that the other party hadn't been chosen.
To be frank, he was actually quite satisfied with the elderly Mr. Asnia. The man perfectly met his idea of a butler: precise, appropriate, professional, sharp, and good at handling all sorts of tricky problems.
As the candidate who lived the farthest and was the oldest of the three, he had still arrived a full half hour early and patiently waited outside the door, while Ribak and Walter had only come a quarter of an hour early.
If not for the "Magic Mirror" Arodus hinting that the latter two had some extra leads hidden about them, Klein felt he would have chosen this older gentleman. After all, his main goal was just to use a butler's connections to blend into high society more easily and naturally, getting in touch with the corresponding targets.
As for the bottle of white wine, he had considered that someone was sure to leave disappointed today, having wasted the carriage fare. He had purposely bought it at the Intis Sellenzo Restaurant for 2 pounds a bottle.
This effectively fleshed out Dwayne Dantès's image as a generous, graceful, mysterious rich man.
Furthermore, he also thought that one couldn't underestimate a butler from an aristocratic family. In their past professional experience, such people were bound to know a large number of high-society figures, countless professional butlers, and a vast number of servants, covering the upper, middle, and lower tiers. They could effectively influence a gentleman's reputation, which was a necessary reference for entering higher social circles.
In this era, the 55-year-old Asnia's hair had become quite white. His blue eyes had settled into the wisdom brought by time. He didn't refuse Dwayne Dantès's gift. He took it, gave it a look, and bowed punctiliously as he spoke.
"I greatly enjoy this white wine from Carlod. I thank you for your generosity and praise your grace."
Carlod? Yes, the waiter had introduced it yesterday. It was a winery in the Intis province of Champagne, famous for producing mid-to-high-end wines, with a few vintages being considered top-tier. Sigh, even a butler knows more about wine than I do. Right, Mr. Asnia just said that the wine cellars of aristocrats and wealthy men are directly managed by the butler or an assistant butler… Does this mean I'm going to need a wine cellar? The 2-pound tier is the bottom rung. The 126-pound 1330 Olmyre red wine isn't even the best… How much would a wine cellar like that cost? As he thought this, Klein felt a tightness in his chest, suspecting that the 2,888 pounds he had on him, excluding the gold coins, wouldn't last long.
If not for the experience from the "Clown" stage, he would definitely have lost his composure at this point, instead of smiling and opening his mouth to say:
"Your liking it is the greatest praise for me, Mr. Asnia. Please be so kind as to invite Mr. Ribak from the coffee shop downstairs to come up."
Asnia agreed without hesitation. In less than five minutes, Ribak knocked and entered the drawing-room of the suite.
This gentleman had neatly combed light golden hair. A few wrinkles hid at the corners of his eyes and mouth, not too obvious. He had a healthy complexion and a masculine air. One look made it clear he was the kind of butler who could accompany his master on a hunt or even confront an enemy.
After exchanging greetings, Klein smiled and asked him to sit down, directly opening up:
"Forgive my frankness, but I don't quite understand why you would become the butler of Baron Hindras. Your father is the under-butler of the Nigen family, your grandfather was the estate steward of this family, and many of your ancestors served the Duke and his relatives until they returned to the embrace of God. You should have had a similar life trajectory yourself."
Due to the influence of Emperor Roselle, the habit of the Northern Continent countries of representing a nobleman by their fiefdom and title had changed to the surname and title, unless a particularly formal occasion called for the former. Of course, there were also a small number of nobles whose surnames directly derived from the names of their fiefs.
Ribak replied with a standard smile.
"Baron Hindras is a newly minted noble and a friend of the old Duke. Therefore, I was sent to his home to help him and his family adapt to the life of the nobility and master the corresponding etiquette."
The "old Duke" he referred to was the father of the current Duke Nigen, Pallas Nigen, who had been assassinated last year.
"So, why did you later leave the Baron's household?" Klein asked carefully.
Ribak stated calmly:
"Although Baron Hindras obtained his title through the Conservative Party, he himself is one of the kingdom's most famous bankers, investors, and business owners, one of the earliest multi-millionaires. He has strong sympathy for the New Party and is willing to offer them some help. This has caused conflict between him and many conservative aristocrats, including the young Duke. Therefore, to avoid causing the Baron any difficulty, I voluntarily offered to leave. He actually tried to keep me. He was a very good employer."
Klein nodded and shifted the subject:
"You believe in the 'Lord of Storms'?"
Ribak replied seriously:
"Yes. The Lord gives us courage, ardor, and a sense of responsibility."
Klein asked a few more questions about the world of butlers, receiving detailed answers to each one. He then smiled at Ribak and said:
"Please be so kind as to invite Mr. Walter from the coffee shop downstairs to come up. Once I am done speaking with him, I will make my decision. You can wait in the coffee shop for ten minutes."
"Okay." Ribak was not one for unnecessary words. He immediately stood up, bowed, bade farewell, and left. His manner was very much like a military man's.