Once inside, the first thing Klein saw was a foyer. It was very spacious, with multiple chairs and an umbrella stand. The arrangement was elegant and tasteful. If he hadn't known the layout in advance and visited before, Klein might have taken it for a reception room.
Passing through a second door, his view opened up to a hall that could accommodate dozens or even a hundred guests for dancing.
The center of the hall was covered with a bright, thick, and soft carpet. The surrounding floor was polished marble tiles. There were a piano, stone sculptures, and other items, and pillars adorned with ornaments supported the second floor.
To the left was a row of French windows, beyond which lay green lawns and a blooming garden. To the right were walls, wooden doors, and a corridor leading to the lounge, storeroom, restroom, kitchen, and butler's room.
The hall was two stories high, with a crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling, instantly letting one imagine how it would look at night.
At the far end, staircases on both sides led to the second floor.
Here, the corridor formed a square, and the open space in the center corresponded exactly to the carpeted area of the hall. Klein only needed to take a glass of wine and stand behind the railing on the second floor to enjoy the dance below at leisure.
The second floor had many rooms: a living room, a drawing room, a dining room, a restroom, a billiard room, and numerous bedrooms. If guests needed to stay overnight, they could lodge here.
Similarly, there were two staircases from the second floor to the third floor, where Dwayne Dantès himself lived. There was an extravagant master bedroom, a semi-open room with a bar where one could bask in the sun and enjoy the view, a study that could be considered a small library, two dressing rooms, small bedrooms for the valet and lady's maid, as well as family rooms and a restroom. However, Klein currently lived alone.
The other servants lived in a row of single-story buildings behind the house, and in the other direction was the stable.
The basement of the house was also spacious, with a large storeroom and a wine cellar.
Having taken off his coat, Klein stood upright on the large balcony of the semi-open room on the third floor, surveying the streetscapes around. He couldn't help but sigh inwardly:
"Expensiveness really does have its meaning. That rent of 315 pounds isn't too wasteful..."
He had already paid a year's rent yesterday afternoon, so he could only force himself to grow fonder of the place.
At the same time, he had also paid Walter a year's salary of 115 pounds upfront, because after he got his hands on the Antigonus family notebook, he would likely have to flee, leaving the butler unemployed.
With this in mind, he also paid the housekeeper Taneia her annual salary of 42 pounds this morning, giving this lady an initial sense of Dwayne Dantès' generosity and bearing.
With the butler and housekeeper consulting and busying themselves, the servants were hired: a male property manager at 30 pounds per year, a valet Richardson at 35 pounds, two footmen responsible for receiving guests and waiting at table at 25 pounds each, two first housemaids at 18 pounds each, two second housemaids at 12 pounds each, and two menservants for rough work also at 12 pounds each.
Beyond these, the cook was 30 pounds, the kitchen assistant 15, the kitchen maid 13, the storeroom maid 11, the home nurse 25, the odd-job man 10, the two coachmen 25 each, the two gardeners 20 each, and the two laundry maids 10 each, totaling 413 pounds, roughly 8 pounds per week.
Adding in the salaries of the two housekeepers, Klein had to pay 570 pounds per year, about 11 pounds per week, not including the cost of food, clothing, and various daily necessities.
Every week, when he opened his eyes, he hadn't earned anything yet but had to spend over ten or twenty pounds... Klein did a quick mental calculation and forced himself to look away toward the garden.
After paying for the two carriages' hire and the first week's wages for the servants at noon, and giving housekeeper Taneia 1000 pounds in cash for daily expenses, he had only 1286 pounds in banknotes and 18 gold coins left. However, the remittances from Miss Justice and Lady Hermit would arrive within the week.
Who knew how long the 1000 pounds with Taneia would last. Just stocking up on various alcoholic beverages sufficient for balls and banquets would cost at least several hundred pounds... The wealthy Mr. Dwayne Dantès fell into contemplation.
To calm his nerves, he decided to take advantage of the butler and servants busy with the new home affairs to head up to the Gray Fog and study the strange wooden puppet that Emlyn White had offered as a sacrifice.
— After the blood moon, Klein had had to return to that mysterious space, pull in Fors, and fight off sleep while listening to her chatter about Backlund's daily life. When everything settled, he was too exhausted. After accepting Emlyn's sacrifice and confirming no abnormality, he returned to the real world and fell into bed.
Adjusting his well-cut dark vest, Klein walked to the entrance, pulled open the door, and said to the valet Richardson who stood outside:
"I'm accustomed to taking a forty-five-minute nap at this time. Don't let anyone disturb me."
"Yes, sir," Richardson replied humbly.
He was a mixed-blood illegitimate child. His father was a Loen, the steward of an estate, and his mother was a native of East Borealis, a slave on that estate. From birth, he had suffered discrimination and bullying, forming a timid and submissive nature. Because of his decent appearance, he was chosen as a footman by the estate owner and brought to Backlund.
After the upper and lower houses of the Loen Kingdom passed the bill abolishing slavery, he lost his job and had to seek help from the "Metropolitan Society for the Aid of Domestic Servants."
Before Klein, he had served in two families, made mistakes, but also accumulated experience. The butler Walter took a liking to him and made him Dwayne Dantès' valet.
Glancing at Richardson, who was trim and about the same height as himself, Klein shook his head imperceptibly and sighed inwardly:
"A guy with a look that could make him a star can only be a servant in this era. And despite being so tall, he's timid and weak. Still, that has its advantages: obedient, quiet, submissive; whatever the master says, he does, never taking the initiative..."