With a sigh, Klein let himself relax, savoring the rare tranquility and comfort in his dream like an ordinary person.
About a quarter of an hour later, he finally waited for the Church Beyonder who had come to comfort him to leave the dream.
“Finally… I can sleep peacefully…” Klein habitually tried to open his eyes to fall back asleep, but found that once he no longer needed to be highly alert and vigilant, he could fall directly into deep sleep using the remaining calm in the dream.
That night, his sleep quality was excellent, and he slept straight until dawn. Outside, the sun was rising, the Crimson Moon still present, the sky brightening, and a soft breeze rustled.
Klein lay lazily in a daze for nearly ten minutes before picking up the gold-cased pocket watch on the bedside table and snapping it open for a look.
“It's not even half past six… Should I roll over and keep sleeping, or get up now?” Klein assessed his condition; he was mentally sharp, full of energy, without any fatigue. So he got out of bed, washed up, walked to the balcony, and gazed at the orange-red edge of the sky.
In this season, Backlund's smog wasn't too severe due to the wind, and with the air pollution control measures of the past few months, the sky was now clear as if washed, the air fresh. The gardener was already busy in the garden; the kitchen maid and the odd-job manservant were walking together to the market. Aside from them, everything around was serene. This suddenly brightened Klein's mood, making him briefly forget all his troubles, feeling that the world at that moment belonged solely to him.
He wore a slight smile, quietly enjoying the scene. Within the following quarter hour, two or three servants emerged from the surrounding houses, some carrying baskets, some leading horses. The entire street gradually came to life, and the sunlight grew brighter.
“This is what life should be like…” Klein sighed inwardly, and suddenly felt the urge to go for a walk. He turned, left the balcony, walked to the door, and turned the knob.
Outside his master bedroom, Richardson was already waiting, making it impossible to guess what time he had gotten up.
This is the most arduous part of being a valet — he must sleep later than his employer and wake up earlier.
“Breakfast is still an hour away, sir. If you wish to have it early, the kitchen can prepare it within a quarter of an hour.” Richardson didn't ask Dwayne Dantès why he had risen so suddenly.
Klein chuckled. “No need to advance it; I plan to go out for a walk first.”
“Very well, sir.” Richardson entered the bedroom, selected an overcoat according to his employer's preferences, and helped him put it on.
Finally, Klein donned his silk top hat, picked up his gold-inlaid cane, descended to the ground floor, walked out the front door, and strolled slowly along the street lined with Intis plane trees and black gas lamp posts toward the other end.
Along the way, from the garden of each house wafted a faint fragrance. The green leaves of the trees overhead created a tranquil atmosphere. Pedestrians were few and far between, in twos and threes. An occasional passing carriage broke the silence but quickly faded into the distance.
Klein enjoyed the morning environment, savored the beauty of rising early, and felt that the residual traces of yesterday's negative emotions were gradually evaporating, little by little disappearing.
Well, a Beyonder must know how to proactively create conditions and adjust one's mood… If I take a walk like this, the bishops of St. Samuel's Church should realize Dwayne Dantès has fully recovered and won't disturb my sleep in the middle of the night… As Klein's thoughts wandered, his gaze casually swept over the adjacent 39 Berkeland Street.
This was Councilor Macht's home.
Its exterior wall was made of sharp, vertical iron bars, allowing passersby to admire the beautiful garden inside through the gaps.
As his gaze shifted, Klein saw a familiar figure — Hazel, with her dark green hair and deep brown eyes. This beautiful, proud young lady was walking along the garden path with her maid, occasionally glancing around.
Is she up this early too? Because she hasn't been able to go to the sewers lately, so her sleep quality is excellent? Klein muttered inwardly, averted his gaze, and walked on.
Glancing at Richardson, who was steadily following from the side and behind, Klein suddenly recalled the news reports, magazine columns, and novel stories about the Southern Continent he had seen recently.
He had been deliberately reading material in this area to flesh out the persona of Dwayne Dantès. After all, much of his previous knowledge of the Southern Continent came from pirates, adventurers, and Anderson, the strongest hunter of the Fog Sea; who knew how much was exaggerated or fabricated.
The materials I've read in the past and recently all say that so-and-so went to the Southern Continent, made a fortune and came back, or simply moved there. Ha, this makes the entire populace of Backlund believe that the Southern Continent is paved with gold, full of opportunities to get rich instantly. Even the sap of the common trees there has multiple uses and can be exchanged for a large number of gold pounds. That's why the kingdom frequently goes to war with Feysac, Intis, and other countries over colonies… If commoners could scrape together the fare and dared to stow away, there would surely be a flood of people heading there… As these thoughts turned, Klein casually asked his valet:
“What is your impression of the Southern Continent?”
He remembered that Richardson was born on an estate there and had only been brought to Backlund as an adult.
Richardson was silent for a few seconds and said:
“Sir, I actually don't know much about the Southern Continent, because most of the time I was busy on the estate and rarely had the chance to go out.”
“Just tell me your impression, your truest impression. Don't worry about anything. I just want a general understanding. You know, they all think I'm an expert on the Southern Continent, but in reality, my experience is limited to only a few places and the merchant class.” Klein laughed.