Chapter 333
After hearing that Charles was planning to look for a house, Lucy immediately took on the task without hesitation, ready to act as a guide to help Charles and Evina find a place.
Having had her fill, Adele decided to catch a bit more sleep, while Amy planned to visit relatives in Ansu City to check in on them.
Lich intended to explore the surrounding area of Ansu City on her own—she didn’t want to disturb Evina and Charles—so Lucy arranged for two attendants from the Dedton Group to accompany her.
While in the carriage, Charles looked at Evina and asked, “Evina, why can’t we all just rent a place together?”
Charles’s idea was simple, akin to co-renting; they could share a large house, looking out for each other, and when school started in October, they could go to and from classes together.
However, this somewhat naive notion was quickly dismissed by Evina.
“In Ansu City, whether among the nobility or the wealthy, independence is highly valued… If your residence isn’t independent, it reflects poorly on your financial status and social standing. To others, it’s a sign of a lack of dignity.”
Evina shook her head and explained, “Your house, your carriage, the number of servants you have… everything visible to others represents your class and wealth. If you want to integrate into that circle and earn their money, you have to play the part.”
“A small place like Berlun might not have such strict standards… but Charles, don’t you remember asking me about buying a title? If you want their recognition, you must appear wealthy and generous enough.”
Evina’s words were all too true. Charles had only been thinking about a simple student co-rental, without considering the deeper implications like Evina did.
If the “musician” potion required purchasing a title, then Charles indeed needed to follow Evina’s advice and secure a place of her own, at least to avoid giving other nobles the impression that she was trying to keep up appearances.
One of Evina’s reasons for returning was also to assert her family’s status; she couldn’t afford to make any moves that would invite disdain from others.
“I see…”
Charles nodded.
When it came to the intricacies and etiquette of the nobility, Charles certainly knew less than Evina. In moments like this, it was best to heed her advice.
“Amy is the daughter of a baron. If she’s in the Mafer district, she’ll need to rent at least a villa with a garden, costing around £700 a year. That includes a butler, a housekeeper, a footman, a maid, kitchen staff, and about seven other servants, along with a luxurious carriage drawn by four horses and a private carriage with two horses. That should be sufficient.”
At this point, Evina paused slightly before continuing, “Based on the funds Baron Hastings provided her, it seems to align with this configuration.”
“So much…”
Charles was taken aback by the expenses.
Many of these seemed unnecessary to her… It was clear that the costs nobles incurred to maintain their “face” were staggering.
“What about you? What kind of setup do you need?”
Charles looked at Evina, curious to know how much it would cost to maintain her current status and dignity.
“A mansion costing over £2000 a year, around three to five carriages, and about thirty servants,” Evina replied after a moment’s thought. “And I’d need to regularly host dinners for the neighbors.”
“Yikes…”
Charles gasped at the figures.
No wonder Evina felt that thousands of pounds could vanish in an instant; with such expenses, £10,000 might be gone in a year.
Charles calculated how much she might still have left with Evina and asked, “What about me?”
Evina thought for a moment and said, “Based on your weekly salary at Dedton Manor… let’s say it’s similar to Amy’s, since you can only afford a baron’s title right now.”
With a weekly salary of £35, that’s an annual income of £1820, and if she had to throw over £1000 into maintaining appearances… that didn’t even account for food and banquet expenses.
Now Charles understood why so many nobles went bankrupt; to sustain such terrifying living costs and the so-called “face,” the money required was simply overwhelming…
Charles rubbed her chest, feeling a pang for the money she had yet to see.
“By the way, what about Adele? She’s not a noble.”
Charles finally remembered someone who was currently broke and turned to Evina, asking, “Where does Adele live?”
“Adele…”
Evina lowered her head, thinking for a moment before saying, “If her laboratory is still at the same scale, she would only need to rent a four-bedroom place for around £250 a year.”
The land prices in Ansu are truly steep… £250 could buy a four-bedroom house in Berlun…
I wonder if Adele would faint upon hearing that price.
Charles sighed softly.
Noticing Charles’s sigh, Evina asked, “What’s wrong, Charles?”
“Nobility is such a hassle.”
Charles muttered, “Does that mean we can’t live together every day?”
Hearing Charles complain, Evina felt a slight blush creep onto her cheeks. She turned her gaze to the window, her expression neutral as she said, “Well, we haven’t made it official yet… but you can visit and stay over every day; it’s not a big deal…”
Charles was voicing the same concerns she had, which brought Evina an indescribable sweetness.
Lucy took Charles and Evina to see several houses, all belonging to the Dedton Group’s fixed assets, but high-ranking members of the group were allowed to rent them at significantly lower prices than those offered by outside agencies.
Even the kind of large mansion with a big garden that Evina needed was available for Lucy to rent.
After settling on a few options, as they walked along the path beside St. Iselin Park, Lucy leaned closer to Charles and whispered, “Miss Charles, I have something to report to you.”
“What is it?”
Charles turned to Lucy, inquiring.
“The company’s reward for me from the previous incident has come through—£3000, which I will transfer directly to your employee card… and…”
Lucy took a deep breath, trying to keep her smile from being too exuberant.
“Tomorrow’s board meeting will discuss my new appointment… I’ve heard some whispers, and it seems I might be promoted to executive director.”
“Congratulations.”
Charles smiled and nodded. She wasn’t entirely sure what the position of executive director entailed within the Dedton Group, but judging by Lucy’s excited expression, it must be quite good.
“This is all thanks to you. If it weren’t for you, I, Lucy, wouldn’t have made it this far. I must express my gratitude.”
Lucy gave a slight bow.
Evina, listening to all of this, chimed in to support Charles, saying, “The third tier of the Dedton Group can already hold managerial positions. You’ve been acting as a senior special envoy handling various matters, so it’s quite normal to skip the general manager role and be promoted directly to executive director. They believe you have the capability to handle such a frontline position.”
“Oh, no, no, it’s all thanks to Miss Evina’s help that this matter was resolved so smoothly… Since we’ve finished looking at the houses, I won’t disturb you two any longer. I’ll take my leave now.”
Lucy beamed as she pulled out a business card and handed it to Evina and Charles, saying, “If you need anything, just bring this to the Dedton Group to find me. I’ll also come by to thank you another day.”
Charles took the black and gold card embossed with raised lettering, which bore the classic, minimalist serif font spelling out the golden uppercase letters.
**Dedton Group - Executive Director - Lucy Xilufa**
Wow, they even printed business cards? They must have printed a lot of them. There’s no way this was done recently, right?
After Charles tucked the card away and bid Lucy farewell, she and Evina exchanged glances, both struggling to suppress their laughter.
“Dealing with someone like Miss Xilufa is quite easy,” Evina said with a chuckle, shaking her head. “Loyal to her interests, knows how to make compromises and maintain balance.”
“What kind of position is an executive director, in Ansu City?”
Charles was curious about this; understanding it better would help her utilize Lucy more effectively.
“In a giant monopoly corporation, being an executive director means you’ve truly entered the power echelon… More importantly, it’s not just a company; it’s a transcendent organization.”
Evina thought for a moment before answering, “To put it simply, the resources and manpower she can mobilize are greater than even those of a high-ranking bishop in the church.”
So powerful?
Charles nodded slightly, gaining a clearer understanding of Lucy’s current influence.
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