After considering the possible rumors and the consequences of becoming involved with Alice, Klein decisively stopped, turned to Alice, and reminded her:
"You should hide first."
Only then did Alice realize the situation. Obediently, she vanished from where she stood.
Klein then walked out and instructed Richardson, his personal valet waiting outside:
"Bring another serving of ice cream."
After a pause, he glanced back at the empty ice cream cup on the table and added:
"Remember to change the flavor."
As an experienced personal valet, Richardson did not ask any questions. He merely replied humbly:
"Yes, sir."
As he spoke, he entered the room through the space Klein had made for him, took away the cup and spoon on the table, and let his slightly puzzled gaze sweep over the extra chair and the clock in the room.
—There was clearly still a long time until three forty-five.
But Richardson did not ask anything. He simply left with the items, then returned a few minutes later with a new serving of ice cream. Afterward, he withdrew from the room, shut the door, and resumed standing guard outside as before.
Only then did Alice reappear. She murmured to Klein:
"This is bad. I think he noticed something was off..."
"I noticed too," Klein answered calmly.
Alice froze for a moment, then quickly realized that Klein did not mean that he had also noticed something was wrong. He meant that he had noticed Richardson noticing that something was wrong.
She shook her head, then quickly grew excited again and asked eagerly:
"Should we kill him to silence him, Mr. Sparrow?"
Dunn Gehrman Klein Mingrui Zhou Moretti Sparrow Dantes gave Alice an indifferent look and said in a cold, emotionless tone:
"Eat your ice cream."
Alice obediently lowered her head and ate her