The Sunday evening banquet at Lake View Manor was the most important event of Shade's day. Yesterday, he had asked Doctor Schneider what to wear to an outdoor banquet. The doctor told Shade to simply wash up and dress neatly. Outdoor banquets that allowed strangers to attend were usually quite large, so there was no need to dress overly formally.
But if he was attending a banquet for the sake of pretty girls, then of course he should dress more respectably. Shade still remembered Miss Louisa's teasing tone when she said that. She seemed quite familiar with these rules as well.
Since Baron Lavend had promised to reimburse his travel expenses, Shade did not need to leave too early.
He spent the morning playing with the orange cat and reading, while naturally waiting for a client to come knocking. Little Mia was the most obedient pet Shade could imagine. She had mostly adapted to life at 6 Saint Derain Square over the past few days, so Shade felt very comfortable leaving her at home.
After lunch, deciding that he did not have the luck to wait for a client, he went out again and headed to Old John Pawnshop.
The address Miss Louisa had given him was indeed the shop not far from Silver Parrot Milk Delivery Company. When Shade pushed open the door, the old man dozing in his rocking chair immediately woke up.
"Oh, a returning customer. I definitely won't take that cane again—"
He stood to welcome the detective, while Shade said quietly:
"Let's not mention the cane. This time, I want something interesting."
He looked around the crowded shop. All four walls were covered in brass-colored wallpaper, allowing the weak Gas Lamps to illuminate the interior as much as possible. Gas pipes crawled across the walls,