Opera House

Opera House

Uncle Gejier stayed behind to continue discussing the divorce, while Kinsley and Yiwenni accompanied Karl to look at the house.

It was a two-story house built from a mixture of brick and wood.

The walls had been specially reinforced, most of the doors were rounded arches, and the flying-beam design lent the house an added air of lightness and refinement.

The upper floor was for living, the lower for receiving guests. In all, it was divided into seven rooms, each of them exceptionally spacious—even the bedrooms.

The kitchen and dining room were near the entrance, making it convenient to prepare and distribute food and drinks.

The sitting room lay at the center of the house.

Besides the bedrooms, the upper floor also had a dressing room that could be converted into a small chapel or laboratory.

There was also a washroom divided into inner and outer sections. The outer section was for washing up, the inner for using the toilet, with a folding door between them.

Overall, the house was sensibly laid out. It simply lacked any sense of human habitation, and the furnishings were incomplete, leaving it feeling desolate. After all, no one had lived here for far too long.

Besides, it also had all the drawbacks of a wooden house.

Years of wear and insect damage had caused many of the wooden supports to rot. If he wanted to live here properly, he would need to put considerable effort into repairs, and the expense would not be small. This had also seriously affected its selling price.

"There's a storage room downstairs as well. Because of the design, the ventilation is poor. Remember to air it out before going in."

Kinsley led Karl around the place.

"What do you think?"

"Very good."

Karl nodded.

"I'm very satisfied."

More than the house itself, he was pleased with the small courtyard of over a hundred square meters, where he could rest whenever he wished.

Every time he returned from the gloomy Black City, the thing he most wanted was to bask in the warmth of the sun.

And having a separate courtyard would make transporting goods more convenient.

As for its other flaws, they were of no consequence to him. As a Wizard Apprentice, he had plenty of ways to deal with them.

"As long as you're satisfied."

Kinsley smiled.

"Then let's sign the contract. Forty Gold Coins—I never imagined you had such a large inheritance."

Inheritance!

Karl's explanation for his wealth was that his grandfather had specifically left him an inheritance at Mombaton Bank.

As for whether others believed it...

Believe it or not.

"After buying the house, I'll be penniless," Karl said with feigned emotion. "I'll pay ten Gold Coins first, and settle the rest within a month."

"No problem." Kinsley waved a hand. "You're my cousin. I can afford you that much trust."

She looked very happy. After all, forty Gold Coins far exceeded the house's proper value.

As for the sadness one ought to feel over a divorce...

She only rejoiced at regaining her freedom and could not wait to break free from the marriage.

"Yiwenni."

After signing the contract, just as the two women were about to board the carriage and leave, Karl remembered something and invited Yiwenni.

"Are you free tonight? A friend of mine is performing at the Vim Opera House today. Would you like to come with me?"

"Ah!"

Yiwenni's face first lit up with wild delight, but then she looked at Kinsley. After thinking for a moment, she gently shook her head with regret.

"I need to stay with my sister."

Her sister was getting divorced, and there were many matters at home that needed handling. Even if she was not needed to help, she could not simply go off and have fun.

"I see." Karl understood. "Then we'll meet again when we have time."

"Flatbreads! One penny per flatbread!"

"Fish and chips, candied fruit, going cheap..."

"..."

Outside the Vim Opera House, stalls had crammed the road so tightly not even water could trickle through, while cries of hawking rose and fell without end.

The people maintaining order at the opera house had no choice but to shout harshly and shove people aside, barely managing to clear a passage.

After getting out of the carriage, Karl followed the crowd toward the ticket entrance when someone suddenly tugged at his sleeve.

"Karl!"

"Mm." Karl turned around, surprise appearing on his face. "Officer Dina, you... what kind of outfit is this?"

As Viscount Sassoon's eldest daughter, Dina lacked neither money nor fine, lavish clothing.

Today, however, was different.

Her corset was made of dull-colored linen and patched in several places. Her cloth boots were covered in mud, and even her headscarf was plain and crude.

Her lovely features had also been smeared over with gray mud. At first glance, she was no different from the lowborn women on the streets.

No wonder Karl had failed to recognize her at once. This attire was clearly deliberate.

Realization dawned on him. "You're conducting an investigation?"

Recently, Dina had rarely appeared at the Patrol Hall. Rumor had it that she was devoting all her efforts to investigating the Mummy Case.

Unfortunately, she had not received much support.

Everyone in the Patrol Hall came from wealthy families. With food and drink readily available to them, how many would truly be willing to risk their lives?

"Mm."

Dina's expression remained blank. "You should have concert tickets on you. I'll pay double—sell me one. I need to get inside."

"Officer." Karl shook his head. "The concert requires attendees to be properly dressed. Looking the way you do now, even with a ticket, I'm afraid you might not be allowed in."

As he spoke, he took out two tickets and gestured. "Come on."

Dina raised a brow, then gave a soft snort. Lifting a hand, she wiped her face clean, removed her headscarf, and let her long hair fall loose.

With that simple bit of adjustment, though her clothes remained shabby, her entire bearing changed.

Especially the radiance blooming from those exquisite features—it completely eclipsed everything else.

Stepping forward, Dina linked her arm through Karl's, tilted herself close against him, and walked beside him. They looked just like a loving couple.

"Please, come in."

After inspecting their tickets, the ticket checker's gaze paused briefly on Dina before he extended a hand to usher them inside.

It was hardly unusual for wealthy men to bring their mistresses to high-class establishments, and this mistress was certainly of excellent quality.

The only issue was that the man was rather stingy—bringing her to the opera house without even buying her a decent outfit.

The strange looks did not faze Dina in the slightest. The moment they entered the opera house, she released Karl's arm and pulled away, leaving Karl, still immersed in that soft sensation, somewhat regretful.

"Thanks for this. I'll buy you a drink sometime."

After that polite remark, Dina did not wait for Karl to answer. She slipped into the crowd and vanished from sight.

The members of the Barrow Troupe performed with all their might. The singer's voice was clear and bright, with tremendous carrying power.

The music surged like a raging tide. Every note seemed alive, leaping and spinning through the air, striking straight at the heart.

Yet even such a splendid performance could not keep everyone's mind on it.

In a corner of the opera house.

"Three gold coins?"

A beautiful married woman gasped softly. "Why has the price gone up again?"

"Supplies are scarce. Isn't it perfectly normal for prices to rise?" A man draped in a long robe gave a cold snort and spoke slowly. "Of course, you can choose not to buy."

"Three gold coins is simply too expensive." The woman looked troubled. "I've already spent nearly fifty gold coins on you people. Can't you give me a discount this time?"

"I said..." The man's voice was indifferent:

"You don't have to buy it."

?

The woman's expression shifted as she fell into a struggle. In the end, she let out a helpless sigh.

"I'll buy it."

As she spoke, she took out her exquisite purse and removed one Gold Coin and twenty Gold Pounds, handing them over.

"The goods are right, aren't they?"

"When have they ever been wrong?" The man took the money, and a smile finally appeared on his face. He then handed over a porcelain bottle. "Same as always—three drops at a time, once a week."

Tap!

Just then, a hand suddenly reached out from the darkness and seized the porcelain bottle.

Dina's figure emerged.

"So this is the so-called Purity Potion?"

"You..." The man's expression changed. Then, as if springs had been fitted beneath his feet, he shot away.

"Trying to run?"

Dina snorted coldly.

"Do you think you can get away?"