This was not right by the docks, but on a gentle slope where one could feel the sea breeze without suffering the harbor's fishy stench.
The buildings were fairly new. On the way here, they had seen people dressed like young scholars or small merchants coming and going.
"Sea Breeze Street 43, 45, 47! Woof! Found it!"
Bruce's voice came from the distance.
It was currently standing in front of a two-story row house.
The building's walls were built from white stone bricks, its sloping roof covered in sea-blue tiles that reflected a soft sheen beneath the afternoon sun.
A small wrought-iron balcony jutted out beneath the windows on every floor, holding pots of rosemary and some purple leaves that had just sprouted, looking rather like mint.
The overall style was simple and bright, utterly different from the mottled, sea-salt-eroded wooden houses they had seen along the way. It had clearly been built for residents who sought a respectable, comfortable life.
He Xi strode forward and spotted a small seashell where the doorbell should have been.
"Hello, we saw the listing in the newspaper and came to rent a house."
"Very well, please wait a moment." A young woman's voice came from within the shell.
More than ten seconds later, the front door opened a narrow crack, revealing one eye behind it as it cautiously examined the visitors outside.
"Mrs. Royce, it's two young people. They're dressed very neatly, and they've brought a—large dog."
"Let them in."
Only then did the door open fully. A woman in a dark maid's dress appeared in the doorway and gestured for them to enter. "Please, come in."
Warm air mixed with the scent of baking bread rushed over them, dispelling the faint salty dampness the sea breeze had brought in from outside.
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