Odette has been getting up early lately, and she prepared breakfast as usual.
She sat at the dining table downstairs for a while.
Three sets of tableware were on the table, and porridge was being kept warm in the kitchen, but there was no sound from Varesa's room upstairs.
She held the cup and glanced down at the clock.
Normally by this time, Varesa and Bai You would have already finished cooking.
Odette carried her cup upstairs, stopped at the door, and listened carefully—it was very quiet inside.
(Arrived too early)
She seemed to remember something, and her expression shifted slightly.
Tomorrow, they will be leaving for Mondstadt.
"It's time to rest basketball," Odette said, then retreated without knocking.
"... never mind."
She cleared away the two extra sets of tableware, drank half a bowl of porridge by herself, and then got up and went to the dance studio.
At the same time, the Northland Bank.
The office on the second floor was brightly lit, and Pantalone's eyes were bloodshot.
He barely slept all night.
Last night, starting with that pack of cigars, he sat in this chair and took out all the cigars he had in his collection, lighting them one by one and throwing them away one by one.
In the end, the room was filled with smoke. He stared at the cigarette butts in the ashtray that he had once treasured but now found bland, and sat there for half the night, feeling both amused and exasperated.
He only managed to doze off for a short while as dawn approached.
It was already morning. He sat behind the ebony wooden table, his fingertips tapping absently on the surface, his gaze fixed on the doorway.
He was waiting for something.
A soft knock came from the door.
"Enter."
A trusted investigator pushed open the door, carrying a confidential letter. He quickly walked to the table and presented it with both hands:
"Sir, we have verified what you requested."
"Read it quickly."
The investigator opened the sealed letter and whispered, " Bai You, the Harbinger, codename ' Water Nymph '."
"Tomorrow at dawn, I will depart from Snezhnaya Port aboard the ' White Gull ' heading south to Mondstadt."
"My travel companion was Varesa, the principal singer of the Korolevsky Theater. She was in first class, and we shared a cabin."
" White Gull..." Pantalone repeated, his fingertips pausing on the table.
"Yes. The ship is a converted passenger ship from a regular merchant vessel; the first-class cabin is just so-so."
The investigator cautiously raised his eyes. "In addition... as you instructed, I also investigated her recent whereabouts. Yesterday, she went to the palace to ask His Majesty for leave."
"She came to our bank in the afternoon; the Harbinger, Capitano, also summoned her."
Pantalone remained silent.
He lowered his eyes, casting a small shadow behind his glasses, making it impossible for anyone to tell what he was thinking.
The investigator dared not speak further.
He had served Pantalone for many years and knew his master's temperament best.
Throughout the Snezhnaya, there had never been anyone who could make him talk about it half the night and eagerly await the investigation report early in the morning.
Pantalone stood up and walked to the huge trade route map on the wall.
Standing at the location of Snow Velvet Harbor, he gazed at it, remained silent for a moment, and then suddenly turned around.
"Someone come here."
The butler outside immediately pushed the door open and came in, bowing respectfully.
"The first thing." Pantalone returned to his seat behind the table, his tone as composed as ever, yet revealing an undeniable decisiveness.
"Let the port authorities find an excuse to delay tomorrow's ' White Gull ' cruise. Maintenance, weather, whatever they want, just don't let her board that ship."
The steward was taken aback. "... Delay? Sir, that's an official ship. There needs to be an explanation for touching it..."
"You know better than I how much the Northland Bank allocates to the port authorities each year; they can easily resolve the issue by giving the passengers more compensation."
Pantalone glanced at him indifferently. "One explanation: I can still afford it."
"Yes." The butler dared not try to persuade him any further.
"The second thing." Pantalone stood up, walked to the window, and looked out, her voice slowing down.
"Is the cruise ship I ordered from the shipyard in the south last year—the ' Star Raft' —finished yet?"
The butler's expression shifted slightly. "Reporting to you, sir, it was just completed last month and is currently being finalized in the inner harbor. That's your..."
That was the boat that Pantalone had ordered for himself.
The entire cruise ship is made of the finest wood, with three layers inside and out, and the polishing alone took half a year.
The ship was covered with carpets brought from Liyue, hung with curtains woven by Natlan artisans, and had crystal chandeliers that were painstakingly inlaid by Fontaine craftsmen.
It has everything: a restaurant, a study, a terrace with a view, and a bathhouse with hot springs.
The cost is difficult to estimate.
Pantalone originally intended to ride it himself, along the way, to demonstrate some confidence in foreign trade.
"Pull it up," Pantalone said, gazing out the window, each word distinct.
"Tomorrow morning, park at the most prominent pier in Snow Velvet Harbor."
"The crew must be fully staffed, and supplies must be plentiful."
The butler opened his mouth, "Sir, what are you going to do...?"
"A gift for a distinguished guest."
Pantalone turned around, and a sliver of light fell on half of his face, causing his eyes behind his glasses to light up slightly.
"The third thing." He sat down again, tapping his fingertip lightly on the table.
"Have the document preparation office prepare a transfer document."
There was a moment of silence in the room.
"... Transfer?" The butler thought he had misheard.
"Yes, transfer," Pantalone said casually.
" The Star Raft, along with everything on board, belongs to Bai You from the moment she boards. All paperwork must be clean and complete."
"My lord!" The butler finally couldn't help but take a half step forward, lowering his voice.
"That ship... setting aside its construction cost, the time cost is enormous... and you're just going to give it away like that?"
"Yes, it's a gift."
"But... but she's just a newly promoted Harbinger, and you've only met her once or twice!"
The housekeeper was getting a little anxious.
Pantalone looked at his loyal butler, who now looked completely bewildered, and suddenly smiled.
"Old buddy, how many years have you been with me?"
"... twenty-three years."
"In twenty-three years, have you ever seen me make a losing deal?"
The butler was stunned.
Everything I give away always finds its place.
Pantalone stood up, walked over to him, and spoke slowly and steadily.
"I've smoked cigarettes for half my life. All the tributes and treasures from the Seven Nations are not even worthy of carrying my shoes compared to that pack of cigarettes."
Pantalone's eyes flashed back to the near-dazed shock of the previous night.
"In all my years, this is the first time I've known what 'priceless' means. That kind of thing is simply not something that can be bought or sold."
"Tell me, if I offer a whole ship to befriend someone who can produce something like this, is it a loss or a gain?"
The butler stared at him blankly, speechless for a long time.
"It's just... this cigarette... I hope she still has some."
He gazed out the window and murmured to himself.