Mystery: The Last Shepherd

Chapter 310 [Temperance] Mr. has this side to him too.

"Audrey, don't forget the ball tonight."

Countess Hall said to her daughter, setting down her bone china teacup, "The royal family and Duke Negan will be attending tonight's ball."

".OK."

Audrey obediently agreed, but a feeling of resistance welled up inside her. For a moment, even the fragrant black tea in her cup seemed to lose its flavor.

Since the royal family attends the ball, it means that I will inevitably encounter several princes.

The other princes were alright, just arrogant, chauvinistic, and looked down on women. The third prince, in particular, kept bothering me, always talking about self-righteous and pointless topics, forcing himself to be funny. Audrey felt uncomfortable just thinking about it.

“Audrey, I know you don’t like those people at Sodrak Palace.”

Her mother said earnestly, "But your coming-of-age ceremony is coming soon. During this period, you must not make any mistakes in etiquette, okay?"

"Don't worry, Mom."

Audrey smiled in response, "I understand."

"Besides, you're an adult now, you should find something to do. Do you have any ideas?"

"Clap clap clap!"

A series of hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside the door, along with screams from the servants in the corridor.

"Boom!"

The golden retriever slipped on the ground, used its nose to push open the door, and darted in with its tail between its legs, its face showing visible panic.

"Wang!"

Susie opened her mouth, intending to speak, but seeing that the Countess was also present, she could only let out a loud bark, burrow under Audrey's skirt, and tremble, just as she would when she was still immature and trying to be affectionate with her.

"what happened?"

The Countess, slightly displeased by Susie's behavior, said, "Is your dog being so unruly these days?"

"It's alright, Mom. Susie is probably frightened by something."

Audrey quickly explained, reaching out to pat the golden retriever reassuringly.

She also felt something was strange; Susie's trembling was transmitted through her stroking hand, clearly indicating genuine fear. But it was now an extraordinary creature, and an ordinary person couldn't possibly elicit such a strong reaction from it.

What exactly did it encounter?
"Honestly, you're too lenient with it, just like your father." The Countess scolded her, then, seeing the dog still refusing to leave, she got up helplessly. "Anyway, remember to behave well tonight."

"Don't worry, Mom."

After seeing her mother out of the room, Audrey closed the door and turned around.

"Audrey!"

Before she could even ask, Susie blurted out, "That horrible person is back! He's even more terrifying than before!"

A terrifying person?
Audrey took a moment to process the description before realizing who the other person was referring to. "You mean, Mr. Anderson?"

Indeed, Susie had seemed quite frightened when she first met him. Was it an animal instinct?

"It's him! He sent me to find you!"

The golden retriever opened and closed its mouth in fear and panic, shaking the air, "It says it has something to discuss with you!"

[Temperance] Sir, do you wish to see me?

Audrey thought with surprise and some confusion.

Reception room.

"No need for black tea, I can't tell the difference between good and bad."

Lu Ze said. The extraordinary guards at Earl Hall's mansion were only at Sequence 7 at most, so they couldn't detect him at all. After being welcomed by Audrey, he concealed himself for a moment and then entered openly.

"No, we still need to prepare, otherwise it would be too impolite."

Audrey smiled and poured him a fresh cup of black tea.

Including the brief glimpse at the "Mr. A" gathering, this was the second time the two had met since that incident. Because she knew his affiliation with the Tarot Club, she naturally felt trust and closeness towards Anderson.

Susie cowered at her feet, too afraid to move. Luna, curious, sat on the table opposite them, her tail dangling from the edge of the table, swaying back and forth.

Two people, a cat, and a dog.

“I apologize, I’m not familiar with those aristocratic etiquettes, so I’ll be frank,” Lu Ze said, getting straight to the point. “Miss Audrey, would you be interested in cooperating on a factory project?”

"Build a factory?"

Audrey asked curiously.

[Moderation] Sir, do you still have the interest to develop businesses?
"That's right, I took in some homeless people in the East District."

Lu Ze began his narration.

He omitted some key information, only saying that he needed to set up a factory to support these people.

Audrey found it both funny and touching.

[Temperance] Mr. is usually crazy and cold at tarot meetings, but I never expected him to have such a kind side.
"Are you short of a lot of money right now?"

She asked.

"Lack of money is one aspect, but the main problem is the lack of relevant channels and technology."

Lu Ze said frankly, "I heard that your family is one of the wealthiest in Backlund. Your father is a banker, and he seems very capable. You must be quite well-off, right?"

No, I lack
Audrey thought to herself.

She still owed Mr. Fool's family gold pounds, and the Tarot Club had an extraordinary item waiting for her to purchase. Even someone as wealthy as her couldn't avoid some financial difficulties. Although she nominally possessed a considerable amount of assets, they were all under trusteeship and couldn't be used at will.

However, as Mom just said, if I can get their support, I might be able to do some things after I become an adult.

Audrey thought for a moment.

Setting up factories to provide jobs for the poor in the East District so they wouldn't starve—not for profit, but simply to keep the factories running with enough surplus. Essentially, it was a form of charity in disguise.

Moreover, compared to putting on a show, this method actually gets the money into the hands of those who need it. After all, people receive their wages only after they have actually done their work, instead of filling out forms and letting the money flow into the hands of unknown people through paperwork.

That's a good approach.
Audrey made her decision.

"Mr. Anderson."

She looked up and asked, "I think your idea is great, but there are still quite a few problems in putting it into practice. For example, I need to convince my parents that you are a reliable and legitimate organization. Also, setting up a factory is quite expensive, and I can't cover all of it."

Audrey's father was a successful businessman, and through his influence, she learned some basic principles.

"You won't have to pay for everything yourself."

Seeing a glimmer of hope, Lu Ze nodded.

Actually, he only recently thought of a source of cash – the properties left behind by the Aurora Club. Putting everything else aside, the house where Mr. A held the party is worth a lot, after all, it's a detached house in Queens, and if it sells well, it could be worth tens of thousands.

"So much the better."

Audrey nodded. "Let me think about how to convince my parents."

At her feet, Susie had somewhat recovered from her tension. She looked up and immediately saw a black tail swishing back and forth on the edge of the table. Reason and instinct arose simultaneously; the former reminded her to be mindful of the situation, while the latter urged her to hunt down her moving prey.

(End of this chapter)