Should I raise you too?

Ten minutes later, she mentally barked and reopened "Simon's Log".

Simon's butt hurts a little.

Miss Elisa wholeheartedly agreed; even with cushions, a carriage was still a chore, especially on rough roads.

Seeing the male servants suffering in the carriage, her mood improved considerably. Her previously weary heart regained its energy, earning praise from the etiquette teacher.

After a short lesson, Elisa looked at the light screen again.

"The carriage arrived at the post office, Simon paid one shilling for the fare, and delivered the young lady's letter."

The estate wasn't far from the post office, about two miles away, right on the edge of the starting fare, which could be either 1 shilling or 1 shilling and 6 pence.

Elisa guessed that Simon was trying to inflate the price difference by six pence. Because she was already prepared, she didn't feel anything.

She recounted the journey the male servant had taken to deliver the letter. He hadn't tried to read the letter at all, which showed his good manners.

There was no delay on the way to deliver the letter. Was he planning to slack off after delivering it? He's very sensible!

"After leaving the post office, Simon arrived at the shopping street. The dazzling array of goods in the shop windows soothed his aching backside, and the beautiful ladies passing by comforted his weary spirit."

Shopping is one thing, but you even have your eye on a beautiful woman!

It's a pity there's no video; I also wanted to see beautiful women.

Miss Elisa glanced at the etiquette teacher and head maid Maria. Although they were a bit older, they were both beautiful and, if they dressed up, would be no less stunning than the noblewomen.

"Simon approached the East End; it was nearing noon, and the roadside stalls were emitting enticing aromas."

Street food stalls, though unhygienic by upper-class standards, offer a lot of delicious food, especially when you're hungry. The satisfaction they provide is incomparable to fancy meals.

Miss Elisa swallowed hard, wanting her male servant to bring her some. Ever since she started acting like a pampered young lady, she hadn't eaten at a roadside stall.

Simon bought roasted potatoes and boiled lamb trotters, spending a total of 1 penny.

Elisa subconsciously calculated the expenses; the price of roasted potatoes and boiled lamb trotters should be the same, half a penny each.

Lamb trotters are a staple food, with little meat, simple to cook, and require no seasoning. Selling them for half a penny is already quite profitable. In the archipelago where I live, the wholesale price of lamb trotters is 5 for 1 penny. I wonder what the price is in the capital.

Potatoes themselves aren't expensive, but roasting them requires basting them with salt and butter. Butter is pricey, and street vendors rarely use good quality butter. Ironically, this inferior butter paired with roasted potatoes creates a unique and delicious flavor.

Miss Elisa swallowed again.

Before entering the East End, Simon bought a glass of cold lemonade for one penny.

This time, Miss Elisa wasn't envious anymore; the chilled lemonade on the street didn't taste as good as real iced lemonade.

Simon put the money in his innermost pocket and went into the East End.

In the eastern district, the slums of the capital, robbers were rare, but pickpockets were plentiful. Elisa nodded, acknowledging the servant's caution.

Simon saw many poor people, who were listless, emaciated, and looked like clay figures.

Even in the capital, the poor still live in dire straits. Elisa sighed.

In terms of the plight of the poor, the lives of the poor in the capital are not as good as those of the poor in the archipelago. At least the poor in the archipelago still have land. If they don't have land, they can cultivate wasteland or go fishing at sea. They always have hope of supporting themselves.

The poor in the capital had nothing but selling themselves.

Simon quickened his pace, turned the corner, and saw a small, thin yellow dog lying ahead. He picked up a stone.

Elisa nodded. Hungry dogs are dangerous predators, and we must not let our guard down.

While she was in the archipelago, she once encountered a pack of wild dogs and managed to escape by killing several of them.

Simon realized he was mistaken; it was a little girl curled up on the ground, her limbs as thin as a wild dog's, her body covered in grayish-yellow dust.

ah???!

It wasn't a yellow dog... Well, that makes sense. How could there be dogs in a slum? Any passing dog would have been caught and cooked long ago.

The child is as thin as a dog...

Elisa had mixed feelings. On one hand, she sympathized with the children, but on the other hand, she was more concerned about herself.

"I'm such a hypocrite," Elisa sighed.

Simon pretended to be angry and embarrassed, pulled the little girl up and scolded her, then secretly slipped her a shilling.

One shilling is 12 pence. Although it's not much, if used sparingly, it's enough for a girl to live on for almost half a month.

Pretending to scold her while secretly slipping her money was to prevent others from robbing the girl; this male servant handled the situation quite well.

Moreover, he was kind-hearted; one shilling was a considerable sum for a manservant. His annual salary was £16, which was equivalent to six shillings per week, and this was more than a day's wages.

Chapter 5: Refund! Give me back my intimacy points!

Simon didn't continue across the East End; he quickly left.

Simon hurried back to the manor, reported to the head maid, and submitted the financial report.

Elisa's etiquette class for the morning has also ended.

During lunch, Elisa casually inquired about the letter and received Simon's financial report from the head maid Maria.

A round trip by carriage costs 3 shillings. Haha, you only spent 1 shilling on the way there, and didn't even take a carriage back!

You embezzled 2 shillings of the 3-shilling budget!

Even government officials aren't as corrupt as you!

“Miss,” Maria whispered, “Simon said that on his way back, he saw a poor little girl by the roadside, as thin as a dog from hunger.”

"He gave money as charity?" Elisa took a sip of her black tea.

“You are just like a prophet,” Maria exclaimed.

Elisa smiled demurely, thinking to herself, "I not only know that he gave the little girl money, but I also know the amount he gave her: one shilling, more than a day's wages."

“He’s quite kind-hearted,” Elisa nodded. “He subsidized the little girl with the money he gave her in a subtle way.”

The reason for using an inconspicuous method is to prevent the manor's servants from discovering that there is a subsidy for donating money and then starting to accumulate merit.

“Your compassion is as bright as the moon,” Maria complimented.

Elisa felt relieved, partly because Maria spoke so kindly, and partly because it made her feel that she also had a share in Simon's support for the little girl, which soothed her conscience.

After she finished her tea, she realized she had forgotten to ask the exact amount, even though she knew it was 1 shilling, she shouldn't have known.

She patched up the gap: "How much money did he give the little girl?"

“Three shillings,” Maria replied. “He said that should be enough for the little girl’s family to last a month.”

Elisa didn't hear a word Maria said after that.

The young lady stood there, stunned, a certain amount playing repeatedly in her ears.

3 shillings, 3 shillings, 3 shillings...

You clearly only gave me 1 shilling!

You even tried to embezzle this funding!

Elisa gritted her teeth, wishing she could kick open the servant's bedroom door and suck his blood dry.

Without a doubt, the manservant was trying to scam the subsidy by talking to Maria about the little girl, and I actually let him succeed!

The official expenses for this mission were 6 shillings, but he embezzled a full 4 shillings! That's half a week's wages!

Is it too late to withdraw the subsidy now?

After much deliberation, Elisa reluctantly gave up.

If I can't get Maria to stop giving me subsidies, the head maid will think I'm going back on my word and being stingy.

I cannot prove that Simon only gave the little girl 1 shilling.

Oh well, I'll just consider it as buying 2 points of intimacy with 4 shillings.

Just a few days ago, 1 point of intimacy cost 2 pence, but now it has risen to 2 shillings!

It surged by a full 12 times!

Even capitalists aren't as good at raising prices as you!

Just as Elisa was feeling the pinch of her hard-earned money, she saw the light screen start to move again.

Simon lay on his bed for a midday nap, reflecting on what he had seen and heard in the East End, and felt sad.

"Intimacy -1"

"???"

The poor in the East District are suffering, why are you lowering my intimacy level?! Is that my fault?!

Give me my money back! Give me 2 shillings!

Miss Elisa was overcome with grief.

Fortunately, besides intimacy, I also have "Simon's Log".

This log is a great thing; it's more interesting than the status bar.

I've heard that nobles keep pets and spend their free time observing them play. Am I in a similar situation now?

Hmph, they have to get close to the pets to observe them, but I only need to open the light screen. My level is undoubtedly higher!