Chapter 18: Titles and Desserts
Rolls listened quietly, nodding occasionally in agreement without interrupting Delia's narration.
Delia continued her introduction:
"Mr. Norman, 55 years old, formerly served the Pringle family as the butler to Earl Pringle. He chose to leave voluntarily due to a conflict with the Earl's eldest son, Viscount Murray. He is a casual believer of the Lord of Storms, has an impeccable character, leans Conservative politically, and requests a salary of 110 pounds."
A conflict with his future master usually involves management issues, Rolls thought. It seemed Viscount Murray no longer wanted Mr. Norman to remain as his butler. This often happened during the inheritance of a title, and it almost always ended with the butler's voluntary departure. No matter how much a butler was favored, they could never compete with the ties of blood.
Although Delia referred to Murray as a Viscount, he didn't actually hold the title yet. His father was both an Earl and a Viscount, but had merely granted the use of the Viscount title to his eldest son and heir, Murray Pringle, as a courtesy.
In the Kingdom of Loen, a single person could hold multiple titles simultaneously. An Earl, Marquess, or Duke might also be a Baron or Viscount. Sometimes, a Duke might even be an Earl as well; they would often pass their lower titles to their eldest sons and heirs to give them a formal status.
If an eldest son was not granted a secondary title, it implied his position as heir was unstable. In such cases, he would be addressed as "Lord," just like his younger brothers—though this was limited to the families of Dukes and Marquesses.
This was because the sons of Dukes and Marquesses could reach high positions through family connections even without inheriting a title, such as Prime Minister Aguishid.
Sometimes the sons of Earls could do the same. For instance, the current Supreme Naval Commander of the Mid-Sonia Sea, Admiral Amyrius Levit, and his brother, the Governor of Oravi, Ostun Levit. Their father was an Earl, but the title was inherited by their eldest brother, Aldrich Levit, who was a member of the House of Lords.
Finishing her introduction, Delia handed over the stack of documents. "Mr. Adrian, which one would you like to choose?"
Rolls pondered for a few seconds before saying with a smile:
"How about this—have them both come to my residence tomorrow at 3:00 PM. I'll meet them, have a chat, and then make a final decision."
He knew that associations like this didn't provide lodging; they were purely intermediary agencies. Even if he picked someone now, he wouldn't see his butler until the afternoon or tomorrow. Moreover, he wanted to understand them better to see who fit his intentions. Paper records were one thing, but a face-to-face meeting was more appropriate.
"No problem," Delia smiled thinly. "And your address?"
Rolls finally took a sip of the Marquis black tea with lemon slices. The white-glazed porcelain cup, inlaid with gold leaf, offered a flavor that finally neutralized the bitterness of the Filmer coffee.
"45 Garton Street, West District."
After noting it down, Delia stood up. "You will also need to pay a deposit of two pounds."
Rolls took his wallet from his greatcoat pocket and pulled out two 1-pound notes featuring the portrait of William Augustus VI.
After receiving the money, Delia headed to the front desk to register the transaction.
Rolls took a few more sips of tea, chatted briefly with Belin—who was still sitting on the long sofa—and made an appointment to meet at Saint Samuel Cathedral that evening before donning his top hat and taking his leave.
Delia and Belin escorted him to the door, watching as he boarded his carriage.
Inside the carriage, Rolls pulled out his pocket watch and clicked it open. It was nearly eleven o'clock, and he was feeling a bit hungry.
Breakfast in the Kingdom of Loen was not only simple but hardly provided enough energy for a grown man to work through the morning. This had historical roots: before Roselle initiated the Industrial Revolution, middle-class men didn't have to work all day, so "breakfast" didn't really exist.
Even now, while many nobles were gradually adapting to eating breakfast, the variety remained limited. Many "old fogies" clung to the tradition that nobles didn't need breakfast, viewing it as a middle-class habit for "wage slaves." To show their disdain, some even refused to sit down while eating it.
To avoid a long wait later, Rolls simply instructed the coachman, Fitch, to drive to the Labory Restaurant.
Labory's head chef was said to have come from the household of Earl Hall, offering wealthy merchants, great lawyers, and high-ranking government employees a taste of aristocratic flavors they rarely encountered. The restaurant specialized in Backlund cuisine, and its desserts were famous.
In the past, when Rolls's predecessor was too busy for lunch, he would have an intern or an office attendant run to Labory to buy desserts for afternoon tea.
As for dining in, this was a first. Rolls only hoped the chef inherited the noble family's skills, rather than the "bad habits" of aristocratic dessert banquets.
The original owner of his body had once followed his father, Mason Adrian, to a Viscount's birthday banquet. Everything had been fine until the dessert course. In Loen, the most indispensable part of a dessert banquet wasn't the sweets, but the sugar sculptures. These were mainly for entertainment, and some weren't even edible.
The sugar sculpture at that Viscount's banquet had been exceptionally "stunning." The pastry chef had made a piece titled "The Viscount Receiving Birthday Blessings from the Masses."
Hardly any sugar was used; it was carved from plaster and wood, then dyed with various colored syrups. More importantly, sugar sculptures are usually meant to be shattered and eaten, but this one couldn't be broken—and no one dared try.
That sculpture had shocked every gentleman and lady present, but what followed was even more bizarre. The Viscount had servants bring out two large platters covered with lids and asked the guests to guess the food inside. No one guessed correctly.
When the first lid was lifted, several frogs hopped out, causing the ladies to scream and jump. When the second lid was lifted, several small birds flew out.
This scene of "flying birds and leaping frogs" turned the hall into a chaotic mess of cries and shouts. Ultimately, because of this incident, the Viscount was impeached by several members of the House of Commons and demoted to a Baron by George III.
Rolls had no desire to spend money on sugar sculptures that were for display only, inedible, and wouldn't last.
Fitch drove the carriage quickly. It wasn't quite the lunch rush yet, so there weren't many pedestrians. Although the "Metropolitan Domestic Servants' Assistance Association" was in the Cherwood Borough, it was close to Labory in Hillston Borough. In less than twenty minutes, Rolls arrived.
Leaping down from the carriage, Rolls walked to the entrance. As he handed his greatcoat, hat, and cane to a waiter in a red vest and white shirt, he asked:
"I shouldn't have to wait long at this hour, right?"
"Not at this time, sir." The waiter, clearly knowing his restaurant's popularity, asked humbly, "Is it just for one, sir?"
Rolls nodded calmly and smiled. "Yes."