When Charlot introduced Dolores, Aurora was momentarily stunned. She knew that the Soumet family of the Fars Empire had its own branches, but she hadn't expected to encounter a cousin in the diplomatic delegation.
Aurora had graduated many years earlier and was significantly older than Dolores, who had only recently completed her studies. Even among the nobility, where the starting point was higher, career progression required climbing the ranks step by step, albeit at a faster pace than commoners. Aurora herself had been working for seven or eight years, making her even older than Charlot.
Realizing that one of the three girls was her cousin, Aurora's opinion of Charlot shifted slightly. The four women began chatting amongst themselves, inadvertently sidelining Charlot.
Charlot was unsure why Aurora had sought him out. However, knowing she was the daughter of the Ingrima Empire's Foreign Minister and a cultural attaché in his office, it was clear her visit wasn't for personal matters. Thus, he patiently waited for his turn.
As noon approached, Aurora suggested taking the three girls out for lunch. Charlot immediately declined, explaining he had other plans for midday, but offered to continue their conversation in the afternoon. Aurora didn't insist and left with the three women for lunch.
Once they were gone, Charlot promptly summoned Dark Luxury and headed to Old Flor's store. Having gained experience from the previous day, Charlot easily found Julian Arsilo, who was about to have lunch. Seeing Charlot, Julian was delighted and not only had a meal prepared for him but also inquired about the previous day's events.
Charlot recounted his experiences briefly, prompting Julian to marvel at his peculiar luck.
Charlot himself was oblivious to it, but Julian was deeply impressed. Among the young nobles of various countries, few were truly competent. Most were hedonistic and entirely useless. Yet, even within the most decadent of circles, a few exceptional individuals emerged. Charlot, despite being the son of a merchant—a background unimpressive to someone like Julian, a descendant of the Arsilo family, one of the empire's three royal clans—had managed to associate with the very best of the nobility. To Julian, this was a bizarre stroke of “fortune.”
Since his transmigration, Charlot had encountered an exceptional roster of people: Menielman Soumet, Annie Bretagne, Dolores Soumet, Annie’s cousin Clair Bretagne, and Ebner Soumet—all rare geniuses from the Fars Empire. Additionally, there were Venie Arsenault and Frederica, remarkable individuals of more ordinary origins.
Even in Byron, Charlot had made acquaintances like Baron Leo, Hughes, and Julian himself, none of whom were average individuals.
Julian wasn’t yet aware that Charlot had also befriended the Imperial Navy’s most promising officers, James Cook and Francis Drake, during his time in Cappadocia. Had Julian known this, he would have been even more astonished. For now, the fact that Charlot was on familiar terms with Aurora Soumet alone was enough to impress him.
Julian leaned in and said quietly, "Do you even realize how lucky you are? Aurora Soumet is a celebrated beauty of the Ingrima Empire. Countless men have tried to court her, all to no avail. Even I can’t help but envy you a little.”
Charlot thought of Aurora’s awkward mishap the previous day. Although she was undoubtedly an extraordinary beauty, he hadn’t noticed the allure Julian described.
Remaining rational, Charlot didn’t provoke Julian. Instead, he said, “If you’re so interested in her, why don’t you come back with me this afternoon? Technically, you’re also part of our delegation.”
Julian raised an eyebrow in mild surprise but soon chuckled and said, “Alright! I’ll come with you.”
Though Julian was officially part of the diplomatic delegation, he was under Charlot’s command and had infiltrated High Priest Auguslatin’s entourage. Upon arriving in Britain, he had slipped away discreetly, unable to continue his covert mission.
Despite his seemingly mature demeanor and intelligence, Julian was still a university freshman with limited real-world experience. He had infiltrated the delegation but didn’t know how to proceed, highlighting his lack of professional training as a spy.
Moreover, as a descendant of the Arsilo family, Julian’s primary goal in joining the frontlines was to build his resume. There was no need for him to risk his life as a genuine spy.
After lunch, Charlot and Julian boarded Dark Luxury together and returned to the embassy district. When they arrived, the four women had yet to return. Charlot and Julian passed the time chatting idly over tea for a few hours.
In the afternoon, the women finally returned, brimming with enthusiasm.
Dolores and the others didn’t mention what they had for lunch, but they were effusive in their praise of their afternoon shopping spree. Among the four, Dolores, with her wealth, bought the most items—enough to require an entire cart to transport. Anastasia, the illegitimate daughter of Baron Feller, had some money but not much, purchasing only two outfits. The most unfortunate was Belisa, a former maid who had no significant wealth. While the Duchess of Mostar had been generous, she hadn’t bestowed a fortune on her maid. Belisa’s entire savings amounted to only a few dozen écus, better than Charlot’s early days as a first-class civil servant but far from matching his later opulence fueled by black and gray income streams.
Charlot didn’t introduce Julian to the women. Dolores and the others already knew Julian’s true identity, but it was inappropriate for Aurora, a diplomat from the Ingrima Empire, to know.
That afternoon, Aurora seemed to be in high spirits. After a few words with the girls, she requested a private conversation with Charlot. Understanding this was her true purpose for coming, Charlot led her to a private meeting room.
This was, after all, the Fars Empire’s embassy, and private meeting rooms were often required for confidential discussions. Several of these rooms were available, typically unused.
Once inside, Aurora got straight to the point. “The Ingrima Empire and the Fars Empire are negotiating the details of an alliance.”
“I’m here to thank you for easing my embarrassment yesterday and to remind you to find a way to leave your name in this agreement.”
“This will bring you immense political benefits. I trust you understand without me having to elaborate.”
Charlot was taken aback. He hadn’t expected High Priest Auguslatin, who seemed rather lackadaisical, to negotiate such an important treaty. Charlot didn’t question Aurora’s words; her position guaranteed the credibility of her information. He replied softly, “Thank you for your friendship, Miss Soumet. Is there anything I can do for you in return?”
It was clear Aurora Soumet had a favor to ask. Why else would she share such a significant secret with him? It wasn’t as if Charlot Mecklenburg possessed a face so handsome that even the gods envied him…