Secrets: Priestess

Chapter 58 Jazz
Night is when Claire is most energetic.

After coaxing Jessica, who was particularly sentimental tonight, to sleep, Claire changed into a black shirt, black pants, and black windbreaker and walked out of the room.

Turning into the next room, he hung upside down like a night bat on the edge of Sharon's window with the curtains drawn tightly.

Prying eyes peer through the heavy curtains.

She watched patiently as the color of the room changed from the calm blue to the green of sleep.

Nothing happened all night.

In the following two days, Claire stayed with Jessica and Sharon as the daughter of Count Meazza, and participated in Jessica's various investments in Tingen.

With Sharon acting as the go-between, everything got off to a good start.

The Tingen City Housing Improvement Company agreed to allow the Meazza family to participate in the fundraising of charitable funds. Mayor Dennis asked Jessica to participate in a new round of street repair projects. Sir Deville, the most famous businessman in Tingen, also sent a private invitation to Jessica to discuss cooperation.

Claire, Jessica, and Sharon sat in the luxurious carriage with the Meazza family crest printed on the exterior.

This was not the carriage without a seal that Claire had ridden in before. Back then, she was picked up from the police officers. In order to protect Claire and the family's reputation, they rode in a low-key and ordinary carriage without a family crest.

Nowadays, wealthy and powerful businessmen who want to visit Tingen City naturally have to change into private carriages with family crests and have professional coachmen drive them.

The Meazza family still has influence even in Tingen.

It is the small local interest groups that hold on tightly. Without Sharon to mediate, these locals want the Meazza family's investment but are afraid that the Meazza family will intervene too deeply.

Sharon's role is to get both parties, who have concerns, to sit down and talk. Many things, as long as there is something to talk about, there is always a chance.

In the carriage, Sharon and Claire were discussing historical knowledge.

Although Claire intended to reveal her interest in history and archaeology to see if Sharon, who was as shrewd as she was, would try to get closer to her in this area, she did not expect Sharon's knowledge in these areas to be as profound as a professional in the history or archaeology department.

Sharon had just finished describing the White Rose War in which Loen defeated Intis in the Fifth Era when she began discussing the difficulties of contemporary archaeology:
"Regrettably, we still lack a way to accurately date the site. We can only make rough estimates based on the architectural style, the characteristics of the murals, and the few recognizable texts."

"For example, the Solomon Empire, the Tudor Dynasty, and the Trunsost Empire in the Fourth Epoch all had similar architectural styles, characterized by unconventional, messy, asymmetrical architecture, and a fondness for the color black."

Jessica laughed beside her: "Sharon, you and Claire have similar hobbies. Claire likes to study this kind of thing."

Claire replied indifferently, "I've been more interested in the scriptures of various churches lately."

"Really? Me too." Sharon smiled. "While researching these scriptures, I discovered that some events that were vaguely recorded in history actually have almost identical mythological descriptions in the scriptures of various churches. Studying and interpreting these scriptures may also be a way to unravel the mysteries of history."

Sharon really knows a little bit about everything.

Claire sighed in her heart.

The carriage entered the Golden Sycamore District. At this time, Jessica asked Sharon about her specific evaluation of Deville.
Sharon thought for a moment and then stated Deville's core goal: "Sir Deville wants to become a member of the Kingdom's House of Lords."

Although Jessica was familiar with Deville's fame during her time in Tingen, her understanding of him was still superficial. She only knew that Deville made his fortune as a factory owner, and then continued to seize the opportunities of the times, with assets spread across steel, coal, shipping, banking and securities.

Today he is even more famous for his charity and has been awarded the title of knighthood by the king.

"This is a difficult matter." Jessica frowned. The threshold to the Kingdom's upper house was no longer based on money, but on blood.

But Deville's idea was not unexpected. Rich businessmen who had accumulated assets to such an extent only wanted status and position. There were examples in recent years, but they were extremely difficult.

Jessica said: "Even if I can introduce him to a woman with a hereditary title, it is almost impossible for him to enter the Kingdom's House of Lords himself. Their children are more likely to be older."

Sharon smiled upon hearing this and said, "Sir Deville himself clearly understands the difficulty of this matter, so he wouldn't be so rude as to ask the Meazza family for any guarantees, nor would he consider a marriage alliance. He loves his wife very much. Sir Deville simply hopes that if the opportunity truly arises, the Meazza family will support it."

Does Sir Deville have someone behind him?
Claire also noticed some clues from Sharon's answer.

In fact, if you think carefully about the areas that Deville is involved in, you can get a glimpse of the situation.

The only forces that can have such influence in the Senate are the Negan family, the Hall family, the Levitt family and a few other great nobles.

And... the royal family, the House of Augustus.

Thinking of the great nobles like Backlund, Claire was reminded of Miss Justice of the Tarot Club. She had previously speculated that Justice was Earl Hall's daughter.

Perhaps, I can sound out "Miss Justice" at the Tarot Club gathering next Monday?
Claire was lost in thought.

Jessica and Sharon were still exchanging ideas about their upcoming meeting with Sir Deville.

Claire listened with little interest, her attention more focused on secretly observing Sharon.

At the same time, he was secretly looking forward to meeting Sir Deville.

Because she learned from the intelligence of the Night Watchman that a case had been transferred from the Golden Sycamore District Police Station. That is, Sir Deville had been hearing painful groans that made his scalp tingle when he fell asleep for the past month.

Perhaps this is an opportunity to test whether Sharon is an extraordinary person.

The carriage passed through the hollow iron gate with two statues standing on it and stopped in front of the marble statue with a fountain gushing out.

This is a manor covering a very large area.

"Good morning, ladies!"

Butler Karen and the servants were waiting in front of the house. When Claire and the others stepped out of the carriage, they bowed.

"Mr. Cullen." Sharon introduced him as Deville's butler.

Karen said with an apologetic look on his face, "Ms. Meazza, I'm sorry, the lord is ill and can't come out to greet you."

Jessica raised her head indifferently.

Karen bowed and led the way from the side, saying, "The Sir is waiting for you in the living room."

Walking along the broad road, I arrived at the main entrance, where a servant had already opened the door and was waiting respectfully. Entering the bright living room, I saw Sir Deville, looking haggard, leaning back in his chair, rubbing his forehead in pain.

Claire, who was following behind Jessica, activated her Eye of Prying Eyes and saw layers of distorted female figures behind the tired Deville.

(End of this chapter)