Chapter 39

I was called out of the factory by Mr. Gabriel and followed him to a large house nearby. He complained to me that some people laughed at his etiquette when he went out for business a while ago. So he hired an etiquette teacher, but the guy was so full of himself: always rolling his eyes and saying, what should the nobles do, what should the nobles do. He was totally pissed off by the teacher's attitude, so he kicked the guy out.

"Although you've only been a servant of the nobles, your courtesy is very beautiful, and you should have no problem teaching me to pretend a gentleman." Gabriel sat down in front of the table without concerning his image and put his feet on the table.

This was the first time I have met such a carefree rich man, but it was a good thing for me as I no need to work in a backbreaking factory. It would be even better if he could keep me as his valet. I found that none of the servants in this house had experienced systematic servant training.

So, as a servant, I started the work of educating the gentleman of the master.

"There are many kinds of etiquette for a gentleman. Based on different people and occasions, the salutation posture is slightly different... Only when a married woman with a noble status reaches out to you with her hand, then you can move forward and leave a kiss on the back of her hand. If it's a young lady, don't be too presumptuous, don't even look at them before she is officially introduced to you, otherwise, people will make irresponsible remarks about you... "I stood beside Mr. Gabriel and told him about gentlemanly manners.

But after listening to my story, he had a blank expression on his face, and finally asked me in disbelief, "Are you sure you're not joking with me? I've never heard of such a troublesome thing."

"Of course not, sir." I looked at him seriously: "Didn't the etiquette teacher you hired before say anything about it?"

"No." Gabriel frowned and said, "Of course, he talked about basic etiquette, but I haven't even heard the trivial details you said, the lady's fan language, and those vague hints. "

"Oh..." I suddenly realized that my new owner was indeed an upstart who didsn't understand anything.

"I have an important guest the day after tomorrow afternoon. He's a well-known barrister, and I don't want anything to go wrong by that time" said Mr. Gabriel.

Although etiquette was only a fixed action and language on specific occasions, it did not only include these in the circle of high society. If you didn't even know why a lady was shaking a fan or a man was turning a button, then you were still a thousand miles away from entering the aristocratic circle. These details can be found in everything from how many glasses of wine you can drink with your meal to the color of the rug when you greet your guests at a dinner party.

I had nothing to say for a while, this guy didn't understand anything at all, and he still wanted to make no mistake.

So I asked cautiously: "Excuse me, what menu did you choose for the guest you going to entertain?"

Mr. Gabriel spread his hands and said, "Uh... French food?"

He said in a decisive tone: "I will hire the most famous chef and let him use the most expensive ingredients."

"So which guests will you be entertaining?"

"No guests, just me, the lawyer, and his family," Gabriel said affirmatively.

"Oh...then may I ask you to prepare other programs besides meals?"

"What more do you need? Is it possible to prepare a dance party?"

He and I looked at each other for almost a minute and we both saw things like 'Are you kidding me? ' look. In the end, Mr. Gabriel was defeated, and he muttered: "Okay okay, my father was a grocery store owner 20 years ago, I didn't even graduate from high school, or do I need to bring the etiquette teacher back. ?"

I thought this was my chance, so I bowed to him and said, "I have served a viscount and a baron, I have seen large and small banquets, and I have also attended the balls of the Count of the Royal Capital, if you believe my capacity, please let me make arrangements for you."

Mr. Gabriel showed a surprised look: "Can you? I mean this banquet is very important to me."

"It all depends on what you want, sir." I asked him for instructions: "I obey all your orders, and your wishes are my highest will."

Perhaps his former servant had never said anything of this naturally to him, and he was slightly stunned, so he straightened his back, raised his chin, and said in a deliberately gritty tone: "Okay, it's up to you. Now you are in charge of my house."

Seeing his smug look, I secretly snickered, it must be good to be flattered in this way. I understand how he feels. Not everyone can withstand such high-style service. If it was an ordinary person, he may be panicked and at a loss. Only those who grew up in such an environment would be able to take it for granted and remains calm and composed, which is the connotation of aristocratic and gentleman education. They were constantly told and suggested from childhood that they are born with noble meaning.

Therefore, a gentleman's etiquette, such as Mr. Gabriel, who was trained after grown-up, did not have the kind of atmosphere and calmness that he has cultivated since childhood. In front of the real aristocrats and gentlemen, they would be full of flaws and suffer endless contempt. So my task was to help my new owner become more composed, without shaming himself even in the presence of a true gentleman.

Then I found Annie and told her what happened today.

"Looks like I'm going to live in Mr. Gabriel's house," I said.

"Owen, you are amazing." Annie said happily, "I know you can always get ahead no matter where you are."

"What? I'm a valet, and it just so happens that Mr. Gabriel needs a valet." I said with a smile.

Annie's expression suddenly darkened: "You are a real man, you know the real-life, and you never want to be too ambitious. I really hope Andre can be like you."

"How can this be compared?" I said: "Andre is a talented person. He is not as talented as I am. He can only be a servant in a mediocre manner. I believe he will be able to stand out sooner or later, as long as he finds someone who appreciates him. people."

Anne smiled: "I hope all this can come true."

"If I could settle down in Mr. Gabriel's mansion, I would definitely bring you in as a maid," I said to her.

"Really Owen? Are you serious?" Annie said in surprise.

"I'll try my best, but there's no guarantee I'll be able to do it."

"No, no, your willingness to help me is the greatest help to me." Annie said, "You know, we don't have much money. I work in the factory all day long, and I can't take care of the family at all. He always complains..."

I patted Annie on the shoulder and secretly made up my mind to make this banquet a success.

I suddenly became Mr. Gabriel's valet and butler, and all the servants were turned around by me, and I had them clean the whole living room, changing the carpets, curtains, tea sets, and lamps. Although the servants were dissatisfied with me, who gave orders as soon as I came, Mr. Gabriel couldn't stop the surprise in his eyes when he saw the new hall.

He happily walked around the living room, complimenting: "Where did you find the decoration? It's beautiful."

"Sir, all the items here are from your warehouse," I said.

It was only then that Mr. Gabriel discovered that many of the items were old and had been kept in the warehouse.

"Sir, I would like to exchange your collection." I pointed to the paintings and sculptures in the room.

"What's the problem with them?" Mr. Gabriel asked. "I paid a lot for it."

I can't blatantly say that you were arrogant, maybe those gentlemen don't appreciate your upstart-like aesthetic, so I can only say in a subtle way: "I think this will show that you are too rich, if your guests are not open-minded enough, he might develop jealousy and resentment towards you."

"Hey, you're right." Mr. Gabriel nodded in agreement as if he had found a bosom friend: "They treat me with disdain, in fact, it's just because I'm richer than them, and they don't have the ability to get so much money. , that's why they are jealous of me."

"Yes, so you must not talk about money at the banquet. Instead, you should say something to suit them. After all, you need to please them."

"So what am I supposed to talk to them about? You know I have no education. The best thing I know is the factory."

I thought for a while, then walked into Mr. Gabriel's study and handed him a book: "Sir, this is a novel."

I turned to one of the pages and pointed it to him: "You can refer to the topic here."

"Oh, have you read this book?" said Mr. Gabriel. "To be honest, these books were bought for prestige, and I haven't read any of them."

The common problem of nobles and gentlemen is that in order to pretend that they are deep people, they collect all kinds of books at home, so the merchants who take the nobles and gentlemen as their yardsticks also start to do so.

So at this day's banquet, the lawyer and his family were always smiling and showed no displeasure, because the full set of etiquette for receiving them was very solemn, even if an earl came as a guest, I am afraid he would not find anything wrong.

And Mr. Gabriel, as I had taught him, followed the dialogue in the novel.

"To make a competent person, what is required is integrity, generosity, and seriousness, supplemented by observation and diligence." Mr. Gabriel said eloquently: "Gentlemen behave gracefully, but grace is not what a gentleman is. All, a gentleman must also have virtues such as loyalty and courage, and must have a certain cultural quality, so that he can make himself knowledgeable and live a noble life."

"From your way of life and your demeanor, I clearly know that you are an elegant gentleman, completely different from ordinary businessmen. To be honest, I was very worried before coming here, but now it seems that your character is completely sufficient. Competent for the class of gentlemen." Although Mr. Lawyer was speaking politely, his tone was lofty, and you could clearly feel his contempt for upstart businessmen. So much so that after sending him out, Mr. Gabriel rolled his eyes fiercely.

"You did a great job, Owen," praised Mr. Gabriel. "How do you know so much? I can't believe you were a servant before. Did you have a good education?"

"No, sir, I..." I froze for a moment and was about to say that I had no education, but I remembered the lessons the baron taught me. Of course, I was educated, and it was a very good education. The person who taught me was a baron, and what he taught me were the deepest hidden rules of the upper class, things that ordinary people would never know for a lifetime.

"Okay, don't go back to the factory. Doing that kind of work will bury you. You'll be by my side from today, and you'll be... a housekeeper, yes, a housekeeper, those guys have housekeepers at home." Mr. Gabriel said enthusiastically.

I owe him a debt, and I don't know until today that what everyone goes through in every period is not in vain. Even if I am just a servant, I can achieve my wishes by my own strength. It's not easy, but it's happening all the time.