21.The head of the family

"How come you're here again?" Joe asked curiously. He didn't seem nervous about it; instead, he seemed relieved by Klaw's arrival, at least it freed him from the tedious household chores.

The sky remained clear, the Caribbean sun increasingly scorching in these days. The busy servants in the courtyard need no mention, even those tropical plants adept at enduring high temperatures had humbled themselves, bowing to the sunlight. Joe was registering the quantity and specifications of a pile of timber. It seemed that Klaw had occupied Miss Charlotte's secret warehouse, which was a necessary place for her. Therefore, Lord Bard was punished to build a new warehouse at the dock, and this task undoubtedly fell to the hardworking Joe.

"I've come to see my partner," Klaw said with his hands behind his back, puffing out his stomach, pretending to be an investor.

"You're such a pretentious creature," Joe scornfully cursed, "I really don't know what Lord Bard sees in you. You're nothing but a shameless thief."

"Um..." Klaw didn't know how to respond. Faced with such a simple and upright guy, could he say, "The most respected Mr. Bard just needs a shameless thief"? ... No, he wouldn't demean himself; he would replace "shameless" with "clever," which not only sounded pleasant but also more accurately reflected the truth.

"I'm quite eloquent, I suppose," Klaw said complacently.

"Hmm... That makes sense. I guess Lord Bard was also tired of Duncan, that wooden man," Joe said, as if he had suddenly realized.

It seemed he thought it was Duncan who had increased his burden, perhaps that's what Lord Bard had told him.

"That wooden man is watching you now," Duncan suddenly appeared behind him and whispered.

Joe jumped in fright, throwing the pen and paper he was using far away. By the time he landed, he was already facing Duncan.

Klaw was amazed at how agile Joe, a fat man, could be, and even more amazed that Duncan still had no expression, not at all affected by Joe's startlement.

"Mr. Klaw, Miss Charlotte invites you in for a talk," Duncan said.

"Ah-ha, you're in trouble. When Miss Charlotte scolds someone, it's really harsh. Do you remember the time I was punished to stand all night, Miller?" Joe said with gloating.

Klaw swallowed his saliva - he was nervous with joy, not caring at all about any punishment or scolding. He followed Duncan, walked through the door, into the dim corridor, and towards the room at the end of the first floor.

"Listen, this is important. Our intelligence shows that pests coveting the gold coin have infiltrated Silver Port. They are complex in composition; we are not only threatened by pirates but also by a threat from within Silver Port, called the 'Guild.'

"Hmm... What?"

Klaw stopped in his tracks, halting those infatuated daydreams. He heard "Guild" being placed in the ranks of the enemy, which was more urgent than anything else.

"Didn't you know?" He trembled, asking angrily, "Don't you know that I am from the Guild?"

"Of course, we have investigated that."

"Then you want me to betray my organization? My family?"

"If you are willing, why not? The Guild is a product of the past era; it is inefficient now, only breeding corruption and idleness."

"Shut up!" Klaw cursed, the pirate gold coin almost slipping out of his mouth. He nervously checked Duncan's eyes but saw no difference.

"Cough, cough." He quickly cleared his throat, "I will not betray the Guild; you are wasting your efforts."

"Will you not betray the Guild, or will you not betray Old Wolf - Bo Dric?"

"You've done your research thoroughly, and you should know that Uncle Bo is the guild itself," said Klaw.

"On that, let us reserve our judgment and wait and see," Duncan replied with a mysterious smile, which made Klaw feel uneasy. What, even an outsider could now point fingers at the guild, seeming to know more about it than Klaw himself? Was that possible? If what he said was true, then Uncle Bo...

"Please go in," Duncan said as he approached the study door, "don't keep the lady waiting too long."

Lost in his thoughts, Klaw entered the room and saw a uniquely styled space.

Unique might not be enough to describe its strangeness. This room, called a study, had no bookshelves lining the walls. Instead, floating boards for books were installed on the empty walls, surrounded by several wooden reliefs and oil paintings. The lines of the reliefs were exquisite, depicting the figures and faces of men and women dressed in warrior armor, either wielding long swords or raising guns. Their gazes were all focused on the upper central part of the wall, where a terrifying sea monster's huge skull was placed, its long jawbones, sharp teeth, and empty eye sockets serving as proof of its once-dominant presence in the ocean, sending chills down one's spine with just a bit of imagination.

Klaw was full of admiration in his heart. Indeed, one's life should be spent like this, fighting in the ocean, capturing great trophies, and telling the world who the true master is...

Under the skull, a wooden table was facing the door, with a map of the West Indies spread out on it, marked with notations indicating Miss Charlotte's guesses about dangerous areas and her choices of routes. She was elegantly holding a teacup, sitting on the main seat opposite the desk, savoring the taste of high-quality black tea. And Lord Bard—yes, he was there too—surprisingly, he was not sitting in a chair but standing stiffly with a tray full of tea sets, his face flushed and sweating profusely from the heat.

Klaw felt gratified seeing this scene. But he also noticed that Miss Charlotte's eyes were not idle; those eyes, like cocoa, stared at Klaw, scrutinizing him from top to bottom. Klaw felt his breathing becoming rapid.

"What a beauty she is."

Klaw, who had the power to command the winds and the rain in the streets and alleys, now actually began to feel shy. Fortunately, the hot weather provided him with an excellent cover; he could explain his flushed face, heartbeat, and profuse sweating as purely the result of the journey and the weather, not due to a strange beauty drinking hot tea on a hot day.

That cup of black tea was indeed very hot, and it seemed to take a long time before Miss Charlotte finished her tea. She put the cup down, turned to Lord Bard, and said, "Sit down, Uncle Dominick, you are, after all, the head of the family, you must not lose face in front of outsiders, and we will discuss your unilateral decision to recruit crew members later."

Please help me paraphrase the entire text in the past tense.

Lord Bard's hands, already trembling slightly from holding the tray, felt as if they had heard the gospel of salvation upon her words. He exhaled deeply, placed the tray on the table, pulled up another chair, and sat next to Miss Charlotte, sinking into the soft cushions like a heap of mashed potatoes. He fanned his face with his hands, his expression full of agony, utterly devoid of the dignity and presence befitting the head of a household.

"Then, Mr. Klaw..." Miss Charlotte said, seemingly puzzled about whether to include the honorific "Mr" Klaw noticed her raised eyebrows and the skepticism in her eyes. Unwilling to show weakness, he met Miss Charlotte's gaze directly, without flinching.

"As you can see, my uncle—" she glanced at Lord Bard, slumped beside her, "—is fond of pleasure and averse to work, and thus has caused you quite a bit of trouble. I apologize for that."

"No harm done, we've both left a strong impression on each other," Klaw said, winking at Charlotte.

"And..." ignoring his flirtation, Charlotte continued. "As a junior, I naturally cannot be too critical of my uncle."

"You've scolded enough, girl. You'll never find a husband like this," Lord Bard said with his eyes half-closed, comfortably.

Charlotte's eyes widened in anger, and Lord Bard immediately fell silent, not daring to utter another word.

"Very well, Mr. Klaw, I shall be straightforward. If my uncle has been remiss in his treatment of you, I extend my apologies once more and am willing to offer some financial compensation. However, let this matter rest here. You must return the gold coin you stole, then, stay put where you were until the matter is fully resolved. Trust me, that is the safest course for both of us."

Klaw raised an eyebrow; so, the lady of the house did not plan to recruit him?

He looked back at Lord Bard, but it was clear that the portly man could not hold his head up in front of his niece. He just sat there, staring at his fingers, indifferent to everything.

"If you had listened to your uncle's instructions, you would have discovered something..." Klaw said slowly, "I did not steal that gold coin. He even hired an executioner to interrogate me, quite the ordeal. So, I won't beat around the bush, do you want me on your team or not?"

"Join what team?" Charlotte asked.

"To sail the seas, to seek treasure."

A smile spread across Charlotte's face.

"It seems you are indeed not like the common rabble, you do have the audacity to dream big."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"But you clearly do not realize the danger you are in... I am not questioning your abilities, sir, but my uncle did not make it clear what the consequences would be when he invited you to join us."

So that was it; she was looking for a stance.

"This is just a treasure hunt, my dear, just like always," Lord Bard defended himself.

"You know very well this is not an ordinary treasure hunt," Charlotte said sternly.

"I think you're overthinking it, my dear... and Mr. Klaw here hasn't suffered any losses, has he? As the saying goes, the shoeless don't fear the shod, right?" Lord Bard said, winking at Klaw in the hope that he would make a decisive statement to prove his resolve.

But Klaw was truly hesitant this time. Treasure hunting or chasing women suited his taste, but as Charlotte had said, Lord Bard had never told him the whole story, only making promises and threats verbally.

"Klaw?" Lord Bard called out again, and Charlotte sighed.

"This is the problem with Dominick Bard. He only cares about luring the people he sets his sights on, never truly caring about their wishes. I have no doubt about your abilities, Mr. Klaw, my uncle has always been good at judging character, but if you are not prepared for the possibility of losing your life at any moment, then please do as I say, return the gold coin, and find a safe place to hide."

Her words worked better than ten of Lord Bard's. How could a beautiful woman's bold words provoke a man who fought for survival in the streets every day?

"I'll say it again, I didn't steal the gold coin, and I want in," Klaw said with a smile, "but I completely disagree with Lord Bard's judgment. He's a big fool, never willing to be honest and straightforward. He clearly told me he recruited me to find a son-in-law for you, lovely miss."

Charlotte blushed.

"Do you want me to have someone tear your mouth open, scoundrel?"

"I'd rather you do it yourself. Even if my mouth is split and my teeth fall out, I'll still have a happy smile... Ah, miss, do you never smile? As the saying goes, a beautiful woman's smile can topple cities and countries. A beauty like you, always with a stern face, it's such a waste."

"That's true indeed!" Lord Bard nodded in agreement.

Charlotte stared at Klaw and asked slowly, "It seems Mr. Klaw is indeed different. So sir, apart from flirting, what other skills do you have?"

This question further ignited Klaw's fighting spirit. The men of the guild were known for their glib tongues, but being labeled a great flirt was a shame for him. So, he declared loudly, "You ask me what abilities I have? Miss, I am a master of deception, a skilled thief. I am good at swindling and extortion! So, my miss, if you want me to serve you, you'd better think it through. I'm not easy to entertain. Why don't you smile at me, and then I might consider it."

He turned the situation around, as if it was now not a matter of whether they wanted him, but whether they were worthy of having him join them.

Charlotte fell silent again. Her eyes seemed to house sprites that were teasing Klaw's heartstrings, questioning his true feelings.

"There is one thing..." After a moment, the young lady hesitated to say, "Since you want to cooperate with us, you must take care of the Bard family's image. The other day you broke into my uncle's mansion and tricked away quite a few items. Please return them."

"What, those things?" Klaw was somewhat surprised. He had long forgotten about that pile of trash, and it was all Rat-Eye's operation, not with him.

"I know Duncan told you those things were valuable to restrict your freedom. But in reality, they were not worth much, but I still ask you to return them."

"Forget it, my dear niece, if you want them, I'll buy you a bunch more," Lord Bard said with a smile, trying to persuade her.

"The issue is not the value of the items," Miss Charlotte said impatiently, her eyes closed. "It's about you, my uncle, being publicly stolen from so much, which is very damaging to our family's reputation. Why can't you understand that!"

"What reputation, it's all so meaningless," Lord Bard grumbled stubbornly. "I am a free man, a good citizen who pays taxes on time. Naturally, I have the right to give my things to whoever I like, just as I am doing now." He said, pulling out a gold watch from his pocket and handing it to Klaw, then looked at Charlotte with a sense of pride.

"Those things are not with me. Uncle Bo... I mean, my organization has kept them. I can certainly return them in full, but it will take some time."

"No problem, Duncan," Charlotte called out, and Duncan entered the room upon her request.

"Go and call Ludwig, have him act with Mr. Klaw."

Duncan bowed and left the room.

"By the way, Klaw, my gold coin, could you return it to me as well? Alright, I know it's with you!" Lord Bard rubbed his hands together, his tone very ingratiating.

"Alright, Uncle, it's time to talk about your sailor friend..."

Seeing that he was no longer needed, Klaw followed Duncan out of the study, feeling very excited for having finally passed the test and officially joined the crew.

Treasure, sailboats, and beautiful women. A man who is fortunate enough to pursue these three things has no regrets in life.

"I don't want to overburden the elderly, he should travel by passenger ship, not with us..."

Voices came from the study, and Klaw politely moved away. He now had the awareness of a decent person and was unwilling to eavesdrop any longer.

Then, Duncan's eternally indifferent voice came from the other side of the corridor.

"Mr. Klaw, this is your bodyguard, Captain Ludwig."

A strong man followed behind Duncan. He was not tall and looked quite lazy, constantly rubbing his messy blond hair with one hand. His eyes were scattered and listless, as if he was suffering from not being awake enough, or perhaps he was still hungover, which could be inferred from the smell of alcohol on his breath. He wore a loose white shirt and trousers, with a woolen sweater draped over his shoulders—this was the uniform of the Bard family's estate, worn by all the servants there, but he found it too hot and ignored it—his exposed arms were tanned to a bronze color, the muscles firm, and it seemed he did not neglect exercise.

"Where is the young lady?" he asked Duncan.

"Have you reflected?" Duncan countered.

"Following the young lady's orders, I have reflected a bit." He glanced at Klaw, his eyes rolling, and said, "But I was just drunk and got locked up by the master, and he even found an executioner to scare people, isn't that a bit excessive?"

It seems that this man also had the same experience as Klaw.

"I hope you understand the gravity of your responsibilities and refrain from drinking immoderately, regardless of time and place," Duncan warned.

"Yes, Mr. Duncan, I understand... So, what's happening now? Is the young lady asking me to escort this monkey?"

"Monkey?" Klaw's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Apologies, sir. Please forgive me, I always speak without filtering, voicing my true thoughts."

"Isn't that even worse?"

Duncan didn't allow the bickering to continue. He said, "Mr. Klaw, this Captain Ludwig is a fencing master who once ranked on the European Fencing Club's God of War list. He can ensure your safety when you come and go from the guild."

"I said... The guild is my home, I don't need protection to enter and leave my own home... Also, what do you mean 'once ranked'? He's not on that list now? So he's not even as good as Old Joe?"

Captain Ludwig burst into laughter.

"Ha, let Joe come and spar with me and see how long he lasts."

"Do not interrupt me," Duncan said irritably, a rare show of annoyance. "Klaw, our meaning is clear. We're bringing you in, but that doesn't mean we trust the guild. Having Ludwig with you will reassure Miss Charlotte."

"You're not asking him to spy on me, are you?" Klaw said, pointing at Ludwig.

"No, Captain Ludwig doesn't have the mind for that," Duncan said ruthlessly.

"That's hurtful," Ludwig complained.

"What then, does Miss Charlotte really care about that pile of trash?" Klaw asked.

"Miss Charlotte is different from the master, she cares about the family's reputation."

"What if we can't get it back?" Ludwig asked.

"What if we can't get it back?" Klaw echoed.

"Then you both can jump into the sea together," Miss Charlotte appeared behind the two, speaking harshly to them.

Klaw and Ludwig fled reflexively, and Lord Bard, who followed them out, had no intention of facing the angry young lady alone. So he too fled the mansion, even though he had no plans to go out.

"Mr. Klaw, I must find a place to rest properly... Please be mindful of the time!" he said.