5

Time passed, and as Baz began to feel uncomfortable standing, the door of the study opened.

A middle-aged man with neatly trimmed dual beard walked in from outside. He wore gold-rimmed glasses, a black velvet vest paired with a snow-white silk shirt, loose black wool trousers, and shiny soft leather boots, indicating he had just returned from horseback riding.

"I just took a stroll outside. The newly bought young horse is still not very tame, so it seems a bit risky to use it for riding lessons. I think if it doesn't work out, we should go with the gray spotted mare instead; she is quite docile," the middle-aged man said.

"You're the expert, you decide. Pam has brought the person you wanted, this child," the old man pointed to the young boy. "In the next six months, you have to teach him many things."

The old man turned to the young boy and said, "From now on, you will follow this Audrey. You have a lot to learn, but you only have half a year. I heard from Pam that you are a quick learner, so show me what you can do."

With that, the old man waved towards the middle-aged man, indicating for him to take the young boy out.

The middle-aged man led the young boy out of the study and gently closed the door behind them.

He took the young boy to a room in a secluded corner of the west wing.

The room's decor, while not as grand as the study and the hall, still reflected the elegant taste of the owner. Situated on the west side of the entire building, the room had windows on three sides, allowing sunlight to filter through the wooden blinds onto the teakwood floor. A large four-poster bed stood under the north window, a luxury only wealthy families could afford.

In the center, a screen made of pear wood divided the room in two. The screen, similar to one the young boy had seen in a shop from West Bay, was of considerable value. It naturally divided the room into two sections.

Under the south window was an intricately carved mahogany desk, with a French window to the west, likely leading to a balcony.

To the right of the door stood a row of bookshelves, not as grand as those in the study but more refined.

On the left side of the door, facing the head of the bed, hung a beautiful portrait of a mature and charming lady.

The young boy speculated whether this lady could be Audrey's wife.

"From now on, this will be your room," Audrey said.

"What? No way," the young boy exclaimed, clearly surprised by this arrangement.

"In the next six months, you will stay here to learn many things. The most important thing is that from now on, your name will be Ivan Baindite. Remember this name," Audrey sternly instructed.

"Why?" the young boy asked, puzzled.

"You can't ask why. When I think you've learned enough, I will explain all your questions, but not now," Audrey's tone left no room for argument. "Ivan baindite, let's start your first lesson."

With that, Audrey took a thick book from the bookshelf and brought a chair over, gesturing for the young boy to sit down.

The young boy, full of questions in his mind, walked over to the desk, looking bewildered yet obedient.

The lesson began.

In the study, the old man sat on a recliner, flipping through a thick, old book. Pam and Baz had already left, and the warm sunlight streaming into the study made the old man feel drowsy. He had forgotten where he left off in his reading and ended up dozing off in the recliner.

After some time, the door of the study opened, startling the old man awake. Despite the comfort he had acquired over half a lifetime, he remained as alert as he had been during his street days, which pleased him.

The old man glanced at the newcomer, confirming it was Audrey.

"How is it? Are you satisfied?" the old man asked with a smile.

"Very good, Pam made a good choice this time," Audrey nodded in response.

"Do you have confidence in completing the first step of the plan within six months?" the old man inquired.

"Just as Pam told us, this new recruit is quite a quick learner. It should be no problem to transform him in six months," Audrey replied.

"What about Fis? His role is equally important to yours," the old man asked again.

"We have successfully bribed several key witnesses, especially the captain of the guard, who has significant leverage over Fis. For those unnecessary to bribe or those whose loyalty cannot be bought, Fis plans to find reasons to replace them one by one. The bribed steward will handle this matter," Audrey explained.

Upon hearing Audrey's response, the old man nodded and handed the book to Audrey. "You should take a look at this. I've never developed a reading habit; whenever I see a book, I feel like dozing off."

"Hermeticism is indeed a rather dull and useless study in my opinion. If not for this plan, I wouldn't have any interest in researching such matters," Audrey remarked as she took the book.

"What about the boy?" the old man inquired.

"I gave him a test paper to see what he already knows. It seems I underestimated him. Just by looking at his answers, it's clear that the test paper posed no challenge for him. It appears he has learned a lot in South Harbor," Audrey replied.

"Knowing too much is not always a good thing," the old man remarked.

"Can Herbert go to South Harbor? The boy has an aunt named Jenny there. Please have Herbert retrieve an item from this aunt. I believe it will make controlling the boy even easier," Audrey suggested.

"Herbert? Is it necessary to involve Herbert?" the old man expressed some doubt.