Chapter 6: Edmund Robert
Knock! Knock! Knock!
A rhythmic knocking echoed. Rolls rose from the sofa, his previous laziness vanishing instantly. He already recognized the visitor by the cadence of the knocks.
"Come in."
Click.
The door opened, and an elderly man walked in. He was of medium build, and like most men in Loen, his hairline had receded significantly. However, his hair was combed quite neatly, and he wore a crisp, stiff black tailcoat.
His brow furrowed slightly as his grey-blue eyes locked onto Rolls, who was dressed in a morning gown. He let out a soft sigh and said, "Rolls, I have told you many times: do not wear a morning gown in the office. If a guest were to visit and see you dressed like this, they would think the Adrian family lacks etiquette and upbringing."
Rolls shrugged and said with a smile, "Meeting in a morning gown makes my guests feel that we share an intimate relationship, which is more conducive to further development, isn't it? Uncle Robert."
A morning gown was a piece of loungewear full of Intis flair. It allowed men to stay comfortable at home or served as a sign of intimacy when receiving guests at receptions or dinners.
However, in the more conservative Loen, only a few young men dressed this way. They were tired of stiff, tight three-piece suits and chose to wear morning gowns when meeting guests at home or in the office.
This had drawn the ire of many old Loen gentlemen, let alone Edmund Robert, who had served as the etiquette teacher for both Rolls and his father, Mason Adrian.
Edmund Robert, aged fifty-nine, was the youngest son of a Baron and thus had not inherited the title. After his father passed away, he received little inheritance and had a poor relationship with his elder brother, the heir. Consequently, Edmund, with his refined upbringing, chose to become an etiquette teacher to make a living, specializing in teaching wealthy tycoons who had recently entered high society but lacked proper training.
His career as a teacher had essentially paused when he met Mason. At the time, Mason had been famous in Backlund for years but had not joined any law firm. Having accumulated considerable savings, he chose to start his own firm.
However, Mason, who had always been a "lone wolf," had no clue how to run a firm. After discussing the matter with Edmund—who was teaching him etiquette at the time—Edmund volunteered to help. Together, they founded what was now the Adrian Law Firm.
In the beginning, Mason was responsible for building the firm's reputation, while Edmund handled the daily operations. Their seamless cooperation turned the Adrian Law Firm into one of the most prestigious names in Backlund.
Had it not been for Edmund being a believer of the Lord of Storms while Mason believed in the Goddess of the Evernight, Edmund would certainly have become Rolls's godfather, given the close bond between the families.
Though he wasn't the godfather, their relationship remained very close. This was not only because Rolls had studied etiquette under Edmund since childhood, but also because the relationship between Rolls and his father, Mason, hadn't been great—otherwise, Rolls wouldn't have gone to Tingen for school.
After Mason's death, if Edmund hadn't helped Rolls stabilize the staff, it wouldn't have been so easy for Rolls to take over the firm even after becoming a "Lawyer." After all, top-tier barristers would be treated well at any firm they chose to join.
To motivate Rolls, Edmund began playing the role of the "stern father" that Mason never was, constantly invoking the "Adrian family" as if they were some ancient, hereditary noble house.
Edmund closed the door, walked forward a few steps, and pointed out the window. "You must remember, Rolls. This is Loen, and you are a barrister. Those you associate with are the upper-middle class of Loen. They won't see this attire as a sign of intimacy; they will only think you disrespect them, and the honor of the Adrian family will be tarnished."
"Precisely because my guests come from well-bred families, they naturally notify me before visiting. By then, I will surely have everything prepared to welcome my distinguished guests," Rolls replied, pointing to a wooden door opposite the long sofa—his dressing room and lounge.
"Rolls!" Edmund's expression grew stern. He thumped his walnut cane on the floor. "Your father never used sophistry outside of a courtroom after learning his etiquette."
Rolls instinctively took a few steps back. Mason had an identical cane, and Rolls's memories of it were far from friendly.
"I'm sorry, Uncle Robert."
Rolls felt helpless. Ever since he learned Mason's true identity, he had suspected that Mason only learned etiquette to better gather intelligence, but he couldn't exactly tell Edmund that Mason had ulterior motives.
Edmund's expression softened slightly. He sat on the single-seater sofa in the subordinate position, leaned his cane against the wall, and asked, "Do you still intend to keep taking those minor cases?"
He had always been dissatisfied with Rolls taking on small cases. It wasn't because of the meager pay—Rolls wasn't short on money—but because he felt these cases were useless to the Adrian family. That time would be better spent attending charitable events to build a reputation.
"No. Although those cases weren't big, the effective evidence was too scarce. They were all quite troublesome, so I plan to rest for a while," Rolls waved his hand. Those cases had indeed been exhausting, especially today's, which had almost ended in disaster.
"Hmph, that's for the best." Edmund nodded. "Because of your actions recently, some of the barristers in the firm are quite dissatisfied."
Rolls frowned and asked, "Is it serious? Who are they?"
He hadn't considered it much at first, only wanting to test his "Lawyer" abilities. He hadn't cared about the fees at all, but it seemed he had disrupted the "market price," causing dissatisfaction among the other lawyers in his own firm.
"Hmph! As long as I am here, it's not their place to dictate terms in this firm." Edmund's voice was full of confidence. After all, he had co-founded this place with Mason and handled the daily operations; he had seen plenty of storms.
"Uncle, I have an idea. Could you see if it's feasible?"
Rolls walked to his desk, pulled a piece of paper from a notebook, and handed it to Edmund. This was his backup plan. If he truly had no talent for the "Lawyer" pathway, he planned to "retire" and settle comfortably as a manager, using time to slowly digest the potion's influence—as long as he didn't lose control.
Edmund took out a lorgnette from his breast pocket. The lenses were made of polished crystal, and the silver frame and handle were engraved with intricate patterns, with an emerald embedded in the handle. He was getting older and his vision was blurring, but he disliked standard spectacles that rested on the nose, as they left marks on the bridge.