36 Lancaster Gate, opposite Hyde Park, Bayswater, West End.

Through the gaps in the maple leaves and the glass of the white bay window, a man in a new tuxedo can be seen sitting at a desk on the second floor, reading a document in his hand.

A gust of wind blew, opening the hidden windows, and blowing up the scattered brown paper bags and stacks of documents and old news clippings on the table.

Arthur didn't look up, he just pinched his fingers and pulled back the bag that was about to fly out of the window.

He stood up and closed the window again, and the Red Devil who had walked back finally read the titles of the papers on the table.

Amelia Stewart, Sarah Villiers, Emily Cooper, Maria Molineux Sefton, Clementina Drummond Burrell, Teresa Estehazy, Dorothea Levine.

This bewildering array of names may make people look at it in a foggy veil, but if you convert them into the common names of people in your social circle, these seemingly ordinary names will be instantly given colorful meanings.

They are the Viscountess of Castlereay, the Countess of Jersey, the Countess of Cowper, the Countess of Seffon, the Countess of Drummond-Burrell, the Princess of Esterhazy and the Countess of Livin.

These are the names and names of the seven main patrons of the 'Allmark Restaurant', the social club that holds access to London's top social circles.

In the past, Arthur only needed less than half a page to fill in this kind of personal identification information, but for these seven ladies, even a full page may not be able to write down their titles and social relationships.

Take Amelia Stewart, Viscountess of Castlerea, who was born into the Hobart family.

Her father was John Hobart, Earl of Buckinghamshire, and her brother, Robert Hobart, served as Secretary of State to the Governor of Ireland, Governor of Delhi in British India, and upon his return in 1812 he was one of the three members of the Indian Governing Council of the Colonial Office.

And her husband is Robert Stewart, who holds the two aristocratic titles of Marquess of Londonderry and Viscount Castlelean.

Viscount Castlereagh is one of the most prominent statesmen in British history, having served as Principal Secretary to Ireland, Secretary of State for Army and Colonial Affairs, and Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs during his decades-long political career.

Internally, Viscount Castlereagh was involved in promoting the Irish Consolidation Act, which formally incorporated Ireland into the British territory.

Externally, Viscount Castlereagh successfully brokered the Quadruple Alliance of Great Britain, Austria, Russia and Prussia, laying a solid foundation for his victory at the Battle of Waterloo. After the Napoleonic Wars, he used his influence to facilitate the signing of the Treaty of Paris, and led the process of the Congress of Vienna on behalf of Britain, which set the framework for the European harmonised system for the European continent.

But unfortunately, perhaps it is because of the pressure accumulated over the years.

Or perhaps because of his support for the bloody repression of Lord Sidmers, then Home Secretary, during the Petrux Massacre in 1819, which led to public opinion and liberal literati such as Shelley and Byron attacking him, Viscount Castlereagh soon suffered from a serious mental illness and eventually committed suicide by slitting his throat with a letter opener.

Although the death of her husband had diminished Mrs. Castlereagh's influence in the social circle, the prestige she had accumulated over the years allowed her to hold a firm seat on the Olmark Club's Women Patron Committee.

Among the seven hostesses, in addition to the natives such as Madame Castlereay, there were also foreign factions such as Princess Esterhazy and the Countess of Levin.

As can be seen from the honorific title of Princess Esterhazy, she was a member of the wealthy family of the German princes, 'Thun-Taxis', and her husband, the Austrian minister to England, Paul Anton Esterhazy, was a prince of the Austrian Empire.

As for Madame Levin, although her origins are not as good as those of Princess Esterhazy, she is no less impressive.

Mrs. Levine's husband was Count Livin, a member of the Tsarist Russian royal family who served as the ambassador of the Russian Empire to Britain, while her father was an even more heavyweight.

Because Mrs. Levin's father was: a good buddy of Tsar Alexander I of Russia, a German Tsarist Honored General in the War against France, the iron fist of feudalism that suppressed the Decembrist uprising, the commander of the gendarmerie who could only dispatch Cossack cavalry without tanks, the director of the Third Department of the Imperial Office of the Russian Empire on the surface, the clever man who secretly assisted the Tsar in the rule of police agents, the guiding light of Scotland Yard, the French military and police shouting invincibility, Chun Doo-hwan's old-timer, Pinochet's leader, It has always been considered troublesome to monitor the mind, so it is better to directly eliminate the physical Russian Imperial cavalry general, Count Alexander Khristoforovich Benkendorf.

As the saying goes, Lao Tzu is a hero, and a beautiful woman is good-looking.

Madame Levine not only fully inherited her mother's fine blood, but also ended up with a delicate and beautiful face. Moreover, he inherited his father's expertise in spy work.

As a well-known courtesan of high society in London, Madame Levine took full advantage of her appearance and status, not only becoming the first foreign patron of the Olmark Club since its creation in 1765, but also as a German-Russian, she also included the German waltz in the ball options of the Olmark Club.

While her husband was in London, Madame Levine was able to do her duties as a good wife and mother, and when the Earl of Levine was away, she would from time to time have a little extra spice in her dull life with the Austrian Prime Minister Metternich and Viscount Palmerston, who were on business trips to London.

And she also relied on her close relationship with these most important European politicians to obtain a lot of 'unexpected information' for Russia. And in the Russian court, she was considered politically at least as important as her ambassadorial husband, and in some cases even more so.

Even the current Tsar, Nicholas I, regularly exchanged letters with her and sought her advice on a number of issues, and the importance of the Tsar further highlighted her influence in the diplomatic community.

Arthur flipped through the personal information of the seven ladies one by one, as well as the lace news and past experiences about them cut out from various old newspapers. After watching it for a while, he finally couldn't help but sigh in amazement.

"If Elder hadn't told me, I wouldn't have known that there were so many women to be reckoned with in tiny London. This Mrs. Levine, in particular, was full of an air of enigma. It seems that the street tabloids that Elder usually reads are not entirely useless, and without them I would not have been able to determine how many politicians had maintained more intimate relations with Mrs. Levine than normal. ”

When the Red Devil heard this, the wrinkles in the corners of his eyes were full of malice, and he smiled and asked, "Arthur, are you sure?" This woman is far more complicated than what you see in the newspapers, and I advise you to stay away from her, or she will end up eating and wiping it off, and you will be stupid to know what is going on.

I'll admit that you're in the very capable category among human males, but Madame Levine is far more powerful than you think. Finally, I would like to give you another truth, capable women are always good at spotting the weaknesses of capable men.

Especially with regard to the ability to conspire, men and women are not at all in the same order of magnitude as to manipulate this matter, and in everything related to conspiracy, women are not known to be in danger many times greater than men. ”

When Arthur heard this, he leaned back in his chair: "Why do you sound familiar to me?" It's like I've seen ...... somewhere."

He frowned and thought for a while, then snapped his fingers, turned his head to the Red Devil and said, "Agareth, how can you copy the sentences in Alexander's book?" Aren't these some inspirational phrases that he wrote down in his notebook in order to elevate the style of "The Count of Monte Cristo"? ”

When the Red Devil heard this, he shook his finger rather dissatisfied: "Arthur, you must first know where Alexander's inspiration came from. Providing inspiration to writers is also one of my abilities as a devil. ”

When Arthur heard this, he couldn't help but squeeze out a breath from his nose: "Heh, is it? I think you want to make a name for yourself, right? You should also be able to see that there is something good about that fat man's soul, so you can't help but stuff something of your own into his pen? Agares, I really don't know, it turns out that the devil also has this kind of vanity. ”

But the Red Devil was unfazed by Arthur's sarcasm, and instead took it as a compliment.

Agares pushed his glasses proudly: "Arthur, don't forget, the devil is a collection of desires. So, why don't you get a chance to play at Olmark Club? IMHO, the ladies of the Blue Sox Club have a different style in the academic sense, but if you want to get ahead, you have to find a chance to squeeze into the Olmark Club. ”

Hearing this, Arthur glanced at him and said, "Agares, as soon as you get carried away, you will leak all your ulterior thoughts. Didn't you just persuade me to stay away from Mrs. Levine? And now you're starting to push me into the Olmark club again? ”

The Red Devil rubbed his hands with a wicked smile: "Oh! My dear Arthur, you don't understand, whether I persuade you to go or persuade you not to go, I am thinking about you. I persuaded you not to go because I was worried that you would fall into the colorful pomegranate skirts of those mature ladies, and thus ruin your reputation, and even if you finally embarked on a regular life, you will be buried cleanly.

But I advise you to go because I think that people are always a little curious. Although the ladies are terrible, but in case they look down on you, not to mention walking on the road to promotion in the future, even if you don't want to work hard, those ladies are not impossible to agree to you for the sake of your handsome little face and sturdy body! ”

When Arthur heard this, he couldn't help but pout: "Agareth." ”

The Red Devil smiled, "What's wrong?" ”

"Thankfully, I signed a contract with you, and if Elder had heard what he had just said, he would have to be cheated by you sooner or later."

When Agareth heard this, he was not proud but ashamed, he frowned and shook his finger sarcastically: "Arthur, you can question my bad intentions, but you can't question my vision and ability to choose a partner to work with." With all due respect, among the seventy-two pillars of demons, the only one who can pee with Elder is probably Asmantis's lustful instinct.

I want the soul of the contractor, that's true, but if it is Elder who has signed the contract with me, I am afraid that his soul will end up in the hands of Lady Levin. I'm not interested in helping the contractor find a woman to redeem the mortgaged soul. ”

Arthur brushed his hair that was hanging down in front of his eyes, tucking them back behind his head, revealing his hairline, which was below the general British standard.

"Now I know that your requirements are also higher than those of the Department of Classics at the University of London, and it seems that it is indeed a miracle that Elder can receive an education in his life."

Agareth followed up and asked, "So, Arthur, are you interested in the Olmark club?" ”

Arthur sighed, staring at the red devil's glittering red eyes and said, "It seems that there are indeed a lot of good things in there that interest you!" It's the first time I've seen you so positive. ”

The Red Devil smirked, "Oh! My dear Arthur, aren't you interested? ”

Arthur nodded, "Of course I'm interested." However, this upscale club on King Street isn't for everyone, and from what I've heard, while it hosts a very unique dance party every Wednesday night, the Allmark Club has been a very private organization since its inception in 1765.

Only with the approval of a committee of seven female patrons and the annual payment of 10 quinis as a due, they are eligible to enter the area. On top of that, I'll have to learn a little more about the weird rules there.

Therefore, although I can barely squeeze out the financial resources now, it is not possible to obtain the consent of the female sponsor committee, which can be solved by handling a few cases. ”

When the Red Devil heard this, he instantly showed a smug expression of triumph with the success of his conspiracy.

"Oh! My dear Arthur, have you forgotten who you are? You're Professor Agares' most proud villain apprentice, and I can satisfy you with whatever you want. ”

When Arthur heard this, he couldn't help frowning and said, "Agares, conditional satisfaction is not called satisfaction, it is a normal transaction." Therefore, being the apprentice of you, the most knowledgeable professor in hell, will not take advantage of anything in the end.

Well...... Now I seem to understand why you were so easily kicked out of hell by Barr. Maybe it's because you're so stingy, so when Barr kicks you out, the other devils won't help you. ”

When Agares heard this, he couldn't help but push his glasses: "Arthur, you have to understand that even the British "Apprentice Ethics and Education Act" only guarantees the apprentice's right to education for two hours a day, and the remaining ten hours still have to continue to work honestly. Compared to your bill, my willingness to trade with you on an equal footing is already very positive. ”

When Arthur heard this, he actually stood up and stared at the Red Devil without saying a word, he just sighed.

The Red Devil was baffled by him, and he asked, "What are you sighing for?" ”

Arthur looked at him with a complicated expression and said, "Agares." ”

The Red Devil frowned and asked, "What's wrong?" ”

Arthur patted his phantom and sighed at the ceiling: "Capitalism has hurt you!" ”

With that, he locked all the papers on the table in a drawer, and then left the room with great strides.

Agareth was stunned for a moment before he realized what was going on, and he angrily yelled at Arthur's back, "Arthur! The soul that exists with me, you let me calculate the interest for you, and I will talk to you about a business, and you will not be happy to let you pay a shill. What I signed with you is an equal soul trading contract, not a fucking Russian serf sales contract! ”

There should be another chapter later

(End of chapter)