Descending On France 1780
Chapter 41 - 41 037 My Corsican Neighbor

41: 037 My Corsican Neighbor 41: 037 My Corsican Neighbor That evening, Anning and his group — no, it should be called Miss Christina and her group stayed overnight at an inn next to the post station.

The next day, after about two hours of travel, the coachman knocked on the window and informed: “Briena is almost here.”

Christina immediately leaned out of the window to look outside.

Anning looked over Christina’s shoulder and out the window…

All he saw were quaint and old streets, with few pedestrians.

Christian muttered, “There are so few pedestrians.”

Vanni said, “Miss, although this city is home to the military academy, including the academy’s students and teachers, there are fewer than forty thousand people in total.”

Christina asked in confusion, “How many people are there in Paris?”

Anning replied, “Around a million.”

Christina was amazed: “That’s a lot!

So, this city is only one twenty-fifth the size of Paris?”

Vanni said, “Possibly even less.

After all, many of the residents here are students of Briena Military Academy, and there are even fewer local people.”

As soon as Vanni finished speaking, Anning saw a group of military academy students walking past the window.

These students were all not very tall and looked like Boy Scouts.

He couldn’t help but comment, “How old are the students at this military academy generally?”

“From ten to twenty years old,” answered Vanni, “Those just now were probably heading back to their dorms after class.”

Anning asked, “Does the military academy not have walls?”

“No, not every student lives in the dormitories.

You will be staying in a house rented by the Duke, His Excellency paid five years of rent in one go.

“Besides attending classes, students also participate in various social activities.

The main customers of the city’s cafes and tennis courts are students from Briena Military Academy.”

Anning uttered an “Oh,” having originally thought that the management of the military academy would be strict, but it turned out to be quite lax.

During the conversation, the coachman gently knocked on the window: “Mr.

Frost, we have arrived at your residence.”

Anning asked, “My place?

How much farther is Miss Christina’s residence?”

Vanni said, “The Duke bought a mansion for the miss, it’s still a distance from here, we need to get off here.”

So, the Duke said something about taking care of Christina himself, and he thought he would live with Christina, but it turned out that he was living in a civilian house while the miss lived in a mansion.

Vanni had already gotten off the coach with the luggage, Anning could only get up, and at this moment Christina grabbed Anning’s hand: “I will be hosting dances and salons every week, do come often.”

Anning nodded: “I will.”

Only then did Christina reluctantly let go of his hand.

Anning got off the coach and looked up at the house in front of him.

Actually, compared to the residences at the Royal Palace, this house looked newer, probably recently constructed.

Vanni, carrying the suitcase, was knocking on the door of the house.

A middle-aged woman opened the door, glanced at Vanni, then at Anning behind her: “Come in, I’ve been waiting for you for a long time.”

Anning asked, “How should I address the landlady?”

“You can call me Mrs.

Anton…”

Anning hurriedly said, “I am not a lord, I am merely the son of a leatherworker.”

Mrs.

Anton looked back at Anning with more interest: “Oh, you must have made quite a fortune to be able to bring such a beautiful maid and pay five years of rent at once.”

Anning: “The maid was assigned to me by His Grace the Duke of Orleans, and the house was also rented by His Grace.”

“Then you must be a great benefactor of the Duke.

From where do you hail?”

“A man from Caen.” Anning replied, revealing the name of his homeland in this timeline.

Mrs.

Anton was surprised: “A Norman, no wonder there is a hint of an English accent in your speech.”

Anning: “The Norman Conquest was seven hundred years ago, and the current King of England across the sea isn’t Norman anymore; he’s German from Hanover.”

Mrs.

Anton looked at Anning, puzzled, “For a son of a leatherworker, you sure know a lot.”

Following the logic he had used many times before in front of Christina, Anning said, “I learned it at Sunday school.

Our priest there likes history and often talks about these historical stories.”

Mrs.

Anton nodded and gave no indication of doubt: “Follow me upstairs; you’ll be living on the second floor.

I’ll cook your breakfast and dinner every day.

Your maid is welcome to use the kitchen downstairs if she wishes to make afternoon tea.”

Vanni: “My master is the son of a leatherworker, and it seems he’s not in the habit of having afternoon tea.”

Anning: “Is it my imagination or do you always indirectly mock me for being a leatherworker’s son?”

“It’s your imagination,” Vanni paused, “If you provide the ingredients, I’d be happy to prepare afternoon tea for you.”

Anning thought about his current savings and shook his head, “Let’s drop it…wait, does this mean there’s no coffee in the afternoon either?”

“Coffee is quite expensive now.”

Because France is currently engaged in the Seven Years’ War, which arrived several decades late, and contacts with overseas colonies are heavily disrupted by the Royal Navy, coffee and sugar are now very expensive.

Anning pursed his lips; it wasn’t as though he couldn’t live without coffee.

His habit of drinking coffee was forced by the Prevailing 996 work culture before his time travel, which was high-intensity work that he could hardly sustain without coffee.

Mrs.

Anton: “You’ll need to manage your own desires for drinks.

Since you have a maid, I won’t be responsible for cleanliness.

Just remember, when the church bells ring in the morning, head to school.

You won’t be late if you don’t walk too fast.”

Anning: “You seem very aware of these details; was the previous tenant also a military school student?”

“Of course, our city’s renters are mostly young masters attending military school.

It’s rare to see someone like you who is a leatherworker’s son.

Mrs.

Luna, living in the street next door, has rented her house to a poor man from Corsica, said to be sponsored by His Majesty himself.”

Anning was startled.

Corsica?

At this time, there could only be one person from Corsica!

Goodness, to think he was living in the same district as me; I’ll definitely need to find a chance to pay him a visit.

But to rush over so hastily would seem too abrupt; I should probably find a way to start a conversation at school instead.

Anning: “Where does this Mrs.

Luna live?

I am somewhat curious about the people from Corsica and would like to learn some Italian from them.”

Mrs.

Anton: “Head out the door, turn left all the way to the crossroads, then turn left again and walk a few steps, you’ll find it.

It’s a two-story house with a conspicuous red roof.”

Anning made an acknowledging sound then asked, “And how do I get to the military school from here?”

If it’s on the way, perhaps I can manage to ‘coincidentally’ meet the future Emperor of France on the way to class.

Vanni: “I know the way, let me take you there after we settle in.”

—You know too?

Aren’t you also here for the first time, Briena?

Truly a perfect and dashing maid!

Anning nodded, “Then I’ll leave it to you.”

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