Chapter 1320: The Secret Agent of the Stonemason Association

Following Margaret to visit the Stonemason Association this time, Xia De originally thought he would have to dress up as a guard. But later he remembered that Margaret was visiting secretly, so he could just wear normal clothes.

Around 1:30 in the afternoon, Xia De said goodbye to the ladies of the Opera House, boarded the carriage at the intersection to meet with the Princess, and the group went to the Stonemason Association, which was half a city away from the Wilde Opera House.

Today, the Princess changed out of her cumbersome dress, took off her luxurious jewelry, and put on a lady's coat that reached her knees over her long dress. On her chest hung a brooch with the holy emblem of the True God 【Peaceful Father】, silver earrings on her ears, and her light golden hair was simply tied up. Besides the cat-shaped yellow sapphire hair needle, she only used a very simple hairband for decoration.

Simple, but not particularly simple. It looked like a noble girl traveling alone.

And after Xia De got on the carriage, Margaret turned her face away as if she were shy, not letting Xia De look at her. She pulled her personal maid—the 1st-Ring female sorceress who also had extremely slight witch power—and let the maid block herself.

The maid, who was also beautiful in appearance but also dressed simply, said to Xia De with a smile:

"Your Highness, oh, I mean Miss, Miss didn't wear much makeup today, so she didn't want you to see it."

"No makeup? I thought this was already makeup."

Xia De said, and Margaret showed a smile, only then looking at Xia De:

"You always know how to talk."

"What know how to talk..."

【It's best not to ask this question now.】

"She" kindly reminded, so Xia De didn't ask again. In fact, he really couldn't tell whether the girls wore makeup or not; this wasn't easy to see.

"I know you have things to do tonight, and I won't delay too much time."

Margaret said the plan for the afternoon:

"I will have a talk with President Calvin Pigman in his office. Besides my people, one or two vice presidents or managers of the Stonemason Association should also be present. If it goes well, it will end around four o'clock. Oh, if you feel bored, you don't have to follow me all the time, just turn around in the association. If there is anything, I will find someone to call you."

The association president and the principal of Saint Byrons had the same surname.

"Then I'll turn around in the association."

Xia De said, and Margaret looked at him hesitantly:

"What are you going to do?"

She knew Xia De very well, and Xia De wasn't the kind of person who liked to wander around.

"Maybe I can give you a surprise."

Xia De said, and the Princess nodded hesitantly, then asked Xia De again:

"How do you think I'm dressed today?"

And immediately added:

"Don't just say it's very beautiful; that's perfunctory."

Xia De thought for a moment:

"After leaving the Stonemason Association in a while, can you wear this dress and let me kiss you?"

The maid blushed, and Margaret turned her head away again, not letting Xia De see her smile.

This time, besides the maid, Margaret also brought a female secretary and two female bodyguards. Of course, she wasn't the kind of person who wasn't cautious. In fact, the Royal Guards had already entered the Stonemason Association one step ahead in various identities. If there was anything, she could summon a fire squad to break out in an instant.

Entering the old city area in the east from the city center of Randall Valley, it was as if the era was going backward with the carriage's advance. And coming to the Stonemason Street where the Stonemason Association was located, seeing the statues placed along the street, and the craftsmen busy in their respective shops, it was as if he had returned directly to the time before the appearance of steam industry.

People were coming and going at the entrance of the association, and the appearance of Xia De's group didn't attract much attention.

Margaret lowered her head, holding Xia De's hand. Xia De walked in front, leading the group behind him, and soon came to the counter:

"Have an appointment with President Pigman."

Xia De said to the receptionist, so the middle-aged lady in uniform asked:

"Sir, may I ask your surname is..."

Xia De turned his head slightly and looked at Margaret:

"It's this lady's appointment, the appointment surname is... Hamilton."

The Princess showed a smile that was not easy to detect, and Xia De felt that it was wonderful to say his surname in this world. And Hamilton was not a very rare surname.

The receptionist soon found this appointment, so she led the group to the third floor. Although there was a conflict between the Royal Family and the Association, the association's top management, who knew about this visit, still attached great importance to it. The office area on the third floor looked no different from when Xia De and Luvia broke in at midnight last time, but looking closely, one could find that all the doors and gas lamps had been wiped, and some of the oil paintings on the walls had been replaced with new ones, which could be considered a way for the association to express goodwill.

Xia De was very curious about how Margaret communicated in the early stages.

The president of the association and a middle-aged gentleman who was a bit fat, wearing a red vest and a monocle, were waiting in the office. Because the office door was already closed, the two middle-aged men saluted:

"It is an honor to meet you here in this ordinary afternoon, Princess Margaret."

Because the office door was already closed, the two middle-aged men saluted:

"It is an honor to meet you here in this ordinary afternoon, Princess Margaret."

"Then Your Highness, I will be outside. If there is anything, please call me."

Xia De said softly, then pretended to come to the window to check, and only then left the room.

He pressed his black hat, left the association from the lobby on the first floor very low-key. But he didn't go far, turned left, and walked into the second shop. This shop didn't sell art statues, but specialized in decorative stone carvings. In the current era, the appearance of steam factories allowed a large number of goods to be produced in batches through simple assembly line processes, so the handicrafts of old craftsmen received more attention than in the past.

The shop was large. After entering the door, Xia De declined the young apprentice who came over to talk, but walked straight to the counter, tapped four times with his ring-wearing finger, and stared at the old man behind the counter.

The latter narrowed his eyes and looked at him:

"What does the guest need?"

"Six ornaments for paperweights on the desk, use the best stone, and pick them up in six days."

The old stonemason concentrated and asked again:

"Six days is too urgent, how about sixteen days?"

Xia De continued to recite:

"Sixteen days is too long, I can pay more."

"How much more?"

"Sixteen crowns, and a brand new silk hat."

The old stonemason nodded, his expression unchanged:

"That's fine, please come to the backyard with me to see the materials."

As he spoke, he walked out of the counter, then led Xia De through the yard piled with firewood and sundries, and then through the iron stairs on the outside of the building, came to the third floor from the outer wall, opened the door, and the two came to the corridor, entered the study that was clearly remodeled for high-end business cooperation.

"Who are you? Sorry, I shouldn't ask your identity, but now it seems it's not time for handover yet."

Just after entering the room, the old man asked a bit flustered. Xia De made a gesture of silence, checked behind the cabinets and curtains. Then he tightened the curtains and said:

"Who I am, you don't need to care. Just know that we are on the same side. Your daughter is living very well in Tobesk now, you don't need to worry."

He leaned against the wall with the window, his back leaning against the curtains and the wall. Hearing Xia De say this, the old man no longer asked:

"Did you come this time to arrange other tasks?"

"Not a task. Your work in Randall Valley over the years has been outstanding. Approaching retirement, the 6th Agency won't make things difficult for you. After the Stonemason Association matter is over, you can take the severance pay and leave the organization, and then you will be free."

Xia De didn't lie; the document said so.

"That's good. When I was young, I was arranged to lurk in Wilendale, experiencing all kinds of things. In middle age, I accidentally participated in the work of building the royal mausoleum and experienced that disaster, so I was arranged to come here again. I participated in the work to be loyal to the country, and stone carving was just a small hobby before. I didn't expect that in my old age, I would hone my skills for more than ten years and become a famous craftsman locally."

The old man sat on the chair dejectedly, while Xia De was still standing:

"Princess Margaret's contact with the Stonemason Association, you should have been monitoring it all along, right?"

"Yes, the report is written very clearly. It can be confirmed that Princess Margaret wants to facilitate the new trade route in the Pantanal region and the negotiation of the border line in the disputed area... Actually, this is not difficult to notice. But in short, Xia De got some key clues, and he believed this should be able to help Margaret."

Xia De showed a mocking expression:

"That incompetent guy, I heard that he attends banquets every night in Randall Valley, and doesn't return to the manor where he is staying until late at night?"

The old stonemason also looked down on this prince:

"Old Hack didn't beat him to death at the banquet more than half a month ago, it was really his good luck."

"So, Prince William wants to prevent Princess Margaret from doing this?"

"Yes."

The old stonemason nodded cautiously:

"There is some information I haven't had time to pass on. At the banquet last week, through Stone Osenfort. Oh, this is a big businessman locally, through him, Prince William met Vice President Giles of the Stonemason Association."

Xia De raised his eyebrows. He was talking about that fat middle-aged man wearing a monocle.

"Giles is that kind of greedy and incompetent person who can do anything for money. Theoretically speaking, he is the best candidate for Princess Margaret to contact the Stonemason Association."

So he was present today.

"Stone Osenfort's reputation is very bad locally... very bad. Since this matter involves him, I can almost be sure that Vice President Giles has obtained Prince William's promise in advance and will definitely stop Princess Margaret's contact with the Stonemason Association."