𝓑𝓮𝓽𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓣𝓱𝓪𝓷 𝓝𝓸𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰 - ₐₛₒᵤₑ [𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐔𝐄𝐃]

♖ 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗿𝘂𝗲𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁

𝐋𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐲 𝐒𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐭

↝ It is useless for me to describe to you how terrible Violet, Klaus, Alice, and Sunny felt in the time that followed. If you have ever lost somebody very important to you, then you already know how it feels. And if you haven't... you cannot possibly imagine it.

[• • •]

The children stood in what used to be Bertrand's study, taking in the sight of their burnt house. The place looked grim, nothing like the once warm and comfortable place they called home. Even the few pieces of furniture that didn't burn down to a crisp looked like they'd crumble from the lightest of touches.

"I've never been through anything like this myself, but I can imagine how you feel." Mr. Poe claimed, which made Alice roll her eyes. "I did think you'd want to see what remains of your home, even though it is... more or less, um..."

"It's all gone," Violet stated, not wanting to sugarcoat their situation.

"I want to assure you, Baudelaires, that you have absolutely nothing-" The banker tried to reassure them before he was interrupted by Klaus.

"We have absolutely nothing," The young boy remarked, looking at the remains of the staircase he and his family - because Alice was also a part of the family, in his eyes - would use to reach the highest shelves of their impressive library.

Klaus was right. They had nothing. Nothing but each other, at least. All of their clothes, books, and inventions were gone. All of their belongings turned to ashes.

"...to worry about," Mr. Poe finished his previous sentence, looking at the orphans with pity.

"What is that?" Sunny baby-talked, pointing to an open drawer on Bertrand's desk where an intriguing object was visible. 

"I am the executor of your parents' estate, which means I'll handle all matters concerning everything they left behind." Mr. Poe affirmed, unaware of how the three teenagers approached the desk. Klaus grabbed the strange object, carefully examining it.

"What did they leave behind?" Violet asked, curious.

"Financial security." The banker told them. Klaus was still looking at the mysterious object until the bottom half broke due to the damage caused by the fire. "Your parents, Alice's guardians, left behind an enormous fortune, which will be yours when Violet comes of age. Alice is already aware that her parents did a similar thing."

The four children finally turned their full attention to Mr. Poe. "Until then, you will be placed with the proper guardian, or guardians, as decided by myself and my fellow bankers at Mulctuary Money Management."

Klaus opened the lid of the object that looked strangely similar to a spyglass. However, before he could examine it further, Mr. Poe indicated them to follow him outside so they could say their proper goodbyes to their house. 

At a moment's notice, they were all in the back of the banker's car, Sunny sitting on Violet's lap, as they said goodbye to the place they once considered home and, consequently, to their previous lives. 

⋅ ❴ ⋈ ❵ ⋅

Mr. Poe sheltered the four orphans that night, promising to identify their designated guardian by the following morning. The evening the Baudelaires and Alice spent in the banker's household was far from pleasant, however. 

Mr. Poe's wife and children did no effort to talk to them, and on the few occasions they did, the conversation was limited to rude remarks and Eleanor bragging about the front-page article she wrote about the Baudelaire fire.