The Baudelaire children were taken to their new guardian Count Olaf. Olaf is a distant relative of the children. He works as an actor. On their way, they met Justice Strauss. Strauss is a kind and friendly judge who lives in the house next to them. She tells the children that they are welcome in her home anytime, which has a library in it. Count Olaf is a very cruel, filthy man. He has one long eyebrow and a strange tattoo of an eye on his left ankle. Olaf lives in a dirty musty house. Most importantly, he only adopted the children to get their money. He constantly made them do chores and other things, while only giving them with one bed to sleep in. Count Olaf also refers them as "orphans" instead of "children".