My Gang of Swordsmen

Chapter 478: Chapter 168: Mr. Tachibana, Please Fence With Me! [7600]

Elodie changed into a new outfit.

She switched to a long, form-fitting robe that reached her fair heels, which looked far more comfortable than the puffy dress she wore earlier when she went for a walk with Anthony.

Aoto noticed her small and delicate feet, which were barely a palm’s size, adorned in a pair of charming white velvet slippers. It was the first time he had seen such 19th-century European women’s slippers, with a slightly high-heeled design, making a crisp "tap-tap" sound as she walked.

"Hello, Miss Angoulême," Aoto greeted Elodie simply and then looked around, "Miss Angoulême, what are you doing in the dining room? Where are Mr. Angoulême and Miss Leroy?"

"I’m reading," Elodie replied with a sweet smile, "The light is best here in the dining room, so I like to read here during the day."

"Grandfather is in his bedroom, handling some work-related matters."

"And Miss Leroy is cleaning the kitchen."

Aoto glanced at the seat Elodie had just sat in; indeed, there was an open book on the table.

With his good eyesight, Aoto saw that the pages were filled densely with French text, as incomprehensible to him as tadpoles.

"Mr. Tachibana, are you out for a break?" Elodie blinked her large eyes at Aoto.

"Yes, something like that," Aoto smiled gently, "My companions and I were feeling a bit thirsty, so I came to see if there was any water."

"Ah, Mr. Tachibana, you’ve come at just the right time," Elodie’s smile brightened, "Just now, grandfather instructed Miss Leroy to prepare our best red tea and snacks to serve everyone."

"I’ll ask Miss Leroy if the tea is ready."

With that, Elodie quickly walked over to the long table, picked up a silver bell, and gave it a gentle shake.

Ding~~

Aoto felt a tingle in his ears from the extremely crisp sound of the bell, echoing around.

As soon as the bell’s sound faded, a steady set of footsteps approached Aoto and Elodie—Leroy came over briskly, wiping her wet hands with the apron tied in front of her.

Elodie rattled off something to Leroy in French.

Leroy responded to Elodie in a flurry of French.

Aoto understood no French at all; "Bonjour" was the only word he knew.

So from Aoto’s perspective, seeing Elodie and Leroy speaking French was like two scientists discussing quantum mechanics—it was human language, but it seemed like they were speaking spells.

After Leroy finished speaking, Elodie nodded lightly, said something more, and then Leroy returned the way she came and disappeared from Aoto’s view.

"Miss Leroy said the red tea will be ready shortly," Elodie switched back to Japanese, "I’ve asked her to bring the tea and snacks over to you as soon as they are ready."

Aoto bowed slightly and expressed his gratitude to Elodie.

At this moment, out of the corner of his eye, Aoto suddenly noticed a beautifully wrapped gift box on a small round table not far from him.

The gift box, whether in design or wrapping style, was entirely in a Japanese style.

To have such a Japanese-style gift box in this European-style residence... it was like wearing a French court dress with a Tachi at the waist, extraordinarily jarring and incongruous.

Feeling a bit curious about the gift box, Aoto asked Elodie:

"Miss Angoulême, this gift box is...?"

Elodie turned her head toward the gift box on the table: "Oh, this is the gift grandfather prepared to present to Mr. Bright at his party five days from now."

"Mr. Bright?" Aoto repeated the unfamiliar name to him, softly.

Seeing Aoto’s puzzled expression, Elodie slightly smiled and began to explain to Aoto who "Mr. Bright" was.

Bright, full name John Bright, a British man, was among the first foreign merchants to set foot in Japan after it opened its borders.

He was a senior figure in the business community, known for his kindness and willingness to assist younger generations; many people had benefited from his help, making him very well-liked and respected in the Edo Residence.

In five days, it would be Bright’s 60th birthday.

To celebrate his 60th birthday, Bright decided to host a grand ball at his home on the day of his birthday, and most of the Edo Residence had received invitations to his party.

Anthony had some acquaintance with Bright, so he naturally received an invitation.

"Mr. Bright is very fond of sake from Japan, and he can drink quite a lot," Elodie said slowly, "I’ve heard Mr. Bright drinks seven or eight bottles of sake every day. To satisfy his drinking needs, he buys a large amount of sake every month from a liquor dealer named Nakamura Chouhachirou."

"So grandfather catered to his liking by ordering a very rare bottle of sake from Kyoto... which is this gift box."