I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

After saying that, he stretched his neck high and tensed his facial features, as if he wanted Qingdeng to see his face more clearly.

Looking at Komaki Goro, who was vehemently defending himself, Aoto was stunned.

He never expected that his casual remark would elicit such a strong reaction from Goro Komaki.

Since the other party asked him to look at it again... he had no choice but to scan his eyes again, repeatedly looking between Komaki Goro's face and the figure in front of him.

Although Komaki Goro insisted that he was much more handsome than Ogata Itsuki, well... if you don't look at it, fine, but the more Aoto looked at them, the more he felt that the two really looked alike!

It must be said that the artist responsible for drawing Ogata Hayase's portrait was highly skilled.

He perfectly captured Ogata Hayashi's facial features, highlighting the most important features.

Because the shogunate was never able to capture Ogata Hayashige, his arrest warrant was never updated once it was issued.

Therefore, the image on his arrest warrant still shows him as a 20-year-old.

In contrast, Goro Komaki is a middle-aged man who is not young anymore. His skin is not as shiny as that of a young man, and there are fine wrinkles around his eyes and the bridge of his nose.

However, regardless of age, the shape of one's facial features will certainly not change much.

Qingdeng was truly looking for differences between the two with the mindset of "come and find fault quickly".

But...but...the features of these two faces are really similar!

The similarity between the two made Qing Deng think to himself:

—If Mr. Komaki were 2 or 30 years younger, the authorities might mistake him for Ogata Itsuki reincarnated!

It's fortunate that these two weren't born in the same era.

Otherwise, with that face of his, who knows how much trouble he might cause.

Ogata Itsunari's head... that's worth way too much money!

If Goro Komaki and Hayate Ogata had been born in the same era and happened to be the same age, countless bounty hunters would have been eyeing Goro Komaki, wanting to use his head to collect a reward.

Qingdeng's reflections continue:

No wonder Mrs. Gosbury married Mr. Gosbury.

Atachi had just declared loudly, her voice radiant with pride: she greatly admired Ogata Itsuki, and she thought he was the most handsome man in the world.

The clues were pieced together, and the case was solved!

Because Goro Komaki looks very similar to Ogata Hayase, Omachi falls in love with him and eventually marries him!

Qingdeng nodded slightly, thinking to himself, "So that's how it is."

Regardless, Goro Komaki was an elder he liked very much.

It's not hard to see that the other party firmly believes he is more handsome than Ogata Itsuki.

Qing Deng speculated that this might be related to A-Machi.

Because Atachi likes Ogata Itsuki, Komaki Goro tries his best to prove that he is more handsome than Ogata Itsuki.

In short, repeatedly revealing the truth and undermining others' confidence is far too cruel.

Therefore, Qingdeng planned to say something plausible to get through the current awkward situation.

However… the innocent Elodie spoke first:

“But… Mr. Komaki, you and Ogata Itsuki really look alike.”

As she spoke, she blinked her big eyes and looked at Komaki Goro with an innocent expression.

Such straightforward words, devoid of any malice, are often the most hurtful.

As expected, Komaki Goro froze as if struck by lightning.

Immediately afterwards, he deflated like a punctured balloon, revealing a weary expression that said, "I'm tired, let's just destroy it."

"This...this isn't right...I should be even more handsome...Sigh...oh well..."

From the moment she started, Atachi had been pressing her lips tightly together, so tightly that her lips had turned slightly white.

Despite her best efforts, she finally couldn't hold back any longer and let out a soft laugh.

She hurriedly raised her hand to cover her mouth, and with her efforts, she managed to plug the "loophole" and prevent further laughter from leaking out.

Atachi's sudden laughter made Komaki Goro even more depressed.

He propped his right arm up, rested his chin on it, turned his face away, and tossed the back of his head toward Atachi.

"Huh? Huh? Did I say something wrong?"

Elodie pressed her hand to her chest and asked uneasily.

Atachi waved his hand and smiled:

"It's alright, it's alright."

“Elodie, you don’t need to worry about it. You didn’t say anything wrong. You were just telling the truth.”

"Okay, okay, stop being stubborn."

Atachi's last words were naturally meant for her husband.

As soon as she finished speaking, she reached out and gently stroked Komaki Goro's hair.

The expertly offered words of comfort... It seems this isn't the first time this has happened.

……

……

About half an hour later—

Kyoto, the Angoulême family mansion—

After bidding farewell to the Gumu couple, Qingdeng and the others did not return to the garrison.

Instead, they changed direction and headed straight for the Angoulême family's mansion next door to visit Elodie's grandfather, Anthony Angoulême.

"Oh! Tachibana-kun! Long time no see!"

It had been a long time since I'd seen Qingdeng, and Colonel Sanders... ah, no, Anthony was very excited.

He opened his arms and gave Qingdeng a big, warm hug.

From the outside, the Angoulême family seems to be living a comfortable life in Kyoto.

Anthony's waist and abdomen have gotten bigger, and he's starting to look more and more like a round ball.

In addition, his Japanese has become more fluent and standard, unlike before when he had a very heavy accent.

Just as Anthony moved to the entrance to greet Qing Deng and the others, he saw a person accompanying him on his left and right sides.

The person to his left was the young maid, Leroy.

The person to his right was a young man with a solemn expression, a conspicuous scar on his left eyebrow, and a sword hanging at his waist.

This man was not French; he was a proper samurai named Torashige Toga.

As far as Qingdeng knows, he has a very impressive title: Bamboo-Breaking Red Tiger.

"Breaking through the bamboo" and "Red Tiger"... Hmm, such titles have a very Japanese chuunibyou (delusional) style.

Looking back, for some unknown reason, Anthony insisted on leaving Edo with his entire family.

In response, Kiryu's suggestion was to relocate to Kyoto.

At that moment, no sooner had Mr. Kiryu finished speaking than Anthony expressed strong incomprehension and opposition.

Kyoto was the center of the Zunyan movement.

If you throw a brick down the street in Kyoto, you can hit seven or eight radical lunatics who are obsessed with expelling foreigners.

If those three foreigners with high cheekbones and deep-set eyes went to Kyoto, wouldn't they become easy prey?

Anthony's concerns were entirely within Kiryu's expectations.

To appease and persuade Anthony, Kiryu made a promise—he would have his friends come to protect them closely.

And this Torashige Togo is the friend that Kiryu's boss mentioned.

Since this person was valued by Kiryu and entrusted with important responsibilities, he must not be an ordinary person.

Putting everything else aside, his appearance alone exudes the air of a master.

Judging from his appearance, he was around 28 years old, right in the prime of his male physique.

The neck is as thick as the head.

Both ears are typical "dumpling ears," and their original shape is no longer visible.

At first glance, it looks more like an unsightly lump of flesh hanging on each side of the head.

Even in a loose-fitting kimono, his muscular physique was still undeniable.

With his bear-like muscular physique and cold, stern facial features, he could deter enemies and "stop the fight" simply by standing there.

When Qing Deng first met Togo Torashige, he invited him to spar.

Firstly, it was to personally verify his strength and see just how capable Kiryu's friend really was, and whether he could shoulder the heavy responsibility of "protecting the Angoulême family".

Secondly, it's also a convenient way to acquire a talent.

Surprisingly, compared to his intimidating and fierce appearance, this man was actually a "pacifist".

"I'm sorry, but I don't like to spar with others unless it's necessary."

Thus, he politely declined Qingdeng's challenge, much to Qingdeng's regret.

Overall, based on his current performance, he is indeed a qualified bodyguard, and he has fulfilled his duty of "protection" very well.

The mansion that Kiryu's boss arranged for the Angoulême family was quite exquisite.

It is located precisely at the intersection of a "T"-shaped road.

There is no other way to get close to the mansion except through these three T-shaped roads.

From the highest point of the mansion (the attic), all three roads are clearly visible and completely within surveillance range.

Normally, Torashige Togo would hide in the attic, keeping a close watch on the surroundings of the mansion from above, preventing strangers from approaching.

Even at night, this is no exception.