I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

"I am very happy and content here."

"I don't want to go with you, and I won't go with you."

"My mind is made up, and I will never change it."

Please understand!

Elodie's words were quite concise.

Express your feelings directly and without saying a word of nonsense.

Mael stared blankly at Elodie.

Judging from his appearance, he probably never expected that his daughter, who used to listen to him so obediently, would say such a thing.

After a brief moment of surprise, he gritted his teeth, a look of anger flashing across his face, and said sharply in French:

"Alice, what nonsense are you spouting? Happiness? Joy? Does being a so-called head of the finance department really make you happy?" (French)

Although Qingdeng's French wasn't fluent, he could tell from Mael's tone that the other man was angrily rebuking Elodie.

Elodie knew that Qingdeng's French was only at a "barely comprehensible" level, so she didn't make things difficult for him and continued speaking in Japanese:

"Father, I don't want to say anything more."

"Think whatever you want."

"I'm not going with you!"

By the end, his tone revealed unwavering determination.

"..."

Mael lowered his eyelids, and his originally bright expression gradually turned into a terrifying cloud.

Just then, Qingdeng quietly interjected:

“…Mr. Orleans, I am an outsider and should not interfere in your family affairs.”

“However, as Alice’s swordsmanship teacher, I must say this: Alice is not your property!”

"She has her own life."

"Whether you are the King of France or the King of England, you can be whatever king you want. These are your own affairs, so don't involve her."

"Let her go."

"Stop imposing your selfish desires on her!"

Qingdeng's impassioned voice resonated through the surrounding air.

While delivering his impassioned speech, he kept a close eye on the other party's every move and secretly prepared to deal with any unexpected situation.

The master and apprentice were both waiting for the other's reaction.

Qing Deng was prepared to face the other party's exasperation or fury.

But to his surprise... Mael's next move was completely unexpected.

"...In that case, please allow me to take my leave."

He lowered his head and bowed very politely, then stood up and made as if to leave.

At this moment, the master and disciple were truly caught off guard...

Upon seeing this, Qing Deng, despite his strong will, was stunned.

Elodie also looked surprised.

But in the blink of an eye, she seemed to realize something, and a look of seriousness flashed in her eyes.

……

……

Leaving the reception room and reaching the entrance hall, he strode away, watched by his master and apprentice—his arrival sudden, his departure fleeting. And so, Mael walked further and further away, finally disappearing around the corner in the distance.

—What's going on here?

Even now, Qingdeng is still unable to recover.

In his mind, the "script" should have been like this—

Enraged by his verbal attacks, Mael yelled, "What do you know, you outsider?" and threw an angry punch.

Judging from his physique, Mael must be someone who exercises regularly, so his fighting ability is not weak.

But no matter how strong he is, he can never be a match for Qing Deng.

To prevent him from suddenly attacking and injuring people, Qing Deng had been secretly gathering his strength and making preparations.

The instant before he threw his punch, Qing Deng gracefully caught it, then used his honed jujitsu skills to slam him heavily to the ground, physically calming him down.

Finally, Qingdeng and Elodie launched a verbal offensive, appealing to their emotions and reasoning, and successfully persuaded the other party to make concessions.

This is the "script" that Qing Deng envisioned.

He had high hopes, but he never expected... the other party would completely deviate from the expected pattern!

Let alone throwing a punch, the other party didn't even say a few words before just walking away.

Thus, Qingdeng suddenly felt a sense of powerlessness, as if he had "punched a cotton ball".

Just then, out of the blue, Elodie suddenly spoke up:

"...Master, don't be careless."

Elodie's face darkened as she spoke, her expression becoming solemn.

Do you know what the most terrifying thing about your father is?

That is 'perfect rationality'.

“Acting impulsively, losing one’s temper for a woman…these things would never happen to my father.”

"Whether it's dealing with people or things, he only pursues efficiency and profit, and doesn't care about anything else."

"No matter what kind of problem or predicament he faces, he will choose the most efficient and profitable option."

"He was like a machine, without any extra emotion."

"To achieve his goal, he could endure pain and humiliation that others found unbearable."

"In short, he took the principle of 'being flexible and adaptable' to the extreme."

"In my opinion... his sudden departure was nothing more than a product of 'pursuit of profit'."

"He must have felt that talking wasn't enough to get me away."

"If you try to take it by force, not to mention me, you can make your master suffer a lot."

"Therefore, considering all the potential risks, he decided to 'avoid the limelight for now' and leave first, and then make further plans later."

Qingdeng listened quietly.

After Elodie finished speaking, he raised his gaze again, looking straight in the direction Mael had just left, his eyes deep and thoughtful.

Elodie is the other party's own daughter, so what she just said naturally carries a high degree of credibility.

The daughter he had been searching for was right in front of him, yet he chose to temporarily give up in a very short time... If Elodie's speculations are true, then Mael's character is truly terrifying!

"...There's something I really don't understand."

Elodie spoke again.

She let out a long sigh, then continued the conversation:

"What was it that made my father go to such lengths to travel across the ocean to find me?"

"To be honest, this doesn't seem like something he would do."

"Crossing the sea by boat is very dangerous."

"One wrong move and you'll be eaten by a fish."

"Is my life so important to him that it's worth him leaving France and traveling all the way to this small island nation thousands of miles away?"

After hearing this, Qing Deng casually asked:

"Could it be because your father really cares about you?"

“You are his only daughter, and the sole heir to the ‘kingdom’.”

"He has every reason to find you and win you back."

As soon as Qing Deng finished speaking, Elodie shook her head:

"No, it's impossible."

“As I just said, my father is a ‘perfectly rational’ person.”

“He is by no means the kind of person who would delay his great cause of restoring his country because of a mere ‘only daughter’.”

“If he is afraid of losing the heir to the ‘kingdom,’ he can have a few more children.”

"He is in his prime and is fully capable of raising a new child."

"He doesn't seem like the kind of person who would be unwilling to remarry because he still cares about his deceased wife."

At this point, Elodie paused, her expression and tone revealing a hint of disappointment.

“I suspect that my father came to Japan for something else.”

“This matter is quite important, and it is entirely worth the risk for him.”

"As for 'finding my daughter,' that's just... a side thing..."

After saying that, she lowered her head, looked at her toes, and her expression became complicated and indescribable.

……

……

Orange Mansion, a courtyard somewhere—

Qingdeng told the preoccupied Elodie to go and rest first.

He then came to the courtyard alone.