Mukiwa hurriedly closed her eyes again.
“Young Master, this is a good opportunity.”
“Hmm? What opportunity?”
Mr. Kiryu revealed a meaningful smile.
“An opportunity for Mr. Tachibana to meet your grandmother.”
Mukiwa almost instinctively opened her eyes again. Fortunately, she reacted quickly, and just as her eyelids began to lift slightly, she swiftly pressed them back down.
At this moment, Mr. Kiryu continued:
“Young Master, I don’t need to elaborate; you should know: if you want to develop that kind of relationship with Mr. Tachibana, you must first get your Lord’s approval.”
“...”
“Your Lord will absolutely not allow her beloved granddaughter to be with someone she looks down upon as a weakling.”
“...”
“So if you don’t want your relationship with Mr. Tachibana to remain only at the ‘friends’ level, it’s essential to let Mr. Tachibana meet your Lord, let her see for herself whether this young samurai named ‘Tachibana Aoto’ has the qualification to become her grandson-in-law.”
“...”
Mukiwa has been silent from the beginning.
Although her face still bore the makeup she hoped for later and a genuine smile stemming from knowing her grandmother was coming to see her, Mr. Kiryu could clearly feel that Mukiwa’s mood was now somewhat downcast.
Mr. Kiryu timely stopped speaking.
After a brief silence, he smiled faintly and said in a relaxed tone:
“Young Master, there’s no need for you to feel heavy-hearted.”
“Do you not have confidence in the man you admire?”
“Your Lord likes young people who are talented but not arrogant... and Mr. Tachibana just happens to be such a talented personality.”
“From what I know about your Lord, she only dislikes three types of people.”
“People with dishonest intentions.”
“People who indulge in societal interests.”
“And those who are libertine and think of marrying many wives.”
“So, take it easy.”
“Although I don’t dare to guarantee that your Lord will definitely favor Mr. Tachibana, I dare say she won’t dislike him too much.”
Upon hearing Mr. Kiryu say this, the faint “dark fog” hovering at Mukiwa’s brow dissipated quite a bit.
But suddenly, Mukiwa’s features stiffened.
Societal interests... the term Mr. Kiryu just mentioned stirred in Mukiwa’s mind a fragment of memory.
An extremely “fresh” memory—scenes of Aoto and Toshisuke’s intimate interaction at the celebration banquet three days ago flashed quickly through Mukiwa’s mind.
“... Speaking of societal interests...” Mukiwa stammered, “Mr. Kiryu, when I was taking a walk on the street lately, I saw two samurai, as robust as bears, flaunting themselves while whispering sweet nothings.”
“It’s a common occurrence.” Mr. Kiryu responded casually.
“It’s really amazing, you know. Some men, despite having faces that are very popular with girls, unexpectedly indulge in societal interests.”
“I’ve heard that some people of societal interests have particularly vile temperaments; they have no interest in women at all, but to smoothly pass on their lineage, they deliberately deceive women who are unaware of their inclination into marriage.”
Mukiwa specifically paused here, then pretended to nonchalantly ask the elderly gentleman, who has crossed more bridges than she has walked roads, before her:
“I wonder if there’s any effective way to identify those who indulge in societal interests.”
“Methods... well, there are some.”
Upon hearing Mr. Kiryu take the bait, Mukiwa’s hands tightly clasped together in excitement on her lap.
Unaware of the small gesture of Mukiwa, Mr. Kiryu, in a casual chatting manner, leisurely said:
“Simply put, compared to average people, the greatest difference of those indulging in societal interests is that they are only interested in the same gender.”
“Except for the very few exceptions where they are interested in both men and women, those indulging in societal interests will not want to have relations with the opposite sex.”
“Those who want to have relations with the opposite sex are not people of societal interests.”
“I see...”
Mukiwa pursed her lips forcefully, then softly repeated Mr. Kiryu’s words in a volume only she could hear.
“Those who want relations with the opposite sex are not of societal interests...”
It’s fortunate that Mukiwa’s eyes are closed now.
Otherwise, Mr. Kiryu would see the semblance of musing emerging deep within Mukiwa’s pupils.
At this moment, Mukiwa suddenly felt that the tingling sensation pressed against her facial skin since Mr. Kiryu started applying her makeup had disappeared.
“Alright, Young Master, I’ve finished your makeup, open your eyes and take a look.”
With Mr. Kiryu’s words barely finished, Mukiwa immediately opened her eyes and turned her head towards the Western glass mirror beside her.
At the next moment when her eyes touched the mirror, Mukiwa’s beautiful eyes instantly blossomed with surprise and disbelief.
...
...
That night—
Edo, near Ryogoku Bridge—
“Cold water~! Cold water~! It’s both icy and sweet~!”
“Grilled eel! Freshly grilled eel! Come smell it! What fragrant eel!”
“As long as your sandbag hits something, that thing is yours!”
“Oh~ sir, your arm is so strong!”
...
Before reaching the area where Ryogoku Bridge could be seen, the dense crowd and noise surrounded Aoto with an overwhelming presence.
Aoto had anticipated in advance that the fireworks festival, being the most popular public event in Edo throughout the year, would attract visitors in countless numbers comparable to the sands of the Ganges.
However... despite mentally preparing thoroughly, upon personally arriving at the edge of Ryogoku Bridge and witnessing the actual flow of people at the event site, Aoto couldn’t help but be startled.

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