Hayahiko came to the small garden inside the house and sat cross-legged on the wooden corridor floor.
"Master."
"Please sit down."
"Yes." Changkichi bowed his head and knelt behind him.
What is your opinion?
"A young man with a bright future, who may grow to the point where he can lead the Shingu Family to its peak."
Hayahiko frowned slightly. "A young man? He certainly doesn't seem like a child."
"Sir, perhaps you should change your strategy."
"In accordance with?"
"Young Master Wayne is very disciplined and very good at disguising negative emotions."
Changkichi briefly described what had happened since they met and arrived here.
He chose to quietly leave when faced with the young girl's hobbies, and when he saw his three roommates secretly drinking cocktails, he didn't stop them, but immediately thought of legal issues.
You don't intend to comply; you just find it too troublesome?
"I heard their family owns a gun shop that doesn't deal in magic weapons?"
"Yes, sir."
The father is a member of the military special forces, the mother is a working housewife, but the son is not a law-abiding person.
Hayahiko raised an eyebrow. "Changkichi, do you think it's necessary to continue the investigation?"
"Master, we can only use the channels of those without magic."
The British Wizarding World is very complex, and the Shingu Family currently has no control over it.
"Fine, let's leave it at that." He placed his hands on his knees. "As long as we can hold off the Abe and Ashiya families, that's good enough."
"I understand, sir." Changkichi nodded respectfully, took a few steps back while kneeling, and then stood up.
The master and servant did not make eye contact throughout, but their way of getting along was very tacit.
The atmosphere in the reception room was completely different.
There was absolutely no tacit understanding; in fact, there was a hint of tension.
It all started with just a cup of tea.
In the Western world, especially in Britain afternoon tea is a favorite, tea culture has always been known for its meticulousness.
The teaware is particularly exquisite, including antique Victorian porcelain cups and plates, and sterling silver teapots and teaspoons.
Cakes and pastries should be placed on tart-shaped racks. The designs can be simple, but they must be clean and tidy.
A gentleman should remain composed and behave appropriately.
Ladies should speak elegantly and always greet others with a smile.
In the Eastern world, where tea culture originated, all of the above can only be considered amateurish attempts, especially in Japan, where the "tea ceremony" is divided into more than twenty schools.
Unlike the simplified modern tea ceremony, the Shingu Family's tea ceremony is not just about being particular, but rather extremely complicated.
From grinding the tea leaves into a fine powder to cleaning the teaware, and ensuring the host's movements are standardized, rhythmic, graceful, and precise, everything must be done correctly.
As the tea master, Rinne lit the charcoal fire, boiled water, brewed tea and matcha, and then served them to the guests in turn.
The first cup was Vincent's.
He simply accepted the tea politely and expressed his gratitude, and the already very formal atmosphere instantly froze.
No problem with the interior, no problem with the lack of chairs, and no problem with respecting the host's home.
But when all of these are combined, it's no longer the etiquette of tea culture, but rather pure torture.
For example, what kind of felt, what kind of back, what kind of throat...
The more well-behaved Rinne and Vincent were, the more uncomfortable the rest of the group became.
When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
However, the hosts would not make their guests feel uncomfortable.
"Everyone can relax a bit." Rinne very reservedly brewed a second cup of tea.
"Vincent, you too."
There's nothing wrong with what you said, it's just that it's very easy for people to misunderstand it.
Especially that little witch.
In a hostile context, this seemingly unintentional remark can sound like a provocation.
She was overthinking it; James wasn't.
He stretched out his legs, casually picked up the teacup, and drank it down in one gulp.
This is a frivolous act that will be looked down upon by the host!
Hermione took a deep breath and glared at her fiercely.
The fact that they are looked down upon means that Vincent will also be looked down upon.
Now that there's no blatant exploitation, what's next?
The atmosphere, which had just relaxed, became tense again.
Just as Vincent, one of the parties involved, was about to say something to ease the tension, Meiko entered with Aki and Marietta.
They got along very well.
Internal breakthrough?
Rinne noticed Hermione's unease. "Miss Granger, are you not used to the taste of tea?"
"No, I like it very much."
Her smile was stiff, and her posture showed some resistance.
She didn't understand why, but after all, he was Vincent's classmate.
The Britain have a preference for black tea, especially rich and flavorful milk tea and lemon tea.
It's normal for kids not to like Shizuoka tea, which is bitter at first but sweet later.
She quietly instructed the servants outside to prepare black tea and milk.
The items had just been delivered, and even Daphne was a little annoyed.
While it's true that they value form and flavor, gentlemen and ladies are never oblivious to romance.
This is blatant contempt!
"Miss Jingu, may I ask if you could prepare some more cherries and roses?"
"Of course, no problem, Miss Greengrass." Rinne turned her back and frowned slightly.
Not only Vincent is taking the initiative, but Daphne seems to be doing the same.
She has a temper, she does have a temper.
They're all young ladies from wealthy families, so it's understandable.
The blame can only be placed on him.
Vincent was puzzled.
The clash between Eastern and Western cultures can be resolved simply by talking it out.
The tension was rising, and all the blame was being directed at him.
Yes, it was his fault for not explaining things clearly, but couldn't he at least show some consideration?
Hmm—it doesn't seem necessary between friends.
Meiko, who understood, would occasionally glance at it with interest.
The little boys who couldn't understand were communicating with their eyes.
James: Old Wen's hellhole!
Neville: What do you mean?
Cedric: meaning hell.
Alfred: Yes, they'll die a horrible death.
Rolf: Let's just watch the show quietly.
Vincent knew exactly what they were thinking.
"Let me do it." He took the teapot from Rinne's hand.
It's just rose tea and lemon cherry fruit tea.
Discard the first brew of black tea, and also discard the second brew of rose tea.
After removing the bitterness from the tea leaves and petals, a cup of fragrant rose tea is ready.
Next, cut the bottom of the cherry open, slice the lemon, and pour in the slightly bitter black tea. The sweet and sour lemon cherry fruit tea is now complete.
One cup was placed in front of Daphne, and the other in front of Rinne.
"Cough cough—"
Vincent reluctantly looked at Hermione, "What would you like to drink?"
"Ordinary".
Daphne took a small sip of rose tea.
It's not bitter, it's all floral fragrance.
Rinne really likes the sweet and sour taste of lemon cherry fruit tea with a hint of astringency.
Hermione was quite satisfied with her simple cup of black tea.
The three witches seemed to have no intention of nitpicking any further, and all sat quietly sipping their tea.
James' eyes lit up. "Old Wen, can I—"
"Cannot."
Meiko smiled and turned around, then smiled again and continued chatting with Aki and Marietta.
He's quite adept at defusing conflicts with ease; he certainly has a knack for dealing with girls.
If it's not talent, it can only be a deep understanding of human nature.
To be this good at 12 years old, it's hard to imagine how far he'll grow.