❦❦❦
THE trio returned to the city in order to hear Joel’s request in private. And since Ernest had appointed himself the go-between, he insisted on bringing them to his manor.
His manor was an elegant estate, resplendent with its own rose garden.
Yuuri might have lived a simple city life, but she was still the daughter of one the Five Great Merchants of Hylant. She wasn’t as unaccustomed to vast mansions as one might expect.
“And here I had hoped Miss Yuuri and I would spend the day sampling the finest sweets at a local cafe. Joel, you owe me dearly for my boundless benevolence.” Ernest lied, making it sound like he and Yuuri had been on a date.
“I beg your pardon for intruding on your afternoon date…”
“He’s just teasing, we had no such plans, so please don’t worry about it.”
Joel looked nervously at the couple: Yuuri responded coolly while Ernest shook his head in absolute denial.
It was just about lunchtime when the trio arrived at the manor. They had finished lunch and were sitting down to tea when Joel finally brought up the topic he wanted to ask about.
“My adopted father passed away over a year ago.”
“Adopted father?” Yuuri asked.
“Yes. The former Baron Weller and his Baroness were not blessed with children of their own, so they adopted me. It happened shortly after my mother passed away, so I was really quite lucky, but being thrust into the nobility and shipped off to boarding school so suddenly was overwhelming to say the least.”
“Come to think of it, you were a cheeky little git when we first met.”
If Joel and Ernest were indeed schoolmates, then Joel must have been twenty-seven as well. He seemed an affable gentleman by what Yuuri had seen so far, despite the fact that he hadn’t been born a noble.
“Becoming a man and learning about the world tends to change a person, I believe. …Though it is a bit frightening how staunchly you refuse to change, Ernest. You were so fascinated with me in spite of my not being born a noble, or perhaps because of it.”
Yuuri could easily picture what Ernest was like as a boy. He must have been a curious child, if the intense fascination with which he had stared at her and her garments the first time they met was any indication. He also had a mysterious charm that made him easy to get along with.
“Apologies for getting so off-topic.”
“Not at all. Take your time…”
“Have you ever heard of a funadansu?”
“No, I can’t say I have,” Ernest jumped in before Yuuri could respond. She sighed, wishing he would just keep his mouth shut if he didn’t know. Annoyed, she tried to explain what a funadansu was to him.
“It’s an object similar to a safe and common in the East. It’s used on boats to store one’s valuables and built of wood so that, in the event the ship sinks, the funadansu will float while keeping the valuables secure.”
“My adopted father was a diplomat. While assigned to a post on the eastern continent, he received a funadansu.”
According to Joel, most generations of the Weller barony had been diplomats as well.
Most furnishings from the East that were used to store one’s everyday belongings were coveted as art pieces in the West. The funadasu was solid, airtight even, and its decorative metal fittings were beautiful. The ones crafted by artisans from Hinomoto were especially in high demand, and Watoh Company was more than happy to rise to the occasion. Even the funadansu which Baron Weller had received from a high-ranking Xingkaese official was made by a Hinomoto artisan.
“When he fell ill, my adopted father pleaded with me to destroy the letter he had stored away in his funadasu. But try as I might, I could not get the funadasu open. His speech had declined so much, I couldn’t even get him to explain it to me. I wasn’t willing to risk destroying the funadansu either.”
“But most funadansu—”
“Oh? Have you figured something out, Miss Yuuri?”
Yuuri glared at Ernest, irritated that he was needlessly running his mouth again.
“Count Selden, please be quiet for a moment. Baron Weller, the funadansu may have a mechanism, one that unlocks a hidden compartment.”
“Heh, my adopted mother has also suggested there might be a hidden drawer. I’ve tried several ways of finding it, with nothing to show for it. I had hoped that, with you being familiar with Eastern culture, maybe you would know a way…”
Joel was well-aware that there may be a hidden drawer, he just had no way of finding it. And that was about as much as Yuuri knew as well.
“I’m terribly sorry, but this is outside my area of expertise.”
“…I see,” Joel said, slumping his shoulders.
“Though I may know someone who can help you,” Yuuri offered, disappointed that her grandmother’s wisdom wouldn’t be able to help this time. At least she knew someone experienced in Eastern craftsmanship.
“Oh, who’s that?” Ernest asked, his eyes twinkling. He was more interested than Joel who had actually made the request.
“My older brother, Simon Watoh.”
“Older brother, eh? Well I would definitely like to meet him.”
Ernest’s smile grew mischievous. A chill ran down Yuuri’s back and she was sure that nothing good could come of this meeting.
Simon was the last person Yuuri wanted to introduce to anyone. As soon as she saw him she was ready to leave. And, just as she feared, as soon as her brother came up, Ernest, that meddlesome ball of curiosity, insisted on coming along.
Heaving a big sigh, Yuuri relented to take them both to the main headquarters of Watoh Company.
✦ ✦ ✦
❦❦❦
WATOH Company’s headquarters were in the wealthiest part of the city, just off the main road.
Yuuri normally never went anywhere near the family manor where her mother resided, but she did occasionally visit the company office. The company’s best-selling products were the teas Yuuri mixed, sold under the auspices of being from an Eastern brewer made with Western ingredients. It was the exact same as the tea Yuuri sold in her own shop, but with no customers aside from Ernest, who always drank jasmine tea, she had no sales numbers for comparison.
The doorman standing in front of the building recognized Yuuri and readily opened the door for them. The vast entrance was adorned with an ornate chandelier. Eastern-style vases dotted the room and scrolls hung on the walls. Yuuri’s companions were awestruck at the sight.
“Welcome back, miss. And fond salutations to your friends.” The older man who served as Simon’s adviser appeared. Welcoming Yuuri back as if this were still her home was a small kindness he always offered her.
Yuuri gave a tiny nod. “I apologize for disturbing your work. Where is my brother?”
“Lord Simon is in his office.”
“Is he busy today?” They had, after all, shown up unannounced. If he had clients scheduled, they’d either be forced to wait or come back another time.
“I’ll need to confer with him. Please wait here for the time being,” the elder man said, guiding them to a side room normally used for business dealings before disappearing to find Simon. Moments later, he returned, carrying a tray of tea and confections. Both Ernest, who’d learned from the copious amounts of tea he drank at Yuuri’s shop, and Joel, who worked as a diplomat, deftly managed the handleless teacups.
“Yuuri!” a slender man exclaimed as he charged into the room. With chestnut hair and grey-blue eyes, Simon’s petite stature was the only thing he had in common with his sister.
His clothes were all that gave away his Hinomoto ancestry. He wore hakama, traditional Hinomoto trousers, as part of his daily attire. And he was clearly the one sending Yuuri haori.
He immediately rushed toward his little sister, causing her to hide behind Ernest.
“I’m terribly sorry for disturbing you at work…and, I, uhm, brought visitors with me…” He could see that Yuuri was clearly afraid of him, and like a scolded dog, he pulled away.
“Sorry, it’s just you never come and see me. Now then…” he said, turning his gaze to the two young men.
“This is Count Selden and this is Baron Weller. They need your help,” she introduced from behind Ernest.
“I’m Yuuri’s older brother, Simon. Pleasure to meet you. Count Selden, I hear you have been taking particularly good care of my sister, yes?” Simon began his introduction with the affable politeness one would expect of a businessman. But as he broached the topic of Ernest, his words became sharp and his eyes began to narrow. Yuuri’s fears had been right on the mark: there was no way these two would get along.
“Not at all. As it happens, I am the one in her debt. And please call me Ernest, my esteemed big brother!”
“What?! I’m afraid you are further on in years than I, Count Selden!”