As far as Qingdeng knows, French people with "German" in their names are basically nobles.
"German" in French is similar to "from" in English, which means "where it comes from."
In order to distinguish themselves from ordinary civilians and show their prominent status, the nobles took the name of their fiefdom as their surname, plus the prefix "德".
"De" is preceded by the person's name and followed by the name of the fiefdom. "XX·De·YY" means "XX from YY".
Take the name "Alice d'Orléans" as an example, its meaning is "Alice from Orleans".
Qingdeng did not know the noble lady named "Alice".
——I do know a girl named "Elody Angoulême".
What a pity that Tsing Teng really doesn’t understand France’s humanities and history.
Therefore, he did not know what kind of place "Orleans" was.
In Europe, the size of the fiefdom and the level of economic development determine the level of the nobility.
It's embarrassing to say that when talking about "Orleans", Qingdeng only thinks of Kentucky's New Orleans Grilled Chicken Leg Burger.
Thinking of this burger, he suddenly felt a strong craving for it, his mouth was filled with saliva, and he almost drooled.
No matter how delicious the cuisine of the feudal era is, it cannot be compared with modern cuisine.
Not to mention anything else, the quality of the condiments alone makes a world of difference.
The stranger looked at Qingden and Kinoshita Mai eagerly, waiting expectantly for a reply.
Qingdeng shook his head and replied:
"Sorry, we have never seen such a girl."
Even Qingdeng, who doesn't know much about Europe, knows that "Alice" is not a rare name.
Its popularity is similar to China's "X Ting" and "X Juan".
Since "Alice in Wonderland" became popular throughout Europe, "Alice" has become one of the most common and popular girls' names in the Western world.
It has even led to the general impression among literary and art workers that "girls with blond hair should be called 'Alice'".
As soon as Qingteng finished speaking, Kinoshita Mai on the back asked curiously:
"Doesn't this girl have any more obvious physical features?"
It has to be said that the amount of information given by the stranger is really too little - hair color, eye color and age are all gone.
A Frenchman with blond hair and blue eyes is no different from a Chinese with black hair and black eyes.
The blond-haired, blue-eyed Frenchman is gone. This is not a very noticeable or impressive appearance feature at all.
"Ah! I have a picture of her!"
As he spoke, the stranger hurriedly stretched out his hand and took out an old photo as big as a palm.
"Please look!"
Qingden carefully reached out and took it.
This photo is really old.
It's so old that it can be shattered with just a breath of air.
He was afraid that he might accidentally break it.
Therefore, he used the tips of his thumb and index finger to gently hold a corner of the photo to avoid causing any irreversible damage to it.
Kinoshita Mai leaned her head over and watched intently with Qingto.
I saw two figures, one big and one small, reflected in the photo.
The larger figure stood upright, with head held high and chest raised, like a soldier.
As for the smaller figure, he was sitting on a chair with his knees together, fully dressed.
The stranger thoughtfully pointed to the petite figure in the photo.
"She is Alice."
His reminder was obviously unnecessary - if the little man was not Alice, could the tall man be Alice?
Today's cameras are still very backward.
Not only is it huge in size and complicated to operate, but the clarity of the photos it produces is really lackluster.
Either the exposure is severe, or the focus is incorrect... there are many problems.
It is no exaggeration to say that even with the most advanced cameras, every photo taken looks like a ghost film. In the true sense, "photographing people looks like ghosts."
The resolution of the photo is not very high.
On this basis, this photo is really old, and some places are seriously yellowed and faded.
And unfortunately, that part of Alice's face was severely damaged.
In this way, it will be more difficult to see his face clearly.
Qingdeng had narrowed his eyes and observed very hard, but he could only barely make out his figure.
Other than that, all you can see is a dark mass.
All in all, the effect of this photo cannot be said to be better than nothing, it can only be said to be useless.
Qingdeng handed the photo back and said with a wry smile:
"Stop, your photo is really blurry, I can't see it clearly at all."
The other party seemed to have anticipated this situation and did not show any disappointment.
He put away the photos silently, and then sighed heavily:
"Alas, this is the only photo of Alice... It would be nice if this photo could be clearer..."
Qingden raised his eyebrows disapprovingly - to be honest, even if the photo was very clear, he didn't think they could identify the grown-up Alice based on this old photo.
Children grow very fast, almost every year.
Judging from the figure in the photo, Alice was probably only around 6 years old when this photo was taken.
According to what the stranger just said, Alice is already 15 years old this year.
6 years old to 15 years old - this age gap is not too big!
After such a long time, his appearance may have changed drastically.
At this time, Kinoshita Wu suddenly asked the stranger:
"Sir, is it possible that this girl is your beloved?"
The stranger nodded vigorously.
"Well! Yes! She is my daughter!"
As he spoke, he took out the old photo again and looked at it carefully with a nostalgic look on his face.
"This is a family photo, and the man standing right here is me."
"What a pity...her mother passed away prematurely, so this photo only contains her and me."
Qingdeng frowned lightly and asked:
"Sir, please forgive me for asking - what happened to your daughter-in-law?"
Although Qingdeng spoke very reservedly, everyone could hear the implication behind his words - why are you looking for your daughter?
The stranger was silent for a while, then let out a long sigh.
"...Seven years ago, when my daughter was 8 years old, she suddenly disappeared."
"According to my subsequent investigation, she was most likely abducted..."
"I heard she was abducted to the Far East."
"So, while doing business, I looked for her everywhere."
"The world is so vast. Even this small island country would be enough for me to search for decades."
"Although I really don't want to admit it...but the chance of finding my daughter is really hopelessly slim..."
"However, as long as there is a glimmer of hope, I will not give up!"
Having said this, he paused.
When he spoke again, he changed into a sad tone:
"Oh... time flies so fast."
"Seven years have passed since she was brutally trafficked."
"She is 15 years old this year...she is old enough to get married."
"She should be like her mother and become a graceful beauty."
It turned out to be a father who was looking for his missing daughter...
Kinoshita Mai, who was full of emotions, suddenly looked melancholy and sad.
She was an abandoned child.
Therefore, she has a strong resonance with such things.
Qingdeng, on the other hand, looked calm.
It's not that he is cold-blooded.
He just habitually maintains a "wary" mentality.
Who is this stranger?
To put it bluntly, to Qingdeng, the other party is just a complete stranger.
Qingdeng didn't know his details at all.
God knows how much of what he just said is true and how false.
Of course, we cannot rule out the possibility that he has been telling the truth.
Throughout the ages, from east to west, human traffickers have emerged in endlessly.
Westerners have always been like this.
On weekdays, they always use nice words such as "advanced" and "modern" on their lips, claiming to be civilized.
But the most uncivilized and brutal group is none other than them.
In the current period when "capitalism is unscrupulously devouring Europe", Westerners can be said to have taken this attribute of "talking all about doctrine and thinking all about business" to the extreme.
At the macro level, there are governments that brazenly launch aggressive wars just to sell opium.
At the micro level, there are businessmen who have broken through the lower limit and will not hesitate to sell the rope used to hang them as long as it is profitable.
Whether it is human trafficking or opium cultivation, as long as it is a profitable business, there will be countless businessmen vying to do it.
Completely ignoring ethics and morality, disregarding general ethics, and promoting the so-called "market economy" to the extreme.
Leaving aside the long-standing "triangular trade", let's just talk about the present - today's master of human trafficking is undoubtedly the famous "Museum of Mankind".
Through various methods such as robbery, trading, etc., we collect dwarfs, gigantism and other deformed children, lock them in cages, and display them everywhere like exhibits to satisfy people's curiosity and call them "human beings".
museum".
There are countless embarrassing things similar to this at the hands of Western businessmen.
What's even more frightening is that they have no malicious intentions when earning these "bloody money".
In other words, they don't feel that the things they do are wrong or sinful at all.
Because of this, when facing big businessmen from the West, Qingdeng would always be subconsciously vigilant and keep an eye out—none of these guys who have been baptized by capitalism is a good person!
Judging from what the stranger just said, his daughter seems to look pretty good.
In this case, it makes more sense that she was abducted.
After all, it is no secret that Westerners have a "preference" for and harm to children.
The most typical example is "The Godfather and the Little Boy".
If it were the 21st century, she might have been sold to an island.
When he thought of this, Qingdeng couldn't help but feel pity in his heart and cast a sympathetic look at the stranger in front of him.
If what he just said is true, then this father is really pitiful.
My 8-year-old daughter was abducted and her whereabouts are unknown, and her life and death are unknown... Just imagining it makes people feel extremely suffocated!
However, apart from "expressing deep sympathy", there was nothing else Aomori and Mai Kinoshita could do.
It is true that they did not know the blond girl named "Alice d'Orléans".
Even if you want to lend a helping hand, there is no way to start.
Seeing that his expectations were disappointed once again, the stranger sighed again.
"Sorry to disturb you..."
After that, he put the old photo in his hand back into his arms, straightened his clothes, and seemed to be ready to leave.
Before leaving, he said to Qingdeng solemnly:
"Your Excellency, please allow me to solemnly say thank you for your help just now!"
Qingdeng nodded gently to show his gratitude for accepting him.
"I wish you peace! I wish you find your daughter as soon as possible!"
Kinoshita Mai kindly sends her blessings.
The stranger twitched the corners of his mouth and forced a smile:
"Well, I appreciate your good advice!"
…
…
The stranger walked at a leisurely pace.
The strange thing is that he did not go to the settlement of Westerners, but went straight to the outskirts of Osaka.
Soon, all the houses and buildings disappeared, leaving only dense woods and shrubs.
Suddenly, a "rustling" sound came from his side.
"...Come out."
The stranger said calmly with an expressionless face.
"...Sir, why did you go out without permission again?"
With a helpless voice, a tall young man slowly walked out of the bushes, walked to the stranger, and then knelt down on one knee.
Taking a closer look, this man is not a Westerner, but a real Japanese. He is extremely unremarkable in appearance and appearance.
"'Watching the lively street scenes' - this is one of the few hobbies I have."
As the stranger spoke, he turned to look at Osaka behind him, which was shrouded in dots of lights.
"The lively street scene represents stability, prosperity and peace."
"These beautiful scenes will inspire me! Make me full of strength! Make me energetic and continue to dedicate myself to the great cause!"
Having said this, the stranger paused for a moment, and then cast an angry look at the young man in front of him:
"What? Is it possible that I don't even have the right to 'go out'?"
The young man said hurriedly:
"Please forgive me, sir! I'm just worried about your personal safety!"
The stranger waved his hand.
"That's okay. I understand your worries."
"In fact, I did encounter some trouble just now."
"While passing through an alley with many izakaya bars, I was troubled by drunkards."
"Fortunately, I met a kind person who came to my rescue."
"Ah, by the way...I even forgot to ask the other person's name."
The stranger smiled bitterly.
"Forget it... Judging from the other person's appearance, he probably won't tell me his real name."
He spread his hands and then stepped forward again.
"Let's go back."
He had not taken two steps when the young man spoke suddenly - the latter's sudden speech immediately made the former freeze in place like stone.
"Sir, there is news about your daughter."
"What did you say?!"
The stranger turned his head suddenly, and his two sharp and fiery gazes were directed towards the young man.
Although the young man was startled, he continued his words dutifully:
"It is reported that the Shinsengumi recently recruited a French girl who is proficient in arithmetic to fill the vacancy of the 'Director of the Finance Office'."
"The girl's name is Elodie Angouleme. She is 15 years old and has light blond hair and sky blue eyes."
The further the stranger listened, the more dramatic his expression changed.
First there was anticipation, then surprise, thoughtfulness, and finally ecstasy.
"Elodie...Angoulême...is proficient in arithmetic...can't go wrong! It's definitely her! It's definitely her!!"
The stranger shouted excitedly.
"The ages and looks match! Even the specialty of being 'proficient in arithmetic' matches very well. There is no such coincidence in the world!"
"Alice... you let me find you! I finally found you!"
Before he could say anything else, he couldn't wait to kick his feet and run towards the north with rapid strides.
"Sir, please stay!"
The young man quickly called him.
"Where are you going?"
"Does that need to be said?"
The stranger said without looking back.
"I want to find my daughter! It's just to find my daughter that I traveled thousands of miles to this small island country!"
After that, he ignored the young man and prepared to move on.
However, the young man added new words in time, causing him to stop again.
"Sir, new instructions have been issued from 'above'! You are ordered to return to the 'Big Nest' immediately!"
The stranger was startled.
"...Why do you want me to go back at this time?"
His face was elongated, his cheeks were darkened, and his expression was particularly ugly.
"I'm just a small person, so I don't know the specific matters."
"But...according to what 'above' revealed, after years of forbearance and accumulation, we are going to make big moves next!"
When the word "big move" was mentioned, the young man could not suppress the excitement in his voice.
"..."
The stranger sank, silent for the most part.
After a while, he let out a long breath.
"There is no other way... Since it is his order, I can only obey it."
"I gave up the precious time of 'reuniting with my daughter' and hurried back to the 'big nest'."
"If it wasn't for some big event that called me back, then I wouldn't give up!"
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Could it be that... Elodie is Alice?! (Leopard Silly.jpg)
