After the little performance by Naoki and Rei concluded.
Whether due to noble etiquette or something else, Marie, like most Magus Naoki had met, held a cup of specially brewed black tea, sipped it leisurely, and then spoke to him.
"Mr. Natsukawa, may I ask you a few questions?"
"Hm? Go ahead."
"Regarding your purpose for boarding this train." Marie asked. "I heard from Father that you're here on the Mystic Eye Collection Train at his request to protect me. Is that true?"
Pausing his meal, Naoki hesitated for a moment. "Yes, that's true. Of course, whether I'll actually help you when you're in trouble depends on my own judgment."
"So… you might not protect me?"
"To put it bluntly—I won't help you unless you've truly exhausted all your options and are in a situation you absolutely can't resolve with your own strength."
Naoki said with a smile, "For example, imagine every passenger on this train is your enemy. Your attendant, Trisha, has been silently taken out after boarding, leaving you to face the entire train's enemies alone—that's when I'd step in."
"Of course, in reality, handling even a third of the train would already be considered a great effort. I'm not that harsh. The conditions for my intervention are fairly flexible."
After hearing this brief explanation, Marie roughly understood Naoki's purpose for being on the train and his criteria for action.
Naoki was indeed here at her father's request, but he wouldn't constantly place her under his protection. He'd let her handle her own problems and only intervene if she truly couldn't manage anymore.
This aligned perfectly with Marie's thinking. If a bodyguard suddenly stuck by her side twenty-four hours a day, even if he was a handsome and refined young man, she'd still feel annoyed.
She was Olga Marie Animusphere, daughter of the Lord of the Department of Astromancy, the current acting Lord, and the sole heir to the next Lordship—not a frail little girl in a greenhouse who needed constant protection.
She wasn't that weak.
"Your approach is very helpful, Mr. Natsukawa. Though I'm deeply grateful for your willingness to protect me."
"You're welcome."
Naoki waved his hand, then scooped some rice and glanced around. "Still, I'm a bit surprised. Isn't your attendant, Miss Trisha, with you? Aren't you worried about being alone?"
"I'm not someone who can't function without Trisha. Since there were some things she needed to confirm, Trisha went to meet the train's conductor."
To meet that conductor-like man from last night?
Naoki bit his spoon. "About a Mystic Eye transaction?"
"I'm not obligated to explain this to you. A bodyguard's job doesn't include prying, does it?"
"Fair point. I was too forward… Well, let's end our discussion here."
In the middle of their conversation, Naoki suddenly stopped. He quickly finished his lunch and stood. "Since I have some matters to attend to, I'll head out first. Enjoy your lunch, Princess."
"Princess—?!"
Being called that out of nowhere, Marie's face instantly flushed. An unbearable sense of embarrassment welled up from deep within her.
(Calling me Princess… What an unserious guy!)
(Is this how he flirts with women?)
Marie knew a bit about the tactics men like him used. No wonder those rumors spread—Naoki could say sweet words so naturally.
"Don't think I'll fall for your tricks, Mr. Natsukawa."
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
In the corridor of the carriage next to the dining car.
Following behind Naoki, Rei suddenly asked, "Master, do you have any bad intentions toward that young Lady Lord?"
"Why would you think that?" Naoki tilted his head, puzzled. "What kind of person do you take me for to think that… Where's your respect for me as your Master?"
"My loyalty and respect for you are completely genuine. I believe you felt that firsthand multiple times last night, didn't you?"
Rei said, placing her hand on her chest. Though that area now appeared flat, indistinguishable from her back, last night Naoki had nearly suffocated there. Its weight was indeed considerable.
"However, guiding you back to the right path when you start having wayward thoughts is also my duty as a maid. If you truly have bad intentions toward that young lady, Rei has no choice but to ensure you can't get out of bed for the entire train journey."
"Of course, you needn't worry, Master. We'll always be by your side. A good maid must always accompany her master."
Rei uttered these terrifying words with a smile. When others try to guide someone back to the right path, they use words or a personality-correcting punch. But she planned to keep him bedridden?!
If that actually happened, Naoki felt he'd likely end up with psychological trauma after this trip. That would be a huge problem. No matter how healthy his body was, he couldn't withstand being drained by these two perpetual motion machines.
"I genuinely have no bad intentions toward her. I swear, really. I was just speaking casually." Naoki said, raising both hands. "Besides, she's just a thirteen-year-old girl. What could I possibly be thinking? Wouldn't I rather come to you if I had such thoughts?"
"Exactly."
Rei was very satisfied with her master's response. Wasn't it just the image of a haughty, white-haired loli? She could perfectly mimic that appearance to satisfy Naoki's desires. Even his strangest requests could be fulfilled one by one.
"But why did you suddenly leave? It seems like you sensed something?"
"You could say that." Naoki stopped in front of a door. "I felt some familiar auras. I shouldn't have missed them, but I was too preoccupied with you last night, so even though I sensed them, I didn't pay much attention."
"Familiar auras… Acquaintances of yours?"
"It's been six or seven years since we last met."
Recalling that figure from the past, Naoki opened the door and entered the carriage.
The moment he stepped in, a figure immediately caught his attention—a Church Executor's uniform, a youthful face like a high schooler's, short sky-blue hair, and sky-blue irises.
"So it's you, Ciel."
"Long time no see. Do you still remember me?"