In the heat of the moment, Eros had leaned down and captured Barbara’s rosy lips in a kiss.

  It took a good while for Barbara to snap out of the blank haze in her mind. When she finally did, her face turned an explosive shade of crimson. With one hand frantically clutching her hem to prevent any further "accidents," she delivered a swift, powerful kick that sent Eros flying into the distance before she vanished into thin air.

  Far off in the grey fog, Eros scrambled to his feet, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. Maybe I pushed too hard this time. I should have taken it slow. He had been too impatient, but still—Little Barbara was just too adorable to resist.

  To his disappointment, no matter how much he called for her over the next few nights, Barbara refused to show her face. She wouldn't even deign to give him a verbal scolding.

  Well, damn. I played myself.

  Even with the [Book of Night] and the [Moon of Eternal Slumber] constantly nuzzling him to seek favor, Barbara remained in hiding. Eros felt a pang of loneliness; it seemed his bold move had dealt quite a shock to the artifact spirit’s delicate sensibilities.

  In the physical world, after two days aboard the airship, the group transferred to the most advanced form of land travel in this reality: the Steam Train.

  As the Duchess and the future Duke, they naturally didn't have to squeeze in with commoners. They had their own private, custom-ordered locomotive. Once again, Eros found himself stunned by the sheer decadence of the nobility—or perhaps it was just his own family. Since he hadn't met many other high-ranking nobles, he had no baseline for comparison.

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  Unlike Eros’s feigned indifference, Undine was a bundle of raw curiosity. To her, everything in the outside world was a marvel. As the train clattered along its tracks, she would occasionally spot another train passing by in the opposite direction and let out a series of excited shrieks.

  "Look! It’s so much longer than a carriage!" she yelled, pointing at the passing blur.

  Eros nodded calmly. "Mhm. Much longer."

  Seeing her brother’s lackluster reaction, Undine’s excitement instantly fizzled out. Feeling slightly bored, she slumped against the window and gazed at the passing scenery with a pout.

  A faint smile touched Estelle’s lips. She beckoned to Eros, gesturing for him to lay his head on her lap. Eros was puzzled but complied. He watched in mild horror as Estelle produced an ear-pick from seemingly nowhere.

  This... Eros was at a loss for words. Is it really a good idea to clean someone's ears on a clattering, vibrating train?

  It wasn't that he didn't trust Estelle, but the environment was hardly ideal. Oh well, he sighed internally. If she wants to do it, let her. Even if she accidentally punctures my eardrum, as long as it doesn't scramble my brain, I can just cast a [Healing Art] on myself. Being a healer really is the best.

  As the days dragged on, even Undine’s initial enthusiasm vanished. She lay paralyzed on the carriage’s sofa like a wilted flower.

  "How much longer until we hit the Capital?" she groaned, her voice drained of life.

  Estelle lightly swatted her daughter’s slouching form and frowned. "Sit up straight!"

  Undine reluctantly straightened her back, attempting to look like a proper lady. Estelle gave a satisfied nod. "Two more days, and we should be there."

  The North clan’s estate was over ten thousand kilometers away from the Capital. If not for the recent breakthroughs in steam engine speed, the journey would have taken months rather than days.

  "Two more days..." Undine sighed.

  Finally, amidst Undine’s endless groans and the rhythmic clack-clack of the tracks, the train pulled into the grand capital of the Holy Chris Empire: Intilesse.