Fortunately, the rest of the passengers had already returned to their compartments, so nobody was around to witness the incredulous sight of Persinette running down the aisle in a scanty tablecloth.

“W…wait for me…” I panted as I finally caught up with her in front of the door to my compartment.

Outside the carriage, the sound of gruff voices speaking to Conductor Machel could be heard.

“There was a report that came in moments ago about a member of your staff being found comatose inside the Gare de l’Est restrooms, Conductor. The Company has contacted us for assistance out of fear for the safety of the passengers and crew.”

“Utterly preposterous, I am certain that all the staff have been accounted for before departure!”

“We just need to conduct a quick inspection to make sure nothing is amiss, that’s all. If there’s nothing else, we shall seek your cooperation and proceed with our work.”

Persinette tried the doorknob and signalled to me frantically. “Hurry, unlock it!”

“Alright, alright, don’t be so impatient…”

I unlocked the door and gestured for her to enter first. Closing the door behind me, I was about to turn the lock when she grabbed my arm suddenly.

“Forget the door, come and join me in bed.” Persinette pulled me onto the bed and hugged me tightly.

The sudden warmth of her body against mine took me by surprise. I instinctively sucked in a deep breath, and her soft scent filled my nose.

I opened my mouth to protest, but the glimmering look in her hazel eyes made me falter. In my moment of hesitation, she seized the opportunity to slide her legs around my hips and lock her arms around my neck. At the same time, the tablecloth around her conveniently loosened and fell apart at the top, baring her smooth back and the bewitching curve of her…

“Stay still,” she breathed.

I nodded tensely while forcing my eyes to look at the ceiling.

Down the aisle, the sound of knocking echoed punctuated the fraught silence that descended upon the train.

“Good evening, police. Open the door please.”

“Just a moment…”

The click of a door being unlocked, followed by the sound of footsteps shuffling against the carpeted floor.

“Your papers?”

“Here.”

“Thank you, gentlemen. You are Dr. Konstantine, and you are Monsieur Myrtil?”

“That is indeed correct. I sleep on the lower bunk, while the Doctor is taking the upper berth.”

Somehow, despite the absurd situation I was currently stuck in, I had the state of mind to make a mental note of the passengers’ names and the room which they resided in.

『Room No. 1』

【Upper】Dr. Konstantine

【Lower】M. Myrtil

Persinette buried her head beside my neck and whispered in a soft voice.

“Do you mind if I unbutton your bodice?”

“Why bother asking me for permission if you’re already doing it?” I muttered, already feeling her fingers tugging at the buttons of my dress.

In the meantime, the group had moved on to the next compartment. A second round of knocks, followed by heavy footsteps.

“Herr Weinstein and Prof. Dr. Sternberg, is that correct?”

“Ja, we know each other. I sleep here, and Sternberg sleeps above me.”

『Room No. 2』

【Upper】Prof. Sternberg

【Lower】Hr. Weinstein

Undoing the last of the buttons, Persinette smirked as she tugged my bodice down, but not low enough to expose my bare chest fully.

“Oh? What’s this?”

She fingered the pocket watch that I kept inside my dress curiously.

“Do you usually hide your timepiece in your bosom?”

I locked eyes with her and shot her a questioning look. “Before I misunderstand this situation, what exactly are you trying to achieve here?”

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She opened her mouth to reply, but at the same moment, another series of knocks resounded down the aisle.

“Gospodin Nikita?”

Her eyes widened. I couldn’t help but hold my breath together with her as the door clicked open.

“Come in, and make haste.”

“Apologies for the inconvenience. May I see your papers?”

“Take them.”

A brief pause, then a cough. “Everything looks to be in order, thank you…sorry, may I ask a quick question?”

“What?”

“Are you the only occupant of this compartment?”

“Of course, I specially requested a room for myself when I booked my ticket. If you can’t tell, I sleep on the lower berth.”

“I see, then that is all. Thank you for your cooperation.”

『Room No. 3』

【Upper】-

【Lower】Nikita Dolvaskinov

“Phew, thank goodness they didn’t inquire further…”

I released the breath that I had been holding in and stared at her. “You haven’t answered my question.”

“Come on, isn’t it obvious?”

“Is it?”

She poked at my cheek with a finger. “No way, surely the great detective can’t be this impervious.”

“Stop it, I’m not interested in someone who I barely knew five minutes ago.”

“Oh?” she murmured and let out a giggle. “Then, let’s get to know each other better, shall we?”

“Something’s wrong with your head…”

A languid-sounding voice suddenly sounded very close to us, almost as if the speaker was standing right outside my door.

“Please come in, I’ve been expecting you.”

“Thank you for your patience, Mademoiselle. You are?”

“Mauricia Debnam. My primary occupation is that of a governess.”

“I see, and this lady over here is…”

“I’m Godiva Olson, a missionary.”

“Do you two know each other?”

“Not until we boarded the train and entered the same compartment, that is. By the way, Olson is occupying the lower berth, while I am residing on the top berth.”

『Room No. 4』

【Upper】Mlle. Mauricia Debnam

【Lower】Mlle. Godiva Olson

Soon, the procession reached the first-class compartments, starting with the room adjacent to mine. Brief words were exchanged with the male occupant, who introduced himself as a colonel in the Royal Army.

『Room No. 5』

【Single】Col. Robert Atkinson

“Moan softly.”

I gave Persinette a puzzled look. “Moan?”

Just then, a knock sounded on my door.

“Police. Open the door, please.”

She urged me with a nudge of her chin. “Go on.”

“Ugh…” I bit my lip and tried my best to make an impression of a moan. “A-ahhh…?”

My moan sounded like a goat dying instead, but it must have worked, because the knocking on the door stopped.

“Mademoiselle Guinevere? Is everything alright?” Someone tried the doorknob, but since it wasn’t locked, the door was pushed ajar in the process. “Mademoiselle—”

I muttered a silent apology as I looked in the gendarme’s direction with a half-naked Persinette on top of me.

“What is happening?” Persinette asked in an alarmed voice, frantically covering her body with the sheets.

If I didn’t know any better, I would honestly have also mistaken her agitation to be genuine.

“M-Mesdemoiselles, my apologies,” the gendarme stuttered, his eyes darting about the room in a panic. “We do not mean to offend, but we must conduct an inspection of all the passengers on board due to an emergency.”

“An inspection?!” she gasped, covering her mouth in shock. “Oh no, this is bad…”

“I understand that this compartment is occupied solely by a Mademoiselle Violet Guinevere,” he said haltingly, meeting my gaze with a bewildered expression.

“I-I am a passenger!” Persinette insisted. “You can check your list, my name is on there!”

“And you are…?”

“Persinette,” she breathed. “Rapunzel Persinette.”

I blinked at her in surprise.

‘That name…why does her name sound so familiar?’

Muttering a ‘please excuse me for a moment’, the poor gendarme stepped outside to consult with Conductor Machel, who was understandably caught off guard by the entire situation too. They exchanged a few confused words among themselves quietly before both the gendarme and Conductor Machel reentered the compartment; though, the conductor only went as far as the doorstep.

“Indeed, Mademoiselle Persinette is registered as a passenger in Room No. 3, Second Class together with Monsieur Dolvaskinov,” Machel said in an uneasy voice. “But even so, it states here that Mademoiselle has bought a ticket from Épernay to Constantinople. What are you doing on the train now?”

“That…well, yes, I’m supposed to board the train at the next station out of Paris,” Persinette desperately explained. “However, there was a last-minute change to my plans, and I ended up staying in Paris with Violet.”

I gave her an amused look.

“I didn’t want to waste time travelling to Épernay, so I boarded the train together with her instead. The trainmaster gave me permission too!”

“The trainmaster did? But I don’t have any recollection of that…” Machel turned to me. “Is this true, Mademoiselle Guinevere?”

‘Well, I guess it’s my turn to shine.’

I sat upright on my bed with a perfected slow and languorous motion, pretending to be totally unbothered by his question.

“I thought that the trainmaster would have told you about our arrangement before we left the station,” I said, lowering my eyelids at him with a demure smile. “If I’d known this would happen, I would have informed you myself earlier. I’m terribly sorry for the trouble, Machel…”

It seemed like the conductor wanted to say something in reply, but as his gaze trailed down from my face, his cheeks reddened like a tomato and he hastily glanced away.

“M-Mademoiselle, your dress…!”

“Ah! Please pardon me!!”

Persinette winked at me surreptitiously before coughing lightly to get the attention of the flustered men.

“So, how long do you two gentlemen plan on staying in this room?”

Machel looked like he was on the verge of a breakdown. “P…please excuse me…”

Surprisingly, the gendarme hesitated on following the shaking conductor out of the compartment. “Mesdemoiselles, about your papers, I have to at least…”

Persinette shot him a glare and gestured at the nightstand. “They’re over there. Do you really need to check them?”

‘Since when did she put those there…?’

He faltered, and after confirming that there were indeed two pieces of document laid out on the nightstand, he didn’t bother to take a closer look at their contents.

“M-many apologies for the disturbance…” he muttered before closing the door behind him.

『Room No. 6』

【Single】Mlle. Violet Guinevere

【???】Ms. Rapunzel Persinette