While Ryuto walked in the opposite direction of the bank, a luxury sedan drove on the highway. Although it was called an "old-fashioned car," it did not mean that the car was poor. On the contrary, it far exceeded an ordinary car in terms of luxury. Anyone who knew a thing or two about cars could tell that this was not something an ordinary wealthy person could afford. The car itself symbolized a certain status. Not only was it luxurious, but it was also longer than a typical car, fully equipped with everything one could imagine – a true representation of the upper class. Well, except for the brand, that is.
The extra-long car only had two people in it. Of course, one of them was the driver, an old man named Mouri Saburo who had spoken with Ryuto at the bank.
At that moment, the girl sitting in the backseat spoke with a mixture of unidentifiable emotions in her voice.
"Saburo, don't tell anyone about what just happened."
"Miss, are you referring to the bank robber incident or..."
Should I consider him cunning? Mouri Saburo asked deliberately, as if he already knew the answer.
Although she knew that Mouri Saburo was intentionally asking, the girl did not react much. She simply responded in a cold tone.
"Of course, I meant that incident."
"Even the master?"
Mouri Saburo did not ask which incident she was referring to because both of them knew very well what it was. Instead, he confirmed the secrecy of the matter.
"Yes."
The girl in the backseat replied firmly, with no room for negotiation. Her attitude was resolute, but Mouri Saburo could not see her expression clearly because she kept her head down.
"Is it an order?"
Mouri Saburo pretended to ask again. Of course, he did not hesitate between obeying the master or the miss. The reason for his hesitation simply did not exist at this moment.
"Suit yourself."
"I understand."
The girl did not explicitly express whether it was an order or not. She replied with an answer that could not be considered as an answer. Mouri Saburo understood this as well. There was no need for further questions. Mouri Saburo understood whether it was due to his experience or if it had always been like this.
Relieved, the girl leaned back in her seat. Unexpectedly, Mouri Saburo broke his usual silent demeanor and spoke first.
"By the way, Miss, I've had a question since earlier."
"What is it?"
"Although the young man used the trick of turning off the lights to create an opportunity for the Kento Swordsmen, he turned off the lights again when dealing with the last person. In my opinion, even if he didn't do that, it would have been easy for the Kento Swordsmen to avoid the opponent's attacks. Did that young man not know that?"
After a brief silence, the girl made this assertion.
"No, he should be aware more than anyone else."
Mouri Saburo was even more puzzled by this answer.
"If that's the case, I'm even more confused. Is there any particular reason behind this?"
"No, I think he just did it as a precaution."
"Even if it was almost impossible?"
Mouri Saburo tried to confirm.
To this, the girl responded with a helpless and sad tone.
"...Even so, he did it... Perhaps that is his kindness."
"I see... Miss, actually, I understand how you feel."
"..."
In the face of Mouri Saburo's sudden comment, the girl did not know how to respond.
Mouri Saburo didn't mind and continued speaking while driving. It seemed like this reaction was within his expectations.
"The young man did not directly ask for my name but asked instead. Actually, before he spoke, he probably already had a general idea of the relationship between you and me."
After a brief pause, Mouri Saburo continued with a somewhat mysterious expression.
"But after he found out my true identity, he didn't care in the slightest. Instead, he sincerely praised me and regarded me as an independent individual. He did not look down on me because of my status as a servant. His words were genuine and sincere. After years of being caught in the world of conflicts and interests, I am well aware of this. He is truly an extraordinary young man. Perhaps he will be the one to change your destiny, miss. Although we only met for the first time today, I truly believe in this."
"......"
Mouri Saburo laughed as he spoke, but it wasn't mockery or ridicule. It was an involuntary laugh, and even Mouri Saburo himself didn't quite understand why he was laughing like this.
"He truly is an incredible young man! It's really strange, although I don't know why and there's no evidence, but I have this intuition. It might sound ridiculous if I say it out loud, but today I feel really strange, incredibly strange."
With that, Mouri Saburo burst into laughter, but he didn't pay any attention to it.
"My judgement is never wrong. I'm glad I could meet that young man today. It's not just me, I'm even happier for the young miss to have encountered him. If my wife were to know, she would be happy too."
Saying that, Mouri Saburo instinctively glanced at the sky.
Since just now, the girl had remained silent, not because she didn't know who Mouri Saburo was referring to or didn't understand, but she continued to be silent.
However, Mouri's butler's words seemed to intensify some unknown feeling in the girl's heart. Consequently, a smile different from her usual one appeared at the corner of her mouth, a smile that even the girl herself didn't realize.
*****************************************************
After leaving the bank, the two of them continued walking silently.
At that moment, Ryuto suddenly spoke to Hiyori next to him.
"Hiyori, your mission is to protect me, right?"
"Yes, so I will do my best."
Hiyori said, subconsciously gripping Ryuto's hand tightly.
"While I'm glad that you will give it your all, but... if you overdo it, you might end up with nothing!"
"......"
Not quite understanding Ryuto's words, Hiyori just silently looked at him, waiting for him to continue. Ryuto closed his eyes and slowly spoke.
"If something were to happen to you while trying to protect me, it wouldn't be worth it. Besides, there's no such thing as a bodyguard sacrificing themselves for the person they are protecting. Don't do something like that again in the future, if you understand."
"Okay... I understand."
Although Hiyori didn't fully grasp the true meaning behind Ryuto's words, she still agreed with him. The two of them continued walking towards their destination.
However, at the same time, a question arose in Hiyori's mind. Why did she act the way she did earlier? She wasn't quite sure about that herself. It was just when she became aware of it, her body moved on its own. Why was that? Because it was a mission...
That was the only explanation Hiyori could think of at the moment. Yes, everything she did just now was for the mission, to achieve her long-standing goal after completing the mission. That goal, buried deep within her heart for a long time, was now echoing repeatedly in her mind.
