Steam trains in this era were not very fast. Moreover, to carry more passengers and cargo, a single locomotive had to haul more than twenty carriages, slowing it down even further.
By the time they reached Stoen City, the capital of East Chester County, Angel checked her pocket watch. Nearly two hours had passed since departure.
Could they really reach Enmat Harbor on time?
Worriedly clutching her pocket watch, she looked out at the bustling crowd beyond the window.
Stoen City was slightly smaller than Tingen City, with a permanent population of fewer than a hundred thousand. Yet its beautiful scenery, nestled between mountains and water, made it a popular place for Loen Kingdom nobles and wealthy citizens to buy property and take holidays.
The train would be delayed for about twenty minutes at Stoen. During that time, half the passengers in Angel's carriage got off, but three times as many boarded. Before long, the carriage was packed, with nearly every booth occupied.
A man around thirty sat down across from her. He wore a brown vest over a white shirt, with his coat draped over his right arm and an exquisite suitcase in his left hand.
With a bang, he set the suitcase at his feet, casually hung his coat beside the window, and pulled an iron cigarette case and a box of matches from his vest pocket. Smacking his lips as though he had been waiting for this moment, he took out a cigarette. Then he glanced at the lady sitting opposite him, brought the cigarette to his nose for a sniff, and put it back into the case.
Angel did not smoke, but she did not object to others smoking either. Besides, smoking was not prohibited in public places like this.
Still, seeing him put away the