[ If she weren't making such a fascinating expression, he might have laughed. Instead he's lost his usual slightly mocking smile, for now; he's just watching her, interested. ]

Oh—do you envy him?

[ It's a real question, but he doesn't bother waiting for a response. He's just prying. ]

I'm not criticizing, anyway. You might not have gotten where you are if you weren't kind of a perfectionist. [ He can relate, in a way. He's cracking all the ribs of the little umbrella, turning it into something like a flower. ] And a Sanzo isn't supposed to play favorites, yeah? [ People might notice. He remembers. ]