Chapter 461: A Little Shopping, A Little Trouble
A Little Shopping, A Little Trouble
"What are you smiling about?""Nothing.""You’re definitely thinking about something."
Victor stared at her for a moment and then the smile broadened.
"Just, I was just wondering how many people you’ve made jealous today."
Diana blinked.
Then she covered her mouth, suppressing a little giggle.
"Only today?"
Victor chuckled.
"Fair point."
Diana came a little closer as they walked, deliberately leaning her shoulder into his.
"Then perhaps you should be proud."
"I am."
Her lips curved upward.
"You’re shameless.""You like it."
Diana’s cheeks took on the faintest of blushes.
"I didn’t say that.""You didn’t have to."
She gave him a playful glare.
Victor simply smiled.
He didn’t care what the people at his side thought. As long as none of them had murderous intent towards him or Diana, then his opinion didn’t count.
People could stare.
They could whisper.
They could even laugh.
There was no point for Victor to turn his attention to them.
. Moreover, he was feeling very light today.
He had, after all, managed to increase his mana capacity yesterday.
It wasn’t some groundbreaking breakthrough, but Victor could definitely tell the difference. His reservoir of mana was much deeper and more abundant than it had been before, capable of holding more power.
It was a subtle change.
But Victor could feel it.
And he liked the feeling.
"You’re in a good mood today," Diana said.
Victor raised an eyebrow.
"Am I?""Very much."
She gave him a side-long glance.
’You’ve been smiling all the while we’ve been in this city.’
"Maybe I like walking with you."
Diana’s expression softened.
She smiled briefly as the teasing left her face.
Quickly, she came round again and held up her chin.
"That’s a good answer."
Victor laughed.
The two continued through the bustling streets.
They started with something simple.
Shopping.
Victor thought that he would simply make a cursory glance at things, but Diana showed he was wrong quite quickly.
She stopped at one stall after another.
A jewelry stand caught her attention first.
The merchant immediately observed her, and increased his activity to much higher levels.
"I am, my lady, would you care to see these? They come from the southern provinces."
Diana looked over the display.
There were bracelets, necklaces, earrings, hair ornaments and small objets d’art carved out of the polished stones.
She picked up a silver hairpin.
This was simple compared to the rest of the flamboyant pieces set around it. In the middle there was a small black gem, with thin silver designs etched around.
Diana turned it between her fingers.
"Victor.""Hm?""What do you think?"
Victor studied it.
"It suits you.""That’s all?""What else should I say?"
Diana gave him an unimpressed look.
Victor sighed dramatically.
"Fine. It’s like extra sunscreen."
Her expression immediately changed.
The teasing smile returned.
"Much better."
The merchant looked at them sheepishly.
He just took the coins offered him by Victor.
Diana looked at him in surprise.
"You bought it?""You liked it."
"I only asked what you thought."
"And I thought you liked it."
Diana looked down at the hairpin in her hand.
Then she looked at Victor.
A quiet warmth appeared in her eyes.
"You really are troublesome."
"Yet you’re still walking beside me."
"I suppose I’m troublesome too."
She handed him the hairpin.
"Put it on."
Victor raised an eyebrow.
"Now?""Yes."
He gently took the hairpin and moved in closer.
Without moving, Diana let Victor take a handful of her long black hair and place the ornament.
His fingers were careful.
Diana could feel how close he was.
Indeed, while he was a fierce fighter, Victor also moved very gracefully.
She looked away.
Victor noticed.
"Are you shy?""No.""Your ears are red.""They’re not.""They are."
Diana lightly slapped his arm.
"Stop looking."
Victor laughed.
The merchant looked on with a grin that, for a moment, said only that he had seen a more interesting transaction.
They continued their shopping afterward.
Clothes, trinkets, magic little things, and she even found a few odd little souvenirs Victor couldn’t figure out the use of.
• For example, at a stall she picked up a carved black bird.
She lifted it up and looked at it.
"What’s this?"
"A lucky charm," he said. "Traveller’s have one."
Diana looked at Victor.
"Should we get it?"
Victor nodded.
"Sure."
Diana smiled.
"You didn’t even ask the price."
"It’s a wooden bird.""What if it’s expensive?""Then I’ll survive."
She laughed.
Eventually, they accumulated several small purchases.
None of them were particularly valuable.
That was precisely why Diana enjoyed them.
They weren’t treasures meant for powerful cultivators.
They were ordinary things.
Little things.
Objects purchased for their appeal.
For a woman who had lived so much of her life among the blood, the battle and the brute force, somehow that was an oddly comforting thing.
I started to come to the conclusion that wandering this city’s streets wasn’t helping me by the time the smell of it all started to become overwhelming.
Victor stopped.
Diana looked at him.
"Are you hungry?""A little.""Then let’s eat."
Sehen sie ein feines Restaurant in der Citymitte.
Inside it was handsome, but not overly luxurious. Wooden dividers separated the tables, little lanterns flickered from the ceiling and faint music was playing somewhere further inside.
As soon as Victor and Diana entered a few sets of eyes turned towards them.
The men stared at Diana.
The women stared at Victor.
Victor’s look turned heads about as effortlessly as Diana’s.
His features, his hair and his golden eyes had a strange effect on him. His slim build and his black shirt and pants looked ordinary, but the jacket he wore over them was as confident as he was.
One woman by the door whispered to her friend.
"Who is he?""I don’t know.""He’s incredibly handsome.""Look at his eyes..."
Another woman attempted to ignore the fact that she was ogling.
She failed.
Diana noticed.
She leaned toward Victor.
"You seem popular too."
Victor looked amused.
"Jealous?"
Diana smiled sweetly.
"Perhaps."
Victor glanced at her.
"Then hold my hand tighter."