Chapter 146: The Shopping

After finishing breakfast, Carmilla helped her two little cousins head back upstairs to rest.

The kids were completely full, their small faces finally showing a bit of color instead of that sickly pale look. Leaving them in the guest room with a stack of soft blankets, Carmilla gently closed the door and stood in the quiet hallway.

"They fell asleep again," Carmilla said softly, her red eyes looking at me. "They were so scared for so long. Now that their bellies are full, their bodies just gave out."

"That’s a good thing," I smiled gently, handing her the bag. "They need to rest to heal. But look at you... and them. You can’t stay in those clothes forever. And the kids don’t have anything to wear except those thin rags from the vault."

Carmilla looked down at her oversized white shirt and trousers. "In our kingdom, we had tailors who spun fine silk. But here... we have nothing. No currency. No trade goods."

"Don’t worry about money," I said, waving my hand dismissively. "I have so much that I don’t think I will even be able to spend all. We’re going to head out to a big shopping mall nearby to buy clothes, shoes, and basic things for all three of you."

Carmilla blinked in surprise. "A mall?"

"Yeah. A massive one," I replied. "It has everything we need under one roof."

Before leaving, I helped Carmilla put on a long black coat and a soft brimmed. Her bright red eyes were slightly noticeable, but with a pair of dark sunglasses, she looked just like a quiet, stylish human girl taking a walk.

"Stay inside the room, okay?" Carmilla whispered to her sleeping cousins through the small of the door. "Woo Jin and Viora will be back soon with food and clothes."

We quietly stepped out of the villa, locking the heavy front door behind us.

The morning air was crisp and fresh. The sun was fully up now, casting bright light over the quiet residential streets. Walking beside Carmilla and Viora, I felt a strange sense of calm that I hadn’t felt in a very long time.

As we walked toward the local bus stop, my mind began to drift back to something Viora had told me last night.

I glanced sideways at Viora, who was walking with light, effortless steps beside me.

’I remember what she said back then...’ I thought to myself, pulling my hands into my jacket pockets.

Viora had once mentioned that long before she met me, and before she lost her sight, she had entered Gate on the far side of the country.

In that dead world, among the burning ruins of a grand stone citadel, Viora had sensed a faint, flickering mana signature hiding beneath a collapsed wall. It was a young vampire girl, shivering in the dark, clutching a broken wooden toy.

That girl had been Carmilla.

Viora hadn’t known who Carmilla was back then, nor did she care about kingdom politics. She had simply picked up the starving girl, carried her through the red dust, and brought her out into the human world to keep her safe.

’Gates are strange things,’ I pondered, looking up at the clear blue sky.

The gates were just random dimensional rifts connecting Earth to other worlds. But after everything I had seen, I knew the truth was much deeper.

Some gates weren’t just separate dimensions. A few of them were connected to the exact same world, just at different places or different points in time!

One gate in Asia might open up to the high mountains of an alien empire, while a gate in South America might open up to the exact same empire’s coastal ruins fifty years after its destruction. It was a massive, interconnected Web of worlds, all bleeding into Earth one by one.

"Woo Jin," Viora’s quiet voice broke my train of thoughts. "The bus is coming."

I snapped out of my head and looked up. The local city bus was pulling up to the stop, its brakes squeaking softly.

"Right. Let’s get on," I said, guiding Carmilla and Viora up the steps.

Fifteen minutes later, we arrived at the Grand Central Mall.

It was a huge, four-story building made of glass and steel, filled with hundreds of shops, bright lights, and the soft sound of pop music echoing from overhead speakers. Shoppers were walking around with colorful bags, laughing and chatting happily.

We walked straight into a massive clothing department store on the first floor.

The sheer amount of clothes hanging on racks was insane. Bright t-shirts, soft hoodies, denim jeans, dresses, coats, and rows of colorful shoes stretched as far as the eye could see.

"First, clothes for the little ones," I said, leading them over to the kids’ section.

Picking out clothes for the two young vampire cousins turned out to be surprisingly fun. I grabbed a bunch of soft, warm cotton hoodies—one light blue with a cartoon bear on it for the boy, and a soft pink one with stars for the girl. I added comfortable sweatpants, thick socks, and two pairs of tiny, cushioned sneakers.

"Do you think they’ll like these?" I asked, holding up the blue bear hoodie toward Carmilla.

A tiny, genuine smile touched the corners of Carmilla’s lips for the very first time. It was small, fragile, but real.

"The little boy... his name is Leo," Carmilla murmured, her fingers gently touching the soft fabric of the hoodie. "He loves soft things. Back home, he used to sleep on velvet cushions. He will love this."

"And the girl?" I asked.

"Mia," Carmilla said softly. "She likes bright colors. She used to collect shiny red stones from the castle garden."

"Then pink stars will be perfect for Mia," I grinned, placing the clothes into our shopping cart.

Next was Carmilla’s turn.

"I don’t need much—" Carmilla started to object, but Viora cut her off completely.

Viora walked right up to a rack of women’s clothes. Even though she couldn’t see the colors, her fingers brushed against the fabrics with incredible precision, feeling the texture, weight, and warmth of every sweater and dress.

"This one is soft," Viora said, pulling out a long, cream-colored knitted sweater. She held it up against Carmilla’s chest. "And this dark coat. It will keep you warm since the winter is up ahead."

"Viora has good taste," I laughed, grabbing a few pairs of dark jeans, soft t-shirts, a thick winter coat, and comfortable boots for Carmilla. "Go try them on in the fitting room over there."

Carmilla held the bundle of clothes in her arms, looking at Viora and then at me. Her red eyes behind her sunglasses flickered with deep gratitude.

"Thank you..." she whispered, before quietly slipping into the fitting room.

While Carmilla was changing, Viora and I stood near the cart.

"You’re very kind to them, Woo Jin," Viora said, her blind eyes turned toward me under her visor.

"They lost their home, Viora," I replied, leaning against the rack. "I know what it feels like to feel helpless and weak. If I can help them build a safe life here, I will."

Viora was silent for a moment, then she nodded once. "You are a good person. That is why I stay with you."

A warm feeling spread through my chest at her blunt, honest words.

A minute later, the door to the fitting room opened.

Carmilla stepped out, and I actually paused for a second.

The warm sweater complemented her pale skin, and without the heavy blood-stained armor, she looked like an extraordinarily beautiful, elegant college student.

"Does it... look strange?" Carmilla asked nervously, tugging at the hem of her sweater. "It feels very loose compared to my normal clothes."

"It looks amazing on you, Carmilla," I said honestly with a smile. "You look completely like a normal girl now. Nobody on the street would ever guess you’re a vampire princess."

Carmilla’s pale cheeks flushed with a faint, subtle pink tint. She quickly looked down at her shoes, but a small, sweet smile stayed on her face. "Thank you..."

We paid for all the clothes at the register. The total came out to a bit of money, but seeing Carmilla actually smiling and feeling safe made every single coin worth it.

After leaving the clothing store, we walked past a large bakery on the second floor. The mouth-watering smell of freshly baked vanilla cake, chocolate croissants, and warm bread filled the air.

Growl...

A quiet, distinctly loud sound came from Viora’s stomach.

Viora stopped dead in her tracks, her nose twitching toward the bakery entrance.

"Woo Jin," Viora said, her face completely serious despite the blush on her neck. "I sense a high concentration of sweet in that direction."

I burst out laughing right there in the middle of the mall corridor. Even Carmilla couldn’t help but let out a quiet, melodic chuckle.

"That’s not mana, Viora," I grinned, grabbing her hand. "That’s pastry. Come on, let’s buy a huge box of cakes and sweet breads for everyone at home."