The next day.
“Lizelle!”
Spotting Lizelle standing in front of the Smactor shopping district, Raphelion ran toward her as fast as his short legs would carry him.
“Careful, Raphel! You’ll trip and fall!”
Seeing him run, Lizelle panicked and rushed toward him.
“Lizelle!”
“Raphel! Oof…”
She caught the charging Raphel and lifted him into her arms, letting out an involuntary groan.
She had almost thrown her back out.
It hadn’t even been a week since she last saw Raphel, but he seemed to have grown so much already.
Even during her time at the mansion, he had been growing heavier, but now he was almost too heavy to carry.
Unlike before, when all she could see were his bare bones, Raphel had plump flesh on his arms and legs like other children his age.
Now he looked very healthy, with no signs of illness.
“I missed you so much!”
Raphel cheerfully rubbed his cheek against Lizelle’s without crying.
“I missed you so much too, Raphel.”
Lizelle hugged him tightly, savoring the soft warmth of the child in her arms after so long.
“Hehe! I waited for you because they said you’d come back!”
Raphel clung to the belief that Lizelle would return and that they’d meet again.
After she suddenly left, he had been extremely sad and lonely. But Tia, his uncle, and everyone had reassured him that he’d see her again and be with her.
So, every night, he went to sleep clutching his cat and snow globe, waiting.
He’d be able to see Lizelle tomorrow.
If not, he’d see her the day after.
And now, finally, he was.
He could see her face, the one he missed so much.
Tia and his uncle hadn’t lied.
“You’re so brave, Raphel. Soon, we’ll be able to spend time together like before.”
“Yeah!”
Lizelle burst into laughter, her face pressed close to Raphel’s.
She worried about him but was relieved to see he seemed so cheerful.
The image of Raphel crying uncontrollably when she left the mansion weighed heavily on her.
It was a debt she felt she could never repay.
So, she decided to treat Raphel better during their time together.
Their joyful reunion brought Smiles to the faces of passersby as well.
Meanwhile, Chase and the knights stood to the side like background props.
As Raphel and Lizelle shared their heartfelt reunion, Chase found himself completely excluded.
As expected, Raphel had taken the spotlight. He knew it would happen but experiencing it firsthand left him feeling a mixture of bitterness and discontent.
He hadn’t even gotten the chance to properly greet Lizelle because of his nephew.
“Shall we take a look around?”
Lizelle turned her gaze to Chase, as if to reassure him that she hadn’t forgotten he was there.
“Let’s go.”
Chase instructed the knights to keep their distance and began walking alongside her and Raphel.
His mood noticeably improved.
It was because she hadn’t forgotten him and wasn’t entirely focused on Raphel.
His emotions were remarkably simple when it came to her.
“Wow!”
Raphel clapped his hands, eyes wide with wonder. His gaze sparkled like stars in the night sky.
“It’s really big.”
Lizelle murmured in awe. The Smactor shopping district, which she had only heard about, was truly massive.
As the empire’s largest magical goods market, the street seemed to stretch endlessly, lined with shops of every kind.
And the surprises were just beginning.
Magical items displayed to attract customers glowed or floated, drawing attention.
Tiny lights darted through the air before exploding with a pop like fireworks, scattering brilliant colors.
Hourglasses displayed on outdoor shelves flipped themselves over as soon as the sand ran out, starting the cycle anew.
Even the full-length mirrors were extraordinary.
At first glance, they appeared ordinary, but pressing a button on the frame caused the mirror to analyze the person standing in front of it and display outfits that would suit them best.
‘Wow… that’s useful.’
Like Raphel, Lizelle’s eyes were also darting all around.
Although she had planned to buy only the poison detector, there were far too many enticing items tempting her.
“Lizelle! Let me down, let me down!”
Suddenly, Raphel, who had been nestled in her arms, began squirming and demanding to be let down.
Unable to hold the wriggling child any longer, Lizelle gently set him on the ground.
“Hurry, hurry!”
As soon as his feet touched the ground, Raphel grabbed Lizelle’s hand with one hand and Chase’s with the other, pulling them forward as he ran.
“Slow down, Raphel!”
The two were dragged along by Raphel’s small but determined hands and found themselves inside a shop.
“A star! It’s a star!”
Raphel jumped up and down, pointing to an item.
The object of his excitement was a star-shaped bag displayed on a shelf.
How good was his eyesight to have spotted the bag from so far away and rushed into the shop?
“Welcome!”
The shopkeeper, spotting Chase, greeted them with an unusually bright expression.
Just looking at him, you could tell that he was no ordinary customer, from his clothes that were oozing with wealth and his face that was dripping with elegance.
“Could you show us that bag?”
“This isn’t just any ordinary bag.”
The shopkeeper retrieved the bag from its high perch and brought it over to them.
“Oh? What’s special about it?”
Lizelle took the bag and examined it closely.
Puffed up like a cushion, the bag was about the size of two of her palms.
It was just the right size for children to use, but it didn’t have any special features.
“Even though it looks small on the outside, it’s a bag that can hold everything regardless of size. What’s even better is that it doesn’t change weight no matter what’s in it, so it’s perfect for kids to carry.”
“A star! I want to try it!”
Raphel stretched out his arms, eagerly demanding the bag. Lizelle slung it over his shoulders.
“How does it look?”
Excited, Raphel spun around in front of Lizelle and Chase, showing off his new bag.
“It’s perfect!”
Lizelle covered her mouth with her hand, giving Raphel a big thumbs-up.
Regardless of its features, Raphel looked absolutely adorable with the yellow star bag. It was so cute it was almost too much to bear.
It seemed as if the bag had been made just for him.
Otherwise, it wouldn’t have looked so perfect.
“Wow! I want this! Lizelle, Uncle!”
Raphel buzzed around the shop looking happy.
The yellow star bag made him look like a little chick.
“So many pretty things.”
Smiling warmly at Raphel, Lizelle began browsing the shop, muttering to herself.
The store was filled with fascinating and tempting items, from toys Raphel could use to decorative pieces that would look great in a home.
“Shall I ring this up for you?”
“Yes, I’ll buy it.”
Lizelle opened her wallet to pay.
“How much is it?”
Chase interjected, stopping Lizelle’s hand.
“The bag alone is… 30,000 shillings.”
“No, I meant the shop.”
“Pardon?”
“Excuse me?”
Both Lizelle and the shopkeeper exclaimed in unison.
Their eyes were wide with disbelief.
“How much is the entire shop?”
Chase’s tone was as casual as if he were asking for the bill at a restaurant.
Unlike the astonished reactions around him, he remained perfectly calm.
“Are you saying… you want to buy the shop?”
The shopkeeper stammered, his mind reeling.
In his five years of running the store, he had never encountered such a proposal.
“I’ll write you a check. Name your price.”
Chase, noticing how much Raphel and Lizelle seemed to enjoy the store, decided to buy it outright.
“Let’s step outside for a moment.”
Lizelle said, quickly placing 30,000 shillings into the shopkeeper’s hand before dragging Chase out of the shop.
Chase stared at the hand that was being held by Lizelle and was dragged out obediently.
“Why do you suddenly want to buy the shop? Is it something you need?”
Lizelle spun around to face him once they were outside.
She tried to let go of his hand, but he held on firmly, leaving her no choice but to keep holding it.
“You and Raphel seem to like it, so I thought I’d buy it.”
“Seriously…”
Lizelle was speechless.
Why on earth was this man’s logic so simple and his actions so extravagant?
She should have guessed when he showed up at her parents’ estate with 100 jewels as a gift.
“You can just buy the things you need, not the whole shop. That’s a waste.”
“Don’t you like the shop?”
Chase looked like he really didn’t understand.
The word waste meant to spend one’s money in a useless and frivolous manner.
However, the reason he wanted to buy this store was because of Raphel and Lizelle, so it wasn’t a waste. Moreover, buying this shop wouldn’t even put a dent in the immense wealth of the duke’s family that was just piling up.
It was as insignificant as losing a grain of sand. He wouldn’t say it was spent carelessly.
“Your Grace, no matter how much money you have, there’s no need to buy things you don’t need.”
“Is that so?”
Chase smiled as if he was enjoying Lizelle’s nagging.