Livio gave Sophie an amused laugh. “Well, why don’t you get something then? Pick one that catches your eye, Lady Sophie.”
Sophie still didn’t quite get the “fun” Livio was talking about, but she was sure that she’d be able to grin just as happily as Livio when she did.
With that in mind, Sophie made a loop around the expansive store. Hmm, Sophie thought as she wandered.
She didn’t want anything pricey. Even if it was okay if the items didn’t really work as advertised, Sophie wasn’t a fan of letting money go to waste. She also didn’t want something that would get her hopes up and make her wish it really did work. What Sophie wanted now wasn’t disappointment—she wanted fun. Even if it did end up being fake, she wanted something she could just be surprised by and laugh off.
After all her deliberation, the item Sophie chose was a bag that multiplied cookies inside of it whenever you hit it. It struck a chord with her—it was just the right mix of unimportant, suspicious, and exciting.
I want something that might come in handy too, Sophie thought, looping around through the store again before deciding to buy an empty magic gem. Sophie wanted to be able to make magic gems like Lunetta.
As might be expected from a store with such a wide range of products, there was a bountiful selection of magic gem types to choose from. It seemed that all of them had already been processed and ready to be imbued with spells. There were small ones like the one Livio wore on his ear, larger ones the size of an egg like the ones Lunetta often used, and even beautiful magic gems that had been delicately cut like gemstones.
Calculating the funds she’d made by selling the blue gemstone earring she’d been wearing the night she left on her journey, Sophie purchased ten of the magic gems. Not only was it her first time purchasing a magic item, it was also her first time buying something on her own, so that alone was enough to fill her with excitement. Sophie had been delighted to say goodbye to that blue earring she never wanted to see again, and she’d been just as delighted to be able to turn it into money. It just feels like those days are really coming in handy now!
Still elated after she finished shopping, Sophie decided to search for Livio.
She had been wandering around the shop, and in the process, she’d lost sight of Livio. She was sure he hadn’t just up and left her. She walked around the store, keeping her eyes peeled.
While it should’ve been an easy task to find Livio, given how much he stood out, the tall display shelf was blocking Sophie’s view. Just when she was thinking she might be better off waiting at the entrance, she heard a male customer nearby speak up.
“Whoa.”
Following the man’s voice with her gaze, Sophie locked eyes with Livio as he came down the steps. Yup, there he is. Definitely standing out.
“Lady Sophie,” Livio said.
He was so dazzlingly radiant she could see a halo of light behind him.
Watching the man gasp as he clutched at his chest, Sophie almost wanted to nod back and tell the man that she knew just how he felt. It’s a hard thing to keep your senses in front of that melting smile of his. Sophie couldn’t help but sympathize with the man who’d never again be able to see run-of-the-mill beauty and innocently think, Wow, she’s beautiful.
Happens to the best of us.
“There was a second floor?”
“That’s right,” Livio answered. “They said they process magic gems for customers there, so I went up and had a look. Did you find anything you wanted?”
“I sure did!”
Sophie showed Livio the bag Lunetta had cast a spell on, where Sophie had put her purchases.
“What?” Livio blinked in surprise. “But I was going to get it for you.”
“Whaaaa?”
Heavens, no! Sophie waved her hands.
“You don’t have to worry about that!” Sophie said. “And besides, I had a really good time getting to buy something on my own.”
Sophie was being completely and wholly honest, but even then, Livio seemed crestfallen.
“This was supposed to be a date, though...” Livio said, his lips curling into a smile.
“Ugh!”
The gasp hadn’t come from Sophie.
There, at the corner of her vision were the man from before and a female customer who just happened to be there at the same time. I get it—trust me, I really get it. Regaining her composure thanks to the two, Sophie fought back the urge to nod, instead giving Livio a polite smile.
“Well, would you be so kind as to accompany me to another store, then?”
In response, Livio’s big eyes grew even bigger as he broke out into a cozy grin.
“It’d be my pleasure.”
The thud of something hitting the ground was probably just Sophie’s imagination.
“That guy just hit the ground!”
The shouts she heard behind her as she and Livio left the store were also probably just Sophie’s imagination.
It was just her imagination...probably.
After leaving the magical item shop, Sophie stopped in at a variety of stores—not only those that would help them prepare for their journey but also confectionaries and accessory shops. No matter where she looked or what she looked at, there were things that Sophie had never seen before, leaving her on a constant cloud of elation and excitement. It was enough to make Sophie just a bit uneasy. Is it really okay for me to have such a good time?