Chapter 128
Chapter 128
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 128
Chapter Title: Joy or Sorrow (4)
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Flying over the bustling cityscape far below in an aerial hovercar.
From the seat inside, I rubbed my belly—slightly bulging under my clothes from stuffing myself—and asked again.
"Shopping...?"
Celestina replied with full confidence.
"That's right. Today is the day I prove myself to you, Eve. Showing you what I can do instead of that deadbeat fiancé of yours."
As we chatted idly, the vehicle entered the commercial district of Beta Circle where the restaurant had been.
Towering skyscrapers whisked past the windows, and among them, one particularly massive and opulent building came into view.
While I stared blankly at its gleaming exterior, her voice rang out again.
"Zenith Tower, the largest complex shopping mall in all of Omega Detroit."
Celestina continued her explanation.
"The luxury boutiques in Alpha Circle are fine, but this place is far more convenient for relaxed shopping. Every high-end brand in the city is housed in that single skyscraper."
True to her words, the building's sheer scale became more apparent the closer we got.
It's enormous...
It was far too grand to simply call a department store.
I wondered if you could even see half of it after spending days wandering around. I was a bit daunted inwardly.
Like most guys, I wasn't the type to enjoy shopping.
Still... today was the day to humor Celestina.
I was prepared to play along to some extent.
That resolve held right up until we stepped out of the hovercar on the building's mid-levels.
"Centurion Club member, Lady Celestina Aubersch. Welcome back to Zenith Tower."
And so the 'shopping' began... in a way utterly unlike what I'd imagined.
First, as soon as the car door opened and we stepped out, over a dozen impeccably uniformed staff members stood in perfect formation, bowing deeply in greeting.
Caught off guard by the sight, I froze for a moment. Celestina, who had exited first, extended her hand to me like a gentleman and helped me down.
"Eve, this way."
"Ah, thank you..."
As I took her hand and walked across the red carpet laid out on the floor,
the dozen or so attendants who had welcomed us so warmly followed right behind.
The atmosphere felt a little overwhelming, so my words naturally grew sparse.
"......"
We followed the impeccably decorated private corridor to the end of the carpet, arriving at an elevator.
We rode it to the top floor.
Beyond the opening doors stretched a space reminiscent of a luxury hotel suite.
A massive floor-to-ceiling window offering a panoramic view of the city skyline.
Ornate chandeliers, top-grade carpets, and furniture.
A table laden with fresh fruits and champagne.
I sat on the custom-arranged sofa and hesitantly called out to her as she took a seat beside me.
"Um... Celestina."
"Tch, Cela-sis."
"Ah, right... Cela-sis. I have a question."
She smiled warmly at the change in address and replied.
"Yes, Eve? Ask your big sis anything."
I glanced around and whispered cautiously.
"Well... didn't you say we came here to shop? But no matter how I look at it, this doesn't seem like a store..."
Celestina gave a faint smile.
"What are you talking about, Eve? Why would people like us bother wandering around stores to buy things?"
"Huh?"
Seeing my puzzled expression persist, she snapped her fingers without a word.
One of the attendants who had followed us stepped forward.
"Lady Aubersch. Shall we begin the VVIP private shopping session now?"
"Yes, please do."
She handed over a transparent digital catalog like a glass panel with utmost courtesy.
As Celestina accepted it, she said,
"Just so you know, today's star isn't me—it's this young lady."
The staff member turned to me and began explaining politely.
"Understood. Miss, upon entering the lounge, we scanned your body measurements, along with your clear, radiant skin tone and facial features. As your professional coordinator, I personally recommend 17 styles, while our AI suggests 351. How about starting with the look centered on recommendation number three: the cashmere knit pullover? Pairing it with Cinu's pleated skirt would perfectly accentuate your refined and elegant aura. Additionally, the new collections from Azot, Cinu, Halcyon, and Permafrost have just arrived this season. Would you like to focus on those brands?"
The staff member, speaking with the crisp enunciation of a voice actor, touched the catalog, and holograms of hundreds of outfit combinations unfurled around us.
I watched the spectacle in stunned silence.
What is all this...?
The explanations made my head spin just from listening. Not a single word truly registered.
But Celestina, ever graceful, pointed elegantly at items one by one with her slender fingers, issuing instructions.
"This one, this, and that one too—they'd all suit our Eve. And... show me the new Veridique catalog release as well."
"Of course. We'll prepare it immediately."
After selecting a few, all but two or three of the attendants quietly vanished somewhere.
A brief wait—about three minutes, perhaps. The curtains in the center of the lounge parted smoothly.
That is...
Soon, several people stepped out onto the stage-like platform.
Women in chic outfits striking practiced poses.
Professionals radiating the aura of trained models from their gazes to their figures.
But... was it my imagination that their outfits looked familiar?
They're all the items Celestina just picked.
The models were even nearly identical to me in height and build.
Then, the nearby coordinator explained in a soft voice.
"The first model is wearing the item selected by Lady Aubersch—"
It felt like common sense was shattering.
We didn't need to wander stores or try on clothes ourselves to check sizes.
A mere flick of the finger toward an item of interest, and professional models would wear it and model it right before our eyes.
Is this... what shopping is like for the ultra-elite?
As everyone knew, every service in this city rested on ruthless cost-benefit calculations.
In other words, such treatment meant we were worth it.
Each garment on those models was expensive enough to cover all the perks and labor costs with room to spare.
How much do they even cost...?
As I watched wide-eyed, feeling queasy,
Celestina alternated glances between the models and me, speaking rapidly.
"Veridique dress, Cinu dress, all outfits on models three and five, and... those shoes and the diamond necklace look good too."
At her gestured additions, the attendant beside her quickly worked the terminal.
Something unknown to me proceeded smoothly.
Panicking, I blurted out to stop her.
"W-Wait a second! Hold on! Celestina...!"
"......"
"C-Cela-sis...!"
"Yes, I'm listening."
I stammered in bewilderment.
"You're not buying all those items you just mentioned, right...?"
"What's wrong? Don't like the styles your big sis picked for you, Eve?"
"No, it's not that... um..."
As I hesitated to respond, Celestina glanced around once and made a light gesture.
All the models and staff in the lounge withdrew without a sound.
In an instant, only the two of us remained. I hesitantly spoke up again.
"Um... Cela-sis. I'm truly grateful, but receiving such expensive gifts out of nowhere is..."
Perhaps offending her, the heiress's elegant brow twitched slightly.
I hurriedly added an excuse.
"No, that's not what I mean! You've already spent so much. Elios Medical Center is running without deficit worries entirely thanks to you..."
"Well said. You know this shopping is pocket change compared to that investment, right?"
"Ah! That's why I'm so incredibly thankful...! So any more is—"
"But that was all investments benefiting others. I want to spend on you, Eve."
"But supporting the church is practically a direct investment in me...! I'm always grateful. And you know I help you not for money, right?"
"......"
After pondering briefly, Celestina let out a small sigh.
"Sigh... no helping it. If you're this burdened, even as a gift, forcing it would just be bullying."
"Exactly...!"
As I brightened to respond, she added,
"Oh, take the already-purchased items. Too much hassle to return them."
"Huh?"
Those casual gestures had finalized the payments...?
I panicked briefly but nodded hastily.
At least I'd halted what might have been hours more of her extravagance.
"Yes! Th-Thank you for the gifts, sis."
And inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.
Phew...
Truth be told, if pressed on whether I had no material desires at all, that wasn't true.
If someone offered a luxury watch, fine clothes, or a sleek foreign sports car for free, only an idiot would refuse.
I'd probably snatch it up gleefully.
But... circumstances differed in this world.
I'm leaving eventually anyway.
To me, such luxuries—however costly—were items I couldn't take back to my original world.
They were no different from game items that vanished when the term expired.
Buying those with real money? Such a waste...
That sum could feed hundreds of the poor for months.
For someone like me, who could take nothing from this world... expensive luxuries paled beside the memories of people's happy smiles. That was only natural.
That was why I'd poured the massive church funds into charity without personal use.
Many misunderstood my attitude as saintly virtue, but it wasn't.
It was like dumping soon-to-be-deleted game currency or handing out expiring local vouchers.
If it made others a hundred, a thousand times happier, wouldn't anyone do the same?
At least, that's what I'd thought.
This world's money had far better uses.
Was there anything more regrettable than spending it on someone who needed it least—me?
But oblivious to my inner thoughts, Celestina seemed greatly mistaken.
"Haa... this naive saint really... Didn't Lord Radiance teach you greed when you descended?"
"No, it's not like that at all..."
"I'm not done, Eve. This is big sis's lesson. Even so, isn't it a shame to leave the city's top shopping center empty-handed? So pick just one thing you want from this catalog. That'll end today's shopping. How's that?"
"Huh?"
I absentmindedly took the proffered glass-panel terminal.
Dazed, but faced with her stubborn expression, I averted my eyes and browsed the catalog.
Then I noticed something startling.
Huh? The prices...
Not a single item displayed a price tag.
Clearly not cheap goods, yet none anywhere, even searching with fresh eyes.
"......"
Probably, those who fretted over receipts never entered this space to begin with.
A dizzying feeling washed over me, but I kept swiping, hunting for the cheapest options.
Thankfully, my thorough search yielded results.
Jewelry items showed official prices.
Maybe because prices there can skyrocket endlessly...
Most were eye-wateringly extravagant, but a few small accessories had somewhat reasonable tags.
Still pricey, but not absurdly so.
"......"
After much deliberation, I selected a modest ring.
"I'll take this one."
But sensing something off in my reply, Celestina furrowed her brow.
"Why that ring of all things? It doesn't suit you at all, Eve."
"Ah..."
Had she seen through me?
The longer I delayed, the stranger her expression grew.
No brushing it off with a vague 'taste' excuse.
As sweat beaded in the awkward moment, a good idea struck.
"You said pick what I want, not something I'd use, right?"
"?"
To her tilted head, I beamed.
"It's a gift for you, sis."
Celestina looked stunned.
"For me...?"
"Yes, my treat."
Truthfully, it wasn't just to defuse the situation.
I was genuinely grateful to Celestina, who always helped me.
I wanted to repay her.
No bond, however close, lasted if one side only received.
Lately, I'd pondered how to convey this thanks.
Luckily, the ring suited her perfectly.
The sparkling ruby mirrored her crimson eyes; the bright gold band complemented her noble platinum hair.
I smiled brightly once more, pouring in sincerity.
"A gift for my favorite Cela-sis—what do you think?"
"......"
A bit forced, maybe?
Still, hoping to slide by, I kept grinning.
But oddly, no reply came.
"........."
Celestina just stared intently before squeezing her eyes shut.
Then, incongruously, she began deep breathing.
"Hooo—"
A long, thin exhale, as if suppressing something fiercely.
Was it my imagination that the air felt precariously tense?
"S-Sis?"
"........."
Suddenly, her ruby-red eyes snapped open.
And fixed on me.
"Uh... what's wrong?"
"Haa..."
Only after a long while did she murmur in a deflated tone.
"How long... do I have to hold back...?"