ALL NOVEL Chapter 63 – Souvenir
What could be more fitting to be the last stop for a vacation other than a souvenir shop?
Thankfully, this was one of the common senses of this world that overlapped with that of the modern world’s.
Thus, Ann and the others were currently at the local souvenir store, picking up the things they wanted to buy.
Looking at the varieties of the souvenir, Ann was torn about what to get.
This hair pin has a cutesy shape of the local bird’s face… This suits Faye! She’s here with me but why not just buy her this, too?
This small box… hmmmm, it can be used to store a pair of glasses… For my *cough cough* beloved teacher, Simone!
And then… right, what should I give to the orphanage children and staff?
Hmm… Since I assumed the identity of a commoner, I shouldn’t buy anything expensive, right? It’d get them suspicious…
Ann circled around the store, trying to find something that would be perfect for the people from the orphanage.
But giving souvenirs to that many people… If it’s impossible, I should just get something for Grace, Silas, the other volunteers that I often work together with, and probably something that the orphanage can use together, then…
As she mindlessly browsed through the items, her eyes stopped at something that almost made her tear up.
This… is it!!
She stopped right at the section that sold bundle of snacks and candies.
This isn’t something extravagant, and this can be shared with everyone!!
She then recalled the snacks and candies she had seen often in the stores when she went downtown, and also the ones available in the residence and the orphanage.
Filtering them all from her list of choices, she began checking the packages and made sure to grab some snacks that had the ‘Mojo specialty’ mark.
Feeling satisfied now that she had gotten everyone some souvenirs, Ann started looking for her sugar daddy—correction—her lawful husband: Allen.
It was easy to look for him in the store because he was stall and there was something about his aura that made him stand out.
When she approached him, he immediately noticed her and asked, “Are you done selecting?” as he turned his face to her.
The moment he saw her coming with a bunch of stuff, his eyes were slightly widened.
Noticing that, Ann immediately introduced the stuff she picked to him.
“These are for the people at the orphanage, this one is for Simone, and this one is—”
“For you?” Allen asked when Ann showed him a hairpin.
Ann was surprised at the sudden interruption and his assumption that she paused for a bit before shaking her head and said, “Nope. This one is for Faye because it suits her so much.”
“I see,” Allen said, slightly relieved.
It will indeed feel odd if you’re the one who wears it… The design is more suitable for a child’s hairpin, after all.
“Are you done already?” Ann asked in return.
“Yeah,” Allen said as he showed what little souvenir he picked.
“Eh, you sure it’s everything?” Ann asked.
“Mhm. I don’t have that many friends,” Allen explained.
Ann silently lamented in her heart.
Feel a bit sadder when you said such a sad line, come on…
“Then, shall we pay for everything and return?” Ann asked.
Allen nodded a bit before he noticed, “Aren’t you going to buy something for yourself?”
“Huh? What for?” Ann blinked, wondering.
We’re the ones going, so why should I get something for me?
Well, Faye is also going on a vacation with me but that’s a different thing. It’s just a gift I happened to see here.
She had tried many local specialties, and the snacks displayed here didn’t really interest her.
Other items… What’s the use of hoarding items that she might not use in the future?
In the modern world, ever since she had a limited space due to living alone in a small apartment, she began to stop buying unnecessary things and even disposed of the things that—as the modern world liked to say it—‘didn’t spark joy’.
She still carried this kind of mindset, so she didn’t feel the need to buy anything here just for the sake of carrying home a souvenir for herself. If she found something she really fancied, she’d just take it, but unfortunately there was none…
Allen shook his head a bit.
She’s only thinking of the others, huh? She didn’t even think about herself.
Yes… I’m certain that this woman before me is definitely different from her old self.
That woman… only thought of herself, after all.
As expected…
Meanwhile, another thought flashed in Ann’s mind.
I’m also going to leave this world soon, so wouldn’t that just be wasteful? There’s also no meaning in asking to be buried with all the stuff I own… Wait, will they even let me request anything for my own funeral?
Ann also shook her head when she noticed she had trailed off too much.
“Anyway, it’s not like you bought yourself something, right?” Ann asked.
“Mhm, that’s true,” Allen answered. Fair enough.
Allen was paying for the items they bought when he noticed a stand nearby.
The stand provided a photograph service.
An idea sparked in Allen’s mind.
“For our ‘souvenir’, why don’t we take some pictures together?” Allen asked all of a sudden towards Ann who was trying hard not to grin over how good it was to pick out items and then get them paid by someone else.
After one second full pause to process things, Ann asked in disbelief, “Eh?”
Allen didn’t bother explaining further as he walked towards the photograph stand. The confused Ann followed Allen’s lead as she finally noticed that there was a stand offering their photograph services here.
She immediately became enthusiastic and walked quickly. As a result, she arrived at the front of the stand faster than Allen.
This surprised Allen, but he was quickly overcome with warmth.
She’s this enthusiastic about taking some photos together with me?
Unfortunately, Ann’s mind wasn’t thinking about that at all.
She looked at the photograph equipment with marvel.
If this were the world where I lived in, during what seemed to be a medieval age like this, photograph shouldn’t exist yet, right? But here we are, in a seemingly medieval world, and photograph exists!!
Or is it because this is a world of a game?
The maker of the game is surely a modern person too, and thus, some things here adapt those that the modern world has.
Or is it because this is a completely different world, full of things that seem to only exist in fantasy in my original world? So, though this seems to be a medieval era, photograph exists! The invention in this world is different from my original world…
Hmm, either way, this is amazing and convenient!
But judging from how photograph doesn’t seem to be widely spread and used that much in this world yet, perhaps this is… a new invention?
If Allen could read Ann’s mind, he would surely be disappointed knowing the truth.
Thankfully he couldn’t. And he could only make assumptions. And that only made his love to Ann grew…
The two of them then proceeded to take some photos together.
After a few photos taken, Allen noticed Ann feeling distracted and followed her line of sight. At the end of her sight was Faye and Birdie who were looking at them together with the other workers.
He then swiftly told Ann to call them if she wanted to include them in the photos.
Ann was surprised hearing that, but she was more than happy to comply.
In the end, the four of them took some photos together, too.
Apparently, the technology of photograph here wasn’t as developed as what Ann knew in her original world.
They needed to wait for a while because the photos taken still needed to be processed.
After waiting for some time, the stand’s staff walked to them and handed the photos.
“Thank you for using our service. You guys made a really cute family!” The staff said to Ann, Allen, Faye, and Birdie before leaving them.
Hearing that, the four of them turned to look at one another as they blinked in confusion.
T-the staff misunderstood it!
Ann thought to herself, wanting to correct him, but oh well…
It's not like we’re going to come here together again, so why bother?
Meanwhile, Allen had a totally different thought. He didn’t feel like correcting the staff at all.
We should definitely come back here again.
He was satisfied with the staff’s compliment, even.
As they were seeing the photos, Allen suddenly turned around as he felt like being monitored.
However, when he scanned his surrounding, he didn’t find anyone suspicious.
It must have been my imagination…
He thought to himself before reminding Ann and the others that they needed to go back now or it would be too late.
Unbeknownst to them, there were indeed some people in the dark, monitoring their movements and interaction just now…
And as the group started their journey back home, those people also retreated to the darkness…
