MTLNOVEL Chapter 132 Shopping (3)
Alina's car rolled off the main road and into the city, the skyline slowly filling the windshield with tall buildings, glass fronts, and flashing advertisements. Dante's gaze drifted from one side of the street to the other, taking in the bustling crowds and lines of sleek cars. His expression didn't change much, but there was a faint spark of curiosity in his eyes. It looked… far more developed than the last time he had set foot here.
"Sir, do you have money?" Alina asked suddenly, breaking his thoughts.
"I have," he replied without looking at her, his tone as calm and expressionless as ever.
"No, I mean… human money," she clarified, giving him a sideways glance.
That earned her a faintly amused look. "Do you think I don't? Otherwise, why would I have hired you without money, hm?"
Alina's cheeks warmed at the teasing edge in his tone. "I was just asking…" she muttered.
Without another word, Dante reached into his coat pocket and produced a golden card—shiny, heavy-looking, and so fancy that Alina nearly swerved into the next lane.
"Oh my goodness," she breathed, staring at it as though it were a treasure pulled from the ocean floor.
"My demons sell medicinal plants in the human world," Dante explained, slipping the card back into his pocket, "and a few other things."
Alina's mouth slowly formed a perfect "O" of realization.
In truth, Dante made quite a lot of human money that way, though he rarely spent it. In his world, medicinal plants grew in wild abundance, scattered like weeds along mountain paths and shadowed valleys. No one there thought much of them, but in the human world, they were rare, coveted, and expensive. So Dante had quietly turned it into a business—partly out of curiosity, partly as a hobby, and partly to ensure he had resources ready in case he ever needed something from this side.
As he glanced at Alina's still-wide-eyed expression, he thought to himself that the venture had been more than worthwhile. The profits were enough not only to fund occasional purchases but also to pay a certain human teacher's salary without the slightest dent in his reserves. A good business indeed.
****
Alina realized very quickly that even with Dante's horns hidden, his clothes changed, and his eyes shifted to a natural green, it was impossible for him to blend in. He might have been pretending to appear like any other normal man walking into a mall, but his sheer presence was enough to turn heads. It wasn't just that he was tall—it was the way he carried himself, that quiet but unmistakable authority in his stride, the weight of an aura that made people instinctively step aside as if he owned the ground he walked on.
And then, of course, there was his face. That impossibly symmetrical, sculpted face that could have easily been on a magazine cover. The longer she walked beside him, the more Alina noticed curious glances—people slowing down, double-taking, or even whispering to each other.
She risked a quick look up at him and almost laughed at the absurd height difference. Even in her flats, she barely reached his shoulder. "Hmm… seven feet? Or maybe six foot eight?" she muttered under her breath, squinting like she could measure him by eye. She wasn't sure, but the thought of just asking him made her curious.
Meanwhile, Dante's jaw had tightened slightly. His gaze flicked to a passing couple who were staring openly, and his brow twitched. Why were these humans looking at him as if he were some unknown creature? Granted… he was one, but they didn't know that. The attention was irritating, and he fought the urge to glare everyone into looking away.
Alina, sensing his annoyance, quickened her pace and led him toward the far end of the mall. "This way, sir," she said cheerfully, weaving through the crowd until they stopped in front of a wide glass storefront.
Inside was the largest stationery shop in the city, shelves stacked with colorful papers, paints, markers, scissors, and every imaginable crafting tool. The air smelled faintly of paper and fresh ink, a comforting scent for Alina.
"Here we can get most of the art supplies," she explained, then pointed just next door. "And over there—that's a school and office supply store. They sell bigger items like cork bulletin boards, easels, and classroom organizers. We can get both in one trip."
Dante gave a short nod, scanning the display in the window as if he were assessing a battlefield. "Very well. Lead the way, Miss Alina."
And with that, they stepped inside school and office supply store. The bright, cheerful atmosphere of the shop clashing hilariously with Dante's intimidating figure—making even the shop clerk freeze for half a second before remembering to greet them.
The cool air inside smelled faintly of fresh cardboard and new wood. Rows of neatly stacked shelves stretched toward the back, holding everything from chalkboards to mini desks, while the walls displayed bright posters and colorful learning tools.
A cheerful-looking salesperson in a neat polo shirt spotted them almost immediately. She stepped forward with a welcoming smile, clasping her hands together. "Good afternoon! Are you looking for anything specific today?"
Alina glanced around at the endless aisles of supplies and nodded. "Yes, I'd like to see cork bulletin boards first… something sturdy and big enough to display the children's artwork." Her eyes wandered further as she spoke, her mind already ticking through the list of things Class D lacked. "And maybe… a pocket chart for organizing papers, a small bookshelf for the corner, and—oh!—those clear display frames for hanging up student drawings without damaging them…"
The salesperson's smile widened. "Of course, we have all of those. I'll show you our cork boards first—they come in different sizes, and some even have colorful borders to make them more fun for children."
"That sounds perfect," Alina said, already picturing babies flower crafts pinned proudly on a bright-bordered board. "Something colorful would make the room feel warmer."
As they began to walk toward the display section, Alina caught Dante's expression from the corner of her eye. He was scanning the shop slowly, his sharp gaze moving over every item like he was evaluating them for quality. Even standing among cheerful bins of crayons and stacks of pastel construction paper, he somehow managed to look like a ruler surveying his empire.