Mylos followed Karen to a small shop down the road, it was open as expected. There was a few people walking in and out, but the traffic wasn't anything spectacular in the morning. Mylos was just glad he finally found one.

"My house is just across the road, right besides the tree planted there." Karen pointed to a plain looking house across the road, then she turned to the shop, "This shop retails cheaper quality clothing and others."

Mylos blinked, then he faked a smiled. He felt that it was the right thing any human would do in the situation he was in right now. Although he wasn't smiling like an idiot in reality, he did feel glad that he would spend less.

"Thank you, Karen."

Karen turned to Mylos, and after taking one look at his expression, she rolled her eyes and opened her mouth to speak, "You don't have to force yourself. If you are not pleased with the place, we can go somewhere classy."

"Huh? Who said I wasn't pleased?" Mylos dropped his fake smile, "This is actually perfect for me, since I'm not rich enough to afford anything outrageously luxurious."

Karen's expression revealed her vivid confusion. After a few seconds, she shook her head and began speaking again, "Then why did your smile feel so fake? There's no need to lie to me! If you don't like the place, we can just leave for another shop."

Mylos' eyes narrowed down for a split second, then he rolled his eyes, finally speaking up to clear himself from her claims, "It's not that I don't like the shop, I found it difficult to smile naturally while expressing gratitude."

"Hmm, you should go inside. I will wait out here." Karen chimed, turning around to approach a bench placed just besides the front door of the shop, "Once you come out from the shop, I'll take you to the shop for sweets."

"Huh? Why can't you go in?" Mylos asked curiously, he found it strange that she was not interested in going into the clothing retail shop. After some seconds of thought, he called out to her, "Why don't you follow me in?"

For one, he was very interested in why she would rather sit outside under the sun than follow him into shelter. It was quite surprising, and it would be suspicious if a valid reason for her abstinence is not given.

Thinking all that, he wanted to offer an invitation to see her reaction. Being intensely perceptive for a child, there was a chance he was just being played into another trap, and he wasn't dumb enough to be played like that.

"You really want me to follow, you in?" Karen who was a second away from sitting on the bench, spun around in a second to blink her eyes at Mylos, "Of course! Why not? I was the one who guided you here in the first place."

"…"

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Mylos was stunned.

Before he could speak, Karen skipped to the glass doors then pushed them open, bouncing in a second later. The young demon was left speechless with questions floating around in his head, each left completely unanswered.

He shrugged, then followed her into the building. Inside the shop, he was met by a vast collection of clothing and their accessories arranged on display with their price tag pinned to them. Of course, he was stunned by the price.

Compared to the areas he was used to, these were very cheap! Nothing here was beyond a hundred credits, this set them well under $90 in the currency of humans that lived in this district — he was surprised.

If this was considered “cheap quality”, then what he had gotten himself used to would be considered outrageous, and what he considered outrageous before… Anyways, a few clothes from here wouldn't even burn a pinhole in his pockets, for him, that was good enough.

——

Mylos browsed through the colorful array of clothing, his fingers skimming over the fabrics. He spotted a dark blue shirt with intricate patterns that caught his eye, and he held it up to examine it closely. The texture felt surprisingly smooth for something labeled as "cheap."

As he glanced at the price tag, a slight smirk tugged at the corners of his lips. This was definitely way under his budget, and the quality was good for casual wear. The only downside was that it'll get ruined easily in battle.

He grabbed a few more clothing, glanced at their prices a second time, then dropped them on Karen. He did not even give a sidelong glance, walking ahead and picking up clothes he liked, then giving to the young girl.

Karen was stunned. Before she knew it, she was already holding a heap of clothing, her brows furrowed sighting Mylos still searching for stuff to add. She didn't a single word to attack Mylos, following him calmly.

Mylos looked around the shop, seeing other shoppers quietly browsing through racks of clothes, occasionally picking up items and inspecting them. After picking all he needed, he turned to Karen.

"Thank you. Can you hand them over to me? I'll handle my clothing." Mylos would have let her help him with his clothes till he'd left, but he didn't feel comfortable as he watched her carry his clothes in her hands.

Karen on the other hand, didn't hesitate to pass all the clothes to Mylos. As soon as they were taken from her, she sighed deeply then took the lead to the counter, a grumbling pout on her face as she walked forth.

Mylos walked after Karen with both eyes roaming round the shop, focusing on the shelves of accessories. He saw a few watches he took a liking to and reached out to get them, he also grabbed a silver pendant alongside.

As they made their way to the checkout counter, Mylos noticed a young girl struggling to reach some pieces of clothing on a high shelf. Without hesitation, he stepped over to help, retrieving the item and handing it to her.

"Thank you." The young girl thanked Mylos, receiving the clothes with gratitude. As soon as she'd taken them, she turned away and left without saying any more words to Mylos who had equally left to follow Karen.

With his selected items in hand, Mylos approached the cashier, who rang up his purchases. He handed over the credits and watched as the items were carefully placed in a bag. Receiving the bag, he turned to Karen who wore a satisfied smile on her small face.

"The sweet shop is just a few dozen metres away, we'll get there in four or five minutes at most." Karen led the silent Mylos to the exit, the thought of getting to eat a bag of sweets fuelled her resolve as she moved.

As they walked out of the shop and onto the street, Mylos felt a sense of contentment settle over him. The encounter had started with disinterest and uncertainty, but now he found himself getting used to Karen's company and feeling more at ease.

Sometimes, he mused, stepping out of one's comfort zone could lead to unexpected and pleasant surprises.