The group of four walk onto the busy streets again. Delta hops with each step, happy and cheerful while carrying the herbs.
Violetta leans over, and grabs a leaf from the mint she bought.
She pops one into her mouth as her eyes wander across the streets. The bustling streets and different smells, some of food, others of perfume, and those of alcohol waft to their noses. The brightly colored clothing and smiles and frowns shine under the sunlight.
Laid back and relaxed, the princess, inelegantly clasps her hands behind her head, swaggering cooly while chewing on the mint leaf. Delta wonders how this innocent princess trained from young could blend in so easily with the commoners of another country.
Under the bright sunlight, a flurry of colors sparkle in sight. It catches Violetta's attention.
"Is that… silk?!" her eyes shine bright with craving.
"Silk?"
"Huh?"
"??"
She drags the three loads of uneducated people along with her, running swiftly to the store at the side.
The black haired girl walks in through the doorway with her chin held high, and light, slow-paced steps. Her experience in shopping in stores shows and made her look like a regular that came to this shop all the time. She blends in her surroundings as if she's meant to be there. Violetta scans the shelves and hangers of qipaos and hanfus.
On the other hand, the three others dragged here, stare at the sparkling clothes around them in a dazed expression. Then, they slowly recover and also look through the shelves of clothing in curiosity.
'This really is like East Asian style. They even have silk, haha. If it wasn't for magic and the weird geography of this continent. I'd think I time traveled to the past or something.'
Violetta thinks inwardly.
She isn't wrong at all. Unlike Earth, these cultures of East Asia and Western Europe border each other instead of needing to take some long road like the famous Silk Road. From her fifteen years in the castle, she also remembered that there's also the desert kingdom and more gathered here. Violetta inferred that if you looked down from a satellite or map, the continent would look like a giant pizza cut into slices of different kingdoms and empires.
'Mmm… pizza…' her mouth drools at the thought, 'Though it was literally everywhere, like an overplayed song, the combination of flavors and the crunchy crust when it's warm is the best.'
"Big sis!" a shout breaks her train of thought.
She looks over at the cute little face, "What is it?"
Chris lifts up the sky blue fabric beside him. His matching eyes, shining.
"Can I have this?" he asks, pleading.
His bright pretty eyes look at her innocently and earnestly.
"I think it suits me really well!"
Violetta nods, 'Chris's aesthetics are pretty good!'
A young shopkeeper walks up to Violetta with a welcoming smile. She holds a long qipao with an elegant purple color.
"Welcome miss! What would you like to buy? I'd like to recommend this purple qipao. It's also on sale today!" she chatters.
Violetta receives the garment from her and examines.
"Mm, the material's great!"
"Ah, yes. It's authentic cotton and silk. For today only, it's eighteen taels!"
Violetta, who has literally never lacked money, not in her past life, nor this one immediately agrees.
A short figure skips over with his piece of silk clothing, humming.
"It's so softttt~" he exclaims.
The shopkeeper pauses for a second, looking at the sweet little kid.
She frowns, 'What's this fashion sense? Why would this child choose such a vibrant blue…'
Looking at the smiling child, she advises, "This… um, would you also like a darker color?"
"??"
"??"
The shopkeeper glances at the two customers who look back in confusion.
"I think black or ...silver would suit his bright dark eyes..." the shopkeeper elaborates awkwardly.
'Dark eyes? What dark eyes? You better not be talking about my beautiful Chris?' Violetta frowns inwardly.
Then, Delta comes over, clearing the misunderstanding.
"Ahem, magic…" she whispers
It takes them a moment…
'Oh right! Little Chris did say that he was using magic for disguise himself!' she recalls.
Even Chris lowers his head sheepishly. He also totally forgot he's still using magic. It came to him like second nature!
Violetta looks back at the shelf Chris came from and realizes there are quite a lot of these sky blue colored silk clothings.
She asks, "Most people here all have dark eyes and hair, which would suit darker colors like you said, so who would usually take clothing of this color?"
The shopkeeper looks at them speaking naturally.
However, her words come like a surprise to them, "Oh, of course it's for royalty. Only royalty would have blue hair that was passed from the late Emperor."
"Royalty?"
"Yes," she pauses, her gaze falling.
She lowers her voice, "... you guys probably don't know, since you seem to be foreigners, but the late Emperor… wasn't really a good person. He had a lot of concubines and children. Because the only women that held power in the palace were the Empress and two other concubines, the rest were barely acknowledged by the Emperor. Now they fill up much of the wealthy population and boast around about being related to royalty… they're usually our customers so most of our clothes are blue."
"If you wear the blue silk, I suggest you don't wear it outside," the shopkeeper advises kindly.
"Alright, thank you for the advice," Violetta sincerely replies.
"Not at all. Although they are our biggest customers, we personally do not like their haughty behaviors at all…"
Kate nods in agreement. She also did not like people who were haughty and acted like they were above all.
After strolling around more, they decide on a couple of long traditional clothing, some silk and some polyester and cotton qipaos. The group of young ladies and child kindly thank her before walking out. Though Violetta has her suspicions, she doesn't ask as it wasn't as important as their friendship...