Morning in Everlight started early. Dawn had barely passed, but all the shops and stalls in the city already opened. A handful of people strolled the streets with their shopping baskets in hand, ready to shop for their needs.
Shen Yuan stood in wait by the square's fountain as he studied the architecture around him. Unlike in modern eras where high-rise buildings and skyscrapers blocked the sky, anyone could enjoy the view from anywhere in the city.
The buildings were generally 2 to 3 stories high though some places like large inns added one or two more floors to accommodate more guests. The only large structure present was the palace, high up on the hill like a beacon of light.
Except around the marketplace where many stalls sold smoked food, the air was clear and fresh even in the middle of the city. Trash cans enchanted with magic were stationed throughout the streets where the garbage would automatically disappear in a weekly rotation, making the road prim and clean.
Regardless of the lack of technology, he wouldn't mind living here. It made him wonder what kind of stuff Zhou Yi read in his free time for his mind to be able to create a world like this.
"Sean," a familiar voice called out.
Shen Yuan came out of his thoughts to see the man himself had come. His white hair and golden eyes were now black and he wore plain cotton clothes under his dark blue cloak. Despite his effort to keep a low profile, people around them still couldn't help but steal glances at him.
Admittedly, Zain was a good-looking man. And now that his mood was better than usual, his whole being seemed glowing.
He reminded him of a dog.
Once Zain reached his side, he grabbed his hood and pulled it over his head. He said in a small voice, "Your Highness, you're attracting too much attention."
"Am I?" Zain inspected his attire. "I already picked the simplest clothes."
"That's not the problem." Shen Yuan only sighed. "Anyway, how did Your High—"
Zain raised a finger to Shen Yuan's lips, stopping him from completing his words. "You're also attracting attention yourself calling me like that."
"Oh, right." Shen Yuan cleared his throat and corrected, "How did Young Master change your hair and eye color?"
"I drank a potion. It should last for 12 hours." Zain was a little disappointed by Shen Yuan's choice of alternative. Still, he knew it would only trouble him if he asked him to call him by his name, so he let it be.
"That's more than enough. Shall we go, then?"
"Where do we go first?"
"Mr. Bonnie gave me a list of ingredients to buy. Let's first head to Golden Farm." Shen Yuan led the way and Zain followed by his side. "They are the palace's regular supplier and have a complete array of ingredients. From meats, fruits, vegetables, and even herbs and spices. They have the royal seal of approval for 5 generations. And the fact is, its current owner is Mr. Bonnie's uncle."
"I suppose it's in their blood."
"Lemia said Mr. Bonnie's grandfather actually wanted Mr. Bonnie's father to take over at that time, but he wanted to take care of the production instead and chose the farm over the shop. Like that, Mr. Bonnie also doesn't need to worry about inheriting the shop."
"Lemia knows a lot of things."
"That, she does."
It didn't take long for them to reach the location. It was the only 3-story store in the city and was similar to a supermarket in the modern era. The prices of the products were more expensive than those in the street market, but their quality spoke for itself.
A female staff welcomed them by the entrance and Shen Yuan told her he was there for an errand for Bonnie. Hearing the name, she nodded in understanding and showed him to the backside of the store.
The store would deliver the products to the palace themselves, so all he had to do was check off the list and make sure everything was in accordance. While he did so, he chatted about various small topics with the people helping him and let Zain hear everything.
"On my way here, I saw some festivities by the clock tower. Is there some kind of an event?" Shen Yuan asked.
"Oh, that. Blue Moon Confectionary launched their new products when they heard the trial is coming up. You know, since there are many tourists and travelers right now," the staff answered. "You should check it out. They're handing out free stuff and you can win prizes by playing games there. I have to say, their merchandise is up to par with Daydream's products. They should open a toy shop branch at this point."
"I see. Maybe we will if we have time to spare after our errands." Shen Yuan looked at Zain, silently asking him if he would be up for it.
Zain agreed with a nod.
They checked everything one last time before finalizing the delivery arrangement. After thanking the staff, Shen Yuan and Zain left the building and decided to eat breakfast next. Since they started early, neither of them had eaten.
"Would Young Master like to try the food at the street market?" Shen Yuan suggested. "Since they're stalls, they sell in small portions, so Young Master can try a little bit of everything. But they could probably be a bit too greasy for your palate."
"That's the part of the experience, isn't it?" Zain didn't mind.
"Then, I'll show Young Master all the popular ones." Shen Yuan took Zain's hand in his. "The street market is usually crowded. Let's make sure not to get separated."
Zain's eyes softened under his hood and returned his hold. "Mn."
As Shen Yuan expected, the street market was filled with people, both locals and tourists. It was easy to tell from the clothes they wore.
Citizens of Everlight mostly dressed in light clothing with bright colors and wore star-shaped accessories since they believed it would bring them good luck. Those with spare money would even bring them to the church to be blessed.
Some tourists wore them as well, but the way they dressed gave them away. Some even had animal ears and tails or scales on their body. Despite that, everyone around them treated them the same as others.
Those features weren't considered odd in this world. The first time he went out on an errand with Matthew, he told him the names of those people and where they came from. They weren't any different than regular foreigners.
As they bought their first skewers, Shen Yuan asked, "Does Everlight not ban any kind of people from entering?"
"Of course not." Zain paid for their food as he answered. "We don't welcome people from countries that have any sort of relations to the demon-kind. The kingdom where our ancestors came from got ruined by them after all. Rather than politics, it's more of a grudge."
"Politics? Does the demon-kind have their own country now?" Shen Yuan wondered as they continued strolling down the street.
"Yes. Although they were defeated in the Dark War, they managed to secure a land far up the north polar. Their current main source of income is their ice containers. It's engineered with their magic, so unfortunately, we haven't been able to replicate it yet."
"Does the palace also use it, then?"
"No. We don't use anything produced by a demon. It's officially written in the law."
Shen Yuan hummed in understanding.
Demons…huh?
Following Matthew's recommendation the other day, Shen Yuan brought Zain to all the stalls selling popular local food and snacks while making small chats and discussing the things around them. He also talked with stall owners from time to time to ask about recent events.
After they had their fill, Zain accompanied Shen Yuan to do his next errand. When they stopped at the florist, he wondered, "Don't we use our own flowers from the garden? Why do we need a florist?"
"We do use our own flowers, but there are some that we don't have," Shen Yuan answered. "We also need florists to arrange them for us."
"Ah, I see." Zain studied the small store in front of them and saw the woman inside, seemingly the same age as Harper. "That person…"
"Does Young Master recognize her?"
"She looks similar to a maid from my childhood. She quit not long before Miss Harper got promoted. I believe they were close friends." The more Zain looked, the more he could see the resemblance. "Could it actually be her?"
The woman in question noticed them and, likewise, fixed her attention on Zain who quickly pulled his hood lower down his face.
"Perhaps, I should—"
Jingle~ Jingle~
The door opened beside them and Zain was ready to leave when the woman called out to him, "Your Highness, is that you?"
"…" Zain stopped in his steps and turned back around. He pulled his hood back ever so slightly and gave a small nod. "It's been a while, Miss Felicia."
"Your hair…?"
"Excuse me, Miss Felicia," Shen Yuan interjected with an apologetic smile. "We're kind of in an 'unofficial' situation…"
"A-Ah! Forgive me!" Felicia covered her mouth and ushered the two in. "Please, come in!"