Chapter 38

“Oh, there are so many things we need to buy.” Emil carried the shopping basket and happily wandered between the shelves.

Walking behind, Sarah was stopped by an old lady. The elderly woman smiled and asked, “Going out to play?”

Sarah smiled and nodded. The delicate little girl stood shyly behind the old lady, looking at her.

She had to conserve some of her magic and couldn't cast a spell on the three people in the store. Anyway, they had arrived here safely, so there shouldn't be any accidents, right?

“I heard you talking about going to the beach, right? Young people have such good energy. When I was young, I often went swimming in the winter, but now that I'm old, I can't do it anymore. When it gets cold, my bones ache, and I can't sleep well. The only thing that hasn't changed is that I still wake up early. Be careful if you go out to sea; the weather report says the waves are high these days…”

The old lady enthusiastically chatted with Sarah, who had no choice but to listen obediently. Watching Emil pass by the food shelves, anything labeled “chocolate” was thrown into the shopping basket. She couldn’t help but find it amusing.

“Are you two…?” The old lady looked at Emil, who was wearing a hooded coat, making it hard to tell if the person wrapped from head to toe was male or female.

“We’re sisters,” Sarah intentionally left a misleading clue to make it harder for anyone tracking them to find their whereabouts.

“You seem to get along well. I’m also going to visit my sister who married in the East. My son and daughter-in-law have to work, and they told me to wait until the weekend for them to take me, but we haven’t seen each other for a long time, so I want to go early. My little granddaughter also wants to visit her aunt…” The old lady suddenly stopped talking, staring in surprise at Emil, who had wandered over to the personal hygiene products shelf.

Sarah followed her gaze and saw Emil bending over to examine the products, his eyes fixed on eight boxes of condoms and three pregnancy tests. He stared at them for a full ten seconds before very naturally sweeping them all into the shopping basket.

Sarah was utterly shocked and quickly walked over to him, lowering her voice, “I told you to buy necessities! I don’t have much money left. What do you need these for?”

“They are necessities! If we end up on a deserted island, food might be easy to find, but these things won’t be there. Just because we’re on the run doesn’t mean I plan to be celibate,” Emil argued, watching her cheeks turn a rosy hue. He raised an eyebrow knowingly, “Strange, I’m the one buying them, so why are you blushing?”

“You…” Should she call him carefree or indulgent? She blushed and glared at him, her voice as soft as a mosquito’s, “I told you that overindulgence can be fatal, didn’t I? You don’t believe me?”

He laughed heartily, “No, no, if we take proper precautions, it won’t be ‘fatal’—” His face suddenly changed as he noticed the figure behind her.

“What is it?” Sarah turned around and was startled to see a familiar white robe—Alexander! She immediately stepped in front of Emil to protect him.

He wasn’t there in person but was using the same method she had used to mislead their pursuers—soul projection. Souls were usually somewhat blurry, and upon closer inspection, it would be clear they weren’t physical. That’s why she always appeared at a distance when luring enemies. But Alexander’s soul was unusually clear, as if he were actually there. Freed from the limitations of the flesh, the soul’s form could more fully manifest the mage’s spiritual power. His power was vast and overwhelming, surrounding them.

Her heart sank. Even in her best condition, she wouldn’t be a match for this man. Their escape was coming to an end…

“What are you doing here?” Emil glared at him defensively, “Shouldn’t you be in Japan enjoying the snow with your fiancée?”

“I was informed that you and the heiress of the Derlin family’s maid had escaped. I was forced to cut my vacation short and come back to capture you,” Alexander said, his expression displeased. He only appeared to the two of them; no one else could see him.

“I’m not going back,” Emil said resolutely, his voice cold, “If you dare separate me from her, I’ll make sure your fiancée suffers ten times the pain I do. Think carefully about that.”

Alexander’s handsome face showed some irritation. He muttered, “I really don’t understand why you sympathize with such people,” as he walked towards them.

Both of them stepped back warily, but then they saw him extend his hand, holding a small paper bag.

“This contains your Swiss bank account details and password. For your years assisting the government with experiments, they’ve allocated you some allowance. My master helped you open an account at a Swiss bank and deposited the money there. I haven’t looked at what’s inside the bag, so only my master knows about this account. It can’t be traced. Use the money as you wish. That’s all I have to say. Goodbye.”

“Wait!” Emil was confused but understood one thing, “You’re not here to catch me?”

“I was going to catch you, but when I got the call… my fiancée was next to me,” Alexander’s expression was complicated, a mix of joy and annoyance, “She was very moved when she heard about you two, so she insisted I give you a chance. My plane will land in an hour. When we meet again, it won’t be such a peaceful conversation.”

“Just because she asked, you’re going to let us go?” Sarah was astonished. How could such a major decision be influenced by personal reasons?

“Because she…” Alexander’s handsome face blushed, unable to hide his delight, “She said if I helped you, we could set the wedding date whenever I wanted, no more delays.”

Emil was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter, “Good old Qin’er! I always used you to threaten this guy, and in the end, you saved us!”

“But even if you agree to her request, you could just pretend to let us go and then actually capture us. She wouldn’t know,” Sarah was still skeptical.

Alexander had a strict character, similar to her foster mother. Besides, he had clearly stated that he had no friendship with Emil. To let them go so easily… Perhaps he wasn’t as cold-hearted as he appeared, and his fiancée’s “coercion” allowed him to let things unfold naturally?

“Because Alexander is a noble person, a true gentleman. Moreover, he made a promise to his beloved Qin’er, so he wouldn’t deceive her,” Emil wanted to pat Alexander on the shoulder, but since Alexander wasn’t physically present, his hand only touched air.

“Instead of chatting here, you’d better get moving. You only have an hour,” Alexander’s figure began to fade, about to disappear.

“Thank you!” Sarah said gratefully, “I’m sorry I ever cursed you. I truly apologize.”