Akira looked at the vintage store with scrunched eyebrows before turning to Sayaka and Hanae.

"Go ahead without me. I will meet you here when you leave the store." Akira said.

"Where are you going? Do you want to check another shop? We can all go there together afterwards." Sayaka was worried that something was wrong with Akira.

"It's something personal," Akira responded.

Sayaka wanted to push a little more, but she remembered what Daiki had told her. She had to remember that Akira was a grown-up with her thoughts and feelings. Moreover, she had been away from them for most of her life.

They did not have a right to control her decisions.

"Alright. Hanae and I will shop a little here. Call me if anything comes up." Sayaka forced herself to say before walking to the door.

Hanae looked at Akira before following her aunt. After they stepped into Pantheon, Akira walked up the street a little before she crossed it.

"Where do you think Akira is going, auntie?" Hanae asked as they walked to the jewellery area in the store.

Sayaka was also wondering about it in her mind. It seemed like a strange thing to do. She was already questioning her decision to let Akira go off on her own. Even if Mountain Ridge was safe, there had to be a few crooks waiting to prey on innocents.

"Maybe she saw something interesting in one of the shops and went back to get it." Sayaka still responded simply.

Hanae felt disdain in her heart. How could Akira have enough money to buy anything in any of the shops they had visited?

"That's probably it." Hanae agreed. "After all, she does not know anyone in the city."

Sayaka felt a little dazed, but she tried to remain calm. She reminded herself that Akira was an adult who had managed to survive in the world alone.

Still, she could not help but worry about the consequences if Akira acted carelessly. Mountain Ridge might pride itself in being a city of affluent and powerful families, but that did not mean that they did not gossip constantly.

The level of chatter in the grapevine could rival that of an ancient imperial city. People would dissect every action, blow up scandals and ostracise the subjects of juicy scandals.

If anything happened to Akira, it would be a major problem for the family.

"Auntie, I love this bracelet," Hanae said as she lifted a beautiful piece of jewellery.

It was a golden bracelet with different semi-precious stones embedded in the design. The appearance was perfect for a young lady because it was classy without looking too highbrow.

Sayaka snapped out of her daze. "It is quite pretty. Should we get it for Akira?"

Hanae felt like screaming. Usually, when she dropped hints like that, her aunt would get the things she wanted. Now, she was even being used to choose things for an unrelated person.

"Akira said that she does not like jewellery, remember?' She said while suppressing her anger.

Sayaka remembered that Akira had said that when they went to a jewellery shop earlier. After a moment, she realised that Hanae wanted the bracelet.

"Then, we can get it for you if you like it." She had not bought her niece anything throughout the day.

Hanae forced a smile. She had wanted the bracelet when she saw it because it was part of the spring release from Pantheon. Every time they had come to Pantheon, it was sold out. After finding it, she was originally quite happy.

But now, it seemed that she was getting something else that Akira did not like. The knowledge made her feel sick to her stomach.

She wanted to get rid of that woman so much.

However, she had to be cautious to avoid problems.

It would be best if she left on her own.

Akira stepped into Moonpoint with light, graceful steps. Her eyes had been on the vintage shop, so she was sure that the person who had been watching her was still inside.

Unlike other shops in the locale, no one welcomed her with enthusiasm. The unshaven man at the counter was reading an old book, and he did not even look up when she stepped in.

From outside, the shop looked small. However, the interior space was quite large. Moreover, there were countless shelves with an assortment of items.

There was no hint of organisation. As she walked around the shop, she saw a bracelet in a bowl and a decorative belt buckle on top of a horse carving.

The disordered items had a thin layer of dust on them as if they had not been cleaned for a long time. However, Akira's eyes could see that the items were not simple. Most of them were genuine antiques or high-quality imitations made of good materials.

Moreover, the dusty and disorganised gimmick that the owner was using was working. There were several people in the large shop.

Akira acted like she was looking at the merchandise, but she was observing the other shoppers. Two young women were gushing over an old ring while imagining the marvellous history behind it. An older woman was looking at an earthen teapot set.

One middle-aged man seemed entranced by a strangely shaped shield that looked like it belonged in a museum. Two young men were browsing the shop like her. But they had bored and uninterested faces as they talked about football.

Akira walked deeper into the store and looked at other shoppers, but she could not find anyone suspicious.

"Are you looking for something special?" A man spoke up from behind her.

Akira was startled. It was rare for anyone to come near her without her realisation.

She turned her head to look at the person.