Chapter 4: Buying a New House

The next day, Crystal met with the Town Mayor who hired a cart to go around the town. She thanked him for his consideration and they set off early to look at the houses for sale. The first house was located near the square of the town. This is a two-story house with a small backyard with a tall apple tree in the middle. The environment was good, however, there are some noisy neighbors and she doesn't want to live like that with her children.

The second house is located on the outskirts of town facing a barren hill. It is a small house with a small but unattended backyard and a withered tree. There were a few fixes needed and Crystal doesn't have the time to tend to the backyard or fix those that needed immediate repairs, therefore she asked the town mayor for the next house.

The third house is located at the opening of the town next the forest where she came from. It was a two-story house with a shop on the ground floor. It was made of faded-red bricks and old but still usable furnaces. What appeals to her is the large kitchen aisle and the medium-sized oven. She was hit by the nostalgia of her and her mother cooking together and baking sweets to eat. She can also open the shop and turn it into a bakery to sell bread and cookies in the future.

"This house is actually pretty decent, however, there are no buyers because of the rumors of ghosts haunting the place so they stray away from it."- The Town Mayor said and looked at the pregnant lady in front of him. It was such a shame that her husband died young and now she has to live alone and raise her unborn child by herself. He worries about this lady however, he is only a stranger and a town mayor of this town, therefore, he shouldn't be too familiar with his subjects.

"Shall we head to the next location?"- The Town Mayor asked Crystal but her words made him surprised.

"I want this house, Town Mayor. I'll buy this house!"- Crystal turned around and smiled at him. The Town Mayor blinked before he nodded and told her the cost of the house.

"Three silver coins? Here. Thank you for helping me Town Mayor!"- Crystal smiled at him as she handed him the money. The Town Mayor took a few seconds to digest what just happened before sighing to himself, He escorted her back to the inn and let her sign the deed of the house before leaving. Crystal smiled while gazing at the deed of the house.

'My babies, we finally have a roof under our heads! Your mother is very capable!'- She thought to herself before ordering lunch from James.

'Mother is very capable! Wonderful!'

'Mother is smart and capable! Wonderful!'

The twins were conversing to themselves while praising their mother who is busy eating at the moment.

After eating, Crystal went back to her room to read the books she bought to learn more about the world she is currently living in.

The Helios country is a large country that is shaped like the Asian continent from her previous life. What piqued her interest was the history of the Three Human Kingdoms.

A century ago, there were three humans who were inseparable from one another. Two males and a female, and together, they braved their way around the Helios continent meeting different creatures. Some asked them for duels, some want their knowledge and skills, however, they only stayed for a few days before going back to their adventure. However, dispute happened between the three that made them all go in separate ways and built their own fortresses and guarding the humans' land for a long time. It was not specified in the book she was reading but some guesses it was love for the their female friend, others said that there was betrayal involved, but all were just hypothetical guesses and it was left like that till present time.

Crystal was amused while reading, but she was more curious about the adventure that they experienced and the things they saw outside the human kingdoms. She thought of buying a map of Helios to see the land and maybe when the twins are capable of traveling, she could go and travel with them.

'Mother, I like that Idea!'

'Mother! Let's go travel together!'

Crystal was surprised from the kicks inside her belly and thought that the twins likes her idea. She smiled and rubbed her belly in a gentle manner.

"We'll do that in the future, for now, just be born safely and grow first. We're not in a rush."- Crystal said to them before closing the book and going down again to meet Clarrissa and John.

"Be careful Crystal," Clarissa helped her sit down before they tackled the renovations for her new home and other household items she might need. It took them a two hours to draw up the plan and the list of the things that will be bought and the supplies that will be needed for the renovation.

"Ten silvers will be fine to cover the cost and paying the workers who will help on the renovations."- John said Crystal gave him the silver coins and thanked them in advance.

"How much time do you both think it needs to renovate the house?"- Crystal asked and John said the estimate is around one month and a half. Crystal nodded and agreed on that schedule.

"No worries, Crystal. Just rest and focus all your energy to your babies. We'll handle your house's renovation." Clarissa smiled at her and held her hand. Crystal nodded her head and thanked them again and see them off.

When Crystal turns around, James and his sister, Claire, were looking at her. She tilted her head and asked what's the matter and Claire was the first one to question.

"Ma'am, did you really bought the ghostly house in town?"- She asked and James scolded her and covered her mouth while looking sheepish and apologising to her.

"Oh, you two also believe on that?"- Crystal walked back to her table and children sat in front of her and nodded in confirmation.

"Do you both know why it was 'haunted'?"- Crystal asked the children and they shook their heads, Crystal smiled at them before answering.

"Because the house is infested with rats and insects, that is why if anyone is not aware of them, they will think its the ghosts."- She explained and the children were both surprised.

"So you two better clean your inn, if those lives in the inn, your customers will complain."- Crystal said and patted their heads before going back to her room to rest.

"I wonder how we will live on that house... the location is still far from the market but closer to the inn, however, it was farther than the physician's building. That reminds me, I haven't went there to get a schedule and a midwife to help me for the delivery."- Crystal sighed to herself as she laid in bed and contemplates about that plan.

"Thankfully the 'meal' that I'm taking helps on rising my temperature and saves me from being discovered as a vampire, as well myself eating cooked food, I'm surprised that I can eat those... maybe it's because of the twins? I'm relieved, I can still eat cooked foods and not only animal's blood."- Crystal heaved a sigh of relief before easing her mind and taking a nap before dinner.

-

Crystal was wandering inside a huge medieval-like hallway that is seemingly part of a large castle. She doesn't know where was or why she was here but she kept moving forward towards the large mahogany door at the end of the hallway. She tried to inspect the view outside, but she cannot control her body. She gave up soon and watched curiously as 'her' body opened the large doors and was met with an overwhelming wave of bloodlust, disgust, and anger from the people inside the room. It looks like a dining room and the people inside were dressed lavishly, adorned with jewels, leather, and silks all over their bodies. One thing that was common to everyone inside the room was that they were all vampires feasting on the humans that were spasming on top of the long dining table. The white tablecloth was stained with blood as the room is filled with the vampires' laughs and the horrified screams of the humans. 'Her' body tried to move but the heavy shackles on her neck and ankles do not permit her to move.

The immense thirst and hunger her body was experiencing while they feast in front of her was pure torture until her vision was blocked with a pair of large gloved hands. The scene changes and it was inside a medieval-looking bedroom where a man with an overwhelming aura was dominating 'her' body. She was standing beside the door while he was doing an adulterous deed with a vampire girl. Her chest felt tight and it was hard for her to breathe. The Vampire girl walked towards her without any piece of cloth, sneering at her before throwing her outside the bedroom.

The feeling of pain, regret, rejection, and anger erupted inside of 'her' body. She managed to break free from the shackles and run away to escape the large castles.

"!!!"- She heard a large and thunderous shout coming from the higher levels of the large castle, calling her name with such hate and disgust. 'Her' body turned around to face that person, however, the face was blurry for her to see, except his long silver hair and the large, jagged scar was on his chest.

"..." 'her' body spoke but she also didn't hear it before she threw a small bottle which contains a spell portal and run inside it. The portal closed, but Crystal saw the enraged faces of the vampires.

"!!!"- Crystal opened her eyes and saw that it was already in the middle of the night. She tried to calm her breathing first as she sorted out the first round of memories she has gotten from the original body's unconsciousness.

"She looks like from an important family of the Vampires... yet why is she shackled and thrown away? Who was that guy in the bedroom? I want to find out more, but the feelings I have right now, Does the original's body wish for me to take revenge? or does it want me to run far away from the Vampires and never to get caught, never to cross paths?"- Crystal was confused as she held her chest, She was feeling very upset and betrayed, enough for her to shed a few tears from her eyes without her knowing.

"I promised the original soul, that I will take care of the twins and let them live a happy life. I'll make sure that they will not get caught from the dispute on the vampire's side. Therefore, we don't need to go and travel, living inside this town is enough, going around the Three human kingdoms is enough. My dearest Twins, I will not put you two at stake."- She said and rubbed her belly to ease her nervousness, staring at the window where the crescent moon is shining down.