Chapter 86: Trusted With Responsibility
Rosalie:
"I’m happy you found what you needed," I said honestly while handing her the borrowing receipt.
She looked at me for a brief moment before speaking again, almost shyly this time. "I think I’ll come here more often." Her eyes wandered toward the towering bookshelves surrounding us. "Whenever I need stationery... or if I have another school project. There are so many books here that could help with my assignments." She paused before adding enthusiastically, "I’ll tell my older brother about this place too. And my friends. I don’t think any of them know this bookstore exists."
Those simple words touched my heart far more deeply than the hundreds of likes and comments Eiden’s post had gathered throughout the afternoon.
Because this...
This was exactly the kind of customer I wanted. Someone who would return. Someone who came because the bookstore itself had something valuable to offer.
I smiled warmly before finishing the bill.
"You know what?" I said, reaching for the receipt once more. "Today’s your lucky day."
She tilted her head curiously.
"My very first genuine customer deserves a little celebration."
I applied a five-percent discount to the stationery purchase before handing her the final bill.
Her eyes widened. "Really?"
I nodded. "Really."
The smile that spread across her face was so genuine that it instantly made the discount worthwhile.
"Thank you!" she said brightly while carefully packing her things into her backpack. "I’ll definitely be back."
"I’ll look forward to seeing you again."
I watched her happily wave goodbye before stepping out into the softly lit evening street.
As the little brass bell above the door chimed one final time and the bookstore fell completely silent once again, I leaned lightly against the reception counter and allowed myself to smile.
Today hadn’t ended with hundreds of book sales.
It had ended with something far more precious.
My very first customer had promised to come back.
* * *
The next morning, I arrived at the bookstore earlier than usual, still carrying the excitement from yesterday somewhere deep inside my chest.
Even after waking up at five for training, running until my legs threatened to give up, and returning home to shower before opening the bookstore, I didn’t feel nearly as exhausted as I normally would. Instead, my mind remained occupied with plans.
Last night’s success had shown me that people could indeed be drawn here. The difficult part wasn’t getting them through the door anymore. The real challenge was making them return because of the bookstore itself rather than because Alpha Eiden Thorn had once visited it.
As I unlocked the front door and stepped inside, the familiar scent of old books immediately welcomed me home. I found myself smiling before I even realized it.
Somehow, in just over a week, this place had already become more than just a workplace. It felt... important. Like something I genuinely wanted to protect.
I had barely finished switching on the lights when the bell rang as someone opened the glass door and stepped inside the store. Turning around, I found Grandma Maggie slowly making her way inside with the same warm smile she always wore. She looked far more energetic than she had the previous week, and the sight alone brightened my morning.
"Good morning, dear," she greeted, making her way toward the reception desk where I had neatly placed yesterday’s earnings just now.
"Good morning, Grandma Maggie," I replied cheerfully. "I was just about to go over yesterday’s accounts with you." I reached for the cash box and the notebook containing every sale, every borrowed book, and every expense before placing them in front of her. "This is everything we earned yesterday."
To my surprise, she didn’t even bother opening the notebook immediately. Instead, she simply picked up the neatly stacked money, looked at it for a brief moment, and then... placed it right back into my hands.
I blinked in confusion. "Grandma Maggie...?"
She closed my fingers gently around the money before smiling with unmistakable pride.
"Keep it."
My eyes widened.
"What?"
A soft chuckle escaped her. "Child, I have owned this bookstore for over forty years. Do you really think I can’t tell when someone has done something remarkable?" She gestured toward the shop around us. "Yesterday, in barely half a day, this bookstore earned more money than it has during the entire past month."
I stared at her speechlessly. I knew yesterday had gone well... but I hadn’t imagined the difference was that enormous.
Grandma Maggie’s smile softened as she continued, "Do you know what impressed me the most? It wasn’t the money. It was seeing this old place filled with people again. Hearing laughter inside these walls. Watching children wander through the shelves while the elders enjoyed the drinks. For the first time in years... this bookstore felt alive." Her eyes glistened ever so slightly before she patted my hand affectionately. "And it relieved me more than I can put into words."
She gently pushed the money toward me once again when I instinctively tried to return it. "I believe you are going to make this bookstore flourish, child. Much sooner than either of us expected." She looked around the store thoughtfully before adding, "But dreams don’t grow without investment. You’ll have ideas. Shelves to improve. Decorations to buy. Events to organize. Maybe even furniture to replace one day. All of that requires money." She smiled with quiet certainty. "So don’t hand yesterday’s earnings to me. Use them. Invest them back into this bookstore. Build it into the place you have been imagining all week."
I looked down at the money resting in my hands before lifting my gaze back to the elderly woman standing across from me. My throat tightened unexpectedly. No one... had ever trusted me like this before. Not with responsibility. Not with money. Not with a dream that had been passed down through generations.
Swallowing the lump in my throat, I nodded firmly. "I won’t let you down, Grandma Maggie."
"I know you won’t," she answered without even a second of hesitation. "That’s exactly why I’m not worried anymore.
Comments