Chapter 251: Chapter Two Hundred And Fifty
The renovation of the fabric store was finally finished. The wooden shelves were painted a clean, smooth white. The colorful rolls of expensive silk, sturdy cotton, and breathable linen were arranged perfectly by their colors and prices. The entire store smelled like fresh wood, clean cloth, and sweet floor wax.
Camilla stood near the table in the center of the room. She was wearing a simple, elegant dark green day dress. She held a small piece of parchment paper in her hand.
She was focused on her work. She had just finished speaking with a young, polite woman dressed in a clean grey skirt.
"You understand the rules, correct?" Camilla asked the young woman. Her voice was smooth and very clear.
The young woman nodded her head quickly. She clasped her hands together in front of her skirt.
"Yes, My Lady," the young woman replied respectfully. "I will greet every single customer with a smile. I will not ignore the poor commoners, and I will be very polite to the wealthy nobles. I will show them the price tags if they ask."
Camilla smiled a small,satisfied smile. She nodded her head in approval.
"Good," Camilla said softly. "You are hired. Please come to work tomorrow morning to organize the resting chairs and clean the front mirrors. You may go now."
The young woman bowed deeply, her face glowing with relief and happiness to have a secure job. "Thank you so much, My Lady! I will not disappoint you!"
The young woman turned around and hurried out of the large front doors, eager to share the good news with her family.
Camilla watched her leave. She let out a long, quiet breath. She placed the piece of parchment paper down onto the table.
She had finally finished with the last person to be employed. The cashiers, the stock workers, and the cleaners were all completely secured. The store was fully staffed and ready for the grand opening.
Camilla looked around the large, beautiful room. She felt a deep, warm sense of real accomplishment. She had taken a failing, dusty business and turned it into a modern, welcoming shopping center.
"Everything is ready," Camilla thought to herself, her eyes scanning the neat shelves. "There is absolutely no reason to delay anymore."
She turned her head to look for her business partner. She wanted to tell Allen to move the grand opening to the next day instead of waiting until the end of the week.
But Allen was incredibly busy. He was standing on the other side of the store, near the back wall. He held a thick leather ledger in his hand. He was counting a large stack of dark blue fabric rolls, speaking rapidly to two strong carpenters who were fixing a small wooden rack. He looked absorbed in his counting.
Camilla watched him for a brief second. She saw how focused he was on the inventory.
"I should not interrupt him right now," Camilla decided in her mind. "He is busy counting the stock. I will just wait a few minutes for him to finish his calculations."
She turned away from the busy back section of the store. She walked slowly toward the front entrance.
She stopped right by the large, clear glass window. She stood quietly, resting her hands lightly on the window frame. She looked out through the glass, watching the busy, noisy street of the lower city.
The street was filled with people. Merchants were pushing heavy wooden carts loaded with vegetables. Stray dogs ran between the legs of the passing crowds.
As Camilla watched the busy crowd, her eyes suddenly locked onto a specific group of people walking slowly down the street.
It was a small family of three.
A father, a mother, and a young daughter.
They were clearly from the lower class. The father wore a faded, patched brown shirt and rough leather boots. The mother wore a simple, dull grey dress, and her hair was tied back with a plain piece of string.
But despite their cheap, worn-out clothes, they looked happy.
The little girl was walking right in the middle of them. She wore a small, faded yellow dress. She was holding her parents tightly by the hands. Her left hand held her mother’s fingers, and her right hand held her father’s thick, calloused hand.
The parents swung the little girl gently into the air as they walked. The little girl let out a loud, bright, ringing laugh that carried clearly across the noisy street. The father and mother looked down at their daughter, their faces glowing with undeniable love.
Camilla stood still behind the glass window. She stared at the small family.
Her eyes softened. The cold, practical mask vanished entirely from her face.
She watched them walk toward a small wooden stall on the side of the road. The stall was selling small, cheap toys and sweet baked treats.
Camilla thought to herself, her internal voice dropping into a very quiet, lonely whisper.
"I used to be like that," Camilla thought.
A heavy, aching feeling settled deeply into the center of her chest.
She kept watching the family. The little girl pointed excitedly at a small, sweet pastry covered in sticky sugar. The father smiled a warm, tired smile. He reached into his pocket and pulled out two small, dull copper coins. He handed the coins to the street vendor and took the sweet pastry.
He handed the treat down to his daughter.
The little girl’s eyes lit up with joy. She took the sweet treat. Then, she quickly reached up on her tiptoes. She kissed her father warmly on the cheek. She turned and kissed her mother on the cheek as well.
The parents hugged her back, ignoring the noise of the lower city around them. They were entirely wrapped in their own warm, loving world.
Watching the little girl kiss her parents, Camilla stopped breathing.
A sudden, powerful force pulled at her mind.
The noisy street of the lower city, the smell of the fabric store, and the green dress she was wearing completely faded away into nothing.
A memory, buried deep inside her soul, suddenly emerged. It broke through the thick, cold walls she had built around her heart.
~ • FLASHBACK • ~
The world around her changed instantly. The street of the historical city was replaced by a clean, shiny, polished white floor. The dusty sunlight was replaced by bright, glowing, modern ceiling lights. The air smelled of sweet candy and fresh perfumes.
Little Camilla was just seven years old. She was wearing a beautiful, clean pink dress and shiny white shoes.
She was walking through a bright shopping mall. She was holding her parents tightly by their hands. Her mother’s hand was soft and smelled like expensive lotion. Her father’s hand was large, warm, and incredibly safe.
As they walked past a large glass window, Little Camilla suddenly stopped walking. She let go of her parents’ hands.
She ran quickly toward the open entrance of a bright, colorful store.
"I want this, dad," Little Camilla said loudly. Her small voice was high, sweet, and filled with pure, innocent excitement.
She ran into the store selling fluffy teddy bears. The shelves were lined with hundreds of soft, colorful stuffed animals.
Little Camilla stopped in front of the lowest shelf. She raised her small finger and pointed directly at a very specific toy.
It was a beautiful, white teddy bear. It had large, soft pink ears and small, stitched pink paws. It looked cuddly and perfect.
Her father walked up behind her. He looked down at the white teddy bear she was pointing at. He did not frown. He did not complain about the price.
Her father smiled. It was a warm, loving smile.
He reached into the back pocket of his neat trousers. He opened his wallet. He pulled out some crisp bills and walked over to the glass counter. He paid the smiling storekeeper without a single moment of hesitation.
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