Chapter 10: Another Job
Elestria was the first person to wake up in the boutique. There was no one else as the employees and servants went home. It was lonely alone, but no one bothered her to clean the fireplace and sweep the floor.
The traces of yesterday's rainstorm had disappeared. The bright sun had yet to appear. Only light grey clouds.
Shortly before Lusi arrived at the boutique, Elestria had finished with everything. The servants who had recently arrived were astonished that the boutique was as tidy as if it hadn't been used for work.
"Elestria, did you clean up this morning?" The brown wolf asked her. Her forehead wrinkled slightly.
"Yes."
"I think you shouldn't."
Elestria scratched her cheek. "Is it because it's not clean?"
She shook her head quickly. She knew that Elestria was Lusi's assistant. Letting her clean was the same as servants not working.
"Please don't clean anymore," she asked, "it's my job."
Elestria nodded slowly. "What's your name by the way?" She smiled.
"I'm Karin."
"Elestria. Nice to know you."
Karin smiled. She waved goodbye. She went to the warehouse to get a pile of wood. At the same time, Elestria was approached by an employee.
"Hello, there. I'm Selena."
"Hello," Elestria replied happily. She was amazed because she looked pretty with her hair done. "You're so pretty. How did you style your hair?"
Selena chuckled a little.
She loves to be praised. She had her black hair in a bun since dawn. A lot of effort went into styling it.
"I tied it up neatly. Boutique employees have to look good. You must have looked good, too."
Selina raised an eyebrow as she observed Elestria. Her long wavy hair was simply tied back. It looked like a horse's tail on a rainy day. She was indeed an innocent girl from the village.
Elestria nodded her head. Lusi happened to be passing by. She waved for Elestria to come to her. Elestria said, "Nice talking to you, Selena. See you soon!"
Selena did nothing. She was just thrilled that Lusi had seen her. Yesterday, she had been stared at by Lusi. She gave a low growl, then walked to the display rack with emotion.
Her friends laughed. "Madam is protecting her. What do you want with her and for what?"
"There's nothing unfashionable in this boutique."
"You're comparing her to a servant? How funny. We're servants too... at a high level."
Selena grumbled.
***
Elestria continued her work. It didn't take long as she worked on the rest. She quite enjoyed the matching task.
Lusi said, "Get ready, Els. We're going out to buy some fabric."
"Alright!"
Lusi went to the door. There were still many rolls of fabric in the cupboard. The purpose of buying fabric today for Elestria. She wanted orange and brown colors for Elestria's uniform.
Elestria trotted down the stairs. Her eyes lit up as she was about to see the bustling city streets. Suddenly, her steps stopped.
"Els?" Lusi called out.
She remembered the first time she rode in a horse-drawn carriage and lost it. Her face looked down. She thought she would lose it again if she got on the train.
"What's wrong, Elestria?"
"I want to walk."
"If you're worried about the carriage, we don't ride. We'll walk to the shop." Lusi's index finger pointed at the building on the right side of the restaurant.
Elestria smiled. "Come on, Lusi."
The two women exited the shop while walking side by side. The display case in the fabric shop tempted Elestria. There were colors she had never seen or known before.
The city streets were busy. They had to be careful not to bump into anyone. Carts filled with raw materials passed by. This was an atmosphere far from the village.
Elestria asked, "Lusi, are you going to make an amazing dress?"
"I always make extraordinary dresses. This dress is your uniform as my assistant." She raised her chin proudly.
"But I will be a palace soldier."
"You're so sure you'll pass? Don't you remember what Keir said?"
Elestria sighed. "Why are they looking for soldiers for the health department? I just know little about that."
"Then you work for me, become my employee." Lusi's hand covered her mouth as she chuckled.
Elestria shook her head with a sigh. The moment her feet stepped on the floor of the shop, bright colors entered her eyes. Besides, all the employees were attractive wolves.
Lusi nudged her shoulder. "Any of them unique to you?"
"Unfortunately, no."
"What a pity. Let's go there."
A dark brown wolf, judging by the color of its hair, approached them. He was wearing a white shirt and black trousers. That was the uniform of the employees here.
"Welcome back, Madam. It's good to see you."
Lusi smiled widely. "Glad you're still here. I'd like a fabric with caramel and orange colors like maple leaves."
"This way, please."
Elestria didn't follow them. Her attention was drawn by the information board near the entrance. She hadn't seen it when entered the shop.
She went there. Of the many promotional posters, she found one entitled 'Herb Hunt'. The prize was 10,000 gold coins.
Elestria was tempted. With 10,000 gold, she could buy a new dress and eat well. Scarlett was happy and exclaimed, "We can move to another region right away!"
The hunt required to find a new, rare variety of herbs. There were several listed, but two weren't mentioned. Elestria had to get one of them to win 10,000 gold coins.
"The hunt is on a mountain? That's a bit strange. Autumn isn't the right time for herbs to grow," Scarlett informed.
"True, but some types that grow in autumn only."
"The prize is indeed big and tempting. I'm afraid it's not worth the risk."
"It's an easy way to get rich fast."
"It's good to work honestly at Alfafa Boutique."
Elestria rolled her eyes. She read the information on the poster again. She already imagined the feeling of having 10,000 gold coins.
"Elestria!" Lusi stood beside her and called out. That made Elestria gasp. She looked at Lusi in horror.
"I brought you here to choose. Don't go alone. If you suddenly find your mate, I'll know too late."
Her hand was pulled to the rack of cloth scrolls. But, Elestria's mind was occupied by the hunt for the herbs. The hunt started in two days. She had little time to prepare.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone