The afternoon heat in the small town was thick and heavy, settling over the buildings like a warm blanket. Inside her modest fabric and accessory shop, Zora was feeling the full weight of the humid air.
There was not even a small breeze coming through the open door to offer her any relief from the sweltering temperature.
She was sprawled out in a very unladylike way in a sturdy wooden chair, her legs stretched out far in front of her. In her right hand, she held a simple hand fan made of dried leaves, lazily waving it back and forth in front of her face.
She let out a long, tired sigh that echoed in the quiet room. Business had been very slow for the last hour, and the silence of the shop was only broken by the distant, muffled sounds of people talking and carts rolling along the stone street outside.
It had been exactly one week since the town had become much more crowded and noisier than usual. Word had spread quickly among the neighbors about the arrival of a smaller noble house.
This noble family had come to visit the town for a few days, and their presence brought a strange sense of excitement and curiosity to the local residents.
According to the many rumors that Zora had heard from her chatty customers, the head of this noble house was a very ambitious man with big dreams.
He allegedly planned to set up a massive and profitable business right here in their humble town. Because of this, he had brought his entire family along with him so they could check the surroundings and see if the area was truly suitable for their high standards and wealthy lifestyle.
Earlier themorning of that day, Zora had been quite curious about all the fuss and noise outside. She had stepped out from behind her wooden counter, leaning her shoulder against the doorframe to try and see what was happening down the road.
A small crowd of townspeople and curious passers by had gathered further down the street, hoping to catch a glimpse of the wealthy visitors and their fancy carriages.
Zora stood on her tiptoes, squinting her eyes against the bright glare of the sun, trying to see over the many heads of the crowd.
However, after a few minutes of seeing nothing but the dusty backs of people's shirts and hearing nothing but low voices, she gave up on the idea.
She shook her head with a small huff of breath, realizing she was just wasting her energy. She turned around and went back into the welcome shade of her shop to continue making the delicate accessories that sat unfinished on her workbench.
She spent a long time working with tiny colored beads and thin silk threads, her fingers moving with a practiced grace that came from years of hard work. She was focused on the tiny details of a floral hairpiece, trying to get the petals to look just rightp.
Just as she was finally finishing the piece, the sound of heavy footsteps stopped right in front of her store.
Zora looked up from her work and saw a young girl, who looked to be roughly her own age, standing right at the entrance. The girl was not alone; she was accompanied by an older lady who looked like a maid or a governess, and a tall, stern looking guard who stood a few paces behind them with his arms crossed over his chest.
The young girl had a very proud and arrogant look on her face. Her chin was held high in the air, as if she were constantly looking down at the world and everyone in it.
She wore an outfit that was clearly very luxurious and expensive, made of fine silk that seemed to shimmer and change color with every small movement she made.
Her dress was decorated with very intricate embroidery and tiny pearls that must have cost a small fortune to make.
Zora could tell immediately that this girl was from a noble family. It was not just because of her expensive clothes and jewelry, but because of the haughty and cold way she carried herself.
The girl began to look at the displays of fabric and the various items sitting on the wooden carts and shelves, her expression one of deep boredom and annoyance.
Zora quickly stood up from her chair, smoothing out the wrinkles in her apron and putting on her best professional smile. She wanted to be polite despite the girl's cold look.
"Welcome to my shop, miss," Zora said in a kind voice, bowing her head slightly to show the proper respect. "What would you like to get today? I have many beautiful things and new arrivals to show you if you have the time."
The noble girl did not return the smile or even acknowledge the greeting. Instead, she looked at the colorful displays of thread and lace with a small frown, her nose wrinkling up as if she had just smelled something very unpleasant.
"Bring out your best fabrics," the girl said suddenly. Her voice did not sound like a request; it sounded like a cold command given to a servant. "I want to see them in lighter colors. I prefer pastels and whites that are suitable for a person of my high standing."
Zora kept her smile steady on her face, even though she felt the girl's tone was quite rude and unnecessary.
"Of course, miss. I have some very lovely silks and fine linens kept inside where it is clean. Would you prefer to come inside the shop to look at them? It is quite hot today, and it is much cooler in the shade of the building."
The girl turned her head slowly to look at the interior of the small shop. She took in the wooden walls, the jars of glass buttons, and the modest workbench covered in tools.
A look of light but hardly concealed disgust crossed her face as she looked at the humble surroundings. "Nevermind," the girl said sharply, waving a single hand in a dismissive way.
"I do not wish to go in there. It looks cramped. Just bring the fabrics out here so I can see the true colors in the natural light."
Zora nodded, though she felt a bit insulted by the girl's obvious reaction to her home. She went into the back of the store, moving through the narrow aisles to gather the rolls of fabric the girl had asked for.
She returned a moment later with several rolls of high-quality material, displaying them one by one over her arm. She showed off the beautiful floral patterns, the soft textures of the cloth, and the way the sunlight played off the pale blues, soft pinks, and creamy whites.
Zora took a great amount of pride in her products. She knew she sold very high quality fabrics, even if they were not the ultra-expensive materials used by the royal family or the highest dukes in the capital.
Her shop was well regarded by everyone in the town. Even some of the lower ranking nobles in the surrounding areas often sent their servants to buy fabric from her store because the quality was so reliable.
It was her mother who had originally won those customers over many years ago, and they had stayed loyal to the store even after Zora took over the daily work.
The noble girl furrowed her brows as she looked at the materials being shown to her. She reached out with her hand, showing off her perfectly manicured fingers and long, shiny nails.
She pinched a piece of the light blue fabric between two fingers, rubbing the cloth back and forth roughly as if she were trying to find a reason to hate it.
"As expected of a small and rusty town like this," the girl said with a loud, dramatic sigh. "Nothing here is up to any real standard of beauty. This material feels rough to the touch and looks quite cheap. It is certainly not what I am used to wearing."
Zora felt a sharp sting of anger in her chest, but she bit her lip and tried to stay calm and professional. However, what happened next was even worse than the insults.
The girl suddenly opened her fingers and let the entire roll of fabric drop. It hit the dusty, dirty ground with a soft thud, and the light-colored material immediately began to pick up the grey dirt and grime from the street.
The girl then put a delicate hand on her forehead and closed her eyes as if she were in pain. "What a massive headache this place is giving me," she complained to her maid.
Zora's eyes widened in total shock and disbelief. She stared down at the expensive, ruined fabric lying in the dirt, now stained and unsellable.
"What the hell are you doing?" Zora asked, her voice rising in anger before she could stop herself. She forgot for a moment that she was talking to a noble who could cause her trouble.
"Miss, that is my product! You cannot just throw things on the ground like they are trash. If you don't conduct yourself properly and show some respect for my shop and my hard work, I might have to report you to the town guards for damaging my property."
The noble girl let out a laugh. It was a forced, high-pitched, and very annoying sound. She covered her mouth elegantly with her hand as she mocked Zora.
"Go ahead then," the girl challenged, her eyes flashing with a mean light. "Call the guards if you want to. If anything happens, you should be the one who is fined.
You should be punished for selling such cheap and fake materials to the public. It is an insult to people of quality like me to even see such things."
Zora was in complete disbelief at the girl's behavior. She had never met someone so arrogant, heartless, and cruel.
She knew deep down that she shouldn't get into a real fight with a noble, as it would only cause more trouble for her and her business in the long run. She took a very deep breath, trying hard to control her temper and keep her hands from shaking.
She stepped forward and pointed her finger away from the front of her shop, toward the main road. "Miss, I think it is best if you kindly leave the front of my store right now,"
Zora said, her voice trembling slightly with suppressed rage.
The girl's face darkened instantly at the suggestion of being kicked out. She dropped her hands to her sides, her eyes narrowing into angry slits.
"How dare you?" the girl hissed, her voice filled with venom. "How dare a commoner like you speak to me in such a tone and tell me where to go?"
She turned her head quickly toward the tall guard standing silently behind her. "Guard, seize her this very instant! She has insulted a member of a noble house. Let her answer to my father for her terrible behavior and lack of respect."
The guard looked at Zora for a moment and then back at the young noble girl. He seemed to hesitate, his expression looking very uneasy and uncomfortable.
He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, his hand resting near his sword but not touching it. "Miss," the guard said in a very low, quiet voice, though the people standing nearby could still hear him quite clearly.
"I really don't think that is a very good idea at all. After all, she didn't really do anything wrong. She is just trying to protect her shop and her goods.
And besides, this is not our town. We do not have the legal authority to arrest citizens here without a very good reason from the local lord."
By this time, a small group of townspeople had noticed the loud commotion and the yelling.
They began to gather a short distance away, whispering and pointing as they watched the drama unfold in front of the fabric shop. They looked at the noble girl with deep frowns, clearly unhappy with how she was treating their local shopkeeper who they had known for years, but they knew not to cross a noble.
The girl glared at the guard, her face turning a bright, angry shade of red. She was not used to being told "no," especially not by a servant who was supposed to obey her every whim.
"Well then," she snapped, her voice loud and sharp enough to make a few people jump. "If you want to protect this peasant girl so badly, then you will take her punishment for her! And you will receive extra lashes for going against my direct orders."
The guard did not argue or try to defend himself. He simply lowered his head and bowed deeply to her, accepting the unfair threat with a silent and stoic expression.
He had worked for her family long enough to know there was no point in arguing with someone as spoiled and mean as she was.
The noble girl let out a loud, frustrated "Hmph!" of extreme annoyance. She turned on her heel with a dramatic flare, her silk skirts swishing loudly against her legs as she marched away.
She began to storm off down the street toward her family's lodgings, her maidservant scurrying quickly after her with a worried look.
The guard followed closely behind them, his face remaining unreadable and calm despite the threat he had just received.
Zora stood alone in front of her shop for a moment, watching the small group walk away until they turned a corner. She reached down with a sigh and picked up the ruined fabric from the ground, dusting her hands together to get rid of the dirt and grime.
"Good riddance" Zora muttered under her breath, her heart still beating very fast from the stressful encounter. "What an absolute, spoiled brat she is."
She let out one last "Hmph!" of her own, mimicking the girl's rude attitude. She refused to let that mean girl ruin her entire afternoon or take away her peace of mind.
Zora turned around and walked back into the cool, dark shadows of her store, leaving the heat of the street behind. She sat back down at her workbench, picked up her tools and her silk thread, and continued making her accessories as if nothing had happened.
The town might be visited by annoying and rude nobles every now and then, but Zora had work to finish, and she wasn't going to let anyone stop her from running her shop and living her life.
She took a deep breath of the floral-scented air in her shop and got back to work, feeling much better now that the girl was gone.