The Villainess Builds a Department Store - Chapter 65

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The Villainess Establishes a Department Store

Chapter 65

The first lesson was how to greet customers.

— Place both hands below the navel, bow slowly and wait

— Keep eyes on the customer’s feet, raise the end slightly and say ‘Welcome, is there anything you’re looking for?’

Then came the precautions when dealing with customers

— Don’t breathe heavily, use precise words. But what does precise mean?

— Instead of saying no, speak euphemistically and offer alternatives

Even notes he had studied on his own, not knowledge someone had taught him.

— Differences and characteristics between Loire and Gawri textiles

— Changes in Gawri artistic movements by era

— These days accessories are more popular than making complete outfits. Study matching combinations

Each page was filled completely and densely with the time he had spent at the ‘House of Dreams’.

“Wow…”

I could only exclaim in admiration. Why Bastian was loved by customers. No, why he could become a department store owner in the future was all explained by this single notebook.

“You really live so diligently…”

Suddenly I felt ashamed of myself for trying to live comfortably by relying on future knowledge. I stirred the completely melted ice cream with my spoon and looked down.

What could I do for Bastian who lived so diligently? Giving him special treatment would not only make other employees dislike him, but Bastian would absolutely not allow it.

“Come to think of it, you’re also staying at the shop, right? Is there anything inconvenient? Or anything you need? Since we’re out, let’s go shopping.”

At my suggestion, Bastian’s eyes widened, then he rolled his eyes as he fell into thought. Then he slowly opened his mouth.

“Then… let me tour Hedebeau Company’s warehouse just once.”

“…Huh?”

But a completely unexpected answer came back. Guillaume’s warehouse? Why there?

“I can buy other things with my salary. I know it’s rude. But I want to know how such a big trading company manages their warehouse. How they classify things, what the storage environment is like – if I know that, I can apply it to the ‘House of Dreams’ warehouse too. I don’t need to know what’s in there, so couldn’t you arrange it somehow? You’re close with Monsieur Hedebeau.”

I felt desperation beyond earnestness in those red eyes looking straight at me. I found myself nodding without realizing it.

“Thank you! Oh, break time’s over. I’ll go back.”

Bastian left me completely stunned and got up from his seat saying break time was over. And instead of going back immediately, he hesitated for a moment.

“…I’m really grateful. If it weren’t for you, I’d still be pickpocketing in back alleys.”

Watching his back as he headed to the shop, I chuckled. Looking closely, the heels of Bastian’s shoes were completely worn down.

“I should buy him shoes…”

Finding the painting didn’t have to be today. I headed to the Hedebeau Company building to schedule with Guillaume, and also ordered a pair of shoes while I was at it.

* * *

Guillaume surprisingly readily agreed to mine and Bastian’s request to tour the warehouse.

“Tour the warehouse? Well… there’s nothing wrong with that.”

“Really?”

“You had to come once anyway for the painting deal, so this works out well. Right now is a bit inconvenient though. Let me check if there are any items inappropriate for young people to see and let you know.”

“Bastian would have trouble coming right away too. But items inappropriate for kids? What on earth did you bring in…?”

When I tilted my head, Guillaume just stared at a corner of the ceiling and coughed unnecessarily. Oh, hmm. I get it. Probably liquor with snakes in it or something like that.

“Ahem. There are such things. Anyway, then… how about this day?”

“That should be fine. Even if it’s not, I’ll drag him along anyway.”

“Haha. That won’t be necessary. I’ll speak to the manager.”

After coordinating the schedule in a friendly atmosphere, I returned to the ‘House of Dreams’.

But somehow the atmosphere at the ‘House of Dreams’ seemed unusual.

More precisely, people were murmuring from the path leading to the shop.

What’s going on…?

Forcing my way through the crowd, I couldn’t believe my eyes.

“You ungrateful thing!”

A man, red and bumpy like a low-quality tomato, was grabbing Bastian by the collar and lifting him up.

“Bastian…?”

While the man shook Bastian back and forth, beside them a middle-aged woman, whether his wife or colleague, sat collapsed on the ground wailing and screaming.

“Oh my! People of the neighborhood, please listen to me! I can’t live with this injustice! We picked up that abandoned thing in the dead of winter, not knowing his parents, and raised him like our own child all our lives, and now he pretends not to know us! Where in the world is there such an ungrateful wretch!”

Wh-what’s going on? I was very flustered and looked for Monsieur Dubois first.

“Monsieur Dubois! What on earth is happening? Who are those people, and why are they doing that to Bastian?”

“Miss! It’s dangerous, please go inside the shop!”

“Does Mother know about this situation too?”

“Madam went out for a walk with her friends.”

At least that’s fortunate. If Mother had seen this scene, she might have collapsed from shock again. But since this happened at Mother’s shop, it might reach her ears anytime.

“First call the gallery security! And please call Monsieur Laurent too!”

Ah, I should have brought Monsieur Laurent along if I knew this would happen. Regretting coming alone to what I thought was just Mother’s usual shop, I decided to do what I could.

“What are you doing to our shop’s excellent employee!”

“What’s this girl now?”

“Adelaide! Don’t get involved and go inside!”

Bastian shouted with a pale face. At his desperate cry, incomparably more urgent than the expression I’d seen when eating ice cream earlier, I hesitated and stopped in place.

“Damn it… I already gave you money as you wanted! Why did you come all the way here!”

“Money? You mean that pocket change you sent?”

My heart sank for a moment. Combining Bastian being grabbed by the collar, the talk of money from his mouth, and what the woman still sitting on the ground wailing had said, a familiar scene seemed to overlap.

“Hmph! Do you know how much money went into raising you, and you think you can settle it with such petty cash! Look at this guy’s clothes! Do you think you’re some kind of nobleman? Did you think working in such an expensive area would make your origins noble too? No matter how much you play dumb and imitate the nobles, you are the eldest son of the Velour family!”

The man’s thick finger poked Bastian’s forehead mockingly. The content was so miserable that even I felt wretched listening to it, and I bit my lips tightly.

Bastian’s face had now turned from pale to almost ashen. Why isn’t the security guard coming? Just as I was looking around, ready to splash water if necessary, a sharp whistle sound that seemed to tear my ears finally cut through the crowd as Pearl Gallery’s security personnel came running.

“Tsk, when we contact you, send money promptly! Our eldest son. Our family’s pillar. Got it?”

Mocking until the end, Bastian’s parents… or so I assumed, disappeared between the alleys.

While Monsieur Dubois dealt with the onlookers, Bastian stood frozen like a statue in place, staring only at the ground with his fists clenched so tight his knuckles turned white.

‘Bastian…’

My heart shriveled up at the situation where I couldn’t even readily ask if he was okay.

Finally Bastian raised his head and let out a long sigh toward the sky.

Then he smiled weakly at me and Monsieur Dubois.

“…Could we go inside and talk about this?”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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