"Welcome Madam Calista and Susan. It's been a while since I saw you!" a young girl around sixteen warmly greeted the two as soon as they walked into the shop.
"Well, well, well. Isn't this my favorite girl, Tina?" Calista teased the little girl as soon as she saw her.
Tina flushed at being teased. Madam Calista had always been like that. She was playful and the kind who wouldn't go away until she saw her all red with embarrassment, but in a good way.
"Madam … you …"
"Hehe, Calista, stop teasing the little girl!" a mature female voice sounded from the other side of the shop, making Calista look forward and setting her evil plans of teasing Tina till she shed tears aside.
"Oh! Lady Faith, I wasn't expecting to see you here!" Calista sarcastically said as she looked at the mature woman who was so well-developed in all areas.
Just looking at that voluptuous chest of hers, three times her size, how could Calista smile sincerely at that woman?
Faith, upon seeing the familiar expression on Calista as she looked at her, couldn't help it but laugh heartily as she enjoyed how this hidden rich lady was still childish even with years passing.
"Calista, are you trying to bore a hole in her chest again?" Susan, seeing her friend at it again, asked in a teasing manner as she tried to bring back her friend to her senses.
When Calista heard that, she glared hatefully at Susan. "If I could, I would just make the whole place flat!"
"Hahaha. Unfortunately, that can't be done!" Faith chuckled merrily as she enjoyed Calista's aggrieved expression.
"Umph!" she huffed at Faith before Calista looked away.
"Okay, come on dear! Tell your big sister why you have come today. To think that I even set aside a nice gift for you from the city. Don't you want it?" Faith said coaxingly as she walked towards Calista, who was throwing a tantrum silently even when there were other people around.
Susan stepped aside to give the two some room.
'I should have brought some peanuts to eat while I watched this drama!' she lamented at her forgetfulness.
If she had known that Faith would be there, she would have prepared. Whenever these two meet, they would cause a lot of drama first before they start getting serious.
When Calista heard about a gift, she shamelessly threw her upset mood away as she beamed shortly and looked at Faith who was now standing four feet away from her and said, "Let's go. Show me what you brought!" eagerly.
'Hehe, I knew it!' Faith cheered inwardly upon seeing how Calista this time changed pretty fast than the other previous times.
There was nothing that Calista loved more than gifts. She was addicted to them and seeing her acting like a child despite not being one, Faith felt that everything was worth it.
At least when it comes to Calista, she wasn't pretentious and barely pretended to be who she wasn't.
"Come on, let's go and I will show it to you!"
With that one statement, Calista picked her skirt and followed Faith like a faithful follower, ignoring other spectators who were wondering how that day's fiasco would end.
The two went into Faith's office, which was at the back and away from the prying eyes of many.
As soon as they entered the office, Calista naturally settled herself in one of the stuffed chairs and moaned as soon as the comfort spread all over your body.
"You haven't changed your lazy ways!" Faith accused as she stood in front of a huge cabinet which Calista was pretty familiar with.
"Um. It's not like I get paid for being a hard worker!" she grumbled as she scrunched her face, recalling how at some point, she tried it but failed miserably.
"It just depends, though!"
"Whatever! I don't care. I will only work hard on things that I like as for others; I don't care!" Calista was adamant about that.
What was the point of slaving away when the benefits would be reaped by others? It was just like how farmers would toil from dawn to dusk and yet at the end of the day, they would be forced to part with nearly half of their harvest to pay taxes and some they sell to buy daily necessities and keep a fraction to eat throughout the year.
After working so tirelessly like that, they get old so quickly, since they barely have rest and don't eat enough. Calista respected every profession, but she just hated toiling for nothing. Which was why, in the end, she simply stopped doing anything that required too much from her.
"Just show me what you brought for me!" Calista urged, as soon as she sorted her thoughts.
"Just a moment!" Faith softly said as she carried a box out of the cabinet and brought it to the table where Calista was.
"What is inside?"
"Open it and see!" Faith said mysteriously as she looked at Calista with an eager gaze that prompted Calista to open and see exactly what was inside the box.
Calista's curiosity was at its peak, so as soon as the box was in front of her, she didn't hesitate but opened it right away.
"Oh, my goodness! Faith, you have outdone yourself this time. Where did you get this?" as soon as she saw what was inside, Calista exclaimed with happiness as her eyes sparkled while looking at Faith as if she had some halo over her head.
When Faith saw Calista's reaction, her unsettled heart finally calmed down, and a smile blossomed on her face.
"Hehe. You know how I was away. I went to the border to send some merchandise. That's where I found it. It was being sold by some merchants from the royal kingdom. Apparently, they have these things and I wanted a few," Faith said in response as she sat down on another stuffed chair.
Calista nodded her head as she looked at the lamp in the box that looked very familiar and yet inferior to what she was used to before.
But considering where she was, it was already a blessing that she could see it. So, she was very happy.
"I once saw these in the city the last time I went there. Apparently, the innkeeper didn't have more," Calista sighed as she thought of how she wanted to get herself a lamp last time she was in the city and yet failed simply because there was nothing.
"It's a good thing I remembered and brought one for you. Do you love this gift?"
"Hehe, I love it. I will take it as my wedding gift!" Calista shamelessly said as she closed the box while looking at Faith provocatively.
"You … what did you say?" Faith was in shock after digesting what Calista had just said.
"Take a guess!"