Hemina followed Faye through the quiet interior of the building, her steps slowing as she took in the unfamiliar surroundings. The last ti she had visited this place, it had been noisy, dusty, and cluttered with rusted tal. Back then, it barely looked livable. Piles of junk occupied corners of the room, and the scent of oil and iron had clung heavily to the air.
Now, everything feels different.
Faye guided her toward a table positioned near a small garden by the side of the establishnt. There was no chair waiting for her. Instead, a soft cushion had been placed neatly on the floor beside the low wooden table.
Hemina blinked.
Even the arrangent felt refined.
She carefully lowered herself onto the cushion, surprised by how soft it was beneath her weight. It sank slightly before supporting her comfortably. Her fingers instinctively brushed across the fabric as she scanned the surroundings.
To her right was the garden.
Bright flowers blood in carefully arranged clusters, their colors blending beautifully beneath the afternoon light. Red petals swayed beside pale blue blossoms, while smaller white flowers decorated the edges like ornants. The sight alone already cald her mind.
Yet what truly caught her attention were the plants growing behind the flowers.
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
Those were not decorative plants.
Several leafy herbs occupied a separate section of the garden. Their arrangent looked deliberate rather than aesthetic. So had thick stems while others had jagged leaves. Hemina had seen similar plants before during her travels with rchants and healers.
dicinal herbs.
The realization deepened her curiosity.
She slowly turned her head toward the interior of the establishnt. The mont she did, her confusion only increased further.
The entire place had changed.
The crude atmosphere from before had completely vanished. The wooden walls had been polished cleanly, and the furniture no longer looked randomly assembled. Everything had proper placent now. Shelves stood evenly against the walls. Decorative lights illuminated the room with a gentle glow. Small ornants hung near the counters, adding warmth to the environnt.
It no longer resembled a rust cleaning station.
It looked like a proper shop.
More importantly, the people inside no longer dressed casually.
Hemina quietly observed the mbers moving throughout the establishnt.
Black pants. Black shoes. White gloves. White shirts. Black vests.
Every single mber wore the sa attire.
Uniforms.
Her brows slowly furrowed.
"What’s happening?" she murmured inwardly.
The change felt too sudden.
When she first ca here, the mbers of the clan had acted rough and carefree. Their clothing when inside the barracks lacked consistency, and the atmosphere had felt more like a temporary shelter for chanics rather than an organized clan.
But now?
The transformation was astonishing.
The mbers moved with coordination. So cleaned tables while others were also doing their own thing. Their actions appeared practiced, almost disciplined.
Hemina found herself unable to understand what had happened to them or to this clan.
Why did everything change so much?
Why was everyone suddenly dressed in uniford attire?
Did they join so larger organization?
Did another clan take over them?
Nurous questions flooded her mind, but none had answers.
While she was still racking her brain for an explanation, footsteps approached from behind.
Eman appeared carrying a tray.
A gentle stream of steam rose from the cup resting atop it.
He walked calmly toward her table before placing the drink in front of her with practiced ease.
"I apologize for the wait," Eman said politely.
Hemina’s attention imdiately shifted toward the cup.
The aroma drifting upward slled pleasant, though unfamiliar.
Then her eyes widened slightly.
"What is this?"
"Uh, sorry, I was supposed to serve you tea, but I need your help on this one first. This is coffee."
"This is coffee?" she asked.
Eman nodded.
"But why is it brown?"
Normally, coffee possessed a darker appearance. The drink before her carried a softer brown tone mixed with creamy swirls. It looked unlike anything she had previously consud.
Surprisingly, Eman did not look confused by her reaction.
Instead, he smiled calmly as if he had already expected the question.
"It was mixed with caral," he explained.
"Caral?"
Hemina tilted her head slightly.
The word itself sounded foreign to her ears.
"It’s made by heating sugar until it changes color and develops a richer taste," he explained simply. "It becos sweet and slightly deep in flavor. We use it to enhance certain drinks."
Hemina stared at the cup again.
Sugar could beco this?
She had never heard of such a thing before.
Her curiosity only deepened.
Eman lightly gestured toward the drink.
"Please try it."
Hemina hesitated briefly before wrapping both hands around the warm cup. The heat seeped pleasantly into her palms. Slowly, she raised it toward her lips.
He didn’t need to warn her about the heat, right? She is old enough to handle it. Eman thought.
Before she even tasted it, sothing imdiately caught her attention.
The aroma.
Her eyes widened slightly.
It slled sweet.
Not overwhelmingly sweet, but warm and inviting. The bitterness she usually associated with coffee still lingered beneath it, yet the fragrance carried sothing smoother.
Carefully, she took a sip.
The mont the liquid touched her tongue, her expression changed completely.
Warmth spread across her mouth alongside a gentle sweetness that blended perfectly with the rich flavor of coffee. The bitterness remained, but it no longer dominated the drink. Instead, it balanced harmoniously with the caral.
Hemina lowered the cup slowly.
Her eyes shone faintly.
Delight clearly surfaced across her face.
Eman noticed imdiately.
"Well?" He asked.
Hemina glanced at the drink again before answering honestly.
"I like it."
She likes it very much. Perhaps this is her new favorite.
The sweetness did not overpower the coffee. Instead, it made the drink feel softer and more approachable. It was unlike any coffee she had tasted before.
For a mont, she found herself staring quietly into the swirling brown liquid.
Then she took another sip and another.
Eman chuckled softly.
"I’ll assu that ans the experint succeeded."
Hemina looked up.
"Experint?"
"As you can see we just started this business and we made a variety of things," Eman explained. "This one was made to feel comforting."
Comforting...
Hemina silently repeated the word.
Oddly enough, it suited the drink perfectly.
As she continued sipping her coffee, her gaze wandered around the establishnt once more. The more she observed the place, the more details she noticed.
The floorboards had been replaced.
The walls carried subtle decorative carvings.
The counter had proper display sections.
Even the lighting felt intentional.
Nothing appeared random anymore.
This place had undergone a complete transformation.
Unable to suppress her curiosity any longer, Hemina finally asked, "What happened here?"
Eman followed her gaze around the room.
A faint look of satisfaction crossed his expression.
"We recently transitioned from a rust cleaning station into an actual shop," he answered.
Hemina blinked.
An actual shop.
So her observations were correct.
Now that he ntioned it, no wonder the establishnt felt cleaner and more professional because this ti.
It was strange.
Despite being the sa location, it almost felt like she had entered an entirely different world.
Eman then looked toward her with a small smile.
"Actually," he said, "you’re our first custor."
Hemina froze slightly.
"First?"
Eman nodded.
"We officially opened today."
For a brief mont, Hemina did not know how to react.
Out of all people, she happened to beco the very first custor of this newly transford shop.
Sohow, the realization stirred an unexpected feeling inside her chest.
Excitent.
A strange warmth spread through her heart.
She could not properly explain it.
Perhaps it was because she had witnessed how rough this place used to be. Seeing its transformation now made the mont feel aningful sohow.
Or perhaps it was because of another reason.
Whatever the reason was, Hemina suddenly felt invested in the shop’s success.
Eman slightly bowed his head.
"As our first custor, your feedback is very valuable to us."
Hemina looked at him silently.
There was no trace of mockery or empty politeness in his voice.
He truly ant it.
That inexplicable feeling inside her chest grew stronger.
Without realizing it, a small smile ford on her lips.
"I will do my best," she said earnestly.
Eman smiled back.
"We appreciate it."
For the next several minutes, Hemina continued observing every detail carefully.
She comnted on the comfort of the cushions.
She praised the pleasant scent inside the establishnt.
She ntioned how the flowers near the garden made the place feel peaceful rather than stiff.
Eman listened attentively to every word she said, occasionally asking follow up questions. At tis, he even wrote down small notes.
The sincerity of their effort surprised her.
This was no longer so temporary side activity for the clan.
They were serious.
At one point, Hemina noticed one of the mbers carefully trimming a few herbs from the garden.
"Are those really dicinal herbs?" she asked.
Eman nodded.
"So are. Others are aromatic herbs used for drinks and food."
Hemina’s eyes widened slightly again.
"You use them here?"
"Of course," Eman replied. "Fresh ingredients create better quality."
Hemina stared toward the garden with renewed amazent.
Even the plants served multiple purposes.
Flowers for appearance.
Herbs for function.
Nothing existed without reason.
The level of planning behind the shop beca increasingly apparent the longer she stayed.
As she sipped the remaining coffee in her cup, Hemina found herself relaxing more naturally.
The atmosphere felt calm, warm, and welcoming.
Soft conversations echoed throughout the establishnt while the faint scent of herbs and coffee drifted through the air. Outside, the flowers swayed gently beneath the breeze.
It was peaceful.
Far more peaceful than how it used to be.
Eman eventually noticed her expression.
"You seem more relaxed now," he observed.
Hemina glanced at him before quietly nodding.
"It feels comfortable here."
For so reason, saying those words made her chest feel lighter.
Eman looked genuinely pleased by the complint.
"That’s exactly what we hoped for."
Hemina lowered her gaze toward the half empty cup in her hands.
The warmth still lingered against her fingers.
When she first arrived, confusion had dominated her thoughts.
Now, however, curiosity has replaced it.
She wanted to know more about this place.
More about how they changed so drastically.
More about what they planned to beco in the future.
Most importantly, she wanted this shop to succeed.
Because sohow, being the first custor made her feel connected to them.
And that feeling alone brought an unexpected excitent to her heart.
Suddenly, Eman broke her silence.
"By the way, what’s your real reason for visiting us here today?" He doubted her reason for coming here was the shop’s opening. They hadn’t publicly announced it yet.
Hemina suddenly looked at him with wide eyes, as though she just rembered sothing.
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