Chapter Text
Go into Nasha District's Alley 14 and then turn left. Take twenty joyful steps forward, look to your right, and you will find a cozy little shop. In front of the door stands a wooden sign with a handwritten notice:
<The Damselette moonlight store>
- Close on sunday -
10:00 - 12:00
13:00 - 21:00
+ We sell flowers and only take in-person oders
We accept large flower orders for parties or decorations
(Please place your order at least one month in advance)
~Have a nice day~
The moss-green porch roof rests upon two wooden pillars entwined with fairy lights. Outside, two long planters of Windwheel Aster sway in the breeze as if to welcome passersby. Through the clear glass windows, a vibrant burst of flowers blooms inside the tiny shop. Its cozy atmosphere feels like something out of a fairytale.
At some point, two guests had arrived: a tall, blue-haired young man wearing an eyepatch, accompanied by an adorable blonde girl. As they pushed the door open, a melodic voice rang out: "Ah... welcome... how may I help you today?"
The man spoke up: "Oh dear, I must have wandered into the wrong place... for how else could I have encountered an angel? So excuse me, young lady, could you tell me where I might find the place called <The Damselette moonlight store>?"
"You’ve come to the right place," Columbina replied. "Welcome."
The young lady before them was indeed the owner of this flower shop. She had long, silky black hair and dreamy rose-purple eyes. Wearing a light blue apron, she had a name tag pinned to it that read: "Columbina – manager"
"We're in the right place, Kaeya! There’s a sign with the name on it right outside!" the little girl chirped.
"Oh, so there is! You have sharp eyes, Klee," Kaeya replied. "But I must say, Lady Columbina has such stunning eyes, just like rare gemstones. It’s no wonder I mistook you for an angel."
Columbina looked at her two guests and smiled, she repeated: "How may I help you today?"
"I’m here to pick up the Cecilia bouquet ordered last week under the name Albedo, ending digits 913, and..." Kaeya pulled a small slip of paper from his pocket. "Here is the order receipt."
Columbina took the receipt. After confirming the details, she asked them to wait a moment and went to the back of the shop. About two minutes later, she returned with a bouquet of white flowers wrapped in newspaper.
"Mr. Albedo has already paid in advance, so you just needs to sign here to confirm," Columbina said. "Is there anything else you need?"
Kaeya signed the logbook and took the bouquet. While Klee was happily admiring the flowers elsewhere, he lowered his voice and asked Columbina: "I wonder... would it be possible to purchase some 'moonlight' now?"
"Hmm, this month's 'moonlight' has already been taken. If you'd like, please come back next month," Columbina replied softly.
"Oh! What a pity," Kaeya said with a hint of sadness. "In that case, we shall take our leave."
He then turned to find Klee, who was completely absorbed in the seed shelf.
"What are you looking for?" Columbina asked the girl.
"Ah! Miss Shop manager, I want to grow a flower to give to my mommy... but I don't know what to choose," Klee answered. "I'm looking for some red flowers! My mommy really loves that color. But I'm not looking for Windwheel Asters, though. We've grown quite a lot of those already."
Columbina fell into deep thought, her fingers glancing over the seed pouches one by one. After a moment's reflection, she picked out a pouch tucked away in the very back and handed it to Klee. It was labeled 'Brilliant Chrysanthemum'.
"How about this one?" Columbina asked. "It’s native to Natlan, but with the right care, it can bloom here as well. The petals are a soft red, and the center is a beautiful gold, just like the color of your hair. I believe your mother will find them lovely."
"Really?"
Columbina gave a gentle nod.
"And since this is your first time visiting," she spoke up, "this one’s on me. Do come again!"
Klee left happily, clutching the seed pouch in her hands, not forgetting to wave goodbye to the shopkeeper with a radiant smile.
After seeing off her first guests of the day, Columbina returned to her chores. She started by counting the ribbons and wrapping paper; since customers usually bought flowers as gifts, this was her most important task - she had to ensure everything was perfect. Next, she checked the sales log, and as usual, everything was in order.
Just as she was about to head to the back kitchen for a cup of hot tea, the entire house suddenly shook.
"COLUMBINAAAAA!" a scream echoed from upstairs.
A moment later, a small figure blurred past, charging straight toward the girl making tea. The figure was clad in a cozy fur coat, featuring a hood with two adorable cat ears!
"W-when did you swap my coat for this cheesy thing? Where is my usual one?" the figure demanded, fuming.
"Hmm? Sandrone, Snezhnaya is freezing, so you should wear this, it’s much warmer," Columbina replied calmly. "Besides, your old one had a few tears. Why not just stick with this one?"
Sandrone was so livid she was speechless, but finding her friend’s reasoning somewhat logical, she slowly calmed down. Still, she couldn't resist a wry comment.:
"Hmph, where on earth did you find such a tacky coat?"
"I made it myself!" Columbina answered. "Don't you like it? I thought it was quite cute... It suits you perfectly."
"I-It’s not cute at all! B-But since you went through all the trouble, I suppose I’ll wear this embarrassing thing... for now!" Sandrone turned away hurriedly. "I have to go pack my bags!"
Columbina watched her friend head back upstairs, a soft smile playing on her lips.
Sandrone was a reclusive scientist who lived in the remote wilds of Snezhnaya. Whenever she had business in the city, she would stay at Columbina's place, after all, it did have two bedrooms. Actually, Sandrone had intended to stay at a hotel at first, but given her... rather unique status, she had no choice but to lodge here.
After today, the scientific seminar Sandrone was attending would come to an end, so she was slowly getting ready to head back home.
Columbina then returned to her work. She continued with a congratulatory flower order for a university admission that had been placed a few days ago. Although no walk-in customers came by all afternoon, she remained busy with other tasks. It wasn’t until 7 PM, as she was organizing the loose change in the cash register, that the familiar chime of the door rang out once more.
"Ah, welco... oh, it’s you?"
A large man wearing a black helmet pushed through the door. He said nothing, simply handing Columbina a slip of paper in silence.
"Oh, is your throat still not feeling better?" she asked kindly while reading the note. "Picking up an order for Anastasya, I assume? Just a moment, please."
Columbina stepped into the back and quickly returned with a large cardboard box. Seeing this, the man in the black helmet promptly took it and loaded it onto his motorcycle parked out front.
"Ah, wait a second, there are two more boxes-"
Before she could finish, the man signaled "allow me" and hurried to the back to fetch two identical boxes himself. After securing all three boxes onto his bike, he signed the confirmation log and waved goodbye to Columbina.
"See you again, Mr. Black Helmet," she waved back.
After seeing off this peculiar guest, Columbina decided to tidy up and close shop early. Sandrone was leaving tomorrow, so she wanted to invite her friend out for a bit.
"Sandrone, do you want to go for a stroll?" Columbina called out to the upper floor.
...
There was no answer. Perhaps she’s already asleep. After all, Sandrone’s schedule was always a mess, sleeping at 8 PM wasn't unusual for her.
"Well then, I’ll just head out by myself."
Columbina took off her apron, put on her coat, and grabbed her favorite Kuuhenki-printed tote bag, heading out in high spirits.
Since it was the weekend, she planned to catch her favorite animated movie currently in theaters, then grab something delicious at "The Lightkeeper". Topping it off with some moon-watching on the swings at Nasha Park would be perfect.
"Maybe I should invite Arlecchino along?"
... Beep, beep... the line is busy.
"Oh well, I guess it’ll be a night just for Columbina then, hehe."
She locked the door carefully and went on her way, humming a light tune as she walked. And just like that, her busy day drew to a close.