The assistant took Penny to another room where there was a tub filled with water. It was a room designed very similar to the bathroom except that it wasn't one. The flooring was made of black tiles which were clear enough for one to see their reflection. With a small chair that sat near the tub, the assistant showed her the way before making her sit on the chair.
With the slave's uniform that she wore which stopped at the length of her knee right now, she sat awkwardly, making sure her legs were not seen nor the skin above it as the girl sat down, lifting her leg and placing it in the bucket of water.
Truth to be told, Penny had prepared herself to see the look of disgust on the store woman or at least the assistant who poured water in the tub where her feet were placed. But the girl's face was blank as a statue as she started to wash her feet. It was obvious that no one would let her step into the pair of new shoes when her feet was dirty. After walking barefoot in the forest where the soil had been wet and slippery, the base of her leg picking up mud and dirt which had also begun to crack slightly, Penny was utterly embarrassed and went to say,
"I will clean it."
"Please miss, sit still," the girl took a stone and started to rub it against her heel with the dried skin peeling before she put it back in the tub, "You have been hurt," said the assistant after noticing the wound which was in the process of healing. The girl knew there was something strange. For someone who worked with all shapes of feet, she had noticed the little swell around this slave girls' feet. It seemed like the swelling was not inflating but was reducing right now.After she was done with both the legs, the girl washed her feet again as the water turned dirtier and Penny was finally made to step out of it. After pouring cold water on her feet which was later moisturized with some creamy like a white lotion.
Feeling her feet to be clean, Penny followed back the assistant to see Damien who was being spoken to by the woman named Gwenyth. The woman took a quick looked before giving a look of approval.
"What kind are you looking for..." Gwenyth trailed, waiting for the human slave which Damien had bought to the store.
"Penelope," answered Penny, her feet clawing the floor after washing her feet.
"We have various looking shoes, Penelope. Do you have anything on your mind that you are looking for?" asked Gwenyth to the human-like she would ask for any of her customers. Her words were polite and refined as she waited for Penny to answer her.
"I-uh.." Penny only wanted a decent looking pair of shoes that would protect her from the wet ground of Bonelake. She had never come in the intention of looking for a 'variety', "Which one is the most durable one?" she asked making the woman staring at her in wonderment before she let a smile escape from her lips.
"I assure you every one of them here is durable. If something does break in a month or two's time I will make sure to replace it for you without any extra cost," said the woman. But that wasn't the issue thought Penny to herself. If she would pick to wear a shoe from here, she doubted she would be wearing them at all. For a person whobelonged to the lowest of the low class in society. Penny until now, all she had done was pick boot which was durable and was of low cost.
This lady appeared to be nicer than the others she had come across. The last thing she wanted to encounter right now was Damien having another round of bargain to lower the price of the shoes she would be given from here.
"There are some showpieces put up there. You might get a fair idea of what you might be looking for. Go on," urged the woman, folding her hands as she looked at the human girl named Penelope turn to look at Mr. Quinn who gave her a nod.
"No harm in looking," he responded to her, "Why don't you get them here. Let me pick one of it."
"Take a seat, Penelope," the woman urged her, walking forward and picking up her hand to lead her to an empty seat. The woman, Gwenyth knew how daunting a place like this or any other store in the Isle valley could be for a person who didn't belong to this place. The items sold in the Isle Valley were goods of high ends that couldn't be found elsewhere. It was a one-piece where making another piece again took weeks for it.
When another customer came in, pushing the door, Gwenyth excused herself to go to the door. Murmuring something to the mother and daughter duo who had been meaning to come and shop here today. After a few more words, the pair left the store and Gwenyth turned the sign on the door from open to close.
Penny was speechless with the way the lady had asked the customers to come later while changing the sign on the door so that no one would come in. Was she not worried about the loss that was going to take place because of Damien's shopping when the man was going to give her less than half the price for the shoe? Or maybe this was one of the places which Damien paid fully and shopped often, thought Penny to herself.
The woman gave her a warm smile which appeared to be unharmful but that didn't stop the small frown forming on her forehead. Damien, on the other hand, looked like he hardly cared about it. He was checking out the shoes for men which were made of animal leathered skin, his eyes falling on the maroon looking shoe with lace that had a criss-cross pattern on it.
While the assistant had gone to fetch the shoes for Penny from the storage room, Damien asked, "When did those come in? It wasn't there a week ago," he inquired. Walking up to the rack to have a closer look at the shoe.
"They arrived only yesterday, Mr. Quinn. Would you like to try it?" asked Gwenyth.
"Maybe later," he replied back, turning his body to look at the assistant who handled at least eight boxes in her hand right now.
Going to stand right behind Penny, he looked at the boxes that the assistant started to open one after another while looking at the slave girl.
Each and every show that was pulled out of the box was beautiful enough to have her gazing down at them in adoration before she mentally shook her head. They were expensive and who knew what Damien would be wanting after he would buy her for it. She couldn't help but think to herself that this was a ploy or he was only going to dangle the shoes in front of her to take it away.
Damien turned to look at the vampiress and asked, "Is that all that you have?"
"There must be a few pieces that haven't been opened yet and is in my office. Give me a minute please," the woman excused herself with a polite bow and left the room.
"Nothing caught your eyes?" the question was directed to Penny.
"Master Damien," Penny turned around to meet Damien's eyes who was standing behind her making her neck ache. He walked around, seeing the shoes that were placed, "Master Damien," repeated Penny, "I know a shop where I used to live."
"Mhmm."
"There are shoes that are much suitable for me than the ones that are in here," his gaze finally shifted to look at her, her concerned jade-like eyes.
He tilted his head, "The shoes in here aren't of your taste?"
Penny not holding back whispered, "I cannot afford it."
"Who is asking you to pay? My, you were paying? If you told me this earlier there was no reason for me to haggle," Damien's lips twisted before saying, "By what you want to wear. Damien's pet will have excellent shoes. Period. If you aren't going to choose one here..." he looked down at her feet, "You will only end up stepping on sharp objects and continue to hurt yourself..."
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