On a sunny day

Pertaining to the gruesome night five years ago, a little girl with a head full of straight jet-black hair, sun-kissed skin and bright amber eyes glided through the meadows bestowed with an endless veil of dianthus and stonecrop.

The sun was shining radiantly, rendering the skies with its promising brilliance. Humming a local ballad, she hopped, twirled and laughed while swinging a dinky basket crammed with priceless herbs.

As she cruised through the mound and reached the clearing, she made her way to the nearby street leading to the midst of the bustling village.

The distance to the village was about half an hour's walk from her dwelling. The pathway to the streets was well-stoned, surrounded by houses and stores of various sizes on either side.

She jumped on, sighting a stall with assorted candies and sweets. Her head became tipsy with glee, and she made her way towards its direction.

She gawked at the colourful candies, momentarily distracted from the purpose of her arrival in the first place. "Little brat, have you brought the herbs harvested by your father!!!" squealed the nearby shop owner, known by his name, the 'Old Helios'.

His eyes lit up with delight on noticing the little leaves peaking out of the basket as its owner lost in her world.

"My name is not 'little brat', I'm Mellisent!!!" said the little girl as she moved towards the direction of the shop, grumbling at being disturbed.

The older man enthusiastically grasped the basket from the girl's tiny hands. He started rummaging through it while confirming the number of herbs and assessing their quantity.

All this while the little keen soul kept monitoring the entire ordeal with her clear orbs while internally estimating the amount of each herb as told by her father.

As the seller almost reached the end of his assessment, the girl's eyes were glimmering as her mental calculations rendered the results that today they'll be making a sufficing profit and would be having a sumptuous meal.

"Well, the quality of the product as usually is of the loftiest calibre. We are delighted to have such a diligent and talented herbalist as your father; surely, god has blessed his hands with skills," said the old man grinning from ear to ear.

"This single piece of feverfew is worth one cypidem, and a single packet contains 50 such pieces, so the whole worth amounts to one soildem and 10 cypidem. Then we have epazote worth two cypidem for a single piece, and the package contains 75 such pieces so that the total amount would be 3 soildem and 30 cypidem," paused the man and again continued.

"Last but not least, we have fairywand worth one cypidem and five liram, and there are 60 such pieces in a single package, so the total worth amounts to one soildem and 35 cypidem. Hence, I will have to pay you a total of 6 solidem and 35 cypidem," escalated the old man with a smirk.

Confirming the price offered by the shopkeeper, the little girl puffed her cheeks and put her arms on her waist.

"Did you believe you can fool me just because I'm a child? I know you are offering less than the exact cost of the herbs!" huffed Mellisent.

"For a single piece of feverfew, the amount should be 2 cypidem, and hence for a total of 50 articles, the price would be 2 soildem and 20 cypidem. For a single piece of epazote, the amount should be 2 cypidem and 8 liram, so for the 75 articles, it should be 4 soildem and 20 cypidem. Lastly, for a single piece of fairywand, the amount should be 2 cypidem, so for the entire 60 pieces, it would be 4 soildem," explained Mellisent in a single breath.

"So, the Old Helios, you have to pay me a total of 11 soildem, but you can also pay me 8 solidem and 40 cypidem as it would be much easily expendable," declared the girl, proudly puffing her chest.

Hearing the declaration made by the tiny bundle of trouble, the older man was dumbfounded for a while.

"From how in the world do you know the actual assessed amount of each herb, and from where in the heavens did you learn how to make precise calculations at such a young age, my lord, you haven't even been properly sprouted yet!" exclaimed the Old Helios.

Smiling from ear to ear, the little girl proclaimed while flipping her hair backwards with an air of arrogance, "My father taught me about the costs and mathematics, so the old man, now would you like to pay the real price."

With an awkward laugh and a shake of his head, the old man replied, "You never fail to amaze me again and again, fine I'll be back with the money in a beat."

Saying this, the shopkeeper went inside his store while the little girl, satisfied with the earnings she made, turned around and observed the streets, which were being lavishly decorated that day.

Vibrant lanterns were hung by people in front of countless stores, and street vendors were setting up numerous stalls with various artefacts and delicacies.

Bitty children were accompanied by their parents, their eyes twinkling as they moved about the path hopping and giggling with sugar treats and wooden toys in their tiny hands.

The entire street was bustled with varied activities giving the whole region an aura of merriment.

The older man returned with the pouch filled with coins and handed it to her. She counted their number with adept immersion, and when satisfied with the results, she put the cash back into the pouch and secured it deep inside her little robe, near her chest.

Moving her head around herself, she pointed in the direction of a fancy stall while gazing at the old man with her doe-like shining orbs.

"Oh! The great and kind Old Helios, please tell me why the street is beautifully decorated with so many bright colours." To add more innocence to herself, she dramatically fluttered her eyes while pouting her lips.

The old shopkeeper signed and said, "My little chipmunk, all this hustle and bustle is because of the fair that is going to be held this night; it is being organised to celebrate the onset of spring this year, so there are going to be numerous counters for varied activities and fireworks at the end of the festivities."

Hearing this, the girl squeaked with joy.

She promptly bid her farewell to the old man by waving her left hand and said, "Then thank you so much and see you again, Old Helios; I shall now retire to home as my father would be waiting for me."

Saying this, she turned and lifted her robe with her right hand while jogging back in the direction of her house, which was the only lonesome hut in the middle of a distant mound.

Her eyes held a determined glint to convince her father to let her attend the fair with him tonight while the old man shook his head with a light chuckle.

[ A quick update about the currency used;

Dram. = Gold Coin

Soildem = Silver Coin

Cypidem = Copper Coin

Liram = Bronze Coin

1 Dram = 50 Solidem

1 Solidem = 40 Cypidem

1 Cypidem = 20 Linar ]