As the first day of the Festival Market came to an end, the roads leading away from the capital became filled with happy travelers.

Ox carts rolled slowly through the countryside.

Villagers walked together carrying baskets.

Children skipped beside their parents.

For once—

No one complained about tired feet.

Because their hands were full.

And their hearts were even fuller.

---

An elderly couple walked toward a small village carrying several bundles.

The old woman carefully unfolded a piece of blue fabric.

Even under moonlight, it looked beautiful.

"I never thought I would own something this fine."

Her husband smiled.

"You deserve it."

The old woman laughed.

"You bought shoes for yourself too."

The old man looked down at his new shoes proudly.

For years he had worn patched footwear.

Today—

He finally had a proper pair.

---

Further down the road—

A young mother carried a sleeping child.

Behind her, her husband pushed a cart.

Inside the cart were blankets.

New clothes. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

Kitchen utensils.

And toys.

Lots of toys.

The mother smiled softly.

"Our son will be so happy when he wakes up."

The husband nodded.

"He picked those toys himself."

The mother laughed.

"He wanted everything."

---

In another village—

Families gathered outside their homes.

Instead of going directly inside—

They began showing each other their purchases.

"Look at this!"

"I bought it for fifty cents!"

"No way!"

"Feel this cloth!"

"It’s softer than noble fabric!"

---

Women compared dresses.

Children compared toys.

Men compared tools and shoes.

The entire village buzzed with excitement.

---

A little girl twirled in circles wearing a new dress.

Her grandmother watched from nearby.

Tears appeared in her eyes.

The child looked so happy.

So beautiful.

For years they could never afford such things.

Now—

They could.

---

Everywhere people talked about the same thing.

"The royal family actually thought about us."

"They lowered prices."

"They invited merchants."

"They gave commoners a chance."

"It feels like someone finally remembered ordinary people."

---

The praise spread from village to village.

Town to town.

Road to road.

Like a warm breeze moving through the empire.

---

Meanwhile—

Inside the Imperial Palace.

The Emperor stood near a window overlooking the capital.

The city glowed beneath countless lanterns.

Reports had arrived all day.

Every report carried similar news.

The festival was a success.

People were happy.

Merchants were earning money.

Villages were celebrating.

Crime had decreased.

The mood throughout the empire had improved.

---

Prince Liang stood nearby reading another report.

He smiled.

"Listen to this."

The Emperor glanced toward him.

Prince Liang continued reading.

"A village elder wrote that this is the happiest day his village has experienced in years."

The Emperor remained silent.

But his gaze softened slightly.

---

The Dowager Empress sat nearby.

A servant had just finished reading another report.

The old woman nodded slowly.

"It seems the people truly enjoyed themselves."

Prince Liang laughed.

"Enjoyed themselves?"

"They practically worship the market."

The Dowager smiled faintly.

---

The Emperor turned his attention back toward the city.

Far beyond those walls—

Children were smiling.

Families were eating together.

Villagers were celebrating.

And for once—

The empire felt united.

---

Not through fear.

Not through war.

Not through authority.

---

But through happiness.

---

Prince Liang folded another report.

"Many villagers say they finally felt included."

The Emperor’s expression became thoughtful.

Included.

It was a simple word.

But important.

---

A ruler governed millions.

Yet it was easy to become disconnected from ordinary lives.

Easy to forget what mattered most.

A new dress.

A pair of shoes.

A toy.

A warm blanket.

These things seemed small.

But to many people—

They meant everything.

---

The Dowager looked at her son.

"You made the right decision."

The Emperor remained quiet for several moments.

Then finally spoke.

"The empire is strongest when its people are content."

The Dowager nodded approvingly.

---

Outside—

The night deepened.

Villages across the empire continued celebrating.

Families sat together around lantern light.

Children refused to sleep because they wanted to admire their new treasures.

Parents smiled despite exhaustion.

Grandparents watched quietly with grateful hearts.

---

And in countless homes—

One topic filled every conversation.

The Festival Market.

The wonderful bargains.

The beautiful products.

The joy of finally being able to buy things they once only dreamed about.

---

As laughter echoed through villages and towns across the empire—

The Emperor stood silently by the window.

Watching the lights in the distance.

Knowing that tonight—

Somewhere beyond the palace walls—

Millions of people were smiling.

And perhaps—

That was the greatest success a ruler could hope for.

Morning sunlight streamed through the windows of the guest courtyard at the Duke Residence.

The air carried the scent of flowers and freshly brewed tea.

Inside her chamber, Lian An sat by the window reading through several invitations for the upcoming wedding banquet.

Nearby, the three ghosts were arguing again.

Fen Yu crossed her arms.

"If I had a body, I would have bought ten more hairpins."

"You already made her buy one," Wei Rong replied.

"It wasn’t enough."

"It is literally impossible for you to wear it."

Fen Yu glared at him.

"You have no appreciation for beauty."

Lian An rubbed her forehead.

"Can you three be quiet for one morning?"

"No," all three answered at once.

Before she could respond, a maid hurried into the room.

"Your Majesty."

Lian An looked up.

"What is it?"

The maid bowed respectfully.

"A messenger from Whisper Bowl has arrived."

Lian An immediately sat straighter.

"From the restaurant?"

"Yes."

"He said it is urgent."

The ghosts instantly became interested.

"Maybe someone stole food."

"Maybe the kitchen exploded."

"Maybe they’re opening another branch."

Lian An ignored them.

"Bring him in."

Moments later, a familiar young employee entered.

He bowed deeply.

"Greetings, Your Majesty."

Lian An nodded.

"Rise."

The young man carefully presented a letter.

"Manager Lin asked me to deliver this personally."

Lian An immediately recognized the handwriting on the outside.

Her friend’s.

A smile appeared.

"Thank you."

The messenger bowed again before leaving.

The moment the door closed, Fen Yu practically floated over her shoulder.

"Open it."

"We can’t read through paper."

"Read it out loud."

Lian An rolled her eyes but opened the letter.

As she read—

Her expression slowly changed.

Then changed again.

And finally—

She laughed.

The three ghosts blinked.

"What?"

"What happened?"

"Tell us!"

Lian An lowered the letter.

"The festival market."

"What about it?"

She smiled.

"Our stalls are overwhelmed."

---

The letter had been written in obvious excitement.

The words nearly jumped off the page.

---

An’er!

You need to come immediately!

I’ve never seen anything like this!

The food stalls are packed from morning until night!

People are lining up before sunrise!

We’ve already earned three times what we expected on the first day!

Customers keep praising the food!

They say it’s affordable, clean, and delicious!

Some visitors are buying meals just to take them home to their families!

We are running out of ingredients faster than expected!

Half the staff are exhausted!

The other half are smiling so much their faces hurt!

Come help before I lose my mind!

— Lin Mei

---

By the time she reached the end, Lian An was laughing openly.

Fen Yu gasped dramatically.

"Three times?"

Wei Rong looked impressed.

"That’s a lot of money."

Scholar Li adjusted his sleeve thoughtfully.

"The festival appears more successful than expected."

Lian An nodded.

"It is."

---

The letter continued on the back.

---

People keep asking who created Whisper Bowl.

Some say the founder must be a famous noble.

Others think it’s a retired royal chef.

One old woman insisted you are secretly a food goddess.

Please come quickly before the rumors become even stranger.

---

Lian An laughed again.

"A food goddess?"

Fen Yu nodded seriously.

"I support that theory."

---

Just then, another voice sounded from the doorway.

"What’s making you laugh?"

Lian An looked up.

It was Lian Hua.

Behind her stood Lian Rou and Chen Ruyi.

Lian Hua immediately rushed inside.

"Tell me."

Lian An handed her the letter.

Moments later—

Lian Hua’s eyes widened.

"Three times the profit?!"

Lian Rou took the letter next.

Even he looked surprised.

"That’s impressive."

Chen Ruyi smiled softly.

"The festival must be attracting many people."

"It is," Lian An replied.

"The prices are low, people are happy, and they’re willing to spend."

Lian Hua grinned.

"Then we should go."

Lian An blinked.

"What?"

"We should visit."

Lian Hua pointed dramatically toward the window.

"The people need you."

"The food stalls need you."

"The exhausted workers need you."

"They specifically asked for help."

Lian Rou sighed.

"You’re just looking for an excuse to eat."

"...Maybe."

---

A short time later, the entire room had descended into discussion.

The festival market was becoming the biggest event in the capital.

Reports arrived constantly.

People were praising the stalls.

Especially the Whisper Bowl food area.

The restaurant’s reputation had already been strong.

Now it was spreading even faster.

Visitors from neighboring towns were carrying stories back home.

Merchants were talking about it.

Travelers were recommending it.

Commoners praised both the quality and affordability.

---

Meanwhile, inside the palace—

The Emperor received similar reports.

One official stepped forward.

"Your Majesty."

The Emperor looked up.

"The festival continues to exceed expectations."

"Good."

"And the most praised food area belongs to Whisper Bowl."

The Emperor paused.

Then a faint smile appeared.

Of course it did.

---

Back at the empress cotyard, Lian An folded the letter carefully.

Her friend had always been dramatic.

But she could tell the excitement was genuine.

The festival was succeeding.

The restaurant was succeeding.

The people were happy.

And somehow—

That made her happy too.

Fen Yu floated beside her.

"So..."

Lian An already knew what was coming.

"No."

"You haven’t even heard my question."

"No."

Fen Yu pouted.

"I was going to ask if we could go to the festival."

"...No."

"We can be invisible."

"No."

"We won’t cause trouble."

Lian An stared at her.

Everyone in the room burst out laughing.

Because that was the biggest lie Fen Yu had ever told.

And even she knew it.