Silently closing the door, temporarily locking the mess behind her, Aqua was like a little bird escaped from its cage, instantly tossing away that sliver of guilt into the clouds.
The hallway was silent and empty, only the sound-activated lights turning on one by one because of her footsteps.
She first looked curiously at the glowing bulbs, and was then immediately drawn in by the feeling of "controlling the light."
She started running wildly through the corridor, deliberately stomping her feet hard, watching the lights flicker on and off with her rhythm, letting out small, happy bursts of laughter.
"Hmph hmph~ I, this King... no, I, Aqua, am free~!"
She ran to the window at the end of the hallway, where the night breeze brought a slightly cool, fresh scent, blowing her silver hair and thin white nightgown.
She took a deep breath, feeling like the air of the entire world was filled with the taste of freedom.
Just then, a brilliant expanse of lights in the distance caught her eye.
That light was not neat and dull like the apartment building lights; instead, it was colorful, flowing, and flickering, like a leaping river of light spread out on the ground.
Noisy sounds full of life faintly drifted over with the wind, mixed with various tempting... aromas?
Aqua's small nose sniffed hard.
(Hmm? That smell is...)
(It's... it's food! Lots and lots of food! It looks like the pictures in Weak Goodness's memory, but it smells even better! ~ )
Her golden eyes instantly shone astonishingly bright, as if she had discovered a treasure more interesting than spatial teleportation.
The image of a "night market" immediately appeared in Koushi's memory steaming snacks, dazzling small merchandise, and shoulder-to-shoulder crowds... (It's decided! This King's first night patrol destination is there! ~ )
Her appetite was completely whetted.
She instinctively wiped away nonexistent drool, completely forgetting that she was wearing a slightly loose white dress that looked like a nightgown, and also forgetting the crucial fact that she was penniless.
"Swoosh—!"
Like a white shadow, she rushed down the stairs at a speed far exceeding that of an ordinary person.
Although she deliberately suppressed the Herrscher's power, its physical fitness was still superhuman, and she couldn't be bothered to wait for the elevator.
The sound-activated lights in the hallway flickered rapidly once more because of her passage.
Bursting out of the apartment building, the slightly cool night air enveloped her more clearly.
Her goal was clear: she began a new round of "mad dashing" toward the brightly lit, fragrant night market.
Under the streetlights, a "girl" wearing a white nightgown, with flowing silver hair and a face too exquisite to be mortal, was sprinting through the silent streets at an astonishing speed, heading straight for the distant, noisy commotion.
If that sight were witnessed by a late-night passerby, they would probably think they had encountered the "Sprinting White Ghost" from some urban legend.
However, Aqua paid no attention to this.
Her entire focus had been captured by the complex and tempting aroma of the night market, a mix of grilled skewers, takoyaki, fried noodles, candied hawthorns...
(So fragrant, so fragrant, so fragrant! ~ That round, golden-yellow thing (takoyaki)! That oily meat skewered on a stick (grilled skewers)! Those bright red, shiny fruits (candied hawthorns)! I want to try them all! ~ )
As for how to pay? Hmm... In Aqua's simple and straightforward mind, the complex concept of "currency" didn't seem necessary between "wanting" and "getting."
After all, her own fist was the ultimate reasoning.
---
Aqua ran wildly the whole way, easily finding the brightly lit night market by relying on her superhumanly keen sense of smell.
She stopped at the entrance of the night market, slightly breathless.
Her silver hair was slightly messy from running, and the loose white nightgown made her figure appear even more slender and fragile.
Most striking were her bare, jade-like feet, which were stepping directly onto the cool and slightly rough ground.
Her feet were delicate and beautiful, her ankles graceful, and her skin was so pale it was almost transparent.
Under the colorful lights of the night market, they looked as if they were carved from the finest mutton-fat jade, forming a stark contrast with the dark ground, yet the slight layer of dust lent them a sense of fragile, bewildered vulnerability.
She completely ignored her appearance and bare feet.
Her golden eyes, like the brightest stars, shone with pure curiosity and desire, closely following every stall that emitted a tempting aroma.
Her nostrils flared continuously, and she was almost drooling uncontrollably.
Like a butterfly attracted to nectar, she lingered endlessly in front of the stalls.
"So fragrant... this one... and that one... they all look so delicious~ " she mumbled softly, completely immersed in this culinary paradise.
Just then, a stall emitting a rich grilled meat aroma caught her attention.
The vendor was a middle-aged man who looked somewhat fierce, with a shallow scar across his face.
He was skillfully turning the skewers of meat on the grill, the fat sizzling loudly.
The man noticed the silver-haired girl who was standing in front of the stall, staring longingly at the grilled meat, dressed oddly but possessing astonishing beauty especially her bare feet on the ground, which made him frown.
But he quickly forced a smile that tried to look kind and waved at Aqua:
"Little girl, want some grilled skewers? They're freshly grilled and smell fantastic!"
Aqua's eyes instantly lit up like thousand-watt bulbs!
She excitedly trotted over, looked up, and asked expectantly, "R-really? Can I really eat it?"
(This is great! ~ This world really does have good people! Weak Goodness was right, I shouldn't destroy the world arbitrarily! Otherwise, such wonderful things wouldn't happen! ~ )
She rejoiced internally, her view of the world subtly improving just because of one skewer of grilled meat.
The man was infected by her pure, undisguised joy, and his smile became more sincere: "You can! One big skewer of meat is only 200 yen~"
"Yen?" Aqua tilted her head, the joy on her face instantly freezing, replaced by profound confusion.
"Ah... I... I don't have any money..."
Only then did she snap out of the temptation of the food, remembering the concepts of "currency" and "purchase" from Koushi's memory.
The man also froze, his smile stiffening: "No... no money? Little girl..."
He looked Aqua over, noting her bare feet and ill-fitting nightgown, and some guesses formed in his mind.
"Ugh..." A huge wave of disappointment and embarrassment instantly flooded Aqua.
She thought about how cheerful she had been just moments ago, only to find she couldn't even "buy" a single skewer of meat, making her feel utterly humiliated.
She squatted down sadly, hugging her knees and burying her face, her small body curled into a ball, the golden swirl of her hair conveying helplessness.
(So... so embarrassing... ~ )
(Maybe I should just destroy this world... No, no! Weak Goodness will get angry... But... I really want to eat it... Ugh...)
Just as she was fighting an internal battle, and even starting to entertain dangerous thoughts again, a warm, rough hand gently rested on the top of her head, ruffling her soft silver hair.
Aqua looked up in surprise, her eyes slightly red-rimmed.
The scarred man sighed helplessly, yet his gaze had softened considerably.
He turned and selected a particularly meaty, fragrant, and perfectly charred skewer from the grill, then grabbed a cup of iced cola from the nearby cooler, handing both to Aqua.
"Here, no money... it doesn't matter if you don't have money,"
The man's voice was very gentle, carrying a tenderness that contradicted his appearance.
"Consider this skewer and this cup of cola the Uncle's treat."
Aqua stared blankly at the food handed to her.
The skewer emitted an irresistible aroma, and tempting condensation beaded on the cola cup.
Seeing her look of disbelief, the man added:
"But listen, little girl, don't run away from home casually in the future.
It's dangerous to be out alone at night, and barefoot too.
Your family will worry a lot if they can't find you."
Aqua looked at the man's face, scarred but full of kindness, then at the heavy skewer and iced cola in her hand.
A warm, unfamiliar feeling surged from her heart, driving away all the grievance and dark thoughts.
She nodded vigorously, took the food, and whispered, "Th-thank you..."
Then, she eagerly took a huge bite of the skewer.
The savory meat flavor and crisp texture made her eyes happily narrow, her cheeks puffed out.
(Delicious! ~ The world... is truly good! ~ )
While eating this "free" dinner, she quietly noted the man's words in her heart.
(Family... would they worry? Would Weak Goodness... worry about me too?)
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