Just as Aqua was accurately reporting the accounts, she seized the opportunity when the uncle turned to busy himself, quickly taking a sneaky little bite from a nearby meat skewer, enjoying her "work compensation"—
"Clang."
With a soft sound, the bottom of the large iron box in the uncle's hand, originally filled with marinated meat chunks, was visible.
He shook the box in vain; only a little marinade juice remained inside.
The uncle froze for a moment, then awkwardly scratched his hedgehog-like short hair.
He shouted loudly and apologetically to the long queue of eagerly awaiting customers:
"Everyone! Everyone! I truly apologize! All the meat prepared today... is completely sold out! Not a single piece remains! The stall has to close now, I'm so sorry!"
A wave of regretful sighs and murmurs arose from the line.
"Huh? It ran out that quickly?"
"And I waited in line for ages..."
"Can't be helped, business is just booming!"
However, most tourists expressed Understanding, as they had all witnessed how busy the stall was just moments ago.
The crowd gradually began to disperse, but a few young women who had been "charmed" by Aqua reluctantly approached her.
"Little sister, can we take a picture with you?" a girl wearing a bunny-ear headband asked expectantly.
Aqua was slightly grumpy about not being able to eat more barbecue.
Seeing the phone held out in front of her, she subconsciously wanted to refuse.
She was the noble Herrscher of Heavenly Judgment; how could she casually take photos with humans?
But... recalling how these humans had allowed her to eat delicious barbecue and made the uncle who treated her so happy, the refusal died in her throat.
"... Hmph."
She gave a stubborn hmph, her small face slightly raised, adopting a 'tsundere' expression that clearly said, "I can't help you people," yet her body honestly did not move away.
"Wow! So cute!"
"That expression is flawless!"
"Thank you, little mascot!"
The young women took several photos to their heart's content before leaving with cheerful smiles.
Once the crowd had completely dispersed, the uncle began swiftly tidying the stall.
While wiping the greasy grill, he spoke to Aqua, who was sitting on a small stool, looking rather disappointed at the empty meat box:
"Little girl, I really have you to thank for today!"
The uncle's face was beaming with the joy of success, forming a strange contrast with his fierce appearance.
"I've been running this stall for ages, and I've never sold out all the meat this early! I earned more than double what I usually make!"
He paused, looking at Aqua's small, unsatisfied expression fixed on the empty meat box, and his tone became somewhat apologetic:
"It's just... I promised you could eat until you were full, but the meat is all gone... I'm truly sorry, little girl."
Aqua looked up, seeing the uncle's sincere apology, and the small disappointment in her heart dissipated considerably.
She shook her head.
Although her tone was still a little listless, she tried hard to appear generous:
"No... it's fine.
Uncle, you already treated me to a lot~ ☆"
She stood up, patted off any dust that might have gotten on her nightgown, and placed her bare feet on the cool ground.
"Well... I'm going now?" She pointed toward the other stalls deep within the night market that were still lit up and emitting various aromas.
(It's okay! ~ ☆ The barbecue is finished, but there's still other stuff! Takoyaki! Fried noodles! Ice cream! ~ ☆ My royal night market adventure has only just begun! ~ ☆)
Thinking about the vast amount of unknown delicacies awaiting her, Aqua's mood instantly became cheerful again, and her golden eyes shone anew.
The uncle smiled, seeing her state, and waved his hand: "Hurry home, little girl, don't let your family worry! Next time... next time you come, I will definitely save enough meat for you so you can truly eat your fill!"
"Mhm! It's a deal! We've made a promise~ ☆" Aqua nodded vigorously, committing the promise to memory.
The uncle watched the direction she disappeared in, smiling and shaking his head.
He continued humming a tune, happily tidying up the stall closing work, which felt profoundly significant to him.
Tonight, thanks to one peculiar "mascot," had become exceptionally different.
— — — — — — — —
After leaving the barbecue stall, Aqua had no intention of departing.
Her golden eyes, still like searchlights, scanned every corner of the night market that emitted tempting aromas.
Furthermore, she hadn't left empty-handed—while the uncle was completing his final cleanup, she secretly used her barely detectable spatial ability to "snitch" a few skewers of meat that were already cooked but hadn't been sold yet!
At this moment, she was ungracefully gnawing on her "treasured" meat skewers, grease covering her mouth, while skipping and bouncing through the bustling night market aisle like a curious fawn.
She wandered over to a takoyaki stall, watching the old woman skillfully use skewers to flip the golden, round balls.
Her small nose vigorously sniffed the aroma mixing teriyaki sauce and seaweed powder, her eyes clearly screaming "I want to eat."
The busy old woman looked up and saw the little girl standing in front of the stall—silver-haired, barefoot, her mouth glistening with grease, yet still unbelievably beautiful—staring longingly at her takoyaki.
The old woman's heart instantly melted, and she gave Aqua a kindly smile.
Aqua, having been spotted by the old woman, awkwardly pulled her head back and returned a smile mixed with shyness and flattery.
Then, as if afraid of disturbing the woman's business, she quickly scurried away, clutching her meat skewers, but the way she kept looking back showed she clearly hadn't forgotten the takoyaki.
Next, she stopped in front of a cotton candy stall.
She widened her eyes, watching the stall owner pour spoonfuls of white sugar into the small hole in the center of the buzzing machine.
Then, as if by magic, he pulled countless delicate threads of sugar from the machine using a small stick, winding and spinning them until they became a huge, fluffy, cloud-like cotton candy.
"Wow..."
She couldn't help but let out a low gasp of amazement.
The magical process fascinated her more than any spatial authority she possessed.
Her cute appearance of pure astonishment not only brought a smile to the cotton candy uncle's face.
It also drew the attention of passersby and surrounding stall owners, who unconsciously wore the affectionate expression known as the "auntie smile."
This silver-haired, barefoot "little elf," wearing a nightgown and curious about everything, had unconsciously become the most popular moving attraction on this night market aisle.
"Little girl, come, try my oden, it will warm you up!" The old woman who sold takoyaki had, at some point, scooped up a small bowl of steaming oden containing radish, konjac noodles, and chikuwa, and handed it over with a smile.
"Little sister, here! Freshly made rainbow cotton candy! Since you liked it so much!" The cotton candy uncle also smiled and tucked the dreamy, cloud-like candy into Aqua's hand.
"Here, try these fried chicken pieces, they just came out of the pot, be careful not to burn yourself!" The auntie from the neighboring fried chicken stall also enthusiastically handed over a small portion.
"This candy apple is super sweet, it's a gift for you!"
As if some magical switch had been flipped, the enthusiastic stall owners began stuffing Aqua with various snacks one after another.
Aqua was initially a bit stunned, but she was quickly overwhelmed by this sudden happiness.
She frantically accepted the various foods—small bowls, paper bags, bamboo skewers—and soon her arms were piled high with "love offerings" from different stalls.
Wooow! ~ ☆
So... so much! I can't hold it all! ~ ☆
Seeing the food in her arms about to fall to the ground, Aqua had a flash of inspiration!
She glanced left and right, and in the instant no one was paying special attention to her, she had a thought, and a tiny, almost invisible spatial ripple flashed in front of her.
The steaming oden, the giant rainbow cotton candy, the fragrant fried chicken pieces, and the bright red candy apple... instantly vanished from her arms, silently transferred into her own personal space.
(Perfect! ~ ☆ The knowledge of the Weak Goodness mentioned that my space is Imaginary Space, and time is still inside Imaginary Space! This way, it won't get cold or spoil! ~ ☆ I'll eat it slowly when I get back! ~ ☆)
She clapped her hands, looked at her empty hands, and nodded in satisfaction.
Then, she gave the stall owners who had fed her—all wearing kind smiles—an even brighter smile mixed with gratitude and a hint of smugness, waved vigorously, and continued her night market adventure.
The stall owners laughed even harder, seeing her "great appetite" that "instantly emptied" the food, feeling that this pretty yet slightly strange little girl was becoming more endearing the more they looked at her.
And Aqua, carrying her "mobile preservation unit" filled with the kindness of the entire night market, happily set off toward the next target emitting an unknown aroma, completely satisfied.
Tonight, for Aqua, who had just entered the human world, was undoubtedly a beautiful and surprising night.
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