My five ghostly husbands-Chapter 200 Let her live her life

Ruby shrugged, watching Karl dramatically pose in front of the shop like he was already walking the grandest runway of his life.

Honestly? She liked his energy.

Most newcomers would be nervous, shy, or insecure, afraid of standing in front of people.

But Karl?

He had already convinced himself he was a star.

And that was far better than someone who hesitated, doubted themselves, or let fear hold them back.

"Everyone should have confidence like Karl at least once in their life," Ruby mused, crossing her arms. "Even if it’s ridiculous, it’s still useful."

Milo, who was still watching Karl twirl unnecessarily, looked up at her with disbelief. "Wife... are we looking at the same Karl?"

Julian, still recovering from secondhand embarrassment, muttered, "Confidence is good. But this... this is too much."

Adrian, arms crossed, just sighed. "At least he won’t freeze in front of customers."

Ruby smirked. "Exactly. And if Karl really wants to be a big star, I don’t mind helping him."

Milo blinked. "You’ll help Brother Karl become a celebrity?"

Ruby tilted her head. "Why not? He has the energy for it. At least that’s better than sitting around all day, getting lazy and depressed because he has no purpose."

Karl, who had been completely lost in his imaginary runway moment, suddenly paused.

He turned to Ruby, his eyes sparkling. "Wife... are you saying you believe in me?!"

Ruby chuckled. "No, I’m saying I’d rather you be dramatic in public than dramatic at home while sulking."

Karl gasped, clutching his chest. "I’ll take it! That’s the closest thing to support I’ve ever gotten from you!"

Adrian’s gaze subtly shifted to Ruby, who was watching Karl with amusement.

Karl, as usual, was completely unbothered by the stares, walking around elegantly and confidently, as if he had been born for the stage.

No hesitation. No fear. No second-guessing himself.

Adrian... was the complete opposite.

Even speaking to Ruby directly made him hesitate.

Before he said anything, he overthought it—Would it sound right? Would she think it was strange? Should he even say it?

He wasn’t just like this with Ruby—he was like this with most people.

Even though he had started working as a helper, he didn’t really make friends.

He only spoke to people when necessary, for work. Conversations were short, to the point.

And if he were in Karl’s position—being given the chance to become a star, to be the center of attention— he knew without a doubt...

He wouldn’t be able to do it.

Just the idea of standing in front of people, having all eyes on him, made his stomach feel uneasy.

He liked peacefulness. Quiet.

He preferred working in the background, where no one expected anything extravagant from him.

He glanced at Karl again, who was still prancing around dramatically, and then back at Ruby, who seemed entertained rather than annoyed.

Adrian exhaled slowly, shifting his gaze away.

Confidence like Karl’s... wasn’t for everyone.

And maybe, that was okay.

🪄

Madame Shades sat in her grand, dimly lit parlor, swirling the contents of her deep red glass before taking a slow sip.

Her expression was unreadable, but there was a hint of amusement in her dark, sharp eyes.

"She is different from her parents," she stated, her tone calm yet filled with quiet intrigue.

Standing beside her, her butler, a tall, pale figure with stiff posture and a blank expression nodded slightly. "Very," he replied, his voice eerily emotionless.

Across the room, her plump, adopted son, Louis, shifted in his seat, fidgeting with nervous energy. His round cheeks were flushed, and his fingers tapped anxiously against the armrest.

"Mom!" he blurted out, his voice filled with hesitation. "My friends said Ruby has changed! And she’s earning more now! What do you think about... maybe marrying me to her?"

Madame Shades paused mid-sip, then let out a low, rich laugh.

Her silky purple hair shining under the dim lighting as she turned to look at Louis with a teasing smile.

"I thought you hated her."

Louis’ face burned red, and he quickly pointed at her in protest. "Mom! Don’t laugh at me!!"

"No."

"Mooooom!" Louis puffed out his cheeks, shaking his head in frustration.

Madame Shades only smirked, resting her cheek against her palm. "You wanted to marry Director Emma last month. And just a week ago, you said you wanted to marry that famous actress. I can’t keep up with you anymore."

She let out a mock sigh, shaking her head.

"Make up your mind, Louis."

Louis pouted harder, his plump face scrunching up. "I can’t decide who to marry!"

Madame Shades chuckled, waving a dismissive hand. "Don’t worry. You’re still young. You have plenty of time to chase after whoever catches your fancy next."

Feeling even more embarrassed, Louis let out a small grunt and rushed upstairs, determined to sit alone and list out the pros and cons of all his marriage choices.

The room fell into a brief silence.

Then, her butler spoke in his robotic, toneless voice.

"Ma’am. Ruby has opened her shop in the fair."

Madame Shades exhaled slowly, placing her glass down.

A slow, creepy smile stretched across her lips.

"I wish her parents were still alive... to teach her some lessons."

Her fingers tapped rhythmically against the table as she gazed into the distance.

"A bird that flies too high forgets that the sky is full of hunters. And in this world, there are always bigger predators waiting to swallow the small ones whole."

Her butler remained silent, unmoving like a statue.

And Madame Shades?

She simply smiled, as if already looking forward to watching how the little bird named Ruby would struggle to escape the predators waiting for her.

Then, Madame Shades chuckled softly, breaking the quiet.

"Let her live her life."

Her voice was light, almost dismissive, as if Ruby’s existence was nothing more than an amusing story in her long, uneventful days.

The butler stiffly nodded. "Alright, ma’am." His voice remained robotic, devoid of any personal thought or emotion.

There was another brief pause before he spoke again, his tone unchanged.

"Ma’am, some of our workers are experiencing respiratory problems. What should we do?"

His words were straightforward.

Madame Shades didn’t react immediately.

She simply turned her gaze toward him, her expression unreadable.

Then slowly, very slowly, a smile stretched across her lips.

A smile that didn’t quite reach her dark, knowing eyes.

"Do what we always do."

The butler didn’t hesitate.

"Understood, ma’am."

And just like that, the conversation ended.

—To be continued...🪄

A/N: 200 Chapters, and every word was for you. Thank you for believing in this story, for feeling it, and for staying. ♡

This content is taken from (f)reewe(b)novel.𝗰𝗼𝐦