My five ghostly husbands-Chapter 217 Good news

The old witch hobbled close beside Jepsi, her shawl fluttering slightly as she leaned in and whispered with panic on her face.

"Ma’am... it didn’t work," she muttered nervously. "People didn’t believe me... and now they’re going back to her stall again. What should we do?"

Jepsi’s face, once painted with fake politeness and confidence, now twisted into something dark and ugly. The curve of her lips vanished, and a slight twitch formed at the corner of her eye.

She didn’t reply for a few seconds.

Her painted nails clenched into fists.

That little witch... that Ruby... with her secondhand setup and limited robes, had embarrassed her in front of the public. In front of her own customers.

"No need to panic yet," Jepsi finally said in a cold voice. "She’s just a small stall owner. She might have designs, but I doubt she has any official copyright or merchant patent."

The old witch blinked. "So what does that mean?"

Jepsi smirked. "It means we’re going to use the legal path next."

Her expression turned twisted with a calculating grin. "You’ve already drawn up robes like her designs before, haven’t you? Just like we planned?"

The old witch nodded hesitantly. "Yes... they’re not exactly same, but very similar to hers."

"Good," Jepsi said, voice low and venomous. "We’ll register those under your name first. And then... we’ll accuse her of copying us in front of the Merchant Council."

The old witch’s eyes widened. "That’s... low, even for us."

But Jepsi turned her head slowly toward her, her eyes flashing with threat. "Do you want to stay in my team or not?"

The old witch swallowed and nodded. "I-I understand."

Jepsi’s expression turned even more sinister.

"She thinks this is over... but she has no idea what kind of people she’s trying to fight."

Her gaze remained fixed on Ruby’s shop in the distance.

🪄

"I’m fine... don’t worry about me." Ruby exhaled slowly as she handed the empty cup back to Karl, her fingers brushing his lightly. Her voice was steady again, though her eyes still carried a cold spark underneath. "You were saying something earlier, Angel—something about good news?"

Angeline blinked, then suddenly laughed. "Oh, right! That whole drama completely knocked it out of my head."

She straightened a little, her face lighting up. "Actually, I came here to tell you—I found a place. A real one, for your company base."

Ruby’s eyes widened just a little, and her brows raised in surprise. "You did?"

"Mmhm." Angeline nodded, a proud little smile tugging her lips. "Kenji knows some people. He was casually talking about you—about how talented you are, how serious you’ve been with your bussiness and someone overheard. Turned out, one of the local guild bosses had a property that’s been vacant for a while. Not super fancy, but it’s got space, and it’s in a pretty good area. She’s willing to lease it for cheap if you want to set up your workshop there."

As she explained, Ruby’s heart started fluttering. The gloom and frustration she’d been holding in began to melt away. Her lips curved into a genuine, glowing smile..soft, relieved, full of quiet happiness.

And seeing that smile... Karl just stared, speechless.

His breath caught in his throat.

Her red eyes were soft now and her fair face looked serene. The tension in her shoulders had disappeared, and for that moment, she looked like the sun after a storm.

Karl blinked, heart thudding against his chest as he quickly turned away, cheeks turning slightly red.

"Angel," Ruby said gently, "I can’t believe you came all the way here just for this. Thank you so much. I needed this."

"Don’t thank me yet," Angeline smirked. "Let’s visit the place after the fair ends. It’s better to see it for yourself."

Ruby nodded quickly. "Of course. If it’s even decent, I’ll make it my base. Finally... a proper place."

She looked up at the sky with a deep breath. No matter what Jepsi tries next... I won’t stop. I’m building something bigger now.

Ruby took a long breath, letting her gaze rest on her little shop one last time before closing it for the night. The red mat, the racks, the display corner... every part of it had been built by her hands. Now, with the fair coming to an end, it was time to pack everything up. She would return tomorrow morning to dismantle it fully..like everyone else.

She tied the front curtains tightly, double-checked the storage area, and finally walked over to the side booth where the registration witch sat, collecting final payments from merchants.

Ruby handed over the coins with a calm nod, "Here... final dues for stall space."

The witch glanced at her with surprise. "You did well, young one. Not everyone survives Jepsi’s tricks, let alone thrives."

Ruby gave a small smile and nodded. "Thank you."

As she turned to leave, Karl was already there beside her—arms hooked around hers lazily, head tilted like a sleepy cat. He wasn’t even trying to pretend anymore. He liked clinging to her. He liked being close.

She didn’t push him away.

Instead, she looked over at Angeline, who had been waiting patiently nearby.

"Where’s that place, Angel?" Ruby asked as they began walking away from the fairground. The cool wind was starting to blow softly, making her long white hair flutter against Karl’s shoulder.

Angeline smirked, walking beside them. "Not too far from the hollowood market. About fifteen minutes from your house by foot. It used to be a weaving house. Closed down years ago, but the bones of the place are strong. It has a front space, storage area, and even a little upstairs loft. It just needs some love."

Ruby’s heart began to thump with hope. "Really? That sounds... perfect."

Karl hummed beside her. "We can help fix it up too. I’ll paint walls if you give me snacks in return."

"You?" Angeline snorted, laughing. "You’ll paint one wall and fall asleep on the second."

"I’m not that lazy!" Karl pouted.

"You are," both Ruby and Angeline said at the same time.

Ruby looked up at the evening sky, painted in soft red hues. "Still... it feels like something is finally starting."

And she didn’t know if it was the business, or the place, or just the life she was building from scratch. But her chest felt warm.

Her fingers brushed lightly against Karl’s, and without thinking, she intertwined their hands.

Karl froze for a second, then his face broke into a soft, shy smile.

Maybe it really was a beginning.

—To be continued...🪄

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