Although she had already lived in the palace for three or four years, Eric Blake always enjoyed sneaking out to stroll the streets, especially to listen to idle gossip at taverns, restaurants, and markets. For one thing, out of every ten rumors, at least one was usually true; for another, she simply relished this leisurely time. In such places, she was guaranteed not to run into any acquaintances she’d have to deal with in a fake, perfunctory way.

The southern market was bustling and packed with people. Perhaps it was because the crown prince’s ascension truly aligned with the will of the people and heaven, or perhaps the common folk, having been repressed for so long, now had a surge in their desire to buy things. In any case, every shop was crowded with throngs of people, and even the small vendors selling pine pollen cakes were doing brisk business. It was as if the heavens themselves sympathized with the people’s mood—the red sun hung high in the sky, radiating a faint warmth, and only the eaves still held patches of unmelted, dazzling white snow.

This wasn’t Eric Blake’s first time wandering the southern market, but she still strolled and paused, occasionally squeezing into the crowd to ask about prices. As she walked along, she was surprised to discover that the price of everything seemed to have dropped by ten percent, especially rice, which now cost only twenty coins per dou, more than half of what it used to be at fifty coins per dou. She wasn’t one of those Ministry of Revenue experts who could make abacuses rattle, but she could still vaguely sense what was going on.

Business was booming, and the common people were delighted, which indirectly showed just how dissatisfied everyone had been with the empress’s misrule in her later years. In this sense, the recent change in power could truly be called the will of the people.

“Out with the old, in with the new—but who can guarantee the new will be better than the old?”

She wandered around a jewelry shop, muttering to herself, when suddenly a voice behind her, as melodious as singing, called out: “A fair lady is a gentleman’s desire. Young miss, is there anything you fancy? Just say the word, and I’ll buy it for you right away!”

Eric Blake turned around and saw a richly dressed young man standing behind her, flanked by two burly, bodyguard-like men. This fellow had dark skin, sharp eyes, a broad nose, and large ears—a face that would make most people avoid him. Yet he fancied himself quite the gentleman, fanning himself with a feather fan, which looked utterly out of place in the dead of winter. Seeing the unabashedly lecherous look in his eyes as he ogled her up and down, she didn’t get angry. Instead, she grinned and said, “You say I can pick any piece of jewelry I like—do you really mean it?”

“Of course I mean it!” The dark-faced young man, who probably had never received a kind look from a beauty before, was so flattered he could hardly believe it. “As the old saying goes, a thousand gold coins can’t buy a beauty’s smile. For a beauty like you, I’d spend a fortune without a second thought!”

He might not have been much to look at, but his words rang out loud and clear. A few women nearby, who had just been secretly sneering at Eric Blake for dressing like a rich girl yet being so greedy, couldn’t help but silently cheer. If only such a generous young man were a bit more handsome—how wonderful that would be!

But just as the dark-faced young man made his promise, one of his attendants behind him gruffly said, “Seventh, you’re being foolish again. Don’t forget we came to the southern market to look for the young master! If you fancy some girl, go snatch her yourself. Don’t even think about getting a single coin from me, let alone a thousand gold!”

“Second Brother, you’re always ruining things for me. Would it kill you to keep quiet for once?”

At these words, the whole shop was in an uproar. Judging by the attendant’s tone, this dark-faced youth, dressed in finery, wasn’t even the main character? Even Eric Blake, who had only wanted to have a little fun, was taken aback. Just then, the dark-faced youth, seemingly both angry and embarrassed, suddenly reached out a black hand to grab her wrist.

Quick as a flash, she raised her left hand, and with the hilt of her sword, gave his outstretched paw a solid whack, then nimbly dodged to the side. The next moment, the dark-faced youth was clutching his hand and crying out in pain, while the crowd burst into laughter. Taking advantage of the commotion, she ducked into the crowd and slipped out of the jewelry shop with ease.

Back out in broad daylight, she couldn’t help but scold herself—why bother teasing such a bore? She’d come out today to relax, not to cause trouble!

With that thought, she hurried away, turning two corners in quick succession, only to find the crowds growing even denser, the noise deafening. She did enjoy a lively scene, but she had no patience for places where you could barely move. With no other choice, she changed direction. After walking down two more streets and hastily rounding a corner, she didn’t expect someone to suddenly dash out in front of her, and the two of them collided head-on.

One was in a hurry, the other not watching the road, so the collision was quite hard. Eric Blake felt as if she’d run into a block of iron—her head throbbed, and the force of the impact sent her stumbling back several steps before she lost her balance and landed squarely on her backside.

Rubbing her aching head, she finally managed to open her eyes, ready to curse. But when she saw the person in front of her, the scolding died on her lips. This idiot who didn’t watch where he was going—wasn’t he the same guy she’d run into a few days ago while galloping on horseback? Twice now—how could she be so unlucky!