Chapter 454 - CH 454 — Rumors Never Sleep

The midday sun spread a gentle warmth across Regina Market Square, where colorful awnings fluttered above rows of merchant stalls overflowing with fragrant herbs, polished pottery, woven fabrics, and baskets filled with freshly harvested fruit, while musicians gathered beside the old fountain filled the lively streets with cheerful melodies that drifted effortlessly through the crowd, creating an atmosphere of ordinary happiness that concealed the quiet uncertainty lingering beneath countless polite conversations.