Stellar Train: I Open a Small Shop on the Train

In just one hour, Stelle, Firefly, and the others earned over 100 million credits simply by selling signed photos of Furina and Robin.

Looking at the balance, Stelle turned to Hu Tao and the others and said:

"We'll keep 1 million of it as our fun fund for future outings.

The rest—let's donate it, yeah?"

They had only set up the stall for fun, not to actually make money.

So they planned to keep a little as a reward for themselves and donate the rest to charity.

Hu Tao thought for a moment and suggested:

"How about we donate it to Cocolia? Doesn't she run an orphanage?"

Firefly agreed with the idea.

"I think that's a good plan. We visited last time—there were a lot of homeless children there.

We can use the money to buy food and clothes, and transfer the rest directly."

Amber and Eula had no objections either and voiced their agreement.

Seeing everyone on board, Stelle pulled out her phone.

"Alright, gather around—let's decide what to buy."

Hu Tao, Firefly, and Amber crowded over.

Their heads leaned close together, peering at Stelle's phone.

Stelle's phone was particularly large—she'd bought a new one from Topaz after getting rich. The phone's main feature was its oversized screen, with three golden beads embedded on the back.

Official name: The "Luxury Gold Big Screen Phone."

As they browsed the online store, everyone chimed in with suggestions:

"This dress is super cute—let's buy 2,000 sets for the little girls, make it the orphanage uniform."

"Let's get a lot of meat too. While Belobog isn't short on food, the variety is lacking.

Last time at the orphanage, I noticed they only had a tiny bit of meat each day."

"Vegetables too—prices in Belobog are sky-high. Let's get this assorted veggie pack—it has a bunch of types.

We've got money, so let's buy 10,000 packs!"

"Should we buy fruit too? Let's get this kind—it lasts a long time."

After about half an hour, they spent roughly 20 million credits on supplies.

The remaining 80 million? Stelle directly transferred it to Cocolia.

Cocolia initially tried to refuse, but after some back-and-forth with Stelle, she finally accepted the kindness.

She also invited Stelle and the others to visit tomorrow—the children missed them dearly.

Looking at the message from Cocolia on her screen, Stelle turned to the others.

"So? What do you think?"

Firefly, Amber, and Hu Tao exchanged glances and all agreed.

Why not? They had nothing else to do anyway. Fun is fun, no matter where it happens.

Nearby, the Fatui Lady had witnessed the whole charity process.

All she could feel was envy. They earned a hundred million in an hour, while she would need to sell a million servings of beef jerky to match that.

Tsk tsk, the gap is too wide…

The Lady couldn't help but sigh—Furina and Robin's fame was truly something. A single photo could sell for such a high price.

She thought to herself: My looks aren't bad either. Maybe I could try something like that?

As for whether the Lady would be too proud to try?

What a joke! The Lady would go through fire and water for Snezhnaya. No price was too great.

If she could earn a massive amount of credits for Snezhnaya, then getting on stage was no big deal.

Back in Mondstadt, she used to be a nun too, okay? She definitely had no problem singing.

She'd heard that Barbara had already brought in about 50 billion credits for Mondstadt.

As Barbara's senior, surely she wouldn't be worse… right?

The Lady suddenly felt a bit uncertain—after all, it had been over 500 years since she'd last sung.

Still, she made a decision: once she returned, she'd secretly start practicing again.

If possible, she'd give it a shot—earning money was the top priority.

Every time she participated in inter-nation events, the extravagant spending of other nations made the Snezhnayans envious.

Especially Fontaine—absolutely loaded.

And Liyue? That industrial chain was unbelievably complete. Too many ways to make money.

Even Sumeru, Mondstadt, and Inazuma each had their own idol singers.

Their domestic industries were starting to boom too. Just from this event's merchandise sales, they'd probably get a massive order once back home.

At that point, the three nations would be on the right track—ready to sell their goods across the galaxy.

At the heart of these nations' success stories was one common trait:

They each had a standout performer whose earnings helped fund their homeland.

This allowed them to quickly overcome the most difficult phase: building the industrial chain from scratch—an endeavor that demanded enormous capital.

Right now, Snezhnaya was poor. Even when someone had a great business idea, they couldn't implement it for lack of funds.

That afternoon—

Stelle, Hu Tao, Amber, and the others went back to Court of Fontaine and had another round of fun.

As dusk approached, they finally squeezed onto a cruise ship heading to the Opera Epiclese.

Just lining up had worn them out—the entire channel hub was packed with people headed to the opera.

Stelle was filled with regret. Had she known, she would've just stayed near the opera house.

She could've gone to the beach, or hung out with Furina and checked on her concert prep.

Over an hour later, they finally made it to their exclusive box.

Outside was packed beyond belief. People pushing people pushing people. If not for the clockwork mech soldiers maintaining order, they wouldn't have been able to move at all.

Crawling into their box, they saw that Ye Yun, Zhongli, Welt, Jing Yuan, and Huaiyan had already brewed tea and were sipping leisurely.

Nahida, Ningguang, Tsaritsa, Miko, and the Shoguns had also closed their booths—everything was sold out, and now they were here for the show.

After the performance, there would be a celebration party. After that, everyone would head home.

The Mondstadt group stayed behind at their booth, since business was booming—many tourists were still buying alcohol. They could enjoy the show while sipping drinks.

Mondstadt's beverages were 100% natural—no additives, brewed from fresh fruits and grains.

Their flavor and mouthfeel were top-notch. Most tourists who tried it bought in bulk.

Amber and Eula had only stayed in the box a bit before running back to help.

Lumine and Paimon followed—after all, she had accepted the honorary knight title from the Knights of Favonius.

Paimon handled the queue and seating guidance at the door.

Amber, Eula, and Lumine played the roles of servers—packing and delivering drinks.

Lisa and Jean took orders. Diluc handled the bar.

Thanks to everyone's hard work, they sold over a thousand cups of drinks in no time—earning a huge profit.

Backstage—

The Seven Little Ones were rehearsing the song they would perform shortly, led by a staff member.

Their performance was scheduled for the middle of the concert, during Furina's costume change.

They were going to sing the same song they performed at the opening ceremony of the Pokémon Tournament: "Let the Wind Tell You."

The audience waited expectantly in their seats, eyes fixed on the central stage, awaiting the show's start.

Soon, the lights dimmed. A spotlight shone on the central stage, and a deep male voice echoed:

"The throne rests high in the heavens, and power is granted to the seven victors.

Wherever rivers and mountains reach—that is the domain of gods.

The victors linger in the mortal world in the name of archons.

Humanity dwells under divine protection—sometimes lowering their gaze, sometimes raising their heads to the sky."

"Walking with the gods, through the passage of time."

As the narration echoed through the venue, massive LED screens encircling the arena lit up.

On the screens, a fantasy-styled animation began to play.

"But even beneath the unreachable domain of the gods, there once existed a dream—prosperous and glorious."

As the voice spoke, the lights across the venue flared to full brightness. Furina appeared on stage, wearing a custom-made gown by Aglaea.

Her attire was a luxurious evening dress, exuding divine majesty.

"Today,I wake from a dream."

The visuals on the screen shifted dramatically, revealing a hidden kingdom beneath the earth.

"Behold a radiant kingdom, lighting up the underground world.The gentle gleam in people's eyes shines alongside the cold gleam of machinery."

With the beautiful music surrounding them, the audience felt as though they had truly stepped into this underground city.

At the city's heart stood a glowing tower, illuminating everything around it.

They strolled its streets, surrounded by intricate clockwork mechanisms and gentle-eyed citizens, each filled with hope for a brighter future.

Suddenly, the music took a drastic turn—powerful and oppressive.

"Doom has come! All of a sudden, with wind the past gone!The land is stained with blood!"

The venue lights turned blood red. Above them, the ceiling's massive screens shattered like glass, unleashing a tide of monsters that surged forward.

The audience was stunned—some of the more timid viewers even fainted on the spot.

Furina's performance reached its climax. Several divine figures descended onto the battlefield from the heavens.

Gale, Meteor, Thunder, Tidal Wave, Crimson Flame, Frost—and massive crimson chains made of interlocking cubic runes.

Through the lyrics, the audience gradually realized who they were—gods.

The gods fought back the abyssal beast horde.

But the Hydro Archon and Electro Archon fell in battle.

The Dendro Archon was corrupted by forbidden energy.

The Anemo Archon was gravely injured and fell into slumber.

Then came the second half—

Selfless sacrifice: even in madness, Bosacius still fought on the front lines to protect the people.

Countless Millelith soldiers fought fearlessly, determined to the end.

With the gods gone, a demonic dragon attacked. Dvalin, the East Wind Guardian, came to their aid. Two dragons clashed in a furious battle.

And far across the sea, Inazuma's samurai gave their lives defending their homeland.

As the song ended, Furina slowly spoke:

"This is the past of the civilization that thrives beneath your feet.This is the past of a land called Teyvat. I, Furina, am a child of Teyvat.Did you enjoy this tale?"

The moment she posed the question, the crowd erupted into thunderous applause.

Waves of cheers echoed—this song had completely blown the audience away.

"That was incredible! Perfect! Flawless!"

"This trip was worth it—so worth it! That was amazing!"

"You don't understand, when that ceiling cracked open, I had full-body goosebumps!"

"This is insane! Absolutely insane! That song's hitting the top charts for sure!"

"Top charts? Please, it's not even close—it's definitely Top 10."

"Top 10? Are you joking? It's No.1! You must've gone nuts from the song!"

"Furina No.1! Furina is the eternal goddess! I love you, Furina!"

"Furina! Furina! Furina!"

At first, the audience was shouting different things, but it eventually all condensed into one name: Furina.

In the VIP box—

Everyone turned their gaze toward Zhongli and Venti.

They may not have recognized the other gods, but Zhongli and Venti were unmistakable.

Stelle leaned over to Zhongli.

"Zhongli, was everything shown up there... real?"

Zhongli seemed lost in memory. He slowly nodded as he answered.

"Yes. That was the battle of Khaenri'ah, five hundred years ago.

Calestia led us—the six archons—into battle against the Abyss.

The original Hydro and Electro Archons fell.

That catastrophe engulfed all of Teyvat.

Liyue paid a terrible price during that war."

Stelle, hearing that the Electro Archon had fallen, glanced toward Makoto and Ei.

"If I'm not mistaken... that was Makoto, right?"

Makoto smiled and nodded gently.

"Yes, it was me."

Recalling the animation, Stelle now truly understood just how brutal that war had been.

Just the first song alone doubled Furina's fan count.

It had already reached one hundred million. Now, it had shot up to two hundred million.

The Fatui Lady stared blankly at the radiant Furina on stage.

So… this is what it means to be a superstar?

It actually looks… pretty great.

Maybe… maybe she really could consider a career in this field?

Tsaritsa noticed her expression and guessed her thoughts.

"Rosalyne, go. Do whatever your heart desires. You've worked so hard all these years for that plan. Now, it's all over. Not just you—even Tartaglia. You both deserve to pursue the things you love. Of course, if something urgent comes up, you'll still be expected to return."

Upon hearing this, both the Lady and Childe beamed with joy.

Neither said it out loud, but both of them were already dreaming.

The Lady excused herself to the restroom—and immediately began browsing interstellar entertainment industry info on her phone.

Childe? He rushed off to find Jing Yuan, hoping he could visit the Luofu to spar with martial arts masters there.

He'd heard there were many traditional fighters aboard—pure martial combat, without relying on overwhelming force.

Back on stage—

Furina began her second song—her iconic hit: "Gentle Ripple."

This song was her debut single and remains the most downloaded of all her works.

The audience was completely entranced, as if listening to celestial music.

After the two songs, the Seven Little Ones took the stage.

Many sharp-eyed viewers immediately recognized them.

"Aren't those the adorable girls from the Spirit Tournament opening? I didn't expect to see them here too!"

"Oh yeah, it's them! I wanted to download their opening song, but couldn't find a source!"

"This! This is what I call a surprise! Go Dragon Lady!"

"Klee! Mommy's finally seeing you again! Klee!!"

"Qiqi! Do your best singing this time! Try to keep up with the others!"

"Sayu! Sayu!"

"Sayu? Isn't she Dry Draw?"

"Get lost, fake fan!"

"Hook! Hook! The strongest Hook!"

The seven girls cheerfully greeted everyone and began singing:

"When your sky suddenly starts to rain—It's me bombing the clouds away for you～When a breeze lifts your hair—That's me thinking of you from afar～"

The girls sang happily on stage, showing no sign of nerves—as if they were just playing around.

The audience couldn't help but show auntie-like smiles. The Seven Little Ones were just too cute, full of liveliness and innocence—absolutely lovable.

Backstage—

Topaz immediately snapped into work mode the moment Furina came offstage.

"Hurry up! Where's the makeup artist? Did you die? Get in here to remove her makeup! We've got a costume change coming!

Where's the wardrobe? Bring the next outfit! If you're late, I'll delay your salary! You hear me?!

Where's the assistant?! Are you blind?! Don't you see Furina's lips are dry? Get water! Mineral only! Room temperature!

Seriously, can any of you even do your jobs?!"

Backstage staff scattered into motion—removing makeup, changing outfits, prepping Furina's next look at lightning speed.

Back on stage—

The Seven Little Ones had finished singing and were now interacting with the audience, guided by a host.

The host held up questions submitted by the audience and turned to the girls.

"Kids, a big sister in the audience is asking—where are all of you from?"

Klee grabbed the mic.

"I'm the Spark Knight of the Knights of Favonius—Klee!This is Diona—we're both from Mondstadt!"

After Klee, Yaoyao took the mic.

"Hello everyone! I'm Yaoyao—nice to meet you all!This next to me is Qiqi—she's a zombie~ We're both from Liyue!"

Next, Hook declared proudly:

"Hwahaha! I'm the dark and mighty Lady Hook! From Belobog!"

Sayu, half-asleep, muttered:

"I'm Sayu... a ninja... My dream is to grow taller... like, really tall... taller than all of you..."

Lastly, it was Bailu's turn.

She pointed dramatically and declared:

"Who said I couldn't hug Sister Furina?! Show yourself!See? I'm on stage now! Think I can't hug her?!Anyway~ This lady is merciful!

I'm Bailu, from the Xianzhou Luofu. I'm sure many fellow citizens already recognized me!"

After introducing themselves, the host continued.

"Okay kids, here's the second question!A big brother wants to know—are you all classmates?"

The girls responded in unison:

"We are!"

Klee added brightly:

"Yep! We're all classmates!"

The host grew curious.

"Where do you all go to school, then?"

Klee beamed:

"We go to school on the Astral Express~ Have you heard of it?"

The host was a little confused.

"The Astral Express? There's a school on that?"

***

Bailu nodded enthusiastically.

"Yep yep! We study on the train! But we don't go to a regular school—Ye Yun hired a few teachers to teach us.There's Ruan Mei, Screwllum, Herta, General Jing Yuan, General Huaiyan, Grandpa Welt, Sister Jingliu, and Brother Sunday!"

Hearing this, the host finally understood. This sort of thing was fairly common across the universe.

Among major powers, high-ranking families rarely sent their children to ordinary schools. Instead, they often hired top-tier tutors to teach them privately.

In this universe, elite education was the norm.

Here, the strong thrive while the weak struggle.Those who haven't set foot on a Path remain ordinary.

As for the names Bailu listed, the host smiled but inwardly didn't believe a word of it.

Those people? Teaching? Together? Yeah, right.

"Thank you to little Bailu! Now, let's move on to the third question."

Bailu puffed her cheeks in frustration, clearly annoyed at not being believed.

The host continued.

"This one's from another child in the audience. She asks, 'Can I play with you guys?'"

Klee immediately responded with delight.

"Of course~! Klee loves making new friends!"

With that, the Seven Little Ones left the stage.

Furina then returned, reigniting the atmosphere once more.

Backstage—

Bailu was still furious, flailing her arms.

"Ugh! Why does no one believe me?! Bad people! All of them! I was telling the truth!"

Topaz came over just then—she was there to take the kids out for some fun.

"Who upset Bailu? Why's she so grumpy?"

Seeing Topaz, Bailu rushed over to complain.

"Topaz! They didn't believe me! I'm so mad!"

Topaz chuckled.

"Don't worry about them. As long as you know it's true, that's all that matters. Come on, I've arranged something—you're going to meet that kid who asked to play with you."

Bailu sighed.

"Fine… since we promised, we shouldn't let them down."

Topaz led the Seven Little Ones to a nearby lounge room.

She had a small children's play area set up there—complete with simple amusement equipment.

Rios and Mona Lisa were stationed nearby, quietly standing guard to ensure the kids' safety.

Time flew by. The concert soon ended.

Ye Yun and Himeko arrived at the playroom to take the Seven Little Ones back.

They had been playing with a dozen other children for over an hour.

After waving goodbye to their new friends, the Seven returned with Ye Yun and Himeko to the VIP box to rest.

They would wait there until the guests left the Opéra Epiclese.

Afterward, they'd move to the adjacent lounge hall—

Focalors was hosting a celebratory banquet that evening.

Thanks to Furina's concert, Fontaine had made a fortune over the past two days.

600,000 tourists had flooded the city, bringing massive economic gains.

Many local Fontainians had also seized the opportunity to earn money.

Furina's wealth, however, would only go toward infrastructure or disaster relief—Neuvillette had no intention of raising a bunch of freeloaders.

"Want money? Fine. Earn it yourself. I can give you a loan—at a low interest rate."

That's why Focalors decided to host this banquet—to celebrate the concert's success.

Elsewhere—

Nahida and Ningguang were tallying up sales.

They had sold so much today, there hadn't been time to properly record everything. Now that there was a break, it was time to count the numbers.

Nahida held a phone in one hand and a pen in the other, jotting everything down line by line.

She then cross-checked the total with Collei to ensure everything matched.

Meanwhile in Snezhnaya's corner—

The Lady and Tartaglia were squatting against a wall, a burlap sack in front of them.

Inside the sack? Hundreds of 100-credit-point coins.

Beef jerky was 98 per kilo. Tourists, unconcerned with loose change, often left the 2 credits as tips.

Now, they had to count each coin by hand.

Tartaglia and the Lady worked silently, while Barnabas handled the official tally.

In Liyue's booth—

The celestial talismans were selling like crazy. They could cure illness, give timed buffs, and carried a mystical aesthetic that fascinated tourists.

Some guests who had colds or fevers tried one immediately—and recovered on the spot.

Seeing the effects, others quickly placed orders—buying entire stacks at once.

Ningguang and Keqing were thrilled.

But the ones crafting them—Cloud Retainer, Moon Carver, Mountain Shaper, and Guizhong—were buried in work.

Demand skyrocketed. Many customers who missed out placed orders online through the "Liyue Companybao" storefront.

Still, the talisman-makers worked with a mix of pain and joy—each talisman sold for 10,000 credit points.

They received 10% profit shares each. The rest went to Liyue's treasury for development.

Cloud Retainer, who once viewed money as filth, had changed her mind since arriving in this new world.

Once she discovered online shopping on Companybao, she became very interested in making money.

Credits = More fascinating research materials to buy.

She worked with fierce determination—one brush in each hand, creating two talismans at once.

Nearby—

Milim popped a potato chip into her mouth and crunched away, then poked Paimon.

"When's the food coming?"

Paimon shook her head.

"No idea. Let's snack while we wait."

Hearing this, Milim pulled out a cake box from her dimensional storage.

Himeko noticed.

"Milim, dinner's coming soon. Don't fill up on snacks."

Milim puffed her cheeks.

"But... I'm hungry and want something tasty..."

Himeko sighed.

"Still no."

Milim pouted unhappily.

"Fine..."

She reluctantly put the cake away, then raised her chip bag.

"Can I at least finish these chips?"

Himeko nodded.

"Go ahead. Don't waste food."

Milim grinned and resumed munching.

About half an hour later—

Sigewinne skipped into the VIP box.

"Everyone! Dinner's starting soon~Lord Neuvillette sent me to guide you—stay close and don't get lost!"

Everyone stood and followed Sigewinne to the banquet hall.

There, Focalors, Neuvillette, Furina, the Robin, Lyney, Navia, Charlotte, and others were already waiting.

Furina saw them and ran over, beaming.

"You guys are finally here! Hurry, come on in—dinner's about to start!"

She waved them inside. Stelle stepped forward and handed Furina a bouquet of roses.

"Congratulations on a successful concert, Furina."

Furina was pleasantly surprised to receive flowers.

"Wow! Thank you, Stelle!"

Firefly also handed a bouquet to the Robin.

"Congrats on the performance, Robin."

Robin happily accepted.

"Thank you."

Just then, Focalors approached, scanning the room.

"Huh? Where are Jean and Lisa?"

Stelle said:

"They're still busy with their stalls. They told us not to wait for them—they'll be tied up all night."

Focalors nodded.

"Alright then! Everyone, let's begin tonight's banquet!"

As soon as she finished speaking, a group of Melusines walked in, each carrying trays of fine food and drink, laying them out across the long banquet table.

Milim, Paimon, and Yunli were already ready—each with their own rice bowl in hand, licking their lips in unison.

Yunli was more restrained, mainly fond of skewers. Having attended many train parties in the past—several of which Furina had also joined—it was no secret that Yunli loved skewers.

So, tonight's banquet naturally included a big pot of assorted skewers.

Yunli stared at the huge steaming pot filled with all kinds of skewers, itching to take the whole thing for herself.

But alas, her stomach had its limits.

Sighing in resignation, Yunli began the hard task of "letting go," carefully selecting only her favorite types.

Paimon and Milim, on the other hand, had no such concerns. The two exchanged a quick glance.

"You take the left, I take the right!"

And with that, the two split the buffet table into zones and began sweeping everything into their rice bowls.

By the end, Paimon's bowl was so heavy she could barely lift it without floating off the ground.

With their food secured, the two plopped down together and began munching away.

Meanwhile, Stelle, Firefly, Furina, and a few others gathered together to chat and laugh, sharing funny stories from the day.

When the topic shifted to the water gun battle, Stelle and Hu Tao looked especially smug.

"Today, the Galactic Flame Hero claimed total victory! Lumine, do you admit defeat?"

Lumine clenched her fists.

"No way! I, Lumine, fear neither heaven nor earth! Let's have a rematch tomorrow!"

Stelle shrugged helplessly.

"Can't. Don't forget—we're heading to Belobog tomorrow to deliver supplies to the orphanage kids."

Lumine paused, then grumbled.

"Oh, right… Fine, the day after then! And this time, I'll crush you!"

Stelle waved her hand nonchalantly.

"Anytime~ If I beat you once, I can beat you again."

Lumine slapped the table.

"Alright! The day after tomorrow, morning! Same place as always. Don't be late!"

On another side of the banquet—

Jing Yuan, Welt, and a few others were sipping tea and chatting with Neuvillette.

"I must say, your lives seem so leisurely. I can't help but envy you," said Neuvillette.

Jing Yuan chuckled.

"To live like this, you first need a competent assistant. Look at me—I've got Fu Xuan. Zhongli's even better—his nation runs on a whole team of capable ministers. And Elder Huaiyan's Xianzhou is filled with talent."

Neuvillette fell silent, realizing he had never really cultivated officials capable of managing government affairs.

No wonder I'm always so exhausted…

Zhongli, seeing the shift in his expression, smiled gently.

"What we need to do is provide broad direction. The rest should be handled by those under us. A nation doesn't run on a single person's shoulders—it thrives when everyone works together."

Neuvillette suddenly felt enlightened.

"I see… Thank you all for your guidance."

Welt also smiled.

"Neuvillette, you care too much about Fontaine—that's why you take everything on yourself. You probably feel uneasy if you're not handling it personally, don't you?"

Neuvillette nodded.

"Exactly… but from now on, I'll start letting other officials gain experience."

Over an hour later—

Tsaritsa led Tartaglia and the Lady to a courtyard within Fontaine Palace.

From the outside, it looked like a school.

Inside the courtyard, children played and laughed under warm lights. From the kitchen nearby, delicious aromas drifted out.

Tsaritsa looked up at the sign:

[House of Hearth]

This was the home of Fontaine's orphans—Lyney, Lynette, and Freminet among them.

Focalors had specifically designated this area for them. It could house up to 500 residents.

The children spotted them quickly.

"It's Big Sis Rosalyne! And Big Brother Childe!"

Back in old Teyvat, the Lady and Tartaglia often visited Hearth House. Most of the children remembered them—after all, their visits always came with tasty candy and fun toys.

Seeing the kids, the Lady smiled warmly.

She crouched down and caught a little girl running toward her.

"Natasha, slow down—you might fall."

The girl giggled in her arms.

"Natasha won't fall! Because I know Big Sis Rosalyne will always catch me~"

The Lady laughed softly and tapped Natasha's nose.

"You little rascal."

Tsaritsa, having only observed from afar during past visits, wasn't recognized by the children. But she didn't mind.

She pulled out sweets and clothes from her spatial ring and began handing them out.

The kids, delighted, cheered and danced around her, full of joy and innocence.

Even Tsaritsa, usually cold and stoic, couldn't help but smile.

Soon, Lyney, Lynette, and Freminet arrived, having heard the guests had come.

Seeing Tsaritsa, they moved to salute.

But Tsaritsa silenced them with just a look.

She didn't want the children to know who she really was—it would create a distance between them.

She preferred to be seen as just another big sister they could laugh and play with.

A few minutes later, she followed the siblings to a small office.

There, they formally saluted.

"Lyney, greets Her Majesty the Tsaritsa."

"Lynette, greets Her Majesty the Tsaritsa."

"Freminet, greets Her Majesty the Tsaritsa."

Tsaritsa gently lifted Lynette by the arm.

"No need to be so formal. We're just here to promote some goods—and to visit you all. How's everything been? Do you need anything?"

Lyney shook his head.

"Everyone's doing well. Lady Focalors often sends supplies. This courtyard—she gave it to us."

Tsaritsa was reassured.

"That's good to hear. If anything comes up, let Arlecchino know."

Lyney nodded.

"Understood, Your Majesty."

Lynette smiled.

"Your Majesty… when will you be going back?"

Tsaritsa smirked teasingly.

"What? I just got here and you're already trying to send me away?"

Lynette panicked and shook her head frantically.

"No, no! It's just… we're heading to a remote island tomorrow to start building a farm, and I wanted to invite you along."

Tsaritsa raised an eyebrow.

"A farm?"

Lyney explained:

"We applied to Lady Focalors for a plot of land—to build a farm and earn our own income.We can't always rely on donations."

Tsaritsa looked at Lyney with admiration.

"Arlecchino always said you were the most mature. Now I see it for myself. It must be tough looking after so many younger siblings."

Lyney shook his head.

"Not really. Some of our older siblings drop by to help out when they can."

After the House of Hearth disbanded, many of the older orphans returned to Fontaine. They now lived and worked nearby, visiting when possible to help out.

"This is still home to their little brothers and sisters."

Tsaritsa nodded.

"Then I'll join you tomorrow."

Lynette beamed with joy at her agreement.

She brewed some red tea, and the four of them chatted under the warm amber lights.

In the courtyard—

Tartaglia and the Lady played "Eagle Catches Chick" with the children. Laughter filled the air.

Half an hour later, it was dinnertime.

The kids lined up in the canteen, trays in hand.

Tsaritsa, Tartaglia, and the Lady helped serve food like lunch ladies. Then, they joined the children to eat, listening to stories of their daily adventures.

As night fell, the three stayed overnight.

Tsaritsa stood outside the room, watching the children sleep soundly, a soft, content smile on her face.

This… this is what I've always longed for—To help people live happy lives.

That's why I once crafted such elaborate plans…

Everything I've done has always been for this.

And now, at last—it's all become real.

Lady Calestia forgave our past mistakes and continues to support Snezhnaya's future. I've heard she only personally inquires about our nation, never the others.

Snezhnaya may have started slow, but things were improving day by day.

In the eyes of her people, Tsaritsa now saw hope.

The Next Morning—

Tsaritsa, Tartaglia, the Lady, and the three siblings boarded a ship bound for the navigation hub.

Today—they were off to visit the island gifted to them by Focalors.