Chapter 418 - Power of Beauty (3)

The royal estate pulsed with energy, its sprawling courtyards and arched corridors alive with the steady drumbeat of hurried footsteps and raised voices. Courtiers dashed back and forth between the great hall and the west wing garden pavilions, carrying bolts of shimmering cloth in their arms, while attendants balanced trays laden with rare desserts glistening under the morning sun. A sweet yet tangy concoction of scents—citrus-glazed game meats, lavender blossoms, fresh dew still clinging to the roses—filled the air, signaling that both the royal banquet and the Festival Market Showcase drew inexorably closer. Where an ordinary morning might carry a subtle buzz of routine preparations, today felt like a crescendo of anticipation.