Author Note: I am trying to focus more on character writing since we didn't have much time with them. I would love to hear what you guys opinions are, Leave a Review with your feedback.

  5:55 PM.

  The anticipation iy alpable. Thousands of citizens sat in their homes, eyes flickeriweeig clod the gleamial taps installed in their kits and bathrooms. This was a historic evening—ohat would forever ge daily life iy of Jo.

  Angelo stood in the small yet fortable bathroom of his family’s apartment, staring at the unfamiliar metal fixture before him. He hesitated, pointing at it as though it were some a relic rather than a marvel of modern iy.

  “S-So I just turn this, and water will start flowing?” he asked, his voice ced with both awe and skepticism.

  Sarah, chuckled softly as she sat on the floor pying with their young soly rolling a wooden toy cart bad forth between them.

  “That’s what the annou said,” she replied, her tone brimming with excitement. “Acc thness, the water is drinkable too. We just have to wait five more minutes—when the clock strikes six.”

  Angelo gnced over at the rge wooden ounted on the wall. Its tig echoed softly through the room, each passing seaking his heart race with anticipation.

  Five more minutes.

  Outside, the streets were unusually quiet. Normally, around this hour, farmers would still be w away their crops, children would be pying in the alleyways, and the sounds of life would fill the air. But tonight was different. Everyone had gathered in their homes, waiting for the exaent whey’s promised water system would be activated.

  Angelo exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. “That clock thing is really useful. We always get off work at the exact time a bae without fail.”

  Sarah hummed in agreement, though her gaze remained on their child, who giggled as he chased after the rolling cart. The warm glow of the setting sun streamed through the windows, casting long shadows across the floor.

  As the final miicked away, the ey held its breath.

  Meanwhile, in Jo's Lord Castle, Ravenna sat in her bedroom rather than her usual study. Stacks of dots y spread across her desk, their tents detailing the final logistical reports of the water system’s unch. Though her mind remained focused on the papers, her ears were keenly attuo the tig of the ornate golden ounted on the far wall.

  Not far from her, Marie stood before a full-length mirror, fidgeting unfortably as Alid Jessica Taylor—the head of clothing in Jo—adjusted yet another extravagant gown on her.

  Alice cpped her hands together, stepping baire her test choice. “How does this look?”

  Marie turo face the mirror, her refle now adorned in a young dy’s gown.

  The fabric shimmered like liquid silver, catg the dim dlelight with every tiny movement. The fitted bodice was adorned with delicate gold embroidery, vines and flowers iwining along its seams. The sleeves, fring slightly at the elbows, ended irimmed cuffs. A high ce colr framed her slender neck, atuating her refined features. Draped across her shoulders was a velvet capelet in midnight blue, its edges lined with soft silver fur. A crest moon brooch faste in pce, gleaming uhe light.

  Her skirt cascaded in yered silk, translut enough to reveal hints of glittering beadwork sewn along the hems. A silver pin adorned her styled hair, pleting the look of quiet nobility.

  Alice smiled proudly, but Ravenna barely gnced up from her papers before shaking her head.“Hmm, the blue doesn’t suit her. Try something less bright. She o match me tht?”

  Alice tilted her head in thought. “You might be right. I did think it was a bit too loud for the eyes.” muttered.

  Marie groaned dramatically. “Master… e on! I’ve been ging clothes for three whole hours now! ’t we just pie? Or better yet, why ’t I wear something fortable—like my usual outfits? These are so suffog! I’m sweating unfathomably!”

  Ravenna finally looked up, her lips curving into an amused smirk. The frustration in Marie’s voice reminded her of herself—of the long, grueling hours spent in the imperial pace, forced into yers upon yers of suffog ire when she first arrived in this world.

  “You’ll have to e,” Ravenna said, stretg her arms before standing. “This will be your first official appearance as my disciple. We ’t have you wearing subpar clothing, and the free, open styles we wear in Jo aren’t appropriate for the capital.”

  She gestured toward the window, where the golden hues of su bathed the distant horizon. “The southern part of the empire is much colder than the far north where we are now. You grew up in one of the vilges he southern towns, didn’t you? You should know that.”

  Marie huffed, her shoulders slumping i. “I know, I know… but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

  Alid Jessica exged amused gnces before seleg the gown. Marie braced herself for yet another round of fittings, when—

  The clock struck six.

  A chime echoed throughout the room.

  Ravenna’s expression shifted, her lips curling into a satisfied smile. Setting her papers aside, she straightened her coat. “Alright, let’s take a break and check out the tap water, shall we?”

  Marie’s frustration vanished in an instant. Her eyes sparkled with curiosity as she quickly turoward the door. Behind her, Alid Jessica began tidying away the fabrics, chug at her sudden burst of excitement.

  The moment the word ‘break’ left Ravenna’s lips, Marie had already darted forward, practically dragging her along.

  As they made their way toward the main hall, the excitement outside had reached its peak. The ey, from its southern districts to its northern apartment plexes, stood in anticipation.

  Then, at long st—

  The taps turned.

  And for the first time in history, , fresh water flowed into every home.

  Cheers erupted across the city, voices rising into the evening sky as children ughed and spshed in the newfound miracle. People gathered around their taps, filling their cups and drinking in disbelief, some even shedding tears at the realization that they no longer had to fetch water from distant wells.

  Marie stood in stunned silence as Ravenna gracefully turned oap in her bedroom’s private chamber.

  A stream of crystal-clear water flowed effortlessly into a por basin.

  Marie gasped. “It… it really works.”

  Ravenna smirked, arms crossed as she watched the water glisten uhe dlelight. “Of course, it does. You didn’t doubt me, did you?”

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