Smiled at me (6)
“..…Hi?”
God is dead. Beth thought.
“Oh, hello.”
No, God will die soon, I’ll kill it, Beth corrected her thoughts.
If there is a god of fate, that god’s fate will die and disappear at the hands of Beth. Beth watched the two children from afar with blurred faces.
Why on earth is Arthur, the emperor’s only child and Crown Prince, celebrating a festival in the Earldom of Gordon among many and many territories?
And out of the many and many children, why did he find Claire?
She decided not to have any doubts that he would fall in love with Claire. Because Claire was, in Beth’s eyes, the most adorable child in the world.
So, he had eyes on her, as he recognized Claire’s loveliness. Beth looked at Arthur, still a young child, with distasteful eyes, and kicked her foot on the floor.
Kedrick looked at Beth and the two children standing in the distance.
“The person with the young lady is the Crown Prince.”
“…well, that’s right.”
Golden hair and golden eyes.
He didn’t shine as brightly as she thought, but… Rather, Claire’s blonde hair was more dazzling like the sun, but it was the color of the royal family anyway.
One wasn’t necessarily blonde and gold just because they were a member of the imperial family… It is said that the first imperial family was like that.
“…”
Beth asked him after she thought about it.
“Do you know the appearance of the Crown Prince?”
He blinked his eyes at Beth’s question and answered with a question.
“And you?”
“…”
“…”
“I work at an inn, so I listen to a lot.”
“I move around a lot, so I hear a lot.”
So they decided not to ask any more questions. Sometimes these actions are also virtues.
Not knowing that the adults were watching from afar, the two blond little children squealed and continued their conversation.
“Hey, what’s your name?”
“Claire…”
As Claire hesitated to answer, Arthur smiled broadly.
“It’s a pretty name that suits you!”
‘Should I change the name?’
She didn’t know if there was a concept of a name change in this world as well, because it didn’t exist in the village she used to live in, and there’s no need to find out even after coming here.
Arthur has had a temperament like the wind since he was young. How can he say something like that from that age?
Yes, not Claire, but Alexander or Thompson… .
“How about Brown?”
“What?”
“It’s the Lady’s new name.”
“…why does the Lady need a new name?”
“..I know, right.”
How much she hated Arthur to spit out such useless sound out of her mouth. Beth trembled at the pettiness.
Besides, still if it’s that guy anyway, even if Claire’s name is Brown.
‘It’s Brown! It’s a soft name that suits you!’
Would be what he said. Beth shook her head.
“Follow me.”
As the two started moving, Beth spoke to Kedrick, who responded without a word. The two naturally followed the two little children in a way of following, not accompanying together.
‘In the original story, it was said that the two just met and had a festival.’
So she didn’t know what the hell he was doing. It just turns out that they had a good time.
Coming out of the winding road, there was another square connected to a small street where people gathered. On the street, skewers and fruit candy were sold. In other corners, accessories and cute dolls were also sold.
Arthur said in a slightly excited tone.
“What would you like to buy?”
Claire didn’t respond right away to his suggestion, just thought and nodded her head. Claire ate a good breakfast this morning, and she ate the cake Kedrick bought earlier, so she wasn’t very hungry.
However, it was around lunch time, and she couldn’t immediately reject an offer, so she decided to just accept it.
Arthur brightened noticeably as Claire nodded and led her to the candy store. Some were sold in bottles, and there were lollipops.
What caught Claire’s attention was the candy in the bottle.
‘It’s similar to the one Beth bought me.’
It was a few years ago, but she remembers it clearly. The quality was better than that, but
In her eyes, it looked similar to that.
Arthur, who caught Claire’s sparkling gaze, asked with a confident voice.
“Shall I buy it for you?”
Claire blinked her eyes as she pulled out a few silvers that Beth had secretly brought to enjoy today.
“Why do you?”
“Huh?”
“Why do you buy me what I want?”
“Hmm…”
Arthur tried to say something, but he couldn’t find anything to answer, only his face turned red.
“Do you think I don’t have any money…?”
Beth was delighted as she watched Arthur hesitate without saying anything to Claire’s question, which was asked with pure intentions without any malicious intent.
‘Well done!’
“Will that be taken as a case for defamation against the imperial family?”
Kedrick overheard the conversation with gloomy eyes and asked Beth.
“It’s okay. The Crown Prince also got away from his escort.”
“How do you know all that?”
“…there is a reliable source of information.”
“James?”
“Well, it’s similar.”
In fact, it’s superior to that, but she decided to keep her words as she thought he wouldn’t believe it even if she had to explain it or say it.
Claire seemed to like the bottle candy, so she bought one and left with a satisfied expression.
Arthur, who bought nothing for her, chased after her.
After confirming that the two were not looking back any longer, Beth offered a sufficient price and asked to buy all the candy from the stall and send it home.
Beth realized the importance of early education and hummed. Early education doesn’t go anywhere. Even just teaching this is early education.
Kedrick glanced at Beth, who hummed a rare hum, but didn’t say anything.
Instead, he asked another question.
“The lady isn’t looking for you.”
“…”
Come to think of it. Now that Beth is back in the original world, her memories may come back, but maybe Kedrick is the only one who remembered her?
Such anxiety wrapped around Beth, but she shook ger head flutteringly.
“The reason they don’t look for us is because they’re around that age.”
“Um, is that so?”
“When you have fun with your friends, you forget your parents, don’t you?”
“….I see.”
Beth followed after the two again, leaving him behind, who answered in a nuance that seemed a little difficult to understand.
As the music changed, the four that had gathered in a circle dispersed and split into two.
Arthur looked at the dancing crowd and asked Claire.
“… Do you like dancing?”
Claire tilted her head once at his question and answered.
“I danced today, and I think it was fun.”
“Well then, will you dance with me?”
Knowing how to do that dance, he smiled brightly and suggested. But Claire shook her head.
“I don’t know how to dance.”
“Then I’ll teach you!”
“I would step on your feet…”
“That’s fine!”
As if he was worried about something, he gently grabbed Claire’s hand and smiled brightly.
“Everyone makes mistakes, right? What you do after that is what matters.”
Claire listened to Arthur for a moment, looked at him blankly for a moment, and answered quietly.
“I can’t because I don’t have a place to put the candy.”
Then Arthur gently pulled out his hand.
Kedrick overheard their conversation, thinking.
In a few years, Claire will really grow up like Beth II.
Maybe she grew up a little more gentle than Beth, but he had a feeling that she would be like Beth anyway. He doesn’t know if his hunch is right… …well, that’s how he felt.
“Then can I hold it for you?”
“Who…?”
“Beth!”
Beth, who had left Kedrick standing at a distance and appeared with a calm expression on her face, asked Claire as she intervened. Claire, who showed a noticeably bright expression, greeted Beth.
“Where have you been?”
“Ah, I saw a face I’ve known in a long time. I was going to talk, but I’m late.”
Beth glanced at Arthur and greeted him lightly. Anyway, Arthur was hiding his identity, so some rudeness could pass.
“How did you get here? Huh?”
“There’s no way I don’t know where you are.”
Beth smiled broadly and took the thing Claire was holding—a bottle of candy—and said.
“Go and dance.”
‘If possible, step on his feet a lot.’
He was still just a cute kid, but after that, he was a rotten guy who would even wander between two women.
Arthur looked at Beth with suspicious eyes, but took Claire’s hand and left to dance. Perhaps the flow was similar in the original story.
Beth guessed so.
However, because Beth was by Claire’s side and the environment had changed a lot, the detailed answer would have been different. Beth was fiddling with the bottle of candy.
Even so, she doesn’t know if Claire will fall in love or not.
This was a battle between fate and Beth.
She saw the two little children dancing clumsily in the crowd.
At first, Claire, who continued to move while looking down and stuttered, stepped on Arthur’s foot a few times and seemed to have learned the pattern little by little. No matter how much she thought of it, Claire seemed to have a unique ability, and Beth nodded her head.
Sadly, Kedrick still didn’t come close, so he stopped thinking.
She could see the cheeks were becoming more and more pleasant. Claire often made that kind of expression when she was hanging out with her peers. It was clear that Arthur was good and that Claire was enjoying this moment.
It was a bit bittersweet, but when Claire was with Beth, she wouldn’t look like that. This was the expression she only made when she was with her peers and friends.
That was Beth’s limit, so she didn’t try any further when Claire was with her.
The song ended when Beth was lost in thoughts.
Arthur looked a little sad, but Claire, with a very satisfied expression on her face, fell from his side, chatted with him, and approached Beth.
“Beth!”
“Did you have fun?”
“Huh!”
Claire smiled and hugged Beth tightly once and let go.
“Brick said his family is coming to pick him up! Let’s go now.”
When she asked Claire what kind of conversation they were talking about, that’s what it was. Beth read Claire carefully and looked at Arthur, who stood a little away from there.
A 10-year-old kid looked at Claire and Beth with a sad expression. He didn’t even stop looking at the back of Claire’s head.
She felt it just by looking at it. That Arthur fell in love with Claire.
“Then shall we go back?”
“Yes, then.”
Then Claire glanced at the candy bottle in Beth’s hand and smiled broadly.
“I bought it for Beth.”
“…? Th, thank you?”
“Hmm!”
Beth, puzzled by the unexpected gift, was fiddling with the spout of the candy bottle with one hand. As she walked out of the street, Kedrick, who was quietly following out of nowhere, said with a smile.
“Did you have fun?”
“Kedrick!”
Claire smiled and greeted Kedrick warmly.
“I forgot to buy Kedrick’s gift.”
“Ahaha, that’s fine. That’s possible.”
Saying so, he hugged Claire in a flash.
“Where shall we go now?”
“Well… from what I’ve found, there’s a huge flower arrangement in the west plaza.”
Beth remembered Julia explaining with an ecstatic look on her face, saying it would be pretty. In fact, there have been times when documents requesting a permit related to it have been posted.
“Then shall we go see it?”
“Great.”
Beth is in a very good mood now.
She felt like she had beaten fate.
Although she separated from Arthur, Claire did not show any signs of regret and just enjoyed the festival. The flower sculpting was really beautiful, and the acrobatic troupe was fun.
There was an incident where a boy they saw for the first time asked Claire to exchange flowers, and it was fun to see Claire being enchanted by street food she had tried for the first time.
So, it was a brief moment where Beth could have fun while forgetting the flow of the original story. It’s probably because it’s a festival so everyone is noisy.
“It’s a pity to go home.”
“You still have to go.”
“Ugh…”
By the time she was comforting the whining Claire in Kedrick’s arms, it was time for them to return to the mansion.
“Hey hurry!!!!”
“What’s going on with this…”
“Oh my god…..”
There was a commotion somewhere.
Thump thump.
Black smoke billowed out into the dark sky as the sun was setting.
Beth smiled at Claire and Kedrick, and as soon as she looked into the air, her blood cooled and her expression hardened.
‘No way.’
“Beth?”
As she went to the source of the smoke, her heart raced harder. This was the path Beth knew all too well.
The sound of a burning fire drew closer and the crowd grew louder. The heat began to touch her body.
“Careful!”
People who saw it for the first time grabbed Beth’s arm. It was as if she was running towards the burning mansion like a moth.
Her wide-open eyes stared at the burning mansion, tinged with terror.
The Earldom of Gordon’s mansion was on fire.
Just like the original story.
The fire burned like a red flower and burned the house, and danced like a sneer at Beth.
Yes….
“What is this…”
Kedrick, who had just followed, looked at the mansion in astonishment. Claire’s expression wasn’t good either. Beth murmured, who looked at the mansion as she froze.
“Smiled at me…”
Fate smiled at Beth.
Fate ridiculed her.
NOTE:
We hope all of you are enjoying all the chapters our staff has released up until now and we’re thankful for all the support and love you’ve shown us. However, it’s that time of the year where we need to renew our web hosting if we want to continue posting works to the convenience of both our staff and you, our fellow readers. We’re hoping everyone can help us reach our goal so the website will stay up and running for our translators to continue posting their work. Every cent matters in reaching our goal to provide a platform for posting quality translations for what’s hopefully your pleasure, so please check out the link below! Once again, thank you everyone for your already-humungous support, and we hope to continue seeing all of you in the future!