First, I checked on Linea's condition and found she wasn't hurt. She was just startled.
After helping Linea stand up, I asked the child this time.
"Hey. Are you okay? Did you get hurt?"
"Sorry!"
The child's youthful face was revealed as the hood of the cloak was slightly knocked off.
"Uh?"
He closely resembled the appearance of the Crown Prince in the original work.
Purple eyes, a characteristic possessed only by the direct bloodline of the imperial family in this world.
Not only that, but also a sunny face with a slight flush, resembling a young puppy.
Come to think of it, the slightly exposed ends of his hair had also turned a color close to the color.
'Surely it doesn't continue like this?'
In the original story, Linea is trapped in her house and unable to move, but she gets lost because of Asha, who deliberately abandoned her outside.
And in a back alley he happened to enter, he saves the Crown Prince who was confronting other children.
Surprisingly, Linea was quite quick-witted.
'Judging by the fact that she thought of scattering the coins she had to the children to distract them.'
After that, the Crown Prince and Linea played happily, and thanks to the Crown Prince, Linea was also able to return home safely.
There was a plot point where the Crown Prince felt a sense of kinship and closeness with Linea, who shared a similar family history.
By the way.
"Ouch. I'm sorry, I couldn't see properly!"
Saying that, the child presumed to be the Crown Prince hurriedly stood up.
And he repeatedly bowed his head and apologized to me.
"I'm sorry. Are you okay?"
In the midst of this, I was looking at the child suspiciously.
'It's a coincidence. After all, unlike the original story, I had no intention of abandoning Linea.'
There probably wouldn't have been any opportunity for the two to meet in the first place.
Also, since I wasn't the type to stick to the original story, I didn't think Linea necessarily needed to meet the Crown Prince.
In the original story, Linea saves the Crown Prince whenever he is in danger.
'There were times when her own life was in danger.'
I didn't want to push my daughter down such a difficult path.
“My beads!”
Meanwhile, Linea belatedly noticed the beads that had popped out of the wrapping paper and screamed.
Then again, considering she spent her entire fortune to buy these beads, you can imagine how precious they must be.
However, the beads had already been flying in all directions and had long since disappeared from sight.
I put my arm around Linea's shoulder and stopped her from trying to pick them up.
"Linea, I'll buy it for you again. Okay?"
"No, it's fine...”
Linea seemed to have given up on the beads that had already been trampled by people and ended up under the stall.
Linea firmly brushed the dust off her dress with one hand.
Even though she fell and lost it because of the man, she didn't seem to have any intention of blaming him.
"I should have put it in my pocket right away when I received it, too, but I forgot."
However, seeing her fidget with the few remaining beads in her hand, as if she still had lingering regrets, seemed truly pitiful to me.
The boy who saw that face glanced back and cautiously approached Linea.
"Lady, since this happened because of me, may I take responsibility and resolve this?"
"It's fine. It's just a few beads."
"However, since you personally selected each and every one of them, they are no longer just beads but precious items. Since this happened because of me, please let me at least compensate you."
My eyes narrowed as I stared at the boy who was speaking so politely.
'He's the same age as Linea, but the fact that he speaks like that makes him seem like the Crown Prince.'
It is suspicious how he treats Linea with such an old-fashioned tone.
I gently coaxed Linea.
"This is what Linea wanted. Pick a few more."
When I stepped forward to make the suggestion, Linea hesitated for a moment before finally nodding to the boy.
"Thank you."
Linnea was cute for not even forgetting to give a polite greeting, so I patted her head.
Then Linea's round cheeks turned red.
Soon, the two of them were busy looking around the stalls and picking out beads, getting along well.
The boy was even more proactive.
"I'm thinking of buying this kind of purple. What do you think?"
"I think it would look even prettier with those blue beads."
"By the way, may I ask where these things are used?"
The little ones put their heads together and whispered.
Linea even explained how to make jewelry using beads and thread.
"I want to try making it too."
"In that case, you should buy this string as well. It is elastic thread, so it is good for making bracelets or necklaces."
"It looks like you can make a bracelet by tying knots like that. Birthstone beads look nice too."
The mature way of speaking was funny, so I held back my laughter for a moment.
Why do they talk like fully grown adults when they are both only 10 years old at most?
In the end, the boy seemed to have listened to Linea and chosen the beads he liked
"It's 10 Bronze."
"Wow."
Linea gasped in surprise at the price, which was much higher than what she had chosen earlier.
However, the boy took out 10 bronze coins and paid the price as if it were not a large amount.
'10 bronze coins is quite a lot of money for a 10-year-old.'
Linea greeted him, not knowing what to do.
"I didn't know it would be this expensive. I'm sorry."
"The one I chose turned out to be expensive, so you don't need to say that, Lady."
I stepped between the two of them to find out the boy's true identity for sure.
"Since this is fate, why don't we go have some dessert together?"
"Ah..."
The boy blinked a few times, as if the suggestion was unfamiliar to him.
Then, soon, blushing with pale cheeks, he nodded to me.
"Thank you for your suggestion."
"I know a delicious dessert shop. Here, raise your hand!"
It is very easy to lose two 10-year-old children in such a crowded place.
Linea had gotten used to it by now and quickly took my hand.
However, the boy cast a bewildered look at my outstretched hand.
"Hurry up. If we don't go now, we'll have to wait in a really long line."
Because I was rushing him, the child ended up awkwardly holding my hand.
***
“Is it delicious?”
Fortunately, it seemed to suit the children's taste.
"Yes!"
Linea and the boy nodded at the same time.
His mouth was covered in chocolate.
It was cute to see two adorable, doll-like children sitting facing each other and eating dessert.
"I’ve never had a dessert like this before."
"Really? Actually, this is Linea's first time here too."
It was a dessert shop famous for ice cream and freshly baked brownies.
Actually, I didn't know any good restaurants for a date, so I bought a newsletter and found both Oliveto and this dessert shop.
Considering that, I felt inwardly proud that both restaurants were well-received, so I grinned.
"By the way, since this is fate, may I ask what your name is?"
"Ah."
Upon hearing that, the boy hurriedly bowed his head to me and apologized.
"Please forgive my rudeness. I should have introduced myself first."
At that sight, I bit my lip slightly.
It was funny that something so tiny spoke like a fully grown adult.
The child announced his name seriously.
"My name is Lucian. I ask for your understanding regarding my inability to reveal my last name."
"Lucian..."
As expected, his name is also the same as the Crown Prince's.
Lucian Eisenhardt.
The only direct descendant of the imperial family left by the deceased Empress.
The Emperor, who deeply loved the Empress, continued to guard her tomb and refused to remarry.
Because of this, Lucian naturally grew up under protection as a precious member of the royal family.
However, a child raised under overprotection is bound to eventually develop a stronger curiosity about the world they have not experienced.
It is a typical Cinderella story where he secretly runs away, meets Linea by fate, and falls in love.
'But the Crown Prince has a really upright character and isn't the type to cause trouble.'
Now that it is confirmed that he is the Crown Prince, I have started to wonder if I should forcibly separate this child from Linea.
However, today was not the day for the two to meet in the first place.
It was moved much earlier than the time written in the novel.
'Does it mean that in the end, they were bound to meet no matter what?'
I realized once again in moments like this that we shouldn't always limit ourselves to thinking of novels.
Because to me, this world was a clear reality.
A brutally realistic world where I simply know information about the future.
"I really enjoyed the dessert you treated me to today."
Lucian thanked me, still with his mouth covered in chocolate.
After much thought, I opened my mouth and answered.
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