– Craaaackle!
"What the..."
Claudine Green blankly mumbled.
The inn that she cherished like a family member and loved like her own child was burning up in flames.
It happened so suddenly and was so unbelievable that it felt as if her brain stopped working.
"Inside, are you sure there is nobody left inside?"
"Morris, calm down! Everybody came out to bid farewell to his Royal Highness. It's okay!"
She snapped back to reality after hearing a familiar voice. Claudine quickly turned her head.
She saw the villagers blankly staring and the inn employees holding Morris back from jumping into the fire.
She could also see the children and their guardians who had escaped to the other side of the plaza.
The fire-like emotions in her heart finally started roaring.
"What the hell are you doing?! Hurry up and draw some water to put the fire out!"
Claudine shouted at the top of her lungs.
Some people flinched and peeked around at her thunder-like shouting.
It was chaotic as some people stepped back while others took a few steps forward.
"Do you want to see the inn disappear? Are you going to lose all those imperial gifts and tips? Hurry up and move!"
The woman's wide eyes were full of murderous intent. What she had said made sense.
However, it was odd that nobody was doing anything.
It felt oddly different from that winter ten years ago.
She stomped her feet in frustration.
"Morris! Stop standing there like an idiot and go draw some water!"
"Auntie..."
"Stop harassing your nephew."
Someone stepped in front of the young man at that moment. Claudine recognized the person.
She was one of those so-called village representatives.
"Marie."
"Morris and the rest of us are not going to listen to you anymore. We mean it."
Although her voice was shaking, Marie's gaze was firm.
Claudine started grinding her teeth.
"Are you all crazy?! Lucas Village is done for if Le Siffre is gone! Done for!"
"No we're not. Our farming is going well and we have grains stored away."
Marie calmly responded.
Claudine looked as if someone had smacked her in the back as she looked at Marie.
She was so angry that acid reflux burned in the back of her throat.
It was these people. She was certain these bastards were the ones who lit the inn on fire.
"You idiots... You fools! You don't know who has fed you and paid for the clothes you are wearing! You bastards are animals!"
She screeched. She then stomped her way to the well.
The people spread like the Red Sea everytime she took a step.
Blood was dripping from her mouth as she bit down on her lips. Her outraged eyes looked almost crazed.
"You are even worse than animals! Even the stray dogs have more conscience than all of you!"
Claudine continued to shout while drawing water.
Water splashed on her fancy dress and her shoes became dirty, but she didn't care as she carried the buckets of water.
People shuddered in fear of Claudine and their futures.
But they clenched their teeth, closed their eyes tightly and held themselves back.
They were fine because they were here together. Tomorrow should be fine as well.
"See what happens if I save the inn! I'm going to be taking 80 percent of all gifts…"
– Splash!
Claudine dumped the water on the first floor of the inn. Something unbelievable happened at that moment.
"Huh...?"
The water that she had carried over slowly scattered before it even touched the flame.
The drops of water floated in the air before they slowly drifted back toward the well as if they were returning home.
The children gasped after experiencing this miracle.
"W, what the hell? What the hell is going on?!"
A screech echoed through the plaza.
Claudine was huffing as she grabbed the bucket and ran toward the well again.
"Claudine, stop."
She quickly jerked her head toward the person who told her to stop.
One of the thorns in her eyes, Teddy, the village representative, was standing in front of the old and weak villagers in the plaza as if to protect them.
"Shut up."
"Your father and you have both worked hard for a long time. However, the one you and your father took care of was not us."
"I said shut up!"
"It was the inn. You took our money away and cherished the inn."
"What the hell do you know?!"
Claudine's face turned red as she continued shouting.
She quickly filled the second bucket and ran toward the inn.
She then raised it up to her chest and dumped the water again.
– Splash!
Float float...
Large water drops floated in the air. They still did not reach the fire.
Claudine had a blank look on her face as she stumbled.
She didn't know what the hell these annoying and terrible villagers had done, but they seemed to have made up their minds to kill the inn.
She would not be able to put out the fire like this. She plopped down in front of the inn.
"Who the hell do you think you are to ignore my father's contributions like this?! Who do you shitheads think you are?!"
She lamented angrily. Veins were visible on her neck and her eyes were bloodshot.
Her red face looked as if it would burst at any moment.
"Do you know how much my father and I did to expand this inn?!"
"A child you raise while harassing another's child is not really raising. It is ruining them."
She heard a clear and firm voice at that moment.
Claudine and the villagers all turned toward the direction of the voice.
Christelle de Sarnez, the young lady in a blue jacket, was standing in the plaza.
– Craaaackle!
"Wow..."
I heard in advance that this was going to happen, but it was even more amazing seeing it in person.
I tightly hugged Demy as I watched the scene in front of me.
The red panda stretched out his two front paws and reached for the flames.
"My goodness, how..."
"It's the will of the Almighty God, the will of the Almighty God..."
The villagers were mumbling nonstop.
The fire around Le Siffre inn instantly disappeared the moment Christelle appeared like a proper main character and delivered a very main character-like line.
It seemed more as if the fire had disappeared and less like it had been put out.
The flames that disappeared as if they had been a mirage...
"My goodness!"
"Ho!"
Did not damage the building at all! People couldn't help but gasp.
The inn that should have been burnt black was fine with the exception of a few small burn marks.
Even the potted plants did not look burnt.
I couldn't help but be shocked at this as well.
"Young lady Sarnez, why did you buy such a magic tool?"
A magic tool that explodes without any noise is one thing, but a magic tool for fake flames?
It seems like the kind of thing someone would sell or buy with bad intentions.
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I seriously debated whether the Legault Central Commerce Center should be left as is.
I was concerned that Christelle was trying to start a revolution or something in this second life.
'That red taste that slowly melts as you bite...' (TL: Reference to a Red Velvet song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zUf2INebOc)
"Oh my, I feel dizzy after suddenly using ether like that."
She said something else instead of answering my question.
'Oh right, there's that thing.'
"Please give me your arm."
Christelle smiled and quickly offered her right arm.
She had used her ether stealthily from a distance to stop Claudine from pouring water onto the inn.
I grabbed her elbow with one arm and started delivering ether through our point of contact.
'It doesn't seem that serious based on her complexion. Is she the type who doesn't show fatigue much?'
"Good work, young lady Sarnez. Huh?!"
I suddenly felt as if the ground under my feet suddenly disappeared.
I stumbled after feeling the oddly familiar sensation of a lot of ether leaving my body.
Someone grabbed the back of my neck at the same time.
'No, did the ether leave after they grabbed my neck?'
I anxiously turned around.
"Your Royal Highness."
"..."
'Why the hell is this bastard so pale? Was he scared that Christelle would really destroy the inn?'
"Please let go of me. Why do you grab people by the neck whenever they stumble?"
The Imperial Prince released my neck as if he was pushing it away. Christelle quickly apologized as well.
"I'm sorry your highness. I must have absorbed too much ether because I was tired."
"That's okay, please be careful next time."
I gently responded.
We had agreed that I would supply ether through physical contact because time was of the essence.
It must not have been easy for Christelle to control herself, since she had never used this method before.
'Hold on, did I just agree to a next time?!'
"No! Young Countess-nim!"
We heard someone shout. We turned our heads to see the owner of the voice.
The villagers were already looking in that direction.
"Claudine Green. You will be a prisoner of Her Majesty, Empress Frédérique, for insulting the Imperial family and stealing the gifts bestowed on the villagers of Lucas Village."
"That is not true, young Countess-nim! I'm innocent!"
Claudine looked like a mess while being held up by soldiers.
The Imperial Prince had contacted the Lord's Castle after yesterday's lunch for some manpower.
The soldiers who had been hiding on the outskirts of the village since dawn brought over the convoy carriage and tied Claudine up.
"Proof, there is no proof!"
"We have proof. Here, this is the fee payment book that your nephew Morris had on him."
"...What did you say?"
Claudine's eyes opened wide.
Vice Captain Élisabeth took a pile of old papers out of her pocket with no signs of a smile on her face.
Her grey eyes were as cold as the tip of her sword.
"This is the record of the past ten years. We will need to get the handwriting appraised to be sure but I presume it is yours."
"That, why is that..."
Claudine's lips were shaking.
The smile she had on instantly disappeared. It was scary.
"Morris! I told you to burn those immediately!"
"Auntie, what you did was not right. You know that..."
"You damn freeloader! You're going to drag me down until the end?! How can you even call yourself family?!"
Claudine spit toward Morris. However, before the spit could reach Morris's face…
– Splash!
A large water drop splashed against Claudine's face.
Claudine blankly looked forward after being splashed by the cold water and her spit.
"Miss Claudine, why are you trying to live like your father?"
Christelle, who had gotten between the two of them, commented in a pitying tone.
The inn owner looked at her as water dripped from her hair.
"I understand that the palm-sized world that your father created is important to you. I also understand that you are used to it, but it is a bit sad that you can't get away from its grasp. You're supposed to be thirty-two."
"I, I..."
Claudine's voice was shaking.
This was probably the first time in her life she heard something like this.
"I couldn't help but laugh after hearing about what you did to these people at the night market two nights ago. People are the same no matter where you go. It also has to do with inheritance. Why are you using your one and only life like that?"
"My father..."
"I hope you can consider this to be a second chance, Miss Green. It's a chance for you to be a new person when you come out of prison."
"..."
Christelle then turned around without any hesitation.
Vice Captain Élisabeth quickly snapped back to her senses and motioned toward the soldiers with her chin.
The soldiers placed Claudine on the convoy carriage and prepared to depart for the Lord's Castle.
The face of the woman who had been the owner of the inn was completely pale. It was the face of someone who had lost everything.
The Imperial Guard asked the bystanders to move back and stationed themselves by the Imperial carriage again.
Christelle walked toward us.
She smiled brightly at the Imperial Prince and I who were blankly standing there.
"You want me to go see his Royal Highness with you?"
"Well, if you want me to say it like that... Yes, your highness. Please do."
I blinked a few times.
Christelle, who was standing in front of the carriage I was sitting in, was saying something unbelievable.
Claudine had been taken away and the villagers were bowing toward us while crying.
There was still the problem of running the inn and some political issues, but I couldn't do anything about those.
We took care of the big issue without any problems so I thought that we just had to leave for the Duhem March, but the main character apparently had something to say to Imperial Prince Cédric.
"...I understand."
I motioned to Benjamin and Ganael that it was okay before getting off the carriage with Demy around my neck.
I would normally have rejected her request and told her to go alone, but Christelle and the Imperial Prince had gotten quite close since we arrived at Lucas village.
It wasn't bad for me since helping them a bit might bring them over that edge to becoming a couple.
The two of them had discussed today's plan while walking in the backyard yesterday. Seeing them doing something without me looked so nice.
I gave it a five star rating.
– Knock knock.
"Your Royal Highness, Prince Jesse and young lady Christelle request an audience."
We didn't have to go far since the Imperial Prince's carriage was right in front of mine.
As soon as the door opened, his orange eyes glared at me as if he had been waiting for me..
'Calm down, it's not me.'
"Your Royal Highness."
Christelle elegantly bowed. The Imperial Prince finally turned to look at her.
"Your request?"
"That, ahem. My suggestion..."
Christelle struggled to speak. I looked at her with an anxious gaze.
I wondered if a matchmaker felt like this when setting people up.
"Thank you very much for listening to my suggestion. You could have immediately sent the innkeeper to prison but you gave the villagers a chance as I requested."
"It is my duty to look after her Majesty's subjects."
He responded in a stoic low voice.
"And today... Thank you for working hard in many ways."
Christelle emphasized the 'working hard' part.
The Imperial Prince then turned to glare at me.
'Why the heck are you doing that?'