Arthur smiled at the words: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your fondness for my early experiences."
Victoria was taken aback, as if she did not immediately grasp the weight of Arthur's words.
Moments later, she realized that he was likening himself to the orphan on the stage.
Victoria's eyelashes lightly trembled, and an indescribable mix of pity and shock surged in her eyes.
"You mean..." Her voice was so soft it seemed she feared disturbing someone: "You are Oliver?"
Arthur laughed and shook his head, with a hint of self-deprecating humor in his weakened state: "No, Your Majesty. I am not Oliver, but there is a shadow of me in Oliver. At least I didn't encounter Old Fagin and Bill Sikes, nor did I meet Nancy and Miss Mei Li."
Victoria's heart tightened abruptly at the mention of "Nancy" and "Miss Mei Li."
She had not read the original work, only seen the orphan's image on stage, but Arthur's understated confession cut a wound into her heart like a blunt knife.
