"How disgusting your smile is!"
"Can't you even speak clearly? What's the use of raising a good-for-nothing like you?"
"You're a wretched little brat who only brings bad luck! It was because of the bad luck on you that your father and mother died so early! Get out of here and earn back today's copper coins!"
The whip lashed at Edith, cutting open the coarse linen clothes and her dirty skin.
The door slammed shut heavily, driving the thin girl into the alley filled with mud and filth.
Carriages rushed by, and the lively and rapid drum and horn sounds in the distance were out of tune with the rotten atmosphere in the alley.
The Earldom of El was the richest province in the Empire, and Lovisa, the capital of the Earldom of El, was the most prosperous city in the Empire.
Almost everyone thought so, and there was no disagreement about it.
The Anbil River melted from the snow-capped mountains in the east and then flowed westward, running across the flat Earldom of El. The mother river's irrigation and nourishment were selfless, so the soil here was fertile and rich.
The golden rapeseed fields in spring every year were the landmark scenery of the Earldom of El. It was a land flowing with gold.
However, in the corners where the sun didn't shine, there were still people struggling desperately for their daily survival. What those wealthy people in carriages couldn't see was that there were children like her who had lost their parents and had no one to rely on everywhere in the deep alleys of the city.
"Sir, do you need your shoes polished?"
After cleaning up the dirt and wounds on herself, she walked onto the prosperous streets of Lovisa and continued the experience that was repeated every day.
The sun was shining brightly, but it had nothing to do with her.
This seemingly beautiful world didn't belong to her.
All that Edith had was in that small, damp basement full of bugs and rats.
She found a gentleman who looked wealthy, wasn't in a hurry, and had a kind face. She walked over, put on the smile that she had practiced over and over again, and then asked in a pitiful and weak tone.
In fact, she didn't really need to polish people's shoes. Few people would be willing to let a dirty little brat like her polish their shoes. Those precious leathers were far more valuable than her life.
She was just playing up her miserable situation to win sympathy.
There would always be a few kind-hearted gentlemen willing to take out a copper coin from their pockets.
Today, the gentleman she found by intuition was wearing a long robe with a white base and golden edges. There was a silver cross pendant on his chest, and a pure golden crown on his head.
Edith didn't know what these meant. She just thought that he must be a wealthy man.
His face had an indescribable solemnity.
Ordinarily, Edith wouldn't have had the courage to strike up a conversation with such a gentleman, but today seemed different.
So, she summoned up her courage and stepped forward.
The gentleman stopped in his tracks and stopped in front of Edith.
He was so tall that it seemed that even the sun above was completely blocked.
In the intense light, under the clear blue sky, the man's figure was so solemn and sacred.
It was only then that Edith noticed the huge ceremonial procession behind this gentleman. The deafening sound of drums and horns came from there.
This ceremonial procession stopped in place because of her.
All the eyes on the whole street fell on Edith, this dirty little brat.
It seemed that she had caused a big disaster.
She couldn't avoid a vicious whipping, nor could she get the hard and dry bread. She would have to endure hunger, cover her wounds, and stay awake all night in the damp basement again today.
The painful lessons from the past flashed through her mind quickly. The fake smile on Edith's face could no longer be maintained, and tears unconsciously filled her eyes.
But the gentleman knelt down on one knee and looked at her at eye level.
It wasn't a condescending and contemptuous look from above.
The snow-white gloves wiped away the tears on her cheeks. Although they were stained with dust and mud, the gentleman didn't seem to care at all.
"Your smile is very beautiful," he said. His voice was low but full of magnetism. "So, please don't cry anymore."
Her smile was beautiful.
It was the first time she had heard someone say that.
...
The girl with long golden curly hair made a smiling expression in front of the mirror.
She wasn't quite satisfied.
She adjusted the upward curve of the corners of her mouth bit by bit with her hands, and her fingertips gently brushed over the muscles on her cheeks to feel the change in flexibility.
It was just a slight modification, but it seemed completely different from before. The smile at this moment was obviously brighter and more cheerful, and it could be used to soothe the mood of the weary travelers when welcoming them.
It looked pretty good.
The smile disappeared in an instant.
She was even colder than her usual expression.
She tried to show the same smile as before without using her hands to adjust it.
Perfect, she succeeded at once.
"That's much better," Edith was very satisfied.
The Golden Angel of the Sarenz Religious Domain, secretly recognized by everyone as the second saint.
Edith had used the skills she had practiced since childhood to win these titles for herself. She was secretly challenging the position of Grevya from an angle that was not easily noticed.
For her, a smile was a convenient tool.
Kindness, respect, infatuation, and even power and status could all be within her reach as long as she showed the right smile on the right occasion.
"First, there was Father's preference, then the popularity among the common people, and then the favor of the Templar Knights." The girl's smile remained kind, but her words made the listener shudder. "My innocent sister, if you're not careful, I'll even snatch the position of saint from you~"
There was noise outside the window, the sound of horses' hooves trampling.
Edith lifted her skirt and walked to the window. From the second floor of the church, she could clearly see a carriage coming towards them, approaching the church under the escort of guards.
The curtain of the carriage was slightly rolled up, and a beautiful girl with stunning looks was looking out of the carriage. Her emerald-green eyes were as magnificent as emeralds.
"Miss Elina, yet not the real Miss Elina." Edith smiled quietly by the window. "This is getting interesting. What should I do?"
The girl with emerald-green eyes almost caught a glimpse of Edith peeping down from the second-floor window, but unfortunately, she was half a second too late. Edith had already disappeared from the window.