"You have such a disgusting smile!"
"Can't even speak clearly? What's the use of raising a good-for-nothing like you?"
"You're just a wretched little brat who brings nothing but bad luck! It's because of the misfortune on you that your father and mother died so early! Get out and earn the copper coins for today!"
The whip lashed at Edith, cutting through her coarse linen clothes and her dirty skin, leaving a gash.
The door slammed shut heavily, driving the frail girl out into the muddy and filthy alley.
Carriages rushed by, and the lively and rapid sound of drums and horns in the distance was out of place in the putrid atmosphere of the alley.
The Earldom of Aire was the richest province in the Empire, and Lovisa, the capital of the Earldom of Aire, was the most prosperous city in the Empire. Almost everyone thought so, and there was no dissent.
The Anbil River melted from the snow-capped mountains in the east and flowed westward, running across the flat Earldom of Aire. The irrigation and nourishment from this mother river were selfless, making the soil here fertile and rich.
The golden oil wheat fields in spring were the landmark scenery of the Earldom of Aire. It was a land flowing with gold.
However, in the corners where the sun couldn't reach, there were still people struggling desperately for daily survival. What those wealthy people sitting 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?"
She wiped away the dirt and wounds on herself and then walked onto the prosperous streets of Lovisa to continue 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 crawling with bugs and rats.
She would find a gentleman who looked wealthy, not in a hurry, and had a kind face, walk over to him, put on the smile that she had practiced over and over again, and then feign a pitiful tone to ask weakly.
Actually, it wasn't really necessary 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 worth far more than her life.
She was just playing on her pitiful 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 white robe with golden edges, 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 he must be a rich man.
His face had an indescribable solemnity.
Normally, Edith wouldn't have the courage to strike up a conversation with such a gentleman, but today seemed different.
So, she summoned up her courage and walked forward.
The gentleman stopped in his tracks and stopped right in front of Edith.
He was so tall that it seemed as if even the sun above was completely blocked.
In the blazing sunlight and under the clear blue sky, the man's figure was so solemn and sacred.
It was only then that Edith noticed the huge entourage behind this gentleman. The deafening sound of drums and horns was coming from there.
This honor guard 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 trouble.
She couldn't avoid a brutal whipping, nor could she get the hard and dry bread. She would have to endure another night of hunger, covering her wounds and suffering from insomnia in the damp basement.
The painful lessons from the past flashed through her mind quickly, and the fake smile on Edith's face could no longer be maintained. 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 look full of contempt.
His snow-white gloves wiped away the tears on her cheeks. Although her cheeks 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 and magnetic. "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 satisfied.
She adjusted the angle at which her mouth turned up little by little with her hands, and her fingertips gently brushed over the muscles on her cheeks to feel the change in flexibility.
With just a slight modification, it seemed completely different from before. The smile now was obviously brighter and more cheerful, which could be used to soothe the mood of those who were tired from a journey when welcoming them.
It looked pretty good.
The smile disappeared in an instant.
She was even colder than Grevia usually looked.
She tried to show a smile like the one just now without using her hands to adjust it.
Perfect, she succeeded at the first try.
"That's much better," Edith was very satisfied.
The Golden Angel of the Sarentz Religious Domain, secretly recognized as the second saint by everyone.
Edith had won these titles by using the skills she had practiced since childhood. She was secretly challenging Grevia's position from an angle that wasn't easy to detect.
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 in the right situation.
"First, it 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 take the position of the saint away 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 approaching. Under the escort of guards, it was moving towards the church.
The curtain of the carriage was slightly rolled up, and a beautiful girl with a stunning appearance was looking out of the carriage. Her emerald green eyes were as magnificent as emeralds.
"Miss Elenna, but not the real Miss Elenna," Edith smiled quietly by the window. "This is interesting. What should I do now?"
The girl with emerald green eyes almost caught a glimpse of Edith peeping down from the second-floor window, but unfortunately, it was half a second too late. Edith had already disappeared from the window.