The day after Evangeline drew a picture for the bald slave and received coins.
After finishing her work, Beatrice, who had been chatting with Evangeline as usual, noticed a female slave lurking around them for some reason.
Thinking she might have some ill intent, Beatrice glanced at her, only to have the female slave timidly approach and ask them.
“Um, are you… doing that thing again today?”
“That thing? What do you mean? If you’re thinking about making us do something strange…”
“No, no! It’s just that I heard that the girl over there draws pictures for coins… right?”
At those words, Beatrice’s eyes widened in disbelief.
It was surprising. She didn’t recall ever spreading the word about drawing pictures yesterday, so how did this person find out about it?
However, unlike Beatrice, Evangeline warmly smiled and replied as if such questions never crossed her mind.
“Ah! That’s right! Would you like a picture? What would you like it to be?”
“Uh… anything is fine…”
“Then I’ll draw your face, so can you smile for me?”
“Uh? Oooh…”
The female slave looked flustered at Evangeline’s request, managing to put on an awkward smile.
That awkward expression was then captured in a drawing by Evangeline.
It was a bit crooked, yet it captured her features well.
Upon seeing the completed picture, the female slave burst into a chuckle and mumbled.
“Hehe… what a strange expression…”
“Gasp! You don’t like it?!”
“No… thanks to you, I feel like I haven’t smiled in a long time… here’s the payment for the drawing…”
“Thank you!”
“Hehe, they say dreams come from seeing the sun, right? I’ll support you, work hard…”
The female slave, after handing the coin to Evangeline, left with a slight smile while expressing her encouragement.
Once she left, Evangeline excitedly showed the coin she held to Beatrice and exclaimed.
“Wow! Look at this, Beatrice! I already earned one today! Just like that bald uncle said, drawing pictures might be better than running errands!”
“Yeah, it seems that way…”
Unlike Evangeline, who was joyfully oblivious, Beatrice was bewildered.
That woman just now also knew about Evangeline’s dream.
While she pondered what was happening, another slave arrived, and that curiosity was soon resolved.
“Hey, you! Are you the one who draws pictures for coins? Which one are you?”
“Ah, it’s me. But where did you hear about that?”
“Oh, that? A bald guy from our side mentioned it. He said there’s a little girl who’s diligently collecting coins to see the sun. So when I heard that, I thought I should help out a bit, and came here!”
It seemed that the bald slave Evangeline drew for yesterday was actively sharing her story with those around.
Seeing both that woman and this man well-informed about Evangeline’s situation made quite the impression.
Anyway, the fact that that bald slave was promoting Evangeline for free was interesting.
Was it merely because she liked the drawing, or was it because she felt Evangeline’s situation was that pitiful?
It was undoubtedly curious.
“Haha, this is totally me, right? With this, I think others would be willing to pay at least a coin or two! I’ll spread the word around, so cheer up, little one!”
Even more surprising was that the people coming to help Evangeline didn’t end there.
“Hey, is that her?”
“Here, I’ll give you a coin, so draw me a picture too!”
Some slaves were lining up, wanting to receive a drawing from Evangeline and handing her coins.
One coin may not seem like much.
But when do people usually share what they have with others?
Unless they genuinely wanted a picture, it was clear that they came just to help Evangeline.
It was a kind gesture, but Beatrice couldn’t comprehend why people were acting this way. So, she went to consult the most knowledgeable person she knew, seeking their opinion.
“Why are people acting like this all of a sudden? They’ve never done this before.”
The elder chuckled and answered Beatrice with a smile.
“Ah, most of these folks have become slaves because they did bad things outside, but as humans, there’s always a desire to do good at some point.”
“A desire to do good?”
“Right, mostly for self-satisfaction or perhaps a wish to redeem their wrongdoings in some small way. If they can feel that way from a single coin, it’s not too high a price.”
If it were for such calculating reasons, it was certainly understandable.
However, the elder smiled at Beatrice, who was nodding in understanding, and continued.
“But it seems that the goodwill directed toward that girl is not solely for those reasons.”
Saying this, the elder called Evangeline, who was playing by herself next to him.
“Child, you said your name is Evangeline, right? Could you draw me a picture too?”
“Ah, of course! Do you have any specific requests?”
“Then draw me next to the entrance of my tent. And just a helpful suggestion: In the future, when you draw for someone, position the drawing next to their tent. Then they can see the picture every time they pass by, meaning more people will ask you for drawings.”
“Wow! That sounds like an amazing idea! Grandpa, you’re a genius!”
“Hahaha, I used to hear that a lot when I was younger. Anyway, you’re drawing my face, yes? I’m counting on you.”
“Yes! Since you gave me good advice, I’ll draw with even more effort!”
Evangeline shouted with eagerness, then put her drawing on the elder’s tent.
Was her declaration of hard work sincere? The drawing showed the elder’s completely white hair colored in with stone dust.
“Hahaha! This is truly a masterpiece. Since you’ve drawn such a wonderful picture, I suppose I need to pay you accordingly. Here, take this—your payment for the picture.”
“Thank you… huh? Huh?!”
Seeing this, the elder smiled brightly, giving Evangeline coins.
Evangeline’s eyes widened as she received the coins, realizing what she had just gotten.
“Y-You gave me too much! The payment was just one coin, but this is ten!”
What the elder handed her wasn’t just a single coin, but ten coins.
Thinking it had to be a mistake, Evangeline attempted to take back nine coins from her own hand to return them to the elder.
However, the elder pushed her hand back and said,
“It’s not a mistake. Giving you ten is correct, just accept it.”
“But… the payment is only one coin?”
“I thought the picture is worth ten coins, so it’s fine.”
“But this is precious… I can trade it for something delicious…”
“Haha, I’ve grown old now and lost interest in such things. So, Evangeline, use that to help achieve your dream.”
With a kind smile, the elder’s words reached Evangeline. Feeling the weight of what was given, she asked softly,
“Are you really sure? You’re giving all this to me?”
“Of course, truly.”
“Wow… wowww!!! Beatrice, look at this! I received ten coins for the picture! I already has nine, so now I only have to collect 81 more! I’m so excited!”
With a handful of coins and excitement, Evangeline jumped around.
Beatrice, watching her, turned to the elder, who gazed back at them with warmth, and asked in a small voice,
“Is it really alright? That’s everything you’ve collected so far.”
The elder was regarded as a leader amongst the slave group that Beatrice belonged to.
He was intelligent and had contributed much, earning coins from Davis frequently. Yet, he never used those coins for himself, saving them religiously.
Instead, he used the saved coins to buy medicine or comfort items for someone hurt or in a bad situation.
Possessing a noble character surpassing his knowledge, he was genuinely respected and followed by all in the group.
Even so, the coins he owned wouldn’t influence his standing among the slaves, which is why Beatrice asked him if it was okay to use them in this way.
However, the elder chuckled, seemingly unconcerned, and replied to her question.
“Of course, it’s not a problem. I collected them with the intention of using them for something like this from the beginning.”
After that, the elder continued speaking to Beatrice.
“Do you remember what I said earlier? That the goodwill towards that child seems not solely for those reasons? The answer to that is right there. Take a look.”
Watching Evangeline, who was smiling brightly, the elder said,
“How could anyone see that girl and not want to help her?”
Hearing this, Beatrice could finally grasp why people came to assist Evangeline.
She watched Evangeline.
Looking at her smile, reminded her of a blank white paper, yet there was something appealing in that untainted purity, something Beatrice knew all too well.
Perhaps others were drawn to Evangeline’s essence in the same way, Beatrice thought.
*
From that day on, Evangeline’s pace of collecting coins continued to accelerate.
“Hey, kid! Draw one in front of my house!”
“Hey, I’m first! Line up, line up!”
Following the elder’s advice, leaving drawings in front of the tents became a trend among the slaves, and the rumors about Evangeline spread among more of them.
Thus, the number of slaves wanting Evangeline’s drawings never ceased, allowing her to quickly approach her target of collecting 100 coins.
“Hehe! Look at this, Beatrice! I’ve got so many coins! Just a little more and I’ll be able to see the sun! I can even draw the sun here, can’t I? I can’t wait!”
Filled with anticipation, Evangeline clutched her book and squirmed excitedly.
The closer she got to her dream, the brighter she seemed to shine.
Watching Evangeline glow, Beatrice felt her own excitement growing.
If Evangeline was shining this brightly now, just how radiant would she be after seeing the sun?
Caught up in such thoughts, Beatrice snapped back to reality as she saw Evangeline waving her hands up and down in front of her.
“Beatrice, what’s wrong? You look spaced out.”
“…Oh, it’s nothing. By the way, how many do you have left?”
“Hmm, let me think! I earned eight today, so… three! Just three more to get to 100! If I collect a little tomorrow, I think I can reach it!”
Just three more for a hundred.
At that thought, Beatrice laughed softly and pulled out something she had tucked away in her clothes.
“Here, Eva. Take this.”
“Uh? This is a coin! Three of them! Wait, are you asking for a drawing too? Then you don’t need this! You’re my friend, so I’ll draw for free!”
Receiving the three coins that Beatrice was offering, Evangeline’s eyes widened as she exclaimed.
Caught off guard, Evangeline’s reaction made Beatrice chuckle and say,
“No, I’m not asking you for a drawing… that’s your gift. With that, you’d hit 100, right?”
“W-Well, even friends can’t take things for free!”
“If you can’t do it for free… then let’s say it’s a paid request?”
“A request? For what?”
Evangeline tilted her head in confusion, and Beatrice explained.
“I want you to draw that once you’ve seen the sun tomorrow, show me first with that picture. That’s my request.”
Once she heard the request, Evangeline smiled brightly and responded,
“Sure! I’ll show it to you first! Let’s make a promise!”
“Yeah, a promise.”
Beatrice made a promise with her bright-smiling friend, Evangeline.
She believed that seeing the sun would make Evangeline shine even brighter than the sun itself.
Beatrice was looking forward to tomorrow, filled with excitement.
*
And then the next day.
Davis called all the slaves together.
There were two reasons he would gather all the slaves like this.
One was when he had something to announce to them.
The second was when a slave was to be executed for a crime.
“Everyone, look closely. There is a slave here who has dared to touch my property.”
In this case, it was the latter.
The one who had committed the crime was a small girl slave.
The charge was stealing.
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