At this time, Sophia, who was sued by Teacher Rollin for skipping class, was wearing a coarse gray dress and a fur hat to squeeze into the crowd.

Today is Friday.

On Friday, Sophia is going to do a bad thing.

On this day, the whole town will be crowded and full because of the market. And because there are many people, most people don't care about physical contact and are used to it.

The vendors were busy smiling and haggling with customers, while Sophia kept weaving through the crowd, taking the sheep as she pleased.

As the eldest daughter of Duke Christian Augustus and Johanna, Sophia is 10 years old. Although she has large dark blue eyes and a straight nose, she is not a good-looking girl. She was plain-looking, emaciated, and had a thin and sharp chin.

Her bronzed skin was very different from that of the nobles of that time.

And Johanna had said this in private about her daughter: energetic, like a peasant woman more than her own daughter.

At this time, this aristocratic lady did not have the demeanor of a noble girl in the crowd, but rather a habitual thief. After a few successes, Sophia's pockets were full of knick-knacks, and she had an apple that she could eat on the road.

Although the family of Duke Christian Augustus is not as good as those blue-blooded nobles, it is by no means poor. Being able to afford a teacher for two children shows that the Augustan family is well-off.

So, Sophia did this, of course, it can't be for money. With their respective gadgets in hand, Sophia huddled through the crowd of people.

When passing through an intersection, more townspeople joined the crowd. Sophia was about to keep drilling around, satisfying the impulse of her fingers, when she suddenly saw a little boy about four or five men in front of her who was not skilfully digging his hand into the pocket of a fat-brained merchant.

It was Hein, whom Sophia recognized.

Hine is also a habitual thief in this area. He was an orphan who worked as an apprentice in a fish trade – and of course did other tasks in his free time, such as stealing.

They met during a theft. On that occasion, both of them put their hands into one person's pocket at the same time, and they were found at the same time.

Amid the victim's yelling, Sophia was chased three blocks by the town's guards holding Hine's hand, and the two became friends.

Sophia squeezed past the people in front of her to get closer to Hine. At this time, Hine's two fingers had already reached into the man's pocket, and suddenly, there was an extremely slight pressure on his wrist, and Hine instinctively returned his hand to fight back.

"Someone dares to steal from their ancestors."

Hine thought as he looked back. But when he saw that it was Sophia, Hine withdrew his hand and laughed.

"You're quicker, Princess." He shook me off Sophia grabbed his hand and said softly with a chuckle.

Her Royal Highness is the nickname Hine gave Sophia. Although Sophia told him that she was the daughter of the local Duke Christian Augustus, it was clear that Hein did not believe it and only thought it was Sophia's delusion.

But if you don't believe it, you can't do it, but it doesn't prevent Hine from giving Sophia the nickname "Her Royal Highness".

"Maybe you're too slow." Sophia clasped her hands to her chest and replied not to be outdone.

Hine's eyes flickered, and he suddenly snatched the apple from Sophia's hand.

"How's today's harvest?" He took a big bite.

"Normally, what about you?"

"I've gained a lot. Let's go, I'll show you. ”

As he spoke, Hine had already walked forward on his long legs, and Sophia had to trot to catch up. He walked and swayed from side to side, as if he was painting on the ground, and he also called it "anti-seasickness footwork".

In fact, he had never been to sea at all.

When he came to a secluded corner, Hein took out a bag and shook it.

"Look, here's what I learned today." Hine said ostentatiously.

There was a crunch of metal colliding inside the bag, and it was clear that there was a lot of money inside.

The expression on Sophia's face didn't change. No matter how much money was in the purse, it was only a small amount to the Augustus—perhaps a week's salary for a servant, or a day's salary for a governess.

Hine misunderstood Sophia's expression. He thought that Sophia was secretly angry that she was not as good as herself.

"Give."

Hine poured half of the bag out and handed it to Sophia.

5 thalers.

The thaler is a silver coin that passes through the continent of Calradia, and one thaler weighs about three grams, making it the most widely circulated currency in daily life.

Sophia looked at Hine in surprise.

"Give it to me?" Sophia asked uncertainly.

Asked by Sophia, Hein's face turned red.

"Hmm." Hine replied with a twist.

He didn't have much experience talking to girls.

Sophia laughed.

She understood that Hine was worried that she would not complete her "mission" today and would starve at night.

Sophia found a clean piece of ground and sat down.

Hein also sat down next to him.

"Hein, I am the daughter of Duke Christian Augustus." Sophia reaffirmed her identity, trying to make Hine understand that she was not short of money.

"Uh-huh, your Royal Highness the princess." Hein nodded in response, and he jumped up and took off the non-existent hat from his head, stooping down Sophia like a gentleman.

It's just that the demeanor and expression of this speech really don't show any disbelief.

Seeing this, Sophia did not explain any more, and she pressed the 5 thalers back into Hine's hands.

Even if I don't have this money, I won't starve, because I am not like Hine, who is really forced to steal because of his livelihood.

So it's not you who needs the money.

Seeing that Sophia did not accept his kindness, Hine began to get anxious. No matter how Sophia pressed it, he wouldn't get the money back.

Just as the two were at a stalemate, a voice rang out at the corner of the street.

"Princess, is that you?"

This is the voice of Sophia's other teacher, Miss Barbett Cader.

Sophia stood up. She took 1 thaler and returned the remaining 4 to Hine with no refusal.

"I'm going back, Hine. I will remember your kindness, my friend. ”

With that, Sophia ran towards the alley.

"Sure enough, it's you, Your Highness the Princess."

At the entrance of the alley, Miss Barbett Cadell saw Sophia and smiled softly.

In the house of Duke Christian Augustus, among the teachers who taught Sophia and her brother William, Sophia's favorite was Barbett Kadel, and only this teacher's class, Sophia did not skip a single class.

In Sophia's eyes, Miss Barbett Cadell was a good teacher who was well-bred and noble in soul, patient, just, gentle, cheerful, and had a heart of gold.

"Hello teacher." Sophia saluted the teacher with the impeccable gesture of Professor Barbett Kadel.

"Sophia, who was that just now?" Barbet Cadell asked, looking at the dark shadow in the alley.

She apparently saw Hine too.

"A friend." Sophia replied.

Then, in order to distract Barbett Kadel, Sophia asked why the teacher was here.

"It's not because you skipped Mr. Rollin's class, your father and mother sent me to find you." Teacher Barbett Cadell pretended to be angry.

Sophia pouted.

"I don't like Rollin's class, he barks like a bull."

"Sophia, you're going to call Rollin a teacher or a sir." Babette Cader said with a straight face, but at this point, the female teacher chuckled herself, "although his voice does sound like that of a bull." ”

The two masters and apprentices smiled and fell back.

After laughing, Sophia asked Miss Barbett Cadell if her mother had come looking for her.

When she heard that Johanna was staying home with little William, a hint of disappointment flashed in Sophia's eyes, but she quickly hid it.

Johanna didn't like her daughter, Sophia knew it from a very young age.

The idea of patriarchy is also deeply ingrained in the continent of Calradia.

Since birth, Johanna has never given Sophia a bit of maternal affection, nor caressed her, nor even taken care of the cradle, nor has she ever held her.

And this situation became even worse with the birth of Sophia's younger brother William 18 months later. She doted on him and spoiled him blindly.

Sophia skips class, goes to work as a thief for the first time, and all her rebellion is to get her mother's attention to her.

She thought that if she was caught by the guards, her mother would discipline her out of shame.

"Sophia, I am your teacher and your friend, so I want to remind you that your mother is angry this time, and you must be prepared to be punished." Barbet Kader kindly reminded.

But what she didn't expect was that her words brought Sophia not fear, but hope.