"Thank you to the kind people who gave us food."
After finishing their meal, the two of them pressed their palms together in a prayer of gratitude.
The so-called "kind people" were Uncle Sam and those who were willing to toss them a few copper coins out of pity.
Noel sat down in their usual spot, which was in the middle of the town market, a decent location with heavy foot traffic. If they were lucky, they could get a good haul here.
The two of them sat quietly, waiting, occasionally putting on a pitiful act to gain sympathy from the passersby.
The method wasn't foolproof, but it made those with kind hearts more likely to stop and offer them alms.
And for Noel, even a single copper coin was a significant gain.
All it took was stepping on his pride a little to earn such a valuable income, and no matter how you calculated it, it was a good trade.
"Noel, look, that young lady over there is coming this way. Time to start Plan A." Oliver pointed at a young lady dressed in fine clothes.
"Plan A is ready to go." Noel gave a hand signal indicating everything was prepared.
Plan A was designed specifically for easy targets like naive young ladies.
Noel wasn't clueless—he was a professional beggar now. If he couldn't even read people, then starving to death would only be a matter of time.
This girl, despite looking like a young lady, was no better than a fat sheep ready for slaughter. From the look of her sheltered face, putting on a pitiful act would easily earn them enough for a day's meals. Wasn't that worth it?
The two quickly slipped into their roles, showcasing the professionalism of true actors. Noel suddenly collapsed to the ground, lying completely still.
"Noel, Noel, what's wrong? Wake up! You can't fall asleep here—if you sleep, you won't wake up again! I know you're hungry, but you can't sleep now, not now!" Oliver shook Noel violently, making Noel's world spin, but he kept his eyes shut, sticking to the script.
"Butler, let's go see what's happening over there. Those two children seem to be in trouble." The young lady glanced at them with sympathy, her hand already reaching for her coin pouch.
How pitiful… If she didn't give them something, she wouldn't be able to face her own conscience.
"Miss, these kinds of people are just peasants at the bottom of society. We have no obligation to pity them, and the softer we are, the bolder these lowlifes become. There have even been cases where young noble ladies gave them alms only to have their coins stolen," the butler lectured, clearly annoyed by the beggars.
Oliver, though keeping up his tearful act outwardly, was cursing the butler out thoroughly in his mind, probably insulting the man's entire family line.
Oliver nudged Noel lightly with his finger. Noel understood immediately: it was the signal for Plan A.
Slowly, Noel opened his eyes and weakly asked, "Oliver, why are you crying? What's happening? What happened to me just now?"
Oliver began crying louder, choking on his words. "You passed out just now, and I thought something bad had happened. I didn't know what I would do if something happened to you… You're my only friend in this town."
"I'm okay… I'm just so hungry. We haven't eaten in so long, and there haven't been any kind people around lately since things have been so chaotic in town. But even if I starve to death, having a friend like you makes me happy." Noel spoke weakly, his voice trembling.
The young lady glared at the butler and slapped him hard across the face. "Your heart is far too cold! Our family is known for charity, and giving a bit of alms is nothing."
"And yet you would slander innocent children like this? Is this what our family has come to now?"
The young lady's slap was no joke; the butler's face turned red and even started to swell slightly.
After a moment of silence, the butler said, "Miss, it's not like that. I have my reasons. Since you're out here, it's my duty to ensure your safety. We should avoid unnecessary contact with outsiders. If anything were to happen, I would not be able to take responsibility."
Oliver watched the scene with barely concealed glee. Serves you right for getting in the way of our business. Now you're getting what you deserve.
"Then give these ten copper coins to those two children, and I won't approach them myself. Is that acceptable to you?" the young lady demanded.
The butler quickly took the coins from the young lady and nodded repeatedly. "Yes, yes, of course, that's acceptable. Miss, you're becoming more like the master every day."
The young lady's anger eased, though she looked impatient. "Hurry up, then. We've already wasted too much time on this street. You know what will happen if you delay me."
"Yes, Miss." The butler responded and walked over to Noel and Oliver. Oliver's eyes were fixed on the coins in the butler's hand, while Noel continued to play weak and helpless.
"You brats, these are from our young lady. Your friend here looks like he's about to kick the bucket, so use this money to get him some bread or something." The butler wanted nothing more than to kick them, but with the young lady watching, he had to hold back.
Oliver snatched the coins from the butler's hand, and the butler glanced with disgust at Oliver's filthy fingers before pulling out a handkerchief to wipe his hands clean.
"May God bless you, kind souls." Oliver offered a prayer with exaggerated sincerity.
The butler shot them a look of disdain before returning to the young lady. They boarded their carriage and quickly disappeared down the street.
Oliver immediately ran toward the bakery, putting on an act of desperation. After all, if the young lady was still watching, they had to sell the illusion to the end.
Noel lay in the alley, waiting for the scene to end. Though he had been playing weak, he had clearly seen the number of coins in the butler's hand.
The sound of the copper coins clinking together was unmistakable. There were definitely more than five, and for them, that was a small fortune.
It was the best news they could have hoped for. At least today, they wouldn't have to go hungry.
A small smile curled on Noel's lips. Today was a lucky day. Maybe, just maybe, he and Oliver were about to have a streak of good fortune.