I Don’t Want to Be a Lady

“Teil! Come down! We’re going to be late for the entrance ceremony!”

For some reason, Bein, neatly dressed down to his toes, shouted towards the second floor. After a while, it was Heili, not Teil, who came down with the sound of footsteps.

“What about Teil? Don’t tell me he’s still choosing clothes in front of the mirror?” asked Bein, frowning. He could understand to some extent how that brat, who had never complained about his clothes or food, was paying so much attention to his appearance and behavior recently, but he was also dumbfounded.

“Huh? Teil went out earlier though?”

“What? That brat… Did he really plan on going alone today?”

Did he just come alone for the gathering where everyone, including their in-laws and cousins, gathered to boast of the honor of being the first entrant into the newly established National Education Institute?

Bein clicked his tongue. Still, Teil is only 10 years old. It had been a long time since he had grown up, but Bein couldn’t believe he was trying to endure this kind of event that everyone would attend with their parents or family members… A feeling of sadness came over his pitiful heart.

* * *

“But Heili. Did you really plan on sending Teil alone?” Bein asked after seeing Heili still in her pajamas.

Then Heili began to make excuses, wriggling her hands together. “But… Brother Teil said don’t ever think of following him…”

“It’s because he’s shy. He would be happy if we went and congratulated him. Let’s change clothes quickly and go, Heili.”

Bein let out a low sigh and scolded Heili in a friendly voice. However, Heili didn’t say that she would do it willingly.

“Hurry up and change your clothes.”

“B-but…”

Heili hesitated as if she was reluctant, and Bein took the watch out of his pocket and looked at it in surprise. “Oh my gosh, Heili. We might not be able to see the entrance ceremony if we’re not in a hurry. First of all, we can at least hear the commemorative speech from His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, so hurry up.”

In the end, as Bein said, Heili followed him in a hurry, wearing a cute dress with a light blue ribbon and looking at the clock. Then she exclaims when she sees the antique black carriage parked in front of the house.

“Wow. I’ve never seen such a nice carriage.”

Bein frowned in disapproval when he was the overwhelming majestic of the carriage at the end of Heili’s gaze. “It was Countess Proud’s doing. Even though I said it wasn’t necessary… Come on, let’s go. We’re going to be late.”

Although he didn’t feel like it, he had no choice because he knew what would happen if he refused the favor of his superior. So Bein and Heili boarded Duke Kaien’s carriage and headed to the National Education Institute.

“We’re here.”

Heili, who stuck her head out the window at the coachman’s words, was startled and shouted without realizing it. “Brother! There are so many people! Is there even a festival?”

“It’s because this is the opening and entrance ceremony of the National Education Institute. No one could have missed such a big event.”

A year after the war ended, Duke Kaien and Countess Proud, who returned from their honeymoon, persuaded the emperor and crown prince to promote the establishment of a national education institute. Even nobles who often received education from private tutors readily agreed to the fact that they could receive high-quality education for free, and the proposal to establish the National Education Institute was passed without much disagreement.

However, there was an unresolved difference of opinion for nearly a month regarding the provision that nobles and commoners were eligible for admission. The construction of the National Education Institution began only after a clause was added, stating that only those who took and passed the equivalent exam without distinction of status could be admitted.  

In reality, there were no commoners who could receive the higher education that nobles received, and they thought that there was no way that commoners would dare to take the exam better than nobles. Of course, that thought was proven wrong by the first students admitted. This was because as many as 10% of the people selected as the first students were commoners. Considering the number of nobles who failed the exam but entered through the ‘donation admission’ system, it was close to 20%.

Nobles only knew how to hire smart commoners and make them do work, but they weren’t interested in how far they could do it. Thanks to this, the commoners who learned from them passed on their knowledge to their descendants. A few thoughtful people sent their children to such institute to receive education, which increased the number of intellectuals among the commoners.

Most of the nobles who knew that fact clicked their tongue.

“What is the world going to be like…

”

And the commoners were excited about the opportunity given to them.

“It’s time for the world to change.”

The views of both sides were different, but the world began to change anyway.

“The entrance is already over. After His Majesty’s speech, let’s look for Teil.”

Bein and Heili barely entered the auditorium and tried to find Teil in the crowded crowd, but it wasn’t easy. Considering that the youngest enrollee was 8 years old and the oldest was 52 years old, it wouldn’t have been easy to find a small-head Teil compared to his peers.

“Everyone be quiet. His Majesty will speak.”

The commotion died down with the loud shout of Duke Hood, who served as the first director of the Nation Education Institute. And immediately, Luiden, who became a crown prince, entered.

Standing on the podium, Luiden felt indescribable and slowly looked at each audience member.

He could tell even at a glance. The longing and passion in their eyes.

He didn’t know how to express the feeling of witnessing the moment he had dreamed of becoming reality, but one thing was certain. Dreams will come true someday if you don’t give up.

There was a time when he almost gave up as he reached his limit, but in reality, he didn’t have to achieve everything with his own hand. Even if it wasn’t him, there were plenty of meaningful people, and in the end, the world went along as it should, just like fate. Suddenly, his heart felt as if it would burst.

The crown prince’s speech began in quiet silence. “I’m extremely happy that today we, the Harpion Empire, can stand in this meaningful place where we take a step into a new world.”

Starting with his personal appreciation, the crown prince even added that he would like to devise the empire’s future together and move forward and that he would make constant efforts to become a faithful worker and stepping stone for the empire.

“Doesn’t that mean you’ll be well-fed from the moment you graduate?”

“I would like to refute that what he means wasn’t like that, but that’s how it sounds to me too, Arianne.”

Arianne and Charter, who attended as founders and advisors of the National Education Institute, passed the boring time by making jokes about the crown prince’s speech. She was filled with pride when she saw the students’ faces filled with anticipation, letting out the boring speech in one ear.

During Arianne’s honeymoon with Charter, she happened to stop by a distant kingdom with little contact with the Harpion Empire. The sight she encountered there, which wasn’t in her plan, broadened Arianne’s frame of thought even further.

The royal family was cut off, and instead of electing a new king, the kingdom was transformed into a new state centered on nobles (hereinafter referred to as elders) and was named Rome Republic. The newly appointed leader was called a consul, and the first person to become a consul was a commoner.

He rose to the position of consul with the support of other elders thanks to his natural leadership ability and skill. He established national schools in each region, saying that he would ensure that all citizens receive the minimum education necessary. There was some opposition at first, but the consul dismissed all opposition with his natural eloquence and charisma, and soon the people became able to read.

Until then, nobles had maintained their status with their own unique knowledge and property, but as knowledge became equal, they now sought to maintain their status with property, which soon led to commercial activities. The nobles gained the upper hand in commerce based on their wealth, and the commoners were steadily growing, aiming for that gap. Some commoners became wealthier than the nobles, and the nobles became more and more enthusiastic about commercial activities to keep them in check.

Nobles risked their lives in commerce, which had previously been considered vulgar. This was proof that the world was beginning to change.

Starting with this, someday, all citizens will be able to receive equal education.

The Harpion Empire, which now has clear lines, will gradually change along the wave of change. To keep up with the changes…

“It’s money. After all, money is the best.” Arianne nodded her head.

“I think I know what kind of thought process led to the conclusion, but there is something that is better not to say out loud, Arianne.”

Charter pretended not to care about her and only looked ahead but followed Arianne’s every move, silently reprimanding Arianne.

“It’s not like I said anything wrong. We’ll see. Now, there will be a world ruled by money.”

Charter’s mouth curved nicely as he glanced at Arianne, who was telling him where to look.

Anyway, how can a person be so consistent? Charter liked Arianne like this. Indescribable strengths such as honesty, confidence, wisdom, and boldness came to mind. In fact, he just loved everything about her. Thinking back, he was a lucky man. He couldn’t believe a woman like this came to him on her own.

However, even though Charter was immersed in this happiness, there was only one thing to worry about.

He already destroyed his contract. And somehow, the lawyer who had one of the three copies of the contract lost the contract when his office caught on fire. Only one copy remained. However, the whereabouts of the contract Arianne had were still unknown.

If he asked for no reason, and she replied, ‘Ah, I forgot. Let’s get a divorce.’ That thought made him scared to ask.

He didn’t know it was Arianne who set the lawyer’s office on fire . Although it was Arianne who had conspired with the lawyer and staged the fire, Charter would never be able to find out the truth until he died. So today too, Charter was quietly suffering alone.

* * *

“That’s it for now. Students will be assigned accommodation if they follow the leader in front of them.”

Soon after the entrance ceremony and opening ceremony, the first students began their first life in the institute.

Teil, one of the first students admitted, paid no attention to the crown prince’s speech. He just keeps fiddling with his collar because the new shirt is uncomfortable.

He wanted to make a good impression on his classmates at the first meeting, so he dressed up in the suit his older brother bought him. It was made of high-quality fabric, so it felt good and was comfortable to wear, but the problem was the cravat.

Still, his brother is a baron, and he didn’t want to shame him, so he tied the cravat, and it felt like he was being strangled by a rope. After somehow holding on, he was finally following the leader’s instructions.

“Hey, you’re a commoner, right? How dare a commoner get ahead? You don’t even know your subject. You follow behind us. Do you understand?”

A noble boy who seemed to be about 15 or 16 years old, was intimidating the commoner, who was standing next to him. Since he was the first one to come, Teil’s head turns involuntarily.