CH 95

Helena stared at Ines for a while, then abruptly declared.

“I think so too.”

“Pardon?”

“I think the Countess is right.”

“Ah….”

Ines didn’t know that the Queen would agree with her so kindly.

Ines blinked blankly.

At the same time, Helena calmly added her words.

“Also, His Majesty the King thinks the same as me.”

“That means….”

“It means that the Royal family will not stop the Countess from establishing the school.”

The answer surprised Ines too.

Although not as overtly opposed as the Royal Art Association, the aristocracy also secretly supported its move.

In this situation, the Royal family declared that they would ignore the dissatisfaction of the aristocracy.

Helena smiled bitterly at her.

She said, “Even the Royal family can only talk in principle anyway.  I’m sorry I couldn’t be of much help.”

“No, Your Majesty the Queen.  It is a tremendous help.”

Ines replied with a bright smile.

She had someone who believed in her.

She had people who supported her that she was right.

Therefore,

‘It will never collapse.’

When she closed her eyes, she remembered the friendly smile of a man, and Ines made up her mind.

* * *

After a confidential conversation with Ines.

As for the Queen, she was sure to keep her word that she had.

The Lancaster Royal family declared that they would not officially oppose this issue.

“There is no basis for blocking the establishment of the Countess of Brierton’s school.”

It was true.

From the beginning, the private school was an academy that Ines made with her own money.

It wasn’t a Royal school that used royal finances or a national school that used people’s taxes.

The Royal family didn’t even have a reason to put a brake on Ines’ establishment of the school.

Nevertheless, the decision of the Royal family once again raised the voices from all walks of life.

“Too radical approaches to education only lead to chaos in society! We have to put the brakes on properly at the Royal court!”

The Royal Art Association strongly protested the royal decision.

“The Royal family has made a wise decision, the door to education must be open to anyone!”

On the contrary, the common people expressed their fervent support.

On the other hand, Ines did not succumb to opposition or support from all walks of life.

Rather, she contacted famous foreign artists to become professors, looked at the site for the school, and continued her steps to establish the school.

Of course, the Royal Art Association was suspicious of Ines’ behavior, so she visited the Royal family once again.

“If the people want it that way, we have no reason to oppose it.”

In front of the head of the Art Association, who inevitably came to meet him, Edward firmly drew a line.

Rather informal, he responded positively to the school Ines was trying to build.

“And the people’s logic is actually not wrong. If the Countess of Brierton builds a school, it’s fine if it helps Lancaster, right?”

“Huh? But, Your Majesty!”

The president of the art association tried to protest, but Edward spoke a little faster.

“Besides, it’s a pension given to the art association from the national budget, and the preferential treatment was considerable, but it’s true that the performance was rather low compared to that.”

“That’s…..!”

“If it were me, I’d just stay quiet rather than incur the anger of the people by raising school issues. What do you think, sir?”

There was no way to say anything at a time when he was stabbed in a painful place.

In fact, the King had a reason for saying that.

It was true that the atmosphere of the commoners was strong.

“Besides, the Countess said that she would use her own money to build a private school.”

“Wouldn’t the fact that the number of educational institutions increase in the first place would help Lancaster in the future!”

“Does it make sense that commoners are not getting an education because of the nobles’s excessive sense of privilege?”

[T/N: medical term is noble complex]

In taverns where commoners usually gather, in cheap restaurants, and on the streets.

When the commoners gathered together, they all brought up the topic of Ines’ school.

Of course, at first, the aristocratic class, including the Royal Art Association, did not even listen to the public opinion.

“For the commoners, what…!”

‘I’m sure he’ll protest a little like that before disappearing.’

But this time, the reaction of the people was more intense than the nobles expected.

It was because the common people who had difficulty in having educational opportunities were thirsty for the facility itself called ‘school’.

Under such circumstances, Ines professed to accept her students at her school, regardless of gender and status.

She announced that the cost of education was also very low compared to conventional schools, and that a scholarship system for outstanding students was even being considered.

It was natural for the people who were deprived of the opportunity to receive education to support wholeheartedly.

“This is how our tax money is wasted!”

“You’re right! There are only a handful of public schools that teach commoners while paying taxes to the state!”

“Is there any need to interfere with the private school that the Countess of Brierton is building with her own money?”

And the arrows of the backlash poured down on the aristocrats and furthermore, on the Royal Art Association.

“Above all, the people of the Royal Art Association have no right to claim like that!”

“You are right!  Of all the older artists who put strength on their shoulders, who has achieved more than the Countess of Brierton?”

“The Countess of Brierton also succeeded in the exchange exhibition and her first solo exhibition was also held at that high country Kaldorov!”

“On the subject of putting their names on the Royal Art Association, getting pensions from each other and building friendships!”

“Who pays for the cost of keeping the Society alive? Isn’t that all due to the taxes paid by the people!”

[T/N: *nodding while *]

As dissatisfaction with the Royal Art Association piled up, some extreme commoners even began to form a public opinion to abolish the Royal Art Association, saying, “Rather get rid of the Royal Arts Association!”

If it was normal, the extreme public opinion would not have gained strength to this extent.

But this time, the target to burn their anger was very clear.

An educational opportunity long deprived.

They almost got that chance, but it was going to be taken away right in front of their noses.

On the other hand, watching the public opinion, the Royal Art Association felt a great sense of crisis.

They further inflamed their enmity towards Ines.

“If only the Countess of Brierton hadn’t said she would build a school in the first place!”

And it was the same for the president of the art association, Marquis Usher.

[T/N: not the singer… pfft]

“I can’t leave the Countess of Brierton like this.”

Public opinion about the abolition of the Royal Art Association spread like wildfire among the common people and the middle class.

As soon as he thought of her, the president of the art association felt a chilling sense of crisis in his stomach.

“As of now, public opinion…The Royal Art Association which has a long history and tradition might really disintegrate.”

If so, it was natural for him to fly to the position of president of the Art Association.

“This is not for me. For the sake of the Royal Art Association and furthermore, for the sake of this country.”

The art association president’s eyes shone insidiously.

* * *

That’s how dissatisfaction with the Art Association was brewing.

Suddenly, an interview article popped up in the yellow press.

The reason why the article, which would normally go to one of the many garbage articles, attracted attention was because of the person pointed out in the interview.

<The Countess of Brierton took bribes in connection with the establishment of the school!>

Ines Brierton.

A person who had recently been attracting public attention had been mentioned.

And the person who accused the corruption was Charlotte Jason.

She was once a close friend of the Countess of Brierton, and she used that position to commit an affair with the Countess’ ex-husband.

It was Charlotte who had been almost buried in the social world.

* * *

Charlotte aggressively spoke about Ines’ bribery allegations.

“The Countess of Brierton had an improper bribe from a certain nobleman when purchasing the school site.”

Here’s a rough summary of her claim that started with those words:

The Countess of Brierton contacted a nobleman and promised to buy and sell some of the nobleman’s land for a school site, but she actually bribed them.

On the other hand, it wasn’t a bad offer for the other nobles.

When a school was built, various infrastructure would form around it, and the land price around the school naturally rose.

Even if Ines paid a considerable amount of bribes, the damage would naturally be offset by the increase in the price of the surrounding land.

In addition, the infrastructure once formed would continue to generate revenue, so the nobles’ pockets would grow thicker as time goes on.

In the end, Ines acquired the land cheaply by bribing, and the landowner was able to generate profits beyond the bribe, so it was a mutual aid structure.

But here a problem arises.

After Ines accepted a bribe, she decided to buy another piece of land, ignoring that secret deal with the nobles.

“…I did all the dirty work for Ines, no, the Countessof  Brierton.”

Charlotte looked at the reporter sitting in front of her with tears still in her eyes.

“As you all well know…Actually, the Countess and I don’t get along very well.”

[T/N: sigh.. didn’t she learn anything from the past?]