Jacqueline Spann clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms. A dull pain radiated from them, but she didn’t notice. Her gaze was fixed on the old man and the young girl under the tree ahead. She bit her lip until it bled, her chest tight with anger. ’I wish I could go over there right now and demand an answer from Old Master Tate.’

’Why would he rather teach that idiot Nancy Thorne than me?’

’I’m smart and hardworking, too. Old Master Tate used to praise me for it and told me to study hard. But now he’s praising that stupid Nancy Thorne, and those three dumb pigs, Jim Thorne and the others.’

Jacqueline Spann sneered. She knew the reason. It was because she hadn’t given Old Master Tate any benefits. She couldn’t offer him money, meat, or grain. The Thorne family, on the other hand, gave him both meat and grain. They even arranged the cushy job of cattle herding for Adrian Hawthorne—a job that was supposed to be her father’s, but the Thornes had snatched it away to use as a favor.

Now they had even stolen her chance to learn. It had taken so much effort to convince Old Master Tate to teach her English. No matter how exhausting her chores were, she always found time to study. At night, when using the electric light for studying earned her a scolding from Phoenix Golding, she would go outside and read by moonlight. Even when her eyes became dry and painfully strained, she never gave up.

’Would Nancy Thorne ever go to such lengths for her studies?’

’Absolutely not.’

’That stupid girl is lazy and greedy. She’s only learning a few English phrases now because she thinks it’s fun. Once she gets bored in a few days, Nancy Thorne will surely go back to her old ways of walking dogs and getting into fights. That stupid girl isn’t cut out for studying at all.’

The more Jacqueline thought about it, the more resentful and wronged she felt. Tears welled in her eyes. All she wanted was to study her way out of Millstone Peak, but no one supported her. No one except her father, but his support was useless. Her mother was the one who called the shots at home.

Her mother had been injured and wasn’t going to work—it was just a flesh wound, really—but she still made Jacqueline stay home to wait on her. She wouldn’t let her go to school, but she let that idiot Ulysses go instead.

’Maybe in a few more years, I won’t be able to go to school at all.’

Her mother had said it long ago: once she graduated from elementary school, she would come home to work. Once she turned eighteen, she would be married off. Her life was already planned out for her, but she refused to accept it.

’I’m pretty and smarter than everyone else. If I just had the chance to study, I could definitely get into university and live a better life than anyone. So why does everyone have to hold me back?’

’And the Thorne family keeps stealing my opportunities, again and again. They’re despicable!’

"Nancy, would you like to learn Volkovian? The original version of this poem is actually in Volkovian. Pushkin was a fallen nobleman from Volkovia. He was a truly great poet, but he was tricked by a political conspiracy and died young." (Pushkin was goaded into a duel with an Orleannan officer and died from his wounds.)

Old Master Tate was suddenly fired up with a passion for teaching. He wished he could teach Nancy Thorne every language he knew. Although he was an economist, he was also deeply accomplished in literature and languages. The old master was a formidable talent who was fluent in several foreign tongues.

"I do! Grandpa Tate, you know Volkovian too?" Nancy Thorne was secretly delighted. ’I was just wondering how I could start speaking Volkovian without raising suspicion.’

"Of course. I also know Orleannan, Japanese, and German, as well as some Ancient Greek and Latin. Would you like to learn, Nancy?" Old Master Tate straightened his back, a self-satisfied look on his face. ’Back in the day, they used to call me a linguistic genius.’

"Yes! Please teach me, Grandpa. I’ll study hard."

Nancy Thorne was overjoyed. ’I really do want to learn! If I master all these languages, I can become a translator and live the high life as a rich, beautiful woman!’

’Knowledge is power, after all!’

"Alright, I’ll teach you everything. Now, listen closely." 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

The old man and the little girl were full of excitement, enjoying each other’s company. But Jacqueline Spann’s heart felt as cold as ice, and her resentment deepened. Gritting her teeth, she deliberately walked over to them.