I Don't Want To Work! - Chapter 20

CHAPTER 20

I didn’t expect to be rejected…?

I blinked.

Oh, does she feel burdened?

“I’ll do it with you, so you don’t have to worry too much, Betty.”

“No, that’s not it….”

There seemed to be another issue.

What is it?

“Is there any problem, Betty?”

“That.”

After hesitating for a while, Betty managed to confess the truth.

“I don’t know how to read and write.”

Betty continued. Her reddened cheeks showed embarrassment.

“I didn’t properly learn how to read and write when I was young. I didn’t have an environment conducive to learning before entering the palace.”

“……”

“My mother was also a maid in a noble family. Thanks to her, I was able to enter the palace, but….”

Betty’s voice trailed off. It was pitiful to see her bow her head.

“Betty!”

I held Betty’s cheeks and gently lifted her head.

“You can learn!”

“What?”

“What’s the problem? Just learn!”

If you don’t know, learn. Why feel ashamed about something so simple?

“I’ll teach you.”

Betty’s eyes moved hesitantly again.

“Can… Can someone like me learn?”

“Huh? What are you saying?”

Someone like her. What else do you need besides a head to learn?

“If you want, I can even teach you ancient languages.”

“Really?!”

Betty exclaimed.

“But that’s something only nobles and aristocrats learn!”

“Where did you hear that?”

I shook my head.

“Remember, Betty. There’s no knowledge restricted to just one class.”

If it’s confined to one place, it rots.

It had to flow to survive.

Just like water, just like money, knowledge was the same.

If there was knowledge restricted to one class, it would deteriorate and eventually decay.

It had to spread widely, be learned by many, and be taught to future generations to survive.

‘That’s how it was with my knowledge of herbs.’

The reason why my knowledge of herbs, which had once been at a level of 10, quickly dropped to 7 or 8 was this.

Some idiots, not even gentlemen, shared the manufacturing methods I invented among themselves for power and money.

Then, when a fight broke out, my methods were ridiculed, distorted strangely, or lost.

As a result, rather than growing, the knowledge of herbs regressed over time.

How much I regretted this when I found out later.

I had raised it all, only to fail because of idiots with less intelligence than trolls!

Rarely could they focus solely on herbalism.

They ruined all those lives because of their greed.

‘Darn crazy fools. Share it, share!’

I swallowed my tears.

And then I blinked.

“You can learn too!”

Follow suit!

“I can do it too!”

“I, I can do it too!”

Betty shouted, thinking my gaze was strange.

“You too? Me too!”

“We all can do it!!”

My rage-filled cry echoed throughout the palace.

* * *

“So, this is… What?”

“Me.”

“Oh, darn it! It was the character right next to it!”

Betty clenched her fist tightly. What a waste. She was completely wrong.

“Then, this one?”

I pointed to a character. Betty glared fiercely at it.

“Don’t know?”

“No! I know. Just wait. I definitely memorized it. I memorized it last night. Ah! I know this. All the characters next to it are vivid, why is only this one vague in my memory? Just a moment! It’s just a bit fuzzy right now. Really! I can answer it!”

“That’s what it means if it doesn’t come to mind immediately. And you’ve been dragging this out for a few minutes now.”

I grinned and drew a red line mercilessly.

“Aaargh!”

Betty wailed as if a red line had been drawn on her heart.

“Write the wrong thing a hundred times, Betty.”

“Yes……”

Betty sniffled. She didn’t seem to find it cute.

“Your Highness.”

As I turned around, another maid was discreetly raising her hand.

“Can you check mine too?”

“Of course.”

“I’d like to ask as well.”

“M-me too……”

Others were raising their hands from all over. They were here to learn how to read and write.

‘I initially intended to only help Betty.’

I intended to help only Betty, but the reason why more people gathered was simple.

Betty asked if she could bring one more person.

It was just one more person. So I easily allowed it.

Betty whispered to a maid who had been in debt to her, and then that maid whispered to another trustworthy person, and then that person whispered to another trustworthy person……

This repetition led to the gathering of several people.

Thanks to that, we removed the nails from the dining room and used it as a study room after cleaning it.

There was no other place where everyone could sit.

“So, this is…”

“If I write like this, is my name correct?”

“Yes! Will you check mine too? Does it look properly written?”

“The characters look like worms, so I don’t know.”

“What, this boy?”

People of Betty’s age, even younger children, middle-aged people, and even elderly people were sitting together, checking each other’s studies and confirming characters.

‘It’s a bit tiring, but it looks good.’

Honestly, the common language of Pandelion wasn’t particularly difficult in terms of characters.

Anyone could learn it easily and read it smoothly.

‘Reading should be finished within a few days. Writing might take a little longer, but compared to other scripts, it’s relatively easy.’

Seeing them write their names for the first time and looking at their loved ones, I couldn’t help but smile. It’s gratifying and heartwarming to see young ones making an effort. Might as well make the best of it. 

I opened the grain storehouse and shared some delicious food, brightening people’s faces. 

“Thank you, Your Highness.” 

“We won’t forget this kindness!” 

“Please call us anytime if you need anything.”

Many people working in various parts of the palace held the food I gave them and headed back to their workplaces. 

“Everyone is grateful to Your Highness.” 

Betty, seeing everyone off, smiled broadly. 

“I feel so good. That such a great person is my Lady Lottie.” 

Sitting and reading a book, I lightly poked Betty’s cheek, and she giggled. 

“By the way, I was a little surprised. I didn’t expect so many people in the palace to be illiterate.” 

I knew the illiteracy rate in the Pandelion Empire was low. Was I mistaken?

Come to think of it, Betty said she came to the palace at the age of five. 

“Don’t they provide basic education to newcomers in the palace?” 

“They do.” 

Betty replied. 

“But rather than literacy education, they focus more on etiquette education for dealing with superiors, embroidery, cooking, and cleaning methods. That’s mainly what they teach.” 

I narrowed my eyes at Betty’s words. 

Most people once affiliated with the palace never left. So even if they were taught what to do in the palace, neglecting basic literacy education? 

‘The royal family needs to take care of this, but the royal family only has noble attendants around them.’

With mainly noble-born attendants, they couldn’t understand the situation of maids and servants. I closed the book and turned towards Betty. 

“Then, what about basic education outside the palace?” 

“Well, education for ordinary commoners is well established.” 

It meant there were blind spots. 

“But for those like me, whose occupation is determined from birth, it’s difficult. If the mistress doesn’t show mercy, we can’t learn.” 

Betty pushed her lips out and leaned her face against the armrest of the sofa where I was sitting. 

“If I were just an ordinary commoner, I could have gone to school too.” 

Betty murmured. It was a voice tinged with a sense of disappointment. It seemed like she was in an ambiguous position being subservient to nobles. 

‘Are those people I saw earlier in similar situations?’ 

In the palace, under the nobles, commoners couldn’t receive welfare. But those in the blind spot couldn’t receive the welfare of the nobles either. 

“And I’ve heard that there’s a shortage of schools and teachers as you go down to the provinces.” 

“Is that so?” 

“Yes, so people from the capital are more likely to know how to read, but there are many people who don’t know in the provinces, especially those who come up with recommendation letters.”

I wonder if Betty is from the provinces.

‘It seems like even the local lords have their shortcomings despite working hard.’

“Hmm.”

If I do this like that, then…?

No way!

As I pondered for a moment, I suddenly shook my head as if I were crazy.

‘I said I would live quietly, didn’t I?’

Shout it out again! Thin and long! Quietly living a life while sucking up honey!!! 

Absolutely not. I will never do something like that!

“It won’t work. I should lie down on the bed and toss and turn right away.”

I stood up from the sofa where I was sitting.

“Hey!!”

Arkin burst open the door.

What’s this all about?