The Teacher of Budding Villains Suffers Today, Too - Chapter 3

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 3
“Swan… Knight School?”
The Duke and Duchess exchanged glances, their eyes searching as if trying to recall whether such an institution existed.
‘It couldn’t possibly exist. I just made up the name.’
The Duke soon stopped deliberating and fixed Rachel with a fierce stare.
“Wait. Rachel Swan—aren’t you the only daughter of Baron Swan? Why are you here with my son?”
At those words, the Duchess gasped and covered her mouth, trembling visibly.
“Surely you haven’t kidnapped our Yerdin to have the family debts forgiven—!”
“Absolutely not. I happened to meet your son by chance outside.”
Having cut off the misunderstanding at its root, a faint look of relief washed over the Duke and Duchess’s faces.
“I’ve seen the Letter of Invitation you sent, but today doesn’t seem like the right time. Please leave.”
“No. I have something to tell you about Yerdin.”
The Duke’s expression sharpened again.
“Do you know how your son spends the allowance you give him, Your Grace?”
“Hmph. What else would a boy his age spend money on but idle amusement and food?”
At those words, Yerdin’s face fell with the look of someone who’d expected exactly this.
That expression alone told Rachel that the Duke and Duchess had likely never truly listened to their son’s explanations before.
Rachel patted Yerdin’s shoulder reassuringly with a gentle smile, then faced the Duke with quiet confidence.
“Your son has been using his allowance to bring about a small change. He’s been caring for the street cats.”
“What?! Cats?”
It was the response she’d anticipated. The Duke, the Duchess, and even the servants all showed their displeasure.
“Here I thought he was wandering about, and it turns out he’s just fussing over worthless cats?”
“Your Grace, street cats are not worthless creatures.”
When Rachel interjected, the Duke regarded her with a look of disapproval at what he took to be impertinence.
“What’s so appealing about those wretched beasts that bring bad luck, scavenging fish bones discarded on the streets?”
“Your Grace. Without street cats, the Imperial Capital would be overrun with Infectious Disease.”
“What? I’ve been listening to this drivel, and now you’re talking nonsense that doesn’t add up?”
“If the street cats were to disappear, what do you suppose would happen to the rats?”
This place resembled medieval Europe in many ways. The sewers were underdeveloped, and there was no proper system for waste disposal.
In such a time, rats carried many diseases—and among them, the deadliest was undoubtedly the Plague.
The Plague’s ravages had fundamentally altered the course of medieval European history.
This land would surely suffer the same fate.
The Duke, lounging in his luxurious mansion, had obviously never given rats a single thought.
“Right now, street cats are catching rats and preventing countless diseases. Rather than eliminating them as demons, population control is how we prevent the spread of Infectious Disease. So your son’s actions are far from wrong.”
Rachel raised her voice. She was convincing him that his son was doing the right thing.
“Where’s your proof?”
“…I’m sorry?”
“Do you have evidence that rats transmit disease?”
Her body went rigid.
This wasn’t twenty-first-century South Korea. There would be no internet here, no history books about medieval Europe.
She had to convince the Duke with words alone.
‘He won’t believe me anyway, will he?’
If she put herself in his position, she wouldn’t believe it either. A strange woman had appeared out of nowhere and inserted herself into a family matter.
Just as she was struggling to find words—
“If you need evidence, Father already knows it.”
Yerdin spoke first. At the word ‘evidence,’ Rachel’s surprise was fleeting; she quickly turned her attention to him.
“Three years ago, when the Infectious Disease swept across the continent, only one nation remained safe—Karent Duchy, the only one that revered street cats.”
“Do you really think that counts as evidence?”
The Duke was unyielding. But Yerdin showed not the slightest wavering.
“Even if it doesn’t count as evidence, it doesn’t matter.”
“What?”
“Because I’m going to change my attitude.”
At Yerdin’s words, the Duke’s brow furrowed. It was clear he didn’t fully understand what his son meant.
In contrast, the Duchess’s eyes grew red, moved by her son’s conviction.
“Father, Mother—if you support my actions, then I, too, will show you a different side of myself.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ve made a promise with my teacher. To study.”
At the word ‘teacher,’ the Duke and Duchess’s eyes widened so much they seemed ready to burst from their sockets.
This was Yerdin, who’d always cried out in protest whenever a tutor came. Yet here he was, calling this young lady he’d only just met his teacher of his own accord.
For Rachel, this was the perfect moment to promote herself and her school.
“That’s correct. The Swan Knight School specializes in educating students like Yerdin who have an aversion to studying. As you can see from what Yerdin has promised, I’m confident in my ability to handle children.”
Rachel explained without hesitation, describing the Swan Knight School’s curriculum and facilities in detail.
“So you’re saying you’ll teach the children knighthood and etiquette, then use the tuition to repay the debt?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“A group educational institution? Honestly, it sounds far too fanciful. I’ll need time to consider this.”
The Duke, who had been pondering for a moment, finally spoke.
“I’ll contact you by tomorrow morning.”
* * *
That had been six months ago.
The Duke and Duchess would have been grateful merely to have the debt repayment delayed, but they seemed genuinely moved by the change in Yerdin’s attitude.
The Duchess not only entrusted her son to Rachel’s care, but also spread word of the school throughout society.
Thanks to her efforts, the Swan Mansion—or rather, what was now called the Swan Knight School—had become lively and bustling with children.
The real problem was that it had become less a school for reluctant learners and more a collection point for problem children.
As Rachel walked down the corridor carrying textbooks, two students caught her eye, thrashing about as they pleased.
The moment their shoulders collided,
“Hey! You stupid—”
Rachel quickly stepped between them.
“Roca. What are you supposed to say when you bump into a friend?”
“I’m suing you.”
“Not that—you’re supposed to say ‘Are you all right?’ remember?”
Roca, the son of a founding duke and legal scholar, had a habit of throwing around words like “lawsuit” and “threat.”
“Yeah, yeahhh.”
And the other student, Eckard, possessed a peculiar talent for needling people.
He licked his lips mockingly at Roca.
“Want to see me in court?!”
“Nah, I’d rather see you in a noose.”
“Both of you, stop! The bell rang—you need to get to class!”
Rachel tucked her books under one arm and forcibly pulled Roca and Eckard apart, shoving them through the classroom door.
If only lessons could begin this smoothly every time.
But another scene unfolding down the corridor made her press her palm to her forehead.
One child was dangling from a window, tossing silver coins outside. It was Mare, the son of a maritime trading magnate.
“Mare. Break time is over. And I’ve told you before—hanging from windows is dangerous, haven’t I?”
“Why do we have to learn etiquette? My father doesn’t know anything about it, but he makes money just fine!”
Rachel grabbed Mare by the arm and yanked him down forcefully.
“I tell you every single day—a person must have proper manners.”
“Teacher, did you just insult my dad?”
“What?”
“I’ll pay you to skip class.”
Mare pulled a gold coin from his pocket. When his habit of trying to solve everything with money flared up again, Rachel massaged her throbbing temples.
Still, it was better than before. In the first lesson, he’d spent the whole time using gold coins to pellet the teacher in the head.
“Students! What are you doing here!”
Colo appeared without a sound, moving as if gliding with the Step Technique, and reprimanded them sharply.
He was such a sharp and stern person that even the students would cower momentarily in his presence.
Colo pushed Mare toward the classroom and whispered to Rachel.
“Miss, I’ll handle this. Could you find Chase for me?”
“Chase? What’s wrong with him?”
“He’s left a note and disappeared again.”
“…Ah.”
Chase, son of a renowned knightly family, made a habit of running away. He’d apparently read some book that so captivated him, he now dreamed of becoming a bandit leader.
He claimed that to be a bandit leader, one had to master the mountains, so he seized every opportunity to escape from school.
“I’ll go with Henry.”
“Henry has already gone out to find Kana.”
Kana was, charitably speaking, an inventor; less charitably, a firebug.
He was always tinkering with something, but the problem was that every failed attempt ended in an explosion or fire.
Just last month, he’d stacked Magic Stones of unknown origin while attempting to create an “oven without a hearth,” causing the Dormitory Kitchen to heat up like a hot spring—Rachel had to feed the children only porridge for days.
‘Was this truly the right choice?’
No matter how hard she tried to think positively about the situation, reality struck her like a physical blow.
She couldn’t shake the feeling that she was burning through her very life to earn money.
‘No. Stop thinking useless thoughts.’
The work had already begun, and the debt was being repaid bit by bit.
Moreover, over this time she’d graduated three students of her own making—Yerdin included—so the school was hardly without merit.
Though unintentional, the institution had come to contribute something genuinely positive to society.
Once a month, whenever she sent her students home, their parents wrote Rachel lengthy letters.
The common thread was always the same: their child had changed, grown steadier in temperament.
Each time she witnessed such transformation, the satisfaction was boundless. Perhaps that’s why she’d continue teaching, even in this world.
Rachel shook her head and changed her clothes.
Climbing mountains in a dress was impractical at best. So she’d had athletic trousers—something like work pants—tailored for just such occasions.
“If you cannot avoid it, embrace it.”
Those who embrace the struggle become masters of their craft.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————