Pendleton Revolution
Chapter 6

“You went too far,” Alice chided.

“I did? What about me? I almost paid double the tuition because the enrollment officer left out some crucial details,” Andrea retorted, perfectly convinced that she would pass all her advancement exams with flying colors.

Alice let out a tired sigh.

“You didn’t have to grab him by the collar and shake him until he passed out.”

“Well, I stand by what I said. I shouldn’t be punished like this. It’s his fault for fainting at the drop of a hat, not mine. Why should I waste a nice Saturday morning toiling away at an apology letter? There goes my plans.”

“Don’t worry about me. My plans were in the evening. In any case, don’t yank people by the neck so violently,” Alice reproached her gently.

Andrea pursed her lips. She had been impatiently scribbling the first few pages of her apology letter, grumbling the entire time. Alice’s scolding finally shut her up. Alice watched her continue writing, but this time in silence. Locking her fingers together and resting her chin on her hands, she broke the silence with a question.

“Do you suppose Elena will really go on that evening date?”

“She has no choice,” Andrea said soberly.

As the daughter of an aristocratic family, Alice would have grown up sheltered from the awfulness of the real world, but not Andrea. She was raised at the Kalabasta Orphanage, between an abbey and a convent. It was also one of the few facilities that received government funding. Due to the sheer size of the orphanage, some children never got to know each other, despite having grown up in the same place all their lives. With great numbers came great disparity. The children at Kalabasta were either considerably better off or much more impoverished than the other orphans of the empire.

Victims of sexual assault who were impregnated against their will also came to the convent. After giving birth, some would stay. Others would leave in the dead of night and drop out of sight. The same went for women with premarital pregnancies. It was impossible to get a paternity test, and if the men refused to acknowledge their child, the women had to bear the responsibility themselves for the rest of their lives—they had no choice but to turn to the convent.

The nuns swore before God to keep these women’s secrets safe—information about who gave birth and when was kept strictly confidential. As such, many women flocked to Kalabasta, even though the orphanage was often at capacity. They preferred to give birth at the convent next door, even if it meant sending their children to another orphanage later.

The number of women whose lives were thrust into misery was too many to count. Some stayed in the convent and died, while others left. Still, some survived, keeping their identities secret so they could watch their children grow up at the orphanage. This was the case for Sarah, the mother of Andrea’s friend, Maria, who lived in the room next door. Jeff, who bullied the other kids at every chance, and Dylan, who worked as a director at the orphanage, also had mothers who had kept their identities secret. However, such a life left them exhausted.

Emergency contraceptives were expensive, women had few rights, and the gap between the rich and the poor was only widening. Higher-class people could afford to toss out those below them—such issues were nearly impossible to overcome.

“The laws of this nation make it almost impossible for real social mobility. A child from a family making five cens a month will likely grow up to only make the same amount. The only way to escape poverty is to receive a good education and find a decent job, but these things require money. Archduke Pendleton’s love story opened the door to all kinds of immoral creeps, but the sponsorships do come with benefits,” Andrea explained.

Upon finishing the fifth page of her reflection on the use of violence against an enrollment officer, she twirled her pen. She often made theatrical gestures when she spoke. It was a habit of sorts.

“Getting a sponsorship is the only way to change your fate. The only exception might be prodigies like Cheryl, whose intellect will probably go down in history. Intelligence isn’t the only talent out there. Even if someone is talented enough to make a living out of drawing, thirty cens a year is all they’ll make if they’re born into a family already making that. Unless you have a pretty face. Finding a benefactor increases the chances of raising your status.”

“Then does that make beauty the greatest talent of all, greater than any other skill? I still can’t help but be a little skeptical about these anonymous sponsorships,” Alice said.

“I feel the same way. Take me, for instance. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d get a patron. The nature of a sponsorship takes away all decision-making power from the recipient. You already know. They can’t say no to whatever demand their benefactor makes, no matter how unfair it might be.”

Alice’s face darkened at the thought of Elena’s evening date, and Andrea felt bad for talking about it. As Andrea moved on to the sixth page of her apology letter, Alice became lost in thought. Alice sighed again when Andrea was halfway through her page.

“Not everyone can do what Archduke Pendleton did, I suppose.”

“That’s the reality of our world. There are more bad guys out there than good,” Andrea replied.

“I guess… Even if things do work out, becoming the benefactor’s legal wife ultimately depends on how much authority he has,” Alice pointed out.

Andrea had never considered the issue before. She looked back at Alice curiously as she dabbed the tip of the pen in the ink bottle.

With a sheepish smile, Alice patiently explained, “It would be considered a morganatic marriage.”

“Oh…” Andrea exclaimed. She knew what that was.

When a man and a woman from different classes married, their offspring succeeded the title of whoever’s rank was lower. The child would automatically be considered the lesser of the two—unable to claim more rights or build a more stable future. Their roommate, Lady Belle Klimpa, was one such case. She basked in his love, although she couldn’t inherit her father’s surname. Indeed, she was treated as if she was officially the count’s heir, which was extremely rare.

Due to the difficulties of the aftermath and the unpleasant taste it left behind, most people avoided marrying someone of a different rank. More often than not, it would only hurt the reputation of whoever was ranked higher. However, if morganatic marriages were avoided, how did the empire’s greatest love story—that made the concept of sponsorships as sensational as ever—come to be? Andrea pondered, but she couldn’t find an answer. In the end, she turned to Alice for help.

“That reminds me, how did Archduchess Pendleton legally marry her benefactor?”

“When Marquess Rino heard about Archduke Pendleton’s predicament, he adopted the archduchess as his daughter, for formality’s sake,” Alice explained effortlessly. She knew the stories of high society inside and out. “As long as the woman is not obviously pregnant to the public, they can find a legal workaround. Of course, that requires exercising power over another aristocratic family, asking for a favor, or striking up a deal.”

“And what if they get married while the woman is pregnant?” Andrea asked.

“The child is not acknowledged as the man’s and becomes fatherless. However, the marriage is still recognized as a union of nobles. In the best-case scenario, the child could be legally adopted into the family. As you know, few benefactors go that far. Adoption is expensive and requires approval from the state. We can hardly hope for such a thing from benefactors who demand their protégés change their major to save a few extra cen.”

“I see.” Andrea looked like she was listening to a tale from another world. After quickly scrawling the sixth page to a finish, she put it aside for the ink to dry. Readying the seventh sheet of paper, she grieved. “Being a woman is hard.”

“I know,” Alice replied regretfully with a faint smile. Once the ink dried, Alice slipped the sixth page underneath the rest of Andrea’s apology letter. “Look at how the streets run rampant with crime these days. The victims always turn out to be women or the poor.”

“I had no idea. How bad is it now?”

“Oh, right. You asked me about it before. Let me fill you in now.”

Up to this point, Andrea had been writing her apology letter on the fly without having to give it much thought. As the letter neared its end, she struggled to come up with a fitting conclusion. Staring at the last bit of blank space before her, she put her hand on her forehead and pondered. Meanwhile, Alice began recounting what kind of atrocious crimes had happened in the capital lately.

They were the same old stories that could be happening anywhere. Orphaned girls were coerced into dates at night by their benefactors, only to be thrown away when they became pregnant. Women were subjected to sadistic assaults by men, but they were unable to speak up for fear of repercussions. Eventually, they would turn up on the streets in horrible shape.

There were also the lowlifes who roamed the city empty-handed. They would prey on the extremely impoverished by attacking them and setting them on fire before stealing their valuables and food. Even worse were the arsonists from noble backgrounds with a superiority complex. These scum weren’t even after the food—they got off on walking all over the commoners.

“The worst of all is the serial murderer, who has yet to be caught,” Alice said. “It’s unclear who they are after, so we all have to live in constant fear of being the next target. Nowadays, when another innocent person is found murdered, we are more relieved to be alive than actually sad for the victim. How awful is that? The world is simply inhumane.”

“Oh, Jovani told me about those serial murders. It made me worry about Elena all week.”

At last, Andrea scribbled the final lines of her apology letter and began putting away her stationery. Suddenly, her face scrunched into a frown as she remembered the details of the murders that Jovani had described to her—they were absolutely dreadful and appalling. Even though Andrea had never met the victims, she found herself consumed by anger on their behalf.

“You’re talking about the bodies of women whose faces and stomachs were too pulverized to identify, right?” Andrea asked.

“Yes. It’s been going on for years, but not a single witness or piece of evidence has been found. I think the murderer might be after women who travel alone. Some, but not all, of the victims were sexually assaulted. So, it’s hard to tell what is motivating the murders. I just can’t shake off the fear of becoming the next victim.” Alice momentarily drifted away in her imagination. Shaking her head, she changed the subject. “While we’re out today, I’m going to buy some spiced perfume to defend myself.”

“What’s spiced perfume?”

“It’s a perfume made of some powerful spices mixed together. The exact combination differs for each perfumer, but the effects are similar. It’s a new way for women to protect themselves, and it’s gotten more popular since the first day of school. Actually, I used to have some, but I was so worried about Elena that I gave her mine. That’s why I’m thinking of buying more today. You can find them on the black market, in the back alley. It doesn’t work like regular perfume. You can carry a bottle of it with you for protection. If you ever run into an assailant, just spray it in their eyes and nose to temporarily render them immobile. That allows you to escape. Word about it has been spreading in secret.”

“Oh, that’s pretty cool!” Andrea had finished the final page of her apology letter and was shaking it in the air to dry the ink.

The spiced perfume was only effective if it hit the target in the right spot at the right time. Still, it was better than nothing. The self-defense tool was portable and easy to use.

“I don’t think you’ll need it, Ed, but you should buy some, just in case. A small glass vial costs one cen, so it is expensive. But it fits right in your hand, and gives you a sense of safety when you carry it. Even you are bound to run into someone stronger than you someday.”

“Yeah, that's a great idea. Why don’t we buy that before we start the day?” Andrea offered cheerfully.

Alice covered her mouth and began giggling, a rare sight. When asked why she was laughing, Alice apologized and began to explain.

“Oh dear, I’m sorry, Ed. I suppose you’ve never been to a black market before.”

“Of course not. I was just a country girl back at Kalabasta. Why?”

“The black market is only open at night because the merchants there sell illegal products without permits.”

“Oh, that makes sense. Wow, I can’t wait to see what it’s like.”

“Let’s take a look tonight. It might be hard to browse without buying anything. Occasionally, you’ll come across some merchants selling cute jewelry. Since you’re good at fighting, and I’m planning to buy something for self-defense, I’m sure it’ll be all right for us to roam around at night.”

The Kalabasta Orphanage was located at the foot of a mountain on the outskirts of the capital. Though Andrea had stayed in an inn in the capital’s downtown area for a few days before school began, she had never properly explored the city. Andrea had received far too much funding, so she was too busy putting away her money in the bank. Since she wasn’t familiar with the tourist attractions in the capital either, she had no idea where to go to enjoy herself.

Alice looked quite happy when Andrea’s face lit up. She started putting the pages of her letter together.

“All right, then. It’s time for me to submit my letter of apology.”

“Great. Oh, but before that, let’s see if Elena has a water bottle. If she has one, it’ll help her take her pills on time. If she doesn’t have one, she can borrow mine.”

“Great idea. Let’s check with her before she leaves. If it’s all right with you, I’d like to stop by the post office to send a letter to my orphanage. I’m worried about my friends there. I want to warn them not to roam the streets unless necessary. It won’t take long. I send them a postcard once a week anyway.”

“Yes. There’s no rush.”

Andrea jumped to her feet and led the way. Alice quickly followed. As they slowly began making their way back to their dormitory, they talked about how to help Elena without making it so obvious and upsetting her.