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Catherine had more sympathy for young girls. She understood that if a girl failed to make a good match, it could affect the rest of her life.
Sophie nodded. “Please don’t worry, Mrs. Ashford. I’ll find out exactly what happened before I speak to her.”
“Well, there hasn’t been any major trouble, but she and those other girls have been causing disruptions in class,” Catherine replied. “Especially when Ms. Young is giving lectures. They make noise and stir up trouble, and it’s upsetting everyone. Even Ms. Young is troubled by it. After all, she’s still young and doesn’t know how to handle such things.”
Sophie was sure Rosalind should know how to handle it, but perhaps she also realized this wasn’t just a personal issue for the girls. There might be someone behind the scenes trying to undermine the academy’s existence. This was something beyond Rosalind’s control, so she hadn’t acted hastily.
Sophie went to find Rosalind but ran into Jocelyn, who was accompanied by her two close friends, Hailey and Cassidy. To Sophie’s surprise, they were there to apologize.
Leading the way, Jocelyn and her friends bowed deeply to Rosalind, their faces filled with remorse. Their words were sincere.
“We were wrong before. We’ve caused trouble for you, Ms. Young. We humbly ask for your forgiveness. We promise it won’t happen again. Whatever punishment you see fit, whether it’s writing lines or striking our palms, we will accept it without complaint.” Sophie didn’t step inside. She only stood at the door and watched.
She didn’t believe for a moment that
Jocelyn and the others truly understood their mistake. It wasn’t. plausible for a group of troublemaking students to suddenly realize they were wrong without some deeper reason. Either they were hiding something, or someone had told them to apologize.
As for Rosalind, it was unclear if she had noticed anything. Her expression showed a trace of relief at their admission of guilt-but only a trace.
“Since you acknowledge your fault and are willing to accept punishment, each of you will receive 20 strikes on the palm. Go to Ms. Wardell to receive your punishment,” she said with calm authority.
Rosalind was referring to Athena, who was once Meredith’s study partner. Though Athena didn’t teach regularly, she was in charge of discipline at the academy. She was strict, and many students feared her.
Jocelyn clearly hadn’t anticipated such a punishment. She thought they would simply be made to copy lines, as that had been the usual penalty before. The sudden anger that flashed in her eyes was quick and sharp, but since she was facing away from Sophie, only Rosalind noticed it.
“Why are you still standing there?” Rosalind’s voice was cold and commanding, carrying the weight of a teacher’s authority.
Jocelyn clenched her teeth and tried to appeal to Rosalind. “20 strikes is too many, Ms. Young. Could you make it lighter? Perhaps a writing punishment instead? I’ll copy as many lines as you want.”
The other two girls joined in, pleading that they would rather copy lines than receive strikes on their palms as punishment. They claimed it would prevent them from writing for a long time, which could delay their studies.
Rosalind’s response was firm. “You can either leave Gracewood Women’s Academy, or you can go to Ms. Wardell for your punishment. Make your choice, and stop wasting my time here.” Her tone left no room for negotiation, but Jocelyn and the others were still unwilling to accept their fate. They argued that their mistake wasn’t severe enough to warrant such a harsh punishment. Each of them chimed in, their voices overlapping as they surrounded Rosalind, making a chaotic mess.
Rosalind could reason with people, but dealing with this kind of chaos clearly wasn’t her strong suit. Just as she was about to lose her temper, Sophie’s voice came from the doorway. “What? Are 20 strikes too little? Then how about 30? If you keep arguing, I’ll make it 40.”
Sophie stepped into the room, her cold, piercing gaze sweeping over them. The three girls immediately lowered their heads, too intimidated to meet her eyes. Seeing her arrive, Rosalind let out a relieved breath, as though a savior had finally appeared.
Sophie’s voice cut through the tension like a blade.
“What are you waiting for? Do you want me to increase the punishment, or would you prefer to leave Gracewood Women’s Academy? If you’re not here to study, then don’t take up space. There are plenty of others who would be eager to learn.” Hailey and Cassidy flinched at her words. They quickly pulled on Jocelyn’s sleeve, their eyes urging her to leave before things got worse. What had started as 20 strikes was now 30, and if they lingered any longer, it could easily climb to 40 or 50. However, Jocelyn wasn’t one to back down so easily. As a pampered daughter of the prestigious Quinton family, she had never endured such humiliation. After a long pause, she finally stifled her defiant glare.
Before Sophie could say the dreaded 40, Jocelyn turned on her heel and stormed off, dragging the others with her.
Once outside the door, Jocelyn’s face flushed with anger, her hands trembling. If it weren’t for Kylie’s orders, she would have never stayed in this wretched place.
Women only needed to know how to read and write, and that was enough. All this studying was pointless! It would be far better to learn how to manage a household or command servants. At least that would be useful after marriage.
–
Rosalind rose and greeted Sophie properly. “Greetings, Your Grace.”
Sophie smiled. “I imagine having such students must give you a headache.”
“It’s only a few of them, so it’s not too bad,” Rosalind responded with a light smile.
She gestured for Sophie to sit as she began tidying up the lesson plans spread across the table.
“If they were just being rowdy, it wouldn’t be so troublesome. What concerns me is the possibility that someone doesn’t want the academy to succeed.”
Her eyes narrowed with suspicion as she asked, “Who do you think it might be, Your Grace?”
Sophie had a rough idea, though she wasn’t certain. She offered a comforting smile. “There are many who don’t want to see the academy thrive. Rather than waste our energy guessing, it’s better we focus on doing what we do best.”
“You’re right, Your Grace.” Rosalind nodded in agreement, offering a faint smile. “Originally, I asked you to come and handle their behavior, but now that they’ve apologized, I suppose you didn’t need to make the trip after all.”
“Sometimes it’s good to make a visit,” Sophie replied. Truthfully, she could have skipped today. Their actions were more childish than anything truly wrong. There was no need to expel them, but a small punishment was still necessary to maintain discipline.
Rosalind reported the situation with a calm expression. “Everything else is going smoothly. In fact, many of the students are especially eager to learn. They particularly enjoyed the lessons with Mrs. Ashford, as she has traveled to many places and experienced different cultures in her youth. She tells them stories, sharing tales from beyond the walls, and they listen with great interest. Even I find myself going to listen whenever I have the chance.”
Sophie was grateful to have Catherine here. “It’s truly a blessing to broaden their horizons. These young women have been confined. to the inner chambers their whole lives. Some have rarely stepped outside the outer courtyard, only venturing out during festivals. The constraints of being a woman have bound their feet and obscured their vision. The world they know is limited to the confines of their courtyards.”
Rosalind nodded in agreement, fully understanding the truth of it. She herself had only gained a broader perspective because she had the opportunity to read more books than most.
She gazed out at the winter sun, her profile soft and graceful.
“The academy truly is a wonderful thing.”
Sophie leaned her chin on her hand, admiring Rosalind. Rosalind was undeniably beautiful, but it was more than her looks-what truly captivated people was the quiet elegance that came from her depth of knowledge.
After what happened with Thomas,
Rosalind never again spoke of marriage. It was as though once she had let go of the idea, she truly had moved on. When it came to matters of the heart, Sophie knew better than to pry. People should live in the way that suited them best what mattered most was their own peace of mind.
–
Meanwhile, Athena showed no mercy. She had sent someone to inquire with Sophie and confirmed that the punishment would be 30 strikes across the palm. When the time came, the maidservant struck hard.
Since the students used their right hands to write, it was the left hand that bore the brunt of the punishment. The heavy ruler struck with each blow, the pain intensifying as it went on. The girls held on at first, but soon their resolve broke, and they cried pitifully. Athena paid no attention. She sat calmly sipping coffee, only speaking once the punishment was over. She had the girls treated with medicine, gave them a few words of rebuke, and sent them home.
That evening, Jocelyn returned home, crying uncontrollably. She demanded that Vera take her to the palace to speak with Kylie, to have her punish the others and get revenge for her. Vera was already frustrated with the matter of Jocelyn’s marriage, and she couldn’t stand her daughter’s tantrum.
Annoyed, she snapped, “Enough! You’re doing this for the queen’s sake, aren’t you? She’ll remember your loyalty. Once you marry General Farrell, you’ll be free to leave the academy.”
“I don’t want to marry that old man!” Jocelyn’s rage flared, ignoring the pain in her hand. She jumped to her feet, her eyes swollen from crying but filled now with hatred. “How dare he? Does he actually think he can take a young girl like me? Who does he think he is? I’lI never marry a lecher like that!”
Vera quickly pressed her hand to Jocelyn’s mouth.
“Stop shouting nonsense! How dare you speak of such vulgarities? If those words reach your uncle’s ears, he’ll scold you thoroughly.”
The Quinton family upheld strict traditions, and every action and word from the younger generation had to be proper.
Jocelyn shook her head and slapped Vera’s hand away. “How can he criticize us when his own behavior is so dishonorable? I don’t fear him anymore!”