As My Husband Said, I Brought in a Lover

* * *

The moment Luize crossed the high hill, she was hit by the salty smell tickling her nose and stopped her horse to gaze at the wide horizon. The sunset was turning the blue sea into red. Dozens of seagulls were flying around a fishing boat that had just docked at a small harbor.

“…So this is Illisen.” Luize looked at the small seaside village.

Lorein had said it would take ten days to travel from Airen, the territory of Servenia, to Illisen by carriage ride. But Luize, riding her horse alone, had arrived just a week ago.  The more time she spent alone, the more complicated her thoughts became, so she had moved busily.

Illisen was a very small and quiet village, except for the busy harbor. It didn’t take long to find Fioren Academy. The village had few buildings over three stories, and among them, there were only two large enough to accommodate over a hundred people.

“This is Fioren Academy. So the other building must be the Fioren Orphanage?” Luize muttered, checking the nameplates of the two buildings. “Avenue Orphanage. Then Fioren Orphanage must be…”

“What brings you here?”

Luize turned around at the high-pitched voice behind her. There stood a girl with long, reddish-brown hair tied up. Holding the hand of a child who didn’t look like her at all, the girl stared at Luize with a slight wariness.

“You don’t seem like someone here to adopt.”

“

, I came to see the academy. I have a letter of introduction.” Luize took out the letter from her pocket and showed it.

The girl squinted at the letter for a long time before nodding. “Well, I recognize this emblem. Please wait. Rody, our walk ends here. I need to study.”

“Okay! Sister Lucy, you have to come again tomorrow.”

“Sure.”

Rody cheerfully walked into the Avenue Orphanage building.

“…Follow me. I’ll take you to the teacher. And your name is?”

“Luize.”

“Alright, Luize.” Lucy walked ahead confidently.

* * *

An elderly woman, with the marks of time deeply etched on her face, sternly looked at the child standing before her. After a sharp staring contest,

The woman flicked the child’s forehead.

“

!

. Isn’t it too much with a guest here?”

“Lucy, does having a guest erase your mistakes?”

“… You’re strict.”

“Strict? When was it that you said you wanted to become someone like Lensia?”

Hearing her mother’s name unexpectedly, Luize, who had been looking around the principal’s office, instinctively glanced at the principal. The principal, meeting Luize’s eyes, quickly changed her expression and smiled kindly before speaking.

“I apologize for the unpleasant scene. So, what brings you here…?”

“

, I was curious about Fioren Academy. If possible, I’d like to work here for a while.”

“At our academy?” The principal was smiling kindly, but like Lucy at the academy gate, she was subtly wary of Luize.

Luize quickly added. “I’m not here to cause harm or anything suspicious. I have a recommendation letter too. It’s a bit old, though.”

She handed over the letter, which the principal swiftly read through. The principal’s wrinkled eyes widened, and her dark pupils trembled slightly.

“…The guarantor’s name is ‘Lensia’? Is it the hero ‘Lensia’ by any chance?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“I knew I read it right! Teacher, this person is definitely a fraud. She’s here to rob our already poor academy!” Lucy shouted, pointing at Luize.

The principal spoke in a low, dry voice. “The signature on the recommendation letter is genuine. It even has the imperial seal. Stand at attention.”

“Really?” Lucy quickly stood at attention, peeking at the letter.

The principal looked at Luize and spoke cautiously. “You’re skilled in swordsmanship, healing, imperial language, and survival, and can handle any physical labor except cooking… Does this mean you’ve come to be a teacher? If so, which subject are you applying for swordsmanship, healing, or the imperial language?”

Leaving Airen, Luize had no plans other than looking for traces of Lensia, so she pondered how to use the recommendation letter on the way here. It was a hiring recommendation to work at the academy in the seaside village. Unlike typical recommendation letters, it didn’t specify a particular field and covered a variety of skills. Moreover, Luize’s surname was omitted from the letter. Lensia had wanted to hide her child from the world until the end, and Luize hadn’t been officially registered in Servenia until Lensia’s passing.

“

, I haven’t decided yet. I’m also curious about what roles are needed at the academy.”

“Then, what salary did you expect? While we provide basic room and board, we might not be able to pay as much as you expect due to our current situation. During the training period, it’s 50 silver, and for a full teacher, it’s about 80 silver.”

“As long as room and board are provided, any amount is fine.”

At Luize’s answer, the principal’s eyes lit up. “To think there’s such talent in the Empire! Welcome!”

The principal, with a bright face, grabbed Luize’s hand. Luize looked at her in confusion.

“

, we’ve left such a valuable person standing here. You can decide on your role gradually.”

“Pardon?

, yes.”

“Let’s assign your accommodation first. If you tell us your clothing size, we’ll tailor a dress for you. All the staff here wear the same attire, so please understand.”

“Please do.

I have a question, though. Did Fioren Orphanage turn into an academy?”

Luize asked what she had been curious about since her arrival. Seeing many additional buildings, she guessed that it wasn’t originally built as an academy.

“Yes, Fioren Academy was originally Fioren Orphanage, which produced Lensia. After Lensia became a hero, we remodeled it into an academy, and the Avenue Orphanage next door takes care of the children.”

Luize slowly swallowed.

This was where her mother, Lensia, had grown up.

“Is the place where Lensia stayed still there?”

“Of course. Would you like to use that room?”

“Yes. If possible, please.”

“Very well. We were short on teaching staff, so this is great news. Especially with healing skills, even basic training will help many students find jobs. We’ll have many graduates.”

“… Isn’t graduation based on age?” Luize looked at the principal in confusion, who smiled softly.

“You’ll understand as you stay here.”

Luize blinked, still not fully understanding.

* * *

The assigned room was a small space with only an old bed and a nightstand.

Luize knocked on the thin partition wall with the back of her hand.

The wall echoed lightly, indicating the other side was empty.

“The soundproofing isn’t great. When we expanded the academy, we set up partitions in what used to be children’s rooms to create several small rooms. But the room next to yours is empty, so it shouldn’t be too bothersome. You’re the only new teacher here.”

“So, there are no other teachers in the academy right now?”

“There’s one. That’s me.”

Luize widened her eyes and looked at the principal.

The principal sighed and added. “And my students help as assistant teachers. They are competent in etiquette and basic skills but lack skills to earn a living.”

“Skills to earn a living…”

“Yes. After graduation, students with good etiquette become etiquette teachers, while those skilled in cleaning and serving work as servants for wealthy commoners or noble families. Those who can’t find jobs stay here until they become full adults.”

“What? Graduates stay at the academy?”

“Yes, technically, as employees. I’ll introduce you to everyone tomorrow morning. For now, have dinner, rest well, and recover from your journey. The teacher’s bathroom is at the end of the right corridor.”

The principal continued to explain with a bitter expression. “Since the dining hall is closed today, dinner will be brought to your room. Starting tomorrow morning, you’ll have meals with everyone in the dining hall. A staff member will come to get you.”

“Thank you.”

After a brief greeting, the principal left the room. Luize put her sparse belongings under the nightstand and sat on the bed.

The old bed made a creaking sound.

Stroking the hard, cold mattress, Luize murmured softly. “This is where my mother stayed…”

The world seen through the small window above the nightstand was no bigger than two palms. Luize imagined her mother, who must have looked at the wide world through such a small window. For some reason, a corner of her heart ached.

After dinner and a hot bath, her tension melted away. Having fallen asleep as if fainting on the hard bed, Luize followed the staff member who came to fetch her for breakfast and went to the dining hall the next morning.

“Welcome, Teacher!”

“Nice to meet you!”

“

…?”

There, she met about thirty staff members. Coincidentally, all the staff were women.