On the morning of October 1st, the sky over Paris was a clear, pale blue.
An apartment at 117 Boulevard Saint-Germain woke up earlier than usual.
Patty stood in the center of the living room, dressed in new clothes Lionel had bought for her at Printemps department store—
A dark blue wool dress, a light gray tweed coat, shiny leather shoes, and white long socks.
Her hair had also been carefully braided by Alice into two neat plaits, hanging over her shoulders.
She tilted her head slightly, letting Alice fasten the leather buckle straps of her satchel, looking both excited and nervous.
Lionel checked once:
"Notebooks, pens... all packed?"
Patty nodded vigorously:
"All packed, Young Master."
Lionel instructed:
"At school, address teachers as 'Madame' or 'Mademoiselle', answer questions clearly, and be friendly with your classmates."
In fact, these words had been repeated many times over the past few days.
He picked up a small paper package from the dining table:
"This is your lunch. The school provides free lunch, but I thought you might prefer to bring something of your own."
Inside the paper package were Patty's homemade butter cookies and a slice of bread spread with jam.
Alice tidied the wisps of hair on Patty's forehead:
"Our little Patty is truly a little lady today."
Riding in the carriage hired by Lionel, through the gradually awakening streets of Paris, Patty's face was almost pressed against the window glass, watching the scenery outside in a trance—
—shops opening early, flat carts transporting goods, passersby in a hurry.
All of this was similar to what she had seen before, yet different; as for how it was different, she couldn't quite say.
The Rue de l'École de Médecine Girls' Municipal Primary School was located not far from the Sorbonne.
When they arrived, the school gate was already bustling.
Lionel was surprised to find many lavishly decorated private carriages parked there.
Well-dressed gentlemen and ladies, leading equally impeccably dressed little girls, were gathered here.
This was quite different from Lionel's expectation of a public school primarily enrolling the children of local merchants, citizens, and artisans; it almost made him feel like he was back at the Sorbonne.
Soon, he saw a familiar figure, Count Louis Philippe de Rohan, Deputy Minister of Public Education and Fine Arts.
He stood with a young man of about thirty, and next to them was a little girl of about ten.
He also saw Lionel and quickly reached out to greet him.
Lionel stepped forward with Patty:
"Good day, Minister Rohan."
Count Rohan had a gentle smile on his face:
"Good day, Lionel! Are you also bringing a child to enroll today?"
His gaze fell on Patty:
"Is this the 'little apprentice' you mentioned?"
Lionel gently nudged Patty:
"Yes. Patty, say hello to Minister Rohan."
Patty curtsied:
"Hello, Mr. Minister."
Count Rohan nodded slightly:
"Hello, my child."
He then introduced the young man beside him to Lionel:
"This is my eldest son, Alfred."
Then he patted the head of the little girl next to him:
"This is his daughter, my granddaughter, Isabelle. Today is her enrollment day too."
Alfred had an arrogant look similar to his younger brother Albert, but his demeanor was more proper.
He gave Lionel a brief nod of greeting:
"Thank you for looking after Albert. I've heard many stories about you from him."
Lionel smiled:
"Oh? How is Albert doing in Algeria? When will he be able to return to France?"
Alfred nodded noncommittally:
"Not bad. As for returning home... it might be another two years."
Lionel said with some regret:
"That's truly a long time..."
The two exchanged a few more pleasantries.
Alfred saw another acquaintance, excused himself, and turned away.
Lionel, of course, knew this was a "show."
Families like Count Rohan's would usually send their children to expensive private schools.
The intention behind choosing the Rue de l'École de Médecine Girls' Municipal Primary School was clear.
—If even the granddaughter of the Deputy Minister attended here, who would dare question the Ferry Laws and public education?
Count Rohan smiled faintly:
"You asked me before which school would be suitable for a little girl like Patty? This is the perfect choice."
Just then, a stern-faced female teacher approached and began to guide the new students into the school grounds.
Patty looked up at Lionel, who gently stroked her little head:
"Go on, Patty. Remember what I told you.
The carriage will pick you up on time after school."
Patty nodded, followed the female teacher, joined the line of other little girls, and walked through the school gate.
The moment she stepped inside, she couldn't help but look back.
Lionel waved at her.
When Lionel turned around, Count Rohan was already surrounded by reporters.
"...As you can all see, my granddaughter, Isabelle, will, like the daughters of many workers, merchants, and fellow citizens present here, enter this excellent public primary school to receive a high-quality, free, and secular education!"
"This is not just a grandfather's choice; it is the conviction of an official of the Republic! Education should not be the privilege of a few, but the inherent right of all French children!"
"Here, children will not only learn basic skills like reading, writing, and arithmetic but also develop sound characters!
I assure everyone that the government will spare no effort to invest resources, ensuring that every public school has excellent teachers like those here!"
Lionel quietly slipped away while no one was paying attention to him.
——————
In the evening, when Patty returned to 117 Boulevard Saint-Germain, she almost skipped through the door, her cheeks flushed.
She excitedly called out:
"Young Master! Miss Alice! I'm home!"
At the dinner table, Patty became the absolute center of attention.
She vividly described the school: spacious and bright classrooms, shiny new desks and chairs, stern-faced teachers...
"Our classroom is on the second floor, and we can see a big tree outside the window!"
"There are over thirty girls in our class!"
"Sitting next to me is the baker's daughter, her name is Marie, and she gave me a piece of gingerbread her mother baked..."
She also mentioned the subjects—French, arithmetic, history, and a course called "Morality and Civic Duty."
Patty struggled to recall the unwieldy names:
"History class was about... the Gauls? And Vercingetorix?
The teacher said we are descendants of the Gauls, but we are now French."
Lionel listened patiently, occasionally interjecting with a question or two to encourage her to elaborate.
From Patty's fragmented descriptions, he could piece together a general picture of this "model school."
The teachers there were clearly hand-picked and very competent, and the management was also very strict, perfectly aligning with the government's expectations for "shaping qualified citizens."
After dinner, Patty solemnly took out the textbooks issued by the school one by one and spread them on the living room table.
There was "French Reader," "Arithmetic," and a thin "Illustrated French History Book"...
Lionel immediately spotted the thick book, "Two Children's Journey Through France," and felt delighted.
But then, a single sentence from Patty extinguished his enthusiasm:
"Miss Maurise said that to get into a good secondary school, we also need to buy an additional book...
It's called, it's called 'Montiel's Secret Compendium'?
One copy costs 12 sous, Young Master, should I buy it?
Oh, by the way, Montiel seems to be your hometown?"
Lionel's vision went dark, and those three words echoed in his mind again:
"Oh, the misery!"
(End of Chapter)