V1: Chapter 58: The Empire's Foolish Regulations

"Look at your reasons for refusing!" Liang Lin glared fiercely at the teacher in front of her, her pretty face filled with anger. "Your reasons for refusing are completely unreasonable!"

The application form stated the reason for refusal: "Women are not allowed to participate."

"Tell me, what kind of bullshit reason is this?!"

Liang Lin grabbed the paper from the table and shoved it forcefully in front of the teacher, as if she wanted to smash the entire paper in his face.

The teacher was also helpless. It wasn't his decision to approve or decide this matter. He didn't really want to offend this arrogant and domineering noblewoman, but he had no choice but to face her.

“Mi-Miss Liang Lin, please listen to me…” The teacher pressed his glasses back on, wiped the sweat from his brow, and stood up shakily.

“As you know, the Soteland Empire never uses women on the battlefield, so naturally, women aren’t allowed to participate in this kind of competition…”

Liang Lin didn’t want to hear this reason. She gripped the sword at her waist.

“But everyone in the school, including the teachers, is no match for me. They’re all my defeated opponents. Why can’t women? This is blatant discrimination!”

Liang Lin had heard her sister, Hilary, say these words when she was little. At that time, Hilary’s expression was just as resolute and angry as hers.

The teacher was truly at a loss for words. He didn’t know how to explain. Because, from birth, everyone knew one thing: in the Soteland Empire, women could not participate in any war or political affairs.

“Miss Liang Lin, you should know that our academy has already made an exception by allowing you to take swordsmanship and horseback riding classes with the other young masters… This is a rare occurrence, almost unheard of in a century. The last time a young lady took swordsmanship and horseback riding classes was thirty years ago…”

The teacher sighed repeatedly.

“The academy’s swordsmanship and horseback riding instructors greatly admire your talent. But… that’s just how the world is, and that’s the rule of the empire…”

Liang Lin fell silent.

Her hands were clenched tightly, her nails digging into the flesh of her palms. From the force, the tips of her nails dug into the flesh, and drops of blood trickled down her fingers. She wanted to make a scene, to slap the teacher in front of her, but she also knew that this was not a decision the teacher could make.

“I understand.”

Liang Lin pushed open the door.

Bang!

A sound like an explosion echoed throughout the entire building.

The door slammed shut, cracks already appearing in the doorframe, and the door began to sway precariously. This showed just how much force Liang Lin had used.

"Damn it, this is so annoying..."

Since becoming a girl, she hated her incontinent tear ducts. Even the slightest grievance made her want to cry, unable to control her tears. Liang Lin forcefully wiped her eyes, tears streaming down her face. She wiped again forcefully.

"What's there to be upset about? I should have known this would be the outcome, shouldn't I?"

Liang Lin desperately wanted to change the lousy rules of the Soteland Empire, but with her own strength, it was just wishful thinking.

What can I do?

Liang Lin looked at the crumpled piece of paper in her hand.

It read: Swordsmanship Tournament, Registration Open.

If she had this opportunity, if she could participate in this competition, she could showcase herself before more nobles and commoners, demonstrate her excellent swordsmanship, prove herself to more people, and at the same time, make Hilary happy.

But all her efforts were thwarted by the unwritten rules of the Soteland Empire.

“Damn it…”

Although she was constantly angry and complaining, Liang Lin never once looked down on her identity as a woman.

This swordsmanship tournament was held only once every five years, and only those fourteen years of age and older could participate. Moreover, participants could be nobles or commoners. To put it bluntly, if a noble shone brightly in the competition, they might receive a title, while a commoner who excelled might be invited to join a city's knightly order.

Liang Lin obtained her marquisate title in this way before her reincarnation. This also shows how outstanding she was in the competition.

But Liang Lin didn't want that either.

What she wanted was to show herself in front of everyone, to let everyone know that she, Liang Lin the Villainess, had the capital to be "wicked," and the confidence to be arrogant. And perhaps, she could even shake the unwritten rules of the empire, even if the hope was slim.

“I was thinking too simply… I was too naive.”

But she couldn't give up yet.

Liang Lin crumpled the application form, stuffed it into her pocket, got up, and went home.

At her doorstep, she ran into Liang Di, who was rushing home.

Liang Di smiled brightly at Liang Lin, about to ask how her day had been, but as she approached, she noticed Liang Lin's swollen, red eyes.

Liang Di's smile froze. Instead, she reached out and cupped Liang Lin's face in her hands.

"Liang Lin, you've been crying? What happened? Did someone bully you at school? I wasn't there today, what happened?"

Liang Di's fierce gaze seemed to pierce through one's soul, sending chills down one's spine.

"Tell me, which bastard made you unhappy?"

Liang Lin pried Liang Di's hands away, unable to manage a smile.

Why did concern and questions only intensify her inner grievances? She hadn't wanted to cry, but the tears flowed like a floodgate had been opened.

Not wanting to cry in front of Liang Di, not wanting to expose her most vulnerable side, Liang Lin had no choice but to brush away Liang Di's hand that was grabbing her again, turn her back, and hurry upstairs.

"It's none of your business. Nothing happened. Asking won't help; you can't solve it anyway."

Liang Di keenly caught the key phrase, "you can't solve it anyway."

Now she was even more certain that something had happened to Liang Lin at school.

"What if I can?"

"Impossible."

Liang Lin's answer was resolute.

But Liang Di followed her closely, not leaving her side for a moment. Even when Liang Lin had reached her bedroom door, Liang Di still insisted on holding onto the doorframe.

"Let go. If you don't, I'll just close it. Even if your hand breaks inside, I won't care."

Liang Lin's face was expressionless, as if she really would slam the door shut and crush Liang Di's fingers at any moment.

Liang Di looked around and, finding no one in the corridor, simply extended her tentacles, wrapping them around Liang Lin's wrist.

Taking advantage of Liang Lin's surprise and struggle with the tentacles, she slipped into the room.

Click~

The door closed.

Click~

The door was locked again.

The room was dark, with no lights on.

"Sister Liang Lin, you can't hide things from me... If you don't want to tell me and are sad alone... then I can use some different methods to make you happy like in a dream."