As if sensing Lionel's gaze, Father Peltier felt a chill down his spine and quickly turned around.
Then he heard Lionel righteously "defending" the Church regarding Jean-Baptiste Renault's meager salary.
"Oh, regarding Teacher Renault's stipend… I think this fully reflects the local parish's deep care and… uh, unique wisdom."
"You see, Teacher Renault has dedicated his life to education and is extremely busy, making it difficult for him to participate in all religious ceremonies and lengthy prayers like ordinary believers."
Lionel's voice was filled with sincerity, and the reason he gave was simply "flawless":
"From what I understand, the Church—and I believe this is out of consideration and compassion—deducts a portion from Teacher Renault's already small salary each month, about 30 francs, if I recall correctly."
"What a clever and benevolent arrangement this is!"
"You see, this is equivalent to completing a form of 'offering' on behalf of Teacher Renault, ensuring that even if his soul is somewhat neglectful of formal piety due to his busy work in nurturing the next generation, he can still continuously receive God's favor and blessings."
"This undoubtedly demonstrates the Church's support for the cause of education, as well as its extra care for the spiritual well-being of teachers!"
"This is a… hmm… very efficient 'spiritual guarantee,' isn't it?"
Lionel finished speaking, his face still maintaining that sincere expression.
There was a moment of dead silence.
Even Count Rohan, who was checking the surroundings outside the classroom, stopped in his tracks.
He immediately understood that this was a heaven-sent opportunity and quickly signaled his attendants with his eyes to "control" Father Peltier, so he wouldn't spoil things.
And the reporters, after a moment of stunned, their eyes burst with the light of ecstasy!
They were all shrewd individuals; how could they not understand such obvious sarcasm?
Father Peltier's face instantly turned a pig-liver red, his lips moving, but not a single word could escape.
He wanted to step forward and explain something, but he was squeezed into a corner by several bureaucrats from the Ministry of Education and couldn't move.
Soon, a reporter turned to Count Rohan, asking for his opinion on the matter.
Count Rohan's mouth twitched slightly, but his tone was serious, even sorrowful: "This… this is indeed a… thought-provoking practice."
"This further illustrates that education must be led by the state to ensure its purity and fairness!"
…
In fact, no one else needed to say more; the reporters had already obtained all the ammunition they wanted.
Father Peltier slumped to the ground like a dead man—he knew he was finished; whatever Montiel and Saint Joseph became later, it would have nothing to do with him.
————
"Alice, Young Master is in the newspaper again!" Petty shouted loudly, holding a stack of newspapers.
Although the words she knew were not yet enough for her to read the newspaper content fluently, she recognized "Lionel Sorel" very accurately.
Alice quickly put down the "Germination" in her hand and got up to take the newspapers.
She unfolded them and, sure enough, they were all reports about Lionel—
The top one was "Le Figaro," and the headline on the front page was "Twenty Thousand Francs Illuminate Education's Dark Corners, Deputy Minister Calls for State Responsibility."
Although she had known about Lionel donating 20,000 francs for scholarships last week, seeing this matter gradually change from "rumor" to "reality" still touched her deeply.
However, Le Figaro still adhered to its consistent tradition, lightly glossing over the Church's deduction of teachers' salaries at Montiel, as if it had never happened.
But other newspapers were different.
Le Petit Parisien, with the most direct and sharp headline, pierced the heart of the Church—
"Thirty Francs Deducted Monthly! The Church Exploits Rural Teachers So!"
The criticism was also extremely sharp:
"…In the unseen countryside, the Church has not only failed to fulfill its responsibility for education but has become a bandit plundering already meager education funds."
"The experience of Mr. Jean-Baptiste Renault has torn off the last fig leaf of Church schools."
"The state must quickly and completely liberate education from this old and corrupt system!"
…
Closing the newspaper, Alice's heart was filled with emotion.
When she first escaped from the Church to seek refuge with Lionel, she thought Lionel had merely stumbled upon a fortune in Paris, and she still felt some confusion as to why he wasn't more willing to help his family;
Later, seeing Lionel achieve success step by step through literature, not only earning increasingly generous royalties but also entering "high society," she became enamored and somewhat self-conscious;
But now, Lionel seemed to be more than just a writer; many "big events" that seemed like clouds and mist to her, her childhood companion also seemed to be involved in them.
This made Alice feel that Lionel had become a star in the distant sky, visible, but forever out of reach…
Petty hopped over: "Alice, what did the newspaper say about Young Master?"
Alice then snapped back to reality, stroking Petty's head: "Lionel has done another great thing, I'll read it to you…"
————
The commotion in Montiel did not completely subside with the departure of Count Rohan and the group of reporters.
Those twenty thousand francs stirred every nerve in this Alpine town.
Lionel Sorel's name, in the mouths of the villagers, had gradually evolved from "a successful Parisian celebrity" to a mysterious magnate whose "finger-slips of gold dust are enough for us to eat for a year."
Speculations about his annual income rapidly swelled through word of mouth, quickly climbing from an initial ten thousand francs to thirty thousand, or even higher.
In the eyes of the Montiel people, Parisian money would automatically and continuously roll into his pockets.
Lionel keenly noticed this change in atmosphere—
His doorstep wasn't besieged, but those "accidental" passersby, those hesitant words, those strained attempts at familiarity, all made him feel exhausted.
He knew his vacation had to end early.
On the night before his departure, under the kerosene lamp, Lionel's voice was gentle but very solemn: "After I leave, there are a few things I hope you will keep in mind."
His father, mother, and sister all nodded gently.
"First, about money. If villagers or neighbors come to borrow money, and you really can't refuse out of politeness, you must understand in your heart that this money will not be returned."
"Don't let me burden you, or even create animosity with others."
Joseph nodded with a solemn expression: "I understand. We will act within our means."
Lionel looked at Ivanna: "Second, Sister, the sin of a deceiver should not be repaid by a lifetime of melancholy from you."
"You are still young, and you have a long road ahead. If… if a suitable young man sincerely comes to propose marriage in the future, I hope you can try to open your heart."
Ivanna lowered her head, twisting the corner of her clothes with her fingers, and softly "hmm-ed."
Lionel's gaze swept over his three dearest relatives: "Third, do not discuss my specific situation in Paris with outsiders, and do not undertake any troublesome matters that require using my 'connections' or 'influence.'"
"Whether it's the mayor's request, the priest's hint, or any villager's plea, always say that I am a nobody in Paris and powerless to help."
"We will remember, Lionel," Father Joseph nodded heavily, making a promise on behalf of the whole family.
He knew that the master of Sorel Family was now Lionel.
The next morning, before dawn, Lionel, carrying only simple luggage, left Montiel and set off on his journey to Paris.