I Don’t Want to Be a Lady

“As expected, this should be the feeling of getting off from the carriage.”

I got off the luxurious black carriage and said it pleasantly.

Sure enough. People walking on the street were whispering about me and the carriage, but it felt different from before.

Hey, isn’t that Duke Kaien’s carriage? Compared to the dazzling carriage of Count Borness, it was different, like heaven and earth.

Somehow I felt my shoulders going up.

That’s it.

“Isn’t that the Royal Shooting Range I’ve only heard of?”

I said as I stood in front of a building surrounded by huge ivory walls.

“It’s my first time going inside, so I’m looking forward to it, Lady.”

‘Of course, shopping is better than that.’

Standing behind Arianne and Madrenne, Dale was curious about what had caused the soon-to-be duchess to visit the shooting range, but he didn’t bother to ask. His role was to escort, not interfere.

“Welcome. Did you look for someone, Lady?”

As I entered the building, a young man who appeared to be the shooting range employee approached me and asked.

“No.”

“Then, may I ask what brings you here?”

My left eyebrow twitched.

“Did many people come to the shooting range to do other business?”

“Pardon?”

When I asked, the staff carefully looked at me as if to grasp the intention of my question. Then, when he faced my cold purple eyes, he soon realized his mistake.

“Ah, I’m sorry. When a lady was coming to the shooting range, most of them were looking for someone, so please forgive me for thinking that way, Lady.”

Despite the employee’s polite apology, my cold gaze didn’t cool down. As a result, the employee was suffering inside. Then my mouth finally opened.

“The title ‘Lady’ at the end of every word is very unpleasant to hear.”

“Huh? then how should I address you…”

“What do you call the others who came to the shooting range?”

The employee answered my question with a half-souled face.

“I’m addressing them as customers.”

“Call me like that from now on.”

“Yes… Customer.”

I hated the title ‘Lady’ terribly.

I lived my whole life in captivity in the mansion. However, after my tutor appeared, I felt physically and mentally confined. My tutor muttered every word she said about lady this, lady that, as a lady, she was obsessed with all my actions and thoughts.

What the hell is being a lady? All you can do is to move from one man to another?

I mean, when they were born, they were bound by their father, and when they got older, they were bound by their husband.

I felt shivering displeasure with the fear of being mortgaged for my life with the title of ‘Lady.’ It was polite to address a woman as a ‘lady,’ but I always felt uncomfortable when I heard that title.

The employee was unaware of the situation. He only knew that woman was upset. Still, he received the proper response training while working at the institution directly under the imperial family. Soon, he made an impression and remained faithful to his original duties.

“Is it your first time at the Royal Shooting Range? Have you ever shot?”

The employee began to respond as they did to any male customer in order not to offend Arianne. Because he seemed to know what she wanted.

“It’s my first time, but I’m going to take the advanced course. By the way, if you going something like it’s impossible for a woman to—”

“I will guide you to the best place, Customer.”

The employee responded quickly. The employee’s response raised the corners of Arianne’s lips satisfactorily.

“Can I have tea?”

“Of course, I’ll have it ready right away.”

Although alcohol was prohibited at the Royal Shooting Range, they boasted a full-service offering of various teas, beverages, and refreshments. As I went deep inside the building following the guidance of the employee, a neatly maintained shooting range caught my attention.

“Customer can use this number three lane. It’s the best spot on our shooting range.”

I sat down and looked around, and my eyes were wide in surprise when I saw the huge forest surrounding the shooting range.

“Our Royal Shooting Range faces the mountain owned by the imperial family. There are fences around the intersection so that no one can enter, so don’t worry and enjoy.”

“Isn’t it possible that someone might come in without knowing it? What if that happened?”

Madrenne, who had been following silently, couldn’t stand it any longer and opened her mouth. The employee smiled at Madrenne and said, “Anyway, the moment they stepped on that land, their fate was decided. Entering the imperial property without permission is a death sentence.”

“Ah…”

The laws of the Harpion Empire were strict. Even the imperial family was not above the law. The moment they violated the Imperial Law, they lost their imperial status and were disposed of according to the law. That was the system of universally valid laws that didn’t discriminate between statuses established by the emperor at the time. The entire empire raised their hands and cheered for the emperor.

The commoners were greatly relieved by the current emperor’s enactment and announcement of the new law, as they suffered from atrocities and tyranny that abused the law, which was used by the former imperial family and nobles. Their loyalty to the emperor was a bonus. Though the nobles had a different opinion.

“The guns will be provided by type. What gun would you like to use?”

“First revolver, then is there a musket?”

When asked by Arianne, the employee said with a confident face.

“We have musket and dreyse needle gun.” 

“Then I will go with dreyse needle gun.”

Dreyse needle guns were only recently developed, so only a few people knew about them. However, the employee left with surprised eyes when Arianne responded that she already knew about it.

“As expected of the Royal Shooting Range. They have dreyse needle gun.”

Madrenne responded to Arianne’s words.

“I know, right. Lady also had a hard time finding that gun.”

Dale’s eyes almost popped out of surprise at Arianne and Madrenne’s conversation.

‘Did she know how to shoot? Does she even know about dreyse needle guns?’

Dale had also attended a demonstration of the dreyse needle gun with Charter. Because it was more accurate and durable than the existing gun, it emerged as the next firearm to replace the musket. However, it was difficult to manufacture, and mass production was not possible yet, so it was only being supplied to the imperial family…

‘She stole it? Oh my gosh.’

Dele confirmed that his master’s fiancee was a dangerous person. If the imperial family had found out about this, no matter how high his lord position was, he would not be able to protect her. If his master found out that Lady Arianne had done it, he would have grabbed her by the next. Still, Dale thought Lady Arianne would have committed such a daring crime because she probably didn’t know about it.

He thought he should remind the innocent Lady who couldn’t understand the situation. Hence, he tried to open his mouth with difficulty. Then someone approached them.

“Oh my gosh. What brings a beautiful Lady to the holy land of the wild men?”

Beyond the shamelessness, a greasy voice sounded like a ladle full of fat could be heard. I didn’t even turn my head, just glanced at him and soon withdrew my attention. What a waste of time dealing with such a frivolous man.

With my cold attitude, the man approached me without changing his true color and continued as if he was not embarrassed.

“My Lady probably didn’t come here to shoot, did you come to see me?”

My eyebrows narrowed.

What’s wrong with this guy? As if it was not enough to talk to someone who was standing still, now you’re making fun of me? My purple eyes sank coldly.

When Madrennes saw the expression of her master, she gave the man a pitiful look.

‘How dare he. Do you think our Lady… is a person who has time to spare even if you die right now?’

As I got up from my seat and turned toward the man, our gazes exchanged. I was tall for a woman my age, and the man was short for a man his age, so I looked down at him.

“On what basis did you say that?”

“Pardon?”

For a moment, the man staggered, overwhelmed by the cold energy emanating from her stature.

“I’m asking you why you thought I was coming here to see you.”

The man blinked and began to make excuses by avoiding her gaze as if he had become embarrassed.

“That… because the seat where Lady was sitting was already reserved by me. Every time I visit this place, I always use that seat, and everyone knows that…”

“I didn’t know there were reversed seats at the Royal Shooting Range. If so, the employee wouldn’t lead me here.”

My cold tone made the man even more embarrassed, but he had to say something. Who he was.

“T-That is like an implicit rule. Should I say it’s a consideration for the best marksman in the Empire?”

“The best marksman… in the Empire?”

When I asked, the man suddenly straightened his bent shoulders and raised his chin as if his confidence suddenly rose.

“That’s right. I’m Glock, the eldest son of the Colt family.”

Glock of the Colt family? Ah.

I soon remembered him. The fact that there was a person who was called the best marksman in the Empire. I wanted to compete with him at least once… That’s good.

I smiled softly at him and said, “Oh no, I didn’t notice it. You’re that Lord Glock.”

Glock was puzzled for a moment by my sudden change of attitude, but he soon became the other way around.

“I couldn’t say this myself, but the situation made it inevitable.”

‘What the. He made a face that he wanted to brag about it.’

Madrenne thought as she glanced at him with an unenviable face.

“But what should I do? I like this seat too.”

“T-That’s… Then, what if I teach Lady how to shoot? Then Lady and I can share this place, right?”

There was no end to this man’s craftiness. I twisted one corner of my lips.

“You have a different opinion with me. I want to use this seat alone.”

Is it a waste again today? Glock gave up seducing Arianne and began to admonish her.

“Don’t do that, use another place. As I said earlier, this is my seat. It seems Lady doesn’t know the men’s rules well…”

“Let’s compete for this position.”

Glock’s face was beautifully distorted.

“Did you say compete? Haha. How could I compete with Lady as a man? Lady, do you even know how to shoot?”

Glock began criticizing Arianne as if she were just an ordinary noble lady. Sometimes some women were with them in hunting, but it was more meaningful to be accompanied by a man than to shoot alone. He had never seen or heard of a woman who shot and hunted by herself.

Title of Lady again from start to finish.

I was annoyed when Glock uttered the title lady whenever he opened her mouth, making it difficult to manage my expression. I managed to stop my quivering mouth and gave strength to the corners of my lips, saying, “Well, of course. I have fingers too.”

It was hard for women to pull the trigger with their fingers. And they had to be familiar with the weight of the gun.

I was particularly strong because I inherited Count Bornes’s strength. In the meantime, how many times have the fans broken in her hand? It was a secret that I gripped the tableware hard enough to make it bend when I was angry during a meal. 

I might strangle him at this rate.

If I used my muscle strength, that man’s short ugly neck wouldn’t be safe either.

I grabbed the string of my fading reasoning and opened my mouth, suppressing my anger.

“Let’s compete for this place. Using the revolver. What do you think about it?”

“Oho, how can I as a man compete with a lady?”

“Then, as a man, are you generous enough to give up your seat?”

I found that Glock was not generous because he was proud of himself, and Glock didn’t intend to give away his seat even if his opponent was a lady.

“This is a warning. Lady’s stubborness is beyond words. I can’t help it. I will do what Lady wants. But don’t cry and complain when you lose the match.”

My eyes widened at the absurdity.

Crying? Complaining? Me?

My life was where tears and complaints were unacceptable, so I had to grit my teeth and swallow my tears because I didn’t want to lose to someone who bothered me in the first place. By the way, I couldn’t stand being treated like a child, even though I had already put up with the title I didn’t want to hear. I was determined to show my true self to this cheeky man.

You. I will make you cry until your nose becomes runny. 

Glock didn’t know. The fact that he touched someone he shouldn’t have touched.

Just in time, an employee showed up earlier with a tea tray.

“You’re here just in time.”

I said to the employee, smiling freshly.

“I’m going to ask the employee of Royal Shooting Range to judge.”