Surviving as a Writer in the British Empire

Alice and Peter Foundation

“That’s how it happened.”

“That’s also chaos of chaos…”

I muttered a mixture of half admiration and half absurdity.

Uh, um… You’re a man with a lot of desire. Personally, I’m not the type to dislike being motivated by what I do, but that’s about it.

“Then isn’t the chance of making it good?”

“You won’t have to worry about that. First of all, the owner of Savoy Theater himself is a pretty good director, and in the end, the cause of the failure was that the play itself was ambiguous, so it didn’t make a box office hit. It will have nothing to do with us.”

“No, who the hell are the people who wrote the script…”

“Arthur Conan Doyle and James Matthew Barry.”

“······uh.”

Were those nobles? Come to think of it, I think I’ve heard of a similar anecdote, but could it be that this theater was that theater?!

Anyway, Mr. Bentley said while flipping through the handed over contract.

“To be honest, I think the Savoy Theater would fit well with the author’s writing. You may not know, but when you say ‘Savoy opera’, the sailing point was originally a light and popular comedy opera.”

“Comedira…”

That doesn’t mean it’s a gag concert, right?

When I asked just in case, they said it was a positive drama with a happy ending, albeit with a bit of humor and satire.

Hmmm, would that be okay?

“The writer says that if there is an actor or singer he wants, he will hire him first. Is there a casting you want?”

“I don’t know that well.”

I shrugged and said.

As I said before, I don’t know anything about theater. Especially if it was England at the end of the 19th century.

“Instead, please ask me to call you back in the middle. Because I think I need to check whether it works or not.”

“Ah, yes. All right. Then we will make a contract.”

“Seriously, please ask me to call you.”

“Ah… yes.”

To be honest, I couldn’t be relieved even after asking for trust through Mr. Bentley.

Can not help it. This is because, as a web novel writer, I have heard too many ghost stories from seniors in the industry regarding the media mix of web novels.

He said he used a middle-aged cartoonist with a good career as a screenwriter, but he didn’t ruin the directing, or he said he would turn it into a drama, and he put a random romance into a No-Man’s work, making human relationships a mess.

In fact, even then, the worst was different. Lastly, the ending is real… Ha. Just thinking about it makes my head hurt, so let’s stop here.

Of course, there’s no way such a rare piece of trash could exist in England.

Yes, let’s believe that.

“But why did you say you would do ＜Peter Perry＞? Isn’t ＜Vincent Villiers＞, a modern play, better to make into a play?”

“Ah, hahahaha. That, well.”

Avoid your eyes…

I could roughly see why Mr. Bentley was doing this.

It’s obvious, because I’ve heard roughly through Mr. Miller that ＜Vincent Villiers＞ is hated by the aristocracy.

Of course, Mr. Miller bluntly said, ‘Why would I care about that? There are gentries and nobles who actually help Vincent, right? Personally, I liked Earl Asquath.’

Actually, I intended that too.

The only villain is the Duke of Villiers, a rebellion that even the royal family looks down on. Oh well, yes!

“Then when did you upload it?”

“Once the contract is successful and production begins, at least a few months are spent drafting the script, casting, and composing music to match it….

“It takes quite a while.”

“On the contrary, it saves time to work on the clothes, so you can say it’s fast.”

It’s just like the movie. No, since there is a lot of CG and other work in the movie, did it come out later?

Well, he’s an outsider, so there’s nothing he can do about it.

I shrugged and said.

“Mr. Bentley will take care of the discussion with you. I will believe you.”

“Author…!”

Mr. Bentley looked at me with thrilled eyes.

Well, actually, since I can’t just live in London, it’s closer to the feeling of setting up an agent in moderation.

No, honestly, in this situation, if you don’t trust the editor in charge, or even the president, who should you trust?

And then, Mr. Miller patted him on the shoulder from behind to finish it off.

“It is said that it will even be a play, but I will have to work harder. Isn’t it?”

“Ah, hahahaha. That, it is.”

It was the pressure from my parents to take care of the children and not wander around unnecessarily.

Yes, I’ll be back soon.

***

Whitechapel, Old Street.

Walter, who runs a general store, has been feeling that the East End atmosphere is getting weird lately.

Directly to the skin!

It is also the warm air that has been felt since the popularity of ＜Peter Perry＞.

The novel that was like a star of hope became a meteorite and the cold wind that mercilessly destroyed people’s hearts.

And after Peter came back to life, it wasn’t even the warm wind he felt again.

Something, from the people I run into… should I say the aura of death? It was a refreshing and strange atmosphere, as if such an ominous thing had fallen about five steps away.

“Isn’t that nice?”

“Of course it is good.”

Walter nodded his head at the question of his daughter, Ellie, who had been receiving counseling.

And at the same time, I felt a sense of pity.

Originally, if it was Eli’s head, even Cambridge, which started accepting female students from 1882, could have gone on to school.

But… that place was too far for Ellie to go.

Distance in itself is a huge financial burden.

It is difficult to find a boarding house, it is difficult to find books to study, and the tuition itself is not that cheap.

All of this is money.

So Ellie had no choice but to give up college and start working to help Walter.

It was a common story on this street, and it was embarrassing to complain to anyone.

But reality is reality, and Walter’s bitterness as a father had to be separate.

If only I had a little more money. If that was the case, I would have been able to study hard so that my daughter could become the teacher she wanted…

And as if she noticed her father’s feelings, Ellie deliberately spoke boldly with a frown on her face.

“Ah, it’s okay. dad.”

“But, Ellie.”

“That’s Okay! I like my life now. Anyway, even if a woman goes to college, it’s not like she’s enrolled as a full-time student, and isn’t most of it just used by high-ranking nobles to raise their ransom? I won’t take it even if I give it to you.”

It’s a lie.

There’s no way Walter didn’t know that.

But denying it here will make any difference… It will only hurt her daughter more.

Walter just shook his head in silence and turned away.

“Anyway, the atmosphere is strangely good these days. It’s not bad, but… aren’t you curious about something?”

“Well… that’s right, that’s true.”

Ellie shrugged.

Perhaps because she still went to school, she had at least a little taste of a bright and relaxed atmosphere that was different from her father, who had only lived in the East End.

I knew because To begin with, the atmosphere at the bottom of this East End was abnormal.

“The murderer who was rampant in the first place was caught, right? Maybe that’s why?”

“Well, anyway, even if he wasn’t there, people who would die would die on the street anyway…”

It was the moment when he said so.

The bells of the general store were heard.

At the same time, as always, Dick came in, a regular, now a weekly regular, if it used to be once a month.

“Hey, Walter! Ellie is here today too.”

“Welcome, Dick.”

“Hello, mister!”

Come to think of it, Walter looked at Dick closely.

Given the change in the atmosphere in the East End, there was no talent like Dick.

After all, Dick was a coachman who used to roam around London, and even in the East End, he was a day job driver for the Hansom cab.

And when Walter looked over Dick, the biggest difference from before was…

“Dick, hey.”

“huh? What’s going on. Surely this doesn’t mean that there is no ＜Weekly Temple＞ this week?”

“No, there is.”

Walter held out ＜Weekly Temple＞, which he had already bought in dozens of copies.

Then he asked Dick, who was happily opening the magazine.

“By the way, Dick.”

“why? I am busy reading, so speak quickly.”

“Hey, are you taking care of your meals these days?”

“huh?”

At that, Dick raised his head.

Dick didn’t answer, but that gesture was enough.

I couldn’t see any of Dick’s signature sunken-cheek shadows, which had been visible before.

From noble mtl dot com

In other words, it meant that the day labor coachman, who usually had a hard time eating even one meal a day, was eating properly.

“Oh, come to think of it, you didn’t know.”

“What do you mean?”

“There is a free soup kitchen in front of the company these days. All the children in the neighborhood and the company’s coachman can get a piece of bread a day.”

“A free lunch?”

“You mean at work?”

Like his startled daughter, Ellie, Walter involuntarily admired it.

My God, what company in the world would do something that doesn’t even cost money like that. Even in this East End?

But Dick didn’t stop and told an even more surprising story.

“No, it’s not the lunch provided by the company. what did he say? They say it’s a soup kitchen operated by some charity foundation.”

“A charitable foundation?”

Could such a thing exist? no, it’s possible

But Walter’s anxiety preceded his joy, and he had no choice but to clench his fists involuntarily.

“…Could it be that the Reds did it?”

Basically, no one liked the high-ranking people of the country among those who lived in this East End.

It is because they believed in a strange thing called the ‘invisible hand’ and despised the poor for ‘lack of labor’.

However, that did not mean that they supported the ‘Reds’ who stood on the opposite side of the high officials.

What they said was sweet, but the conclusion ends with smashing everything. It was common to break machinery and set fires in the factories where they worked.

If that happens, it will be difficult to earn a living every day until it is restored.

As such, Walter couldn’t like either of them.

I did… but they suddenly opened a soup kitchen? What do you mean? Are you trying to burn the omnibus this time, just like before?

Walter involuntarily narrowed his eyes.

however.

“No, not the Reds.”

“Mister, then who are you?”

“What was that, the ＜Alice & Peter Foundation＞?”

“······what?”

What is the name of the foundation that seems to have no roots?

Seeing Walter’s bewildered face, Dick exclaimed with an innocent expression as if he had discovered something surprising.

“Come to think of it, the name of the main character in ＜Peter Perry＞ is also Peter? What a coincidence!”

It was then that I thought so.

With my daughter-!

Walter saw someone else open the door and come in after Dick.

It was a very well-dressed gentleman, a rarity in the East End.

“What did you come for?”

“Nice to meet you. I’ve been looking for Miss Elira Smith, are you there?”

“yes? Me?”

Dick, as well as the father and daughter, looked at the gentleman in amazement.

The gentleman held out his business card with a friendly smile.

“Hello, Miss Smith. I am an attorney from the Alice and Peter Foundation.”

“Rice, rice, lawyer?!”

Where did you get sued?!

Ellie jumped up to her feet in uneasiness.

There were too many points for her, who was forced to live in the East End with a brash personality. Walter also tried to sneak forward to protect her.

It was then. said the lawyer urgently.

“Ah, I didn’t come here because of something strange. I just came to hire Miss Smith.”

“… Employment?”

“I heard the story from Mr. Stewart. His grades are excellent, but he gave up college due to family circumstances.”

“Mr. Stuart…”

Ellie’s eyes widened when she heard the name of her high school teacher in an unexpected place. Meanwhile, the lawyer spoke quickly.

“I heard that basic education is already possible. Our foundation is trying to open a new night school for children here in the East End.”

“Night school?”

“Yes, you probably know better than I do… because there are many children here who have to work during the day.”

“······aha.”

After the Factory Act of 1833 was enacted, child labor rates declined significantly. Since then, several legislations on elementary education have been enacted, but…

It’s similar in other places, but since there are especially many people in the East End who live on a daily basis, there are many cases where they do not receive such benefits.

Many were able to work as hall boys and scullery maids in textile mills and dye mills, as well as in towns to shoe shine or, if they were lucky, their connections through their connections.

Poverty does not discriminate against gender or age. As such, it is inevitable that the beginning of the night school will be a choice.

“That’s what you mean…”

“Yes that’s right. Miss Smith, I’m here to hire you as a teacher for our night school. Also, since it is a night school, if you wish, we will support you to complete a university education course during the day, but how about it?”

The gentleman added, “I think it would be best for someone who lives nearby to take over.”

At those words, Ellie and Walter understood at once.

As I said before, the distance to work costs money on its own.

Besides, this is East End.

I don’t think people from other regions would come and go easily in such a remote place. It is said that a murderer was recently caught, but it was a crime area, and even if they came, it is unknown whether they will be able to easily adapt to the children here.

In other words, it was said that there was no one who met the conditions as well as Ellie at present.

I was born and raised in this area.

He was smart from birth, and thanks to meeting good teachers, he was able to receive higher education for his age.

“oh my god······.”

How lucky is this to come to me

Ellie unknowingly brought her hands together to her chest to calm her pounding heart.

And then.

“Okay, I will. No, please let me do it.”

“This is an excellent choice. welcome. Miss Smith.”

Ellie smiled brightly and held the lawyer’s hand.