The Youngest Prince Of The English Royalty House [EN]: Chapter 116

116. A Harmonious Family (2)

Swish, swish.

Eleanor watched her daughter-in-law writing diligently and said,

“Your hobby is just like your ancestor’s, isn’t it?”

“Ah, she’s the person I respect the most, you know? And this isn’t a hobby, it’s a mission, Mother.”

Eleanor, seeing her youngest daughter-in-law, who was perhaps more like a daughter than her own, took another sip of wine.

It was Brittany wine.

With a sweet first taste and a rather bitter aftertaste. Not bad in its own way.

“Recording with all your might, huh? It’s not just because he’s your beloved husband, is it?”

“Of course not. I was able to help my husband John thrive thanks to you, Mother. I have to write about my gratitude towards you, too.”

“How very fair of you.”

As Eleanor said with a raised lip corner, Mary replied with shining eyes.

“Of course. Where else would you find such an objective historian like me?”

“Objective? You don’t seem like it at all?”

Queen Eleanor barely managed to hold back her laughter. Absolutely not objective. It was clear that she was wearing rose-tinted glasses, just like herself when she was infatuated with Duke Henry of Anjou (later Henry II) and made several political blunders.

‘Look at her now,’ Eleanor mused.

‘Isn’t she ‘fairly’ writing all sorts of praises for ‘Safe John’ in every sentence?’

“Mother is the one who isn’t objective, always ‘our Richard,’ ‘our Richard.’ Isn’t that Iocasta looking at Oedipus?”

“…!”

In Greek mythology, Iocasta and Oedipus unknowingly married each other, only to discover later that they had committed the heinous act of marrying their own mother and son.

What Mary was implying was:

‘Mother, do you only see Richard as a son? Surely… you’re not crossing the line to the point of going to hell, are you?’ It was the same as swearing.

Faced with her daughter-in-law’s brazenly disrespectful behavior, Eleanor pretended to be frightened and said,

“Our youngest daughter-in-law, why are you so… scary? Even in ‘Greece,’ few people use such insults.”

“It’s because I feel like you’re my own mother, Mother.”

It was already a funny situation to be listening to the whining of a daughter-in-law who had given birth to three children at an old age, but she felt that her daughter-in-law was amazing in many ways for showing such a side.

If she were another royal family’s mother-in-law, she would want to kill her daughter-in-law right away.

But Eleanor had already experienced all sorts of things in her life. Wasn’t she the unluckiest mother in the world, having been subjected to filial impiety [disrespect from children] by her five daughters in turn?

“Your family is amazing too. Your parents must be so proud to have a daughter like you?”

“Of course, they’re probably proud of me in heaven right now.”

This time, Eleanor childishly asked about her parents’ well-being, and Mary’s eyes turned red. Of course, there was no affection for her real parents.

“Don’t pretend to be sentimental. You’re still resenting your parents, aren’t you? What kind of mother-in-law would listen to such crazy antics from her daughter-in-law?”

“Didn’t you say you’d treat me like a daughter?”

She was crossing the line too much, like a daughter, to the point of being scary.

“…Mother, recording history for me, this is the life I want.”

Mary, who had been diligently writing letters in Angevin, John’s language, said confidently as she held up her pen.

Queen Eleanor let out a hollow laugh.

‘What sin did I commit to get such a daughter-in-law? Mother (Matilda), I miss you.’

But Eleanor, who had regained her composure, said,

“John, you’re going to create the history that child will unfold, and you’re going to record that history?”

“Yes, how fun is that? It’s a fun game that neither the father who gave birth to me nor any of my blood relatives can do.”

Eleanor, seeing Mary’s 모습, which was like playing both the drum and the janggu [Korean double-headed drum] in Korean style, thought that she had really gotten a terrible daughter-in-law.

“Isn’t that being a mastermind?”

“A mastermind? People call this ‘internal support’.”

“Ha….”

Queen Eleanor was speechless. How could she act so innocent, saying, ‘There are no masterminds in this world, Mother.’

She was a daughter-in-law who resembled her more than her own hateful daughters.

* * *

—1191, Western Europe—

The rumor that Henry II had taken off his helmet and revealed his identity when the Brittany campaign was coming to an end.

It spread throughout Europe.

The latest news, more shocking than the fact that John had defeated Prince Geoffrey, had spread.

The people of Europe thought that Henry II, who was in critical condition, would serve as a living royal seal before returning to the Lord’s embrace.

Frankly, how much had Henry II done in the meantime with the aim of ‘Making England Great Again’? Perhaps because there were more than one or two countries that had been harmed by being neighbors with Henry II, many countries in Europe reacted with ‘Serves them right’ to this Angevin family feud.

But after Henry II made a surprise appearance, the people of Europe realized that they had been fooled again.

Henry II was a truly vicious person.

[Holy Roman Empire]

“Didn’t I tell you! Henry II, that bastard, was plotting something!”

Emperor Frederick I of the Holy Roman Empire, who knew better than anyone that Henry II was putting on a show, with the mindset that the Earth still revolves, was annoyed.

Although the nobles who had been ignoring Frederick, the setting sun, and sucking up to the Crown Prince, the rising sun, were watching carefully.

Already, due to the Crown Prince’s blunders, the Holy Roman Empire was gradually becoming neither holy nor ‘Roman’.

[Kingdom of Sicily]

“Was it Father who blocked all our moves?”

Joan, the sister with the same name as John, was dumbfounded.

The Kingdom of Sicily, which had a lot of grievances against Prince John and hated Venice, was going to teach Prince John the terrors of the world this time.

She had already been checked by the vicious Venetian fleet. News of the nobles she had won over and the informants she had sent to Ireland had been cut off.

In that situation, Henry II appeared on the battlefield.

That meant Henry II was involved in the process of her being obstructed, and Joan was, in a word, being played by her father.

[Kingdom of Spain]

“Your mother foresaw this situation.”

“My mother and father must have already talked about it. Damn… old folks!”

Little Eleanor’s expression was not good. She had felt a sense of déjà vu when she was threatened by her birth mother last time. Hearing the news that Henry II had come out unharmed and was mocking his third son Geoffrey.

‘From the beginning, it was something our parents did.’

She realized that.

Eleanor, who favored Richard, and Henry II, who cherished John, had ultimately moved for a single common interest.

It was still a dysfunctional family.

[Aquitaine Campaign]

Philip II, who was fighting hard in the Aquitaine campaign and was barely finishing the battle and changing his plans, almost foamed at the mouth.

“Damn it!”

Philip II, who had grown up listening to his father Louis VII tell him that Henry II was the true Beelzebub (Satan), felt like he was going crazy.

He was already furious about losing the Brittany campaign, but Henry II’s return made everything even more difficult.

But the misfortune doesn’t end there.

Philip heard another piece of bad news.

“Your Majesty, Charles’s Irish fleet has appeared off the coast of Calais.”

“That… Charles, a traitor worse than Judas!”

Philip II, with a nationalistic temperament unlike the medieval feudal era, burst out in anger.

Charles, one of the corps commanders of the Safe Knights, was from a native aristocratic family born in the Kingdom of France.

* * *

—English Territory, Brittany Estate—

In commemoration of the reunion with my father, I sent another letter to my brother Richard. Still, out of courtesy, my father had come, so I said I would support the Aquitaine campaign.

But in the reply I received, my brother Richard said that he respected my command, but he didn’t need any help.

Okay? Then I’ll have to rip them off a little more leisurely.

Of course, I clearly told my shameless father.

“These people’s ransom is mine. Don’t even think about putting your fork on a meat dish that’s already done, like the Italians do.”

“You unfilial bastard.”

“Still, I’ll take care of my father’s share.”

“Our beloved John!”

Middle Ages. The reason why it’s better to capture the enemy’s commander than to kill them is because the ‘ransom’ is lucrative. The creative economy created by noble prisoners is the common sense of medieval Europe.

There’s an implicit rule of ‘I’ll let you live’!

In the East, a massive massacre would have already taken place. Originally, in the history of Japan, China, and Korea, the person who won the battle between princes tears out not only the family of the defeated, but also the members of the force.

But in feudal Europe, doing such a thing would be a big deal. No matter how much of a loser you are, you have to keep a certain line and rip them off legally. Killing everyone involved in treason is against European common sense.

Wouldn’t the reason why the original John was betrayed by his subordinate nobles in the fight against Philip II be because he indiscriminately slaughtered his nephew Arthur, who had lost in the civil war with him, and his vassals who followed him?

Of course, not everyone gets to live. Sacrifices are needed!

“Behead them!”

“Yes!”

—Swish.

Like cutting off a lizard’s tail, a few nobles must be beheaded as an example. Because we have to show the end of the losers.

Anyway, the bastards who deserved to die were executed, and we received the ransom for the noble prisoners and released the remaining commanders.

“Shouldn’t Your Majesty go help Brother Richard quickly?”

“Me not going is helping.”

“You don’t want to play around, do you?”

My proud father, who is still enjoying himself with young beauties like a wild horse, always insists that he is old when troublesome things happen. I’m amazed and speechless at his selective political correctness.

The time to rest for a while has passed. Honestly, after occupying Brittany, I lost a lot of time organizing the situation in various ways. Now it’s time to do the next thing.

At that time.

The vassal I sent to the sea returned and told me.

“Your Majesty, Your Highness, we have returned victorious.”

“How much did you beat them up?”

“I measured it and measured it again, but tears came to my eyes at the abundance.”

It was Charles.

Soon, Charles reported on his achievements in destroying the French fleet off the coast of Calais.

“Your Majesty, I have such a great admiral. Your Majesty doesn’t have such a skilled admiral, does he?”

“Ahem….”

I said to my father, who looked embarrassed.

“Since Brother Richard said he doesn’t need support in Aquitaine. Then, I’ll go looting now.”

“Then what about Brittany?”

“Isn’t Your Majesty there?”

The land of longing, Brittany, is being dumped on Dad. If you’re not going to fight, you have to protect it. Your son is going to start a big game soon.

* * *

—August 1191, Western Europe, throughout France—

It’s summer in Gaul (the old name of France).

The scent of grapes and the laughter of playing children are natural in good weather, but now is a time of ruthless war.

The front line of Brittany is now ours, the Black Lion. And since my father will take care of it, I couldn’t stay there any longer.

We decided to go to the kingdom of longing, France.

“Your Highness, all preparations for the march are complete.”

“Good work.”

If the preparations are complete, should we run now?

“Your Highness, please give the order.”

Godfrey is a trustworthy commander who can be called the sword of Safe John. He is a person who understands the parts that I didn’t even think of well and leads the flow of the battlefield.

In the original history, he ends up as a promising player who didn’t leave a big name in history because of the other arch-enemy ‘baron’ guys of the stupid Prince John.

But now I’m raising him properly, so France’s Villard, Austria’s Prince Savoy, be nervous. Because I’m going to make an EX-class great general in the 12th century.

Anyway, the France that we’re going to loot this time is a country whose main body is ‘Paris’. There may be countries where the capital is not important in pre-modern times, but after the old Franks stretched, the history of France tends to be identified with the history of Paris.

It’s not for nothing that Paris was about to fall in World War II.

I didn’t surrender in 6 weeks.

The Brittany campaign was a difficult landing for a preemptive strike, but I already got Brittany. Getting the Normandy port and the Brittany port at the same time created a situation where I could exert the power of my Irish territory more properly.

“Ah, I have wanted to fight the French for a long time. Now, by the grace of God and Saint Patrick, I will fight some of them. Because they have given me a lot of unpleasantness. Righteous sledgehammers, march quickly!”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“It’s the Black Lion Army! The Black Lion Army has invaded!”

Île-de-France [Region surrounding Paris].

It is a region called France’s Gyeonggi-do [reference to the province surrounding Seoul, South Korea], where all the infrastructure of France is located, and in the center of this is Paris, called the alpha and omega of France.

After marching through Normandy and pushing away the northern part of Île-de-France, I.

Said cheerfully.

“Our ancestor Rollo is watching over us. Paris is worth getting even if we have to offer mass [Catholic Mass]!”

Rollo, who was from the Vikings but fought hard as a mercenary of the Franks (old France), was granted land and became a French aristocrat, is my distant ancestor! It is the moment when the descendants uphold the will of that ancestor!

The expressions of the commanders who were looking at me at that moment became blank.

Why is that?