The Youngest Prince Of The English Royalty House [EN]: Chapter 13

[Episode 13, Brother-in-Law Heinrich (2)]

-1182, Mortain, England-

Now that I’m slowly shedding my newbie lord status, I have a lot to think about.

First of all, there are more people to share bread with.

My sister and brother-in-law brought their nephews and nieces, and their followers.

They were like Jews who had escaped from Egypt (the Holy Roman Empire) and arrived in Canaan (Mortain) after a tremendous journey.

I don’t know why their destination had to be Mortain, a rural backwater with good mountains and water.

My father and brothers sent letters of profound sympathy,

But it didn’t comfort me at all.

However, when I think of John’s name, known throughout the world for his pure and innocent nature,

I can’t possibly refuse these poor people!

With the heart of Liu Bei accepting Lu Bu [a historical reference to a Chinese warlord known for betrayal], I had no choice but to accept my sister Matilda and my brother-in-law, Duke Heinrich the Lion.

“I will allow my sister and brother-in-law to stay in the territory of Mortain.”

“Thank you, John.”

“Thank you, Count of Mortain.”

My sister and brother-in-law were moved,

But I wasn’t entirely happy.

‘To think refugees are barging into such a weak territory.’

Thanks to the sudden influx of guests, I had more to think about.

But thinking differently,

I couldn’t necessarily think of my own flesh and blood, my sister, and my useful brother-in-law, Duke Heinrich the Lion, as burdens.

‘Good John, taking care of his troubled brother-in-law and sister.’

In the ruthless but romantic, contradictory Middle Ages,

My reputation will spread.

More than anything, I had a feeling that my brother-in-law, the hero Duke Heinrich the Lion,

wouldn’t ignore my help.

So I didn’t lose my smile and said to Peter.

“Peter, let’s think positively. The Lion Duke is a hero who will definitely repay his debts.”

“Your Highness is right.”

Of course, I was aware of my wife’s feelings, as she suddenly had to welcome her sister-in-law and her husband.

Fortunately, Mary was very understanding.

“John, don’t worry. Princess Matilda is the most gentle of the Plantagenet princesses.”

Thinking about it,

I realized that my sister’s group wasn’t entirely useless.

‘Right… those people have hands and feet, so they’ll be helpful to my territory.’

And they were helpful.

“Ah… that’s not how you do it.”

“Yes?”

“In this situation, you have to use the church.”

“As a vassal count, you must always know the lines set by the Duke of Normandy (Richard).”

“Those who remained neutral during the last incident are vassals. For their true help…”

Suddenly, my brother-in-law became a star lecturer.

Since then, he’s been lecturing me one by one, like a teacher lecturing about Mortain.

Who is this guy?

At first, I thought he was a hyena come to plunder our territory, but now I’m not so sure.

So I asked him point-blank.

“Brother-in-law, are you perhaps coveting my territory?”

“I was once an elector [a prince of the Holy Roman Empire entitled to take part in the election of the emperor]. If I wanted a territory like this, I would have aimed for the weak territories of the French, while serving as my father-in-law’s mercenary captain.”

“Haha…”

“Originally, territories are usually obtained by plundering the French.”

Ah, so that’s the proper European common sense.

Then I should kick Philip in the side. Why did you come here?

“Then… why are you here?”

Why would you drool over this rural backwater? Where is it?

Then my brother-in-law Heinrich sighed.

“Ah, that’s what I’m saying.”

Of course, he never told me the reason in the end.

Whether it was a question or a mystery, my brother-in-law and the former Saxon electorate’s hangers-on were quiet.

I wasn’t in a bad mood.

Then, an unwelcome letter arrived.

A letter from France.

-Tear.

Without realizing it, I tore the letter with an annoyed expression.

The letters sent by King Philip II of France were all terrible,

But today I was even more annoyed.

As it was the Middle Ages, the letter was sent with all sorts of biblical verses and poems mixed in,

But what he really wanted to say was.

‘I am the king of the kingdom, but you are playing in that mountain territory that is only a county in name. Isn’t this the destiny given by God?’

That was all.

This Philip guy seems to have a knack for making people angry.

In Chinese, is it something like stimulating someone on purpose [a reference to a common Chinese idiom]?

If he had only sent the letter, I would have laughed it off and achieved mental victory.

But this Philip guy harassed our territory, which was as small as a millet.

The previous incident of vassals fleeing and rebelling was also his doing.

‘Prince John only married into the Claire family because he is incompetent.’

He’s spreading rumors like that.

Without fear!

If so, I have nothing to be ashamed of before heaven.

‘Isabelle of Paris loves a knight~ His nickname is Lancelot, a loyal adulterer that Philip will never know~’

A minstrel song that the French would love was quickly completed.

**

Defending against the idle Philip’s schemes.

While diligently reviving the territory of Mortain,

I heard good news.

“Congratulations. It’s confirmed that you’re pregnant.”

At the doctor’s words, I… couldn’t speak.

“Oh… God.”

I could only look for God.

“John, you’re happy, right?”

“Mary, what could be happier than this?”

But paradoxically, on the night I heard this good news,

I had a nightmare.

In front of me were Philip and a guillotine.

In my dream, I was the king who had lost the Battle of Bouvines [a decisive battle in 1214 that secured Philip II’s reign].

And Philip was preparing to dunk me with a smirk.

[John, you are a loser. Your end is the guillotine. Be grateful for my consideration.]

[You son of a bitch, Philip. Just chop my head off with an axe.]

[Thanks to you, I will soon be able to become France. Sorry, thanks!]

Philip, a 12th-century figure, brought out a guillotine that would appear in the late 18th century.

Good heavens.

Even if it’s a dream, it’s dangerous.

-Bang.

Thanks to that, I woke up in a cold sweat.

“Shit.”

That’s how great the past life experience in my dream was.

A Korean curse came out of my mouth.

“Si val, what does that mean? Are you sick anywhere?”

“It’s nothing.”

As I pretended to be okay, Mary, who was looking at me with concern, hugged me and said.

“You’re not alone anymore. We have a baby now.”

Mary showed me her bulging belly.

“This child inherits your and my noble blood.”

A child.

The original King John couldn’t stand up to France and the internal nobles,

And became a shameful father to his son Henry III,

But at least I wanted to be a proud father to my child born in the Middle Ages.

To do that, I have to change history.

In a very good way for me.

“John, are you having a hard time these days?”

“I’m not having a hard time.”

What kind of head of household would want to show weakness in front of his wife?

I immediately looked at Mary’s belly and changed the subject.

“I’ve been thinking about the child’s name. James if it’s a son, Elizabeth if it’s a daughter.”

“Those are good names.”

Usually, when a son is born, he is named after his father or grandfather,

But I didn’t want to name my son Henry or Geoffrey.

An ‘English (British Empire)’ name is the best.

I won’t just live like the original King John.

Even if history changes and I can’t become king,

I will survive as the most useful great aristocrat.

“Mary, I will be this child’s proud father. No matter what happens.”

At my pledge, Mary smiled brightly and said.

“John, I will also be this child’s proud mother. No matter the cost.”

Mary smiling coldly.

“Mary, your expression was a bit scary just now.”

For a moment, I thought I was watching a villain in a makjang drama [Korean melodrama].

**

The territory of Mortain is strictly speaking a rural backwater.

But the couple who had managed the Saxon territory.

This quiet territory of Mortain wasn’t bad.

And they were praising John.

“Madam, John is really amazing.”

“Of course. Unlike his cunning brothers, John was a cute child.”

Matilda proudly praised her youngest brother.

“I came here at my father-in-law’s request.”

Duke Heinrich the Lion.

Once the best powerhouse the Holy Roman Empire had produced,

Now a fallen and humble being living off his youngest brother-in-law.

Frankly speaking, Heinrich felt sorry for his brother-in-law.

In fact, the Lion Duke knew his youngest brother-in-law well.

Because Princess Matilda had been boasting about her youngest brother since the Saxon territory days.

[Our John is kind, unlike his brothers.]

Moreover, as time went on, Prince John became more and more famous.

The fact that he proposed to Princess Agnes of France hundreds of times,

The fact that he wrote several ‘Minnesang (medieval ballads)’ that made many minstrels cry with emotion.

Overall, the bizarre behavior of taking an heiress from the declining Claire family as his partner, and the true bizarre behavior he showed while managing the territory of Mortain for a year.

Each and every one of them was for the European gossips.

John was an interesting person.

But to the powerhouses of Europe, John was.

He was known as the strange youngest son who eased the conflict between Thomas Becket and Henry II.

‘Moreover, the two reconciled recently.’

Of course, Prince John was just an interesting person to Heinrich, nothing more.

Until his father-in-law ordered him to go to the territory of Mortain!

He clearly wanted to be protected by his father-in-law Henry II,

And there were many benefits to be gained there.

But Henry II’s question was unexpected.

‘I cannot accept you.’

He came to England wanting to be protected by a powerhouse like Henry II,

But he can’t accept me.

When the Lion Duke made a puzzled expression.

‘I will ask Sir Heinrich the Lion, not my son-in-law.

In our Plantagenet family, is there another child as human as John?’

‘Father-in-law, that’s…’

‘I am thinking about big things right now, and I don’t have the capacity to take care of the Lion Duke of the Holy Roman Empire.’

With those words, his father-in-law gave the Lion Duke many benefits and sent him to Prince John.

That’s how Heinrich came to arrive in the territory of Mortain.

Like the Israelites wandering through Canaan, the Lion Duke, who had defected to the County of Mortain, met John.

‘I will accept my sister and brother-in-law in the territory of Mortain.’

Prince John. No, Count John of Mortain was truly human.

He was quite different from the other ‘princes’ he had met before.

“Our lord is the best.”

“This is the first time I’ve seen a lord who shows compassion to the serfs.”

“He even thinks about the health of us ignorant people every year.”

“Taxes are down, conscription rates are down. Long live the good Count!”

Those who were light-mouthed and ignorant,

Praised the good Count John without being told to do so.

Unlike the previous lords of Mortain,

He was a count loved by the people of the territory.

But.

“If Duke Lion or your nephews and nieces do well, you must repay this favor. Really, repay it 100 times over.”

“…”

Should this be called human?

The Lion Duke pondered.

**

Mortain, a mountain village where the morning sun shines.

Rather than an endless sea,

There were many lush mountains.

So I sang 21st-century songs to my nephews and nieces.

“A pretty flower hat floats on the sunset stream, the love story of a mountain boy~”

“Wow!”

The children, who didn’t know the ways of the world, were moved by the melody.

“Sniff. John, why are you making this sister cry?”

Our sister Matilda was moved by the emotions contained in the lyrics and shed tears.

Unlike the scary brothers of Plantagenet, the sisters were full of emotion,

It’s a moment when I miss the other sisters who went to various places to get married.

“John, I’ll take good care of your wife. This sister has given birth to many children, even if she doesn’t know anything else, right?”

“Hmm…”

I didn’t know she would boast about her fertility so openly.

Still, it was surprising in many ways.

Matilda, who I thought would do nothing but play and eat,

Said she would earn her keep.

Of course, it’s not just sister Matilda.

“John, is there anything I can help with?”

Duke Heinrich the Lion was also a conscientious brother-in-law who offered to help his brother-in-law.

In addition to lecturing, he offered to earn his keep.

“I want to train the small army of Mortain into a strong army, would you help me?”

It wasn’t that I didn’t have elite troops.

But only the troops of my wife’s family or the bodyguards my father sent were elite troops!

The army of Mortain that I employed in the territory was only a third-rate army.

And my interest was only in the territory’s finances!

In order to revive the territory that the previous lords and lackey nobles had ruined,

The emergency surgery of Mortain, led by surgeon Peter and assistant Safe John, took place over a year.

Then what about the army?

I gave Godfrey a lot of money and entrusted him with training.

Then where.

Shall we see how it turned out?

“Hap!”

“Lancer charge!”

“Raise your shields!”

“Fire!”

I was having a hard time managing my expression,

And my brother-in-law was looking at me awkwardly.

What?

Where did our cute little army go?

**

While John was in shock at the training ground.

Mary, the Countess of Mortain, disguised as a knight of the Claire family.

Was meeting someone.

“Congratulations on your pregnancy.”

“Thank you. You came, so those people sent you after all?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“First, I’ll ask you the most important thing. What about the funds for our territory of Mortain?”

“We have prepared more than last time.”

“Good. Then what’s the situation on your side?”

“It seems like we will be taking action soon.”

Hearing the report, Mary raised the corners of her mouth.

“She’s volunteering to die. Poor ‘sister;'”

She mocked someone.

The Lion’s Great Army (1)