Chapter 10

**The Youngest Prince of the Bean Flour House - Chapter 10 (10/205)**

1181, Spring.

When the scent of flowers brushed against people's noses.

The news of Prince John's marriage spread throughout the world.

John, the prince known for his repeated proposals to Princess Agnes, even after being rejected, was famous for his pure love.

The news that he was to marry Mary, the young lady of the Clare family, spread faster than the speed at which Henry II, known as the David of England, changed his women.

"Love-struck~ he has found a new love~"

"His choice is the young lady of the Clare family~"

"None other than Mary~"

The minstrels who admired John sang about his new love.

Soon after, John of the Plantagenet royal family and Mary of the Clare family exchanged engagement rings.

The date for John and Mary's wedding mass was quickly set.

At first, some people thought John was starting a new love to forget Agnes, but soon they recognized a new fact.

That the John-Mary couple suited each other quite well.

However, amidst this excited atmosphere,

there was one person with many concerns.

That person was Peter, who served John as his lord.

Of course, Peter, the closest confidant of Prince John,

could not calmly watch his lord's wedding mass.

Because he felt that "it was really the beginning."

Until then, Peter had helped John, who was still a prince and not yet a lord.

In fact, at Westminster Palace, John faced no significant threats, thanks to the large shield of Henry II.

"Montargis."

"Normandy."

And.

"The rebellious island" of Ireland.

Thinking about the three territories where his lord John had immediate interests,

Peter's concerns deepened.

John, who was to become the Earl of Montargis, had given up his claim to the throne, aware of his formidable older brothers.

But Peter had the ambition to make John at least a noble who could not be ignored, to protect himself.

So Peter felt both excitement and fear.

But thinking about the kind John, he reaffirmed his resolve.

"To ensure Prince John's safe power, I must first gather the strength of the bastards."

Bastards, who were never recognized by the Catholic Church or the state.

But.

Henry II's handsome face and robust lower body.

Created countless bastards, from England to France, and even Italy.

Although only a few bastards, including Peter himself, could act in the open,

there were many more in the shadows.

They were valuable in their own right.

"Prince John would respect them."

John, the legitimate youngest prince of the Plantagenet royal family,

was the most merciful man to illegitimate bastards.

Having finished his thoughts, Peter

looked at John, who was running with his brothers, and thought.

"I will lay the foundation for my lord."

He would become Simon Peter.

**

Dressed in the splendid ceremonial attire popular in the Eastern Roman Empire,

I arrived at Canterbury Cathedral, escorted by my brothers.

Riding a white horse, I was truly the prince on a white horse.

The wedding venue was

Canterbury Cathedral, which had been destroyed by fire in my childhood but had been partially restored over time!

Upon entering the cathedral, I looked at Mary, who looked even more beautiful today.

Seeing Mary, it seemed she was struggling with her expression management.

Of course, I felt the same way.

"The wedding mass will now begin."

In 12th century England, the state religion was the Roman Catholic Church, not the Church of England (Anglican Church).

So my medieval-style wedding mass was presided over by a priest,

and the priest leading the mass was my teacher, Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury.

'Is this really a wedding?'

Nobles from the Anjou family and

guests sent by the newly crowned Philip II came to celebrate.

And, the unpleasant guys from eastern France.

Of course, other guests from France were precious to me.

They were members of the youngest club who had rushed to celebrate my wedding sincerely.

Though they were still powerless as they were born as the youngest,

when Philip's guys caused trouble, they were a great help to me.

Even without eating bread, I felt full.

The wedding mass was boring, but having Mary beside me made it bearable.

Renaissance-style wedding masses were at least grand, but the rough medieval mass was extremely boring.

Now, my beautiful wife Mary stands beside me, dressed in the splendid ceremonial attire of the Eastern Roman Empire.

Finally, the wedding vows.

A pure prayer to Jesus Christ.

The Eucharist.

The blessing.

Yes, it's almost the end.

My teacher, who alternated between looking at me and Mary, said in a calm voice.

"May the Lord be with you."

-And also with the spirit of the priest. "Lord, a new couple has just been born. Grant them your merciful blessing."

-Amen.

"Lord, may this couple keep their faith, live without sin, and remain pure."

-Amen.

"Lord, bless this new couple with the fruit of love, and let them multiply and flourish."

-Amen.

Of course, the highlight of the wedding mass was

not the long and boring sequence, but what came after the mass.

The banquet that followed the mass.

Compared to the grand banquets of the French Bourbon royal family that I enjoyed,

the English banquet was as rough as the mass.

Now it was time to be celebrated.

"Congratulations. Our youngest is now a head of a household."

Henry, my brother, looked genuinely happy and pleased.

"From now on, you must do better. You have taken a position of responsibility."

Richard, my brother, said gruffly while patting my shoulder.

"John, you are now the Earl of Montargis, no longer the landless one."

Geoffrey congratulated me with a kinder face than anyone else.

And my father, Henry II, looked at me with trembling eyes and said,

"Do not forget what I said last time. You are now someone's husband and will become a father."

Of course, there were also foreign guests.

"I come from the Kingdom of Castile."

"I come from the Kingdom of Jerusalem."

"I come from the Kingdom of France."

"I come from the Roman Empire (Eastern Roman Empire)."

...

-Sincerely congratulating the marriage of the Earl of Montargis.

Of course, the congratulations to me, the bridegroom, were simple.

After all, their true purpose was not me but my father, Henry II.

Anyway, with the end of the banquet,

the wedding mass that marked the start of my life as a real adult came to an end.

Of course, my mother was not present.

She was still in exile.

As before, I did not miss my mother.

The unfilial son cries.

**

The next day.

Mary, who had risen from bed, looked at me.

"Mary, it's morning."

"Hey, I couldn't sleep properly because of you. How did you hide such strength!"

Mary, who was marveling, smiled and said to me.

"Anyway, John, am I now the Countess?"

"Isn't that right?"

Countess.

Thinking about it, being a countess is a pretty impressive title, almost as impressive as being a count.

It feels truly noble compared to titles like baroness or viscountess.

Now, Mary and I had to leave England.

The Montargis territory was waiting for us.

Of course, before leaving, we paid our respects to my father.

"So, did you have a good night?"

"It was a great night."

I had knocked Mary out.

As a second-time newlywed who had been married in my previous life, I was incredibly strong!

"Haha, now you're a real man."

"From now on, you must protect your subjects as an earl."

My father's gaze, as he looked at me, seemed complex.

"John! From now on, you must do everything with your own strength, without relying on my influence."

After parting with my father,

I immediately told my wife.

"Mary, I am not promiscuous like my father."

"Really?"

"Male wolves love only one female for life."

"Hmm, to be honest, you did seem like a wolf last time. But more importantly, what benefits will our marriage bring to me and my brother?"

What can I do for the Clare family, who have become my shield (military power) to protect me?

"The Clare family, I've heard, always maintained a neutral stance except for opportunities to earn merit."

"That's true."

"Except for decisive moments, I also plan to remain thoroughly neutral."

"Oh, then what benefits will we gain?"

"Both your family and I will have fewer people to bother with."

I am like the chicken's rib in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, something that is not worth eating but is too precious to throw away.

**

Mary, Peter, and the Plantagenet retainers who followed me arrived at the Montargis territory.

Of course, before taking office, I had a meaningful conversation with my direct superior, my brother Richard, the Duke of Normandy.

"I want to discuss the management of the Montargis territory with my brother."

Though I spoke indirectly, it was a question about how much he intended to interfere with the territory's management.

It seemed there would be no significant interference.

As expected of the Lionheart, Richard was cool.

Thus, I arrived at the Montargis territory,

and saw the Montargis subjects waiting for me in the distance.

They welcomed me, the new lord, enthusiastically.

"Long live the new Earl!"

"Merciful Earl, protect our territory."

Seeing them, dressed in tattered clothes, praising me, I had mixed feelings.

Even the free peasants were dressed like this.

This is the reality of the Middle Ages.

According to Peter,

the subjects had suffered greatly due to the turmoil related to the previous lord.

Even the agents sent by my father found the state of the territory in disarray.

They only managed to maintain the status quo.

'Should I try to be like King Louis IX?'

England treated France as just a distant neighboring country,

but knowing French history,

I was drawn to the image of a good lord, John.

I was not only the prince who had kept his purity,

but also the youngest, faithful John, who had the Archbishop of Canterbury as his teacher.

First,

I opened my mouth with as solemn an expression as possible.

"Listen, subjects of Montargis."

Unfortunately, there were no microphones in the Middle Ages.

I used the diaphragmatic breathing technique like my brother Richard.

Then, the subjects, as well as the nobles who would serve under me, turned their attention to me.

"Receiving the blessing of Jesus Christ, I, John Plantagenet, have become the Earl of Montargis!"

My words

captivated not only the subjects but also the nobles who would serve under me.

"…!"

The expressions of the subjects and the nobles changed.

They looked puzzled, not understanding what I was thinking.

"I have prepared food for all of you here."

I immediately gave orders to Peter.

"Peter, distribute the bread and beer I prepared for them."

"Understood."

Thus, I distributed the cheap but plentiful beer and bread to the subjects.

"Wow!!"

"Long live the Lord!"

"Glory to the good Earl!"

Unlike when I was announcing laws or something,

a multitude of cheers erupted.

'This is expensive.'

I used my hard-earned money to buy food to make a good impression on the subjects,

and the most important first meeting with the Montargis nobles was also accomplished.

The investiture ceremony

was a simple one where they swore an oath on the Bible and kissed my sword.

'Just a simple ceremony is better.'

Since I came from England,

as a newly appointed lord, I had no intention of opposing the local power brokers.

"As long as you do not cross the line, I will respect your rights."

"I gratefully accept the Earl's mercy."

Thus, I reassured the nobles who had become my vassals.

Of course, that was not the end.

There were many things I needed to review as the ruler of the Montargis territory.

"Ah... I'm tired."

"You shouldn't show such an expression so soon."

The pile of documents.

These are the core issues that were processed and sent up from below.

"What should I do first?"

"Ensure the security of the territory."

While discussing the management of Montargis with Peter,

"Prince John, I have come to see you."

"Brother?"

If Peter reacted this way, it must be someone important.

"Prince John. I am Sir Godfrey. It is a pleasure to meet you."

A tall and handsome man, resembling my father, Henry II, in his youth, was the best of the bastards, Godfrey.

How could a bastard, who is despised in the Christian world, be called the "best"?

The reason is simple.

He is a bastard of a friend of my mother!

Moreover, his biological mother was a close friend of my mother, Eleanor, when she was the Duchess of Aquitaine.

A peaceful territory.