Chapter 100

"『I Will Not Break My Engagement! 2』 is set to be released tomorrow, and here’s the second installment of the short-term concentrated series!

Finally, 100 episodes... I’ve written quite a lot.

Jack Shreet Wyls, the eldest son of a viscount, had his fiancée decided even before he was born.

Jack’s grandfather, a viscount, had lobbied the king to grant a barony to a vassal who had contributed to the country and the territory, and the village that was given to the Wyls territory became the Blazes territory. Since the barony is a one-generation title that is not hereditary, the territory would return to the Wyls territory after the baron’s death. Therefore, the viscount and the baron agreed to marry their children to each other. When Jack, a boy, was born to the Wyls family, and Silfa, a girl, was born to the Blazes family, Jack was immediately engaged to Silfa...

As a child, Jack grew up as close as siblings with Silfa, and he never found it strange. However, as he grew up and developed a sense of self, he began to realize, “Why do I have a fiancée already decided for me?”

When he started playing in the fields and getting dirty with the other children in the territory, he found it increasingly troublesome to play with Silfa, a girl. He also didn’t like being teased and mocked for playing with a girl.

As he began to study with a noble tutor, Silfa, who was taught to be a lady, started to distance herself from the village children. Jack began to feel a bit annoyed with her.

Seeing his older friends in the city admire and flirt with older women, Jack felt that he was the only one who didn’t have a choice, as he was engaged to Silfa and had no other future. He felt like he was at a disadvantage.

His life was dictated by his parents’ and family’s plans, and he had no freedom. Silfa was becoming increasingly boring. From a rebellious spirit, Jack started to skip tea parties, leave birthday gifts to the maids, and gradually distance himself from Silfa, eventually leading to his enrollment at Flora Academy...

Flora Academy, where the nobles of the country study. What Jack saw were elegant, sophisticated children, completely different from himself.

“I can’t do that.”

With his rough manners, crude language, and wild appearance, Jack found it difficult to fit in at the academy. He spent a lot of time alone. Despite his good looks, the girls who approached him were put off by his lack of noble manners, his foul mouth, and his lack of delicacy. Unfortunately, Jack’s popularity didn’t last more than a few weeks.

Silfa was in the same class, but despite her mother’s strict education, she didn’t stand out among the beautiful and handsome nobles. Her large chest only made her look more provincial.

Jack thought to himself, “There are so many beautiful women in this school, and yet I have to marry her?” and felt a sense of self-mockery.

The friend Silfa made in the school was a plain-looking girl with black hair and black eyes, who seemed to be trying to act sophisticated, but Jack couldn’t understand why they were friends.

Feeling jealous that Silfa had made friends before him, Jack distanced himself even more, thinking, “Be as sophisticated as you want. It’s none of my business.”

It was then that Jack noticed a girl. When he went to the cafeteria for lunch, he saw a girl with pale, translucent pink hair and a small, cute face. Jack was surprised by her hair color, but what really caught his attention was what she was eating.

It was a lunch she had brought from home, and from a small basket, she was eating something that smelled incredibly spicy. The other noble children wrinkled their noses and kept their distance, but she was eating the meat with her hands, gnawing and sucking on the bones.

Wow... Jack watched as the girl gnawed on the meat, sucked on the bones, and licked them, looking incredibly happy and satisfied. It reminded him of his childhood, when he and the village troublemakers would steal chickens from the farm, pluck their feathers, and roast them together.

The chicken they cooked as children wasn’t supposed to be delicious, but the bone-in meat they ate together with their friends felt better than the cook’s dishes at the manor, perhaps due to the illusion of childhood.

“Get a hold of yourself!”

The table was slammed, and the girl flinched.

“What kind of country bumpkin eats such vulgar food with her hands? What do you think this is, Flora Academy?! You’re an eyesore! Get out of the cafeteria!”

Scolded by a strong-willed noble girl, the girl hastily stood up, bowed, and ran out of the cafeteria.

Jack, who had gotten up for some reason, wrapped his sandwich in a napkin and quietly followed the girl.

The girl was sitting in the shade of a large tree in the courtyard, hiding behind the tree, and looking at the meat in her lunch basket with tears in her eyes.

To be honest, Jack really wanted to eat that meat. It looked incredibly delicious, so he couldn’t help but speak up.

“Are you not going to eat that meat?”

The girl looked up. Her movement was like that of a small animal, and for a moment, Jack thought, “Is she a dog?”

Tears fell from her eyes as she quickly wiped them away with her sleeve. Jack found her gesture cute.

“Um, what is it?”

“Nothing, just...”

Although he had spoken up, Jack didn’t really have a plan. He was just being honest, as usual.

“Give it to me if you’re not going to eat it.”

“Huh?”

“Or we can trade. I’ll give you my sandwich.”

“It’s fried chicken.”

“Fried chicken, huh?”

Jack had never heard of such a dish.

He took a piece from the basket the girl offered and bit into it.

The meat was greasy, and his fingers were sticky, but the strong smell was appetizing.

“Delicious!”

Jack ate it enthusiastically, even sucking on the bones.

“Give me all of it! I’ll give you this sandwich!”

He pushed the sandwich into the girl’s hands and took the basket from her. He quickly ate everything and groaned.

“It’s not enough!”

Seeing Jack, the girl giggled, a cute smile on her face.

“This is from the restaurant my family runs.”

“Where is it?”

“Hans Restaurant. On Platanus Street, Third Avenue.”

“Huh? Why would a noble run a restaurant?”

“I used to be a commoner... I wasn’t a noble originally.”

Jack was surprised. He wondered why a girl like her was at the academy.

“My family’s business became successful, and the baron of the chicken-producing region took me in as an adopted daughter and allowed me to attend the academy. I’m Lins Brouwer, the adopted daughter of Baron Brouwer.”

Jack understood. That’s why she spoke like a village girl and ate meat with her hands. She probably felt isolated at the academy, just like he did.

“I’m Jack. Where is Platanus Street, Third Avenue?”

He felt a bit embarrassed saying it. He realized he was a country bumpkin, as he didn’t know much about the capital.

“Would you like to come to the restaurant? You can eat as much as you want.”

“After school, okay!?”

And before he knew it, Jack was on an after-school date with Lins, the game heroine, at the fried chicken restaurant...

After that, Jack started to wander around the city with Lins more often after school. As the son of a lord from a remote region, Jack wasn’t familiar with the capital, and Lins, who grew up in the city, was the perfect companion.

“Nobles, do they all have their fiancées decided already? Is that true for you, Jack?”

“Yeah, um...”

Silfa’s face came to mind. For some reason, Jack didn’t want to talk about Silfa at that moment.

“Everyone is different, even among nobles.”

“I think nobles are kind of pitiful.”

Jack thought he would be asked about his fiancée, but Lins didn’t. She seemed to enjoy talking about herself. She was a mysterious girl, and being with her was comfortable.

“It’s strange that nobles can’t freely fall in love and get married. It’s best to marry the person you love!”

“I agree...”

He thought she was right.

This girl had casually dismissed something that had bothered him for a long time. She taught him that freedom was good, and that family and parental plans didn’t matter, something he had never considered. He was surprised that there were people who thought this way.

Thinking about it, the girl in front of him was also a woman. He felt like he had returned to his childhood, playing with the village children, but he also felt a sense of guilt for playing with another woman while his fiancée was left behind. He remembered the sad face of Silfa, who had been left out by her male friends.

...Does she still like me?

One day, while Jack was having lunch in the cafeteria, a man sat down in front of him, placing his tray with a thud, and Jack almost burst out laughing.

It was the first prince of the country, Shin Midland!

With his dazzling golden hair, intelligent and refined gaze, and elegant demeanor, he was the most famous person in the school, the epitome of a prince. Jack was in the same class as him, but seeing him again made him think, “Why is such a guy in this class?” He was a genuine, real prince of the school.

As a classmate, he was surprisingly approachable, talking and laughing with everyone, but Jack thought he had no connection to him.

“Hey, Jack, can I talk to you for a moment? We can talk while we eat.”

“Ah, sure. Go ahead.”

“Ahaha, no need to be so formal! We’re in the same class, after all!”

He smiled warmly. Jack wondered what such a prince could want from him.

“It’s almost summer break, right? I have a favor to ask of you.”

“...What kind of favor would a prince have for me?”

“Just call me Shin. You can call me Jack, too.”

Saying that, Shin twirled the same spaghetti carbonara Jack was eating with his fork and put it in his mouth.

“This is delicious, isn’t it? The cheese, cream, and butter are from your region, right?”

“That’s right. We’ve been supplying the cafeteria with our products since this year.”

“Just talk normally. So, your region is known for dairy farming, and many farmers raise cows.”

“Yeah.”

Not knowing how to respond, Jack gave a short answer.

“I did some research, and your region has a surprising characteristic. You know about smallpox, right?”

“Not a good topic for lunch, I think.”

“...Don’t use ‘that’ either. I’m sorry, but this is important, so please listen.”

“Okay.”

Jack knew about smallpox. It was a dangerous infectious disease that caused blisters all over the body and killed half of those who contracted it. Every few years, some people in the region died from it. In the past, patients were isolated, and their houses were burned. Even with recent advancements in treatment, such as sterilization with alcohol and boiling clothes, and the use of masks and gloves by medical personnel, it was still a source of fear for both the lord and the people.

“In your region, the outbreak of smallpox is extremely rare, which is a unique point in the country. This is evident from the past epidemics. Do you have any idea why?”

“...Maybe eating beef, drinking milk, or eating cheese prevents it, but those are just superstitions.”

Shin laughed a little.

“No, it’s not that. Do you know about cowpox, a disease that cows get?”

“Yeah, I know about that.”

“Farmers who take care of cows, especially those who milk them, get infected with cowpox from the cows. It’s a mild disease that heals quickly, but people who have had cowpox don’t get smallpox.”

“Really!”

Jack was surprised. If it was true, it would make sense why smallpox didn’t spread in his region.

“I don’t have proof yet, but I’m imagining that this might be the reason. I want to conduct a survey in your region during the summer break. I want to interview farmers to see if they have had cowpox, if they have had smallpox, if they have family members who have had smallpox, and if those family members were involved in the dairy industry, and compile the data.”

“Um, what exactly do I need to do?”

“Prince Shin, can I join you?”

A girl approached the prince who was eating in the cafeteria. It was Silfa’s friend, Serea.

Jack knew that this Serea, with her black hair and black eyes, was actually the duke’s daughter and the prince’s fiancée. A big couple who would eventually become the king and queen. Jack felt a cold sweat on his back.

“Hello, Mr. Jack Shreet. I’m Serea, a friend of Silfa. May I join you?”

Holding her cafeteria tray, she bowed and smiled.

Jack thought, “This girl is quite something...” She easily bowed to the son of a viscount and was friends with the daughter of a baron, which was confusing. She was different from the “ladies of the capital” that the etiquette teacher had described before the start of the school year.

Different, but her every gesture and way of speaking were clearly refined and elegant, and she did it naturally without being pretentious, which he found impressive.

“Sure. Um... I’ve always wondered, why are you friends with Silfa?”

“You can just call me Serea. Silfa calls me ‘Serea,’ and if it’s hard to say, you can call me ‘Serea’ too. We sit close to each other, and we often have the same elective classes.”

Is that it? Can a duke’s daughter really be best friends with a baron’s daughter