Raising my head, I saw a blond with shades of orange in his hair standing in front of me, my ex-fiancé, also the son of the Earl’s house that one-sidedly annulled our engagement. Although still a kid right now, he’s definitely an owner of promising looks in the future.
“Ano… Do you want something from me?”
There’s a bit of distance from here to the mansion. Using my previous world’s standards, it’s a one-way trip that takes around 5 minutes. He must’ve had something to say, walking this distance. I tilted my head with the fat neck that’s united with the chin I had. Un, not cute at all, ex-fiancé’s giving a complicated look too.
“I’m, unwilling” He said, the first thing out of his mouth.
“Ha…”
“Father and Count decided to having the engagement running again”
“… Is that so”
“I won’t accept a white pig like you as a bride coming over to our place”
“Even if you tell me that, it’s not like the daughter of the earl’s family has the right to decide… Things like that, please tell them to grandfather, not me”
To show your repugnance so straight like that, it’s actually refreshing, but at the same time, makes you recognize him as a typical, sheltered, boy from a rich family. I didn’t have a younger brother in my previous life before, but, if I did, it probably felt like this.
“Damn it, why is someone like me, with this white pig… Oi, you, go tell count that you want the engagement annulled”
“Why?”
“Count is famous for being doting towards his grandchildren. He might reconsider it, if it’s from you… You too, wouldn’t want to be engaged to someone who hates you right?”
“I see, that may be so but…”
I have no plans to obediently listen to what he says. In exchange for this engagement, our household can receive various favours. A white pig and various favours… there’s no need to compare which is better. I, myself, am surprised for having such course of thought. Something like how useable another person is, I have never thought of it before. This is probably the influence after living as Britany for many years.
“I can’t promise you anything, but I can go negotiate with grandfather. However, I have a condition”
“Condition, you say…?”
“It’s not something hard, it’ll be like playing tricks to you”
Ex-fiance’s territory is abundant, a great place blessed with obtainable minerals, rich soil. Unlike Earl Hakusu’s territory, it’s revenue is uha-uha full. A place with perfect water maintenance like the one Ryuze wanted to put into practice. Expenses like this probably wouldn’t hurt nor itch him at all.
“This place, I want a waterway drained from here”
“What are you saying?”
“In exchange for annulling the engagement, please make a conduit for Earl Hakusu’s territory”
“Don’t talk of the impossible! To outfit an entire territory’s water system, how much labour and gold do you think that’ll cost!?”
Ex-fiancé’s brain was more upright that I thought. Although I was just giving it a try because I had nothing to lose, my feelings got the better of me and slipped in the issue with our territory’s conduit too. But it’s fine this way, at least he knows the effort and required people to manage water systems. At worst, even as an engagement partner, he wouldn’t be a lag.
“Are you familiar with public works?”
“Our territory’s developing works for public projects. As someone born the feudal lord’s family, I’m at least studying the minimum required knowledge”
“If so, can you lend me a hand and that bit of wisdom? I want to tamper this garden a bit, but I don’t know of the information required. It’d be awkward to trouble the servants with me tampering the garden too…”
“It’ll depend on the scale, if it’s a bit, then manageable… You don’t feel bad to trouble me then?”
“Ara, this is a condition for trade, no?” I said as I laughed in a gufu-gufu rhythm. The other party just blatantly gave a frown.
I will admit that Britany’s smile is ugly. I want laugh like those ufufu ladies, but, because of this body, it became gufufu instead.
“The contents of tempering is simple. You see the water gushing out from between the rocks? I want it drained to the artificial pool that we passed on the way here, and the water overflowing in that pool to be washed to a nearby river”
“… If it’s something like that, it won’t take too much labour, and can probably be easily done”
“Maa, thank you very much. I was prepared for some requests, but it seems like my wish wasn’t too difficult. I’ll be in your care”
It might’ve been due to my ready collaboration with the engagement annulment place that he was satisfied and co-operative with tempering the garden.
“I’ll report to grandfather about wanting to annul the engagement but the final decision is still in the hands of his…”
Even if I tell him, if he doesn’t agree, no annulment would be happening. And… even though I am going to tell him, my own wish would be that this engagement remains continued. I have to find a potential partner within three years that why. There’s nothing bad with keeping more chances, even if, the other party is someone who hates the fat Britany from the bottom of his heart.
While brainwashing this honest boy the same age as I, I successfully pulled him in to the hot spring plan.
“By the way, you… smell of sweat”
“That may be so, I did move around a lot today”
“I don’t like filthy women, nor lazy pigs”
“I think most men in this world would think the same. Me too, I hate smelly fatties full of sweat”
The words of criticism from the boy with no mercy were no other than the truth. Even I don’t like unhygienic, lazy people. Someone like Britany, I hate the most!