Chapter 98

Thank you for always looking at my works.

Starting from September 18, 2020, the comic adaptation of "I Will Not Break Our Engagement!" will begin on "ZeroSum Online"! Please be sure to check it out! I would also appreciate it if you could send your thoughts and impressions!

I will gradually release some idle talk and deleted scenes as part of the promotion.

As the winter of Lastel approaches and the birthday of Prince Shin, who is about to enter the academy next year, draws near, Serala, his fiancée, is once again racking her brain, wondering, "What should I get him for a present?"

The gifts Shin gives to Serala are a bit unusual. When Serala explains and illustrates items from her past life, Shin has them made by craftsmen. These include a "wristwatch" that combines a bracelet and a pocket watch, "safety pins" and hairpins made by bending pins and adding covers, "sunglasses" made from tinted glass for summer vacations, and an "alcohol lighter" that uses alcohol as fuel, which he made practical last year.

The first idea she proposed was "matches," but since she had no idea what materials to use, a portable lighter that ignites a wick by combining a flint with a rounded piece of steel was made first. Shin made several of these and gave them to Serala's father, brother, and the kitchen chef, who were all very pleased.

Shin is always happy to listen to Serala's ideas, and even if they are technically challenging or expensive, he works with craftsmen to make them practical.

On Serala's birthday, it's a tradition for him to come to the Colette family's villa, where the birthday party is held, and happily present her with a loud "Happy Birthday!"

Well, sometimes, like when her twelfth birthday present was a "truncheon," it was a bit of a joke.

Still, Serala was delighted and swung it around.

Some of these items have been commercialized and are popular in the market.

The gifts Serala gives to Shin, on the other hand, are all handcrafts, such as embroidered handkerchiefs, knitted scarves, gloves, and fur hats. Since Shin's birthday is in winter, it always ends up being something like that.

Even if they are a bit odd or not well-made, Shin is always happy to use them and wears them on their dates in the town below the castle. He was especially pleased with the raccoon fur hat with a striped tail that dangled behind it, which he wore happily throughout the winter.

"I want to give him something a bit better."

It feels a bit like cheating to ask what someone wants for a gift. But thinking about it, all the gifts Shin gives Serala are things he heard from her, so it should be fine for Serala to ask him too.

So, Serala mustered up the courage to ask Shin what he wanted for his birthday.

"Hmm, I'm perfectly happy with what you've been giving me, and I have no complaints. In fact, the ideas for products that you give me are the best gifts I could ask for."

As usual, Shin's answer is desireless.

He is a prince of a country. It's only natural that he already has everything he wants around him. Giving a gift to such a person is bound to be difficult.

"But that's not what I mean. I want to hear your honest feelings, Prince Shin."

Shin could tell that Serala was serious, and he nodded, thinking hard.

"…I want a portrait of you."

"R-really? A portrait?"

"Yes. On days when I can't see you, looking at the portrait on the wall will make me feel less lonely."

Serala's face turned red. The idea of Shin wanting to display a portrait of her, with her black hair and eyes, which could be described as ordinary, was both embarrassing and touching, and she covered her face.

"I'll send a painter to the Colette residence. So, please pose for him."

From then on, a painter visited Serala's Colette residence every day.

The first one to come was Auguste Renoir, a famous painter of beautiful young girls, recommended by the art dealer. When the painting was completed, Renoir brought it to the palace and dramatically unveiled it, showing Shin a painting of Serala sitting in a chair.

"…Hey, why did you make her so… voluptuous?"

"The charm of a woman's beauty lies in her abundant maternal qualities and fullness!"

"Serala isn't that… chubby, and her hips aren't that big…"

"You don't understand, Your Highness!"

Shin sent Renoir home, thinking, "It's fine that you don't understand."

"The court painter, Diego Velázquez, is available," the art dealer suggested.

"Hmm… He painted the king and queen's portraits, but I don't really like his style…" Shin was not enthusiastic.

"It's finished!" Velázquez announced.

"…Velázquez, just out of curiosity, who is the old man in the mirror behind Serala?"

"That's me!"

"Take it back."

Why would he need a portrait of an old man in his room? Why does this painter always sneak his own portrait into his works? Shin was disappointed.

"Salvador Dalí is known for his realistic and skillful paintings," the art dealer suggested.

"I'll give it a try…"

The painting Dalí brought was an avant-garde work depicting Serala with outstretched arms praying to a god in a desolate desert, emerging from a cracked egg.

"The egg is the starting point of all creation, and Serala, born from it, is a miracle created by God…"

"Serala didn't come from an egg. Go home."

"Edvard Munch has been painting some interesting works recently," the art dealer suggested.

"I have a bad feeling about this…"

When Munch brought the painting, Shin said one word.

"…Why is Serala screaming?"

Against a red sunset, Serala was contorted, hands on her cheeks, eyes wide open, and screaming. No one would recognize her from this. Shin sent Munch home with complaints.

"Since he's free, I asked Giorgio de Chirico to paint it."

"Where is Serala?"

"Here, he says."

"That's not Serala. It's a doll. A wooden mannequin, right?"

It was a painting of a wooden mannequin sitting in a chair in the middle of Roman ruins.

"This is ridiculous."

"Marc Chagall brought a painting he said he wanted me to see."

"Serala is flying, right? Serala is flying, right? Can Serala fly?"

It was a painting of Serala stretching out in a blue-black night sky, flying. It was impossible to see any resemblance to Serala.

"Jean-François Millet also painted it…"

"Why is Serala doing farm work? She's a duke's daughter."

"Indeed…"

"Making her pick up fallen grains? We don't force farmers to do that anymore. It's misleading. If there were nobles who oppressed farmers like that, they would have their titles taken away! Is there no one else?"

"Well, I don't recommend him, but I asked Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Luis Piscata."

"His name is so long!"

Waiting without much hope, Shin received a painting of a strange, angular creature crying and pulling a handkerchief with its mouth.

"…Is this Serala?"

"That's what Piscata claims."

"Would you want to display a portrait of your fiancée crying?"

"Indeed…"

"You should see an eye doctor. This person is fatally unsuited to be a painter. If he can't paint what he sees, he shouldn't be a painter."

"You are harsh, Your Highness…"

"I want a painting of the person I love. I want to look at the image of the person I love and display it in my room. Why can't you understand that?"

"Indeed…"

"What did you think I meant?"

The art dealer then brought Francisco de Yago.

"I understand, Your Highness. Leave it all to me."

Yago's sly smile made Shin even more uneasy.

The painting Yago brought was of Serala lying on a sofa.

With her hands behind her head, she was dressed in a revealing and seductive manner, which surprised Shin.

"Serala posed like this!?"

"She looked tired and busy, so I painted her as she was lying on the sofa."

"That's too seductive… Serala wouldn't show herself to others like that."

"That's my imagination."

"Don't imagine things…"

"I understand, Your Highness. The kind of painting a young man of your age would want to display is obvious!"

With that, Yago revealed another painting.

There, there…

There was Serala, in the exact same pose, completely nude, lying on the sofa!

"Arrest him. Three days in prison."

"W-what! Why? U-uh, aaaaaah! Let me goooooo!"

Yago was dragged out of the salon by the guards, screaming.

Needless to say, Shin cut the canvases of both paintings with a knife, shredded them, and burned them. Although he decided the punishment himself, if it had gone to a proper trial, it would have been a grave offense of disrespect, and imprisonment would have been the least of it. In a way, he let him off.

"Why did you imagine and paint such things? Serala's chest isn't that big, and her waist is slender. It's completely different. Besides, if I displayed something like this in my room, it would cause a huge scandal…"

"I'm sorry, Prince Shin…"

The art dealer bowed deeply and apologized.

"Still, you seem to know a lot about Lady Serala."

"Be quiet."

By the way, in the neighboring country of Halph, a new technology called "photography" has been developed, which can capture images on a light-sensitive glass plate. Serala's sister, Saran, had written about it in a letter.

"Should I invite a photographer from Halph? That might be faster…"

Giving up on the portrait, Shin wrote a long letter to Princess Saran, who had married into the royal family of Halph…

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Idle Talk 5 "Serala's Birthday Present" END

The comic adaptation will start on ZeroSum Online!

Look forward to the meeting of the two ten-year-olds. The artist is Ootori!

Volume 2, which begins the school life, will be released on October 2. It's already available for pre-order online.

Look forward to it. The illustrator is Nardack!

Next time, "● Deleted Scenes Collection 4" on September 30!