I Became A Genius Of The French Royal Family [EN]: Chapter 6

Mutual Assured Destruction

Looking back, Professor Lee Yong-wook was a truly fascinating person.

He was a devil who exploited me, but I had to admit he was exceptionally talented.

He excelled at selecting thesis topics, and his insight was unmatched.

Of course, the biggest issue was that he had his students do the actual writing.

Still, he always compensated the students he exploited, so everyone quietly put up with it.

Above all, Professor Lee Yong-wook had an incredible knack for securing research grants and funding, so no one dared to criticize him.

Sometimes, watching him, I was amazed at how well he manipulated people.

His ability to attract so much money must have stemmed from that skill.

“Huh? What’s the secret?”

It was about two months before my traffic accident.

I was curious about the professor’s arrogant attitude while seeking support, so I asked him about it.

Surprisingly, he answered readily.

“You’ll be in this position someday, so I might as well tell you. The most important thing is to understand the other person’s tendencies.”

“Are there people you can be tough with and people you can’t?”

“It’s a little different from that. To be precise, there are people you need to appease and people you don’t. You see, there are quite a few people in this world who will see you as a pushover if you’re too humble.”

That wasn’t wrong.

How many times had I experienced that while working part-time or tutoring during my undergraduate years?

“But if you’re too rigid, won’t people who think they’re in charge immediately get uncomfortable?”

“That’s why you have to assess the situation and act accordingly. If I’m an irreplaceable trading partner for them, then it’s better to be firm. Sometimes, this society is amusingly capable of ‘eul-jil’ [acting superior to someone in a weaker position] rather than ‘gap-jil’ [abusing one’s power]. But that’s only possible if you have the ability or background to back it up, like me.”

In fact, Professor Lee Yong-wook was remarkably good at playing the appeaser when meeting people he needed to please.

I wondered if I should develop such flexibility someday, but at the time, it seemed like a distant prospect.

I thought I had plenty of time to observe Lee Yong-wook until I became a professor.

But as they say, you never know what will happen in life.

Honestly, I never imagined I would resonate so deeply with such an obvious saying.

Whether it’s homework, studying, or dieting, there’s always a time when you regret putting things off until tomorrow.

Just like now.

“Tsk… If I had known this would happen, I would have learned better back then.”

Following the mansion manager’s guidance, I walked until I saw Lavoisier’s office in front of me.

Snapping out of my thoughts, I took a deep breath to compose myself.

I’m glad I managed to recall what I had seen while following that jerk Lee Yong-wook.

Thanks to that, I could decide how to act in this situation.

When you think about it, the cards I’m going to play are based on the vast amount of data I gathered while being his thesis slave.

Of course, that doesn’t mean I feel grateful.

If that guy hadn’t pushed me so hard, I wouldn’t be in this situation in the first place.

“Hoo… It has to go well as planned.”

A moment of anxiety arose, and I shook my head vigorously to clear my mind.

I didn’t want to imagine failure.

If I die again, I might have to endure the terrible pain of regression for much longer.

In the second regression, it felt like it took at least five times longer, so if I die a few more times here…

I don’t even want to think about it.

There was one more problem.

The humiliation I felt clearly when I thought of Lavoisier.

This was definitely not an emotion that originated from me.

Perhaps the original owner’s personality or emotions are gradually returning each time I die.

My own ego doesn’t seem to be fading, but you never know if the regression keeps repeating.

So, failure is not an option.

From now on, I will never make plans based on the premise of death.

I must be prepared to end everything with this one chance.

Having finished preparing, I finally put strength into the hand holding the office door.

Creak.

The sound of wood scraping was not loud, but it was very vivid in my ears.

Through the slightly opened door, I saw the face of a middle-aged man looking over documents.

Important work, my ass.

Seeing him doing paperwork as usual, I couldn’t help but scoff.

Lavoisier glanced in my direction, frowned, and scolded the manager who followed me.

“I clearly told you not to let anyone in, didn’t I?”

“Well, that is…”

“Don’t be too hard on him. I insisted on coming in.”

I went to the sofa in front of the desk and sat down as if I were in my own home.

“Is this a new one? I heard that the Rococo style will be in fashion soon, so the Baroque style might be considered a bit old-fashioned.”

Lavoisier’s gaze toward me, who was leaning against the armrest and critiquing, was filled with bewilderment.

“What are you doing?”

“Shouldn’t you at least offer a cup of coffee before we start talking? For your information, I like it with plenty of sugar.”

I gestured for the manager to order and leave, and he looked at Lavoisier with a pleading look.

Lavoisier sighed and nodded, and the manager bowed politely and closed the door.

A voice filled with bewilderment and even anger was directed at me.

“What is the meaning of this? Have you finally lost your mind?”

“Now you’re openly using informal language.”

“I clearly told you, didn’t I? If you think you’re a real royal, you might get into trouble. If you don’t have the dignity that a nobleman should show, you won’t be able to escape your current situation…”

“Does that dignity as a nobleman include assassination?”

Lavoisier’s eyes widened at my interruption and sarcasm.

My words were so disconcerting that he, who had experienced all sorts of hardships in court, momentarily failed to control his expression.

He immediately tried to pretend that nothing was wrong, but his reaction alone was enough to reveal everything.

“…I don’t know what you’re talking about…”

“Do you think I’m just throwing out random accusations? But even so, getting rid of someone in just three days is a bit much, don’t you think? How insignificant do you think I am?”

When the specific period of three days came up, Lavoisier could no longer maintain his composure.

“…Who did you hear that information from?”

“There’s no point in trying to find the traitor. No one you know leaked information to me. You can search all you want, but it will end in vain.”

It wasn’t a lie.

The assassin who told me that I received the request three days ago hasn’t even met me at this point.

“I don’t know who told you what, but it’s all false…”

“Enough with that? Who do you think you’re fooling? We can’t have a conversation if you keep denying it. I didn’t come here just to argue about that, but to have a more constructive discussion.”

“…Hoo. Alright, fine. I’ll listen to what you have to say.”

“But you’re still using informal language? Are you going to keep doing that?”

It’s obvious, but France also has polite expressions to maintain formality.

Lavoisier and the nobles of the court usually used honorifics to me.

Of course, it was just a superficial expression, but it meant that they were at least pretending to treat me with respect.

Pointing out Lavoisier’s current attitude wasn’t just me being difficult.

I was pointing out that he wouldn’t even bother with that pretense anymore.

Lavoisier, who immediately understood the meaning of my words, narrowed his eyes and stared intently at me.

He was originally just someone to kill today, but suddenly a variable had occurred, so he was probably wondering what to do.

The deliberation didn’t last long.

Like a seasoned lawyer, he quickly changed his attitude and bowed politely to me.

“…Alright. I apologize for my rude behavior just now. First, I’ll listen to what this constructive discussion is about.”

Emphasizing the word ‘first’ probably meant that if it was a trivial story, he would proceed as planned.

They were the kind of guys who made you want to curse, but I just accepted it now.

As they say, if you don’t have expectations, you won’t be disappointed.

“I don’t like beating around the bush, so let’s get straight to the point. First of all, the order to kill me wasn’t just your personal idea, right? It’s the will of the High Court. They probably thought I was useless no matter how they looked at it.”

“I won’t deny it.”

“Just having me is already taking on some risk. Since I’m of no use, they tried to get rid of me. It’s a very rational decision. But that doesn’t mean I can just say ‘okay’ and die, right?”

“No, before that, there’s something I want to address. Are you… really Louis Christian? How can a person change so much overnight…”

Lavoisier looked at me several times, wondering if a look-alike had disguised himself.

It was an illogical assumption, but from his perspective, my change was so hard to accept that it even transcended common sense.

“Then who else would I be but Louis Christian?”

“But… I know everything about you. I’ve met you several times and watched you, and I’ve been constantly receiving reports on your academic achievement, so what is this…”

“Why do you assume that everything you knew was the whole story?”

“…!”

Lavoisier’s mouth dropped open, and he froze.

I didn’t wait for his answer and continued to speak calmly.

“If I were the same person you knew, how would I know about the High Court’s movements? Isn’t that a sufficient answer to your question?”

“So, the seemingly incompetent appearance was not real. Indeed… You’re actually this capable, so you’re still useful? Are you here to ask me to defend that point?”

“No. It seems like the High Court has already decided to kill me, so would they even pretend to listen if I begged them? What I’m going to do with them isn’t a request, but a negotiation.”

“I don’t know if you’re aware, but a negotiation is established only when there is something to give as well as something to receive.”

I chuckled and leaned back on the sofa.

“Of course, I have a card too. Lend me some paper and a pen. It wouldn’t be a good story for anyone to hear.”

“Very well.”

Lavoisier handed the paper to me with a reluctant expression.

I could sense that he was wondering how secret the story could be.

But that was only for a moment.

Lavoisier’s face turned as pale as a corpse when he saw what was written on the paper.

“T, these contents. How on earth…!”

He hurriedly took the paper back and looked around to see if anyone had seen it.

Not only that, but he tore the paper to shreds, burned it with a candle, and completely erased the traces.

“If those contents were to leak out, the High Court would be in a difficult situation, wouldn’t it?”

“Where did you get this information? No, before that, you haven’t told anyone about these contents, have you?”

“Of course not. I’m not stupid, why would I do such a foolish thing?”

What I wrote on the paper was a part of the corruption that the Paris High Court had been committing by abusing its power.

The High Court had immense power as an institution that granted validity to taxes as well as laws announced by the King.

As a result, they naturally used their authority to commit all sorts of outrageous acts and conceal them.

From judicial transactions to tax evasion and embezzlement, you can easily find records of their great activities in various fields.

Even if they tear up and burn the paper like that, it doesn’t mean that the people who committed the crimes disappear.

What I wrote wasn’t just suspicion.

I described in detail the names of the nobles who committed the crimes and even the methods, so if an investigation were to take place, they would have no choice but to be exposed.

I continued to whisper in a small voice that was hard to hear unless you were paying attention.

“What would the royal family think if they found out that the assets of the upper-class Huguenots [French Protestants] were sold off at bargain prices and purchased after the Edict of Nantes was revoked? I have a feeling that Grandpa has been looking for an excuse to weaken the High Court these days, so it would be a very good pretext, right? They’ll be able to confiscate a lot of assets legally too.”

Half a century had passed since the Edict of Nantes, which guaranteed religious freedom, was abolished by the Sun King Louis XIV, the previous monarch.

Because of this, Christians in France, the so-called Huguenots, were subjected to tremendous persecution, and the majority of them emigrated abroad.

As a result, there were side effects such as the transfer of France’s watch industry to Switzerland.

If this hadn’t happened, the epitome of luxury watch brands in the modern era might have been French, not Swiss.

And there are always those who accumulate wealth through illegal means during such times of turmoil.

The nobles of the High Court, who were in a position to control the law, naturally did not miss this opportunity.

In the modern era, this type of illegal accumulation of wealth was a crime close to being cute, but it is also true that it is a good excuse to get rid of the other party.

It’s obvious what will happen if this evidence reaches the king’s ears.

“So, you’re trying to threaten us with this?”

“What nonsense are you talking about? Did you even listen to what I said properly? It’s not a threat, it’s a negotiation.”

“If you want a negotiation… Can I assume that there are no current plans to expose those things?”

“As long as my head is on my shoulders, those contents will not be made public. But if I die, what happens after that… You know what I mean, right?”

In fact, it’s obviously a lie.

What ability do I have to take measures to automatically disclose those secrets if I die?

But Lavoisier and the High Court have no way to determine the truth of my words.

The risk they have to bear is too great to dismiss my words as false.

They have no choice but to accept my proposal.

And as expected, Lavoisier didn’t drag out the deliberation for long.

“…So, we guarantee your life, and you unconditionally keep this a secret. Is that how I should understand it?”

“Yes. I can’t expose this if I have any sense. My head will be cut off if I do. So, it’s not a relationship where one side is wielding the other, but let’s live well together. Do you understand?”

“I understand what you mean. But why did you hide your abilities and act foolish until now…”

Lavoisier, who was muttering the question that came to his mind, suddenly had a shocked expression as if he had gained some kind of realization on his own.

As if struck by lightning, he trembled and muttered in disbelief.

“…Was that it? You pretended to be unilaterally dragged around by us to induce our carelessness, and behind the scenes, you gathered this information… Just as we were trying to use you, you were trying to use us as well. And when we tried to get rid of you, you judged that it was time to stop acting.”

“…Hmm?”

“Indeed. It’s not just about building an equal relationship with us, but you’ve even proven that you’re this capable, so your aim has been perfectly achieved. That’s the scheming of a boy who’s only twelve years old… Even the nobles of the High Court will be amazed. There will be a line of people who will actively invest in you. It’s a calculation that’s chilling to the bone.”

“…It’s a relief that you’re saving me the trouble of explaining. I guess your head is working this much, right?”

Ah, I see. If you look at my actions from a third-person perspective, it might look like that.

I nodded, trying my best to keep my expression from showing.

I want to praise my acting skills just for not stuttering.

I don’t know what he’s misunderstanding and exaggerating on his own, but it’s not bad for me if he overestimates me.

As Lavoisier said, the more my value increases, the higher my survival rate will be.

“Hoo… It’s embarrassing, but I can’t help but believe it since there’s evidence right in front of me like this.”

“There’s always been a blessing for those who believe from the beginning. Then can we consider the negotiation to be established?”

The victory or defeat has already been decided.

I smiled at Lavoisier, who was still looking dazed with a possessed expression.

It was a definite victory gained after overcoming two deaths.