I Became A Genius Of The French Royal Family [EN]: Chapter 16

Grandpa’s Counterattack (2)

What on earth is this absurd, out-of-the-blue, and dumbfounding situation?

No matter how I dart my eyes around, everyone in the hall is looking at me, making it impossible to even avoid their gazes.

Even without hearing their voices, the thoughts in everyone’s eyes are crystal clear.

‘Who is that guy that His Majesty the King is personally singling out?’

I had no intention of attracting attention, nor did I even anticipate such a thing happening, so I was seriously bewildered.

‘Is the King senile or something?’

I had no idea why he would call me out.

But whether I understood it or not, if the King addressed me directly, I had to respond immediately.

Fortunately, before I could even open my mouth, a flustered Blancmesnil reacted first.

“Y-Your Majesty! That child is, well…”

“I noticed him at the welcoming ceremony earlier, and he stood out, so I remembered him. Are you acquainted with him?”

“…Yes. He’s probably my cousin’s grandson… no, he is my grandson. He’s quite bright, so we’re taking care of him. He’s currently attending the Lycée Louis-le-Grand [a prestigious secondary school in Paris]…”

“Oh! To think he’s attending a place sponsored by the late King, this is quite a connection. I’d like to hear more about him.”

What is this guy really thinking?

Could he have noticed my true identity and is deliberately testing me?

Unless information has leaked from somewhere, that’s unlikely.

Then what could the reason be?

In fact, I had felt Louis XV’s gaze on me since the welcoming ceremony.

I couldn’t see him clearly because I immediately lowered my head, but the emotion that flashed across his face was shock and bewilderment.

Unlike my past life when I was closer to an squid, I am objectively quite handsome now.

When I talk to women my age, I even feel moved by the reactions I never saw in my past life.

But the King wouldn’t be surprised for such a simple reason.

After all, Louis XV was once known as the most handsome man in Europe when he was young.

Wait a minute. Could that be it?

Until Louis XV, many of the men in the French royal family were slender and handsome.

But my father, Louis Ferdinand, was close to obese due to the influence of his mother’s side of the family, and his eldest son, Auguste, was the same.

Fortunately, I inherited my grandfather’s genes strongly, so I might look a lot like Louis XV in his younger days.

So, it’s possible that Louis XV was drawn to me without even realizing it.

Besides, since we share the same blood, there might have been some inexplicable attraction.

Having grown up without a family since I was young, I can’t understand it, but I can’t rule out the possibility since such cases do happen.

In any case, it’s clear that he didn’t speak to me with any certainty.

I should just assume that he was curious and called me over.

I don’t need to be too flustered.

Calming myself down, I signaled to Blancmesnil with a look, and then trembled my shoulders as if I was intimidated.

Blancmesnil, catching on to my act, made excuses as if to protect me.

“Although he is bright, he has only just entered the Collège [another term for Lycée]. It is a great honor to be noticed by Your Majesty, but I’m afraid it would be difficult for him to speak in such a public place.”

“Ah, that’s true. He would freeze up if I suddenly asked him for his opinion in this situation. I may have been inconsiderate.”

It’s a relief you realized it now.

Just when I thought I could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Louis XV glanced around and then said something outrageous in a casual tone.

“Then we should wrap up today’s public banquet here. Have everyone clear out. And give a piece of bread to each of the kind citizens who came to see me as they leave.”

“Yes? Your Majesty, what do you mean all of a sudden…”

“Now that I think about it, it’s not appropriate to discuss such important state affairs in a completely open place.”

Then is it okay to ask a 13-year-old boy about such important matters?

It seems like he’s determined to hear me out, so there’s no way to escape at this point.

If I refuse too much here, it could give the King a bad impression.

Considering my future position, it might be more helpful to show off my abilities.

With everyone except the legal nobles and the King’s entourage leaving the hall, everyone naturally waited for me to open my mouth.

“It is an honor to have the opportunity to speak before Your Majesty. However, I am concerned that my humble opinion may inadvertently disturb Your Majesty’s thoughts.”

“This is just to hear the opinions of students, so don’t worry. Speak freely.”

“Yes. Then, I will dare to speak. There is a student at Louis-le-Grand who came from Rome. I heard from him that there are rumors circulating that His Holiness the Pope is in poor health.”

“Yes. I have heard such reports several times. So, does the High Court believe that it is best to wait until the Pope is replaced?”

The current Pope, Clement XIII, doesn’t have much time left.

If what I know is correct, he won’t last more than two years.

But that doesn’t mean the Jesuits will be expelled immediately, as the High Court hopes.

Unfortunately for them, this is an unchangeable historical fact.

I decided to use this opportunity to add a plausible deduction and enhance my reputation.

“However, I don’t think there is a high probability that the new Pope will immediately expel the Jesuits.”

Blancmesnil and the nobles of the High Court glanced at me, startled.

Conversely, Louis XV, looking intrigued, rested his chin on his hand and nodded for me to continue.

“I understand that France and Spain are currently pushing for Cardinal Giovanni to be the next Pope. But if he becomes Pope, will he immediately expel the Jesuits?”

“There is no need to worry about that. Cardinal Giovanni has already promised not to support the Jesuits.”

“But not supporting them doesn’t mean he will eradicate them immediately. Even if he dismantles them gradually over a period of four to five years, the Cardinal is not breaking his promise.”

“What is the basis for that prediction?”

“Cardinal Giovanni himself was educated by the Jesuits. Moreover, it is now a well-known secret that some Jesuits have been acting as spies, leaking national information. Exposing this would not be good for the Catholic Church. By stalling as much as possible, a significant amount of the Jesuit’s assets will be siphoned off, and evidence of information leaks will be destroyed.”

Perhaps because my words sounded convincing, Louis XV didn’t just dismiss them.

He might be skeptical now, but if my words come true, he’ll be surprised.

Since the time for the slave trade to continue is not long, clinging to the Jesuits is a foolish act.

The problem is not the will of the Church or the Pope.

Because starting with the British Empire in the early 19th century, slavery and the slave trade will be gradually abolished throughout Europe.

Of course, revealing this information would only reduce my chances of benefiting, so I have no intention of playing the prophet.

I answered Louis XV’s questions appropriately, without revealing any key secrets.

Satisfied with the answers, the King took his grandchildren and entourage and returned to Versailles.

Some of the court nobles followed the King outside the gates of Paris to see him off.

Meanwhile, Blancmesnil, feigning old age, did not leave and took me to a private room to talk separately.

“Young Master, what do you think His Majesty’s intentions are?”

Judging by the fact that he got straight to the point without preamble, he must have been quite surprised.

When I didn’t say anything, he asked again, becoming impatient.

“Do you have any idea why His Majesty singled you out and spoke to you?”

“I think I should be asking you that. Do you remember His Majesty’s childhood, High Judge? Did he perhaps resemble me?”

“Well, there are portraits left, so we can compare them… As far as I remember, he does seem to resemble you a bit. But just for that reason?”

Instead of answering, I simply shrugged my shoulders.

Who knows?

Louis XV is a man who has lost several children early in life.

It wouldn’t be strange if he had a special attachment to his bloodline.

Of course, even if he were to make me a nominal aristocrat now, I would decline.

What matters is not what he thinks of me, but creating a situation where the royal family has no choice but to accept me.

“Actually, wasn’t His Majesty’s sudden visit here the most unexpected thing? The fact that he spoke to me is a trivial matter.”

“…That’s true. It seems that the investigation of the judges close to His Majesty was the cause.”

“Didn’t I tell you? His Majesty is looking for an opportunity to suppress the court.”

“Yes. The previous investigation has already confirmed his suspicions, but seeing him go this far this time, I have no choice but to believe it.”

No matter how strong the High Court’s power is, it is like a firefly in front of the moon when compared to royal authority.

If other nobles don’t take their side, they will be helplessly beaten.

But in the current situation, the chances of the bloodline nobles taking the side of the court were low.

In any case, they would also agree with cracking down on the Jesuits.

The wrinkles etched on Blancmesnil’s aged face deepened even further.

He never dreamed that the King would suddenly become so active.

In fact, I was also quite surprised by the King’s actions.

But one person’s misfortune can always be another’s happiness.

Analyzing the current political situation from a distance, there was nothing that would harm me.

Rather, now I can take advantage of the situation and control the court as I please.

“High Judge. If the Jesuit matter drags on, it won’t be good for public opinion. Shouldn’t we deal with it as quickly as possible?”

“But the court has already defined the Jesuits as an illegal organization. To take a more aggressive stance than this, His Majesty would have to step in…”

“At least until the Pope takes the lead, His Majesty will not directly draw his sword. What he is doing now is to continuously stir up public opinion and isolate the court.”

“Yes. Of course, that’s what he’s aiming for. But the problem is that we don’t have any means to deal with it.”

Blancmesnil sighed deeply and clicked his tongue.

No matter how hard he tries, there is no way out right now.

So, he will have no choice but to take the bait I throw.

“There is one good way.”

“…May I hear what it is?”

“It’s simple. If His Majesty’s side is trying to focus the attention of nobles and bourgeois [wealthy middle class], we can divert attention by creating an even bigger incident.”

Cover an issue with an issue.

It is the most basic and effective method when waging a public opinion war.

I was already going to ask the court to sway public opinion, but thanks to Louis XV, things worked out well.

“That would be the best way if we could do it. But we can’t just create a case out of thin air.”

“No. Soon, a huge incident will break out that will make people forget about the Jesuits. That’s why I’m telling you this…”

I told him what I wanted the court to do in the future.

Blancmesnil, who had been listening with a subtle expression, seemed to be thinking about something and slowly nodded.

“I understand. If that’s true… I’ll bet on you, Young Master.”

※※※

Louis XV, who had returned to Versailles, reflected on what had happened today.

Originally, he had gone to check the High Court’s rebellious movements, and even though he had achieved his initial goal, the King’s mood was disturbed.

So much so that he didn’t even feel like going to his favorite mistress, Madame du Barry, today.

Seeing the King’s mood, Chief Chamberlain Lebel carefully asked so as not to upset the King.

“Your Majesty. Shall I tell them that you will not be going to the Deer Park today?”

The Deer Park was a garden that Lebel had created for Louis XV, but in reality, it was almost a harem.

Still, the number of women was less than 10, and it was possible to get married with a dowry, so it was not a harem on the level of the Ottoman Empire.

“Yes. Tell them that.”

“Did the nobles at the court say something that displeased Your Majesty?”

“No. Would those who only know how to talk behind my back dare to utter a word in my presence?”

“That’s right. The legal nobles wouldn’t dare to argue with Your Majesty to his face.”

Louis XV tilted his wine glass and stared intently at the Chief Chamberlain.

Chief Chamberlain Dominique Guillaume Lebel.

He is an old man who is almost 70 years old and has served Louis XV for almost half his life.

Thanks to his long experience, he was a person who had directly seen or heard about many things that had happened in the Palace of Versailles.

Louis XV, after emptying a glass of wine, slowly put down the glass and opened his mouth.

“Lebel. You must have been well acquainted with the servants who attended Ferdinand, right?”

“Yes. I was.”

“Then do you know the whereabouts of the woman who disappeared after becoming pregnant with Ferdinand’s child?”

“No. I remember that when I tried to investigate, it was already confirmed that she had left France. Didn’t Your Majesty tell me that there was no need to pay special attention to it?”

Louis XV nodded.

Clearly, the person who ordered that the matter be treated as if it had never happened from the beginning was himself.

“But you know, today I saw a child who strangely caught my eye. He looked just like me when I was young, but strangely enough, he also looked quite a bit like Ferdinand.”

“Yes? Surely that can’t be…”

“If that child who had flowed into a foreign country had grown up safely, he would be about that age. Of course, logically speaking, the probability of him being the same person is as low as the probability of being struck by lightning in a clear sky.”

Thinking rationally, it was such a weak deduction that he should doubt whether he was senile.

If you look for people who look alike in the world, you can find as many as you want.

But for some reason, Louis XV kept seeing the face of that young boy.

Perhaps it was because his attachment to his son, who had passed away before him, even though their relationship was not very close, was growing stronger day by day.

The three grandsons that his son left behind were like treasures to Louis XV.

If there was one more child who had survived unjustly wandering overseas, he wanted to give him at least the title of nobility.

As he approached the age of 60, he may have become more sentimental.

In any case, there was no harm in testing the waters.

Louis XV took a light breath and filled the empty glass with wine himself.

“Lebel. I’m sorry to ask you, who is about to retire, but I would like you to handle one last task for me.”

“I will gladly follow any order from Your Majesty.”

“There is a child being sponsored by High Judge Blancmesnil. I think his name was Christian. He is probably attending Lycée Louis-le-Grand now. Investigate that child’s birth history.”

Lebel bowed gracefully and left the room.

Louis XV, left alone, emptied another glass of wine and looked around the vast study.

…Today.

This space, filled with luxury, felt strangely desolate.