I Became A Genius Of The French Royal Family [EN]: Chapter 28

The Clue to the Counterattack

I returned to Schönbrunn, having gained nothing significant from my meeting with Joseph II.

No.

Actually, there was something I gained.

I realized there was a very high possibility that Joseph II was not involved in my assassination.

He was certainly a strange man, but regardless, there was no doubting his love for his family.

Marie, too, would emphasize that Joseph II’s love for his family was genuine.

In fact, if you have a youngest sister who is 14 years younger, it would be strange not to adore her like a daughter.

Above all, he was well aware of the need to cooperate with France in order to check Prussia.

I asked a few probing questions, but I couldn’t find any strange signs at all.

At this point, it would be safe to exclude Joseph II from the list of suspects.

“So, is it highly likely that the mastermind is on the French side after all? It’s so typical that it’s hard to believe.”

I knew there were many who were constantly looking for a chance to get rid of me.

I’m making a lot of money by successfully developing the vaccine, so I must look even more unpleasant.

But even so, assassinating me is a completely different matter.

If you try to assassinate a member of the royal family and get caught, no one can handle the aftermath.

It means that there is an extreme risk involved, where the entire family could be uprooted.

If they still tried it, it means that there is someone who really wants to kill me.

The first people that come to mind are Maupeou and Choiseul.

In fact, these are the only two who are in a proper adversarial relationship with me.

Wasn’t it one of these two who came up with the scheme to send me to Austria in the first place?

But even so, it’s hard to accept that they dug this kind of hole to kill me.

Especially in the case of Choiseul, I know that he put a lot of effort into this alliance.

I don’t see any motive for him to kill me, even if it means ruining everything.

The same goes for Maupeou.

Looking at his actions when he dissolved the High Court [Parlement] in the original history, he is certainly a person who knows how to use radical measures.

But at the same time, he was thoroughly calculating and had a sense of balance that allowed him to distinguish between daring and unreasonable.

Killing me here is, by all accounts, close to being an overreach.

Above all, if I am assassinated in a foreign land, Austria will be primarily held accountable.

The Austrian side will be desperate to prove that they are innocent, and then suspicion will eventually fall on those who sent me here.

I’m in big trouble.

I can’t get any useful information, so my reasoning isn’t progressing at all.

Am I really going to die again like this?

As I was having such terrible thoughts, the main character I was supposed to meet today entered my residence.

“I apologize for making you wait so long.”

“I was also taking care of some work, so don’t worry too much about it. Have a seat.”

When I offered him a seat, Austria’s best diplomat, Kaunitz, sat down opposite me without hesitation.

“Let me introduce myself again. My name is Wenzel Anton von Kaunitz.”

“It is an honor to meet the hero who took the lead in reforming the strained relations between our two countries.”

“‘Hero’ is too much of a compliment. But I would like to express my deep gratitude for acknowledging my efforts.”

As expected of a renowned diplomat, his tone and gestures were full of dignity.

But just one thing.

I didn’t notice it when I first saw him, but why is that man constantly covering his nose and mouth with a handkerchief?

Since he came into the room, he’s been glancing at the windows and the room, covering his nose with a handkerchief, which is very annoying.

Kaunitz, noticing my gaze, smiled gracefully and bowed his head.

Even then, he didn’t remove the handkerchief.

“Because of my age, I can get very sick if I catch a cold, so I always cover my nose and mouth like this. I’m worried about the windows being open…”

“Ah, I see. I understand.”

He’s the kind of person who would be able to follow the quarantine rules perfectly even if Corona or the flu broke out.

I can understand it to this extent.

But when I looked closely, I noticed that his wig was covered with powder or something.

As I stared at him, Kaunitz began to talk proudly without anyone asking.

“You recognized it, so you must have a good eye, Prince.”

“…Hmm?”

“This is something I ordered specifically. To be honest, I can’t stand being anxious unless I put effort into my wig. Sometimes my room becomes a mess with the powder from the wig, but I think it can’t be helped.”

“……”

Is one of the requirements for getting a high position in the Holy Roman Empire to be a little crazy?

How can there not be a single sane person from the Emperor to the person in charge of diplomacy?

Now I can sincerely answer the question Joseph II asked me yesterday.

Who is the best female monarch of this century?

Empress Maria Theresa, who led the country so well even though she was surrounded by these guys, is the best empress.

Of course, even if he’s a weirdo, he’s still very capable, so he’ll try to take advantage of any weakness I show.

In fact, I could feel him constantly observing my expression and gestures, even as he was talking nonsense.

“By the way, may I ask why you called me, Prince?”

“There’s no grand reason. I just wanted to arrange a meeting with you, the Austrian representative, as the head of the diplomatic mission. Count Vergennes says things are going smoothly.”

“Yes. As the interests of both countries coincide, it is progressing without any obstacles.”

“But is there any opposition to the marriage alliance in your country?”

Kaunitz shook his head nonchalantly.

“There are always different opinions, even when deciding what to eat for dinner. How can there be unanimity when discussing important national affairs? But it’s just a weak and insignificant voice. Does France also have people who just make a lot of noise?”

“That’s true. But even so, wouldn’t it be possible for those who don’t know their place to commit disgraceful acts to disrupt the alliance? It’s my position to prepare for that possibility.”

To be honest, if this seasoned diplomat is hiding something, it will be difficult for me to find it.

The other person is a monster who has been rolling around on this field for decades.

I didn’t expect to be able to do that from the beginning.

But no matter how good you are at poker face, if you suddenly come in without any warning, you’ll show at least a minimal reaction.

Kaunitz’s eyebrows twitched slightly, though it was only for a very brief moment.

“Hmm… Count Vergennes didn’t say anything, but has Your Highness heard anything separately?”

“Well, who knows? I’m in the palace, so I hear a lot of things.”

“Versailles is the same, but so is Schönbrunn. It’s a place where gossipers’ rumors are rampant.”

“It’s difficult to tell whether a rumor is a rumor or the truth just by listening to it.”

Without saying a word, Kaunitz lifted his coffee cup and looked at me through the faint steam.

His face was calm itself, with no shaking or agitation to be found.

“I know what Your Highness is worried about. I think it’s natural for you to worry as you are in charge of such an important matter as the marriage alliance. And since you haven’t experienced life in the palace, I understand what makes you feel uneasy. But you don’t have to worry.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. This is something that His Majesty [Empress Maria Theresa] is directly in charge of. Moreover, both Majesties [Empress Maria Theresa and King Francis I] are actively promoting the marriage alliance, so who would dare to object?”

“Then that’s a relief. In fact, there are voices in my country that question the need to continue the alliance with the Habsburgs, so I was worried that the same thing might be said here.”

France and Austria had formed an alliance, setting aside their long-standing grudges, in order to win the Seven Years’ War.

But in the end, the result was defeat.

Usually, when long-time rivals join forces to fight, it’s an absolute victory formula in shonen manga [Japanese comics aimed at a young male audience], but such clichés don’t work in the story written by the Earth Author.

As a result, there were quite a few voices in France that questioned the need to continue the alliance.

Perhaps there would be quite a few people within France who would be secretly happy if the alliance fell through.

Of course, my political position as the one who took the lead and went as the representative would be over.

“The nonsense of those who cannot read the big picture exists everywhere, so rest assured. Count Vergennes and I are also putting our heads together to ensure that this alliance brings the greatest benefit to both countries.”

“Then I have nothing to ask for. As I spend time here, I feel more and more attached to this place… I hope we can coexist and prosper together.”

“Ah, now that I think about it, Your Highness stayed in Austria when you were young. You must have had many difficult experiences, but I am grateful that you have an attachment to this place.”

“Difficult experiences can become memories over time.”

“Hahaha, that’s certainly true. I had so many difficult times when I was young, but now I sometimes miss those times.”

That’s because you were born into an aristocratic family.

The miserable life and difficult experiences can never be synonymous.

When I was in Austria, my life was clearly closer to the former.

I didn’t remember it before, so I just let it go, but this time, after experiencing death and returning, it was different.

The second reason why I couldn’t easily choose the option of dying and resetting.

The memories and emotions that were latent in this body were gradually reviving.

The miserable memories of young Christian desperately trying to survive in the slums of Austria.

Even if I didn’t experience it directly, the shameful feelings of that day are clearly still inside me.

I’m already annoyed that I died and came back, but it’s twice as bad that I’m remembering unpleasant memories.

I continued my conversation with Kaunitz, being careful not to show any signs of it.

“By the way, Your Highness seems to be on good terms with the Princess. I heard that the Princess often tells His Majesty about you.”

“Yes. I get along better with her than I thought. Thanks to her, I always have a good time. I promise to do my best to help the Princess adjust well after she comes to France.”

“……”

That’s strange.

For the first time, a shadow fell on Kaunitz’s face, who had shown no major reaction to any questions or probes.

Even that returned to normal in a short time, but the emotion was revealed to such an extent that I couldn’t miss it.

I don’t know yet whether it’s related to my assassination or something completely different.

But there’s definitely something he’s hiding.

I had a feeling that was close to certainty.

And that breakthrough seemed to be closer than I thought.

Marie Antoinette.

Perhaps she could be my lifeline to get through this crisis.

“Oh, now that I think about it, the conversation has become too long. I forgot that I have to go to see His Majesty later. Please forgive my rudeness in getting up first.”

Look at this.

He knows he made a mistake and is trying to run away.

If this happens, I can’t help but become more and more suspicious.

“If His Majesty calls you, you should definitely go. There’s no reason to apologize to me for that. Go quickly.”

“Yes. Then I’ll be on my way…”

Kaunitz stopped as he was about to open the door and leave.

He sighed briefly and turned around.

“His Majesty is a fair and excellent monarch, but at the same time, she is also the Princess’s mother. If Your Highness can ease His Majesty’s worries, I would be happier than anything else.”

Leaving those meaningful words behind, Kaunitz went outside.

However, even after Kaunitz left, I didn’t move from the room for a while.

Unlike before, when I couldn’t even get a sense of it, I feel like I can see something now, but I can’t be sure what it is.

How far does the perpetrator’s line reach? Is Austria completely unrelated?

Until now, it was a question that didn’t return an answer no matter how much I reasoned.

But now it’s different.

Thanks to the reaction just now, I succeeded in obtaining one definite clue.

The Austrian side definitely knew something.