I Became A Genius Of The French Royal Family [EN]: Chapter 32

May I Call You Mother-in-Law

The room fell into complete silence.

Theresia and Kaunitz remained tight-lipped, not uttering a single word.

At first, I was worried they might hear my heart pounding with tension.

But strangely enough, once I sat down, I was able to maintain a sense of composure that felt almost unnatural.

In the past, I wouldn’t have been able to keep such a poker face with people like Theresia and Kaunitz right in front of me.

When I didn’t budge despite their silent pressure, Theresia eventually sighed and shook her head.

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

“Is that so?”

“Political strife probably happens in every country and every court. But I don’t understand what you’re trying to achieve by bringing it up here.”

“You have no idea at all, you say.”

Theresia nodded calmly.

“Are you implying that this ridiculous story you mentioned is related to us? If so, this is not something to be taken lightly, so hand over the evidence. Then we will investigate and take transparent measures so that you can be satisfied as well.”

I had roughly expected her to react this way.

She’s a very experienced person, after all.

She’s not just denying it outright but also subtly trying to find out what evidence I have.

She must be horrified inside, but the fact that her expression isn’t crumbling is honestly admirable.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t give you the evidence. It would be a disaster if the evidence I barely obtained were to be destroyed.”

“···You.”

Theresia’s eyes narrowed coldly.

She seemed clearly angry, but I could read a hint of unease hidden within.

Unable to watch any longer, Kaunitz interjected with a stern warning.

“Think carefully before you speak. I’m sure you know how Prince Christian’s words can be interpreted.”

“I assure you, I’m the most level-headed person in this room right now.”

I didn’t intentionally try to do it, but the intonation and pitch disappeared from my voice.

When I think about it, I’ve already experienced death five times, including the hit-and-run in my previous life.

Each time, I was crushed by pain so severe that I wished I could just die, and then I came back again.

Even if my body wasn’t scarred, I felt like something in my mind was being chipped away.

The fact that I can’t feel fear or tension might be a side effect of that.

I feel a sense of disconnect from my own voice and the changes I hear, but in this situation, I’m benefiting greatly from it.

Theresia asked with a suspicious look.

“If you’re saying that, you must have valid evidence… Why don’t you file a formal complaint?”

“It hasn’t happened yet, and more than anything, if I officially raise this issue, things will become very complicated.”

“Well… it seems to me that you’re just trying to find fault without any real evidence.”

Indeed, her years of experience in politics are not to be underestimated.

No matter how plausibly we apply pressure, she doesn’t easily show any openings.

“Making it a public issue will only hurt each other, and no one will benefit. So, let’s just resolve this quietly here.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, so your story is just bewildering to me.”

She must be putting up a wall in advance, thinking that we’re going to exploit her weakness and demand something.

If she’s convinced that I’m just bluffing without any evidence, then that’s the right thing to do.

Because if she denies it to the end, there’s nothing we can practically do.

As befits a seasoned empress, her sense of choosing the right answer is excellent.

But sticking with it until the end is another matter.

It’s true that I don’t have any evidence at this point, but no one would expect that I’m pushing forward based solely on suspicion.

Originally, in this kind of chicken race, the asymmetry of information exerts an absolute influence.

I know how embarrassed they are, but they know nothing about me.

More than anything, the risks they have to bear are absolutely huge to take a gamble without certainty.

They’re the ones who are desperate, not me.

“Then there’s nothing I can do. I’ll understand that you don’t want to handle it quietly and step back.”

I emptied my teacup in one gulp and stood up from my seat.

Then, after giving a polite greeting, I turned around and tried to leave the room.

Theresia and Kaunitz didn’t stop me until that moment.

If they keep pretending they don’t know until the end, the plan will fail.

But it’s obvious that they’re burning up inside even more than I am.

“Wait a minute.”

Eventually, just as I was about to open the door and leave, Theresia’s urgent voice stopped me.

As expected, the one who’s scared has to die [a reference to the idiom that the one who shows fear first loses].

“Do you have anything more to say?”

When I turned around, Theresia closed her eyes and sighed deeply.

“First, I want to hear your story about wanting to settle this quietly.”

“It means exactly what it says. I can’t completely bury the truth, but at least I want to handle it so that it doesn’t escalate into a diplomatic issue.”

“I don’t know exactly how much you know, but… I’ll tell you in case you’re misunderstanding. We’re closer to being bystanders.”

“I know. I also know who is trying to cause the conflict, and what benefits your country is trying to gain through it.”

Before Theresia could say anything in rebuttal, I continued.

“Since the person who killed me is on the French side anyway, it’s France who tried to carry out a despicable diplomatic plot. And I’ve already laid the groundwork for the smallpox vaccine by running around, so it’ll be easy to just take it. If you’re criticized for knowing and not standing by, you can get away with feigning ignorance. And more than anything, if I, who might be an obstacle to the princess and the crown prince, disappear, wouldn’t one less thing to worry about be gone?”

“No, that’s…”

“But you probably didn’t expect that the princess and I would get close so quickly. I also said that it would be easy to adapt to France thanks to you, so you must have been worried. Still, you probably decided that it would be more beneficial to just watch in the long run.”

It’s a rational way of thinking, even if it’s cold.

In fact, if I were in their position, I would have made the same choice.

However, if it’s caught, then the story changes.

From the perspective of a country receiving a diplomatic envoy, it is natural to have an obligation to protect the other party.

It would be a serious problem if they knew about the assassination plot and left it alone.

What if they even tried to use it in reverse and got caught?

It’s not enough to describe it as a diplomatic disaster.

The international credibility of the Habsburg family would plummet, and there would be no way to excuse it, which was a fatal issue.

Theresia knew that well, so she was desperately trying not to admit it.

She was beyond dumbfounded and muttered with a half-gone expression.

“How… There shouldn’t have been enough time to gather that much information?”

“I’ll take that as an admission. Now we can proceed with the discussion.”

The bluff worked perfectly.

Theresia now seemed to completely acknowledge that I had all the evidence.

It was unfortunate for her and fortunate for us that she had no choice but to see it that way based on the circumstances.

I sensed that the initiative in the negotiation had completely shifted to me.

“…I’ll listen to your story and then decide. Continue.”

“As I said before, I have no intention of holding Austria responsible for this matter. If you agree to a few changes, the alliance will proceed without any setbacks.”

“But if you know this much and have solid evidence, why not just present it? If what you say is true, we have no way to refuse your demands.”

“If I rashly put forward witnesses, there may be an unfortunate incident where their identities are revealed. And more than anything, if I present evidence and witnesses and unilaterally notify you, it may be seen as intimidating Your Majesty. I just want to reach an amicable agreement.”

Theresia didn’t let go of her suspicious gaze until the end.

But it doesn’t really matter.

Since we’ve come this far, the conclusion is as good as decided.

She can’t go against my words.

However, it was necessary to save the face of the person who actually ruled the Holy Roman Empire.

If I put too much pressure on her, it could become difficult to obtain voluntary cooperation in the future.

“First of all, we need to catch those who planned this disgraceful act. I want to arrest them in a situation where they can’t deny it, so I would like to ask for your cooperation.”

“That’s not difficult. I’ll promise you that right here.”

“Thank you. And this is the most important part. I would like you to agree to change the marriage partner of Princess Maria Antonia from Crown Prince Louis Auguste to me.”

“······?”

The atmosphere, which had been seriously subdued, suddenly lifted.

Theresia opened her eyes wide with a dumbfounded expression that I had never seen before.

She blankly looked back at Kaunitz, who was listening to the story from behind.

It was a gesture as if to confirm whether she had heard correctly.

Of course, Kaunitz’s expression was also one of utter bewilderment, so it wasn’t of much help.

She massaged the area around her temples and shook her head.

“Did I hear correctly? You want me to marry Antonia to you?”

“Yes.”

“Are you aware that you’re saying something ridiculous right now?”

“It’s unconventional, but if Your Majesty allows it, there’s no reason why it can’t be done. France’s position is that they don’t have to refuse if Your Majesty wants it, and I have full authority over this alliance. If the opinions of both countries match, the marriage can be fully realized, can’t it?”

I placed the draft I had prepared in advance on the table.

Theresia quickly scanned the contents with her eyes.

Except for changing the marriage partner from Auguste to me, it was very principled and contained common sense.

Eventually, unable to find anything to object to, she handed the agreement to Kaunitz and looked back at me again.

“First, let’s hear the reason. Why do you want to marry Antonia?”

“For the sake of friendly relations between the two countries, a marriage alliance is inevitable. But the crown prince lacks the ability to continue that momentum.”

Of course, I didn’t say anything like, ‘If Marie and I get married, I can be sure of my safety in Austria in the future.’

“But you can do that?”

“Yes. At least I am confident that I can perform the role much better than the current crown prince.”

“But my daughter already knows that she’s marrying the crown prince…”

“That’s not a problem at all. I’m on my way to confirm that the princess feels the same way as I do. Besides, both countries can gain practical benefits from this marriage.”

To be precise, there was a premise that ‘if Theresia allows it,’ but if I get permission here, it’s a problem that will be automatically completed, so it wouldn’t be a lie.

This is not a scam, but a highly sophisticated, only highly sophisticated, negotiation technique. Yes, that’s right.

“That child…? No, let’s check that later and listen to the practical reasons you mentioned.”

“First of all, you know the benefits that France or I will get without me having to explain them. There’s no need to explain this part separately, right?”

Marrying the bloodline of Europe’s top royal family as a bride will offset a significant portion of my inherent limitations as an illegitimate royal.

France can also form a marriage alliance without using the card of the crown prince’s marriage, so they are seeing tremendous benefits.

However, if this is the end, it may seem like I am unilaterally sticking a straw into the bride’s side and sucking it up.

Of course, Theresia pointed this out.

“So, you’re just saying you’re going to ride on our reputation? I don’t see any benefits for us.”

“The public’s perception of me in France is very good. I guarantee that no other aristocrat or royal is as well-liked as I am. There is no one as suitable as I am to lower the antipathy towards the Austrian princess. It’s impossible with the crown prince’s popularity.”

“Certainly, you’d be a little better at that part. But that’s not enough. What is the meaning of a marriage alliance in the first place? The reason I send my precious daughters to other countries is because they are guaranteed the status of queen. The alliance between countries comes from that guaranteed status.”

“I know. Generally speaking, the crown prince’s wife and the prince’s wife, who has just been incorporated into the royal family, are on different levels.”

If this rumor spreads in Europe, the Habsburg’s honor will fall to the ground, and they will not be able to avoid ridicule.

It was not a simple matter of saving face, but a matter of the royal family’s authority.

“If I am convinced that you have more value than the crown prince in France, I will not hesitate to entrust my daughter to you…”

Knowing that she has no choice but to accept my proposal, is she showing a lukewarm attitude because of her high pride?

No.

The wise woman must have already realized that the choices were fixed to one.

You could say that she is sending a kind of signal to justify her choice.

“I think Your Majesty has already made a judgment on my value.”

The reason Theresia was wary of me was because she judged that I was too capable.

When I pointed out that fact and brought it up, she seemed to hesitate for a moment but shook her head slightly.

“That’s just because I judged that there was a good chance. I can’t make such an important decision without solid evidence, can I?”

“I have evidence.”

Theresia’s body leaned forward slightly at my confident answer.

“What is it?”

“How many times have you been in this situation, Your Majesty?”

Theresia couldn’t say anything in response to that word, which contained so many meanings.

At this moment, silence was a clearer sign of affirmation than any words.

※※※

The visitor who suddenly came in took everything he wanted and left.

It was some time later that the empress of a hundred battles and the skilled diplomat regained their senses.

“After all, did you have no choice but to accept?”

Kaunitz asked.

Theresia stared at him blankly.

As if to say, ‘Do I have to explain that in words?’

“I have to think of it as an investment in the long term. And since that child decided to cover up our mistakes, we had no choice but to accept the proposal anyway. If we can prevent the royal family’s credibility from being buried underground by losing some face, it’s a cheap price to pay. Didn’t you know that too? That from the beginning, we only had one choice.”

“Still, there will be a commotion when the official announcement is made.”

“If you know that, use your head. So that we can get over it somehow. Anyway, the reason you didn’t raise an objection was because you knew that this was the only way, right?”

Kaunitz was a person who would say what he had to say in front of the empress, even when it came to his area of expertise.

If Theresia had made a really foolish decision, he would have stopped her by any means.

“It was a situation where we had no choice but to lose points no matter what means we chose. So, we had no choice but to make a decision that would minimize the damage.”

“That’s what I’m saying. If Prince Christian had publicly raised the issue of what we were trying to do, our diplomacy with Europe would have been a mess for at least a few years. The marriage with the crown prince would have been canceled, of course. From that point of view, it’s no exaggeration to say that Prince Christian saved our face.”

“That’s not all. I judged that it would be best not to become enemies with that prince. If we can’t suppress him, he’s someone we should put in a position closer to our side, even if only a little.”

“Is he such a great talent that you see him that way? No, I have no choice but to see him that way.”

It hasn’t even been a month since Christian came to Austria.

But in the meantime, he captured the heart of his daughter Marie, gained the trust of his son Joseph, and even in the midst of all that, he completely grasped all the conspiracies surrounding him and even set up a net to catch him in reverse.

Leaving aside whether it’s great or not, is this even possible?

Theresia still had a hard time shaking off the feeling of being possessed by a ghost.

From that point of view, marrying her daughter to Christian might have been the best option.

If he grows even more than he is now, he may really swallow France.

If that really happens, her daughter’s position may become even more solid than when she was married to the crown prince.

Kaunitz, who heard Theresia’s thoughts, revealed one more element that had been disturbing his mind.

“Your Majesty, did you see Prince Christian’s tone and expression in the negotiation just now?”

“Yes. He didn’t reveal his inner thoughts to the point of being sick of it. At first, I thought he was a person without emotions.”

“The amazing thing is that everyone around him said that the prince was affable and kind. The princess also praised him as a kind person whenever she had a chance.”

“That’s right. He’s clearly only the same age as Antonia, but he can perfectly control and hide his emotions… He’s a great politician.”

More than anything else, the attitude of taking a shape that seemed to hand over the choice to this side in a situation where he could have pushed harder was also worth giving a high score.

He’s not just smart and cold-hearted, but he’s a person who knows how to ‘do politics’.

Theresia liked that point more than anything else.

“In fact, it wasn’t completely controlled. The feeling disappeared as soon as we started talking, but when he first came into the room, there was definitely emotion in his eyes. I’ve seen people with eyes similar to that prince’s a few times.”

“Really? Where?”

Kaunitz’s expression darkened slightly as he spoke because it wasn’t a pleasant memory.

“Those who participated in the war and had their lives completely ruined often had those eyes. I’ve only seen those eyes in people who have gone through hellish pain while crossing the brink of death.”

“He said he grew up in a slum, so he must have had a lot of terrible experiences.”

“Strictly speaking, the feeling I got from Prince Christian was much more eerie than that. I don’t know what kind of experience a boy of that age had to go through to have those eyes, but…”

Kaunitz, who had never doubted his own eyes, muttered in a somewhat stiff tone.

“If he can really maintain his sanity while doing that… then we have to see that he has surpassed human mental strength.”