I Became A Genius Of The French Royal Family [EN]: Chapter 41

Day of the Guillotine (1)

The history of the French High Court is surprisingly quite old.

Established in the 13th century, the High Court was initially only in Paris, but by the 18th century, it was distributed evenly throughout the regions of France.

The total number of judges across France amounted to about 1,100, wielding considerable power.

Even so, the Paris High Court held the greatest influence.

In particular, the High Court’s momentum had recently soared, so laughter never ceased during the meetings of the chief justices.

“Heh, heh heh! Did you see this?”

“Chief Justice Dampierre, you look like the cat that got the cream.”

“Well, he deserves to. He’s been sharpening his knives to get us, but recently, he’s the only one getting hurt badly.”

The judges chuckled, passing around the recently printed newspapers.

[Prince Christian Assassination Attempt Still a Mystery. Is the Prime Minister Willing to Resolve It?]

[Suspicion Arises: Shouldn’t the Prime Minister, Who Advocated Sending Prince Christian to Austria, Be Investigated?]

None of the judges believed that Maupeou had tried to assassinate Christian.

Whatever the truth was, it didn’t matter.

The court just needed to tarnish Maupeou’s reputation.

Framing the Prime Minister as incompetent would effectively cripple any reform efforts.

No matter how much Maupeou attacked the court, it would only appear as if he was stubbornly trying to cover up his own failures.

“Did anyone see Maupeou’s face at the wedding? He looked like he hadn’t slept a wink, utterly ghastly.”

“Hahaha! Isn’t it obvious? Frankly, I would have just resigned. A Prime Minister who has lost the King’s trust is just a scarecrow. What can he do?”

“Was there anything particular from the Director-General of Publications, Malesherbes?”

“There were no reports of any problems. Everything is going smoothly.”

The chief justices were already certain of their victory.

The press was in Malesherbes’ hands, and the King’s attention had completely drifted away from the High Court.

Unless the assassin was suddenly caught, there seemed to be no element that could reverse the situation.

“By the way, what is Prince Christian doing at the Tuileries Palace? Is he also frantically trying to catch the assassin?”

“Probably. It would be strange if he wasn’t furious, considering the person who tried to kill him is still alive.”

“But… when you think about it, we also have something to feel guilty about.”

At Dampierre’s words, the atmosphere among the chief justices instantly turned cold.

“···Wasn’t that matter already resolved amicably? I thought Chief Justice Blancmesnil said there was no need to worry.”

“It’s because Chief Justice Blancmesnil has retired due to his advanced age that I’m saying this. None of us have had in-depth conversations with Prince Christian.”

That was true.

Blancmesnil, who had argued that Christian should be handled with care, had recently retired, being nearly 80 years old.

Currently, none of the chief justices knew Christian well.

“Well, what is there to worry about? It was His Highness the Prince who tipped us off that Maupeou would attack us.”

“That’s right. If he held a grudge against us, he wouldn’t have given us that information. Frankly, how much have we helped His Highness?”

“Exactly. Would he have even entered the royal family if we hadn’t supported him?”

Dampierre’s uneasy feelings gradually disappeared with the chief justices’ optimistic predictions.

“Indeed, Lavoisier is by His Highness the Prince’s side, so nothing will happen. I’ve instructed him to report any suspicious movements immediately.”

“But now, we should start preparing some means to keep the Prince in check. Originally, it was a structure where we could threaten each other, but now the Prince’s status has become too high.”

“···That’s true. We should discuss methods after Maupeou is ousted. Fortunately, our power will become stronger after this is over, so a way will emerge.”

“Of course, of course. The tide has completely turned in our favor.”

None of the people in this place knew what Christian thought of the High Court.

The reason why the perceptions between the two sides were so extremely different was the difference in experience.

Christian had actually died twice because of the High Court, but the High Court was completely unaware of this fact.

They were merely thinking that Christian was deliberately making them underestimate him to gather material for negotiation.

They did not know how much he had suffered and how much anger he had experienced.

Moreover, they naturally could not even imagine what his psychological state would be like after experiencing two more deaths in Austria.

How could the judges of the High Court possibly know?

They were just worried about how to conceal the court’s corruption that Christian knew about.

“Now, shall we discuss ways to hide our weaknesses while the Prince and His Majesty the King’s attention are focused elsewhere?”

The moment Dampierre was about to say what he was thinking.

Bang!

The door to the conference room was violently thrown open.

The sound was so loud that some of the chief justices reflexively stood up.

The judge who rushed in was a mess.

He was drenched in sweat, having run so urgently, and he cried out desperately.

“Something terrible has happened!”

“What is all this commotion? No matter how urgent the matter······.”

Before the words could even finish, soldiers with weapons stormed in.

“Everyone, do not move from your seats. And arrest this man here first.”

“Let go, let go!”

“Resisting will only add to your charges. You should know this well, being people who deal with the law. Why are you acting like this?”

A soldier tied up the struggling judge and took him straight outside.

They looked around at the chief justices, who were not following the situation at all.

They had triumphant expressions, as if they had accomplished something great.

“What on earth is the meaning of this!”

Dampierre shouted in a voice filled with fury.

The one who appeared to be the commander smirked and took out a document from his pocket.

“We are from the military police. There were orders from the military police and the city guard to arrest all the chief justices and judges belonging to the High Court.”

“Who dares to issue such an order! Surely not the Prime Minister? Even if he is the Prime Minister, he cannot mobilize the military police and the city guard as he pleases! This is a clear overreach of authority······.”

“His Majesty the King personally issued the order.”

“What? The King?”

The chief justices gaped.

Most of them reacted with disbelief.

Why would the King suddenly and unexpectedly strike at the court here?

They were convinced that they had done nothing to be attacked by the King······.

“Here is a document proving that it is an order directly issued by His Majesty. So, it will be better for you to be arrested quietly. Hey! Escort them all!”

“Yes!”

The soldiers moved in an orderly fashion at the military police commander’s order.

Judging from the sounds coming from outside, it seemed that the commotion was not just happening here.

The sight of soldiers sweeping up documents and taking them down was briefly visible through the open door.

“No, what reason does His Majesty have to oppress us like this!”

“We would like to ask you that instead. What gall did you have to commit such acts?”

“What nonsense······.”

“Ah, I haven’t told you what charges you are facing. We are also a bit disoriented because of the sudden order. The High Court is currently charged with attempting to assassinate His Highness Prince Christian.”

At the unimaginable statement, the chief justices were momentarily unable to even retort and were stunned.

Why was the Christian assassination case suddenly coming up here?

“This is absurd······.”

Dampierre, who was about to raise an objection, suddenly thought of one possibility.

“I see. Now that the Prime Minister is cornered, he’s trying to cling to us to find a way to save himself? Even if he tries to force things like this, it won’t benefit him.”

“I think you are mistaken. The High Court is on the list of likely suspects because it already has a record.”

“What, what? Could it be······!”

“We have to search everything, not just here, so let’s end the small talk. Come on! Everyone move quickly! We have to finish everything by today.”

The chief justices, dragged out by the soldiers, shouted at the top of their lungs, but nothing changed.

The arrest warrant with Louis XV’s official seal was absolute.

At least, at the point of being charged with royal family assassination, it was impossible to escape unscathed.

A myriad of thoughts swirled in their confused minds.

It was not a situation where anything could be grasped, but there was one common anxiety that everyone felt.

Perhaps, just perhaps, they had made some ridiculous mistake.

※※※

The plan to dismantle the High Court was prepared secretly, without anyone noticing, and executed so quickly that it was impossible to respond.

In just one day, most of the judges belonging to the High Court in Paris were arrested, and all the data was confiscated.

Thanks to this, I have been summoned to the Palace of Versailles more frequently recently.

It was under the guise of a so-called victim investigation.

Of course, the truth was that I was unilaterally handing over data to Louis XV, but outwardly, this was not something I was leading.

Because the court’s function was paralyzed in an instant, many of the media outlets they controlled were also paralyzed.

Since the reporters were hungry for scoops anyway, there was no need to control them in this situation.

As expected, as soon as the newspapers were convinced that the court had lost control, they immediately began to criticize them.

Articles about the High Court being charged with my attempted assassination covered the entire city of Paris in one day.

Maupeou and Choiseul’s names had already cleanly evaporated from the citizens’ minds.

Everything is going according to plan.

However, I have been so busy these days that I have had less time to spend with Marie.

It’s still the early days of our marriage, so I felt sorry that I should be with her a little more.

If this goes well, I should schedule more events that we can attend together.

Lavoisier mentioned something, so from now on, I need to pay attention to managing Marie’s popularity as well······.

“Your Highness, we have arrived.”

Just as I was lost in thought, the carriage stopped.

However, the coachman was looking ahead with a slightly troubled expression.

I could see the reason with my own eyes as I got out of the carriage.

An old man was standing at the entrance to the palace.

I had given orders not to let in any guests looking for me, so it seemed he was waiting there because of that.

It’s been quite a while since I’ve seen that face.

The former Chief Justice Blancmesnil was approaching me with a haggard face.

“Your Highness, what shall we do?”

“I’ll deal with him and send him back. Go in first.”

“Understood.”

As the distance closed, it was clear that his face was more damaged than before.

Anyway, Blancmesnil historically dies in about a year or two from now.

It wouldn’t be strange if signs of health problems were starting to show.

He had stepped down from his position as Chief Justice, so he would not be arrested immediately, but eventually, he would inevitably be summoned.

The possibility that he would not live out his natural lifespan was about 99.99 percent.

“It’s been a while, Chief Justice. Ah, you’re not the Chief Justice anymore.”

Blancmesnil’s complexion hardened at my polite greeting.

He tried to smile, but his expression didn’t come out as he intended.

He used to be such a big shot, but now I can’t feel any threat from him.

I could feel that the positions between us had completely reversed.

“···It’s been a while. I apologize for not greeting you sooner.”

“I heard you retired. Thanks to that, you were able to avoid this commotion, so should I say it’s fortunate?”

“Did Your Highness know that His Majesty would strike at the court this time?”

“I was also surprised. Recently, I have been so focused on investigating who was behind the assassination that I have not been paying attention to His Majesty’s movements.”

Blancmesnil sighed deeply. A dry voice, devoid of vitality, flowed from his mouth.

“As you know, the court is completely devastated now. But if Your Highness would step in and help with the rescue efforts, there might still be room for recovery. I earnestly ask you to use your power.”

“Me? Why?”

“···Yes?”

Blancmesnil, feeling that something was wrong, asked back.

Does he still not realize that I have struck them in the back of the head?

My trust in them was so thick that I was deeply moved, but that’s that, and this is this.

“Unfortunately, the laws of this country dictate that if there is a crime, there must be punishment. Besides, it’s a bit much for me to step in and say something about something that His Majesty has personally ordered······.”

“But Your Highness knows well that we did not try to assassinate Your Highness.”

“That’s true. But it’s also true that you tried to do something similar in the past, so it’s only natural that His Majesty suspects the court.”

First of all, the evidence that the court tried to assassinate me in the past was too clear to even deny.

With this situation, the justification for investigating the court was certainly established.

Here, the more you dig, the more the court’s corruption and misdeeds are expected to be revealed.

If the flow is caught like this, it doesn’t matter even if it is revealed that the court has nothing to do with this assassination case.

The accumulated corruption and the charge of trying to assassinate me in the past are enough to tear them apart.

And now, Blancmesnil, who had finally realized that I had no intention of saving the court, turned pale.

“···Su, surely···Your Highness, you have betrayed us······.”

“Betrayal? If you say that, it sounds like I’ve done something bad. And logically, no matter how capable I am, how would I have evidence of the court trying to assassinate me? It’s not like I was in good shape back then like I am now.”

“Then how did His Majesty find out about that incident?”

“Could there have been a traitor within the court? Those who were not arrested among the chief justices seem likely.”

In fact, not all judges were dragged away this time.

Even if the legal aristocrats were corrupt, there were still a few decent people among them.

Sweeping away even those people is a waste.

After properly consulting with Maupeou, measures were taken to ensure that those who could be entrusted with work in the future would avoid the investigation.

Of course, there were quite a few who were not even arrested like this, so it was natural that some people were confused.

It was because it was not known which of them had made an internal report and received a promise of personal safety.

Of course, by this point, Blancmesnil would have been certain that I was trying to cut ties with them, even if he didn’t know whether I was the mastermind behind this incident or not.

Perhaps that was why his voice, as he continued to speak, was overflowing with anger and resentment.

“How can Your Highness do this to us? If it weren’t for us, Your Highness would never have been in your current position!”

“Hmm··· That’s an undeniable fact. So, I’m actually preparing some things in the hopes that I can alleviate your pain even a little bit.”

“I, is that so?”

“I don’t know if I can make it in time, but I will try my best to make sure it is prepared.”

Blancmesnil, who did not understand the meaning of my words, interpreted it as a sign of help and bowed his head in gratitude.

I waved my hand at his retreating figure, relieved.

Since this would be the last time I would see his face outside of the courtroom, it was only right to show as much sincerity as possible.

“I must ask my grandfather if we can use that device when I meet him next time.”

The executions at this time were mainly carried out by executioners beheading, so many people suffered tremendous pain.

If the executioner was skilled, they could die cleanly, but if they lacked a little strength, a real disaster could occur.

So, I decided to send off those who had dominated the French legal world cleanly at least at the end.

What I told Blancmesnil was about the introduction of a device to help with this process.

It would appear about 20 years earlier than in actual history, but the production itself was not difficult.

This was not about creating a completely new concept device.

In fact, similar concept execution devices had already been used in Edinburgh, Scotland, and Italy.

And recently, I finally brought these drawings into the country and put 10 technicians on the development.

I don’t know if I can make it in time, but if it is introduced, I can guess how the newspaper headlines will be written.

It would probably be something like this.

[New Device to Alleviate the Suffering of Death Row Inmates to Be Introduced. Its Name Is Guillotine.]