I Became A Genius Of The French Royal Family [EN]: Chapter 75

Diamond Scam (2)

“Hmm…”

Marie carefully observed the woman sitting a short distance away.

She occasionally glanced their way, but Marie sensed no hostility.

No matter how she looked at her, Jeanne didn’t seem like a con artist. In fact, she had never actually met one, so she wasn’t sure what their tricks were.

“What do you think, Princess Marie? If nobles reduce their consumption, wouldn’t the overall economy stagnate?”

“Yes? Ah, yes… That makes sense, but wouldn’t we need to consider *what* kind of consumption it is…? What do you think, Jeanne?”

As Marie subtly passed the question on, the woman Christian had hinted was a con artist became noticeably flustered.

“M-Me? I’m sorry. I’m ignorant when it comes to economics…”

“Oh, it’s perfectly fine. There’s no need to apologize at all.”

“…Thank you.”

In response to Jeanne’s deflated answer, Marie quickly changed the subject.

“Speaking of which, there’s an opera performance scheduled at Versailles next month, right? What does everyone think?”

The Marquise de Brinvilliers smiled elegantly and nodded.

“Those are pieces composed by Mr. Jean-Philippe Rameau, right? I’m looking forward to it as well.”

Other noble ladies boasted their knowledge and expressed their anticipation.

On the other hand, Jeanne remained silent again, only listening to the people around her.

*Do con artists act this clueless?*

Marie tilted her head.

She had heard that con artists usually did their homework, building trust with their target. But the Jeanne she saw now was nothing like that.

*How could someone who looks so clueless pull off a scam?*

Even if she tried to deceive someone, no one would be fooled.

She even wondered if Christian might have misunderstood something.

In the end, she was so distracted that she couldn’t properly focus on the conversation until the salon ended.

Soon, after all the formalities were over and the noble ladies had left, Christian and Deon came inside.

The husband she trusted most in this world approached her.

“You don’t look like your usual self. What happened?”

As expected, he knew how she felt just by looking at her face.

It wasn’t unpleasant; it was proof that he was always paying attention to her.

Of course, it wasn’t just Christian who was like that.

Marie was also always watching Christian carefully, so she was confident that she wouldn’t miss even his slightest changes.

You couldn’t compare the size of affection, and comparing it was childish in itself, but she was sure that she didn’t love him any less.

“Well… the person you mentioned, Jeanne Valois de Saint-Rémy, came to the salon.”

“…Yes?”

This time, Christian’s eyes widened as if he was surprised.

He didn’t show this kind of reaction often, so he must have been very surprised.

“The Countess de Lamotte is already out in social circles?”

“Yes. Weren’t you the one who told me about it?”

“I was just mentioning it in case, but I guess… it was. As expected, she was involved with that side.”

“…That side?”

Her husband was good in many ways, but sometimes he would say things that she couldn’t understand.

Of course, even if she asked, he wouldn’t tell her the details.

He said that listening to it would only add to the confusion.

There were times when she almost got annoyed, but now she just accepted it.

In fact, Christian handled things with incomprehensible logic and judgment, but the results were always the best.

It wasn’t just once, but when things were repeated several times, it couldn’t be seen as a coincidence.

“So, what was the Countess de Lamotte like?”

“How should I put it… You said she was a con artist, but I didn’t really get that impression.”

“…Wouldn’t it mean she has no qualities as a con artist if she’s found out by you in the first place?”

“How rude.”

She wanted to retort, but she couldn’t think of any grounds.

She didn’t think she could see through it if a con artist was determined to deceive her.

“Still, I’ve heard a lot of things. They say that to pull off a scam, you have to pretend to know a lot and tell plausible stories. But that person, with all due respect, didn’t seem to know anything?”

“That’s probably true. She grew up in a poor family, so she probably didn’t receive much education.”

“Didn’t you say she was from the Valois royal family? Could that be a lie from the start?”

“That’s probably true. However, it would have been difficult for a descendant of a royal family whose lineage has already been cut off to grow up wealthy. She lived in poverty until the Marquise de Brinvilliers discovered her and sponsored her.”

She had heard that the life of a fallen royal was worse than that of a bourgeois [a member of the middle class].

But this was the first time she was seeing a real example of it with her own eyes.

“Could it be that she went down the wrong path like a con artist because she grew up in a difficult environment?”

“Rather than that, you should see it as she’s fallen into the curse of status.”

“Curse?”

“This is common not only among royalty but also among nobles. But she, with her great lineage of the Valois royal family, has that stigma engraved even deeper.”

Christian nodded slightly as Marie focused on his words without answering, and continued.

“What the royal family was like in the past, that she is a descendant of the great Francis I, these are stories that have nothing to do with her current self, but those in a gutter-like reality can’t accept it.”

“Ah…”

“And because everyone praises and elevates her when they say she’s a descendant of the royal family, as they can’t superficially ignore her, the delusion gets stronger. But the money in her hands is only a few pensions [fixed sums paid regularly]. The time she can be intoxicated is short.”

Marie now understood clearly what Christian was saying.

“She’s being consumed by vanity.”

“If she faces reality and tries, she can change. She can stand right as a mature human being. But if she continues to turn away from reality, the result is determined. She either falls into the abyss or tries to fulfill her desires through dishonest means.”

Marie, who was nodding repeatedly, noticed a strange emotion in Christian’s words.

It couldn’t be helped.

His words could have been about Christian himself.

Even though he was an illegitimate child, he was of royal blood.

But the environment surrounding him was even worse than that of the Countess de Lamotte.

Even in that environment, he had risen to his current position with his own abilities.

“But specifically, what kind of scam is she trying to pull off? How should I respond…?”

“There’s no need to be so nervous. Just treat people as you always do. She probably won’t be trying to scam you directly. However, there is one thing you should be careful about.”

“Yes. Tell me. I will never forget it.”

“Never show any signs of suspicion. And spend as much time with her as possible. Show her your tone of voice, how you sign your name, and even your small habits without hesitation.”

It was an instruction that was difficult to understand at first glance, but Marie did not doubt it.

As always, she would believe and follow the words of her loved one.

※※※

…The conversation at the Tuileries Palace was too mentally exhausting.

Even for the Duke of Chartres, it was not easy to probe Prince Christian, let alone anyone else.

“What, what should I do, Duke? As you said, I asked Mrs. Brinvilliers to get me into the Princess’s palace, but…”

The woman in front of him kept fidgeting, making his already aching head throb even more.

“Isn’t it enough to carry out the instructions your father gave you? I haven’t heard what you’re going to do specifically.”

“Well, yes, but… I understand. Then I’ll organize my thoughts and tell you.”

He couldn’t understand why he was being excluded like this.

The orders he received this time were two.

While the Countess de Lamotte was in contact with Marie Antoinette, he was to keep Christian busy.

And if possible, he was to probe him and get any information, no matter how small.

“I don’t know what you’re trying to do, but there were instructions to provide all possible support. If you need anything else, let me know.”

“Yes. First of all, I plan to continue entering and exiting the Tuileries Palace and observe the Princess. And if possible, I would like to be able to obtain letters with the Princess’s signature…”

“That’s not difficult. What else?”

“Once everything is completed, I need to contact the jeweler, but I will speak directly to the Duke of Orléans about this.”

The Duke of Chartres clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction and nodded.

The feeling that only he was alienated from this huge flow was unbearably unpleasant.

“Let me ask you one thing. Did your father have a solid basis for trusting you?”

“Isn’t it because I am a descendant of the Valois royal family?”

“For that reason alone?”

“Of course not. But if I tell you my strengths, I think you’ll know right away what I’m trying to do, so it’s difficult to say.”

Every word was scratching his nerves.

Still, his pride would not allow him to show his emotions to such a woman.

He tried to change the subject as calmly as possible.

“Anyway, what was the Princess like when you met her in person?”

“She didn’t seem as stupid as I thought, but she was just a nice pushover herself.”

“…It’s forbidden to judge everything about the other person with just one meeting. Keep in mind that you can stumble greatly.”

“I’m sorry. But personally, I pride myself on having an eye for distinguishing people who are easy to deceive. The Princess is a good person, but she tries to be too considerate of others. A royal family member should show a royal demeanor.”

The Duke of Chartres read the emotion of anger for the first time in the words of the Countess de Lamotte.

He didn’t know exactly what this woman was trying to do, but he knew her background itself.

The lineage of the Valois royal family, which now only had a name left.

All that was left for the fallen royal family was such useless pride.

“Is that so? I think the Princess is an ideal princess who is kind to her subordinates and doesn’t show an arrogant side herself.”

“If you only show that side too much, you will be looked down upon.”

“I see.”

*Is it a kind of inferiority complex?*

She couldn’t show off her power even if she wanted to, but the princess, who was the most popular person in Paris, was so kind, so she must have been jealous.

“What has Princess Marie Antoinette done? She just ran on the path that Prince Christian had made. It wouldn’t have been any different no matter who was in that position.”

“Well… it’s your freedom to think that way.”

He finally understood why his father had accepted this woman.

She probably thought she was a great being and was being courted, but of course that wasn’t the reason.

Groundless jealousy and hatred towards the princess.

He could feel the ugly obsession to bring her down.

“Everything is fine, but you must not forget to be careful not to run into Prince Christian. That guy has an eerily good sense.”

“Don’t worry. That’s why I’m trying to enter and exit the Tuileries Palace only when you meet the Prince, Duke.”

“Yes. Then there won’t be any problems.”

No matter how much information Christian has and how much intuition he has, how can he figure out an opponent he has never seen?

It hasn’t even been a week since the Duke of Orléans contacted the Countess de Lamotte.

In addition, if he steadily enters and exits the Tuileries Palace, the Prince’s attention will inevitably be focused on this side.

No matter how outstanding he is, it is structurally impossible to avoid this dagger.