I Became A Genius Of The French Royal Family [EN]: Chapter 134

134. Marie’s Proposal

< Marie's Proposal >

Knowing the future, it’s easy to feel like I have the world in the palm of my hand.

At first, I died several times and went through all sorts of hardships, but since my position stabilized, I haven’t felt any major threats.

Of course, I might suddenly die without anyone knowing. Still, so far, everything has been going as expected without any major problems.

However, no matter how well I know the flow of history, I couldn’t predict people’s lifespans.

For example, Louis XV should have died of smallpox a long time ago, but thanks to the vaccine, he lived more than 10 years longer.

Maria Theresa was also under much less stress than in the original history, and she had already exceeded her lifespan.

But no matter what, people are bound to die someday.

I had forgotten that obvious fact for a moment.

“······.”

I sat next to Marie without a word and hugged her until she regained her composure.

I wanted to say something comforting, but I couldn’t think of the right words.

In the East, the sorrow of losing parents is compared to the collapse of the sky. [This is a metaphor for overwhelming grief.]

It means receiving a shock so unbearable that the sky collapses.

However, I can’t even begin to understand or guess what that feeling is like.

In my previous life and in this life, I have never felt the presence of parents.

If I were to offer comfort, I would only be able to say clichéd things.

In that case, let’s just stay by her side so she can cry and grieve as much as she wants.

But Marie surprisingly regained her composure quickly and got up.

Of course, the sadness in her eyes hadn’t completely disappeared.

She must be trying hard to hold it back.

Marie looked up at me and gave a weak smile.

“It’s okay. Rather, if I keep crying, Mother will scold me. She’d say she didn’t raise me to be so weak!”

“Well, I can see Theresa doing that.”

“It was written in my brother’s letter too. She said not to create a funeral atmosphere because she had no regrets and felt satisfied that she had done everything she could.”

“Seeing that she said that, she must have closed her eyes peacefully in the end. Fortunately.”

Marie nodded slightly.

Considering the original history where she was bedridden with illness and couldn’t recover, this is a good passing.

Of course, I’m the only one who knows that fact, and knowing that doesn’t take away the sadness of losing a mother.

“Oh, now that I think about it, there’s also a letter that Mother wrote to me last. I haven’t opened it yet… Do you want to read it together?”

“Is it okay? But why haven’t you looked at something so important yet?”

“…It’s my mother’s last letter. I feel like once I read it, I’ll really be accepting that it’s over…”

Marie gave a bitter smile and took out an envelope from her desk.

There was still a wax seal on it, proving that it had never been opened.

If it’s a letter left by a beloved mother, people usually want to read it right away, but I understood Marie’s feelings.

Still, now that she’s decided to look at it, it means she’s ready to organize her emotions to some extent.

Marie carefully opened the envelope and slowly unfolded the letter in front of her.

“······.”

In the silence, I read Theresa’s last letter with her.

[If you are reading this letter, I am probably no longer in this world. I don’t know what the weather is like in Paris, but the sky in Vienna that I see from the window right now is not very good. I’m about to go on a long journey, and I hope the weather clears up before then.]

Marie read each sentence slowly and carefully.

As if trying to engrave every letter her mother left in the world into her eyes.

[…Joseph is making a fuss and fidgeting strangely. He should be a truly established emperor of this country now, but I wish he would show a little more trustworthy side.]

Joseph II always wanted to escape from his mother’s shadow, but in fact, he was a son who loved his mother more than anyone else.

A position like the sole emperor of the Holy Roman Empire probably wouldn’t even be on his mind.

[Still, I feel refreshed because I’ve relieved one worry in my later years. If there’s one thing I regret, it’s not being able to see the children you’ve given birth to. Of course, I’m not worried. I know you’ll raise them well. I just want to give you one piece of advice as a mother and as a senior in life who has stood above many people for decades.]

Marie’s fingers trembled slightly at the sentence full of affection for her youngest daughter.

Suddenly, our children who were sleeping in another room came to mind.

If I had to leave those children behind in the distant future, what would I feel?

Thinking about it, I could understand Theresa’s feelings in this letter to some extent.

[Looking back, my later years were a life of reminiscing about regrets compared to my ambitious youth when I only looked ahead. Grief for my husband who left first, lamentation for the wars I couldn’t win, obsession with wanting to regain the glorious past of the empire. I always felt regret in my heart that I could have done better, but why couldn’t I do more.]

Maria Theresa was a great monarch who, from an objective point of view, had shortcomings but achieved even greater accomplishments.

She was a person who could have been evaluated much more highly if Frederick II hadn’t been in the same era.

Nevertheless, the defeat in the Seven Years’ War must have been a wound that was difficult to shake off for the rest of her life.

[Please tell Christian too. Ah, if it’s you, you might be reading this letter with Christian. Joseph told me that your relationship is really extraordinary.]

After all, does the experience of a monarch who has ruled a country for over 40 years never go away?

What a great insight.

As if she was writing on the premise that I was watching, Theresa naturally continued the story.

[Well, Christian seems like a guy who only looks ahead, so I don’t think he even needs this kind of advice. I still don’t know how a man who seems like he wouldn’t bleed a drop of blood even if you stabbed him could be so in love with you, but I think it’s fortunate anyway.]

Well, when I was in Vienna, I didn’t have much time, so I was a little tough.

But as a result, everyone is happy, so isn’t it good, Mother-in-law?

Theresa’s letter, which had been going on for a long time, ended with a request to me and Marie.

[My child, the steps of those who stand above people must always be forward. Never chase after the past and regrets. And Christian, I’ll admit that I misjudged my son-in-law’s abilities. I think that if you are there, the future of France can extend to areas that I cannot imagine.

So, I ask you to remain a good ally of our country in the future. Please keep in mind that Joseph is your beloved wife’s blood-related brother and your children’s uncle.]

“Mother, really…”

Marie chuckled and neatly folded the letter and put it back in the envelope.

“Madam, I would like to send you to the funeral in Vienna, but…”

“It’s okay. I expected this day to come when I decided to come to France.”

A princess who marries into a royal family cannot return to her hometown unless there is a really special case.

And coldly, the death of a family member is not included in this special reason.

I was going to make a good reason to see Theresa’s face before this happened, but I couldn’t get the timing right.

It has become a definite experience of realizing the limits of not being able to do everything even if you know history.

“Still, I’ll tell you to pay attention when we send diplomats to express our condolences from here. There will be paintings of you and Theresa together, so they won’t refuse if you ask them to hand them over.”

“Thank you. That alone is really comforting.”

“Then I should tell Versailles to send word right away.”

“Oh, and.”

Marie stopped me as I was about to call the servant.

Before I could ask if she needed anything else, she spoke first.

“…I have an idea.”

Marie didn’t ask for anything more.

Rather, even in this situation, she was trying to provide something that would help me.

After hearing her words, I couldn’t help but admire how much people can develop and change.

※※※

“…Yes. I’ve heard the story too.”

Louis XV smiled bitterly as he looked at the wine filling his glass.

“So she’s gone. That woman, Theresa.”

“Yes. According to Joseph II’s letter, she closed her eyes comfortably without pain.”

“I remember she was about seven years younger than me… I thought neither she nor I would ever leave this place, but time is so ruthless.”

“Your Majesty will sit on the throne longer and healthier.”

“It won’t be more than a few years anyway.”

The king suddenly lowered his eyes and looked at the red wine sloshing in his glass.

“I remember when I first saw her when I was young. I had only seen portraits, but I was amazed that there was such a beautiful woman in the world.”

“Weren’t the two royal families sworn enemies at that time?”

“That’s right. If we had been on good terms with the Habsburgs at that time, I might have put in a marriage proposal too.”

Well, considering Louis XV’s womanizing tendencies, that could have happened.

Of course, Theresa was also a person with a strong personality, so even if the two had actually married, they probably wouldn’t have had a good outcome.

“Your Majesty, anyway, the Holy Roman Empire has lost its queen, who was loved by all the people. And now that she, who has been actively working on diplomacy with other countries, is gone, there is a high possibility that the European situation will be subtly shaken.”

“Hmm… Joseph II’s control isn’t that good, I see.”

“He’s not incompetent. However, Theresa’s absence is bound to be noticeable in the short term.”

Prussia, which is already seething at being deprived of Bavaria, will try to use this opportunity in any way possible.

In particular, we must assume that Frederick II will show some kind of movement no matter what.

“If Prussia moves, England will move too. Do you know what the situation is in England now?”

“The new Prime Minister is very talented. The chaotic situation is said to be stabilizing quickly.”

“Hmph… the chaos may come faster than I thought.”

“Don’t worry about England. I’ve planted a bomb there in preparation for this situation. If we detonate it in advance, the political scene will be quite chaotic.”

Since the development of the central region of Nouvelle-France [New France, a French colony in North America] has just been completed, the timing is perfect.

If we instigate Wilberforce to come out and defend the legitimacy of slavery head-on, it could cause considerable repercussions.

Then Prime Minister Pitt will have to pay attention, so he can divert his attention for a while.

“Then I’ll leave that to you. Hmph… I thought my later years would be comfortable, but that woman suddenly left like this.”

“Your Majesty, in fact, it’s not necessarily something to be so pessimistic about.”

“Hmm?”

“…This is my wife’s opinion. If we direct this well, wouldn’t it be an opportunity to emphasize the strength and prestige of the alliance centered on France once again?”

Maria Theresa’s death was a major event that was bound to attract the attention of all of Europe, and of course, ambassadors from all countries had to go to Vienna.

An advice to take practical gains by taking advantage of the gap.

Louis XV, who would not have predicted that such advice would come from his granddaughter-in-law rather than his grandson, opened his mouth blankly.

“No, but… is that okay?”

End of < Marie's Proposal >