I Became A Genius Of The French Royal Family [EN]: Chapter 304

304. The Great French Federal Empire

I want to ask you something this time: Why do you hate becoming king so much?

Louis XVI stared at me as if he genuinely didn’t understand.

“Other people are going crazy trying to get this position, even killing relatives, brothers, and even parents.”

“I just don’t want a position that’s beyond my capabilities.”

Of course, it’s obvious that I don’t want to live a life of being overworked to death.

Please be considerate, Your Highness. Even with a constitutional monarchy, I’m in a position where I have to work harder than you. Okay?

Of course, unlike my inner thoughts, my mouth was uttering completely different words.

“As I said in parliament last time, if I become the king of another country, it will inevitably give the feeling of being separated from France. This can be an obstacle to integration in the long run.”

“Ah… I think you said that before. But isn’t the situation different now? Not only Nouvelle France [New France, a historical French colony in North America] but also Asia have made such requests, so you should be the center for integration.”

What is this?

Who are you?

Louis XVI made this calculation as soon as he heard the news from Asia?

Of course, Louis XVI is by no means a fool and possesses considerable intelligence, but he wasn’t deeply involved in the political structure.

To be precise, he was trying not to be on purpose.

“…Even if I become king…”

“What? Are you pretending not to know because you really don’t want to do it? Do you and your wife have slightly different thoughts?”

“Wife? Did Marie [Marie Antoinette, Queen of France] come and go?”

I wondered why I felt like someone had visited first.

“Is it because I keep living with you? They say couples resemble each other, and your political insight is extraordinary. She gave me in-depth opinions on why you should be king and how our royal family should be reorganized in that case.”

“……”

“Ah, should I call it the imperial family now, not the royal family? It seems appropriate to call the new country the Great French Federal Empire. What do you think?”

Darling! What kind of ideas did you put into this person!

Well, just because a person has no desire for power doesn’t mean they have no desire for honor.

Emperor of the entire continent, encompassing the New World, Europe, and Asia.

If such a title flickers before my eyes, I would be so excited I would jump at it.

“But even if you become the emperor of the Great French Empire, nothing will really change… You know that, right?”

“Isn’t that why it’s even better?”

That’s right.

But a lot changes for me. That’s the problem.

“Didn’t my wife say anything else?”

“Um… she said it wouldn’t be good if you were too overworked, so I should pay more attention to it…”

“Ahem, my wife loves me so much. Ahem.”

“Actually, I think it’s a bit much to put other burdens on you when you’re already carrying too much work as Prime Minister. I think we should discuss this in parliament.”

“If you think that much of me…”

That’s right. This is the right country.

To be honest, Marie is right if you think about it calmly.

If it was just one country, it would be different, but since Asia is making the same request, it would be good for me to become king in terms of integration.

That way, at least Nouvelle France, France, and Hong Kong can be tied together as one federation.

If it’s not a 1:1 structure but a 1:1:1 structure, it will be much easier to create a buffer zone.

However, the problem is that, unlike the Prime Minister, the King does not have a fixed term, and if he wants to step down from his position before he dies, he has to do a lot of cumbersome work.

Besides, I can’t accept it unless a specific method of how to reduce the workload on me is presented.

“First, I will formally discuss it in parliament. And we need to listen to the opinions of the citizens. In addition to Nouvelle France, we also need to see if Asia can really be integrated with us.”

“That’s true. But aren’t the citizens overwhelmingly in favor now? The people who opposed it were worried about losing you to the New World, so now they will turn to the side of approval.”

Wow. This guy is good at talking.

Was he pretending to be clueless until now?

Sparks are flying from his eyes, as if he is shouting that he wants to become the Emperor of the Great French Federal Empire.

Of course, it’s not just that he’s blinded by his desire for honor, but anyway, if he pursues practical interests, he will have no choice but to go with the flow.

“I will formally submit the agenda to parliament. I will probably create a place to ask Your Majesty’s official opinion in a few days.”

“Really? Then I should go to Paris for the first time in a while. To see the faces of the citizens.”

“You don’t have to go that far…”

“No. Shouldn’t I give a speech strongly supporting you so that the citizens will be more enthusiastic? Public opinion is important in these things.”

Heh heh. He’s very motivated.

Well, if a conclusion awaits where everyone is happy if I just become a little annoying, I can’t help it.

I have no choice but to close my eyes and accept my fate this time.

When things get easier later, I can abdicate to Theodore and step down.

Then at least I can live comfortably in my later years.

Can I… can I?

※※※

The news that not only Nouvelle France but also Asia was trying to make Louis Christian, that is, me, their king, spread throughout the area in an instant.

Even in modern times, most countries in this era had kings, and it was abnormal not to have them.

And the authority of the king is better the higher it is.

In modern times, national뽕 [a Korean slang term referring to extreme national pride or jingoism] is used as an element of gag or ridicule, but in fact, this was by no means a bad thing in this era.

In an era when wars broke out frequently and countries were plundering each other’s interests, national뽕 was the driving force for people to unite.

Of course, there were people who didn’t understand.

It’s natural that there are quite a few people who don’t understand why Asia is doing this, even though Nouvelle France is like that.

“Asia originally ignored us, right? They said something ridiculous about what kind of sheep it was, but is it a normal way of thinking to ask us to be their king after doing that?”

“Didn’t they get screwed up after acting like that? So I guess they’ve come to terms with reality now.”

“Oh, and I heard that the country there was torn to pieces? So it’s no wonder that there are guys who want to stick to this side quickly. You could even say they’re smart.”

Discussions took place in all kinds of communities, regardless of the salons of the upper class or the pubs frequented by the common people.

Still, the French people surprisingly began to accept this situation willingly.

In fact, it was hard to find cases in the East where they imported a king from a foreign country because there was no king in their country.

There were some, but most of them tried to find, find, and find again and seat even the most distant relatives.

However, from the perspective of Europeans, it is possible enough to bring in a king from a foreign country.

However, it’s just that they’re curious because it’s the first time that a European has become the king of Asia.

“But in the end, aren’t those guys also wanting to come into our great France as a part of us? They’re guys who know something.”

“Hey, Hong Kong was originally this side’s land. They just want to solidify it a little more.”

“But if the Prime Minister becomes king, what will happen to His Majesty now?”

“He will become a being higher than the king. Something like the Emperor of Rome…”

“That’s good! Frankly speaking, what do we have to be inferior to the old Rome! If you look at the territory alone, we have more if you include the New World!”

The word ‘Rome’ is the same as a cheat key that touches the hearts of Europeans a thousand years ago, five hundred years ago, and even now.

It was no wonder that all kinds of countries claimed to be the successors of Rome.

So much so that even in the United States of the original history, they subtly expressed themselves as the Rome of the 21st century.

In that respect, the current atmosphere of not inheriting Rome but surpassing Rome was enough to intoxicate the entire France.

Not only the citizens but also the lawmakers seemed to be paying attention to this public opinion, and they were actively responding to interviews with newspaper companies.

-Speaker of the House of Representatives Danton, ‘The discussion of the federal system is a process for France to stand tall as a thousand-year empire.’

-Senator Lafayette, ‘The Second Rome? The Third Rome? We are the First France.’

-Even if Prime Minister Christian becomes king, he will not leave France.

All kinds of articles covered the city of Paris every day.

Even if I were a French citizen, I would find it so interesting to see the situation unfolding every day that I wouldn’t be able to focus on my work.

“Do you think it would be good to proceed as it is, Prime Minister?”

The lawmakers, who had already decided that I would become king, bowed their heads in parliament and asked.

“No, let’s vote first. Why are you asking me for my opinion?”

“Haha… Of course, we will do that, but we have a desire to reflect your opinion as much as possible…”

“Anyway, there are a few things that need to be clarified, so it’s good to point them out here.”

“Yes. Tell me anything.”

But when I think about it, has there ever been a person who held both the Prime Minister and the King at the same time?

Then it seems like there’s no point in having a constitutional monarchy.

“First of all, even if I become the king of Nouvelle France and the Asian territories, our France will never waver in being a constitutional monarchy. The same goes for His Majesty becoming Emperor. You must be careful not to let people confuse this.”

If you make a mistake, it could be seen as a move to reverse the political system like during Napoleon’s time.

Who knows if this decision will be labeled in history as a decision that set back French democracy in the distant future.

Originally, the road to hell is paved with good intentions.

Failed policies that are evaluated as ‘the intention was good’ are all over history.

If we continue like this, there is a 99.9% chance that a runaway train of brain-dead dictatorship will run, so we need to prepare a control device.

“And we need to think more about the merger of Asia… specifically Guangdong [a province in Southern China]. Ideally, it should be left as an autonomous region for about a generation and slowly assimilated.”

“Is it because the cultural heterogeneity is too great?”

“Yes. In fact, integrating Asian countries into this side is unprecedented, so there will inevitably be many trials and errors. Let’s keep an eye on it for a while.”

Nouvelle France had a connection with France for quite a long time, so they could communicate to some extent, but I was honestly worried about Asia.

From people’s basic ways of thinking to education and the military system, it’s just more difficult to find common ground.

Of course, that’s why it’s not bad to try to integrate by establishing at least one king.

The end of the Austrian Empire, which had failed miserably in my head, comes to mind… In other words, it also means that there are many cases to learn from.

Anyway, forcibly blocking a once-determined flow is just an unnecessary waste of energy.

As expected, the vote in parliament was unanimous.

The birth of the new Great French Federal Empire has thus become an established fact.

“Woo-oh-oh-oh! Long live the Great French Empire!”

“Long live the King… no, the Emperor!”

“Long live the Prime Minister!”

I felt strangely twisted inside as I listened to the shouts of the lawmakers who liked it more than I did, but I didn’t spoil the festive atmosphere and clicked my tongue lowly.

Actually, it’s a bit much to blame only them.

Everyone except me was in a festive mood… I’m the only one who’s going to die again.

Instead of complaining, I was forced to go up on the podium and raise my fist to the sky.

“Long live France!”

Until the moment the parliament adjourned, countless applauses that did not stop pricked my ears.

End of The Great French Federal Empire