He Became Napoleon’S Genius Son [EN]: Chapter 23

(22) Reversing the Queen’s Fixed Execution

Here, Paris is naturally colder than Corsica.

“Achoo!”

Josephine, wearing a fur hat, sneezed and frowned.

“Oh, Paris is so cold. My ears are tickling, and I think I’m catching a cold. I miss Martinique.”

“Mom, medicine is expensive these days. The pharmacists say they don’t have the ingredients,” Hortense said.

“Where did you hear that? Hortense?”

Hortense, who was walking with quick little steps beside her, sparkled her eyes and said.

“A doctor at the salon told me!”

Although the times are turbulent, Josephine’s salon is still thriving.

Rather, it seems more people are coming and going these days because of [Banque Beauharnais – a bank with close ties to Josephine’s family, offering financial services and acting as a social hub].

Moreover, rumors have spread that Josephine is ‘free,’ meaning she has influence and connections.

Doctors, lawyers, and merchants who desire beauty are also frequenting the place.

Josephine nodded without asking who it was, then frowned.

“Sigh, right. I should get some cold medicine for the person who’s coming today.”

This place is the old Paris High Court.

Now, it is the location where the infamous [Revolutionary Tribunal – a court established during the French Revolution to try political offenders] is installed.

Of course, Josephine did not come to be judged.

Rather, she felt sorry for someone who would be on trial today and had no choice but to come.

However, the moment she entered the court, she saw a familiar face among the many spectators.

“What, why are you here?”

It was her ‘ex’ husband, Alexandre.

Josephine’s face was more shocked than pleased.

Scoffing lightly, Josephine wore a sneer.

Alexandre was not by her side when she almost died in Martinique, after returning to Paris, or even later at the salon.

She doesn’t need a man like this.

“Hmph, did you forget that you stamped the divorce papers? We are now strangers.”

“Who said anything? I just asked why you came, Rose. To this dangerous place.”

“Call me Madame Pajet, Monsieur Beauharnais. Of course, I came to see Her Majesty the Queen.”

At that moment, Alexandre was horrified and lowered his voice to urge her.

“Be careful what you say. Not Her Majesty the Queen, but Madame Capet. Also, she is just a death row inmate!”

The surroundings are full of audience members.

Among these spectators and citizens, there are those who sympathize with the Queen.

However, most of them want the Queen to die.

Even if not, at least those who lead the trial, from judges to lawyers and members of parliament, all want the Queen’s death.

Especially since the King committed suicide, and war is about to break out.

Alexandre whispered, examining the surrounding air.

“I’m telling you this as Eugene’s mother.”

“Oh, thank you. Your daughter is here too, Monsieur Beauharnais.”

“Hmph, who knows whose daughter she is?”

Alexandre turned away from Hortense.

That was the reason for their initial separation.

Alexandre claimed that Hortense was not his daughter.

Of course, Alexandre, not Josephine, was the one who actually had an affair back then.

Josephine, looking at Alexandre with contempt, snorted and pulled Hortense.

“Shameless man. Let’s go, Hortense.”

“Dad, why is he like that?”

“He’s crazy about power.”

Alexandre once swore loyalty to the royal family and was eager to send his son as a page [a ceremonial attendant or servant in a royal court].

But now, he is talking as if the Queen’s death is natural.

He can already be seen flirting with Republican lawmakers in the distance.

Josephine frowned and turned her gaze.

This time, she saw a welcome face.

A smile bloomed on Josephine’s face.

It was Eugene de Beauharnais, her son.

Of course, Eugene was surprised to find Josephine and approached her.

“Eugene! Over here! Here!”

“Mother? Why did you come out? This trial is dangerous.”

“What do you mean? I came to see the poor Queen.”

Josephine smiled brightly and pulled Eugene’s arm, making him look around.

“Look, everyone is worried about me.”

She doesn’t know much about politics.

But Josephine is a woman who is quicker than anyone else.

If the majority of Parisian public opinion wanted the Queen’s death, she would never have come out.

But now, this Paris is rather sympathetic to the Queen.

The gazes watching Queen Marie Antoinette, standing alone in the center of the court.

Their faces are full of worry.

Eugene raised his eyebrows.

“That’s absurd. I even see people who were saying to kill the Austrian woman just three months ago.”

“It’s completely different now. Her Majesty the Queen is not a corrupt queen of the royal family, but a woman betrayed by her husband.”

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

As Eugene blinked, Josephine excitedly told him a rumor she had heard recently.

“The King, well, he said in his will that Prince Louis is Fersen’s son. How betrayed must the Queen have felt?”

At that moment, Eugene’s mouth dropped open.

So, this is the story.

The claim that the Prince is Fersen’s son means that the King regarded the Queen as an unfaithful woman.

However, such infidelity of a wife is usually either revealed or covered up, which is the virtue of a ‘man.’

To reveal such infidelity at the point of death is a betrayal of his wife.

Josephine is saying this now.

The surrounding audience, especially the women, seemed to be thinking the same thing, looking at the Queen with worried eyes.

Eugene was dumbfounded by the completely unexpected ‘positive’ reaction.

He didn’t know whether to like this or be dumbfounded.

Just then.

“Silence! Silence! Silence!”

Suddenly, judges entered the judge’s seat of the court and struck the gavel.

“We will begin the trial of the accused, Marie Antoinette Capet!”

In the late 18th century, the most famous trial in history began.

***

In the revolutionary era, only revolutionaries can be prosecutors.

“The former Queen, Marie Capet, is an enemy of the revolution! Therefore, she must be sentenced to death!”

“That’s right! She colluded with Austria! She brought the country to ruin with her extravagance! Death is fitting!”

“Above all, the Queen committed a terrible act!”

Jacques René Hébert.

The man at the forefront is by far the most famous radical revolutionary.

The two prosecutors around him are Pierre-Gaspard Chaumette, who was appointed as the prosecutor of Paris, and Jules-François Paré, who was recently appointed as the security officer of Paris.

In fact, Chaumette is the senior prosecutor.

However, Hébert, who holds the position of [Deputy Prosecutor], is virtually leading the situation.

Hébert has no intention of missing this opportunity.

‘I must become the representative of the revolution on this occasion!’

This is the only proposition that is burning in Hébert’s heart.

Robespierre, Danton, Marat.

The leading forces of the French Revolution have already changed from the early constitutional monarchists and notables to these three hardliners.

In Paris, the three are even called the Triumvirate of the Revolution.

However, just four years before the revolution, they were just mere lawyers.

Is there a law that says Hébert can’t become a leader?

If he succeeds in killing the Queen today, an opportunity will come to Hébert as well.

That’s why Hébert spewed out a claim that ordinary people could not make.

“Above all, the Queen committed incest!”

Suddenly, the heated court stopped.

Incest.

The meaning of this word is clear.

It is an act against humanity.

But it’s strange to cite incest as the reason for the Queen’s death.

The presiding judge, Joseph Herman, one of the three judges sitting on the bench, asked back with a sullen face.

“Incest? Are you talking about infidelity? According to the Declaration of Human Rights and the Basic Law…”

Declaration of Human Rights.

It is a declaration announced by the National Assembly immediately after the French Revolution.

It was created by Lafayette with the help of the famous American independence activist, Thomas Jefferson.

The content stipulates human freedom and equality.

Whether this declaration was observed or not, adultery is no longer a crime in the revolutionary era.

The reason why adultery is a crime is because of Christianity.

The world where religion does not rule, that is the reason why the revolution happened.

Perhaps, like a well-known scandal, Count Fersen and the Queen committed adultery?

That would be difficult to call a crime in revolutionary France, let alone the old regime.

But Hébert wasn’t just talking about that.

“No, it’s different! The Queen committed incest!”

Everyone was dumbfounded and opened their mouths wide.

Except for only one person, Eugene.

Eugene calmly watched the situation and laughed in vain.

It’s just like history.

Originally, even in Marie Antoinette’s trial in original history, the revolutionaries falsely accused her with absurd charges.

It is the charge that the Queen [raped] Prince Louis.

Of course, it’s a lie.

However, the Queen’s reputation was really at rock bottom in France.

Because of this, even such false accusations were quite effective.

Until the King committed suicide.

But it’s different now.

The Queen’s lawyer, Raymond de Sèze, president of the French Bar Association, jumped up.

“Hébert! That’s nonsense!”

“Antoine Simon, the protector of the Prince, will testify to this. Simon!”

“Yes, I can testify according to my conscience. Prince Louis was subjected to incest! As evidence of that!”

Antoine Simon, the nominal protector who imprisoned and monitored the Crown Prince.

A perjurer recorded in history who lied that the Crown Prince confessed to committing incest.

Eugene watched him confidently step forward and lightly gestured.

The next moment, Eugene’s secretary, Hippolyte, dropped a lump of iron.

-Thump!

People watching the court were startled and looked around.

“What, what is it!”

“A, is that a gunshot?”

“No, no. It’s the sound of a lump of iron falling?”

Judge Herman was startled and shouted.

“Someone is causing a disturbance!”

At that moment, Eugene lightly moved his steps and stepped forward.

“It’s me, Judge Herman.”

Now, it was time for the show to begin.

***

Usually, if you do something like this, you will be dragged out by the guards.

The prosecution team, including prosecutor Hébert, glared at Eugene.

On the other hand, Judge Joseph Herman narrowed his eyes and his expression softened.

He recognized Eugene, the ‘financial’ prodigy who has been gaining fame recently.

Of course, it is half thanks to his father, Alexandre, who briefly served as the chairman of the National Assembly.

“Oh, it’s General Alexandre Beauharnais’s son.”

As Alexandre was horrified, Eugene bowed gracefully.

“Thank you for recognizing me.”

“You wouldn’t dare to insult the sacred court as the general’s son, would you?”

“No. I want to accuse Antoine Simon, who is standing over there.”

At the moment people were surprised, Eugene said calmly.

“That man abused Louis Charles Capet.”

Antoine Simon, the jailer who was imprisoning the boy, jumped up and protested.

“What! I educated the Prince, no, Louis, with all my heart!”

“Evidence, is there any evidence!”

“Some old aristocrat! Dare to the sacred court!”

At that moment, Eugene turned his head.

Everyone unknowingly turned their gaze together.

A corner of the audience seats.

Armand Ganet, the Queen’s adopted son, was standing there, suppressing his trembling.

In fact, Armand’s existence is quite famous, but the general public does not know his face.

Nevertheless, next to Armand was a boy with a face that anyone in this place would know.

This is because portraits were taken and promoted throughout the kingdom during the old royal family.

Suddenly, Armand put the boy forward.

-Step.

Right, the former Crown Prince.

The son of King Louis and Queen Marie.

The child recorded as Louis XVII in later history.

It seems like only yesterday that he was just a 4-year-old child at the start of the revolution.

The 8-year-old boy, Louis, trembled and approached Eugene.

This is because he recognized Eugene, who used to visit the royal family.

On the other hand, the prosecutors, including Hébert, were flustered and glared.

“Here, there is evidence. It’s himself.”

“Wait, why is Louis Charles, who should be confined, here…”

“Look, Hébert!”

Eugene shouted and tore the child’s clothes.

-Tear!

People were surprised by Louis, surprised by the sound of tearing clothes, and surprised again by the sight that was shown.

Clear whip marks.

At that moment, Josephine screamed.

“Oh my god! Look at that blood!”

As if that sound was a signal flare, the audience began to shout.

“Oh my gosh, how could they do such abuse!”

“I can’t believe it. No, whether he’s a prince or not, he’s just a kid! He’s younger than my son!”

“Crazy! What on earth did you do!”

Simon opened his mouth wide, looked around, and shouted.

“I, I never did such a thing!”

The next moment, Eugene calmly, but very hard, stepped on Louis’s trembling foot.

“Aaaaaaack!”

As Louis screamed, one person who had been standing blankly until then reacted.

Marie Antoinette.

The mother of the former Crown Prince.

Antoinette, who had been desperately tied up, tried to run.

“Charles, Charles!”

“Calm down! Madam! This is a court.”

“Please! Everyone!”

Antoinette had already lost her eldest son, Louis Joseph, to illness.

She couldn’t be in her right mind.

Antoinette looked around and screamed.

“Here, is there no mother but me? The child is dying. Please show some sympathy!”

Of course, there are still many citizens who think Antoinette should die.

There are also members of parliament who believe that sacrifices are necessary for the revolution.

Not to mention the judges.

But at this moment, everyone froze as if they were frozen.

Sympathy for the Queen.

The Prince’s clear wounds.

And, flowing tears.

The former Queen burst into tears.

“Sob!”

At this moment, Eugene walked out to the center of the court.

“Everyone, I am young and don’t know the law. But I have one question to ask.”

As if he were an innocent 12-year-old boy who didn’t know anything, Eugene said clearly.

“This child is not the King’s son. The King testified by dying. Also, the King denied the marital relationship with the unfaithful wife who deceived him.”

A mere innocent boy cannot say such things in the first place.

Moreover, this situation was extremely strange when viewed calmly.

With a loud noise, attention is drawn, the Crown Prince, who should be confined, appears, and Eugene suddenly leads the situation.

But everyone was just looking at Eugene because of the rapid and intense changes.

This is the era of revolution.

A time dominated by extreme turbulence.

“The person here is just a poor mother who fell for a handsome nobleman.”

In an instant, Eugene shouted passionately.

“Nevertheless, should we make this child and that girl here orphans without parents? Do we really have to kill that poor mother?”

There stood Marie Therese, the girl who came to see Louis and her mother.

People felt their hearts clenching.

They are not monsters.

These were the Queen, Prince, and Princess.

But at the same time, they are a mother, a son, and a daughter.

The same people as the citizens surrounding the entire audience.

Suddenly, Josephine shouted again.

“Save her!”

As if infected, everyone, especially the women, began to shout.

“Save her! Save her! Save her!”

“Women also have the right to live!”

“That outrageous bastard! What do you think of mothers, and what about incest! Don’t you have a mother!”

Hébert gritted his teeth and glared at Eugene.

“That bastard!”

But the trend had already been reversed.

The judge blankly looked at the situation and looked at one side of the audience.

This was because he had to know the intentions of the person who opened this court.

Right, Maximilien de Robespierre.

Robespierre stood still and turned away with a blank face.

The people next to him could hear these words.

“Not bad, boy.”

Judge Herman was eventually pushed by the trend and had no choice but to make a ruling.

“Not guilty!”

As applause spread, a girl approached Eugene.

“Eugene.”

Eugene smiled at Marie Therese, the former princess with a pale face.

“I kept my promise. Princess, no, Marie.”

At that moment, Marie Therese hugged Eugene.

Before the flustered Eugene could pull Marie Therese away.

A reporter in the courtroom picked up a pen.

Not yet, before the birth of photography.

Reporters capture the moment as a scene with speedy sketches.

“Oh, this is a scoop!”

In February 1793, the trial of the century ended at the Paris Revolutionary Tribunal.

With Marie Antoinette’s innocence.

It was Eugene’s victory.