I Became A Genius Of The French Royal Family [EN]: Chapter 104

You Must Trust Me Completely

The Tuileries Palace was suddenly quite busy, all thanks to a recent guest.

To be precise, it felt more like a place where people lived.

Originally, the Tuileries Palace was only inhabited by Christian and Marie, so it was eerily silent in the evenings.

Even though there were guards, it wasn’t like they could laugh and chat with them.

In that sense, Joseph II’s stay brought a fresh atmosphere to the palace.

No, in fact, there was another factor that completely changed the atmosphere of the Tuileries Palace.

“Oh… it seems children really do take after their parents. He might make many noble ladies cry when he grows up.”

Joseph II carefully held the baby, looking at his face with wonder.

“Who named the child?”

“I was going to name him, but Your Majesty bestowed the name yourself.”

“What name were you going to give him? Henri? Thierry? I think the name His Majesty gave is more meaningful than those names.”

Marie, who was watching from behind, said, and Christian quietly shut his mouth.

“Louis Theodore… does it mean ‘gift of God’? It’s certainly a fitting name for a child born on the anniversary of the victory against England.”

“Right? I liked this name better too. This one seemed a bit disappointed, though.”

“I will definitely name the second one myself. Especially if it’s a daughter.”

“Yes, yes, whatever you say.”

Joseph II looked at his younger sister and brother-in-law exchanging friendly words, then turned his gaze back to the child in his arms.

“A child…”

Looking at his beloved sister’s son, Joseph II suddenly thought of his two daughters who had passed away.

For him, the existence of a wife and children was a tragedy symbolizing sorrow.

He was certainly happy when he had two daughters with his wife, whom he loved for the first time.

But the second daughter died as soon as she was born, and his wife also died a week later.

And even his only remaining blood relative, his first daughter, died of smallpox at the young age of eight.

Joseph II, who had also lost his second wife to smallpox a few years ago, felt as if something had been cut away from him.

Still, seeing his youngest sister, whom he cherished like a daughter, smiling happily with her son, he felt a little comforted.

“Come to think of it, if I had a son from my second wife, I could have easily taken Bavaria.”

Maria Josepha, Joseph II’s second wife, was the sister of the Elector of Bavaria [the ruler of Bavaria, a German state].

If they had had a child, he could have legally claimed the succession to Bavaria.

However, Joseph II, unable to forget his deceased wife, did not give his heart to Maria Josepha, and eventually, they could not have children.

“…Christian, have you thought of a way to annex Bavaria?”

Joseph II handed the nephew back to his sister and changed the subject again.

Christian nodded slowly.

“I’ve been thinking about it, but no clear method comes to mind. However, I still believe that France directly intervening to pressure Bavaria and Prussia would do more harm than good in the long run.”

“…Yes, starting a new war as soon as the war with England ends would certainly be a burden. Then I’ll handle things unilaterally first, so please take care of the aftermath.”

“You mean we don’t have to participate directly. But then Prussia is likely to come out strongly. If Your Majesty is prepared to risk war, I recommend cooperating with Russia. I will be the bridge.”

“With Russia? Certainly… France has also formed a marriage alliance with Russia this time, so it seems like a good idea. But would they allow us to take Bavaria?”

Prussia, Russia, and Austria shared almost the same sphere of influence, so they tended to keep each other in check.

No matter how closely they were tied by alliances, they would not simply stand by and watch the other’s power grow.

At best, they would remain neutral, and if you asked for help, they would likely ignore you.

“So we shouldn’t ask for help empty-handed. If they allow Austria to annex Bavaria, shouldn’t we allow Russia to take the area south of the Black Sea? With those conditions, Russia would welcome it with open arms.”

“But then Russia would become too strong…”

Joseph II momentarily compared the benefits Austria would gain with the advantages Russia could receive.

No matter how hard he thought, the scales seemed to tip slightly towards Russia.

“If you only look at the immediate gains, that’s true, but you have to consider the effort and losses involved in taking those gains. Russia would have to go to war with Turkey again to take the area south of the Black Sea, wouldn’t they?”

“Ah, that’s true. On the other hand, if Russia helps us push back Prussia, we would have almost no loss of soldiers.”

“Not only that, but if Austria gains control of the Rhineland in the long term, we can take more territory from Prussia. Regaining Silesia would not be a dream.”

Christian was trying to support Austria not simply because Austria was a marriage alliance partner.

Among the great powers of modern times, where nationalism and jingoism were rampant, Germany was a country that particularly utilized these elements well.

Many countries promoted nationalism, but not many succeeded in turning it into real power and exploding it externally.

But Germany succeeded in building and unleashing its power in this way several times.

This was because Prussia’s emphasis on the purity of the Germanic people was very effective in inspiring national pride.

On the other hand, the current Austria was a mixture of various ethnic groups and countries, not just Germanic people, so there was less risk of this.

In other words, in the world that will be reorganized in the future, it is much better for Austria, a multi-ethnic state, to become stronger than Prussia, which is likely to turn to fascism.

“Christian, let’s do as you say. When can you connect me with the Russian side?”

“Anytime. Alexander, who will be the new Russian ambassador to France, is close to me. Now that we’re talking about it, let’s proceed quickly.”

“Yes. The sooner, the better.”

“When would be good… That’s right. Soon Your Majesty and I will have to go to Versailles. Alexander will be there then, so I will naturally introduce you to Your Majesty.”

“Ah, that’s right. I almost forgot.”

Both of them had forgotten about a major event because they were so focused on Bavaria.

Joseph II recalled that he had received a formal invitation from Versailles a while ago.

“They said that my visit coincided with a national celebration, so they asked me to attend.”

The marriage alliance had been confirmed a long time ago, but the ceremony had not been held until now because the war was in full swing.

That meant that now that the war was over, it was time for the Crown Prince to marry.

※※※

Thump, thump, thump!

The sound of drums echoed, and the voices of the guests filling the front of the palace could be heard inside.

The birth of a noble being who would become the future Queen of France.

To see that auspicious moment, countless people, regardless of whether they were nobles or commoners, flocked like clouds.

“Hoo… hoo… hoo…”

While everyone was enjoying the festive atmosphere, there was one person who was making a face as if they were about to die.

Louis Auguste was breathing heavily, pacing around the room, constantly circling the same spot.

“I guess it’s impossible to call off the ceremony now, right?”

“It would be an absurd thing to do unless you want to start a war.”

“No, I don’t mean cancel the marriage, but what about just not having the ceremony…”

“Can’t you imagine what kind of rumors would spread, brother?”

Auguste scratched his head at my reproach, which was full of disbelief.

I honestly don’t understand why he’s so nervous about a wedding ceremony.

It was the right decision not to bring Joseph II to this place.

No matter how much he is the king of an allied country, I can’t show him this pathetic side of the next king.

“What about the person who will be your sister-in-law? Have you seen her face?”

“I saw her. I went to the harbor with His Majesty to greet her when she arrived here. She’s pretty, but… she seemed a little intimidated.”

“She must have had a hard time in Russia. But you said you liked that about her, didn’t you?”

“Yes… it seemed like I was the only one she could rely on. But that gave me a strange sense of responsibility. Think about it. If I don’t treat her well, this woman will have no choice but to live unhappily even after coming all the way to France.”

You’re really worrying about nothing.

I set it up because you said you were burdened by women with too much background, but now you’re saying you’re burdened by her relying on you. What do you want me to do?

Still, words of encouragement naturally came out of my mouth, unlike my true feelings.

This type gets even more intimidated if you scold them harshly, so you have to unconditionally praise them.

“Still, you’ve gotten a lot better recently. You’re doing the acting I asked you to do without difficulty, and people around you are saying you’ve become more like a Crown Prince, haven’t they?”

“That’s… it’s just that I did what you told me to do, and people around me are just misunderstanding on their own.”

“Then isn’t that even better? I’ll continue to help you from the side in the future.”

“I guess that’s true… no, wait.”

The shadow fell again on Auguste’s face, which had barely begun to calm down.

“I heard that you’re going to be the governor of the newly reorganized Nouvelle-France [New France, a French colony in North America]. Then you’ll be leaving soon.”

“It’ll be a year at most. I’m planning to come back to the home country after finishing all the urgent work there and laying the foundation.”

“A year…”

“Even if something happens, I’ll take care of everything and leave, so don’t worry about anything. I’ll clear up all the situations so that you can ascend to the throne without any worries.”

After coaxing and appeasing him several more times, Auguste finally regained his composure and stopped spinning in place.

The reason he’s so scared right now is probably not just because he’s facing the wedding.

Unlike the original history, France’s power is soaring through the sky.

France, which has defeated England and emerged as the undeniable center of Europe.

And the person who will continue that era of glory is Auguste, the next king.

With attention pouring in from all directions ahead of the wedding, the weight of the reality he faces must be pressing down on him.

“Christian… if I become king, do you think I can do as well as my grandfather is doing now?”

“Of course. Don’t feel too pressured.”

“But the nobles and citizens are expecting more and more. I keep hearing that I have to be a great monarch like my grandfather.”

“…A great monarch like your grandfather…”

I never thought I’d hear such an evaluation of Louis XV.

Well, judging by his recent actions, he deserves to hear those words.

Not only did he brilliantly avenge the defeat in the Seven Years’ War, but he also pushed a significant portion of the debt he had been carrying onto England.

In fact, all of that was thanks to me, but the top person in charge originally shares some of the credit.

Looking only at the results, Louis XV was a great monarch who strengthened the declining royal authority, reduced the soaring debt from the time of Louis XIV, and suppressed the rising power of England.

In fact, most of the former was the poop he made himself, but anyway, isn’t it okay if he paid it back after taking it?

“I’ll be by your side, so you can definitely become like your grandfather. No, I’ll make it so, so don’t worry. The title of the greatest monarch in the history of the French kingdom will be none other than Louis XVI, the epithet that refers to you, brother.”

“Okay. I’ll trust you, so please take care of me.”

I can’t find a trace of doubt in Auguste’s eyes as he stares at me.

I lightly patted his shoulder, then opened the door and stepped outside with him.

“But Christian…”

What, why again? I felt a little nervous because my brother’s expression had become so serious.

“Yes, brother. Please speak. Relax a little now.”

“Are you really sure you’re only going for a year? What if it takes longer or something…”

“Oh, come on, brother, really.”