I Became A Genius Of The French Royal Family [EN]: Chapter 106

Catfight?

In the realm of diplomacy, there is no such thing as an eternal alliance.

Even within a single nation, public sentiment can shift and fracture every few years, so how could relations with other countries ever be permanent?

Even historical adversaries like England and France have formed alliances several times in modern history.

There’s no guarantee that Spain and England, currently at each other’s throats, won’t ally against France in the future.

“…So, Jose Monino’s proposal represents Spain’s official stance.”

Louis XV clicked his tongue softly.

He had barely finished celebrating his grandson’s wedding when another troublesome issue rolled in, much to his displeasure.

Fortunately, Christian’s expression seemed as calm as ever.

“It seems so. It’s practically confirmed that Jose Monino will be the next Prime Minister of Spain, so I accepted it for now.”

“But… if we agree to this deal with Spain, doesn’t that mean we have to scrap the plan you mentioned before?”

“Rejecting it is out of the question. If we did, we’d face a barrage of criticism from all sides if the terms were leaked.”

“I suppose so. It’s such a favorable offer that it’s hard to refuse. Anyone would suspect ulterior motives if we didn’t take it, considering how much Spain seems to be giving away.”

Although most of the land west of the Mississippi River already belongs to France, the territory of Louisiana that we’re about to receive is still substantial.

Moreover, its geopolitical value cannot be ignored, considering its access to the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean via the Gulf of Mexico.

“I don’t understand. Why would Spain make such a losing offer? Could it be that the plan you’re devising has been exposed?”

“I don’t think so. Jose Monino is one of the most capable politicians in Spain. He probably instinctively sensed the long-term risks of sharing a border with the United States.”

“If that’s the case, isn’t it bad news for us? It means they won’t be manipulated as easily as we thought…”

Louis XV paused.

Come to think of it, things had been going a little too smoothly.

Considering the situation a few years ago, there was no guarantee that everything would continue to go well.

In fact, if it weren’t for the presence of his reliable grandson, France would never have achieved its current glory.

But Louis XV glanced at Christian, who was smiling calmly.

Strangely enough, even that was enough to dispel the anxiety that had begun to creep in.

“Christian, even if it was unavoidable, the fact that you gave an immediate answer on the spot means you had your own calculations, right?”

“Of course.”

“Alright. New France is entirely in your hands anyway, so do as you see fit.”

“Is it alright if I don’t explain the plan?”

“I would naturally listen if you were to tell me, but there’s no need to report it in advance. Since I’ve given you full authority, I won’t mind if you do as you please and report the results later.”

It was an unprecedented level of authority that he had never given to anyone before, but Louis XV didn’t doubt it for a moment.

His grandson had proven his abilities with results time and time again.

Louis XV was convinced that Christian was the most capable person in France.

If his grandson had been around during the Seven Years’ War, he believed the outcome of that war would have been different.

Therefore, if his own subjective opinions were to intervene here, things might go awry.

“Thank you for your trust. As always, I will only show you satisfactory results.”

“Yes, yes. I won’t worry about a thing. Then, all that’s left is Joseph II’s request… How should we handle that matter?”

“I’ve already connected him with the Russian side. I don’t think it’s a good idea for us to get directly involved this time. It’s not good to give the impression that we’re too heavily involved in the power struggles of Europe.”

“Knowing you, you wouldn’t just connect the two countries and be done with it…”

By now, Louis XV roughly understood his grandson’s tendencies.

He was rarely at the forefront of attention when doing something, but he never failed to secure the benefits. Even if it sounded easy, it would be nearly impossible to handle things this way without the ability to guide the other party as he wanted.

“Yes. If Russia starts a full-scale war with Turkey, Egypt will naturally take an independent path. We plan to sign a treaty to acknowledge our support for Egypt at that time.”

“Egypt?”

Egypt had been under Ottoman rule since Selim I destroyed the Mamluk dynasty.

Of course, the actual rule was in the hands of the Mamluks, who held the real power, but they couldn’t completely ignore Ottoman influence.

Of course, if the Ottoman Empire weakened, Egypt, which was already maintaining some degree of independence, would likely break away naturally.

However, Louis XV couldn’t understand why Egypt was being mentioned in a discussion about European hegemony.

“We will also include a clause in the treaty with Spain to acknowledge the project we will be undertaking in Egypt. If Austria and Russia also agree to this, we can proceed with our work with peace of mind.”

“So, what kind of project are you planning to undertake?”

“To put it simply.”

Christian drew his finger across the Mediterranean Sea towards the Red Sea.

“We will build a canal here. Of course, France will have the largest stake.”

※※※

As I came out of the meeting with Louis XV, I could hear the faint chirping of birds.

The conversation must have gone on for a while, as it seemed like we had spent almost the entire night.

Still, it was a very fruitful time, as almost everything went according to plan.

I carefully opened the door to my lodgings and entered.

I thought Marie would be asleep since it was still early dawn.

But contrary to my expectations, Marie was leaning against the sofa, staring blankly at the ceiling.

Feeling my presence, she turned her head slightly and looked at me.

“…Oh, you’re back? It seems like the conversation went on for a while.”

“You’re up early. Did you have trouble sleeping because you’re in a different place?”

Of course, Marie, who had stayed in Versailles more than once or twice, wouldn’t have had trouble sleeping simply because the bed was different.

As expected, she shook her head, adding a generous amount of sugar to the coffee cup in front of her.

Somehow, there seemed to be a subtle hint of annoyance in her movements.

“Did something happen yesterday?”

“……”

Marie took a sip of her coffee without saying a word. She glanced at me once, then sighed deeply.

“Yes. To be honest, I have a bit of a headache.”

“Did some nobles who don’t know the subject pick a fight…?”

“Ah, no. It’s definitely not that. Rather, I’m getting a headache because of the people who are trying to flatter me in any way they can. The problem that’s bothering me now is something else.”

“I don’t know what it is, but trust me. I’ll take care of it right away.”

Could there be a problem because of Joseph II’s visit?

Or perhaps it’s a matter of requests from nobles who want to take a position in New France.

Neither is a problem I can’t solve, so I can just take care of it when I have time.

“It’s about Princess Juliana, who became the Crown Princess this time…”

“Yes. Was there some kind of problem with her?”

Could it be that the Crown Princess has already started trying to take control of society to check Marie?

I told Alexandre to warn her in advance so that such a thing wouldn’t happen.

If that’s really the case, a stern warning so that she can realize her situation…

“Princess Juliana urgently asked me for help. She said she wasn’t confident in handling herself well in the Palace of Versailles, so she asked me to please help her.”

“…Yes?”

“So, at first, the Crown Princess came to me and greeted me warmly, saying that she was looking forward to working with me. I also wanted to get along well, so I immediately greeted her and we talked.”

Originally, princesses from other countries were in similar situations, so they often got along well.

Sometimes, it even developed into something close to same-sex love.

I expected Juliana to have a strong desire to get along with Marie.

That’s why I reacted with incomprehension when she said something was wrong.

“If she’s showing a dependent attitude towards you, isn’t that not a problem to worry about? This also means that the French high society of the future will revolve around you.”

“That would be true if it was just between me and the Crown Princess, but this time, several people got involved in the middle. Madame du Barry, other princesses, and so on…”

“…?”

Marie’s story went like this.

Louis XV’s daughters, who already didn’t like Madame du Barry, thought this wedding was the perfect opportunity.

Of course, I also gave her the word to let Juliana, who would become the Crown Princess, know about this.

The problem was that the princesses were much more active than I had expected.

“As soon as the princesses met the Crown Princess, they poured out a lot of slander about Madame du Barry and said things like, ‘Let’s show her what’s what together.’ And they also asked her not to get close to her or even talk to her.”

“So, she consulted you?”

“Yes. But what could I say? If I told her to do as the princesses said, I would feel sorry for Madame du Barry, and if I told her not to, I would be setting myself up against the princesses. All I could say was, ‘Do what you think is right, Crown Princess~’.”

Even if it was a cliché answer, it was the best response in that situation.

Even though the Crown Princess was higher in status, Louis XV’s daughters were adults who were more than 20 years older than Marie and Juliana.

It wouldn’t be easy or wise to ignore the words of princesses who were so much older.

“The problem is that’s not the answer the Crown Princess wanted.”

“Yes. So, the very next day, she came to me in a panic and complained. In the end, she even asked if she could go with me to Paris because Versailles was too stuffy. Of course, I said no, so she even asked me to come to Versailles and stay with her… Ha…”

Marie emptied her cup of coffee and slammed it on the table nervously.

This was the first time I had seen her like this, so the stress of being caught in the middle must have been enormous.

“Well… it does sound like you have a headache.”

“Right? So, I couldn’t sleep properly because I was worried about what to do.”

“I wish I could do something to help, but…”

If this were a power struggle or a political fight involving interests, I would have room to intervene, but unfortunately, the current situation was a perfect battle of wills between women.

It was an unwritten rule that men should not get involved in such battles unless they crossed a certain line.

If I took Marie’s side here and did something, it would look too ugly.

Marie’s image, which she had built up with such effort, would also be tarnished.

“But if it really doesn’t work out, I’ll lend you my strength…”

I was about to say that I would use behind-the-scenes tactics to shut the princesses up, but I stopped myself.

I could do it if I wanted to, but I felt that my involvement here would not be in Marie’s best interest in the long run.

From what I’ve felt recently, Marie has shown an astonishing amount of growth in many ways since she first came to France.

I thought it would be better to trust her and watch over her here.

“Madam, if you want, I can take care of everything without being noticed. Shall I do that?”

“I.”

Marie hesitated for a moment, then turned to look at me.

Innocent as when we first met, but somehow hardened, clear pupils like a lake.