I Became A Genius Of The French Royal Family [EN]: Chapter 120

< I Didn't Lie >

The Tuileries Palace, long devoid of its master, regained its vitality for the first time in ages.

A concert was held to celebrate my return.

Mozart, who conducted, captivated the audience with his much-improved skills in just over a year.

“Wonderful. I feel proud that I recommended you. It was a great performance.”

“Thank you. It’s all thanks to Your Highness for giving me the opportunity.”

Of course, I didn’t take Mozart with me to the New World.

Instead, I allowed him to serve as the court music director in Versailles while I was away.

“Soon, when your skills mature, even Versailles may become too small for you. If you feel that way, tell me anytime. I’ll let you do as you wish.”

“It would be a lie if I said I haven’t thought about working as a full-time composer, but how can I do that when I’ve received so much grace?”

In fact, before Mozart, there were hardly any full-time composers.

Most composers were tied to the court or church.

“If I forcibly bind a talent like yours, what kind of evaluation will I receive in later generations? I don’t want to endure such harsh criticism.”

“…I understand. But I still feel there’s much to learn here. I have no intention of becoming independent for at least a few years. And even if I do leave, I plan to repay Your Highness for the grace I’ve received before leaving.”

“Really? Then make me a dedicatory song with my name on it later. If a song with my name on it is mentioned as one of your representative songs, there would be nothing more pleasing.”

My name emblazoned on the representative songs of figures like Mozart or Beethoven?

Just imagining it fills me with pride.

Of course, Mozart himself still doesn’t know why I’m being so good to him.

“Leave it to me. I will create a masterpiece that will be talked about for hundreds of years and dedicate it to Your Highness.”

Mozart was full of determination and went somewhere to materialize the musical ideas that had just come to mind.

Marie, who was watching his retreating figure, chuckled.

“In some ways, you seem to value him more than me.”

“It’s not overvaluation, but an accurate assessment. Mozart is a great genius who will be remembered in the history of world music.”

“And Prince Christian’s insight in recognizing and discovering that genius will also be praised for a long time?”

“Exactly.”

Marie literally burst into laughter and placed the books she had been reading recently on the table.

“It’s good to be enthusiastic about cultural projects, but I think it’s time for you to look after my studies. What do you think?”

“Of course. So, what are you curious about today?”

Whenever she had time these days, Marie would ask about things she wanted to know.

Most of them were relatively heavy topics such as politics or academics, but Marie had studied hard, so her level had risen to a considerable level.

Perhaps it was a natural progression.

She had gone through a practical, condensed class next to me, always asking why this was like this and why that was like that.

“I heard that some nobles showed disturbing movements as soon as we left our seats?”

“Isn’t that natural? Because a bastard of unknown origin is trying to stand at the pinnacle of the noble French power. There’s no choice but for guys to feel jealous.”

“It seems there are still people who take issue with that. Well, for those who have nothing to show off but their status, your existence itself will not be welcome.”

“I expected it. But what about my aunts, the princesses you suppressed last time? Didn’t they cause any problems?”

They must have been greatly hurt in their pride, so they may have put pressure on the Crown Princess again, taking advantage of Marie’s absence.

“It’s okay. I took some measures in case that happened.”

“Measures?”

“I consistently sent letters and gifts to the Crown Princess and told her to reveal them publicly. I made it clear that I was in constant contact with her and that I knew how the social circles of Versailles were flowing even when I was away.”

She had prepared this much without me saying anything.

Honestly, it’s a level of growth that deserves admiration.

After all, the environment is the most important thing for a person.

“Then, how do you think I will handle this commotion of the nobles this time?”

“Aren’t you already doing it? You called the Duke of Chartres last time.”

“Oh, so?”

“The Duke of Chartres will surely hold a grudge against you, and the surrounding nobles all know that. So, like last time, you’re trying to use that in reverse to make the Duke of Chartres look like he’s on the side of the nobles, right? And when the decisive moment comes, like this… …!”

Marie proudly struck the cover of the book on the table with the side of her hand.

It was an expression full of confidence that there was no reasoning beyond this in her opinion.

“Unfortunately, it’s 50 points.”

“Yes? Why?”

“That method was used when you were trying to get rid of the Duke of Orleans, as you said, and if you think about it, you used a similar method when you were cleaning up the court. French nobles aren’t stupid. There’s no way they’d get caught if you used the same method three times, not even twice, right?”

“Wouldn’t they get caught thinking that you wouldn’t use the same method three times… …?”

What kind of idiot in the world would be fooled by such a simple pattern three times in a row?

No, that’s not it.

Come to think of it, there is.

Yes, even if they’re not stupid, they can be fooled three times in a row.

Maybe they can’t imagine that they’ll do it three times in a row… …?

“Of course… well, maybe. But what I’m trying to do isn’t that. It may seem cruel in some ways, but I’m going to clean it up in a much more efficient way.”

“…What is it?”

Marie was bewildered, as if she couldn’t even guess.

It’s natural that she can’t imagine the method I’m trying to use with her personality.

So, I was a little reluctant to tell her.

I hesitated for a moment and decided to make excuses.

Fortunately, there is a suitable excuse.

“It’s homework. Think about it.”

“Hmm… I understand. I’ll think hard about it.”

“Actually, I want to tell you, but time is running out. It’s almost time for the interview.”

“Oh, that’s right. We decided to take more people with us when we go to the New World this time. They were supposed to come today.”

There was an earnest request from Lavoisier.

No, not only Lavoisier, but the desperate wishes of everyone in charge of administrative work were on my shoulders.

“I know how it feels to work like a slave all night. I’m a little conscience-stricken to leave it like this, so I decided to allocate more additional budget.”

“I don’t know whether to call this a blessing in disguise… By the way, did you manage to find suitable people?”

“Lavoisier said he had taken care of it in advance. I heard that he has recruited very talented people, so please take good care of them.”

I don’t know how he managed to persuade the elites who are living well in France to come to Nouvelle-France [New France, the French colony in North America], but I’ll have to meet them and evaluate them first.

Who knows?

A great man whose name I know might make a surprise appearance.

※※※

Thirty minutes later.

I was looking at the man who was politely greeting me in front of me with admiring eyes.

“Hello, Your Highness. It is a great honor to meet you like this. My name is Pierre-Simon Laplace, and I graduated from the University of Caen and studied under Professor D’Alembert.”

I wondered who would come at Lavoisier’s introduction, but I never thought that the main character would be Laplace.

Marquis Pierre-Simon de Laplace.

He is one of the greatest mathematicians in France and is also famous as Napoleon’s teacher.

Laplace’s name is so often quoted even in modern times that even if you don’t know that he is a great mathematician, the name itself is very familiar.

The definitions that you have only heard of, such as Laplace transform, Laplace equation, and Laplace’s demon, are all related to this person.

As I stared blankly without saying a word, Laplace interpreted it in another sense and immediately added a few more words.

“I have also taught at the Paris Military Academy and am a regular member of the French Academy of Sciences. I am not only good at mathematics, but also have deep knowledge in various fields. I think I will be at least as helpful as Lavoisier.”

“Well… okay. I know about you, so I don’t doubt your abilities at all.”

“Oh, did Lavoisier tell you about me in advance?”

“He said you are the best talent who has been fully verified in terms of ability.”

A bright smile appeared on Laplace’s face at my words.

In fact, I have nothing more to ask for if this kind of person follows me.

However, I don’t know why a genius who has had a great influence on the development of mathematics and physics wants to come to the New World, which was considered a rural village at the time.

Did Lavoisier coax him?

I can’t stand being curious, so I asked right away.

“May I ask why you are so determined to come to Nouvelle-France?”

“Yes. That’s because I want to get help with my research.”

“…Um?”

“Lavoisier told me. If you are under Your Highness, you don’t have to worry about financial factors when studying.”

“That’s not entirely true…”

In fact, Lavoisier received sufficient leave when important research topics came to mind.

And in return for helping me with my work, he received almost unlimited research funding.

However, this was not strictly free, but a reward for highly intensive labor that was ground down.

“Laplace, if you follow me to Nouvelle-France, you may have to work a little… a lot.”

“I know that too. I’m not shameless enough to ask for research funding for free.”

If you are proficient in mathematics, physics, and geometry, there are plenty of fields to get help from.

In particular, Nouvelle-France, which is in the stage of laying the basic foundation, may not have such useful talent.

“If a talent like you wants to be with me, I have no choice but to accept it. I look forward to working with you, Laplace. It may be a little hard, so you should be prepared for that.”

“Professor D’Alembert, who taught me, said that what you do when you are young is not suffering but experience. I will gain a lot of experience under Your Highness and use it as a stepping stone for my development.”

It seems that the lives of graduate students under professors are the same in modern and modern times.

In Laplace’s case, he is more confident because of the invitation from his friend Lavoisier.

Maybe he thinks that his friend is working well, so there’s no way he can’t stand it.

“By the way, Laplace, can you tell me exactly what kind of letter Lavoisier sent you?”

“Yes. I brought it with me.”

When I saw Lavoisier’s letter that Laplace politely handed over, I was soon overwhelmed with an indescribable feeling.

In particular, some passages were so absurd that I doubted whether the person who wrote this letter was Lavoisier himself.

For example… …

-This is the perfect place to quietly immerse yourself in thought and find the next research topic. The city is quiet, there is no noisy noise, and you can’t find pretentious nobles.

Moreover, our Highness never asks about the results whenever I do any research, and he never asks how much money it costs. Isn’t he almost like a savior to scientists who study basic science like us? How nice would it be if you could study here with me? This thought never leaves my mind. Hahaha.

Like this passage.

-It just so happens that we need to recruit additional personnel to work with us, so I am thinking of recommending you to His Highness.

To work with me, you must have at least a minimum level of ability, but I can’t think of any other talent besides you.

How about it? Why don’t you work with me here and devote yourself to great research that will remain in world history forever?

Up to this passage.

After reading everything, I immediately understood why Laplace wanted to come to Nouvelle-France so much.

What should I say about this?

Lavoisier, I’m not the one to say this, but you seem like a really bad guy.

And… well done.

< I Didn't Lie > End