I Became A Genius Of The French Royal Family [EN]: Chapter 24

The Empress and the Princess

“You are even more handsome and distinguished than I had heard. The Bourbons have always been renowned for their grace and elegance.”

“Your Majesty flatters me. I am equally overwhelmed to finally meet the most beautiful woman in Europe.”

“What beauty are you talking about? I am an old woman.”

“The passage of time may age the body, but it cannot diminish the inherent beauty within a person. The beauty you possess, Your Majesty, will never fade, no matter how much time passes.”

Flattery flowed from my lips as smoothly as butter.

I was quite the charmer in this field in my past life.

A demanding presence where insincere praise or flattery would only diminish goodwill.

I am the master of patience and flattery, having spent a decade dealing with such a meticulous academic advisor.

“You speak sweet words. Then, in your eyes, what inherent beauty do I possess?”

A person in Maria Theresa’s position would be constantly surrounded by countless flatteries.

She would be able to distinguish insincere flattery immediately.

“As the heir of the Habsburgs, Your Majesty has faced numerous obstacles simply for being a woman, despite possessing rightful claims. Had you been a typical royal woman, you might have compromised with reality or succumbed to the world, but you overcame it with unwavering will and determination.”

“Those are now cherished memories.”

“Moreover, you have shown the magnanimity to propose an alliance with France, a sworn enemy. Although the alliance was formed for practical reasons, extending a hand first must have been difficult, considering the long-standing animosity between the two nations. All of these decisions have adorned a page in history and will shine ever more brilliantly as time passes. What could be more beautiful than that?”

The nobles lined up in the audience chamber smiled and nodded.

Theresa, too, seemed quite pleased with the praise, as her eyes softened considerably.

“It pleases me all the more that these words come from a member of the French royal family. Thank you.”

“It is an honor to receive your Majesty’s gratitude.”

I thought we would exchange a few more ceremonial greetings and then part ways, but surprisingly, Theresa did not end the conversation.

“The practical discussions regarding the alliance can be left to the representatives from both sides. I would like to ask something else. Would you be willing to answer?”

“If it is within my capabilities, I will certainly answer.”

“The letter I received mentioned that Prince Christian would assist in distributing the smallpox vaccine… was it called a vaccine? …to our side…”

A shadow of sorrow crossed Theresa’s face as she mentioned smallpox.

How great must be her grief, having seen the beauty of her beloved daughters marred and some even losing their lives.

Since this had been discussed in advance, the only option I could choose was unconditional agreement.

“Yes. Disease knows no borders. I will do my best to help.”

“Does receiving this vaccine completely prevent one from contracting smallpox?”

“I cannot absolutely guarantee that it will. Most people will be immune, and a very small number may still contract it, but even then, their lives will not be threatened.”

Theresa gently closed her eyes and sighed.

I clearly heard her murmur softly nearby.

“If only it had come a few years sooner…”

It was the lament of a mother living with the sorrow of having lost her children.

It was only a fleeting moment, but I was able to see Theresa as a parent rather than an empress.

“Prince Christian grew up in Austria, did he not? Did he have any thoughts of developing this vaccine back then?”

“…Even then, I wanted to cure smallpox, but I was too young and lacked the ability.”

“I see. Then I have no choice but to accept it as an unavoidable fate.”

Fortunately, Theresa did not ask what I had done when I was young in Austria.

In fact, my memories as Christian were incomplete, so I was completely blank regarding my time in Austria.

Theresa knew of my background, that I had grown up in the slums, and did not ask further, which relieved me from having to make excuses.

“Speaking of which, Your Majesty, I don’t seem to have seen His Majesty Joseph II. Is he not in the palace?”

Although Theresa reigned as the de facto empress, the current Holy Roman Emperor was not her.

In name, Joseph II, Theresa’s son, was the sole Holy Roman Emperor and co-ruler with his mother.

However, in reality, he did not exercise proper control.

His mother held all the titles to rule the Habsburg hereditary lands: King of Hungary, King of Bohemia, and Archduke of Austria.

Therefore, he was always second to his mother while she was alive.

But even so, it was strange that he did not show his face at such an official event.

It would be understandable to suspect that he had health problems.

Theresa showed a bewildered reaction to my question for the first time.

Strictly speaking, she seemed more embarrassed than bewildered.

“Emperor Joseph II is currently in the Hofburg Palace. He is resting due to mental and physical exhaustion, so I am handling all external affairs. I assure you that I have all the authority, so there will be no obstacles to this alliance.”

I felt a strong atmosphere that I should not ask any further.

Certainly, it would be unusual if he did not even come out to meet the prince of an allied nation.

If I took a wrong step here, I could step on a landmine and explode.

I did not continue the questioning and turned the conversation back to the topic of vaccination.

It would have been easier to handle the work if I had brought Jenner or Guillotin, but they were currently being overworked in Paris, so I could not bring them.

Instead, the medical staff who came with me this time were well-versed in both theory and practice, so I planned to use their help to teach the technology to Austria.

Theresa, having heard the general plan, was greatly satisfied and returned to her perfect monarch persona.

“I am truly sorry and regretful for my children who passed away without enjoying these benefits, but the fact that the same sorrow will not be experienced in the future is a blessing from God. We will also find a way to reciprocate the sincerity shown by your country. There will be a banquet in a few days, so I hope we can have another enjoyable time there.”

“I understand. Then I will look forward to that day.”

I bowed gracefully and left the audience chamber.

I felt that various emotions had passed, but there was nothing that particularly struck me at the moment.

The absence of Joseph II is also a noteworthy point.

He was certain to live longer than Theresa in history, so it was unlikely that he had health problems at this point.

There were no records of him being seriously ill at this time, so it was certain.

Then why did he not show himself?

Was he pushed back because he clashed with Theresa in this negotiation between the two countries?

If that were the case, a similar situation should have occurred in the original history, so that possibility seemed low.

A minor butterfly effect of delaying the discussion of the marriage alliance by about a year.

It was now my task to consider how much influence this would have.

※※※

“…This Schönbrunn Palace is a villa where the imperial family stays in the summer. Although it is a villa, its majesty and beauty are not inferior to the main palace, the Hofburg [the Habsburgs’ main winter palace in Vienna]…”

I was conducting reconnaissance disguised as sightseeing, using the excuse of wanting to tour the palace to gather information.

Gravier had gone to talk to Kaunitz, and Esterhazy had disappeared somewhere with a man named Baron Thugut, whom Kaunitz had assigned to him.

Currently, only the attendant assigned to guide me through the palace and Bishop Vermond, who was dispatched by the French royal family to educate the princess, were around me.

Bishop Vermond, who came from the Diocese of Orléans, was captivated by the beauty of Schönbrunn Palace and constantly exclaimed in admiration.

“Oh, Prince. Look at that. I have heard many stories, but it is truly as magnificent as the Palace of Versailles, is it not?”

“It is naturally magnificent, as it has over 1,400 rooms. The view from the Gloriette [a structure atop a hill in the palace gardens] built opposite the palace is also spectacular, so take a look later.”

“Your Highness is quite knowledgeable. You seem to know a lot about Schönbrunn Palace.”

“Well, I used to be in Austria a while ago, so I picked up some stories.”

The attendant who was taking us around led us to the east side of the palace.

“Here is the Orangery, where Her Majesty occasionally visits to cultivate tropical fruits. You probably won’t find such a long and magnificent Orangery anywhere else in the world.”

As I listened to the explanation filled with pride, I could vaguely see orange and tropical fruit trees inside.

As I opened the door to go inside and observe more closely, I heard the faint sound of musical instruments playing.

“It seems someone is inside.”

“Yes. It is a place where various events are held. But that’s strange. I don’t think there is anything scheduled for today.”

The attendant who looked inside smiled wryly.

I stopped walking and settled down near the entrance.

“It would not be polite to disturb someone who is absorbed in their performance, so let’s wait a moment.”

“Thank you for your consideration.”

Judging from the melody, the instrument seemed to be a harp.

I am not an expert in music, but the performer’s skill was quite good.

It did not seem to be at a professional level, but I felt a strangely moving emotion.

But perhaps it was just my imagination, but there was a somewhat melancholic atmosphere in the melody.

Was it because of the characteristics of the harp?

As a non-expert in music, I had no way of knowing more than that.

After a few minutes, the sound of the instrument faded.

“Hmm? We had visitors.”

As if she had finally noticed our presence, I heard a somewhat embarrassed voice.

“Princess. Why were you playing here?”

“Um… I heard that plants like the sound of musical instruments, so I was trying to play some music for them, but I’m not sure if it’s effective.”

“You are kind to plants as well, as expected of the Princess.”

“There, there you go again. Are you subtly teasing me?”

She was about fourteen or fifteen years old, similar to my age.

Her platinum blonde hair and flawless smile were so charming that anyone would consider her beautiful.

As the girl looked at us with the harp in her hand, the attendant naturally introduced me.

“This is His Highness Prince Louis Christian de France, who came from France this time. Your Highness, this Princess is…”

“A prince from France?”

The girl’s surprised voice interrupted the attendant’s words.

Slightly flustered, whether intentionally or not, she awkwardly smiled and greeted me in clumsy French.

“Bo, Bonjour! I have been studying French diligently! I want to go to the Palace of Versailles soon! I want to go to the Seine River too. Uh… um, Merci beaucoup.”

Her awkward words and slight bow naturally eased my tension and brought a smile to my face.

Both Bishop Vermond and I had already guessed who the girl in front of us was.

Among the princesses staying at Schönbrunn Palace, there was only one person of a similar age to me who was scheduled to go to Versailles.

“Thank you for your kind welcome, Princess. I am Bishop Vermond of the Diocese of Orléans, who came to teach the princess who will be coming to France. You have excellent French skills, but there still seems to be some room for improvement. But you don’t have to worry. I will correct it perfectly.”

“Yes. I will study hard.”

The girl’s eyes sparkled.

Her emotions were openly expressed, and her innocent brightness made me guess how much love she had received while growing up.

As she turned her head towards me, a slightly different smile than before appeared on her face.

She was a person who knew how to make truly diverse expressions.

“But Prince… Ah, that’s right. Come to think of it, I interrupted your introduction and didn’t even say my name. I’m sorry, I sometimes get distracted.”

Having temporarily entrusted the harp she was holding to the attendant, she erased the smile from her face and bowed gracefully.

“I am Maria Antonia Josepha Johanna von Österreich-Lothringen.”

Being able to change so seriously like this shows that she is indeed royalty.

It was a sudden meeting, but I was not greatly surprised as I had already predicted who the other person was.

Still, apart from that, I could not help but feel more amazed than when I had seen any of the previous great figures in person.

A woman who may be more famous than her mother, Maria Theresa, or perhaps even all the figures of the Habsburg royal family combined.

Despite being a queen from a foreign country, the symbolic figure of the French royal family remembered by posterity was none other than her.

A meeting with destiny that may become a long-lasting relationship throughout my life.

Marie Antoinette was looking straight into my eyes from a distance where I could reach out and touch her.

There would be mountains of distorted records about this woman if I looked for them, but this much was true.

Her skin was as white as snow, her impression was kind, and she was friendly.

And above all,