I Became A Genius Of The French Royal Family [EN]: Chapter 42

Day of the Guillotine (2)

“Your Highness. Welcome.”

“Your Highness! Please, examine this demonstration model.”

“Your Highness, what improvements would you suggest here?”

The development team sported dark circles that nearly reached their chins, yet their faces weren’t grim.

People who create things tend to become attached to their work when they see tangible results, even if discouraged.

The people making the guillotine were no different.

Among them, Guillotin, in particular, displayed tremendous enthusiasm.

“There’s still some time, so take it easy. If you fall ill, the schedule will only be further delayed.”

“It’s alright. We need to at least complete it to the point where we can confidently demonstrate it to His Majesty.”

In truth, I hadn’t initially intended to include Guillotin as one of the guillotine developers.

However, he showed great interest in a story I mentioned in passing.

You could say he was just like the person who was most active in introducing the guillotine in the original history.

“I think it’s good enough to do a demonstration with the current version, don’t you?”

“Yes, it is. But we can’t allow it to fail even once. We must be able to assure you that nothing will go wrong.”

Guillotin’s eyes burned with a sense of duty.

At first glance, it might seem strange that he was so focused on creating a device to behead people.

But it wasn’t because Guillotin was a pervert, nor because he had some aesthetic appreciation for severing heads.

It was because he deeply sympathized with the humanitarian cause I put forward when I advocated for the introduction of the guillotine.

As the modern era dawned, Europe had certainly made many ideological advancements compared to the past.

Voices calling for the abolition of executions and torture itself were not uncommon.

Guillotin also viewed the death penalty negatively, but realistically, it was impossible to abolish it immediately.

So, his mindset was to at least minimize the suffering of those being executed.

In particular, France still had different judicial systems in each region, and there were still places where barbaric methods close to dismemberment, not to mention burning at the stake, were carried out.

So, naturally, there were many who took money in exchange for promising a death with as little pain as possible.

There were quite a few reported cases where, if money wasn’t paid, the execution would be dragged out, inflicting even greater pain.

Therefore, my proposal to standardize beheadings using the guillotine was positively received.

Of course, there were still many issues to be resolved.

There could be controversy over whether using the guillotine really reduced suffering.

Guillotin was already preparing data to refute these claims.

“By the way, have you heard the news? Executioners are also showing great interest in this device.”

“Of course. Even if they are executing a death row inmate, it means taking a person’s life. It can’t be easy on their conscience to do that with their own hands.”

“Indeed… To even consider the psychological state of the executioners, Your Highness is one of the most generous and thoughtful royals in French history.”

Well, to be honest, the reason for introducing the guillotine is to use it as a symbol.

I put forward a plausible humanitarian cause, but I didn’t know it would be so well-received.

Anyway, if it’s effective, I should exploit it as much as possible.

Sorry, but you’ll have to keep working hard to improve my image.

“It embarrasses me when you praise me so much. Speaking of which, since the topic came up, one of the executioners is coming to see the guillotine demonstration in person. It seems like he should be arriving soon.”

As if on cue, a young man was seen walking this way, guided by people.

Recognizing me, he stopped for a moment and straightened his attire.

“Your Highness. It is an honor to meet you. Charles-Henri Sanson, I offer my greetings to a member of the noble royal family.”

“Pleased to meet you. You are the fourth great-grandson of the Sanson family, right? I know you as the most reputable executioner in Paris, but this is our first meeting.”

“…To know so much about our family, I am truly honored.”

Sanson’s face was filled with emotion, as if he couldn’t imagine that I would already know about him.

In fact, unlike other countries, France was a country that gave executioners proper positions and salaries.

Even Sanson was a nobleman who had been formally granted the title of Chevalier [Knight] in France.

Of course, it was also true that he was shunned by others due to the nature of his job as an executioner, and he was not recognized by high-ranking nobles.

That’s why Sanson probably didn’t expect that I, a prince, would know so much about him.

“I know how dedicated you are as an executioner. Since taking over for your father, who became disabled, you have been steadily studying medicine and diligently practicing swordsmanship, haven’t you? To be able to cut off a head in one go without pain requires considerable knowledge and skill.”

“…To understand even that…”

To be honest, I had never specifically looked into executioners.

The reason I know about Sanson is simply because he was a very famous executioner even in modern times.

Perhaps there are only a few executioners more famous than Henri Sanson, even if you searched the entire world.

That’s because the French Revolution took place when he was the executioner of Paris.

It is estimated that 20,000 people were beheaded during this time, including many historical figures.

The person who executed Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette was Sanson, and even Robespierre, who sent them to the guillotine, was executed by him on the guillotine.

In addition, Madame du Barry, who was famous as Louis XV’s mistress, as well as Danton, Desmoulins, Saint-Just, who were the mainstays of the revolution, and the chemist Lavoisier were all executed by Sanson.

Could there be another executioner in history who has beheaded so many great people?

If this were a game, he would surely have earned some related achievements or titles.

However, unlike these terrifying actions, Sanson himself was a cultured and gentlemanly person.

Despite making a living as an executioner, he was also an enthusiastic opponent of the death penalty.

This was said to be because he was pessimistic about his position of taking people’s lives as a vocation.

With such a character, he also showed considerable interest in the guillotine.

Sanson, who had been carefully examining the prototype made for the demonstration, scratched his head as if something was wrong.

“It seems that there are some differences from the drawings I saw at first. Especially the shape of this blade is clearly different.”

“I will answer that.”

Guillotin, who had been listening to the conversation, subtly interjected before I could open my mouth.

“Executioner Sanson, you probably saw the initial drawings. The blade of the device was semi-circular in shape. However, Your Highness pointed out that if it was made in that shape, bones could get caught in the middle, making it difficult to cut cleanly. Then, the condemned would inevitably suffer even greater pain.”

“So, you changed it to this inclined blade?”

“Yes. In fact, when we made it according to Your Highness’s advice, the cutting power was much better.”

“Amazing. From creating the vaccine to this, Your Highness seems to have insights that are on a different level from ordinary people.”

I responded to them with a faint smile, as they continued to pour out admiration.

I’ve gotten so used to putting on a straight face that my conscience doesn’t prick me much anymore.

Of course, replacing the semi-circular blade with an inclined blade was not my idea.

This was based on the record of an anecdote that Louis XVI, who had inspected a scaled-down model of the guillotine, had given this advice.

In the original history, Louis XVI had expert-level knowledge of locks, clocks, and blades, so it was a plausible story.

It is ironic to think that Louis XVI himself was executed on the guillotine.

Perhaps the rumor that the developer of the guillotine was executed on the guillotine originated from this.

Seeing is believing, so Guillotin inserted a thick log into the guillotine and dropped the blade.

Wham!

With a sound, the log was neatly split in two.

Sanson, who watched its power, naturally let out an exclamation.

“Sanson, what do you think of the completion? I think it’s about time to show this to His Majesty and get his permission.”

“Yes. It seems to be close to the final completion. The introduction of such a device is a blessing for people like us. I will also submit a petition.”

“Thank you for your cooperation.”

Even if they don’t know it now, gradually increasing the number of people who are favorable to me will become a great asset in the future.

The nobles who are marginalized from the center of power, and the bourgeois intellectuals who have had the ladder of social advancement kicked out from under them, will gradually see me as a symbol of hope.

Come to think of it, I suddenly became curious.

I wonder what Robespierre, who is currently being re-educated as my man, would think if he saw this guillotine.

He hasn’t yet transformed into the ruthless revolutionary he was in history, but no one in human history has used that device as diligently as he did.

I’ll be able to check it out in the near future, so I should take a look at his reaction.

He wouldn’t say something like we should put the necks of the corrupt nobles in there and chop them all off, would he?

Eh, probably not.

※※※

Louis XV Square, where the equestrian statue of Louis XV is installed.

Today, a trial presided over by Louis XV himself, the owner of the name attached to the square, is being held here.

It was different from ordinary trials.

The king himself attended as the judge, and the entire process was completely open to the public in a special trial.

The city of Paris, which was already rife with all sorts of rumors and speculations due to the attempted assassination of me, was completely ignited by this trial.

This was because the first charge attached to the High Court was related to the attempted assassination of me.

It was also unusual that the trial was being held at the same place where the public verification of the thesis that played a decisive role in my entry into the royal family was held.

From early in the morning, soldiers were stationed around the square, and many nobles took the best seats first.

Later, citizens who flocked in like clouds clamored to see the trial process even a little better.

“Hey, stop pushing! There’s no room here!”

“What do you mean there’s no room! If we stick together a little more, we can definitely get in.”

“I want to see the faces of those criminals!”

The anger of the citizens, who were shouting at the top of their lungs, reached its peak when the judges of the High Court were dragged into the center of the square, tied up in a row.

“Hey! You ungrateful bastards!”

“Are you even judges of this country?”

“Execute them! Execute them!”

Even though the trial had not yet begun, the conclusion seemed to have already been reached.

No one was on the side of the judges.

Not only the citizens, but even the nobles were glaring at them with cold eyes.

The anger of the nobles, who had direct interests at stake, seemed even deeper than that of the emotionally angry citizens.

It’s only natural.

None of the nobles gathered here would be unaware of the meaning of this trial.

To be precise, the defendants being tried in the square now were not the judges of the High Court as individuals.

If it was just about punishing the judges, there would be no need to prepare such a grand event.

This time, Louis XV was putting the High Court itself, not individual judges, on trial.

The intention was to thoroughly destroy the court in front of everyone and enhance the king’s authority.

Then, what would be the underlying intention?

It was a problem that could be understood with just a little thought.

Strengthening royal power.

The nobles would have sensed that Louis XV was trying to take the lead in state affairs in earnest, using this incident as an excuse.

However, the justification was so clear that they could only watch.

The fools in the court who gave such a good excuse would only be resentful and pathetic.

And our grandfather, who should be the protagonist of this stage, looked a little stiff, as if he hadn’t fully relaxed yet.

“Your Majesty. It’s almost time.”

“Hoo… Yes. I should go out soon.”

Louis XV sighed as he glimpsed the enormous crowd peeking out from behind the curtain.

There’s no way he, a natural attention seeker, would be overwhelmed by just this much.

The reason he seemed hesitant was probably because he was troubled by the repercussions of this trial.

As expected, the king turned to look at me one last time before going out and uttered a weak sound.

“Will it be alright to go ahead like this? It would be a headache if the country became noisy and the nobles rebelled.”

“Have confidence. The justification is definitely on Your Majesty’s side. You must take this opportunity to firmly enhance Your Majesty’s authority so that you can easily solve the various problems of the royal family. This will also be a strong support for His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.”

“…Yes. That’s right. I am the only one who can fix everything and pass on a stable future to posterity.”

“That’s exactly what I mean. You don’t have to worry about anything. I will pave the way for Your Majesty.”

Louis XV’s face brightened again, encouraged by my words.

With his back straight, he parted the curtain with a dignified gait and showed himself to the people.

My body tingled with the explosive roar of “Waaaaa!”

If I’ve pumped up his confidence this much, there’s nothing to worry about now.

What Louis XV lacks is decisiveness, not intelligence or ability.

If I set the stage like this, he’s a man who will do well enough on his own.

I stuck close behind Louis XV and stepped into the square, which was burning like a furnace.

In order to climb up in this stagnant and rotten old regime, it is necessary to reorganize the order.

The biggest beneficiaries of the strengthening of royal power are the king and the meritorious subject who created such an opportunity for the king.

In other words, it’s me.

The mastermind of the Austrian incident, who has completely disappeared, will somehow react if I stir things up like this.

I’ve already put surveillance on all the suspected suspects, so there’s no need to rush.

Since the guys who have cut off their tails and are crouching down can’t do anything anyway, I can just take this opportunity to achieve my political goals.

All they’ve done is enhance my prestige and drive themselves into a dead end.

Now that the king has jumped into the front lines, the spark has been ignited.

Well, all that’s left is to sit in the special seat and watch how far this storm will sweep.

No one can stop this flow.