I Became A Genius Of The French Royal Family [EN]: Chapter 70

The King’s Woman

The discussions between the Duke of Orléans and Thérés continued smoothly.

Louis Christian.

With a common enemy, they seemed poised to unite effortlessly.

Of course, the Duke of Orléans didn’t immediately trust the other party simply because the enemy of his enemy was his friend.

“By the way, I heard that the Minister of Finance met with Prince Christian the other day…”

Even if criticized for being overly suspicious, he needed to thoroughly verify the credibility of his potential partner.

Thérés immediately sensed that the Duke of Orléans didn’t fully trust him.

But as if he had been waiting for it, he didn’t hide his true feelings and confessed.

“Your intelligence is excellent.”

“I have no choice but to keep an eye on the trends in Versailles. I apologize if I offended you.”

“Not at all. I was actually about to bring it up myself. To put it simply, he did come to me. He told me to live comfortably, being treated as a minister in the religious sector from now on, and things like that.”

“He’s offering you a graceful exit while saving face.”

It was an appropriate measure.

Even the Duke of Orléans would have dismissed Thérés in a similar manner if he were in Christian’s position.

Nevertheless, Thérés’ expression didn’t seem very pleased.

“It’s such an obvious and shallow tactic. And he made it so obvious, that young whippersnapper…”

The Duke of Orléans could roughly guess what Thérés was feeling.

He wasn’t just angry because he was being pushed out of his position.

His pride had been severely wounded.

“I understand the Minister of Finance’s feelings. So, when exactly will the successor be appointed?”

“The announcement will probably be next month. But I have to hand over the work I’m currently handling, so I’ll be in my position until the end of the year.”

“Then we have plenty of time. Let’s proceed with the plan step by step. First, I’ll contact Madame du Barry.”

“Will that woman side with us?”

Madame du Barry, the most favored mistress of Louis XV, was a difficult woman to deal with in many ways.

Frankly, Thérés didn’t want to associate with her.

The Duke of Orléans felt much the same, as he nodded with a bitter smile.

“Well… it’s true that she has some issues with her judgment, but it’s also true that she has a lot of influence on His Majesty.”

“Certainly, if we can win her over, things will be much easier. So, how do you plan to win her over? Do you have any ideas?”

“Yes. I’ll visit Versailles soon. Minister of Finance, please arrange a meeting with a suitable excuse. I’ll take care of the rest.”

“Then I’ll go back and see if there’s anything else I need to prepare.”

With that, Thérés left with a smile.

Once he was out of sight, the Duke of Orléans wiped away the smile he had been wearing.

Then, he called the servant who had escorted him out.

“Tell all my factions in Versailles to thoroughly monitor who Minister of Finance Thérés meets and what he says.”

“Don’t you trust the Minister of Finance?”

“Trust? Trust isn’t something that arises so easily. It’s formed after enough time, understanding, and numerous achievements have accumulated. Until then, it’s beneficial to suspect as much as possible.”

“Understood. I’ll send the message immediately.”

Even though the enemy of an enemy is a friend, it’s not yet certain whether Thérés is truly Christian’s enemy.

Even if he is, he might be planning to stab him in the back at any moment and monopolize the fruits of their labor.

He wasn’t a fool who would proceed carelessly with something that could wipe out his entire family.

As cautiously as possible, yet decisively.

If necessary, he had to prepare to use Thérés as a shield and slip away.

At any time, the most important thing to the Duke of Orléans was his family.

※※※

Tuileries Palace in Paris. While leisurely dining with Marie, Deon came in with a letter.

“An invitation has arrived from Versailles.”

He smiled brightly as he read the contents.

“His Majesty’s message is that a large banquet will be held and he requests your presence.”

“What’s the reason this time?”

Originally, banquets in Versailles didn’t need grand reasons.

It was common to just find any excuse and hold a banquet to commemorate it.

However, when the King sent a letter personally requesting attendance, there was usually a good reason.

“Didn’t the war between Russia and Turkey recently enter its final stages? As His Highness predicted, it’s ending with a major Russian victory, and discussions about a marriage alliance with us are gradually becoming more positive. So, it seems they want to promote the Crown Prince even more before announcing this. Since Christian is close to the Crown Prince, the intention is probably for him to assist from the side.”

“If that’s the case, all the royals will attend.”

“Yes. Not only the royals but also most of the high-ranking nobles in and around Paris and Versailles will participate. His Majesty will likely host the banquet with Madame du Barry.”

At the mention of Madame du Barry, Marie, who was eating dessert, flinched slightly.

“Madame du Barry?”

“Is she perhaps an uncomfortable person to deal with?”

“No, rather than uncomfortable, she’s someone I still don’t know how to treat. It seems all the princesses of the royal family dislike her.”

“That’s true.”

In fact, it was no exaggeration to say that Louis XV was the only member of the current royal family who liked Madame du Barry.

As long as that one person was the King, the nobles couldn’t openly say anything, but it was different for family members.

Louis XV’s three daughters, all nearing forty, often openly criticized and ignored the royal mistress, Madame du Barry.

The King was of little use in protecting his mistress in these matters.

No matter how much he tried to care for her, there was a world of women that men couldn’t interfere with.

Moreover, all three were now nearly forty years old and had considerable influence in society.

“Actually, I meet the princesses every time I go to Versailles. Then the flow of conversation is always the same. It starts with stories about jewelry, food, and handsome men, and ends with gossip about Madame du Barry. It’s almost like they’re brainwashing me to hate her too.”

“So, it’s a bit awkward to encounter her?”

“Well… it’s not good to have preconceived notions about someone just from hearing stories. But from my perspective, Madame du Barry is a bit…”

Marie hesitated, sighed, and couldn’t keep her eyes still.

Then, she glanced up at my face.

“I was taught from a young age by my mother that mistresses or royal mistresses are no different from… prostitution. I’ve heard that it’s common to have mistresses in France, but is it too prejudiced to say that it’s physiologically impossible for me to accept?”

“If you grew up in such an environment, it’s understandable that you’d be reluctant.”

In fact, under Maria Theresa’s rule, it was unthinkable for a man to have a mistress in Austria.

If officials were caught having mistresses, they were severely punished, and the perception of women who engaged in prostitution was extremely low.

In other words, from Marie’s point of view, the current French royal family was essentially allowing a prostitute to act as the real queen.

Naturally, it would be shocking and terrifying.

It’s not unreasonable to understand it intellectually but feel repulsed emotionally.

“Still, there’s no need to make an enemy of her. I’m not saying you have to be affectionate, but if you see her at the banquet, at least have a conversation. She’s not really a bad person.”

“Okay. I’ll try.”

Even in history, the relationship between Marie Antoinette and Madame du Barry was far from good.

In fact, contrary to popular belief, Madame du Barry was not a politically ambitious person, nor was she an evil woman.

She didn’t interfere in politics and was surprisingly simple-minded.

However, the problem was that she loved jewelry too much, had a wasteful habit, and was ignorant of politics, which sometimes led her to act thoughtlessly.

The reason why her relationship with Marie broke down was that Madame du Barry couldn’t make strategically wise decisions.

Of course, this didn’t matter in history because Louis XV died of smallpox.

Madame du Barry was expelled from the palace, and Marie became the real queen, someone she couldn’t even dare to look up to.

However, the situation was slightly different now. Since Louis XV was no longer going to die of smallpox, Madame du Barry’s position would not be shaken for the time being.

No, with the King’s power strengthened, Madame du Barry’s value had even increased.

As the King’s beloved mistress, she was currently the only person in France who could whisper sweet nothings to Louis XV in bed.

After hearing a rough explanation, Marie nodded as if she understood, then tilted her head slightly.

“But how do you know that Madame du Barry isn’t a bad person?”

“Well, there are stories I’ve heard here and there…”

“Hmm~ So you’ve been asking around about her.”

Oops. Was there a mistake in my word choice?

As Marie narrowed her eyes and asked, I avoided her gaze and cleared my throat.

“Ahem, then I should go prepare to enter Versailles. You should also take a look at the dress you’ll wear.”

It’s best to leave for a moment in times like these.

※※※

The banquet at the Palace of Versailles, specially and lavishly decorated by order of the King.

Despite adorning herself with splendid jewels and a dress, Madame du Barry was not comfortable at this event.

“What kind of trouble will those annoying women cause today…”

Even as the King’s favored *maîtresse-en-titre* [official mistress], she had no official rights.

Here in Versailles, a woman of low status could not speak to a noblewoman of high status first.

No matter how much she acted as the real queen, she was in a position where she couldn’t even greet the princesses first.

Louis XV’s daughters used this point to never speak to Madame du Barry under normal circumstances.

The only times they opened their mouths were when they were finding fault or mocking her.

The previous mistress, Madame de Pompadour, didn’t have a good relationship with the princesses either, but it wasn’t to this extent.

Although Madame de Pompadour was also a commoner, she was the daughter of a wealthy family.

“Haa… this is so annoying, really.”

Louis XV was currently busy greeting the nobles and couldn’t pay attention to her.

If she ran into the princesses at times like this, they would surely say something to upset her again.

While looking for a secluded spot to pass the time, a beautiful platinum blonde suddenly caught her eye.

Knowing who the owner of that hair color was, she tried to avoid her, but the other party was faster.

“Hello, Madame du Barry, there are so many people at the Palace of Versailles today.”

Madame du Barry’s eyes widened at the unexpected friendly voice.

“…Yes?”

“Is this the first time we’ve talked?”

“Ah, yes. It is.”

“Actually, I should have greeted you sooner, but it’s been too late. Both my husband and I have been too busy until now. I’m sorry.”

Madame du Barry’s expression slowly sank.

Even if she couldn’t make strategic judgments, she had a knack for understanding the flow of people’s emotions and subtle human relationships.

It was her own way of navigating life, learned from living in the Palace of Versailles with a humble status.

From what she could see, Marie clearly hadn’t had friendly feelings towards her until now.

Even if they didn’t have a proper conversation, she could tell just from the occasional glances she had seen.

So why had her attitude suddenly changed?

“I’ve always wanted to be close to the Princess Consort, so I’ve been looking for an opportunity. I’m so grateful that you recognize my feelings and speak to me like this. But wouldn’t the other princesses be uncomfortable if I talked to you?”

“You don’t have to worry, just make up something appropriate.”

Madame du Barry carefully observed Marie’s gaze as she looked around the banquet hall.

She was unconsciously glancing at the center.

Where Louis XV and Christian were having a lively conversation.

“Perhaps your husband… I mean, did the Prince tell you to talk to me?”

“Yes? Um… yes. Actually, to be honest, he did.”

She thought she would be surprised and deny it, but the fact that she admitted it so readily wasn’t bad.

She hadn’t even imagined that Prince Christian would persuade his wife.

If she were a little more political, she would have tried to read the hidden intentions, but Madame du Barry wasn’t the type of person who could think in such a complicated way.

She blurted out the thoughts that filled her mind without filtering them.

“I guess handsome people have good personalities…”

“Yes?”

Unlike Marie, who didn’t know what expression to make, Madame du Barry sighed deeply and complained.

“I envy the Princess Consort. You must feel like you have the whole world, sleeping in the same bed with such a handsome man every day.”

“Uh… uh?”

Unlike Marie, who couldn’t figure out what expression to make, Madame du Barry continued to speak as if nothing was wrong.

“Princess Consort, if you don’t mind, would it be okay to have a conversation with the Prince together? It’s a boring event anyway, so it would be nice to pass the time while feasting our eyes.”

“……”

Marie closed her eyes and slowly touched her forehead with her palm.

It seemed… today wasn’t going to be a pleasant day.