I Became A Genius Of The French Royal Family [EN]: Chapter 72

Orléans showed a brief moment of bewilderment as Louis XV and I began a conversation on a topic he wasn’t aware of.

But only for a moment.

“Is the royal family perhaps planning something big? If it requires a significant budget, our family might be able to provide assistance.”

Like a seasoned politician, he tried to extract information naturally, but Louis XV firmly shook his head.

“I’m sorry, but it’s something that needs to be kept strictly confidential, so I can’t disclose it to the outside world yet. But everyone will know about it within a few years, so I’ll look forward to your cooperation then.”

“…I understand. Then, should I assume that the diamond purchase is off the table?”

“It should be. My grandson is right; my thinking was short-sighted. Buying such an expensive necklace in this situation would be like throwing good bait to those who already dislike me.”

Logically, this is the obvious reaction.

Even if he ordered a diamond necklace, it wouldn’t arrive immediately, and a necklace of that cost would take years just to procure the materials and complete.

That means the necklace would be finished around the time they declared war on England, and if that became known, he would inevitably be heavily criticized.

However, not everyone in the world judges everything so rationally.

There were many people who would lash out if they simply felt bad, and Madame du Barry was clearly close to that type.

A quick glance at her expression showed that she was clearly disappointed.

To avoid losing the favor I had painstakingly built up, I needed to offer her a suitable reward here.

“Of course, that’s not the only reason. In fact, this point will resonate more with you, Madame.”

“What is it?”

“I actually saw the expected design of the necklace, and frankly, it’s terrible. It’s not worth the money. If you were to buy and wear something like that, there would definitely be those who say you’re just wearing expensive, gaudy jewelry.”

“…If that’s true, I don’t think I’d be particularly happy to receive such a necklace, but…”

Of course, this was 100 percent true.

The reason Queen Marie Antoinette refused to buy the necklace in history was not only because it was too expensive but also because the design was objectively poor.

Marie was renowned as France’s top fashionista.

A necklace that simply connected expensive diamonds would have seemed like nothing more than a waste of money to her.

“Of course, if we just let this pass, Madame du Barry would feel disappointed, so I’ll arrange a separate occasion. My wife happens to be very knowledgeable about jewelry and dresses, so how about you choose some accessories you like together? I’ll naturally cover the costs.”

“Oh, really? Then I’d be very grateful.”

Madame du Barry smiled brightly, as if she had never been disappointed.

On the other hand, Marie, who was watching this whole process, just pursed her lips silently.

I sent her a pleading look, and she nodded willingly, but I need to apologize and ask for her understanding on this matter separately.

Of course, Louis XV, who didn’t understand this subtle atmosphere, just smiled happily.

“Our grandson is flawless as always. How can I not adore him?”

Madame du Barry chimed in at the king’s words.

“Indeed. He’s still young, but how can he be so considerate?”

“Hahaha, I know, right? I’m no slouch when it comes to being meticulous, but is it because he takes after me?”

It’s a self-praise that’s hard to empathize with, but what can you do when the king is happy?

While everyone was flashing business smiles and shouting ‘You’re the best, boss,’ Thérèse, who was watching, cautiously approached.

“Your Majesty, I have something urgent to tell you. Would you perhaps spare a moment of your time…?”

“Hmm? Is it important?”

“Yes. It’s something that Your Majesty must confirm.”

“Then I have no choice. Come with me. Let’s go to the next room and talk.”

With that, Louis XV left, following Thérèse.

As soon as the king disappeared, the anxious atmosphere disappeared from Orléans.

He casually spoke to Madame du Barry.

“Almost all jewelers and renowned dressmakers have a relationship with our family. If the opportunity arises, I’d like to invite you as well. What do you think?”

Madame du Barry stared intently at Orléans.

Is he doing this simply to be wary of me getting close to Madame du Barry, or does he have other intentions?

Whatever it is, Madame du Barry’s reaction was important.

It’s unlikely that she’ll side with Orléans here, but she’s such an unpredictable person.

After a moment of silence, she shook her head indifferently.

“No, thanks. It’s not very appealing.”

“…Excuse me?”

Orléans’ face was colored with bewilderment for the first time today.

I was just as surprised.

Even if she refused, I never expected her to give such an immediate answer in this setting.

Usually, even if you’re not interested, the standard way to refuse is to say you’ll consider it positively and then postpone the answer indefinitely.

“It’s been several years since I came to Versailles, and until now, no noble has ever sincerely offered me such an invitation. They’ve all just ignored me, saying that someone of lowly origins like me doesn’t belong in such a place.”

“If that were my intention, I wouldn’t have made such an offer now…”

“No. I’m not stupid. If that were really the case, there would have been opportunities much earlier. Instead of saying these words as if to check Prince Christian.”

Du Barry says what she has to say.

It was an unusually direct statement for the aristocratic society, but the effect was certain.

Frankly, how often has he heard such rude words?

I never imagined she would throw such a direct ball, but Madame du Barry wasn’t the type to think before speaking.

Otherwise, why would she have asked the Austrian ambassador to complain to Marie that she was annoyed because Marie was ignoring her in the original history?

If the complaint is conveyed to the ambassador through official channels to the person who will become the next queen, it could immediately escalate into a diplomatic issue.

It was uncertain how many more years the aging Louis XV would hold the throne.

Bashing the queen without thinking in that situation was something that no one with normal judgment could do.

However, Madame du Barry pulled off that ridiculous feat.

Snapping at Orléans in front of his face might be nothing to her.

That’s why I try to maintain a friendly relationship with her as much as possible.

So that I don’t get a sudden spike in blood pressure at an unexpected timing like Orléans.

“…”

Leaving Orléans, who was momentarily stunned by the bewilderment, Madame du Barry nonchalantly turned around.

She wouldn’t have overdone it this much under normal circumstances, but perhaps because she met someone who took her side for the first time since entering the palace, she looked endlessly elated.

“And if I’m going to hang out with someone, it would be much more fun to be with handsome and beautiful people like Prince and Princess. Well, if I stay here any longer, the princesses might bother me again, so I’ll be on my way. See you later, Princess.”

She even waved her hand cheerfully as she disappeared.

Soon, an endlessly awkward and uncomfortable atmosphere surrounded the area.

Even I can’t stay in a place like this any longer.

“Ahem… Duke of Orléans, it was a pleasure to meet you today. Then my wife and I will be on our way.”

“Y-Yes, see you next time.”

Marie, who was quick on the uptake, quickly stuck to my back.

I thought about letting out a sneer at the end, but I didn’t even do that and just left the palace.

Even until we got on the carriage that was waiting, Marie kept fidgeting and glancing back.

“Um… is it okay to say that much?”

“It’s Madame du Barry who openly embarrassed him, not us, so we don’t need to worry about it.”

“That’s true, but… she’s fierce. I never thought she would say it so bluntly.”

“Everyone there must have thought so. To put it nicely, she doesn’t have the pretense of a noble, and to put it badly, she’s thoughtless… her judgment isn’t that good.”

Marie took a deep breath to calm herself.

Then, as soon as the tension was relieved, she frowned and glared at me.

“By the way, don’t you have something to say to me?”

“…I’m sorry.”

“What exactly are you sorry for?”

“The reason I entrusted Madame du Barry to you as if I was passing her on is because there’s no one else I trust besides you.”

“For someone who says that, she seemed to show a v-very deep interest in you.”

Her clearly sulky face was very cute, but if I said that, she would get angry.

In fact, she should have gotten angry a long time ago; it’s obvious that she’s pretending to be sulky on purpose.

“Madame du Barry was just joking to see your reaction. There’s no way the king’s favorite concubine would look at me, a prince, with those eyes.”

“Hmph, who doesn’t know that?”

“Of course, it’s still my fault for not paying close attention to your feelings… tell me what you want. As an apology, I’ll grant you anything you want.”

“Really? No take-backs?”

I was planning to repay her because I felt like I had been making her do too much work lately.

The business was going well, and I had plenty of spare money, so I could afford to buy her jewelry or a villa.

Marie shrugged her shoulders as if she was embarrassed, and then opened her mouth forcefully.

“I want to have a child.”

“…A child…?”

“We’re approaching our second year of marriage… and we still don’t have a child. So, I was thinking that it’s about time we had a child, or something like that.”

Of course, I want that too, but it’s not like a child will magically appear just because you want one.

“Of course, I want to have a child too, but how can we specifically make that happen?”

After pondering for a moment, Marie whispered in a small voice so that the coachman couldn’t hear.

“Every day until a child is born…”

What can I say here?

Of course, I have no choice but to nod vigorously, saying that I wholeheartedly welcome it.

※※※

Even after Christian and Marie left Versailles, Orléans remained in his seat for a while.

The mental shock he received from Madame du Barry was quite significant.

‘Crazy bitch…’

I knew she was stupid, but I didn’t know she was such a thoughtless human being.

I was trying to bring her over to our side appropriately, but if she’s such an idiot, we’ll just refuse her.

You can only dare to associate with someone if they have enough intelligence to communicate with.

She’s a woman who has the potential to only harm them if they bring her in for no reason.

In any case, the plan to undermine the royal authority using jewelers has failed.

I have to inform Finance Minister Thérèse of the change in plans and come up with a new plan.

Just in time, Thérèse, who had gone to see Louis XV, was returning this way.

With an angry look on his face, he immediately lashed out as soon as he saw Orléans’ face.

“How did this happen? I thought everything would go according to plan if I trusted you, Duke, but it ended without even starting.”

“I planned the diamond fraud case considering Madame du Barry’s vanity, but I was also surprised. But this is not my fault.”

“If it’s not the Duke’s fault, then whose fault is it? Is it my fault?”

“Yes. It’s a misfortune that happened because the Finance Minister hid information.”

Thérèse’s brow furrowed.

“No… are you blaming me for this?”

“The reason His Majesty didn’t buy the diamond was because the royal family was planning something. When you came to my mansion last time, Finance Minister, you said something similar.”

“That’s…”

“So, the Finance Minister could have anticipated this situation, but he didn’t tell me. Shouldn’t trust be shaken?”

If I pressured him this much, he would show some reaction.

As expected, Thérèse’s complexion turned pale.

“So, that’s because it was such a serious matter, as I said…”

“To be clear, there’s nothing more serious than our current situation. Can’t you judge the situation?”

“That’s true. So I tried to persuade His Majesty to proceed with the diamond purchase, but I failed. I tried my best, you know?”

“That’s enough. Erase the diamond from your mind now. Logically, it seems like the royal family is preparing something that requires enormous expenditure, so would they spend that kind of money here? I’ll ask you directly. What exactly is that thing?”

If I only knew what the royal family’s intentions were, I could create an opportunity to reverse this crisis.

Although he wasn’t showing it, it was Orléans who was rotting inside right now.

Christian was certain that he had noticed that he was involved in the assassination attempt.

I don’t know how he found out, but the important thing is that’s not it.

Right now, he was just probing because there was no evidence, but if time keeps dragging on, some additional evidence might come out.

If that happens, his family would be as good as ruined.

He has to find a gap and dig in somehow.

And the clue was definitely being held by Finance Minister Thérèse right now.

“Finance Minister, you’re already an accomplice from the moment you participated in the plan to undermine the royal authority. If you hesitate here, you’ll only narrow our position.”

“Hoo… I understand. But you must absolutely keep the secret. His Majesty has emphasized several times that he will punish anyone who leaks this as a traitor.”

“Of course, we will. Don’t worry and tell me. What exactly is the royal family plotting right now?”

What exactly is it that the Finance Minister is being so careful about?

In his honest heart, he just thought that he was being disgustingly cautious over nothing.

However.

“It’s something that Prince Christian proposed and His Majesty accepted…”

At the Finance Minister’s continued words, Orléans tasted a feeling of shock that could not be expressed in words.

“His Majesty is planning to go to war with England.”

Ah… he was right to be careful.

Orléans felt a dizzying shock.