I Became A Genius Of The French Royal Family [EN]: Chapter 79

Separation and Collection

The carriage carrying Marie and me arrived at the Palace of Versailles.

The palace was already filled with nobles who had heard the news.

No matter the outcome, this was a major event that could cause significant upheaval in political circles.

The nobles, more attuned to the shifting tides of power than anyone else, would never miss such a spectacle.

“······.”

I strode confidently towards the Hall of Mirrors, looking around.

Most of the nobles avoided eye contact with me.

A little further on, I saw Louis XV and the senior officials surrounding him.

It seemed the rumors had spread effectively while the messenger was traveling to Paris, as almost all the high-ranking nobles residing in Versailles were present.

Even the ministers were all there, showing how much interest this had garnered.

The Duke of Orléans was positioned at a respectable distance with his faction.

Given his cautious nature, he wouldn’t directly step forward to push us, but his face showed confidence rather than tension, likely due to his thorough preparations.

However, I felt much the same.

“I have arrived at Your Majesty’s summons.”

“Oh, yes. I’m sorry to have brought you all the way here for such a trivial matter. However, the ministers insisted that if we don’t address this issue clearly, it could stir up more controversy.”

“Not at all. Rather, I see it as fortunate to be able to prove my wife’s innocence in such a setting.”

My confident demeanor caused a stir among the nobles.

“Ahem! Knowing the Princess’s character well, I believe the rumors circulating are false.”

“Frankly, I am deeply angered that my wife, of all people, has become a victim of such absurd rumors. Therefore, I hope that a thorough investigation will reveal the truth of this matter.”

The atmosphere inside the room had already transformed into a kind of hearing.

In the tense atmosphere, Louis XV designated Terray, who had first raised the issue of the rumors.

“Finance Minister, you were the one who first questioned these strange rumors.”

“…Rather than questioning, I merely expressed concern that if this turns out to be true, it could incite public resentment. And ordinary citizens tend to accept such sensational rumors without filtering them.”

As Terray cleverly deflected, the nobles positioned around the Duke of Orléans also raised their voices.

“That’s right. For the sake of the royal family’s prestige, there must be an explanation that everyone can accept. Since His Highness the Prince also desires a thorough investigation, wouldn’t it be best to proceed that way?”

So, this isn’t about condemning Marie and me, but rather offering advice out of loyalty to the royal family.

It was a ridiculous excuse, but there was no justification to challenge them if that’s what they claimed.

“Very well. Then, let’s first hear from the parties involved.”

At Louis XV’s gesture, two men who had been waiting were hurriedly brought forward.

“State your names.”

“I am Louis René Édouard de Rohan.”

“I am Charles Boehmer.”

“Yes. I heard that you sold a necklace to the Princess.”

Overwhelmed by the tension of being questioned directly by the King, Boehmer nodded hastily, his face pale.

“Y-Yes, that’s right. From my perspective, I had to sell this diamond somehow, and Cardinal Rohan told me that the Princess wanted this item…”

“So, you sold it secretly?”

“Yes. I handed the item directly to the Princess in the forest near the Tuileries Palace. I received a check from the Cardinal for the initial payment, and the Princess was supposed to deposit the remaining balance.”

“I see. Princess, do you have anything to say?”

Louis XV turned to Marie.

From the beginning until now, she had simply been listening to the nobles’ stories with a dumbfounded expression.

“I’m so dumbfounded that I don’t even know what to say. I have never met Cardinal Rohan or that jeweler.”

“But those two are claiming they met you.”

“With all due respect, Cardinal Rohan has made too many unfounded criticisms about my mother and my homeland [Austria]. Wouldn’t it be illogical for me to entrust him with brokering the purchase of a diamond?”

The fact that Cardinal Rohan was at the forefront of the anti-Austrian faction was known to everyone present.

Many nobles nodded in agreement with her, and Cardinal Rohan took a bundle of papers from his robes.

“Here are letters I received from the Princess. The signature is definitely hers!”

If this ended like this, he would become a swindler impersonating royalty.

Naturally, he had to be desperate.

The officials who received the letters carefully examined the handwriting, exchanged opinions among themselves, and then stated their views.

“As of now, it is difficult to find traces of forgery. If this is fake, a highly skilled person must have deliberately created it. We need to analyze it with more samples.”

“No, even if the letters are genuine, Cardinal Rohan said he met me, but can he tell me exactly when and where that happened?”

“Yes, of course, I can tell you.”

Cardinal Rohan recounted the story of when he presented the necklace in detail.

The descriptions were realistic, and he answered the follow-up questions without hesitation, making it seem unlikely that he was fabricating the story.

“But from what I hear, even the Cardinal isn’t sure that he spoke directly with me. Is it reasonable to assume that someone with similar hair color and figure is the same person? Why aren’t you considering the possibility that Countess de la Motte brought a substitute?”

“…Well, I exchanged several letters with the Princess that were signed by her.”

“Where is that Countess de la Motte now?”

At the King’s question, the Marchioness de Brinvilliers, who had been called as a witness, answered hastily.

“She went to England to see her husband. As far as I know, it was a planned trip that was scheduled more than a month ago, so it’s unlikely she fled.”

“…Hmm.”

The Duke of Orléans had been observing the situation without saying much until now.

After examining our side, he took a step forward when I didn’t make any moves.

“Since both sides’ claims are sharply opposed, it seems difficult to reach a conclusion easily. If the Princess can prove that she was somewhere else at the time the Cardinal claims to have met her, it would be easy to refute.”

“I was in the palace with my husband at that time. All official schedules were canceled this week.”

“Of course, we believe you. But wouldn’t it be difficult to convince a third party with only the testimonies of the Prince or the Princess’s servants? There are already many people in Paris who are prematurely expressing anger, claiming they were deceived by the Prince until now.”

“The Duke is right. If we just unilaterally conclude the matter, the strange rumors circulating among the citizens will not subside.”

The group following the Duke of Orléans raised their voices simultaneously, as if they had rehearsed it.

Their claims weren’t entirely wrong.

In the original history, even though it was concluded that Marie Antoinette was scammed in the necklace affair, the citizens only blamed the innocent Queen.

Of course, this was because there were people behind the scenes manipulating the media to make things flow that way.

Since the current Marie is quite popular in Paris, she wouldn’t be blindly criticized.

However, those who started this wouldn’t have thought of reversing the situation with just this one move from the beginning.

This is merely a preliminary preparation for moving on to the next stage.

When I, Marie, and even Choiseul and Maupeou, who were on our side, remained silent, the Duke of Orléans smiled slightly and looked around.

Usually, when there is no clear evidence like this, the side that needs to prove their innocence bears a greater burden.

Emboldened, they continued to offer vague opinions, pretending to be concerned.

“The key to the case seems to be held by Countess de la Motte. Wouldn’t it be difficult to reach a conclusion until she returns to France?”

“For now, isn’t the best we can do to confiscate all the letters Cardinal Rohan has and thoroughly examine whether they are forged?”

Even then, I didn’t say anything.

Unlike Marie, who was vehemently protesting, I simply listened to the story quietly without any excuses.

The Duke of Orléans, true to his cautious nature, didn’t step forward even at this moment.

Thanks to that, I felt relieved.

If he had started acting up in a fit of misplaced excitement, we would have had to revise our plan.

As the commotion in the room grew louder, the Duke of Orléans calmly organized the atmosphere and turned to me.

“Your Highness, what do you think? May we understand that you agree with the nobles’ opinions?”

Since I was the one who called for a thorough investigation, they believed I had no choice but to accept.

Those who were confident were looking at me with eyes full of triumph.

I silently met the Duke of Orléans’s gaze.

Did they think they had seized the victory?

“Your Highness, you must speak for the proceedings to continue.”

Louis XV, Rohan, and everyone in the room waited for my mouth to open.

“Yes, Christian. You’re being uncharacteristically passive. Say anything, anything at all.”

I looked around at the nobles, from the worried gaze of the King to the various intentions they harbored, and then finally.

“Pfft!”

I couldn’t suppress the laughter that burst out of my mouth.

The Duke of Orléans’s face instantly became stained with embarrassment.

“Your Highness, such a reaction is inappropriate in the current situation…”

“Ah, I apologize. It’s just that the flow was too predictable.”

The nobles, who had been confidently speaking, exchanged glances in confusion.

Louis XV, who hadn’t received any particular instructions, was no different.

“I would like to thank everyone who has diligently discussed how serious this issue is until now. And at the same time, I must also offer my apologies. I’m sorry for making you get caught up in a clumsy play.”

“How was my acting? Was it awkward?”

“It was perfect, my dear. I never thought you had a talent for acting, but it seems I’ve discovered an unexpected talent.”

Marie, who had been protesting her innocence with a serious expression until now, burst into cheerful laughter.

The others couldn’t easily keep up with her sudden 180-degree change.

Still, the Duke of Orléans seemed to be reading the situation correctly even in the midst of this.

He must have wondered if this was all a calculated situation.

At the same time, he must have been denying it, thinking that it was impossible since it was a plan that could never be caught.

“First, to answer the Duke of Orléans’s question, there is no need to investigate further. And of course, there is no reason to wait.”

“Yes? But in order to clarify the suspicions…”

“I’m saying there are no suspicions to clarify, so what more is there to investigate?”

Choiseul and Maupeou, who had agreed in advance, sneered, and the Duke of Orléans reflexively clenched his fist.

“What… We are under suspicion of the royal family trading an item worth 2 million livres [French currency] through back channels. Even going against the directives issued by His Majesty the King.”

“About that diamond necklace that Cardinal Rohan purchased.”

At my signal, the jeweler Boehmer, who had been standing in the back, slowly walked forward.

He looked as if the pressure that had been weighing him down until just now was a lie.

Besides the Duke of Orléans, those who were quick-witted seemed to be gradually sensing that something was wrong.

And finally.

I unleashed a massive blow that would shake the power structure of France beyond Versailles.

“That’s a fake.”