I Became A Genius Of The French Royal Family [EN]: Chapter 86

Russia’s Misunderstanding

A wide-open coastline.

A large Russian ship was heading towards the harbor, braving the now completely chilly sea breeze.

“One person… two people… three people…”

Ivan Osterman, the chief of this diplomatic mission, checked the data compiled by the intelligence agency one last time.

“The political circles of France seem stable right now, but the reality is not. It should be seen as a situation where key figures are fiercely checking each other.”

“Yes, I think so too.”

Alexandr Bezborodko, who was assisting Osterman, nodded diligently.

His eyes sparkled with admiration as he watched Osterman skillfully sorting the data.

Osterman was receiving the undivided attention of Catherine II [Catherine the Great] for his success in forging an alliance with France at the Vatican.

No one currently disputed that he would be the next minister.

For Alexandr, a young diplomat who had just entered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the opportunity to work with such a prominent figure was simply a blessing.

“The King of France is currently strengthening his power. The nobles are holding their breath because of the king’s momentum, but this situation will not last forever.”

“If the nobles really feel threatened, they will have no choice but to gather around someone.”

“Yes. Duke d’Aiguillon, who opposed the alliance with Austria, has already been pushed out, and Duke Choiseul and Maupeou have sided with Prince Christian. But still, at the center of the nobles is a prominent figure called the Duke of Orléans.”

“Should we see it as a two-way structure between the Duke of Orléans and Prince Christian? But if the King, the Crown Prince, and Prince Christian are all on the same side, it seems difficult for the Duke of Orléans to do anything alone.”

“No, that’s a hasty judgment.”

No matter how strong the king’s power is, if the nobles unite as one, he will eventually have to yield.

As Osterman analyzed, Louis XV was assertive now because he didn’t give the nobles a chance to unite and counterattack.

However, it didn’t seem like this would continue forever.

The Russian intelligence agency also suggested that the Duke of Orléans’ potential should not be ignored.

“From what I saw at the Vatican, Prince Christian was clearly a talented individual with a great perspective. Even so, he is still too young. In this political arena, experience is a factor that can never be ignored. You must keep that in mind if you want to do politics in the future.”

“Yes!”

Alexandr didn’t take his respected senior’s advice lightly.

He hadn’t seen Prince Christian yet, but if Osterman said so, it was probably true.

Frankly, it was amazing that a young prince born out of wedlock had accomplished this much.

It seemed impossible to add anything more here.

“So, according to the pre-arranged plan, the people to watch out for in France are Count Louis Christian de Lamarck, Crown Prince Louis Auguste, and the Duke of Orléans. Should we consider it these three?”

“Yes. We’ve only talked about Prince Christian and the Duke of Orléans so far, but the Crown Prince should not be underestimated either.”

“I’ve heard the story. He embarrassed the British Duke to his face.”

“Yes. He is very aggressive and doesn’t talk much. If we don’t act properly, the marriage talks that we have arranged with difficulty may fall apart immediately.”

The Russian side had made a lot of preparations for this marriage alliance.

At first, there were voices questioning whether it was necessary to form such a close alliance with France.

After all, Russia’s largest trading partner was currently England, and France was at odds with that England.

However, as the war with Turkey progressed, public opinion in their country changed dramatically.

The military power of Russia, which had reorganized its system by accepting Western European systems and organizations for a long time, was surprisingly strong.

Turkey, which had fought fiercely until now, knelt before the Russian army so helplessly that it made people wonder if this was okay.

If no one had intervened, Russia might have completely seized the Black Sea and the Bosphorus Strait.

This area is an indispensable stronghold for Russia, which desperately wants a warm-water port.

If they only occupied the Bosphorus Strait, Russia would no longer have to sail around Europe.

“If only the British bastards hadn’t intervened… we could have completely destroyed Turkey.”

“That’s right. Why do the British bastards always interfere?”

“They are afraid of our growth. If we can go directly to the Mediterranean through the Black Sea, we will have national power that cannot be compared to what we have now.”

Russia’s anti-British sentiment became very strong as they failed to achieve their original goal despite winning a great victory in the war due to Britain’s persistent checks.

In addition, as Britain began to unilaterally benefit from trade between the two countries, the trend became even more severe.

“Even this diplomatic mission might have been delayed until next year because the harbor would have frozen if the weather had gotten colder. This shouldn’t happen.”

If they become blood brothers through a marriage alliance with France, it will be difficult for England to interfere with Russia like now.

They can put France as a shield and destroy Turkey in the meantime.

The problem is whether France will readily agree to the marriage alliance.

“Didn’t they say at the Vatican that Prince Christian also showed a positive response to the marriage? It will be fine.”

“Well… it would be nice if that were the case, but there is no guarantee that things will always go well.”

“…Hoo… it’s difficult.”

If Catherine II had a daughter, things would have gone well, but the problem was that she didn’t have a daughter.

The previous king, Peter III, was already deceased, so it was impossible to have children in the future.

It was Peter III who inherited the blood of the Romanov dynasty, not Catherine II.

So the Russian royal family did everything they could to find a woman with the blood of Peter the Great.

In the end, they managed to create a position somehow, but it was questionable whether France would recognize this.

“If I were the Duke of Orléans, I would use this as an excuse to interfere. There is no better card to check the royal family.”

“……”

Alexandr took in the scenery of the harbor that had begun to appear far away in his sight.

French territory that he was stepping on for the first time.

With the conviction that he could cope with any variables because he had come with thorough preparations, the Russian delegation got off the ship.

However······.

“Excuse me? The Duke of Orléans is coming out to greet us?”

As soon as they got off the ship, an unexpected variable covered them.

“That’s right. The Duke has made many preparations to welcome you who have come a long way.”

Alexandr’s head was spinning.

He glanced to the side and saw that Osterman, the person in charge, also had a bewildered expression.

“…Wasn’t Prince Christian and Crown Prince Auguste supposed to be in charge of this alliance?”

“…Could it be that Prince Christian’s side has already been pushed back in the power struggle?”

“Indeed. It seems that the ambassador’s wise opinion that the Duke of Orléans should not be underestimated was correct. What do we do now?”

“If the Duke of Orléans is in charge of the marriage alliance… we’ll have to cater to his tastes somehow.”

Osterman, who thanked the French official for the grand welcome, inwardly cursed.

‘He was just full of hot air… Prince Christian was just an ordinary human being after all.’

He had a lot of questions, but he couldn’t ask the French people, so he was frustrated.

First, he should go to the Russian embassy and contact the people there to get detailed information.

As Osterman discussed the future schedule with Alexandr, he discovered someone who had come out to greet them at the welcoming ceremony and froze.

“What is this······?”

“It’s been a while, Ambassador. Is it a year since I saw you at the Vatican?”

“Oh… yes… I’m glad to see Your Highness looks healthy too.”

He reflexively greeted and looked around with a dumbfounded expression.

No, they said the Duke of Orléans was coming out.

Even when he glared with a resentful gaze, the French official only looked at him with a questioning look.

“Ha, haha… it seems there was a mistake in the delivery process. We heard that the Duke of Orléans was coming out…”

“Ah, I guess you didn’t get the message. I am the Duke of Orléans now.”

“······?”

A moment of silence lingered.

Osterman even briefly questioned his French skills.

Alexandr was the same.

Clearly, before leaving Russia, Louis Christian’s status was Count Lamarck.

How could a count suddenly become a duke?

Besides, what’s with the Duke of Orléans?

“The previous Duke of Orléans was involved in an unsavory incident and was punished. So now I have inherited the title.”

“Ah… I see.”

Osterman and Alexandr nodded at the same time as if they had made a promise.

They could roughly infer what had happened with just these words.

Perhaps the Duke of Orléans and Prince Christian had a power struggle, and the Duke of Orléans, who had been brutally defeated here, disappeared into the dew of the execution ground [a euphemism for execution].

If not, it doesn’t make sense for Prince Christian, who is a distant relative, to take that position.

Alexandr felt that his trust in Osterman, whom he had admired like the sky, was cracking.

What?

The Duke of Orléans is never an easy opponent?

What’s important in the political arena is experience?

What kind of experience do those who had their heads cut off and their titles stripped away in less than a month have?

The evaluation of his senior, who had seemed so great just a few hours ago, had already plummeted vertically.

He must have been scammed until now.

But a more serious problem is that everything he has prepared so far has become a waste of paper.

Will Russia be able to get the desired results from this meeting?

Alexandr already felt like his future was bleak.