Bab 61: Chapter 61: A Real Man!
Chapter 61: A Real Man!
Joseph quickly made his way to the South Wing of the Versailles Palace, climbed to the second floor, and finally found the room mentioned in the note after navigating a long, narrow corridor.
He tried the door and found it unlocked, so he pushed it open and stepped inside.
"You're here?" A lazy, seductive voice came from what seemed to be the bedroom. "Please close the door."
Joseph closed the door, but left it slightly ajar, then walked toward the voice.
As he turned into the bedroom, he saw that it was bathed in soft, pink lighting. In the center of the room, on a large white sofa, lay a woman who appeared to be in her late twenties or perhaps a bit younger.
She wore a loose gray scholar's robe, which was only partially closed, and covered herself with a sheer, translucent veil. Her skin was pale, her hair tousled, and beneath the barely clinging robe, her curves were barely visible, though the dim candlelight made it impossible to see anything clearly.
The woman propped her head up with her right hand, gazing at Joseph with sultry eyes, while she lifted her left hand and curled her finger toward him, her voice soft and teasing. "Don't just stand there. Come closer."
Joseph frowned slightly in confusion, holding up the note in his hand. "Madam, did you write this?"
"I did," the woman answered in a voice thick with honey.
Outside the room, a figure who had followed Joseph silently—disguised as a "fairy"—reached the door. He lifted his mask to wipe the sweat from his brow, revealing himself as the Duke of Chartres, Louis Philippe, the eldest son of the Duke of Orléans.
He peeked through the crack in the door and saw the pink glow inside. Creeping forward, he carefully slipped into the room, just in time to see the alluring Madame Saint-Belonne and the Prince's back.
His heart raced as he immediately understood what was happening—so the Prince was involved with someone as irresistible as Madame Saint-Belonne. No wonder he wasn't interested in the girls at the ball and had slipped away twice to meet her!
Afraid of being caught, he quickly and quietly retreated.
Inside the room, Joseph looked at Madame Saint-Belonne and asked, "What secret do you claim to know?"
She beckoned to him again, her voice dripping with seduction. "Why won't you come closer? I need to whisper it in your ear."
Joseph frowned again, sensing that something was off. He decided to test his suspicion and asked, "The odd stays odd?"
Madame Saint-Belonne blinked in confusion. "What?"
Joseph, still uncertain, tried another question. "Do you prefer Chicken Bro or Coffee Fairy?"
"???"
"What does E=MC² mean?"
"???"
Joseph's frown deepened. "I have other matters to attend to. If you don't reveal this so-called secret, I'll be leaving."
"Don't go!" Madame Saint-Belonne adjusted her posture, sitting up slightly and tilting her head playfully. "I'm guessing your secret is... you haven't experienced intimacy yet, right?"
Joseph let out a sigh of relief, realizing he had been overly excited for nothing. This was just an elaborate attempt to seduce him. Though well-prepared, it wasn't his type at all.
Without hesitation, he turned and walked toward the door. Not only was this woman not his type, but given his current age, this wasn't something he wanted to interfere with his development.
"Wait... don't go..." Madame Saint-Belonne hurriedly pulled her robe down a bit more, but all she heard was the sound of the door closing with a thud.
She was left in disbelief, glancing down at herself. There was nothing wrong! No man had ever been able to resist her, and she had confirmed this thousands of times. Yet, after asking her a few strange questions about "Chicken Bro" and "MC," the Prince had simply left!
He really left!
What she didn't realize was that, while her seductive techniques were top-notch in this era, Joseph was a man who had been exposed to the more explicit scenes of modern times. Compared to that, her attempts didn't even measure up to an intro sequence—how could they cloud his judgment or make him lose control?
As Joseph walked away, the Duke of Chartres stepped out from behind a pillar, smirking as he calculated the time. "Hmph, the Prince finished so quickly? He must be pathetic. He couldn't have been in there for more than three minutes—what a waste."
He was about to leave when the image of Madame Saint-Belonne's alluring figure flashed in his mind, causing him to swallow hard.
The Prince finished so fast—there's no way Madame Saint-Belonne could be satisfied. An idea crept into his mind, and a sly smile spread across his face.
Why not show her what a real man is like?
The more he thought about it, the more pleased he became. After Madame Saint-Belonne experienced his prowess, she would surely be disappointed in the Prince and might even leave him.
Joseph, I'll make sure you know what it feels like to lose a lover! he thought coldly, pushing the door open and striding into the room.
He was confident that Madame Saint-Belonne wouldn't refuse him. Before the Prince's rise, he had been the most sought-after young man in Versailles!
Inside, Madame Saint-Belonne was still doubting herself, but when she heard footsteps, her spirits lifted.
Hmph, the Prince was just playing hard to get, but now he's come back!
She let out a soft, alluring hum, ready to welcome the Prince, but was surprised to see the Duke of Chartres standing before her.
She instinctively pulled the veil up a bit. "You? Why are you here?"
The Duke of Chartres, already overwhelmed by the scene, rushed forward, grabbing her hand, panting with excitement. "Madame Saint-Belonne, you are like a star in the sky, captivating my eyes. Like the oak tree in the garden, you have rooted yourself in my heart..."
Madame Saint-Belonne, with her vast experience, immediately understood his intentions after just a few words.
She thought of the Duke of Orléans' immense wealth. Perhaps aligning herself with his son wouldn't be a bad choice, and it could also restore her confidence, which had been shaken by the Prince.
She gently stroked the young man's hair, laughing softly. "Is that so? Then prove it to me..."
The room filled with soft veils, the new moon hid behind the clouds, and the night sky was stirred like water.
A long while later, the Duke of Chartres walked out, still rubbing his back. He glanced at his pocket watch and grinned smugly. "44 minutes! Hmph, how can Joseph compare to me?
"If I keep visiting Madame Saint-Belonne, she'll definitely lose interest in him!"
...
In a small lounge next to the Hall of Mirrors, Joseph had changed out of the black dress from the ball and was back in his usual attire. Across from him sat the Duchess of Villars, dressed in a simple yet elegant gown, sitting respectfully before him.
"Are you talking about that young man from the Davout family?" She seemed surprised. "Do you know him?"
"Yes," Joseph replied with a smile. "In fact, I have some connections with the Davout family."
The Duchess of Villars nodded thoughtfully, surprised that the seemingly insignificant Davout family had ties to the Prince.
Joseph continued, "I asked you here to discuss Lieutenant Davout and the future of the Villars family."
...
Half an hour later, the Duchess of Villars emerged from the lounge, taking a deep breath and nodding firmly as if she had made up her mind.
(End of chapter)
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