บท 18: Chapter 5: The Duke of Orléans Strikes Back
Chapter 5: The Duke of Orléans Strikes Back
Guizot was the first to react, quickly calling over one of his subordinates who was seated at the far end of the banquet table. He ordered,
"César, take some men and find out if any dentists contacted Lenotre a month ago!"
Joseph thought for a moment and added,
"If a dentist visited Lenotre's house, his servants should know."
"But the servants' testimonies didn't mention anything…" Guizot paused and then realized, "Wait! César, interrogate the servants as well!"
"Yes, sir!"
Outside the City Hall, the cries of Lenotre's fiancée had ceased. It was unclear whether the guards had driven her away or someone had informed her that the case was being reopened.
In the afternoon, the fat mayor, accompanied by several City Hall officials, came to invite Joseph to a banquet. Suddenly, César, the policeman, hurried over and whispered something to Guizot.
Guizot's eyes lit up. He turned and bowed deeply to Joseph, his voice ringing with excitement,
"Your Highness, just as you predicted, Lenotre's servant confessed shortly after being arrested. He admitted that a dentist did visit Lenotre's house at the time of the crime. The servant took money from the dentist to provide false testimony."
The president of the Chamber of Commerce anxiously asked,
"And what about the killer?"
"César searched the dentist's residence and discovered that he was an Englishman. His brother had fought in America and was killed by Lenotre. He came here seeking revenge." Guizot then coughed awkwardly, "However, César accidentally killed him during the pursuit."
The dozen or so City Hall officials present couldn't help but look at Joseph, their eyes filled with surprise and admiration. At the noon banquet, the Prince had deduced the details of the murderer based solely on a few clues.
Now, the police investigation had confirmed nearly everything he said!
The fat mayor immediately praised,
"Thanks to the Prince's wisdom, the murderer did not escape justice."
He then turned to the officials behind him and whispered with a smile,
"At least that woman won't come to the City Hall to cause trouble anymore…"
That night, after repeated invitations from the president of the Chamber of Commerce, Fleiselle, Joseph decided to stay at his private villa. City Hall was too far from Versailles, and Joseph didn't want to keep traveling back and forth.
Joseph lay on the soft bed, staring at the wall opposite him, feeling a bit frustrated. Throughout the day, the fat mayor and the president of the Chamber of Commerce had kept him at arm's length, refusing to let him get involved with the police department. He turned over, thinking that if he couldn't convince them tomorrow, he would write to the Queen and ask her to place him in the police department.
Outside, Aymon gently knocked on the door,
"Your Highness, are you still awake?"
"Not yet, come in."
Aymon entered and respectfully handed Joseph a letter,
"Your Highness, this was sent by the police department. It seems to have been left by Mr. Lenotre's fiancée."
"Her? A letter for me?"
Aymon spoke in a solemn tone,
"Yes, Your Highness, she took her own life tonight…"
Joseph's mood darkened. He hadn't expected there to be someone so deeply in love in this world.
He unfolded the letter. The first few lines expressed her gratitude to César and the other officers. She then mentioned how much she had wanted to thank the Prince in person for catching the real murderer, but due to the difference in their social status, she couldn't. Instead, she chose this way to express her thanks. The entire letter was filled with words of gratitude. At the end, she wrote that with Lenotre gone, she had lost the will to live. Now that justice had been served, she would follow him in death. After her passing, she wished to leave all her assets to the Prince and the police department.
This gesture surprised Joseph. Aymon quietly remarked,
"Your Highness, it's said that Miss Estelle left behind 4,000 livres in assets…"
On the banks of the Seine River, the Palais-Royal, once a residence of Louis XIV, now belonged to the Duke of Orléans.
The House of Orléans had held the regency during the time of Louis XV and amassed enormous wealth comparable to the royal family. For generations, the Duke of Orléans had used this wealth to expand his influence. Although he held no official position, he was able to participate in cabinet meetings, wielding considerable power. He was skilled at acting and generous with his money, making him a favored guest in various political circles and highly respected among the nobility.
A luxurious carriage pulled up to the Palais-Royal and stopped in front of the flower gallery. The Duke of Orléans descended the carriage via the steps laid out by the servants.
From the nearby garden came the sound of a speech. The Duke turned his head and smiled slightly, knowing that it was a gathering of a group dissatisfied with the royal family.
Indeed, the Palais-Royal had become a secret base for anti-monarchists. In the future, the core members of the Feuillants, Girondins, and Jacobins would frequently gather here. Additionally, various prohibited items, including illegal weapons, were traded here.
The Duke of Orléans provided protection with his influence. For decades, he had worked tirelessly to support anything that would undermine the monarchy.
He tossed his coat to a servant and strode into the main hall. As the guards opened the door, he saw his son berating a maid.
He cleared his throat and stepped forward,
"Philippe, what's going on?"
The boy turned around—it was the same slant-eyed youth who had taken the math exam with Joseph that morning. He pointed at the maid and screamed,
"This idiot! She brought me tea when I was in a bad mood! And it's too hot!"
"What's gotten you into such a bad mood?"
"That Joseph!" Philippe clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, "He must have cheated! There's no way he could have learned university-level courses!"
The Duke of Orléans listened to the whole story and frowned. He hadn't expected the Prince to impress a scholar like Lagrange. The royal lineage had finally produced a fool like Louis XVI, and now his son turned out to be so talented?
The Prince's rise in prestige had to be stopped before it complicated the effort to topple the king.
After comforting his son with a few words, the Duke noticed the butler approaching quickly, bowing deeply,
"Master, Monsieur Frois requests an audience."
"The trusted aide of Levesque? Let him wait in the study."
In the study, the Duke of Orléans read the letter that Frois had brought and then sneered. He handed the letter to the butler,
"The Prince may be clever, but he's still just a child. If he spends his time idling at City Hall, I wouldn't be able to do much to him. But now he wants to get involved in police management."
The butler looked at the letter and clicked his tongue,
"Paris has always been a chaotic place, especially in the slums. Robberies and murders are rampant, and even seasoned veterans with decades of municipal experience struggle to make a difference. The Prince is asking for trouble."
The Duke of Orléans smiled and nodded,
"Since Joseph is so confident, let's help him make a name for himself."
He then turned to Frois and said,
"Go back and tell Levesque to appoint the Prince as the Commissioner of Police for the Saint-Antoine district."
The Commissioner was the second most powerful position in the police force, responsible for managing all police affairs in one of Paris's major districts. Paris had only six such commissioners.
"Yes, Your Grace."
After Frois left, the Duke of Orléans instructed the butler,
"Have the Paris News and the Citizen's Daily pay close attention to crime and police management in the Saint-Antoine district. They should write detailed reports about the police chief, our dear Prince."
"Yes, sir." The butler bowed and left.
The Duke of Orléans paced to the window, gazing leisurely at the gardens of the Palais-Royal under the night sky, a smile playing on his lips,
"When the Saint-Antoine district turns into a complete mess, let's see how that Austrian harlot defends her son. Prince? Hmph, soon enough, the people will see you as just another fool like your father."
The "Austrian harlot" he mentioned was, of course, Queen Marie, who was born in Austria.
(End of Chapter)
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