Chapter 537: The Crown Prince's "Mistresses"
Joseph, who had been looking forward to a relaxing time, quickly realized he had severely misjudged the explosive power of the slender hands behind him, and the owner's "massage technique."
Camelia's every stroke missed the right spot, her fingers repeatedly landing on tendons and joints, accompanied by "technical moves" like twisting and pulling. Combined with the strength she'd developed from daily cleaning and carrying soup pots, after just a few moves, Joseph was on the verge of tears from the pain.
"Ah—stop, stop!" Joseph cried out, his voice tinged with a whimper. "I'm dying! I'm dying!"
At that moment, all he wanted was to shout, "I confess! I'll confess everything!"
Sorel, who had just entered the room, was startled by the screams. She quickly peered through the dim light, seeing a woman pinning the Crown Prince onto a "long table," one hand pressed against his neck, the other holding a dark, indistinct object, seemingly about to strike him with it.
Coupled with the Crown Prince's cries of "I'm dying!", she instantly tensed up. 'This is an assassination attempt!'
'Good thing I stumbled upon it,' she thought. 'My chance to make amends to His Highness has arrived!'
Without time to draw her sword, she darted to the massage table, raised a leg, and kicked the "female assassin" flying.
Outside the room, Clauzel's heart sank upon hearing the Crown Prince's shouts. He rushed inside, sword in hand, just in time to see Sorel, her face hidden by a hood, kick Miss Camelia flying, and was in the process of drawing her sword!
The captain of the Royal Guard didn't have time to think. He leapt forward, his saber whistling through the air as he brought it down towards Sorel.
Sorel's sword had just been drawn, not yet aimed at the female assassin, when she caught a flash of cold light from the corner of her eye. She hastily raised her blade to parry.
"Clang!" A sharp ringing sound. Clauzel's powerful, heavy strike sent the lady's rapier flying, then he pressed his arm down, the tip of his sword already resting against the "assassin's" chest.
Joseph heard Camelia's muffled grunt. Rubbing his shoulder, which felt like it was about to shatter, he rolled over and sat up, immediately seeing the captain of the Royal Guard and a figure in black clashing swords beside him.
Seeing the Crown Prince sit up, Sorel and Clauzel simultaneously spun around and exclaimed loudly to him:
"Your Highness, beware of the assassin!"
Camelia also struggled to prop herself up, looking at the Crown Prince, and urgently said:
"Your Highness, quick, leave! There's an assassin..."
After their shouts, the three exchanged bewildered glances, all wondering why the assassin would expose themselves.
Immediately afterwards, a dozen Royal Guardsmen flooded in, guns raised, surrounding the people in the room. Then, someone lit the gas lamps.
Only then did Joseph clearly see the pretty face beneath the hood, and he exclaimed in surprise:
"Sorel? Is that you? How did you get in?"
"I..." Sorel glanced at the maid beside her, and blurted out, "Your Highness, she was trying to assassinate you just now! I was saving you!"
Joseph then looked at Camelia, who was clutching her shoulder, her face pale with pain:
"Ah? Are you alright? Her touch might have been a bit heavy, but it wasn't an assassination attempt."
Ten minutes later, the Crown Prince's Royal Guards had all withdrawn, and Clauzel stood stiffly, staring at Sorel.
The "stealthy" lady, meanwhile, hung her head, her face flushed with shame, and pushed the five thousand francs across the table to Joseph:
"Your Highness, I truly only came to return the money... I was worried you wouldn't accept it, which is why I..."
After explaining herself, she looked towards Camelia, who had tear-filled eyes and was having her shoulder bandaged by another maid, and bowed apologetically, saying:
"My sincerest apologies, esteemed lady! This was all my fault... I will cover your medical expenses, please forgive me..."
Joseph only breathed a sigh of relief after confirming with the royal physician that Camelia's injuries were superficial and not serious. He then picked up the stack of banknotes and handed them back to Sorel:
"You've made a mistake. Actually, I only bet ten livres on you that time. Cough, don't misunderstand, it wasn't that I lacked confidence in you; I simply don't like gambling..."
Ten livres?! Sorel froze instantly, her face flushing crimson then draining white. Gazing at the five thousand francs in her hand, she recalled her conviction that the Crown Prince would have placed a hefty bet on her victory. The embarrassment made her want to crawl into a hole and never come out.
Joseph let out a sigh, feeling even more exhausted after being put through the wringer by two beautiful women. He then said to Clauzel:
"It's too late. Please escort Miss Fraise back."
Fraise was Sorel's family name.
"Yes, Your Highness."
Sorel thought for a moment, then placed the money back on the table and whispered:
"Your Highness, thank you for your generosity. Please consider this money as compensation for disturbing your rest..."
Joseph, naturally, was unwilling to accept it.
After some back and forth, Joseph reluctantly said:
"How about this: I'll invest this money into the King's Fund in your name. You can receive dividends annually."
Improving France's dire finances had almost become second nature to him; he wouldn't let even the smallest opportunity slip by.
Sorel nodded, then, flustered, gave a hurried curtsy and practically fled towards the door...
Two days later.
At Lavoisier's home, Madame Lavoisier, Marie-Anne, was wiping away tears as she confided in her best friend, Perna:
"It's all because Antoine allowed his soul to be misled by the devil, which led him to do such disgraceful things... Oh, he's utterly consumed by self-reproach now, constantly repenting every day."
After being sentenced to fifteen years in prison by the High Court, Lavoisier was understandably terrified. He had wanted to plead with the Crown Prince, but feared His Highness's rebuke, especially since the tax system reform was spearheaded by the Prince himself, and his actions had essentially undermined it.
Fortunately, he had heeded the Prince's advice and ceased his tax farming business two years prior; otherwise, his sentence would likely have been even harsher this time.
So, he had his wife seek out Doctor Perna, who was close to the Crown Prince, to beg her to intercede on his behalf. He, of course, had no idea that Joseph had already decided to seek a letter of pardon from the King for him.
Perna gently comforted Marie-Anne:
"You must pay the fine as quickly as possible, and I will certainly appeal to His Highness on your behalf. Oh, and you might also need a bail bond."
"Oh, thank you so much! My dearest Perna, only you can save Antoine now!" Madame Lavoisier cried, clutching Perna's hand and continuing her lament.
The two friends chatted until the afternoon, and after receiving Perna's repeated assurances, Marie-Anne finally relaxed. She then began to inquire about her friend's own affairs:
"Oh, by the way, have you heard the rumors about the Crown Prince's mistresses?"
"Mistresses?!" The female doctor's heart instantly tightened.
"I heard it's a wild girl named Sorel, and also His Highness's maid." Marie-Anne, clearly aware of her friend's feelings for the Crown Prince, spoke with sincere and earnest words, "They say throughout Versailles that the two of them got into a jealous fight over His Highness the night before last. The maid was even injured, and the Royal Guard had to intervene to stop them.
"My dear, perhaps you should be more assertive! Don't forget, you were the first to be by the Crown Prince's side... Hmm, you should exert the aura of the Chief Mistress and show them how things are done!"
"Cough, cough, cough..." Perna choked, coughing repeatedly, her cheeks instantly burning crimson.
This was the first time she had ever heard herself referred to as His Highness's mistress, let alone the "Chief" one!
Yet, a profound sense of sweetness immediately welled up in her heart.
She knew full well that, given her background, marrying the Crown Prince was an absolute impossibility. That's why she had always fiercely suppressed her feelings, content to simply remain by His Highness's side as much as possible, silently watching him.
But Marie-Anne's words today suddenly ignited a new hope within her.
'That's right,' she thought. 'Even if I can't marry His Highness, if I become his mistress, won't I still be able to stay by his side forever? Good heavens! What am I even thinking? It's utterly mortifying!'
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