The Crown Prince of France - Chapter 62

Chapter 62: The Moulins Infantry Regiment

The next day.

Many nobles of the Palace of Versailles received invitations to attend a small soirée that evening. The hostess was the Duchess of Villars.

No one declined, even though they had just danced through an entire night. Attending month-long strings of parties was commonplace for them. However, a ball hosted by the Duchess of Villars was a rare event.

The financial troubles of the Duke of Villars were an open secret.

At 9 PM, guests began arriving in succession at the modest ballroom. After the host gave a few introductory remarks, music began to play. The current Duke of Villars, Marie Émilie, stepped into the center of the hall with a young stranger, offering the opening dance.

As the crowd murmured among themselves, curious about the young man’s identity, the Duchess of Villars beamed, inviting everyone’s attention to her before loudly announcing that her daughter, the Duke of Villars, would be engaged to Louis André de Davout in three days.

An uproar followed, as no one knew who this "Davout" was.

It wasn’t long before a nobleman received an answer from his servant about the man’s background:
“I hear he’s a little-known baron serving as a lieutenant in the Soissons Infantry Regiment.”

“Why would the Duke of Villars marry him?!”

“They say the Crown Prince greatly favors Davout, but he doesn’t seem to have any remarkable accomplishments otherwise.”

“This fellow truly has fortune smiling on him…”

The Duchess of Villars offered no further explanation, graciously encouraging everyone to continue dancing.

...

In a room somewhere in Versailles, a young nobleman burst in, panting heavily. Ignoring decorum, he shouted at Roche, “The... the Duke of Villars is getting engaged!”

Roche stood up in surprise. “Engaged? She accepted my father’s proposal?”

“No, no! To someone called Davout—a mere lieutenant!”

Roche felt a wave of darkness wash over him as he clutched the messenger, demanding more details before storming out of the room.

Meanwhile, Émilie, the Duke of Villars, smiled brightly as she danced gracefully with André Davout. Their movements were perfectly synchronized, like two butterflies frolicking through a meadow.

To her, it felt unreal, like a dream. She had already resigned herself to the fate of marrying a man she had no feelings for. But last night, her mother had unexpectedly announced her engagement to Davout.

She couldn’t help but recall the conversation with her mother.

“Lieutenant Davout has earned the Crown Prince’s favor and has now been reassigned as an officer in the Crown Prince’s Guard. He’s one of His Highness’s most trusted men.

“Additionally, His Highness said that if Davout distinguishes himself on the battlefield, he will petition the King to grant him a viscountcy or even an earldom.”

“But he doesn’t have much money, and our family’s finances…”

“No. The Crown Prince promised that Davout would receive a substantial sum—at least 50,000 livres.”

Her mother lowered her voice. “Most importantly, His Highness assured me that Davout is a man of exceptional ability. If you marry him, His Highness will fully support him in helping us reclaim everything that is rightfully yours from Noëta!”

Noëta referred to Émilie’s cousin. While much of the Villars family’s ancestral fortune had been lost during her father’s generation, they still owned tens of hectares of land—not merely nominal estates but actual fiefs with tenant farmers and seigneurial rights. The Moulins Infantry Regiment was another powerful asset tied to their name, capable of rallying a formidable force.

Her cousin had leveraged the Villars name to secure a position as a brigadier general.

It was no wonder her mother had chosen André Davout. Rather than living in humiliation under her cousin’s charity, her mother hoped to see the glory of the Villars family restored!

Across from Émilie, André’s thoughts were also swirling. The Crown Prince had summoned him the previous night, informing him of the agreement with the Villars family to arrange his marriage to Émilie.

The Crown Prince had generously lent him 50,000 livres to cover the wedding and future expenses, with no interest and flexible repayment terms.

However, the Crown Prince had also assigned him a task: to assist his future wife in reclaiming all the resources owed to the Duke of Villars. Using the foundation of the Moulins Infantry Regiment, he was to train an elite military force.

As André held Émilie’s delicate hand, he felt overwhelmed with happiness, unsure how to express his gratitude to the Crown Prince. Perhaps transforming the Moulins Infantry Regiment into an invincible army would be the best form of repayment.

Roche suddenly barged in, throwing a fit like a clown, only to be calmly escorted out by the Duchess of Villars. Today was a joyous occasion, and everything—even rudeness—was to be handled with composure.

André noticed Roche glaring daggers at him on his way out but ignored him, silently gesturing toward his boot.

...

In the Crown Prince’s study, Fouché respectfully presented a roster to Joseph.

“Your Highness, this is a list of the new recruits for the Bureau of Intelligence. A total of 176 individuals.”

Fouché’s bloodshot eyes betrayed his exhaustion from working nearly around the clock to establish the Bureau, averaging just four hours of sleep a night. Yet the intoxicating taste of power kept him energized.
“Most of them are former royal police officers, along with some retired soldiers. Following your instructions, I carefully screened them to ensure none have serious criminal records or bad habits.”

Joseph opened the roster, scanning the names, backgrounds, and specialties listed.

While he wouldn’t remember all their names, the gesture symbolized his authority as the Bureau’s true master.

Joseph didn’t know how Fouché had managed to recruit so many people and establish an organization within a week, but it was clear that appointing him to lead the Bureau had been the right decision.

He looked at Fouché and commended him. “Your work is indeed impressive. You are an outstanding administrator.

“Now, tell me—when can the Bureau begin operations?”

Fouché answered without hesitation. “Immediately, Your Highness.”

Joseph nodded in satisfaction. “Your efficiency is remarkable. There are two matters I need you to investigate.”

Fouché immediately produced paper and pen, saying solemnly, “Please instruct me, Your Highness.”

Joseph continued, “Are you aware of the incident involving former Paris Police Superintendent Guizot, who colluded with gang members to create chaos in the Saint-Antoine District and plotted to attack the police station?”

Fouché nodded. “Yes, I’ve heard of it.”

“I suspect others may be involved, but Guizot has taken all the blame himself. Your first task is to determine whether anyone else was behind this and their motives.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

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