The Crown Prince of France - Chapter 61

Chapter 61: A Real Man!

Joseph strode quickly to the southern wing of the Palace of Versailles, ascended to the second floor, navigated through a narrow corridor, and finally found the room written on the note.

He pushed the door gently. It wasn’t locked, so he stepped inside without hesitation.

“You’re here?” A lazy woman’s voice drifted from what seemed to be the bedroom. “Please close the door.”

Joseph closed the door behind him, leaving a small gap, and moved toward the source of the voice.

Rounding the doorway to the bedroom, he saw a room bathed in soft pink light. At the center of the space was a wide white sofa. Reclining on it was a woman, perhaps just shy of thirty or a bit younger.

She wore a loose gray scholar’s robe, draped partially with a sheer veil. Her fair skin gleamed softly, and her tousled hair cascaded down her shoulders. The loosely hanging robe revealed tantalizing glimpses of her figure, but under the dim candlelight, little could be discerned clearly.

The woman rested her head on her right hand, her eyes seductive and hazy as she looked at Joseph. She lifted her left hand, curling a finger invitingly, and said in a playful tone, “Don’t just stand there—come here!”

Joseph frowned slightly in confusion, raising the note in his hand. “Madam, is this something you wrote?”

“Yes~” Her voice was syrupy and sweet.

Outside, someone who had quietly followed Joseph all the way to the door lifted their mask to wipe away sweat. It was Louis Philippe, Duke of Chartres, eldest son of the Duke of Orléans.

He peered through the door’s gap, only to see flickering pink candlelight. He crept into the room and peered around the bedroom’s entrance, where he saw Madame Sanberant exuding an irresistible allure and the back of the Crown Prince.

His heart pounded wildly as realization struck—so the Crown Prince had been secretly meeting with someone as stunning as Madame Sanberant! No wonder he’d shown no interest in the girls at the ball and slipped away twice; it was for this tryst!

Fearing discovery, Louis Philippe quickly retreated from the scene.

Inside, Joseph looked at Madame Sanberant and asked, “What secret do you know?”

The woman beckoned again with her finger, her voice tinged with a teasing numbness. “Why haven’t you come closer yet? I’ll whisper it in your ear.”

Joseph’s frown deepened. Sensing that something was amiss, he decided to test his suspicions and uttered a timeless cipher: “Odd times don’t change?”

Madame Sanberant blinked in confusion. “?”

To be sure, Joseph tried another approach: “Who do you prefer, Brother Chicken or Princess Coffee?”

“??”

“What is E=MC squared?”

“???”

Joseph’s brow furrowed even more deeply. “I have other matters to attend to. If you won’t tell me this supposed secret, I’ll take my leave.”

“Don’t go!” Madame Sanberant adjusted her posture slightly, sitting up just a bit straighter. Tilting her head with a playful smile, she teased, “I guess your secret is... you’ve never been with a woman, right?”

Joseph exhaled, his initial anxiety fading. It seemed this entire setup was purely an elaborate seduction attempt. Quite the effort, but it was entirely unappealing to him.

Without hesitation, he turned and strode toward the door. Not only was this older woman not his type, but as a teenager still in his formative years, he wouldn’t risk anything compromising his development.

“Don’t... go...” Madame Sanberant pulled her robe lower in a panic, but all she heard was the firm “bang” of the door closing behind him.

She was almost in disbelief as she looked down at herself. There was no issue—she had confirmed this countless times. No man could possibly resist her charms. Yet, the Crown Prince had just left after muttering a few nonsensical questions! He had left!!

What she didn’t know was that her seductive skills, while top-tier for her time, were no match for Joseph, who had grown up exposed to the performances of modern Japanese “films.” Her efforts didn’t even measure up to a trailer, so how could they possibly sway him?

As Joseph walked away, the Duke of Chartres emerged from behind a column. Calculating the time, he sneered, “Hmph, the Crown Prince is done already? Three minutes, at most. Utterly pathetic.”

As he prepared to leave, an image of Madame Sanberant’s enticing figure flashed before his eyes. He swallowed hard.

The Crown Prince couldn’t possibly satisfy Madame Sanberant that quickly. A bold idea crossed his mind, and a sly smile spread across his face.

Why not let her see what a real man is like?

The more he thought about it, the more pleased he became. Once Madame Sanberant experienced his prowess, she would surely become disillusioned with the Crown Prince and might even abandon him altogether.

Joseph, I’ll let you taste the bitterness of losing a lover! He smirked coldly and boldly pushed open the door to the room.

He was confident that Madame Sanberant would not refuse him. After all, before the Crown Prince gained prominence, he had been the most sought-after young man in the Palace of Versailles.

Inside, Madame Sanberant was still mired in self-doubt. Hearing approaching footsteps, her heart leapt with joy.

Hmph, the Crown Prince was just pretending to be aloof—now he’s come crawling back.

She let out a soft, enchanting hum, ready to greet him, only to be startled to see the Duke of Chartres instead.

Instinctively, she pulled her veil up slightly. “You? What are you doing here?”

The Duke of Chartres, already overwhelmed by everything in the room, grabbed her hand and said breathlessly, “Madame Sanberant, you are like the stars in the heavens, capturing my gaze. And like the oak in the courtyard, you’ve rooted deeply in my heart…”

Madame Sanberant’s experience was vast. She needed only a few words to guess his intent.

Recalling the Duke of Orléans’ immense wealth, she thought it wouldn’t be a bad idea to involve his son. It might even help restore her confidence after her failure with the Crown Prince.

Running her fingers through the young man’s hair, she chuckled softly. “Oh? Then show me…”

The room filled with swirling gauze, and the crescent moon disappeared into clouds, scattering a night sky of watery stars.

Much later, the Duke of Chartres emerged from the room, rubbing his back. He checked his pocket watch and smiled smugly. “Forty-four minutes! Hah, how can Joseph even compare to me?

“If I visit Madame Sanberant a few more times, she’ll surely lose all interest in Joseph!”

...

In a small lounge near the Hall of Mirrors, Joseph had changed out of his black ballgown into his usual attire. The Duchess of Villars, now dressed in a simple and elegant gown, sat respectfully across from him.

“You mean that young man from the Davout family?” she asked in surprise. “You know him?”

“Yes,” Joseph replied with a warm smile. “In fact, I have quite a connection with the Davout family.”

The Duchess of Villars nodded thoughtfully, realizing that the seemingly unremarkable Davout family had ties to the Crown Prince.

Joseph continued, “I called you here to discuss Second Lieutenant Davout and the future of the Villars family.”

...

Half an hour later, the Duchess of Villars exited the lounge, took a deep breath, and nodded firmly as if she had made a significant decision.

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