I am the Dauphin of France

Chapter 4: Solving a Case Offhand

Joseph casually pulled back the curtains and frowned as he took in the surrounding scene.

Since arriving in this world, he had been confined to exams in the Palace of Versailles, and this was his first view of Paris.

The reality was completely different from the most prosperous city on the continent that he had imagined—it was dirty and old, with muddy and filthy streets littered with debris, even human waste. The stench was overwhelming. Dead animals occasionally floated down the Seine River, while riverside workshops discharged oddly colored waste into the river, turning the water brown.

Vendors haphazardly set up stalls on both sides of the street, making the once-spacious roads crowded. Children gleefully chased each other, flinging mud. Shouts and curses echoed intermittently.

Fights and brawls were a common sight, with passersby ignoring the cries of those being beaten.

There were even daylight robberies, only stopped when Joseph had his guards intervene, forcing the thieves to flee into alleyways. And this was in the best-policed Louvre district of Paris...

Overall, the city lacked any romanticism influenced by Enlightenment thought and showed no signs of the Industrial Revolution's vigor.

The lavish Palace of Versailles was in stark contrast to the grim reality of Paris, despite their close proximity.

The carriage crossed the northern bank of the Seine, and with a shout of “Whoa” from the coachman, it slowed to a stop.

"Your Highness, we have arrived," Aimé bowed and then got out to open the door for the crown prince.

Joseph, massaging his sore bottom from the bumpy ride, descended the stairs set by his attendants. He looked up to see an imposing building nearly a hundred meters wide, adorned with statues and featuring numerous columns and arched windows, resembling a giant fortress in the center of Paris, proclaiming the supreme power of the feudal class.

The city hall had received news of the crown prince's visit, and officials of all ranks were gathered in the square at the main entrance, awaiting his arrival.

However, the anticipated silver royal carriage did not appear.

Instead, three gray-black carriages stopped in front of the city hall, and as Aimé emerged, the leading city commissioner, Levebel, twitched his eyelid and hastily called out to his colleagues:

"Quick! It's the crown prince!"

With his hand on his black tricorn hat, Levebel moved his bulky, nearly 200-pound frame forward, leading the officials to greet Joseph with respectful bows, "Your Highness."

The musicians nearby hurriedly began to play.

After introducing himself, Levebel pointed to a middle-aged man with gray-blue eyes and sharp cheekbones, saying, "Your Highness, allow me to introduce Viscount Fleissel, president of the Paris Chamber of Commerce."

Joseph looked at the man closely, recalling from the information he had read.

Although Levebel was the city commissioner, equivalent to the mayor, the real power in Paris lay with Fleissel. 

The government lacked funds, and the chamber's financing and connections were vital, granting the chamber president significant authority.

Fleissel stepped forward to bow again, "Your Highness, we have prepared an afternoon banquet in your honor."

Although Joseph disliked the era's banquets and balls, finding the endless etiquette and rules torturous, he knew social obligations were unavoidable. 

He nodded in response:

"Thank you all."

In the spacious and luxurious city hall banquet hall, servants busily moved around, setting tables with exquisite dishes and quickly replacing cold ones with fresh ones.

As glasses clinked and laughter filled the air, Joseph dealt with the officials' continuous flattery while his mind remained focused on reforming the police system.

"Your Highness, do you mean to involve yourself in police administration?" The fat mayor exchanged a surprised glance with the chamber president and quickly smiled at Joseph, "Your Highness, you are a noble; how could you deal with thieves and murderers?"

The chamber president nodded in agreement, "Indeed, and police work is tedious and dull."

Inwardly, he lamented, "My dear prince, you're only here for a brief period; please don't take this so seriously. Disrupting the police system could incite chaos in Paris."

As Joseph was debating with the two, a woman's high-pitched voice suddenly rang out from outside the city hall:

"No! Lenot could not have committed suicide! You must catch the murderer!"

Her voice alternated between shrill and operatic, "Lenot was so cheerful, we were to be married next month. How could he have committed suicide? The case can't be closed! The murderer is still at large—"

The mayor's face darkened with anger, "She's here again?"

Fleissel immediately signaled the guards, "Get rid of her! Can't you see who's here today?!"

He then turned to Joseph with a forced smile, "Ah, Your Highness, she's just a madwoman. Don't let her disturb you."

Joseph looked out the window and asked, "I heard her mention a murderer. What is the situation?"

The mayor quickly explained, "A month ago, her fiancé, Viscount Lenot, committed suicide by sword swallowing. Oh, the case is clear, no doubt about it, but she seems mad, insisting it was murder."

"She's caused such a fuss that we had to bar her from city hall, but she still comes around every few days, shouting all the while."

Joseph found it odd, "Sword swallowing?"

The thin man to Levebel's right placed his hand on his chest and explained:

"Your Highness, it involves placing the sword's hilt on the ground, the point in the mouth, and pressing down to pierce through the back of the neck. It's a common suicide method." 【Note 1】

Joseph recalled the mayor introducing him earlier—the man was Viscount Guizot, head of the Paris police, the highest authority in the police department.

Seeing the crown prince's interest, Guizot eagerly elaborated:

"One afternoon over a month ago, Viscount Lenot's servant reported that his master was found dead in his bedroom. I sent men to investigate and found he had committed suicide by sword swallowing."

Joseph frowned, "How did you determine it was suicide? Was there a note, or had he shown signs of being in despair before his death?"

"No," Guizot admitted, "but Lenot used his own sword to do it, there are no valuables in his house that went missing, there were no signs of a struggle in the room, and he had no other injuries."

"You must understand, Your Highness, Lenot had fought in America, stood over six feet tall, and was skilled in combat. If someone had managed to force a sword into his mouth without him being able to put up a fight in broad daylight, it could only have been himself."

Six feet was indeed very tall.

Joseph narrowed his eyes slightly. He had read about similar murder methods in detective novels. The absence of suicidal signs and a note would not have led modern, well-trained police officers to hastily conclude it was suicide.

He turned to Guizot, "No, there's another person who could have done it."

"Your Highness must be joking," the mayor laughed, waving his hand, "Do you mean someone with magic?"

Joseph replied calmly, "No, someone who treats teeth."

"Teeth... Do you mean a dentist?!"

"Yes, a dentist."

The others were stunned, picturing Lenot obediently opening his mouth under the dentist's instructions, then having a white cloth draped over his eyes, and the dentist turning to grab Lenot's sword from the wall, effortlessly stabbing it into his mouth, with blood spurting out…

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【Note 1】: In 18th-century Europe, the emphasis on "quick and agile" swordsmanship led to nobles' swords being thin and light, making it difficult to use them for throat-slitting. Therefore, they often used sword swallowing for suicide. This method left the deceased in a kneeling, prayer-like position, making it especially popular among nobles.