I am the Crown Prince of France

Chapter 39: The Prince's Blessing

At first, Angel Water was only popular within the confines of Versailles. However, after some time and the testimonials from the noblewomen who had tried it, its miraculous effects spread throughout all of Paris. Now, there wasn't a single woman among the Parisian nobility who didn't know about this magical cosmetic.

Claims like "Clears pimples in two days," "Smoother skin in five days," and "Fades spots in a week" were all backed by numerous people who had experienced these results firsthand.

Ten days ago, a striking advertisement began appearing on the front pages of major newspapers. It simply read: "Angel Water: You Deserve It."

Simple and direct, it was like an arrow that pierced every woman's heart. Yes, Angel Water was luxurious and expensive, but I deserve a bottle!

A quick glance through the other pages of the newspaper would reveal the grand opening announcement for the Paris Angel store, with a note that Angel Water would only be available at this exclusive store from now on, along with the launch of many new products.

The store was scheduled to open at noon, but by the early morning hours, people had already begun gathering outside. Peeking through the fully transparent glass walls, they strained to get a glimpse of the products inside.

Joseph frowned as he observed the crowded street, packed with people waiting for the store to open. Although he was the store owner, there was no way for him to get close to the entrance...

It wasn't until Kessod ordered the guards to step in and maintain order that a narrow path was finally cleared on the Champs-Élysées.

At exactly 12:00 PM, more than a dozen store clerks emerged from the Paris Angel store, each over six feet tall, with blond hair, blue eyes, and handsome faces. They wore immaculate, bright red velvet uniforms and stood in two neat rows at the flower-adorned entrance. Behind them, a band began playing cheerful music, and two slender girls stretched a red silk ribbon tied with a floral ball across the doorway.

The store manager stepped forward, bowed deeply, and then announced loudly:

"Please welcome the 'God-Blessed Prince' of Versailles, the esteemed Crown Prince of France, to cut the ribbon for our store!"

A thunderous cheer erupted from the crowd on the Champs-Élysées. The people had guessed that someone important was coming when they saw the royal guards maintaining order, but they hadn't expected the Prince himself.

Joseph, dressed in his finest attire, stepped out of the store, waved to the crowd, and loudly declared:

"Today marks the grand opening of the first store of the Paris Angel company.

"The mission of Paris Angel is to help every woman in France preserve her youth and beauty!

"Happy shopping, everyone!"

The crowd erupted into cheers again, and some of the Prince's admirers even began shouting, "Long live the Prince!"

Joseph took the scissors from the manager and cut the red ribbon. Then, under Kessod's protection, he quickly "escaped" through the back door.

He couldn't risk staying too long—those noble ladies with stars in their eyes might just swallow him whole if he did.

As flower petals rained down, the manager smiled and invited everyone to enter the store. The crowd, buzzing with excitement over the grand opening ceremony, surged inside. In an instant, the two-story, over 1,000-square-meter store was packed with customers, while over a thousand more people waited anxiously outside, hoping for their turn.

A tall, elegantly curved young woman in a dark blue dress and a wide-brimmed hat with a veil covering her face frowned slightly as she looked at the sea of people outside the Paris Angel store. She muttered under her breath, "Why are there so many people? I should have asked Mr. Balvito to come buy it for me..."

She touched her face, where the faintest traces of blemishes remained, as if making a firm decision.

A few days ago, a friend had given her a small bottle of what was said to be the latest popular skincare product, "Angel Water." After just a few uses, the pimples that had troubled her so much had visibly faded.

But that little bit of Angel Water was nearly gone, and for the sake of her beautiful face, she was determined to get another bottle!

She surveyed the Paris Angel store, then gracefully moved her long legs and quickly headed towards the back of the building.

Joseph emerged from the store's back entrance, where his carriage was already waiting. Just as he was about to get in, he noticed a small, scruffy boy about eight or nine years old at the end of the alley. The boy, looking pitiful, was pleading:

"Kind sir, kind madam, please spare some coins."

The boy glanced worriedly at an even smaller girl huddled in the corner of the alley and, with desperation in his voice, begged, "Please, just five deniers so I can buy my sister a 'Prince's Blessing.' Please, she's been burning with fever all day…"

But there were hardly any passersby in the alley, and those who did rush by didn't even glance at him.

Joseph approached and placed two silver coins in the boy's broken jar. The child immediately dropped to his knees, his voice choked with emotion as he said, "Thank you, kind sir! Thank you! May God bless you!"

Kessod quickly helped the boy to his feet.

Joseph said, "It's nothing. Hurry and get your sister treated. By the way, what is this 'Prince's Blessing' you mentioned?"

The boy replied eagerly, "Kind sir, it's a little pill called... salicy-something. It's a life-saver, and it's very cheap. They say it was invented by the Crown Prince himself, so everyone calls it the 'Prince's Blessing.'"

Joseph signaled to Emon, who promptly handed him a few salicylic acid tablets—Joseph had been using them to manage his own pneumonia.

"Is this the medicine?" Joseph handed the light yellow pills to the boy.

"Yes! That's it!" The boy's face lit up with joy as he carefully fed one of the pills to his sister, giving her some water and nodding encouragingly. "Swallow it down; you'll feel better soon."

As the boy prepared to kneel in thanks again, Joseph quickly stopped him and asked, "Where are your parents?"

The boy forced a broken smile. "They got sick and died last year. Only my sister and I are left."

As he spoke, his stomach growled loudly.

Joseph felt a wave of sadness and gave the boy some more money. But as he glanced over at the crowd still swarming the Angel Water store, an idea struck him.

It's better to teach a man to fish than to give him a fish.

He looked at the boy and asked, "Would you like to stop going hungry?"

The boy nodded earnestly.

"Here's what you do," Joseph said, pointing toward the crowd. "There's a store called Paris Angel over there. Take this money and buy some chairs to rent out in front of that store—charge two deniers an hour. Don't forget to collect a deposit.

"Once you get the hang of things, buy yourself a clean, neat set of clothes. Then, you can start offering to hold places in line for those ladies who don't want to wait or buy things for them. You could probably charge a livre each time."

The boy's eyes widened in amazement, and he bowed deeply. "Thank you so much! You must be sent by God to save my sister and me!"

From behind a protruding column in the alley, the veiled woman watched Joseph from a distance. She murmured to herself, "That man looks like the Crown Prince? I didn't expect him to be so kind. It seems the royal family isn't all vipers and parasites after all."

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