I am the Crown Prince of France

Chapter 60: I Have a Fortune-Telling Friend

The "flower seller" opposite André sneered and drew his sword from his waist. "I, Honoré Roger de Villars, will make sure you learn your lesson today."

Members of the Villars family were almost all military men, and Roger was no exception. He was a major in the Bourges regiment, and he had some guts.

"No, stop!" Emilie cried out in alarm. "Please, stop this!"

But once two young men draw their swords, the only outcome they expect is each other's blood.

André attacked first, his quick thrust aiming straight for Roger's ribs.

Roger forcefully slammed his sword down, driving André's blade toward the ground, then swiftly aimed a stab at his lower leg.

André, having fought on real battlefields and seen bloodshed, reacted with lightning speed. He stepped back, his sword slicing upward in a defensive arc.

Roger quickly dodged, clearly not expecting such skill from a low-ranking officer. He immediately took the fight more seriously, moving with greater speed.

In the courtyard's flower beds, the "noblewoman in red" and the "flower seller" were locked in a fierce and evenly matched duel, their swords clashing repeatedly.

Joseph peeked out from behind the tree, sensing that André had the upper hand, but the dim light made it all too easy for something to go wrong…

His mind raced.

First, he couldn't let the future Marshal Davout's brother die here.

Second, it was clear that Emilie and her mother were being bullied, their family's assets at risk of being taken away. Since Emilie was André's beloved, it wouldn't be right not to help them.

Besides, if Emilie and André married, with his help, they could undoubtedly reclaim the power that belonged to the Villars dukedom. The Villars family held significant influence in the military in the Moulins region, which could be a valuable ally for him in the future.

"Stop it… André, watch out!" Emilie cried, running forward, trying to get between them.

Both men were startled and quickly pulled back their swords.

However, Roger was a bit slow, and his sword grazed the girl's arm.

"Ah!" Emilie cried out in pain, looking down to see a wound about a finger-width wide on her arm.

Roger hesitated for a moment, then, feigning concern, clutched his chest dramatically. "Oh, dear Emilie! I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to!"

André, on the other hand, was terrified. He grabbed his beloved's hand, stammering, "A-are you okay? Is it serious? Why did you run in like that...?"

Seeing this, Joseph stepped out from behind the tree, and Emond quickly stepped in front of him, facing the two sword-wielding men. "Please put away your weapons!"

Perna swiftly opened her small leather case, took out some tools, and began tending to Emilie's wound. Seeing that it wasn't serious, she sighed in relief.

Roger, noticing the arrival of outsiders and realizing that the duel couldn't continue now that Emilie was injured, wiped the sweat from his brow, sheathed his sword, and reached for Emilie. "Hmph, he got lucky. Emilie, let's go back and continue dancing."

Joseph suddenly spoke coldly, "Why are you dragging away Lieutenant Davout's fiancée?"

"What did you say? Davout's fiancée? Hahaha!" Roger, not recognizing the Prince in his disguise, laughed mockingly. "I don't know who you are, but he will never marry into the Villars family."

"Is that so?" Joseph smiled. "Then let's make a bet."

Roger stopped in his tracks. "Oh? What kind of bet?"

"If Lieutenant Davout and the Duchess of Villars are engaged by tomorrow, you will kiss his boots in public. If they aren't engaged by tomorrow, Lieutenant Davout will kiss yours," Joseph proposed.

"No, that's..." André, shocked, tried to protest, but the young man in disguise signaled him to stay quiet.

Joseph pointed to Emond and said, "Lieutenant Davout, trust my friend here. He's skilled in fortune-telling. He just accurately predicted that you will be engaged to the lady tomorrow."

Emond: "…"

André, finding the voice somewhat familiar, suddenly realized in shock, "Is it the Pr—"

Joseph quickly interrupted with a loud cough. "Ahem! What do you two think of this bet?"

Although André had no certainty, since the Prince had spoken, he gritted his teeth and nodded. "I agree."

Roger scoffed. "Fine, I'll take that bet."

"Very well, please shake on it." Joseph gestured to the others around them. "Everyone here is a witness. I hope you all will be fair."

Roger, not taking it seriously, casually shook André's hand and then swaggered off.

André wanted to ask the Prince what his plan was, but Joseph simply said, "I won't intrude on your precious time together. See you tomorrow."

André could only suppress his doubts and watch the three walk away.

Emilie, realizing something, quickly called after Perna. "Thank you for treating my wound. May I know your name?"

Receiving no reply, she sighed softly and turned to embrace André tightly, thinking that this might be their last time together.

After walking a bit, Perna curiously asked Joseph, "Your Highness, how will you get Miss Emilie and Lieutenant Davout engaged?"

Joseph smiled slightly. "I'll convince Miss Emilie's mother."

"Convince?"

Joseph gestured toward the Hall of Mirrors. "Come on, let's go find her now."

When they returned to the Hall of Mirrors, the ball was in full swing, with everyone elegantly dancing to the music.

Joseph, worried about being swarmed, stood in a corner and sent Emond to find Emilie's mother.

As soon as Emond left, a young man in a sequined dress approached Joseph, looked him up and down, and slipped a note into his hand, pointing to a woman dressed as a scholar standing on the second-floor balcony of the Hall of Mirrors. "She asked me to give this to you."

Joseph glanced at the seductive woman, then opened the note, which contained only one line: "I know your biggest secret. If you want to keep it safe, meet me in the second room at the end of the east side of the South Wing, on the second floor."

The note was from Madame Saint-Belonne. She was an expert at enticing men.

She knew that directly writing "I admire you" like a young girl or "I want to spend the night with you" like a flirtatious noblewoman wouldn't be very effective.

She knew that no one could resist the allure of a secret.

Especially the secret of how someone knows your secret.

She smiled confidently.

She was certain that once that thirteen-year-old boy entered her room, he wouldn't want to leave!

Joseph frowned. His biggest secret?

Of course, it was that he came from another world.

Could that woman have also traveled here from another world?

With this thought, he immediately turned and left the Hall of Mirrors, heading toward the South Wing.

On the other side of the Hall of Mirrors, a young man dressed as a fairy saw Joseph leaving and narrowed his eyes. The Prince had left the hundreds of noble ladies behind twice now—what was he up to?

After a brief hesitation, he decided to follow.

(End of chapter)

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