I am the Crown Prince of France

Chapter 62: The Moulins Infantry Regiment

The next day.

Many nobles at Versailles received invitations to attend a small ball that evening, hosted by the Duchess of Villars. Despite having danced through the night just before, no one declined the invitation—it was common for them to attend balls every night for a month, but a ball hosted by the Duchess of Villars was a rare event.

It was no secret that the financial situation of the Villars family was difficult.

At 9 p.m., guests began arriving at the modest ballroom. After a brief opening speech by the host, music began to play. The current Duke of Villars, Marie Emilie, and a young man unfamiliar to most stepped into the center of the hall to perform the opening dance.

As the dance began, the crowd whispered among themselves, trying to figure out who the young man was. The Duchess of Villars then smiled warmly at everyone and made a loud announcement: her daughter, the Duke of Villars, would be engaged to Louis André de Davout in three days.

The crowd was shocked, as no one knew who this Davout was.

Soon, a nobleman finally learned from his servant about Davout's background:

"They say he's a little-known baron, a lieutenant in the Soissons regiment."

"Why would the Duke of Villars marry him?!"

"I heard that Davout is favored by the Prince, but other than that, he doesn't seem to have any special qualities."

"This guy sure is lucky..."

The Duchess of Villars didn't offer much explanation but warmly encouraged everyone to continue dancing.

In another room at Versailles, a young nobleman burst through the door, panting heavily and forgetting all manners as he shouted at Roger, "The—The Duke of Villars is getting engaged!"

Roger stood up in surprise. "Engaged? She accepted my father's proposal?"

"No, not at all! She's getting engaged to a young lieutenant named Davout!"

Roger felt as if the world was spinning, and after confirming the source of the news, he dashed out of the room.

In the ballroom, Marie Emilie de Villars smiled brightly as she danced with André Davout. Their steps were perfectly in sync, like two butterflies playfully entwined in a meadow.

It all felt like a dream to her. She had been ready to resign herself to marrying a man she had no feelings for, but the night before, her mother had suddenly told her she would be engaged to Davout.

She couldn't help but recall that conversation with her mother.

"Lieutenant Davout is highly regarded by the Prince. He's already been assigned as an officer in the Prince's Guard, which means he's now one of His Highness's close personal guards.

"In addition, His Highness said that if Davout proves himself on the battlefield, he'll ask the King to grant him the title of viscount or even count!"

"But he doesn't have much money, and our family's financial situation..."

"No, His Highness assured me that Davout would have a large sum of money—at least 50,000 livres."

Her mother lowered her voice, "The most important thing is that His Highness said that Davout is highly capable. If you marry him, the Prince will fully support him in helping you reclaim everything that rightfully belongs to you from Noëta!"

Noëta was Emilie's uncle. Although her father had lost much of the Villars family's wealth, they still had tens of acres of land—not the nominal estates common among Versailles nobles, but real fiefs with tenants and the rights of lordship!

And the Villars family also had significant influence and authority within the Moulins Infantry Regiment. Although Emilie was the only remaining heir of her line and had little to do with the military, if she summoned the regiment in the name of the Duke, many would surely answer the call.

Her uncle had used the Duke of Villars' name to rise to the rank of major general.

No wonder her mother had ultimately decided to have her marry André. Rather than living under her uncle's charity, her mother wanted to restore the glory of the Duke of Villars!

On the other side, André's mind was also swirling with thoughts. The previous night, the Prince had summoned him and informed him that an agreement had been reached with the Villars family and that he would marry Emilie.

The Prince had also generously loaned him 50,000 livres for the wedding and future expenses, with no interest and repayment at his leisure.

However, His Highness had also given him a task: to help his future wife reclaim all the resources that rightfully belonged to the Duke of Villars and then use the foundation of the Moulins Infantry Regiment to train an elite army.

Holding Emilie's delicate hand, André was overwhelmed with happiness. He could hardly express his gratitude to the Prince. Perhaps transforming the Moulins Regiment into an invincible force would be the best way to repay His Highness!

Suddenly, Roger burst into the ballroom like a madman, causing a scene. However, the Duchess of Villars gently and calmly persuaded him to leave—today was a joyful day, and no matter the issue, everything should be handled peacefully, even dealing with an unpleasant intruder.

As Roger stormed out, he shot a venomous glare at André, who simply pointed silently to his own boots.

...

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

"Your Highness, these are the new recruits for the Intelligence Office, a total of 176 individuals."

Fouché's eyes were bloodshot. He had been sleeping only four hours a night recently while preparing the Intelligence Office, but the taste of power kept him energized.

"Most of them are former royal police officers, along with some retired soldiers. I followed your instructions carefully, screening them to ensure they have no serious criminal records or bad habits."

Joseph opened the roster, which listed each person's name, background, and skills.

He couldn't possibly remember all these people, but this was a necessary process to establish that he was the true leader of this intelligence agency.

Joseph didn't know how Fouché had managed to gather so many people and form an organization in just a week, but it was clear that appointing him to lead the Intelligence Office had been the right decision.

He looked at Fouché and praised him, "Your work has been truly effective. You are an excellent administrator.

"Now, can you tell me when the Intelligence Office will be operational?"

Fouché replied without hesitation, "We can begin operations immediately, Your Highness."

Joseph nodded with satisfaction. "Your efficiency is impressive. There are two matters that require your immediate attention."

Fouché quickly took out a pen and paper, ready to take notes. "Please, Your Highness, give your orders."

Joseph said, "Are you aware of the former Paris Police Chief Guizot's collusion with gang members to create chaos in the Saint-Antoine district and his plan to attack the police station?"

Fouché nodded. "Yes, I've heard of it."

"I suspect there are others involved, but Guizot has taken all the blame himself. Your first task is to investigate whether there were others behind Guizot and what their motives were."

"Yes, Your Highness!"

(End of chapter)

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