I am the Crown Prince of France

Chapter 168: A Major Case Unfolds

Joseph was thoroughly exasperated, thinking to himself, What kind of strange hobbies do you have? He could only try to persuade her, "Look, this trip to Lorraine is for important business, and I really won't have time to take you to see the coal mines."

Clementine clung to his hand, pleading as she pouted, "Please, take me with you—"

"But..."

The little girl suddenly stepped back, pointing at her pale, delicate neck, and looked pitiful as she said, "I even returned the 'Star Wish' necklace because you told me to. That was my absolute favorite! Don't you think I deserve a little compensation? Please—"

Joseph couldn't help but sigh deeply.

A few days ago, he had noticed Clementine wearing the "Star Wish" necklace and asked about it out of curiosity. He was shocked to learn that his extravagant mother had spent nearly 700,000 livres on it, and Clementine had added another 560,000. Together, they had purchased what he considered a "rip-off" of a necklace.

He immediately told Clementine that he had never worn such a necklace and that she should return it as soon as possible.

Clementine was clever enough to realize she had been tricked. She went back to the jeweler, using a mix of charm and persistence, and finally managed to return the necklace, even though she had to pay a 2,000-livre penalty.

The jeweler didn't really lose out either—after all, the "Star Wish" necklace had gained fame when two princesses had competed for it, driving the price up to over a million livres. The jeweler could easily resell it at a high price.

In the end, Joseph couldn't resist Clementine's relentless pleading and agreed to take her to Lorraine, thinking to himself that it was the least he could do to thank her for helping save the Queen 700,000 livres.

The next day at noon, Clementine looked at the three carriages she had packed the night before—full of her various cosmetics, clothes, kitchenware, toys, cat food, and other belongings—and reluctantly asked the Prince again, "Cousin, are you sure I can't bring them?"

Joseph rubbed his forehead. "Either you take the carriages, or you go, but not both. Choose one."

"Oh..." The little girl quickly gave her maid a signal, and the maid began loading ten or so trunks onto Joseph's baggage cart.

The caravan set off, heading northeast.

Soon, Joseph realized that bringing Clementine along wasn't such a bad idea after all.

The little girl kept everyone entertained with her antics, making the long, tedious journey much more enjoyable. Despite her young age, she was surprisingly knowledgeable about the noble families of Europe, teaching Joseph a fair bit on the subject. She must have been studying these details since childhood.

Yes, everything was fine—except for the occasional resentful glance from the carriage behind them, which sent a chill down Joseph's spine.

That glance came from Perna, who was feeling quite jealous.

She had expected this trip to be another "vacation" with the Prince, like their trip to Bordeaux, so she had come along as his personal physician. But she hadn't anticipated that this time, a little girl would "steal her thunder," leaving her unable to even share a carriage with the Prince...

Along the way, Joseph began to notice the widespread signs of drought.

Some small rivers had dried up, and many fields had turned yellow as a result.

Everywhere, farmers were hauling water in carts or carrying it by hand to their fields, trying to mitigate the effects of the drought.

But French agriculture was still largely extensive and inefficient, relying on vast tracts of land and low yields. The sheer amount of land that needed irrigation was overwhelming.

Joseph knew that the critical moment was fast approaching.

Fortunately, most of the grain storage facilities he had initiated were already completed, and large quantities of grain had been imported from overseas and transported by water to the major cities before the drought hit.

Paris, in particular, had two massive granaries. The stored grain alone would be enough to feed the city's population for four or five months.

Joseph silently hoped, Let's hope we can make it through next year's tough times, so I can have a chance to restore France to glory.

Four days later.

Joseph's convoy arrived at Calonne's estate. It wasn't until the Prince's guards had spread out and secured the area that Calonne realized someone important had arrived. He hurriedly came out of his cream-colored villa, leading his family and servants to greet the visitor.

After the usual formalities, Joseph followed Calonne into the house and quickly signaled, "I need to speak with you privately."

"Please, follow me."

Calonne led him to a small study, closed the door behind them, and then respectfully said, "Your Highness, please have a seat."

"Please, sit as well." Joseph skipped the pleasantries and got straight to the point. "I need information on Necker—the kind that will put him in prison. The royal family trusts you greatly, and I hope you can trust me as well."

Calonne put on a troubled expression. "Prince Joseph, you must have heard some rumors. I really don't have..."

Joseph didn't want to hear any excuses and interrupted him, "You can name your terms. What will it take for you to give me what I need?"

"This... You misunderstand..."

Seeing Calonne's constipated expression, Joseph decided to lay his cards on the table. "What if I could help you return to Paris? Would that earn your trust?"

A gleam of excitement flashed in Calonne's eyes. He had long grown tired of this wretched place, and he had resigned himself to rotting here for the rest of his life. But now, suddenly, there was hope again.

He almost nodded reflexively, but before he could say anything, he hesitated.

"I... Your Highness, I would love to return, but I don't have what you're asking for..."

Joseph narrowed his eyes. If he wasn't willing to trade such a significant benefit, then there was only one other possibility.

Calonne had something to hide, which is why he didn't dare expose Necker!

Joseph's voice turned cold. "Viscount Calonne, did you hear about the recent murder of Mr. Evans from the Public Investigation Office?"

"Yes, Your Highness, I heard about it."

"Well, Evans and Marat only visited you that day, asking the same questions I'm asking now, correct?"

Calonne's whole body trembled. It was clear now that the Prince's visit wasn't a coincidence, especially coming so soon after Evans' death!

He nodded. "Yes, that's correct."

"Hmm, so the prime suspect in this murder case is you." Joseph gave Calonne a sideways glance and continued coldly, "To be frank, this is a very serious matter. The entire Public Investigation Office is mobilizing, and they'll be here two days after me to launch a full investigation on you. Oh, and the secret police will be involved too."

Calonne was shocked. "Why would the secret police be involved?!"

Because I asked Robespierre to put some pressure on you, Joseph thought.

"Because the deceased Evans was a very important investigator. He was handling a case of great significance, and he had some crucial leads. His death has nearly stalled the investigation."

Calonne wiped away the cold sweat forming on his brow. He quickly deduced that Evans must have been investigating Necker, which would explain why the Prince said the case had "great significance"—after all, Necker's dealings involved many influential people.

(End of Chapter)

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