Descending On France 1780-Chapter 26 - 023 and the Red Queen are in sharp opposition

After the carriage stopped, Anning was the first to open the door and get off, then turned around to grasp Christina's hand and help her down.

Christina: "You seem quite familiar with these etiquettes."

Anning: "There's an old saying back home, 'Though I've never eaten pork, I've seen pigs run.' It means even if I have never experienced something, I might have heard of it."

"What a strange saying," Christina laughed.

At this moment, a palace guard approached and asked, "May I know who you both are..."

Christina: "I am the daughter of Duke Tolleson, and this gentleman is my dance partner."

Anning introduced himself: "I am the son of a Caen leather craftsman, Andy Frost."

The guard looked at Anning with a surprised expression upon hearing his introduction: "This is a royal ball, do you have an invitation?"

The son of a leatherworker naturally wouldn't possess an invitation to a royal ball.

Christina stepped forward: "Frost is my lifesaver, and he also received a military honor medal on the battlefield in Germany."

Guard: "So he is a war hero. My apologies. But I don't see any medals on you..."

Anning: "That's because my medal has not yet been awarded to me, but General Carnegie has indeed applied for it."

Guard: "I see. In that case, there's no problem. Please follow me, the ball is taking place in the Imperial Palace garden."

The guard began to lead the way.

Christina naturally hooked her arm into Anning's.

The evening gown that Christina wore had the characteristic low neckline of the era, as she hooked Anning's arm, his entire left field of vision was engulfed in white.

Christina, holding onto Anning, followed the guard into the Imperial Palace garden. The area was brightly lit, and amidst the music, the ladies in the dance floor bloomed like roses.

At that moment, a gentleman approached Christina to greet her: "Hey, isn't this Christina? And this gentleman, could it be the Civilian Swordsman who won the duel this afternoon?"

Anning: "Uh, I did win a duel this afternoon, but may I know who you are..."

"He is Viscount Raphael, the son of Earl Layne," Christina said as she extended her hand, prompting Raphael to respectfully kiss it.

"Oh Christina," Raphael's tone was like that of reciting poetry, "your presence has made the entire ball more magnificent."

Christina laughingly said: "Don't say that, the Queen might get upset if she hears."

"What about me?" A voice pretending to be intimidating came.

Anning looked in the direction of the voice and saw a majestic woman walking towards them.

Her appearance made Anning momentarily think he was looking at goddess Audrey Hepburn, closing his mouth in surprise.

Christina let go of Anning's arm and curtsied, pinching her dress: "Your Majesty the Queen, good evening."

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It was Queen Mary herself!

Anning quickly mimicked Raphael's gesture and bowed to the Queen.

The Queen looked at Anning: "Are you the son of the leatherworker who won the duel this afternoon?"

Anning: "Yes."

"Some say you are the son of a fallen noble and thus learned swordsmanship," the Queen walked forward, ignoring Christina next to her. "Is that so?"

"No, I truly am the son of a leatherworker."

"But you defeated the best swordsman in Paris."

Anning raised an eyebrow: "That just shows that Reginald isn't as formidable as he claims."

"But he has won three duels."

"That just means those he fought before were even worse than him," Anning shrugged.

At this point, Christina forcefully interjected: "Andy saved my life on the battlefield, someone who has witnessed the harsh realities of war is not comparable to someone like Reginald."

The Queen glanced at Christina, clearly displeased with her interruption: "Christina, I heard you disguised yourself as a man and went to the battlefield?"

Christina nodded: "Yes, I did that."

The Queen looked at her bust and laughed: "How did you manage it? With your figure, trying to pass as a man must have been challenging."

Internally, Anning agreed: Indeed.

Christina: "Nothing is impossible. If the young girl Joan from Orleans could do it, so can I."

Anning: "But Joan didn't disguise herself as a man, right? And she wasn't from Orleans, she was born in Champagne..."

Christina glared at Anning, her expression seeming to ask, "Whose side are you on?"

Queen Mary chuckled: "It seems your knowledge is quite broad, no wonder people say you're the offspring of a declining nobility."

Anning: "It's wrong to say someone is from a declining nobility just because they are knowledgeable. Commoners can be knowledgeable too."

Queen Mary: "True to be a servant of the Duke of Orleans, the Duke has almost lifted the commoners to the heavens."

A woman behind the Queen immediately intervened: "Unfortunately, this is France, where commoners are just the Third Class, merely subjects."

Anning looked at the woman in confusion and asked, "And you are?"

The woman: "Oh hush, 'And you are?', Marie, look, this commoner doesn't understand any of the etiquette of a ball."

Hearing the woman address the Queen as Marie, Anning guessed that this woman must be one of the Queen's close friends, Madame de Lamballe.

Christina confirmed Anning's guess: "Andy, this lady here is Madame de Lamballe, a close friend of Her Majesty the Queen."

Madame de Lamballe snorted: "Yesterday, I heard that Reginald was challenged by a commoner. I wanted to see the excitement today, but then I thought that the commoner would definitely be instantly defeated by the experienced Reginald, so I didn't go."

Anning: "So you missed my brilliant performance today then."

Madame de Lamballe rolled her eyes: "Although I missed it, I can guess it was because Reginald was careless. But are you really so comfortable? Reginald's father, Marquis de Li Xia'er, treasures his son a lot. I bet once the news reaches his estate, he'll be rushing to Paris to demand justice."

Anning raised an eyebrow: "I thought all nobles lived in Paris."

In this era, many French nobles did not reside on their estates, but instead purchased homes in Paris to live in regularly, leaving their estates in the care of stewards and agents.

Many French peasants from this period had never seen their lord from birth, only knowing that the lord's steward would come to collect taxes.

The organizers of rural life in France had long since shifted from the lords to local priests.

The feudal lords' control over their subjects had essentially become nominal.

But there were always exceptions.

These nobles who still lived in the countryside were later strung up by peasants after the outbreak of the Great Revolution.

Madame de Lamballe looked down on Anning proudly: "Marquis de Li Xia'er loves his castle; he just sent his beloved son to study in Paris. Now that his beloved son has been killed by you, the Marquis will definitely leave his castle in a fury to demand justice. Just wait, you will have a spectacle to see! You'd better find yourself a good lawyer!"

Queen Mary looked at Anning and said loudly: "You might beg the Duke to help you find a lawyer, though I wonder if the lawyers in Paris would take on a case for a son of a leatherworker."

Anning corrected with a smile: "My father is a leatherworker, not a shoemaker. He does make shoes too, but mainly he works with leather products."

The Queen and her friend seemed amused by Anning's correction.

"Marie, listen to this, leather products! He speaks as if it's something valuable!"

"I heard you, my dear. For commoners, leather products might indeed be considered valuable!"

Anning: "Sorry, I forgot this is the Imperial Palace, where locks are the precious commodity here."

Christina: "Pfft!"

Christina, who accidentally laughed out loud, quickly composed herself.

Queen Mary glared viciously at Anning, clearly stung by his comment.

Her husband, French King Louis XVI, was an adept locksmith, far more interested in fiddling with various locks than in paying attention to his queen.

"You know," the Queen gritted her teeth and said to Anning, "In the past, just that comment could have gotten you hanged."

Anning shrugged: "Too bad now there's the Supreme Court in Paris, the Royal Family can't just hang people anymore. Even if it's a son of a leatherworker like me."

During this period, the Supreme Court of France was actually an institution used by nobles and the emerging bourgeoisie to limit royal power. The court not only prevented the king from executing people at will but also blocked some of his policies.

The main reason why King Louis eventually called the Third Estate was because the Supreme Court declared that he had to convene the Third Estate if he wanted to raise taxes, otherwise it was not permitted.

Queen Mary's face was filled with displeasure toward Anning. Suddenly, Christina cleared her throat: "Um, the Royal Family still owes my father..."

"Please enjoy the ball to your fullest," the Queen showcased her incredible ability to switch expressions.

Anning couldn't help but comment: "With the Royal Family in so much debt, is hosting such a lavish ball really okay?"

Christina discreetly kicked Anning's shoe.

The Queen and her friend, pretending not to hear Anning's comment, left with their heads held high.

Christina pulled Anning along: "Come, let me introduce you to some of my friends, they'll definitely be eager to meet the Civilian Swordsman who defeated the Paris Duel King."