I Became A Genius Of The French Royal Family [EN]: Chapter 64

The Budding Anti-British Empire Alliance (1)

About 10 minutes after Christian and Marie’s party left.

The pub run by Samuel Adams was shrouded in a quiet silence.

The bustling scene, usually filled with customers, seemed like a distant memory, and no one made a sound.

“Were there any unusual movements?” Adams muttered, as if to himself, while quietly organizing his thoughts.

Immediately, one of the customers shook his head.

“So far, there have been no signs of suspicious behavior from the Countess or the noble ladies with her.”

“What about the guards outside?”

“They’re just drinking their share of beer and haven’t taken any suspicious actions either.”

“I see. So, the preparations I made just in case were all for naught,” Adams let out a sigh of relief.

Jefferson clicked his tongue, looking displeased with him.

“That’s what I told you. Count Lamarche is a trustworthy person. Attaching spies like this, while pretending otherwise, is a breach of faith.”

“Considering that, didn’t he freak out when I probed him directly?”

“That’s because there’s an order to things.”

Jefferson was certain that Adams was being overly worried this time.

If this farce were to be discovered, the connections he had worked so hard to establish could be lost.

“Anyway, the result is good, so isn’t it fine?”

“If the Count finds out about this, he might reconsider cooperating with us, even if he’s upset.”

“No, he’ll never do that. Don’t you know him after talking to the Count? He’s an incredibly realistic and cold-blooded person.”

Jefferson shook his head and sighed.

“Even so, human emotions are an element that cannot be ignored. You know that fact better than anyone else.”

“And what’s scarier than those emotions is ideology. We already know that very well, don’t we? In that respect, we need to keep an eye on the Count. Not to monitor the Count, but because one of us might harbor strange thoughts.”

“If you’re thinking of John, he wouldn’t do anything so naive.”

Adams chuckled.

“Are you taking his side because he’s your friend?”

“He’s my friend, but isn’t Adams your family?”

“That’s why I feel even more how scary the difference in beliefs is. Even though we’re relatives and comrades dreaming of independence together, the ideological differences can’t be narrowed at all. I don’t even remember how many times we’ve argued. Isn’t that right for you too?”

This time, Jefferson couldn’t refute anything.

John Adams, a member of the same independence faction and a close friend of Thomas Jefferson.

He, who is also related to Samuel Adams, is a huge figure who, according to original history, becomes the second president of the United States.

But in reality, John Adams was closer to being an enemy than a friend or relative in public.

This is because the system he was pursuing was firmly different from that of Jefferson and Samuel.

No matter how close they are privately, if their ideals are different, they will eventually diverge at some point.

Now, there is a common enemy called England, so there are not many things to get angry about, but what if independence becomes a reality?

They will inevitably clash over which system to lead the new colonies under.

“Do you think John will contact Count Lamarche?”

“Definitely. The fact that we’ve become acquainted with Count Lamarche will inevitably reach his ears. Then, of course, he’ll move. He can’t be any less anxious than we are about what we’re worried about.”

“That’s looking too far into the future. We need to focus on England right now. Worrying about what happens after we drive out England…”

“Even you are wary of John contacting France, aren’t you?”

A moment of silence filled the room.

Whatever the system of the new colonies may be, if one side unilaterally gains the support of France, it will be difficult to have no influence.

“Then, should we not take the Count to Massachusetts?”

“That’s not possible. Otherwise, we’ll be questioned about whether we have some ulterior motive. We have to go. However, we can keep a close eye on them so that they don’t make any absurd offers.”

“Hoo… I guess that’s the only way. But do you think Count Lamarche is valuable enough to do that?”

“Then, do you think he’s not?”

Adams narrowed his eyes and asked, and Jefferson answered immediately without a second thought.

“Of course, we must hold on to him unconditionally. I just wanted to hear what Adams thinks.”

“My thoughts are the same as yours. He’s someone we must go with. I don’t know where Count Lamarche’s territory is, but he’s definitely a key figure in French aristocratic society. If not now, he’ll definitely be one someday.”

“Should we ask Mr. Franklin to investigate?”

“Wouldn’t it seem a bit shameless to ask someone who is working hard for his hometown in England to do that much? Anyway, it’s a bit of a shame. If he were here now, we could have come up with a much better plan.”

Adams missed his advisor and best diplomat, who was in England.

Benjamin Franklin.

Every time a troublesome problem arose, he couldn’t shake the thought of what if he were here now.

But Franklin was now struggling in England for the economy of the colonies.

He, who abolished the Stamp Act with the famous saying ‘No taxation without representation,’ had already made an indescribable contribution to the colonies.

The pending issues of the colonies must be handled by the intellectuals remaining in the colonies.

Adams seriously pondered how to maximize the value of Count Lamarche.

※※※

When talking about the history of the United States, the story cannot be told without Massachusetts.

This is because the decisive event that triggered the American Revolutionary War and the place that led the abolition of slavery movement are all in this region.

It is no exaggeration to say that it is one axis responsible for the roots of the spirit that makes up the United States.

“How is the atmosphere in Massachusetts different from that in Virginia?” Of course, Marie, who was visiting the colonies for the first time, showed great interest.

“It’s a wonderful place. It’s also a region with many enlightened intellectuals,” Adams, who was from Massachusetts, said with a strangely proud voice.

“So, is the meeting where intellectuals gather also held in Massachusetts?”

“Haha, you could say that.”

“Wait a minute, Adams. You shouldn’t say things that are subtly different from the truth. Didn’t we just decide to hold meetings in each region in turn to maintain security?”

“Oh, was that so? My memory is hazy.”

I let Adams’ natural smile pass by one ear and looked closely at the map.

The route from Virginia to Massachusetts was marked, and something seemed a bit off.

“Mr. Jefferson, is there a particular reason why we’re not taking the main road?”

“That’s because the British army has been doing a lot of unnecessary inspections because of what happened in Boston last time [likely referring to the Boston Massacre or Boston Tea Party]. And the main road on that map is a roundabout route that takes a lot of time. Going this way is much faster and cleaner. We’re planning to build a road this way soon.”

“I see. It’s definitely a more direct route.”

It was nice to admire the natural scenery with forests on both sides, but if this area had not yet been developed, it would have been quite uneasy.

Of course, armed natives would not suddenly pop out from the westernmost part of the North American colonies.

What I need to pay attention to now is the meeting of the independence faction that is being held in Massachusetts.

Frankly, I didn’t know they were meeting so systematically.

Could it be that they couldn’t leave a record because they were meeting to avoid the eyes of the British?

Then, there could be many more unrecorded historical facts that I don’t know about.

If I’m too complacent or careless, thinking that I know the future flow, I might stumble somewhere.

Still, the named people who are likely to be important at the meeting are all people I know, so in this place…”

Thump!

The carriage, which had been continuing, suddenly broke my reverie.

I was in the middle of coming up with an idea.

“What is it? Did something happen?”

“I don’t know, I’ll check it out.”

Jefferson opened the door and went to the coachman’s seat.

I saw Deon, who was sitting next to Marie, subtly putting his hand inside the parasol.

Was there a gun or a knife hidden there?

But the strange tension was only temporary.

Jefferson, who had returned, waved his hand with a hollow laugh.

“It’s nothing. It seems that an Indian child was hiding nearby and was discovered by the Count’s guard. He said he stopped moving to investigate the area just in case.”

“Is there a native village near here?”

“I don’t know that much. They’re so scattered everywhere. But don’t worry, there are no ferocious Indians living inside the current colony.”

Of course.

Except for those who live peacefully, the British would have wiped them all out.

A wry smile naturally spread, and Marie, who was next to me, opened the carriage door and went outside.

“If it’s safe, can I take a look? Where is that child?”

“He’ll be held by the guards.”

Come to think of it, was this the first time Marie had encountered a Native American?

There’s no way this curious lady would miss this opportunity.

I couldn’t send her alone, so I followed her, trotting along with Deon.

As Jefferson said, a child who didn’t seem to be even ten years old was being held by a soldier, looking tearful.

“Is this the Indian child who was hiding?”

“Yes. I was trying to investigate in case it was a subversive group looking at the place for an ambush.”

It was understandable to think that it was too much for a young child, but the guards were being faithful to their mission.

In fact, according to records, there have been cases of tribes showing children first to make people feel at ease and then launching a surprise attack.

“But this is an area already controlled by the British, so there won’t be anything dangerous. It’ll be a problem if the schedule is delayed for no reason, so it’s okay to just investigate roughly and let him go.”

“Yes.”

The child, seeing the guard bowing to me and Marie, knew that we were in charge and gestured and chattered in clumsy English.

“…Umusik. Chagi! An ssamu! Pyongwa!”

Marie tilted her head, trying to interpret the hard-to-understand pronunciation.

“Is he saying that he came to find food, doesn’t want to fight, and wants peace?”

“I guess so.”

The picture is roughly drawn.

It’s natural for a child who came out to find something to eat to be terrified when he suddenly sees white people with weapons rushing in.

So, he hid nearby in a hurry, but unfortunately, he was discovered and is being suspected for no reason.

It’s beneficial for each other to scare him away here.

Before I could order the guard to do so, Marie took out a snack she had in her arms and gave it to the child.

“I’m sorry, were you scared? Eat this and go back.”

The child, who was looking at the unfamiliar snack uneasily, closed his eyes tightly and put it in his mouth.

And almost at the same time, the child’s eyes widened like ping-pong balls.

It was a natural reaction since it was the first time in his life that he had eaten a snack with sugar.

Marie smiled brightly as if she found the sight cute, patted the child’s back, and pointed to the forest.

“Now, don’t be afraid and go back to the village. Or you can keep looking for something to eat after we pass by.”

Even if they are young, or because they are young, children sensitively distinguish between those who have hostility and those who do not.

In fact, anyone would drop their guard if such a beautiful woman spoke to them in a kind voice.

If you add delicious food to this, there is nothing more to say.

The child didn’t go back right away and hesitated, muttering in a small voice.

“Dosaeng… hanaman…”

“You want one more to give to your younger sibling? How admirable.”

Marie smiled kindly and took out two more snacks and put them in the child’s hand.

“You eat one more and give the other to your sibling.”

“Thank you!”

The child, with a brightened face, bowed several times and ran quickly towards the forest.

It was a model of a benevolent royal family, but unfortunately, I couldn’t just praise her.