He Opened A Matchmaking Agency In 18Th Century London [EN]: Chapter 43

43. Could You Bet Everything?

King George led the way into a dining room prepared for receptions.

The lavishly and luxuriously decorated dining room featured a long dining table that could seat dozens of people. It was laden with various foods, including tea, beverages, fruits, and cookies.

The invited nobles and officials, accustomed to such gatherings, naturally took their seats, sipping tea and engaging in various conversations.

“Although they resist, the colonial rabble cannot stand against our British army.”

“However, North America is too far from us. Supply and support are inevitably difficult, causing many to struggle.”

Here, too, the war with the North American colonies, namely the American Revolutionary War, dominated the conversation.

“Surely, until recently, they vehemently denied fighting for independence, didn’t they? They claimed they were only resisting the British government’s mismanagement. But now they’ve completely changed their tune and are fighting for colonial independence? Aren’t they truly absurd rebels?”

One official criticized the actions of the North American colonial leadership.

“That’s not all. Last July, a fellow named George Washington imported military supplies such as ammunition worth well over a million pounds. And do you know where he imported them from? France! France! Isn’t this practically colluding with the enemy, France?”

“Haha, really. Buying military supplies from France. I wonder how this war will turn out, tsk tsk.”

Although Britain had won the Seven Years’ War against France a decade ago, they were in dire financial straits due to the astronomical war costs.

In this situation, the British could not help but feel a strong aversion to France’s renewed involvement.

However, unlike those who were indignant, Theo was not very interested in the war itself.

He focused more on King George’s expression, listening with keen eyes.

Whenever the topic of the North American colonies came up, King George subtly began to reveal complex emotions such as anger, sadness, and anxiety on his face.

“Mr. Theo Sanderson?”

A nobleman noticed Theo, who was sitting in a corner observing King George’s psychological state.

Startled by the sudden call, Theo turned his head towards the voice.

“…Yes?”

“There’s something I’ve been wanting to ask you, Mr. Sanderson.”

“?”

“Last year, I remember being very surprised when I heard about your predictions regarding the outbreak of the colonial war and France’s involvement from an acquaintance at the Intelligence Club… It seems the current situation is unfolding as you predicted. So, what do you foresee for the future?”

From predicting the war with North America last year to clearing Count Anthony Burns of false charges this time, Theo’s insight and discernment were gaining fame among the upper-class nobles.

Now, they seemed curious about Theo’s thoughts on the final outcome of the colonial war.

Even King George, who had been silently listening with his chin propped up, craned his neck and stared intently at Theo.

‘What to do… The North American colonies will completely gain independence from Britain. If I speak the historical truth as it is, it would be tantamount to divulging Britain’s humiliating defeat… That would greatly provoke George III, who is already on edge.’

However, he couldn’t simply remain silent in this situation, saying, ‘I don’t know.’

He was sure that King George, as well as these nobles, already knew that he had enthusiastically discussed North America’s collaboration with France at the Intelligence Club.

‘No, I can’t. For now, it would be appropriate to vaguely hint at the ‘Declaration of Independence’ that the Lunar Society [a British scientific society] advocated and end it there.’

Even that much would be a significant shock to them.

“Hmm… In my opinion… the North American colonies will soon make a major public announcement of their desire for some form of independence.”

The officials and nobles in the room exchanged glances and murmured.

Above all, King George seemed very displeased.

His lower eyelids slightly tightened, and his lips thinned, clearly showing his rising agitation.

“What do you mean by declaring a desire for independence specifically?”

Theo paused for a moment at the high-ranking official’s curt question before opening his mouth.

“Perhaps they will try to make the world aware that they are waging a war of independence against Britain to seek cooperation. They might adopt a declaration of independence format to unite the exhausted North American colonists.”

“What? A declaration of independence? Haha, really. If they really do that, wouldn’t that be officially announcing to the world that they will fight against Britain and trying to escalate the situation?”

“Yes, that’s right. I believe that’s what will happen.”

Shouts erupted from here and there.

“Mr. Sanderson! Don’t speak carelessly! Don’t you know that making such a declaration against Britain is a clear act of treason?”

“That’s right! If they really do such a thing, it’s an act of rebellion deserving immediate hanging!”

One high-ranking official with gray hair clicked his tongue and scolded Theo as if lecturing him.

“Mr. Sanderson, you seem to be just an academic. As someone who has handled diplomacy for decades, let me say that a colonial declaration of independence is practically impossible. No matter how much they talk about independence, they will never unilaterally declare independence to the world without any consultation with us, Britain.”

“Why do you think so?”

“Because North America has nothing to gain from doing so. They know very well that we, Britain, will ultimately prevail. So, they will try to negotiate to gain even a little bit of favorable rights while minimizing provocation, not a declaration of independence…

If they make such a reckless declaration of independence, it’s obvious that we, Britain, will launch an all-out offensive. How could they handle that?

Tsk tsk. Sanderson’s insight was rumored to be great, but after meeting you in person today, I see that you are still a very immature novice. I am truly disappointed.”

“Do you think they have formed such a large colonial army and have been resisting for so long just to gain a few small rights? It seems you really don’t understand the situation.”

“…What?”

It was then.

King George, who had been silent since moving rooms, gestured to Theo.

“You. Come closer to me.”

The surrounding commotion soon quieted down, and everyone’s attention turned to Theo.

Slowly rising from his seat, Theo bowed his head and approached King George.

“Sanderson, was it?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“When exactly do you think they will make that declaration you mentioned?”

“It won’t be long, Your Majesty.”

“I had a good impression of you until just now, but I am very disappointed. Sanderson! Don’t just spout whatever comes to mind vaguely; you must speak accurately. This is not a club meeting to boast about political analysis.”

The atmosphere around King George’s sharp tone instantly became heavy with silence.

“I’ll ask again. When do you foresee them making that official declaration of treason?”

“They won’t be able to delay it any longer, even to unite the colonists. I believe they will act before the fall at the latest.”

The surrounding courtiers and nobles murmured. If it was before the fall, that was less than five months away.

“You are now, in front of the King of England… very easily spouting that the colonists will completely sever ties with Britain and make a declaration of treason within a few months?”

King George’s voice was low and filled with anger.

“I am merely expressing my opinion…”

“You wouldn’t have brought up such a thing just to show off in front of the King of this country, would you? Really, can you bet everything on that absurd prediction you made?”

King George’s question was not merely asking for an opinion.

It was an unspoken threat, asking if he could take responsibility for the words he had spoken before the King.

The officials and nobles in the room now held their breath, watching King George’s every move.

“Uh-huh, why can’t you answer quickly? Surely you wouldn’t have said such things carelessly to mock me… Why? Did the bravado you had suddenly disappear before me?”

Theo paused to gather his breath and then began to explain the reasons point by point, as if he had made up his mind.

“Your Majesty! Please recall the historical fact that the seven northern provinces of the Netherlands conspired to declare independence from Spain and announced it to all nations long ago. The leaders of the North American colonies will be trying to reverse the tide of this tedious war. If so, there will be no event like a declaration of independence.

I believe it will be the best move to confuse our Britain, unite the colonists, and shake the board by attracting other countries that are watching for opportunities.

Considering all those situations, I had no choice but to bring up such disrespectful talk in front of Your Majesty.

If you ask me to bet everything I have on whether it will happen as predicted, I dare to do so. Please forgive me.”

King George expected Theo to back down or become unsure.

However, he burst into laughter at Theo’s confident attitude, saying he would bet everything.

“Haha, even though your life may be in danger due to vain pride, you will still insist on it until the end?”

“Your Majesty! It is not a word I have uttered without thinking. Based on the information I have analyzed so far, I am confident that it will happen.”

King George scrutinized Theo.

He didn’t seem to have any special information that even the King of England didn’t know, but Theo’s fearless assurance seemed strange.

He had been curious when he heard the rumors, but meeting him in person made him even more curious about this mysterious figure.

“Hmph-. I don’t know about anything else, but I like that the man is not cowardly. However, since you have confidently guaranteed it in front of the King, you will have to take responsibility for those words in some way.”

“I understand, Your Majesty.”

“Hmm… If they really commit such an act of treason as a declaration of independence, it may provoke the anger of our Britain and end the war sooner. That could be a good thing.

Anyway, good. I will not forget and will definitely watch the results.”

King George was momentarily angry, but he liked Theo’s manly spirit, who could speak confidently in front of him even if he was wrong.

And there was one more person who was watching Theo as much as King George.

It was Queen Charlotte, who was sitting next to King George.

Queen Charlotte had felt something special from the moment she first saw Theo at the palace concert today.

In fact, these days, Theo and the stories related to him have provided quite a bit of fun and excitement among the upper-class ladies.

In particular, the matchmaking of Lord Monson and the story of Count Burns were enough to arouse curiosity about Theo.

It was none other than Queen Charlotte who subtly informed him that Theo Sanderson had not been called out when leaving the room after the palace concert.

However, Theo’s confident remarks regarding the colonial war of independence aroused another admiration in her.

‘That man is definitely different. He is different from the hazy nobles and officials next to him, even in his eyes.’

Queen Charlotte was as eager as King George to see how Theo’s predictions would turn out.

As Theo retreated back to his seat, the conversation about the colonial war of independence shifted to General George Washington.

“It is said that a fellow named George Washington, the commander-in-chief in North America, is very popular these days.”

At this time, George Washington, the commander of the Continental Army [the army of the American colonies] in his mid-40s, had become a hero revered by the colonists, displacing George III, who had been praised as the ‘Patriot King,’ and becoming the new ‘Patriot King.’

Coincidentally, because his name was also ‘George,’ George III was furious that he was being treated as a fake by the colonists, who said that a ‘real George King’ had appeared.

These situations caused anger and fear in King George and were a source of extreme stress.

“Arrogant fellow! What is the world coming to, that such a vulgar fellow is being treated like a king in my colony, tsk tsk.”

Last year, King George received a letter from Commander George Washington regarding an attempt at peace negotiations.

King George was greatly angered by the arrogant letter from a rebel and traitor who opposed him.

And ever since then, he had not hidden his discomfort whenever he heard the name ‘George Washington,’ and today, as soon as his name came up, subtle expressions of redness and paleness were caught in Theo’s eyes several times.

The tone, expression, and anxious gestures of King George, which were visible in the middle of the conversation, were expressed much more intensely than at the concert hall.

‘Hmm… As expected, the symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder are severe. Because of that, he is about to develop depression as well. If I delay any longer here, it will be quite difficult to treat.’

‘Generalized anxiety disorder’ is a disorder in which one worries and fears excessively even about things that are very unlikely to happen, and that worry persists because there is even a slight possibility.

King George was constantly worrying and complaining about things that had not even happened, and he was constantly showing nervous reactions because he could not come up with solutions.

‘Because he is always in such a state of worry, the quality of his sleep is also deteriorating, and his body remains tense. In addition, because he is constantly on edge and restless, the mental problem is eventually connected to physical abnormalities.’

At that moment, a nobleman who was watching King George carefully opened his mouth cautiously.

“Your Majesty, I actually visited the colony a few years ago and met a fellow named George Washington in person.”

King George showed interest in his words.

“Really? What kind of person did he seem to be in your direct view?”

The nobleman was excited and began to talk at the King’s interest.

“Yes, Your Majesty. That man was very tall, like a giant. And his face was very long, and his chin protruded particularly large, making him look like a grotesque figure that could only be seen in a circus, and the pockmarks scattered all over his face were the very image of a heinous criminal.”

King George smiled brightly for the first time in a while and clapped his knees.

“That’s right! It’s just right for the level of the colonial fellows. That’s why they are promoting such a fellow as king.”

“Hahaha. That is so, Your Majesty.”

George Washington was known to be over 6 feet 1 inch (187cm) tall, which was quite tall considering that the average height of European men at the time was in the mid-160s.

However, as he suffered severely from toothaches and had his teeth extracted and dentures fitted, his lower jaw protruded, making his face look long, which made him look blunt despite his cheerful personality.

In addition, he had severe smallpox in his youth, leaving many pockmarks on his face.

However, he was also a dandy gentleman who often wore perfume and powdered wigs and took care of his appearance.

In England, where they hated George Washington, they denigrated him as a monster, while in the North American colonies, they praised him as a wonderful gentleman, and the reactions to his appearance varied drastically depending on the interests involved.

“I recently saw a book called ‘Physiognomy’ that is popular in Europe these days.”

King George, who was somewhat pleased with the story about George Washington’s appearance, suddenly brought up the story about physiognomy.

“What I felt while reading that book is that personality is determined by a person’s appearance, and criminals are also determined by the shape of their face. When I looked at that book, I thought that this was a sign that God had given humans to be able to distinguish them in advance.”

In the late 18th century, a book called ‘Physiognomy’ by Lavater [Johann Kaspar Lavater, a Swiss pastor and physiognomist], a theologian and physician who pursued the essential appearance, was popular in Europe.

King George looked at Theo and asked.

“Sanderson. I heard that you recognized that heinous murderer at once just by looking at his face?”

“······.”

“In my opinion, you must have studied physiognomy as well? Isn’t that right?”

“Yes?”

“If so, what kind of human being do you think George Washington is? Doesn’t he look like a typical criminal?”

“······.”