I Became A Genius Of The French Royal Family [EN]: Chapter 202

Is My Son Destined to Be King?

“So, does it suit your palate?”

The newly appointed British Ambassador, Lord Castlereagh, arrived much faster than I had anticipated and emptied his teacup in one gulp, as if parched.

Of course, it was a slightly overly tempting bait.

Still, it seems he came without even holding a proper meeting.

“Judging by how hastily you’ve come, Ambassador, I presume you’re here for the matter I anticipate?”

“Indeed. I hope the answer isn’t that I’m already too late?”

Look at this guy.

His skill in pretending not to know while knowing everything is just like his country’s Prime Minister.

Well, Lord Castlereagh was a diplomat who stood shoulder to shoulder with Talleyrand or Metternich from the neighboring country in the original history.

Appointing such a person as the new French ambassador probably means they intend to take a more proactive approach.

“There’s no way another country could have beaten you to it. I heard there was quite a commotion in the sea over there…”

“Ah, you heard? Still, it wasn’t much of a commotion, just a minor accident… no, not even an accident. Just a happening.”

“A happening? I heard a Dutch ship was almost sunk. Are there such minor accidents in the world?”

“It would have been an accident if it had sunk, but it only almost sank. A soldier’s hand slipped in his sleep, causing a cannon to fire.”

In terms of distance, Britain is closer to France than the Netherlands.

But considering that, I gave the Dutch ambassador a heads-up about the special bond sale first.

If things went as I expected, the Netherlands should have arrived just barely ahead.

Since Britain, the Netherlands, and Portugal were all trying to stab their allies in the back anyway, the opposition to the canal construction would have fizzled out.

But who would have thought Britain would completely control the ships coming from the Netherlands?

Even if these guys are crazy, I didn’t expect them to go this far.

“Oh, that’s amazing. Even with a slipped hand, the cannon fired just enough to narrowly miss the ship in front. The British Navy truly has amazing technology.”

“We were surprised too. But it was clearly our fault, so we’ve decided to compensate the Netherlands properly. We’re very thorough in that regard, you see. Haha.”

“Did the Netherlands accept that willingly?”

“Yes. They accepted it with a sincere apology and a clear demonstration of goodwill.”

More like sincere threats and a clear military demonstration.

I can roughly picture it without even seeing it.

“Well, whatever the Netherlands and Britain do is none of our business. In any case, it’s reassuring to know that Britain supports the construction of the Suez Canal.”

“Indeed. However, we also want a clear guarantee. We must ensure that British ships are not denied passage when the canal construction is completed.”

“You’re even investing in the canal construction, so why would that happen? You’ve already been promised a toll discount, haven’t you?”

“A toll discount and permission to pass are separate matters, a logic that can certainly hold.”

What kind of mindset do you need to have to come up with such gangster-like methods?

To be honest, I had considered raising objections on other grounds, but even so, isn’t that too much?

A country’s credibility isn’t something you can just exchange for *yeot* [Korean taffy] as you please.

“You don’t have to worry. Britain will be treated exactly the same as other countries. Unless there’s a war or a conflict of similar magnitude with your country, we won’t deny passage for ridiculous reasons.”

“Can you guarantee that in writing?”

“Of course.”

Lord Castlereagh looked surprised when I nodded readily.

“You’re giving me an immediate answer.”

“For us, the construction of the canal is much more urgent than a war of nerves with your country. We’re planning to complete it within 10 years, after all.”

“Certainly, if the canal is opened, it will usher in a completely different world than we’ve known. Who could have imagined going directly from the Mediterranean to the Indian Ocean?”

“Britain and France will have many opportunities to cooperate in the future. As proven in the war with the Ottomans, if we work together, what country in the world would dare to oppose us?”

This was, of course, mostly lip service, but it was also half true.

Seeing the things Britain was doing with such fervor, it was clear that the risks of confronting them right now were too great.

We may have Nouvelle France [New France, referring to French colonial territories], but they have almost all of India.

In the long term, Nouvelle France may wield much greater power, but that’s still far off.

The same goes for the railroads being laid and the Suez Canal under construction.

Even if France can take the lead in the coming age of steamships, that’s also a distant future.

While we’re drawing a picture of the future decades from now, Britain is squeezing out every last bit of power right now.

And it’s not something that will just end after ten or twenty years.

In any case, Britain possesses one of the most important strongholds in the modern era: India.

Currently, Britain is the only country that can even pretend to keep up with France’s growth.

That means that if we slip up even slightly, we could easily suffer an unexpected blow.

Of course, Britain feels an even greater burden than we do.

“Will France have any opportunities to work with Britain in the future?”

“There are many left. It may be impossible right now, but by the time the canal is completed, a completely new era will open up, as you said.”

“···Are you referring to something even further east than India?”

“If that’s how you understood it, you can take it that way.”

After all, how many countries are left on this earth that can simultaneously antagonize Britain and France?

“Indeed, the East is still full of countless mysteries that we may not fully know. It might be foolish for European countries to fight among themselves, leaving such a treasure trove untouched.”

“That’s what I’m saying.”

“I understand. Then I will convey the Prime Minister’s words to my home country.”

Lord Castlereagh smiled contentedly and rose from his seat.

I could foresee what Pitt’s answer would be without having to hear it.

Competing to see who’s superior isn’t too late until there’s no more to exploit.

Both sides have confidence in the future.

And when that time comes, which country’s power will be stronger?

Only God and I know.

※※※

“Prime Minister, is this alright?”

Talleyrand, who had been watching the conversation without a word, finally spoke after Lord Castlereagh had disappeared.

“What do you mean?”

“I’m concerned that you’re being too lenient with Britain. Shouldn’t we be more forceful? We hold the international initiative, after all.”

“It doesn’t matter. It’s better to ease up a bit like this. If we push too hard, they might bite us hard.”

“Then we can use our allies to crush them. Of course, there would be some damage, but…”

“Not just some, but an enormous amount.”

Britain is currently eroding its international credibility tremendously, but it will take more time for that to bear fruit.

Even though we have good relations with neighboring countries, they’re not yet at the stage where they’re completely at ease.

“You know Europe’s beautiful tradition, don’t you? The countries rooted in this continent always want to strike down the most successful one.”

“But I don’t think they would side with Britain, no matter what.”

“Of course not. But rather than actively siding with us, they’ll probably want us to destroy each other. They won’t let us lose, but they’ll side with us just enough to barely win. They’re not fools, are they?”

“I understand what you’re saying. So you’re saying we should wait until our national power rises to the point where such clumsy calculations don’t work… Is that possible?”

“Just wait comfortably for now. We’ll have plenty of work to do until the canal is completed anyway.”

In fact, according to what I know, an incident should have already occurred, but strangely, one thing has been quiet.

Could it be that the Paris Conference has altered the existing history?

I thought there was a good chance of that, but there are coincidences and necessities in history.

And the incident I know belongs entirely to the latter category.

Even if it’s a little late, it’s bound to happen.

And exactly one month later, Talleyrand came rushing to me.

“Prime Minister! Have you heard the news?”

“Yes. I told you, we’ll have a lot of work to do in the future.”

The power structure in Sweden, which had been strained by the forced implementation of the Act of Union and Security, had finally snapped under the pressure.

King Gustav III of Sweden was assassinated by his own guard, Captain Johan Anckarström.

“Gustav III was a graduate of French universities and was very favorable to us. I think this could be used as an excuse to intervene in Sweden…”

“Yes?”

It should have been an idea worth considering, but Talleyrand looked at me with a strange expression.

Could it be that something else has happened that I don’t know about?

“Since the pro-French king was assassinated by nobles, we can create a justification somehow. Do you have any better ideas?”

“No, well… if the next King of Sweden is uncooperative with us, that would be the best course of action, but…”

Talleyrand’s report that followed went in a completely opposite direction from my knowledge.

Gustav IV Adolf, who should have succeeded Gustav III, was also caught up in the assassination.

As a result, Charles XIII, who should have become king a little later, suddenly ascended the throne almost 10 years earlier.

“You may know this, Prime Minister, but Charles XIII has no suitable heir.”

“Then he’ll adopt a prince from a neighboring country. Isn’t there a prince of suitable age in Denmark?”

“Yes. That would be the standard method, but… Charles XIII seems to be a bit greedy.”

According to the history I know, Charles XIII should adopt the Danish Prince Charles August.

However, Charles August will suddenly die in 1810, and Charles XIII, desperate for an heir, will then turn his attention to France.

In the original history, Bernadotte, one of Napoleon’s marshals, is nominated as the suitable candidate, but the situation is too different from that time.

Even if an incident like this occurs, if the aftermath is completely different from the original history, it certainly becomes complicated.

“Has Charles XIII decided to bring in royalty from another country instead of the Danish prince? Surely not Britain?”

“Yes. Of course, not Britain. That is…”

Moreover, Talleyrand’s report that followed after a moment of hesitation made my head throb.

“Charles XIII has sent a request to us. Since you have more than one son, Prime Minister, he asks that you send one to the Swedish royal family…”

What is this nonsense?

The Holy Roman Emperor also asked for my son as his adopted son, and now the Swedish royal family is trying to get in on it too.

A sigh naturally escaped my lips.

“Huh… what is this…”

No, are my sons collectively destined to be kings or something? Why are they so desperate to make them kings?

Is My Son Destined to Be King? End