Descending On France 1780
Chapter 258 - 251 Historical Distortion

Chapter 258: 251 Historical Distortion

The day of Marat’s burial had finally arrived.

Anning’s whole family set out for the occasion, not just him and Christina, but his prospective father-in-law’s family attended as well.

Christina wore a full black gown, complete with a black veil. Upon seeing this, Anning couldn’t help but tease, "Is that what you plan to wear at my funeral, should I die in battle?"

Christina’s eyes widened, and after a moment of shock, she scolded angrily, "Don’t say such things! I know you scorn the Grim Reaper, but you still shouldn’t tempt fate in His presence like this!"

Anning was taken aback, thinking to himself, It was just a heartless joke, how does that translate to scorning Death?

While he was internally grumbling, Vanni was grumbling too: "I always felt that the master might be an atheist. It’s too dreadful."

In this era, being an atheist, to most people, was almost the same as being a disciple of Satan.

It was one thing for France to be the dutiful son of God, but after all, it was a Catholic country.

As Anning was about to argue, insisting he was just joking, merely talking nonsense for a moment, he saw Beethoven and David entering through the main gate of the Versailles Palace.

David brought a large canvas with him, which appeared to be the completed Death of Marat that Anning had commissioned him to paint.

Truth be told, the speed surprised him—it had only been a few days.

Beethoven, beaming with smiles, was the first to greet Anning: "Your Excellency, I have composed the piece you asked for, and I can play it for you right now."

Anning nodded, then deliberately spoke loudly, "Good, since we still have some time before we leave, let’s all listen together!"

Then, Beethoven took out a silver flute and placed it to his lips to play.

Anning initially feared Beethoven would pull out the Xenoblade 3’s funeral march two hundred years early, but it turned out his worries were unfounded.

What Beethoven played was actually a flute version of the Italian tune "Farewell My Friends."

When in Italy, Anning had mentioned this to Beethoven, not expecting that he would genuinely take an interest in and collect Italian folk music.

It had to be said, using this song to bid farewell to a comrade in the revolution couldn’t be more appropriate.

After playing the main melody once, Beethoven stopped and looked eagerly at Anning, clearly waiting for his feedback.

Anning, with a look of emotion, said: "Very good, this song is indeed perfect for bidding farewell to a kindred spirit."

Truthfully, given Marat’s personality, singing "The People’s Unity Song" at his graveside would have been more fitting for him, especially since the most famous line from the song is "United people will never be defeated," making it suitable to memorialize the "Friend of the People."

Unfortunately, Anning only had a vague recollection of this famous tune, and that was because John Khan had introduced it during his two episodes with Allende.

After receiving Anning’s approval, Beethoven, very satisfied, stepped to one side, turning over the stage to David who came with him.

David stepped forward carrying the painting, set it on the ground, and then unveiled the cloth covering it.

The renowned painting, Death of Marat, appeared before Anning’s eyes.

But it was slightly different from what Anning remembered.

In Anning’s memory of the original world, Marat lay peacefully in a bathtub, holding a list of names from the Girondists provided by Kodai.

The composition of the painting David presented was roughly similar to that in Anning’s memory, but the content of the letter in Marat’s hand was changed.

The letter in Marat’s hand began with the large script "Dear Frost."

Anning: "Um, why does the letter in Marat’s hand start with my name?"

"Because it’s a letter written to you," replied David. "I’ve checked with the Paris authorities. He was writing to you at the time of his death, with just a beginning."

Anning’s mouth gaped open in an ’O’ shape, thinking to himself, What the hell does this have to do with me... Hold on, maybe in this timeline Marat really was writing to me when he died...

After all, Anning didn’t actually know the situation on site; he only knew that the female traitor lied about reporting the hidden Girondists to get close to Marat.

He hadn’t expected that while he was bloody out fighting, this incident would somehow also be linked to him.

It was very possible that he, Andy Frost, had become an inescapable name in the French Revolution, a name that would appear on every page of the history of the Great Revolution.

Anning: "Alright, I am extremely pleased with this painting. Very pleased! You’ve made Marat look like a saint, and his ugly face is also... oh my God, I can hardly even remember how hideous his actual face was."

Christina: "Andy! I know it’s because you two were very close friends, so you often joked about his looks, but now is not the appropriate time to say such things. It might cause trouble if an outsider heard it."

Anning: "Okay, you’ve given the right reminder. I should indeed be careful with my words."

David cautiously asked from the side: "Should I make his face uglier in the painting?"

"Oh no, don’t, it’s good as it is. Maximilien would be pleased to see this painting; it might even reduce some of his paranoia." Thinking of Robespierre, Anning could only sigh.

Perhaps the Great Revolution needed a grand demon lord, someone who would use thunderous methods to thoroughly eradicate the reactionaries and utterly level the opposition forces.

Anning: "Alright, take the painting, and let’s head to Revolution Square together."

Christina: "There’s still room in our carriage. Ludwig and Jacques should come along too."

Beethoven and David shook their heads together: "No no no, it’s alright, we’ll just follow on horseback."

Christina: "I see, then let’s set off. Also, considering there may not be a chance to eat due to the ongoing ceremonies, I’ve prepared some biscuits that you can nibble on along the way."

Beethoven: "Then I shall graciously accept."

Christina smiled, turned to Anning and said: "Let’s set off then."

As she spoke, she suddenly noticed that the tricolor badge on Anning’s military cap was askew, and so she adjusted its position.

Beethoven and David hurriedly checked the position of their own tricolor badges.

Anning enjoyed his fiancee’s considerate and tender care, a smile spreading across his face.

Christina: "Be serious, we’re attending a funeral."

Anning immediately straightened his face.

**

When Anning’s motorcade entered Paris City, they immediately encountered a crowd who had also come out for Marat’s funeral.

Along the road, there were vendors selling black cloth and white flowers, with many people buying at their stalls.

Anning looked at the scene outside and said to Christina: "Marat still commands quite a following; as his friend, I feel somewhat happy."

The funeral site at Revolution Square was already crowded with a sea of people.

After the ceremony, Marat’s coffin would begin its journey to the Pantheon.

What surprised Anning somewhat was the presence of the guillotine at the venue, in addition to the usual arrangements.

He murmured as he looked at the guillotine: "What’s going on, why didn’t they temporarily dismantle that thing?"

Christina leaned on Anning, also looking out the same window: "Maybe they didn’t have time? After all, the guillotine is executing people every day."

Anning shook his head; that’s when he noticed a military band next to the guillotine, which was the usual arrangement during executions: the drums of the military band would play when someone was bound to the guillotine.

It was a bit like how in a circus, before a thrilling act, they would use a burst of drum beats to heighten the atmosphere.

Anning had a vague feeling that today’s ceremony to bid farewell to Marat was going to be exceptionally bloody.