I Became A Hidden Powerhouse Of The British Empire [EN]: Chapter 120

The Master Stroke (2)

Kensington Palace, a symbolic place where the Queen of the British Empire resided.

It was a bit small for a monarch to live and work, but Victoria had not yet moved from there.

There was much speculation that she would naturally move to Buckingham Palace once she got married, but the important thing was that the Queen had no intention of marrying.

At least, that’s what everyone saw on the surface.

Since Victoria herself declared that she would live as if married to the nation for the time being, she was relieved that the troublesome marriage proposals had stopped.

She felt comfortable as long as everyone kept their mouths shut until an environment was created where marriage talks with Killian could naturally take place.

But recently, another incident put her resolve to the test.

‘Now that it’s confirmed that Killian is a member of the royal family of an Asian country, shouldn’t we stop waiting?’

What was the reason she had been cautious until now?

Wasn’t it because she couldn’t bring someone who was not only from Ireland but also had Eastern blood into the British royal family?

That’s why the Duke of Sussex adopted Killian but did not incorporate him into the royal family.

But if that Eastern blood is royal blood, the story is completely different.

The most important thing in European society at the time was status.

It was an era when it was as natural as breathing to differentiate treatment by race, but even so, foreign royals were usually treated accordingly.

In fact, Killian didn’t look like a mixed-race person at all; you wouldn’t know he had Asian blood unless someone told you.

Nine out of ten people would just think he was exotically handsome.

‘If I had known this would happen, should I have waited a little longer instead of declaring that I would remain unmarried?’

The only obstacle was that Victoria, as queen, had declared too firmly that she would remain unmarried for the time being.

It wouldn’t work unless at least a few more years had passed, but if she changed her mind as soon as she made the declaration, her dignity as queen would suffer.

She should call Killian and have a serious conversation with him.

However, despite the Queen’s plans, Lord Palmerston and Gladstone of the Whig Party requested a meeting first, so she had no choice but to make time today.

Because of that, she was not in a good mood.

She had a strong feeling that they would just drone on about useless things when she was already busy.

“Your Majesty, I may be speaking out of turn today, but I have come to discuss an important matter of state on behalf of our party.”

“It seems to be a very important matter if you two came together. Is there something pressing that I need to do?”

“Yes. It is something only Your Majesty can do. It’s about the recent declaration of non-marriage that Your Majesty made.”

Could it be that they still weren’t coming to their senses and were about to spout nonsense even after she had made it so clear?

As Victoria’s eyes narrowed slightly, Gladstone hurriedly continued.

“Of course, we understand Your Majesty’s concern for the country. However, it is also true that citizens feel a sense of stability when the royal family’s succession is secure. Therefore, we have come up with a plan that perfectly respects Your Majesty’s wishes while making a significant contribution to the national interest.”

“Is there such a way?”

“Yes. Your Majesty must have heard the news about Minister Killian, which has been a hot topic recently. We thought he was just Irish mixed-race, but surprisingly, it turned out to be true that he inherited the blood of an Eastern dynasty.”

“Well, yes. It was a surprising story.”

Oh, why is Killian’s story suddenly coming up here?

Could it be that the marriage partner they are talking about is…

“We know that Your Majesty has been close to the Minister for a long time. Furthermore, all experts agree that the Irish issue will become increasingly important in the future. The Canadian immigration policy is also progressing successfully, so the stability of the colony will depend on how we embrace the Irish.”

Every word is correct.

Now that a large number of Irish people have moved to Canada, the issue of embracing the Irish is not limited to Ireland itself.

“So, are you saying…?”

“If it had stopped there, we wouldn’t have said this. But the Minister is a person who inherited the blood of the ruling class of not just one but two countries in Asia. If we incorporate the Minister into the British royal family, it will not only perfectly integrate Ireland but also bring immeasurable benefits when we expand into Asia later.”

They didn’t dare to say things like intervening in the civil war or creating a civil war and intervening to fix it, but Victoria could fully understand what they were implying.

“Marriage with the Minister is beneficial to the British Empire…”

“Of course, Your Majesty, you have already declared that you will not marry, so you may not be very willing. However, wasn’t the reason for not marrying to take care of the country’s affairs as a husband would for the time being? For the greater national interest, and with the addition of the request from the parliament, everyone will praise Your Majesty for making a better decision for the country.”

“The parliament will formally recommend it? Is the discussion with the Conservative Party over?”

“Not yet. But since the justification is so clear, the Conservative Party will have no choice but to cooperate if Your Majesty wishes. The important thing is Your Majesty’s will. Your Majesty cannot remain unmarried for the rest of your life, and realistically, you will not be able to find a better husband than Minister Killian Gore anywhere.”

That’s right. Gladstone definitely knows what he’s doing.

Feeling that there was a possibility as she listened to the other person’s story, Gladstone began to praise Killian with an even brighter face.

“Although I am currently in the Whig Party, I have known the Minister since I was in the Conservative Party, or rather, since I went to the Eton alumni meeting [a gathering for graduates of the prestigious Eton College]. Since he was young, he has had the personality, the patriotism to think about the country, the wisdom to look to the future, and the excellent political sense. He was an outstanding talent that no one could compare to. On top of that, he has an outstanding appearance, so I am sure that there is no one like him anywhere in the world.”

“…The Minister is definitely that kind of person.”

“If Your Majesty does not feel any attraction to the Minister as a member of the opposite sex, we will naturally not recommend it any further. However, if Your Majesty’s heart is moved, I would like to say that the Queen’s Parliament can start preparing to welcome the national consort [the spouse of the reigning monarch] of the British Empire at any time.”

After that, Gladstone and Lord Palmerston talked for a long time about how perfect Killian was as a national consort before getting up from their seats.

She told them that she would think about it and give them an answer in a few days. She drank tea alone and calmed her trembling heart for a while.

This is an opportunity. Just accept it and announce the marriage.

The urge to entrust her whole body to the voice of temptation rising from within her heart surged, but she still needed to be calm.

It was clear that this situation was the realization of a dream she had been drawing in her dreams.

If the parliament requests it first and she accepts it, the previous declaration of non-marriage will not be a problem.

As Gladstone said, it would be interpreted as the Queen’s concession to give up her intention for the sake of national interest.

Marriage with Killian, which she had been longing for so much.

Just thinking about it made the corners of her lips rise uncontrollably, and she felt that the forehead where she had been kissed before was getting hotter.

But still, marriage is not something you do alone.

A decision made without considering the other person’s opinion is unacceptable.

That was not love but violence disguised as affection, and that was not the kind of love she wanted.

‘I have to talk to him. That’s the first thing.’

Victoria, who had made up her mind, postponed her afternoon schedule and sent a request to Killian to put everything aside and come to the palace.

Even when she first showed her face at an official event as queen, she wasn’t this nervous.

It seems that people’s hearts cannot be controlled no matter how hard they try.

* * *

Originally, the King of the British Empire does not directly summon the Prime Minister or ministers as much as possible.

Because he must maintain political neutrality, he tries to avoid the appearance that could be considered political intervention as much as possible.

So, if the Queen asked him to come to the palace as quickly as possible, it meant that a serious incident had occurred in all likelihood.

It is often said that ominous predictions mostly come true.

This time, too, it was no different.

But at the same time, it was undeniable that it was a completely unexpected event.

“…What did Gladstone say?”

“He asked what it would be like to marry the Minister…”

Perhaps because she was embarrassed to talk about it, Victoria lowered her face, which was flushed with pink, and explained what had happened in the morning in a barely audible voice.

“To proceed with the marriage in the form of a recommendation from the parliament… That was definitely an unexpected move. I thought they would only talk about sending me as a special envoy to Asia, but I never thought they would come up with such an extraordinary method.”

“They said that no one would be able to object now that Killian’s status has been elevated. Far from objecting, everyone will admire it as the best move and bless the marriage.”

“That’s right. It will not only integrate Ireland but also be a very useful justification when expanding into Asia. If the Whig Party makes such a request, the Conservative Party will not be able to oppose it. Of course, if Your Majesty does not feel any attraction to me, the story will be overturned.”

Of course, even if Victoria refuses, she will not be able to refuse for that reason.

Then, this is the same as a confirmed matter from the point of offering the proposal.

It seems that Gladstone did not know about the relationship between me and Victoria when he made this move, but it should be said that he unintentionally achieved a more certain effect.

“…What about the Minister?”

“I think the most important thing is what Your Majesty thinks.”

“I definitely like it… no, ahem, it’s not that I’m incredibly excited, but there’s no reason to refuse. But wasn’t the Whig Party in opposition to the Conservative Party? I don’t think they recommended the Minister as my husband for purely good intentions, am I understanding correctly?”

“That’s right. Since I will have to step down from my position as Minister if I become the national consort, the purpose of trying to get rid of me will be stronger. The spouse of the king must maintain strict political neutrality with the king.”

I’ve never heard of using the national consort to remove political rivals, but that’s why this was a very effective move.

If I were simply a human being with the goal of succeeding in the country, I would have been cut off without being able to escape.

“You’re saying that they were trying to harm the Minister with this marriage. If that’s the case, I… I don’t have the heart to follow their intentions, no matter how much I wanted it.”

“Are you saying you’re going to refuse?”

“No. It’s not exactly that, but… I don’t know what to do. That’s why I called the Minister. To let him know about this situation and give him some time to think.”

She must have really wanted it, but she’s saying that she’ll postpone the decision in consideration of my position.

I don’t know why, but I felt a lump in my throat because I could feel her consideration for me.

“Your Majesty. It is true that it is in order for me to quit being a minister if I become the national consort. It will also be impossible to openly maintain a position in the Conservative Party like now.”

In fact, the possibility I was considering was that Victoria would propose marriage right away because the situation had changed.

Although the possibility was low, I thought that it might happen with a low probability given Victoria’s fiery personality, which could bounce anywhere.

But I never thought that Gladstone would stab in like this.

Should I say that he is a person who is mentioned as one of the greatest prime ministers in the history of the British Empire in the original history?

I couldn’t help but admire the sharp move that far exceeded expectations.

But that’s why this time.

It seems that the goddess of fortune is smiling at me.

Unlike their expectations, this marriage will not be the grave of my political career.