I Became A Hidden Powerhouse Of The British Empire [EN]: Chapter 121

Became a Hidden Power in the British Empire 121

Please Marry Me

The British monarch must maintain political neutrality.

This isn’t mandated by law, but it’s a norm everyone adheres to.

In fact, there are many instances of rules that, while not legally enforced, wield far greater power than laws.

This is especially true in upper-class society, which values tradition.

In other words, no matter how hard I try, becoming the Prince Consort means stepping down from my ministerial position.

That fact remains unchanged.

That’s why I wanted to postpone the marriage with Victoria until I was fully prepared.

“Your Majesty, even if we marry…”

“No, wait. Hold on. Of course, I know Killian has thoughts… But without saying anything, I want you to go back and sort out your thoughts. To be exact, I’ll sort out my thoughts.”

“Pardon?”

What’s this all about? She called me here as quickly as possible, and now she’s telling me to go back.

“It might not make sense. But I called you in today to let you know what’s happening. And to see what risks are involved for Killian in being with me, and to confirm whether the Whig Party [a British political faction] is targeting that and recommending you.”

“I see. But I can give you an answer right now.”

“I’m not ready. Frankly, depending on Killian’s answer, I might come to a conclusion without much thought or consideration. I don’t want that. How can I be proud if I make a decision on an issue that could greatly affect the life of someone with me without thinking about it myself?”

That’s what it was.

In other words, if I said I had it all planned out and not to worry, Victoria could proceed with the wedding right away, thinking, ‘That’s Killian for you—just as I expected!’

But that’s only because I’ve resolved the risks on my own.

Victoria doesn’t want to just piggyback on such an important event as marriage.

Well, unless she doesn’t know that I have to bear many risks, she wouldn’t just let it go, knowing that.

It also means she cares about me that much, which is admirable.

“Then I’ll sort out my thoughts once more. How much time do you need, Your Majesty?”

“Not long. A day at the shortest, two days at the longest?”

“Don’t feel pressured, and take your time to think it over. I’ll leave so I don’t get in the way.”

While Victoria sorts out her thoughts, I should consolidate the party internally.

I never thought I’d use the measures I prepared for the possibility of Victoria going on a rampage to counter the Whig Party’s strategy.

Anyway, marriage… I thought it would be at least three years too early, but it feels strange to hear it mentioned like this.

I’ve never been married in my past life, so am I really going to become a married man this time?

No, it’s too early to get sentimental.

I need to decide on a clear course of action on how to solve this important issue.

Leaving Kensington Palace [a royal residence in London], I didn’t go home but turned the carriage towards Wellesley’s townhouse.

Well, I roughly told him in advance, though not exactly, so that’s a relief.

Not that it will reduce the amount of shock Wellesley will receive.

* * *

After sending Killian away, Victoria remained alone in the large room, staring blankly at the luxurious furniture.

If she were to marry, would she live with him in a room like this?

She felt a tickling sensation in her stomach, but thanks to preparing herself, her mind remained calm, unlike her heart.

“Prince Consort… Prince Consort.”

Killian is fundamentally a person with strong political ambitions.

I’ve been watching him since he was young, and that’s an undeniable fact.

He doesn’t prefer to show it outwardly, but he has always been at the center of power, and he hasn’t hesitated to exert a strong influence on this country.

But becoming the Prince Consort would restrict such actions.

Of course, as the Queen’s husband, he might enjoy more influence than he does now, but that would be a bit different from the life Killian wants.

Yet, telling him to marry means asking him to sacrifice himself for my happiness.

Wouldn’t Killian have a way? Then there’s no problem.

It would be a lie to say I didn’t feel this way.

Moreover, judging from the atmosphere, Killian must have prepared some kind of solution in preparation for marrying me.

Honestly, I was happy. Very happy.

The thought that if there was a way for him not to be harmed, I could marry him without any worries made me feel lighter.

But at the same time, I was ashamed of my complacency in trying to rely on him with such thoughts again.

Looking back, since the first time I met him when I was young, I have always relied on the younger boy who was a year younger than me.

I’ve grown up like that, so I can’t shake the feeling in one corner of my heart that he’ll somehow take care of it for me.

“Are you going to live like that forever?”

There’s no reason not to continue doing so since I’ve been doing it until now.

He’s been doing it even when we weren’t a couple, so wouldn’t he do it even more if we were married?

I can rely on him and ask him as much as I want, and he’ll listen just like now.

“No.”

This is a bad thought that erodes my development.

Even if I don’t act on it, it’s better to refrain from thinking about it as it can have a negative impact.

Victoria slowly closed her eyes and went through the expected problems.

As Killian said, if we get married, he will have to step down from his ministerial position.

And even if he can stay close to the Conservative Party, he won’t be able to openly support them as he does now.

“But since the justification for the marriage itself is the inclusion of Ireland, there might be a way to do something about that…”

Killian will surely find a breakthrough on his own, but I am the Queen of the British Empire.

Surely there is some brilliant move that only I can make.

As soon as she thought this far, she regretted the time she had spent on futile worries.

She jumped up from her seat, spread several sheets of paper on the table, and began to write down the ideas that came to her mind.

If I analyze these one by one, at least one useful thing will come out.

After all, no matter how much she thought about it, the decision she would make was determined from the beginning.

From the moment she received the offer from Gladstone [likely referring to William Gladstone, a prominent British statesman].

No, from the moment she first saw him at Eton [a prestigious boarding school in England].

Destiny was decided.

* * *

The day after meeting with Wellesley to discuss the future direction.

Victoria called me back to the palace in just one day, as she had said.

Greeting me in her private room instead of the drawing room, she greeted me with a face that was even more tense and stiff than before.

“It’s been a while… no. Just a day… no, what am I saying? Anyway, did you sleep well yesterday?”

“I couldn’t sleep that well because I had a lot to think about. I suppose Your Majesty is the same.”

“I guess so. To be honest, I don’t think I slept even two hours.”

“There was no need to push yourself that hard…”

“No. I had to push myself. And it’s better this way. To say what I have to say from now on, it’s better to be in a slightly dazed state like this.”

Victoria emptied a cup of coffee like it was alcohol and took several deep breaths.

Even though we both know what we’re going to say, it’s so hard to start. It’s somewhat irrational, but that’s why there’s romance.

“Your Majesty, I’d like to say…”

“No. I have to say it first. Um… Killian remembers the day we first met, right?”

“Yes. It was at Eton. Didn’t I deliver a message to Your Majesty with a card trick while drinking tea?”

“Before that, our eyes met when I got out of the carriage. Actually, I had heard so much about Killian from Cecilia that I was a little curious about who he was.”

My memory was hazy, but now I remember clearly.

At that time, our eyes definitely met, and I thought, ‘Did she see me?’ Then I laughed at myself for being so conceited.

But the fact that it wasn’t just wishful thinking is a twist, in a way.

“Thanks to Your Majesty, my somewhat boring school life was very enjoyable. Actually, as Your Majesty knows now, I approached you openly because I wanted to get closer to you.”

“I suppose so. But thanks to you, I received so much comfort during a psychologically unstable period and was able to grow up without going astray. Thanks to the knowledge I learned from Killian since I was young, I am now respected as Queen. I can’t thank you enough… I was saved by Killian.”

Overwhelmed with emotion, she wiped her eyes with a handkerchief and continued.

“Yet, I don’t think I’ve ever given back something commensurate with that. I’ve always just received help and relied on you…”

“That’s not true. What about the Ireland issue and the cabinet’s vote of no confidence? Didn’t Your Majesty give me a lot of help?”

“That’s just a small thing compared to what you’ve done for me.”

“Eating rutabaga raw is definitely not a small thing. Honestly, I can’t do that.”

“Ah, that was really bad… That’s right. I need to correct myself. I think I worked hard to repay the favor in my own way.”

It wasn’t just working hard; recently, I was almost being exploited with affection pay.

So much so that I felt sorry and was watching her.

“I may have helped Your Majesty when I was young, but Your Majesty helped me just as much. The time I spent teaching Your Majesty was also enjoyable, so I wasn’t exactly doing a one-sided service.”

“I was always happy that Killian was the one who came to see me. And to be honest… when the Whig Party asked me if I would marry Killian, I wanted to say yes on the spot. The reason I couldn’t was because I knew this marriage could act as a shackle for you.”

“As I said yesterday, there’s no need to worry about that. I have my own plans.”

“I suppose so. What kind of person is Killian Gore? Of course, he wouldn’t have no plans. But that doesn’t suddenly fall from the sky, and the fact that you went to the trouble of doing something you didn’t have to do because of my greed doesn’t change, does it?”

Seeing her say this much, Victoria must have been feeling a considerable amount of pressure, even though she hadn’t shown it until now.

How would you feel if you wanted to get married because you liked someone, but that marriage could end the other person’s career?

“Your Majesty, if I really didn’t like it, I wouldn’t have made these preparations but would have distanced myself from Your Majesty. So there’s no need to feel burdened by what I did because I liked it.”

“I know. But not only now but also in the future, Killian may continue to be burdened. Being with me is ultimately like that. But even so… it may sound shameless for me to say this, but even so, I… want Killian to continue to be by my side…”

The last words were almost a whisper, but I still heard them clearly.

“Your…”

“Wait. I haven’t finished yet. So, of course, I’m not saying to unilaterally bear the burden. I will also spare no effort to help this marriage have a positive effect on Killian. I will do everything I can as Queen, and if necessary, I will not hesitate to do things that may be considered political intervention. I’ve already thought of ways to do it. So, so…”

Unable to make eye contact and clenching her dress so tightly that it wrinkled, she took several deep breaths and then looked straight at me as if she had made up her mind.

“I love you. Please stay by my side for life.”

There were no fancy modifiers or embellishments, but that’s why it was an even heavier confession.

What more could I add here?

So, simply.

I nodded.

“Willingly. My Queen.”