I Became A Hidden Powerhouse Of The British Empire [EN]: Chapter 179

The White Paladin

In all likelihood, Edward Nightingale’s daughter is the person I’m thinking of.

The timing is just right, and there probably isn’t another wealthy gentleman in Great Britain with the last name Nightingale.

But he sponsored this event to prevent his daughter from becoming a nurse?

That’s going to be difficult.

I stroked my chin, pretending not to know, and nodded.

“Ah… you have a daughter. Is she young?”

“No, she was born in 1820. As far as I know, Your Highness was also born around that time.”

“Indeed. What a fascinating coincidence. What is your daughter’s name?”

“I have two daughters. The first is Frances Parthenope, and the second is Florence Nightingale. The one who insists on becoming a nurse is the second.”

Florence Nightingale.

I had expected it, but hearing her name in person was still special.

There’s always something moving about hearing the name of a great person who left a significant mark on history.

Nightingale is known as the mother of modern nursing, but she was also an excellent statistician who demonstrated the importance of visualizing statistical data in medical practice.

I don’t know all the details, but I heard that her family strongly opposed her becoming a nurse when she was young, and it seems like this is that time.

“The second daughter of a wealthy landowner’s family wants to become a nurse… that’s certainly not common.”

“Indeed. I simply cannot understand why she wants to do that. I would support her wholeheartedly if she did anything else, but she wants to be a nurse…”

I couldn’t help but smile wryly at the sigh that conveyed the feelings of a father with a daughter.

I know that Nightingale will become a great nurse who will leave her mark on history, but he doesn’t.

The reason William Edward strongly opposes his daughter becoming a nurse is simple.

Nurses in this era were not treated as proper medical professionals, unlike modern nurses.

At best, they were just errand runners for doctors.

Moreover, the medical environment within public hospitals and the military was terrible, so nurses had to endure immense hardship.

So, what would the reaction be if a precious daughter from a wealthy gentry family became a nurse instead of a doctor?

It wouldn’t be surprising if her parents clutched the back of their necks and collapsed.

I’m sure the family was in an uproar when Nightingale first said that.

“But what do you mean by sponsoring this event to make your daughter give up?”

“Ah, yes. Well… it’s not for any impure reason. I also want to contribute to Your Highness and His Majesty’s noble cause. But naturally, if I make such a donation, my daughter, who is already interested in nursing, will want to accompany me to the event, right? Then she will naturally see how poor the current medical environment is within the military. Of course, it will continue to improve, but I don’t think she, who has been raised so preciously since childhood, will be able to adapt to such an environment easily.”

“In other words, you want to show her how terrible the reality is so she’ll realize her idea was naive and give up.”

“…Yes. I apologize for using Your Highness’s noble cause for family matters…”

“Why be sorry? Far from losing, I’ve received a large donation, so I’m only happy. But listening to your story, it seems like she has her own convictions, not just a childish whim. I don’t think she’ll give up easily just because you show her reality.”

If she had given up because her father told her not to, would Nightingale have been able to leave such a great mark on history?

She was able to become such a great person because she ignored her father’s opposition and had the conviction to dedicate her life to nursing as a wealthy young lady.

To become a great person who leaves their mark on history, you need the tenacity to push forward like a bulldozer on the path you’ve chosen.

Frances nodded, sighing as if she knew her daughter’s stubbornness well.

“Actually, I’ve been expecting it to some extent. She’s so stubborn… I thought she wouldn’t have such fanciful dreams if she got married, so I found her a really good husband, but she has been firmly rejecting him for years.”

“Wouldn’t it be better to acknowledge her…?”

Knowing how many soldiers Nightingale will save in future wars, I can’t let a variable arise here.

Why? Unlike the original history, my actions now might cause a butterfly effect, leading Nightingale to stray from the path of nursing.

“Your Highness, as a father with a daughter, I can’t help but want my daughter to meet a good husband and live as the happiest woman possible.”

“Well, that’s true. I feel the same way.”

Speaking like this, I would also desperately oppose my own precious daughter becoming a nurse, so in some ways, it could be seen as a double standard.

No. Unlike my child, Nightingale is talented enough to become a great nurse, so I can’t say that.

But if I say that, it would seem like I’m the epitome of a double standard.

“By the way, after hearing so much about her, I’m curious to know what kind of person she is. Would you mind visiting Buckingham with your daughter in the near future? I’d like to talk to her in person.”

“…Excuse me? Your Highness, you mean in person?”

“If we talk and it seems like she won’t be able to endure as a nurse, I’ll help persuade her. Even if she doesn’t listen to her father, she might be more persuaded by the words of the Prince Consort of this country.”

“If you would do that for me, I couldn’t ask for anything more. Thank you so much! Your Highness! To bestow such great grace upon me… and even invite me to Buckingham…”

I’m sorry, but I will persuade her, but not the daughter.

After talking to her, I’ll praise Florence Nightingale as someone born to walk the path of medicine.

Then her opposing parents will be much more easily appeased, and she will be even more motivated to study.

As a result, she will likely grow into an even more capable great person than in the original history.

And frankly, I’m also somewhat interested.

What would the youth of the woman called the ‘Mother of Modern Nursing’ have been like?

A promising sprout is different from others from its leaves, surely radiating an aura unlike ordinary people.

Since Victoriana is about the same age as me, she might be a good conversation partner.

With anticipation, I promised to invite the Nightingale family to Buckingham Palace as quickly as possible and personally wrote and gifted them an invitation.

* * *

On the way home after the dreamlike event.

William Edward Nightingale repeatedly replayed the events, his face beaming with a happy smile all the way back to Hampshire.

How could he not be pleased when the problem that had been troubling him was about to be solved at once?

As they say, if you earnestly wish for something, God will grant it. This was truly an opportunity sent from heaven.

Nurse? What nonsense.

Of course, he understood the desire to help the poor and needy.

And as a parent, he was proud that his daughter had such a kind heart and wanted to support her in any way he could.

But why she insisted on becoming a nurse when she could simply live a life of charity was beyond his comprehension.

Even his eldest was involved in literature and the arts, helping the poor and participating in various charitable events.

Why couldn’t she just live like her sister instead of insisting on becoming a nurse…

Still, now that none other than the Prince Consort of the country had offered to meet her and assess her qualifications as a medical professional, this worry would end today.

What kind of person was Killian Gore?

He was a rising star in the British Empire and the representative of the royal family, the object of almost everyone’s admiration.

If such a person told his stubborn daughter that she didn’t have the qualities to be a medical professional and should look for another path, she would have no choice but to listen.

Of course, there was a possibility that Killian might see Florence and feel that she was a suitable talent for medicine, but William was certain that there was only a dust-sized chance of that happening.

The only variable was whether Florence would feign innocence to the extreme and not show her true personality in front of Killian… but Killian would probably see through such pretense, so there wouldn’t be a problem.

Back home, he embellished the events at the event and told his daughters.

“…So, His Royal Highness the Prince Consort invited our family to Buckingham Palace. We should go as soon as possible, so would this week be alright?”

“Oh my! We’re going to Buckingham?”

The reaction was, of course, dramatic.

First, his eldest daughter, Frances, almost screamed, covering her mouth and jumping up and down.

“Dad! Dad! I can go too, right? It’s not just Florence who’s invited, but the whole family, right? So I can go too, right?”

“Of course, of course. His Royal Highness the Prince Consort invited our family, so we should all go together.”

“Oh my gosh, a day will come when I can meet and talk to His Royal Highness in person! I heard His Royal Highness is so handsome. What was he like when you saw him, Dad? Is he really as handsome as the rumors say?”

“Yes. He was very manly, tall, and his features were radiant.”

“Kyaa! What should I do! What should I do! Florence, let’s get our hair done and buy new clothes tomorrow. We can’t go to Buckingham Palace looking like this, can we?”

The eldest daughter was jumping around excitedly like a girl, but the second daughter, Florence, the protagonist of this invitation, had a rather lukewarm reaction.

“…Why did His Royal Highness invite our family to the palace?”

“Well, isn’t it because your father made a good impression on His Royal Highness? Haha!”

“I know that Father is a respected person, but wasn’t that event attended by generals and nobles with titles? I don’t mean to be unpleasant, so please don’t misunderstand, but did Father have that much influence to surpass all those prominent people?”

“I must have donated quite a bit. I guess people were quite stingy with their donations. Why else would His Royal Highness know my name from the beginning? You should have seen how envious people looked at me then.”

As her father puffed out his chest, showing off that he was such a person, the eldest daughter smiled brightly and clapped with joy.

But Florence still didn’t shake off her doubts and narrowed her eyes.

“Even so, there must be another reason why he called our family to the palace.”

“Haha, well. You’ll find out when we go, won’t you? The important thing is, when else in our lives will we be invited to Buckingham by His Royal Highness? Maybe we’ll even see Her Majesty the Queen? Ah, of course, that’s just wishful thinking.”

“Oh my gosh, Her Majesty the Queen. What should I do, Father? What if I do something that violates etiquette and get scolded?”

“Ah, now that you mention it, we should thoroughly learn the etiquette before we go, since we might see Her Majesty. Florence, you should practice with your sister.”

“…Yes. But Father. No matter how I think about it, you’re hiding something, aren’t you?”

Look at that observant girl.

Seriously, is this the reaction of a 20-year-old woman when the royal family of this country directly invites her to the palace?

Shouldn’t she be jumping up and down and shouting with joy like the eldest daughter?

Sometimes, when he looks at his second daughter, he can’t help but wonder who she inherited her stubbornness from, even though she’s his daughter.

Her innate personality is very kind and considerate, but apart from that, she is the owner of an extraordinary personality that is hell-bent on pushing through whatever she chooses, and even has the audacity to use any means necessary.

Moreover, the fact that this personality is displayed without reservation even in front of other nobles, not just her parents, is truly appalling.

How can such a child become a nurse?

Surely Killian will feel the same way when he talks to her directly.

Thinking that this would be the last time he would see his daughter’s eccentric behavior, William naturally laughed off any of Florence’s words.

No, he even found such a side of her lovely.