I Became A Hidden Powerhouse Of The British Empire [EN]: Chapter 214

Having received the request from the Marquess of Salisbury, I paused, searching for the right response.

If this were a matter of politics or economics, I could give a firm answer, but this concerned a matter between a man and a woman.

Moreover, if it were someone who knew the ways of the world persistently making advances, I could resolutely cut them off. However, the Marquess of Salisbury’s second son was still a teenager.

What if he was acting out of genuine and heartfelt feelings? Would it be right for me to intervene?

“Marquess, what exactly are you asking of me? Are you asking me to stop your son from doing something… rash? Shouldn’t his parents be the ones to address this kind of issue directly?”

“Of course, I have. But that boy is incredibly stubborn. That’s why he couldn’t get along with his peers even at Eton [a prestigious boarding school], which he entered with great difficulty, and ended up dropping out.”

“…Did he say he would persist regardless of what you said?”

“Yes. At first, I thought he was joking when he said he had fallen for a nurse who was ten years older. But then he asked for my permission to formally court her. So, I looked into it, and even though her family is decent, it’s not enough to compensate for the ten-year age difference. So, I gently dissuaded him, but he accused me of being a snob.”

Hmm, everyone goes through that kind of phase when they’re young.

It’s a typical symptom of adolescent boys and girls to become overly infatuated, acting as if they’re the main character in a romance novel.

Ten years from now, he’ll probably cringe and kick his blanket at night thinking about it, but at that age, their feelings are their whole world, so what can you do?

It’s not like I’m saying it’s wrong.

Humans are hormonal creatures, and that’s just a natural phenomenon that comes with age.

“But as far as I know, Miss Nightingale has no intention of dating anyone. So, isn’t it simply a matter of it ending if she declines his advances?”

“That’s right. But the problem is that he has no intention of giving up.”

“Ah, so you’re asking me to persuade your son to give up?”

“Yes. Aren’t sons at that age the type who would never listen to their parents? But my son is a fervent admirer of Your Highness, so he will take Your Highness’s words to heart. And Your Highness has a deep connection with Miss Nightingale, so you can talk to him reasonably, can’t you?”

“You mean, tell him to stop because Nightingale is finding his attention distressing?”

Sigh, I never imagined I would receive this kind of request, but as the Marquess said, it wasn’t entirely someone else’s problem.

Nightingale was someone I was looking after, and the Marquess of Salisbury’s second son was also one of the talents I was keeping an eye on.

I was planning to give him some experience and gauge his abilities around the age of twenty, but I never imagined he would get involved in something like this first.

The Marquess of Salisbury was a fairly prominent figure in the Conservative Party in the House of Lords [the upper house of the British Parliament], so it was hard to ignore such a heartfelt request.

Since he was so apologetic about his son’s behavior, he must be aware that he was incurring a significant favor from me.

The problem was that the person I was trying to win over was the son, not the father.

“Let’s discuss it first. I’ll speak with Miss Nightingale right away, so don’t worry too much. Is your second son present?”

“I didn’t allow him to come because I feared he would cause a scene.”

“Then let’s meet after the ball. Come to the palace with your second son tomorrow.”

“Yes, yes! Thank you.”

The Marquess bowed several times and retreated, perhaps feeling apologetic for bothering the country’s Duke Consort with such a personal matter.

It’s good that he recognizes the imposition.

I can use this opportunity to get Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, the future Marquess of Salisbury, on my side.

We are currently moving forward steadily under the Wellesley system, but who knows what will happen in the political arena in 20 or 30 years.

Even though Wellesley isn’t that old as a politician, it’s always wise to have as many options as possible.

It’s like a sports team.

If you neglect developing your younger players simply because you have a lot of star players who are currently at their peak, you’re bound to crash and burn when those stars age out.

Politics is the same.

It may seem like Wellesley has completely taken over the Conservative Party and there are no opportunities for others, but in reality, the current Conservative Party doesn’t have that many talented successors to carry the next generation.

The fundamental reason is that the Prime Minister, Wellesley, is still young.

The most influential political figure in the British Empire, who has been Prime Minister since his 30s, is now only 40 years old.

The general consensus was that he would be able to lead for at least two more election cycles, so everyone had no choice but to rally behind him.

Moreover, Disraeli, the next most significant figure after Wellesley, was of a similar age, so what more could be said?

But conversely, that’s why it’s difficult for politicians in their mid-30s to 40s to rise to the position of Prime Minister.

By the time Wellesley or Disraeli retire from the front lines, they will already be quite old.

So, it’s necessary to recruit promising young people in their late teens and early 20s in advance.

Even if Wellesley holds power for too long, there may be dissatisfaction among the younger generation, so this effort is essential to prevent that in advance.

But the problem was that one of the key figures in my plan happened to fall for Nightingale.

If it weren’t her, I would gladly play Cupid, but why did he have to fall for a spinster nurse who was ten years older?

Still, you never know, so I should hear the story.

I approached Nightingale, who had slipped away to a corner to escape the crowd, and handed her a glass of cool water.

“How is it? Are you enjoying the party?”

“There’s too much attention, so it’s a bit overwhelming.”

“Is that so? I noticed a lot of inquiries about whether you have any intention of getting married.”

“I suppose they find it strange for a woman of this age to live alone without getting married. But I’ve made it clear that I have no intention of marrying because I intend to dedicate my life to this calling.”

“Well, having a family would certainly impact your work.”

If her resolve is so firm, then there’s nothing more to discuss.

Unfortunately, the future Marquess of Salisbury will have to experience the pain of unrequited love.

First loves that occur during adolescence are usually like that, so he shouldn’t be too heartbroken.

“I spoke with the Marquess of Salisbury earlier, and he mentioned his son.”

“…Ah, did you hear about it?”

A troubled smile spread across her face when the Marquess’s story came up.

“He apologized for his son causing trouble. You must be in a difficult position as well.”

“Haa… well, yes.”

“Is it common for patients to pursue you in the hospital?”

“It’s not common, but it’s not extremely rare either. But it’s the first time I’ve experienced a young noble’s son doing that…”

“Wouldn’t it be best to simply reject him firmly? No, there’s no way you haven’t tried that, so I’m just stating the obvious.”

If he had been arrogant, Nightingale’s personality wouldn’t have allowed him to get away with it.

Of course, she must know that I’m the one supporting her, so there’s no way such an unreasonable person could appear in the first place.

Actually, now that I think about it, I’m a little curious.

Just how is he courting her in a way that Nightingale can’t simply dismiss and is merely troubled?

“It’s harder than I thought to reject a pure and young student without hurting him. What did the Marquess say?”

“He said his son doesn’t seem to have any intention of giving up, regardless of what he says. So, I decided to handle it for him.”

“Yes? Your Highness? But for Your Highness to intervene in something like this…”

“That’s right. It’s a bit amusing, isn’t it? But the Marquess and you are both having a difficult time, so I thought it would be good to help if I could. Don’t feel too pressured and tell me honestly. What can I do to assist?”

“…I think it would be beneficial to introduce him to a suitable young woman who would be a good match for that young master.”

Is she suggesting that he forget his love with a new love?

That’s a pretty standard approach.

To do that, I need to know the full story of this incident.

I decided to hear the detailed circumstances of what happened between Nightingale and the young man who would become the future Marquess of Salisbury.

* * *

The development of the incident was surprisingly simple.

It was a time when cholera was subsiding and everyone was escaping from fear.

Robert Gascoyne-Cecil was taken to the hospital with a sudden case of diarrhea.

A week earlier, he had been running around London here and there as advised by his doctor to get some exercise, and he drank water from a public water fountain out of thirst, which was the cause.

He, who would become the future Marquess of Salisbury, almost lost his life due to a truly absurd incident, but fortunately, thanks to the dedicated care of the Victoria Hospital medical staff, he was able to save his life, albeit losing nearly 7 kilograms of weight.

At this time, Robert thought his life was cursed.

He was bullied by his peers even at Eton, which he had entered with great expectations, and eventually dropped out.

For him, the second son of a marquess family, this was an indelible nightmare and humiliation.

What saved him at this time was none other than the grace of the great Duke Consort Killian of this country.

His father, knowing that his son was not adapting at Eton, consulted with Duke Consort, who was an alumnus of Eton.

Surprisingly, Duke Consort sent him a letter through his father, telling him that he had talent, so he should not be discouraged and should focus on his studies.

That’s right. After all, studying isn’t just something you can do at Eton, which only offers rote memorization. [Rote memorization is learning by repetition rather than understanding.]

Let’s calm down and start anew.

He broadened his horizons by traveling, and he was preparing for the day he would enter Parliament by combining self-study and exercise to build confidence.

But what sin did he commit to get sick again and have to be hospitalized like this?

Moreover, he contracted cholera after Killian blocked the pump that was spreading cholera.

Perhaps the lingering effects of the contaminated water he drank earlier belatedly manifested in his body.

Therefore, he had to fight the fear of death alone in the hospital bed when everyone else was happy and immersed in a festive atmosphere, rejoicing that they had escaped the fear of cholera.

This sense of alienation, this despair.

Those who have not experienced it will never understand.

Even the hospital staff seemed to have loosened their vigilance a little, so how much more would others have?

It was at that moment that Robert fell in love.

“Patient, please take this.”

“…Nurse, my stomach hurts.”

“Don’t worry. Recently, the professor heard His Highness’s idea and is making a medicine that is effective against cholera. It has been effective for others, so it will be effective for you too.”

“Really? Can I get better if I take this? Nurse, I don’t want to die.”

“You will never die, so trust me.”

A voice that was firm yet somehow dignified.

A beautiful appearance where elegance and grace coexisted.

And even the maternal love that warmly comforted him, who was suffering from illness.

It was not at all strange that Robert’s heart burned with an untimely fever of love.

Thanks to the medicine Nightingale gave him at that time, Robert was able to endure for a few more days, overcome cholera, and even be discharged from the hospital.

This must all be thanks to the angel who took care of him at that time.

It’s a life saved by that angel, so I want to dedicate my future life to her.

I found out that there was a ten-year age difference, but what does that matter?

Borders and age are irrelevant in the face of love.

Of course, she did not take this passionate confession seriously.

“Yes, yes, patient. Please be careful about your diet even after you are discharged. If your stomach hurts again…”

“No, no, that’s not it. Miss Nightingale, I’m really serious. I’m still young and inexperienced, but I’ll do my best to become a man worthy of Miss Nightingale!”

“Haa… patient, you’re eighteen years old, right? When you’re over twenty, I’ll be over thirty. Please stop talking about things that will break your parents’ hearts and go get some rest.”

“I don’t care if Miss Nightingale is forty, not thirty!”

After that, he came to the hospital every day as if to prove his devotion.

Of course, he never interfered with the treatment so as not to cause trouble to the hospital, and rather, he personally helped with the hard work of the hospital in the name of volunteering, and looked after the convenience of the medical staff.

If he were a thoughtless noble’s son, they would just kick him out, but since he was hovering around like this, the hospital didn’t particularly stop him.

His father, mother, and even his friends told him to come to his senses, but it was of no use to him, who had already become a prisoner of love.

Nightingale may not accept him now, but if he continues to pursue her like this for ten or twenty years, wouldn’t she open her heart someday?

His father, the Marquess of Salisbury, eventually gave up on his stubbornness and promised to speak with Nightingale at the cholera end celebration ball.

And that day, contrary to expectations, his father returned with surprising news.

“Duke Consort wants to see you.”

“Is that really true?”

“Yes. So, let’s go to Buckingham Palace with me tomorrow. As you know, don’t say anything foolish when you get there.”

“Of course!”

The rumor that Nightingale was a nurse who was being favored by Killian was something he had heard so much about in the hospital that it was deafening.

Duke Consort is also a man, so if he hears this passionate love, he will surely take our side.

Recalling Nightingale’s angelic smile, he made a firm resolution to overcome any adversity that may come his way.