I Became A Hidden Powerhouse Of The British Empire [EN]: Chapter 219

Several days after I became a freeloader at Gladstone’s house.

Fortunately, I received word from a servant that Victoria’s anger had subsided, and I was able to return to the palace.

Knowing her personality well, I was confident it wouldn’t last more than three days anyway.

What’s the characteristic of someone with a fiery temper?

They flare up quickly and cool down just as fast.

To put it negatively, they’re like a boiling pot; to put it positively, they don’t dwell on their emotions for long.

No matter how angry she was, she wouldn’t let her beloved husband stay away for days.

Besides, even if I stayed at the townhouses of influential figures like Gladstone or Disraeli, rumors would inevitably spread if it went on for too long.

If the Prince Consort is staying outside Buckingham Palace for days, it would be strange if there were no gossip.

Whether that’s the reason or not, Victoria seemed to have finally moved past anger and compromise to acceptance.

That’s my good wife! I knew it!

With a face that showed I was as contrite as possible, I carefully kissed the back of Victoria’s hand.

Instead of pulling her hand away, she handed me a piece of paper with a slightly sulky expression.

“What is this?”

“Sign here. I’ve been thinking, and to be honest, your words make some sense. So, if you promise this, I won’t stop you anymore.”

“Let’s see… I, Killian, swear in the Queen’s name that I will prioritize my safety above all else if I go to war. I promise never to go to dangerous front lines and to return without a single injury, even after the war ends.

If I fail to keep this promise, I swear in the name of Her Majesty and God that I will listen to my wife’s words and never go near dangerous places again.”

There were many more clauses after that, but most of them were promises not to overdo it in the war.

Was she writing this alone while I was away?

I could feel that she had written it while suppressing her anger, which made me feel a little sorry.

It’s wise to sign quietly here without complaining.

In the first place, I’m not a war maniac, and I wouldn’t want to go to war two or three times.

After seeing me immediately take the pen and sign, Victoria shook her head slightly and let out a long sigh that seemed like resignation or relief.

“If you put yourself in a dangerous situation after promising this much, you know you’re a bad person, right?”

“Don’t worry. There will never, ever be anything that will break your heart.”

“…Okay. I know you’re not a thoughtless child and that you have your reasons, so I won’t say anything more.”

For the British Empire to be respected forever.

If this was just for my own benefit, I wouldn’t bother going to war.

But if I want to pass on more power and honor to my children, she must know that there is no better way.

Since the fact that the British Empire is preparing for war is a secret even to countries like France and Austria, I shouldn’t reveal it.

Only a very few people know this fact right now, so there’s no point in talking about it any longer.

After an awkward silence, Victoria cleared her throat and subtly changed the subject.

“By the way, Parliament told me about an interesting schedule. Do you know about it? I’m talking about the reception of the new ambassador.”

“Ah… is it already time for that?”

“Joseon [historical Korean kingdom], that’s where you were born, right?”

When a new ambassador is appointed from a foreign country, they usually pay respects to the Queen and pledge to do their best for the friendship between the two countries.

And since Joseon had officially dispatched an ambassador, they had to go through this process.

“It’s where I was born, but… it’s a bit of a complicated place.”

Victoria’s expression hardened slightly at my answer.

She knows everything about how I lived in Joseon and how I came to England.

So, even if it’s my hometown, she probably doesn’t have good feelings about Joseon.

“Ah, but the person coming as ambassador is quite reasonable. I’ve met him a couple of times, and he seemed quick-witted and good at reading the times.”

“It’s a difficult name to pronounce. Jagan Kim? The head of one of the most prestigious families in Joseon… would that be like a Duke’s family? I heard that the people coming with him are also from families with considerable status. It seems they put a lot of thought into it.”

It was surprising that Joseon said they would send an ambassador as quickly as possible, but I was honestly shocked when they said it was Kim Jwa-geun.

Even if he’s the British ambassador, from Joseon’s point of view, isn’t England just the head of the barbarians on the other side of the world?

It’s practically a form of exile, so could he have been pushed out in a power struggle?

It’s strange that he’s bringing such a large entourage for that reason.

The members were also quite unique; even though the families were decent, most of them were young.

It seems like I can almost see what they’re trying to do…

“Killian, I’ll take care of the ambassador’s reception, so don’t worry and focus on what you’re doing now.”

Originally, meeting the ambassador is one of the Queen’s duties, but it seems that it has become a topic of conversation because the ambassador is from where I was born.

I can see what she’s thinking from her unpleasant expression, but I decided not to say anything.

I wanted to see the Joseon Confucian scholars [adherents to Confucianism, a system of thought and behavior] be amazed and fall over in the British Empire.

“Victoria, if you want to see Joseon’s raw reaction, it’s better to show off our superior technology rather than our military power. They already know that we are strong militarily, so they are likely to engage in ‘spiritual victory’ [a self-deceptive belief in victory despite defeat] and think of us as strong barbarians.”

“Ah, I see. I’ll tell the Foreign Office that.”

The corners of Victoria’s mouth, which were slightly raised, felt like a preview of the shock the Joseon ambassadors would receive.

But let’s not scare them too much. They were practically kicked out of their home country, so it would be too pitiful if we made them wet their pants.

* * *

For Kim Jwa-geun, who was riding a steamship for the first time in his life, the journey to England itself was a series of awe and admiration.

If he was like this, how would the young officials who had never been outside Joseon feel?

In fact, their reactions were quite a sight at first.

“They say the Westerners eat people. What if we end up in a bad situation too?”

“Don’t they focus all their technology on military power and carry around such weapons? What if we are used to produce weapons?”

“흑흑… [onomatopoeia for sobbing] If I get eaten, who will take care of my mother in Joseon?”

They were saying such nonsense that I didn’t even feel like correcting them, but I could hear everything.

Anyway, when they go to the capital of England, they will want to sew up their own mouths for saying such things, so what’s the point of talking now?

As expected, the Joseon officials’ immature reactions gradually subsided after boarding the ship from Shanghai to England.

After riding a state-of-the-art steamship that ignored the wind, would it make sense to treat the people who made such things as ignorant barbarians?

They couldn’t suppress this fundamental question.

I understand that feeling very well.

And finally, when they arrived on the mainland of England…

The young officials of Joseon, as well as Kim Jwa-geun, stared blankly at the feast of new civilization unfolding before their eyes, their mouths wide open.

“I-is that the railroad I’ve only heard about?”

“Yes. With this, we can move not only people but also all kinds of resources and materials in a short amount of time.”

“How fast is it?”

“Um… it would be easier to understand if I gave an example with distance. His Majesty said that it would be easy to go from Hanseong [historical name for Seoul] to Dongnae [present-day Busan] in a day. I don’t know where Hanseong or Dongnae is, though.”

“From Hanseong to Dongnae in a day? This huge iron carriage?”

If you were just going alone, it wouldn’t be impossible to use relay stations and change horses without rest.

But for that huge iron lump, carrying hundreds of people and a huge amount of supplies, to move at that speed…

Their shock, which had been half-gone from the start, reached its peak when they arrived in the capital, London.

Carriages passing by without rest on the neatly paved roads.

Gentlemen wearing uniforms that were exotic but looked high-quality at a glance.

And magnificent buildings lined up on a scale that couldn’t be compared to the tiled houses, which are symbols of the wealthy in Joseon.

“W-what is that building? It’s magnificent and beautiful; it looks like a great work of art…”

“That’s St. Paul’s Cathedral. You can think of it as a religious facility.”

“My goodness… then what is that magnificent palace over there?”

“Ah, that’s Westminster. It’s where the members of parliament hold meetings and make laws. You will go to Buckingham Palace behind it tomorrow to see Her Majesty.”

“I… I see.”

I am the ambassador representing Joseon, so I must never show a discouraged appearance.

Kim Jwa-geun straightened his clothes and tried to show as much composure as possible, but the young officials who came with him seemed to be half out of their minds.

It can’t be helped.

They have lived thinking of Hanseong as the only bustling city in their lives, but suddenly they have fallen into a place like this, so how great would the shock be?

In addition, the English officials did not take them directly to their residence.

Instead, they showed them around the bustling places of London, showing off their superior technology as if to show off.

They spent a whole day looking around and felt all the amazement they would feel in their lives today, but the real thing was just beginning.

When the sun goes down, the only things that can light up the surroundings are candles and torches, so people’s actions are greatly restricted.

But this place was not like that.

“Wh-what? Why is it so dark here without any lights on?”

“Aren’t they openly ignoring us by not preparing lamps?”

Just as uneasy complaints were popping up here and there, the manager who came with them touched something, and a hissing sound rang out.

And something happened that they couldn’t believe.

Flash!

“E-eek! Fire!”

“W-wait! It’s not fire; it looks like a lamp?”

“Lamp? What kind of lamp is so bright that it lights up the whole room?”

Some were so surprised that they fell backward, and some were mesmerized and couldn’t take their eyes off the incredibly bright lamp that emitted light from the ceiling.

The guide who had guided them calmly showed them how to turn the lights on and off and helped the fallen managers up.

“This is called a gas lamp. As you can see, it’s much brighter than a candle when you turn it on like this, so you can live comfortably even at night.”

“My goodness…”

“This is… England? This is a barbarian nation?”

Monsters that eat people.

Barbarians who do not know the ways of Confucianism.

Fools who invest all their technology in military power and can only fight.

The people who had been confidently saying such things until recently were speechless and didn’t even move like people who had lost their souls.

However, even though things were going as he had expected, Kim Jwa-geun could not laugh.

Far from laughing, he couldn’t help but sigh as he looked at the gas lamps that brightly illuminated the building.

Learn Western advanced technology and enlighten Joseon…

That was the plan and goal he had been holding on to as he came here.

But where should I start learning, and how should I fix it so that Joseon can become like this?

The difference is too big, so I can’t even imagine it.