I Became A Hidden Powerhouse Of The British Empire [EN]: Chapter 306

The End of the Old Era (2)

The Duke of Wellington’s funeral was, of course, a grand state affair.

Victoria personally appointed the members of the funeral preparation committee, and I arranged for £10,000 [approximately $1.3 million in today’s money, accounting for inflation and economic output] of the expenses to be covered from the royal assets.

Originally, Parliament should have raised the funds, but the Duke of Wellington’s son was the Prime Minister of the current Parliament, so I dipped into my own coffers a little to be considerate of Wellesley.

The Duke of Wellington was certainly a figure who had accomplished enough to warrant such a grand state funeral, but there might have been criticism if the Prime Minister had raised a large sum of money to honor his father.

Actually, I don’t know if it’s appropriate to say this about a funeral, but the timing of the Duke of Wellington’s passing wasn’t too bad.

“The achievements of the Duke of Wellington, who defeated Napoleon, who plunged Europe into a cauldron of fear, and brought peace to the continent, do not fade with time; their value only shines brighter. When did our Great British Empire truly rise as the strongest power in the world? Scholars may debate the point, but I believe it was the very moment our Great British Empire defeated Napoleon.

Therefore, our royal family, at this point when the Great British Empire stands tall as the leader of Europe and the emperor of Asia, will do our utmost to see off Arthur Wellesley, the Duke of Wellington, who laid the foundation for this great era, on his way to meet his Lord.”

The citizens of the Great British Empire, already riding a wave of national pride, responded enthusiastically to this announcement from the royal family.

It was truly the most magnificent funeral in nearly a century, and countless mourners arrived at St. Paul’s Cathedral to pay their respects to the hero of the Great British Empire.

Members of the Duke of Wellington’s rifle brigade participated in the funeral procession, and the Duke’s coffin was moved to St. Paul’s Cathedral.

“He’s being buried next to Admiral Nelson… Father would have been satisfied.”

“Prime Minister, you must have been busy preparing for the ceremony. Thank you for your hard work.”

“Your Majesty has done more. Thank you so much for taking care of the funeral expenses and the organization committee.”

“Don’t mention it between us. If I didn’t care about the Duke’s passing, I would be an ungrateful person. Still, the Duke was very proud of you. He probably closed his eyes peacefully, even in his last moments.”

“I wish he could have seen me stand tall as the longest-serving Prime Minister of the Great British Empire…”

According to those present, after talking with me, the Duke of Wellington seemed very satisfied and called his two sons to happily discuss their future plans.

And he closed his eyes quietly, as if falling into eternal sleep without showing any signs of pain, so wouldn’t it be right to say it was a good death?

But whether it’s a good death or not, I know very well that sending off a father is bound to be filled with mixed emotions.

As the Duke of Wellington’s coffin was completely buried and no longer visible, I bowed lightly.

“Thank you for everything so far. Rest in peace, Duke.”

“…May you rest in peace by the Lord’s side.”

I saw Wellesley’s eyes turn red for the first time in over 20 years of acquaintance.

I pretended not to notice, gently closed my eyes, and listened to the bishop’s prayer.

Still, being able to depart with the condolences of so many people is a happy death in its own way.

In the case of the Duke of Wellington, his reputation was so great, and there were so many countries that had been devastated by Napoleon, that mourners came from many regions.

Austria, Prussia, the Netherlands, and even the Vatican sent representatives.

The representatives of each country mourned the Duke’s death in their own way, and Wellesley expressed his heartfelt gratitude as a son, not as a Prime Minister.

But there was also a figure who died around the same time but only received formal condolences.

A week after the Duke of Wellington’s funeral, news arrived from Russia.

“Emperor Nicholas of Russia has died.”

“Wasn’t he too young to die?”

“I heard that he drank almost every day after losing the war [Crimean War]. He recently caught pneumonia, and it seems that it worsened and led to his death.”

“This is… Still, we should express our condolences in the name of the royal family, right?”

I heard that his hair had fallen out due to stress even while the war was going on, so how would he have felt after facing such a humiliating defeat?

Even if I were in that position, I think I would have developed an ulcer and wouldn’t have lived to my natural lifespan.

“Her Majesty the Queen said she would also write and send her condolences. What about Your Highness…”

“I’m not sure if it’s right for me, who is practically the direct cause of Emperor Nicholas’ death, to express my condolences.”

Still, I have to perform my official duties according to custom.

Surely they wouldn’t tear up and burn my condolences, would they?

In running a country, one should not involve personal feelings in official duties.

Russia has a reputation for not adhering to that principle, but if they cause trouble, we can only build up justification, so it’s best to do things by the book in this case.

Even if we are in conflict with Russia, it doesn’t mean that we have to be lifelong enemies, so we need to appease them to some extent.

I gathered all the data on Emperor Nicholas and wrote the most beautiful condolence message I could and sent it.

When I was in Asia, Louis-Philippe of France passed away, and now it’s Emperor Nicholas of Russia.

They say that sending off familiar names is proof that you are getting older, but is it normal to have such thoughts in your thirties?

I realize anew that I have been pushing myself too hard all this time.

But that doesn’t mean I want to stop and rest now, or take a break.

Resting is something you can do endlessly and forever once you are buried in the ground and become one with the earth.

Before that happens, I have to make sure I do everything I need to do.

Cut down on alcohol and exercise a little more diligently.

I will leave an even more intense mark so that the fact that I existed in this world will not be forgotten.

I strengthened my resolve and confidently turned my steps towards the palace to face the future.

* * *

“…Ah, really? Haaam. That’s great.”

“Uh… Is that all you have to say?”

I shared an ambition that would make any man’s heart burn with passion, but our Queen yawned indifferently, covered her mouth, and clicked her tongue.

“Why, I said it’s great, didn’t I? But is it really necessary to do all that? Even if you do nothing from now on and just take naps, the fact that there was a great royal named Killian will never be forgotten in the Great British royal family.”

“No romance, no romance.”

“I’m so sleepy because I woke up early to prepare for the funeral. What romance are you talking about? I don’t have any schedules this afternoon, so I’m going to go in and get some sleep.”

“Then I’ll go with you…”

“No. Have you already forgotten what you said earlier? You have to work hard and make sure to leave your mark on the world.”

I definitely said that, but what does that have to do with taking a nap?

I’m so sleepy because I woke up early and moved around, so I’m going to take a refreshing nap and wake up.

“Ah, maybe not a nap but… Hehehe.”

“In about thirty minutes, Edward and Adelaide’s class time will be over, so take good care of the children. You must know that a great man of the country must also be a great man at home, right? I’ve always played with them so far, so I’ll leave it to you for a while.”

“Huh? Uh…”

I’m sure we were just having a wonderful conversation about how a great man moves the world and how the flow of history works, but is this right?

But how can I utter a single complaint to the person who has been in charge of all this for years while I was away?

I was instantly brought down from the clouds to reality, and I couldn’t say a word, so I escorted Victoria to the bedroom and came down to the drawing room to play with the children.

“Wow, it’s Dad, it’s Dad!”

“You’ve been home a lot lately, haven’t you? Usually, you’d be gone to work and not home around this time.”

“Ahem, what are you talking about, kids? When have I always been away from home? Although my body was far away, my heart was with you.”

“Someone said that Dad got scolded a lot by Mom, so he’s going to be home for a while now. And he’s going to play with us all the time, is that true?”

The latter is true, but the former seems to have some distortion, but who dares to slander me, the Prince Consort of this country?

How important is it to boost the father’s morale in front of the children? They’re like rookies who don’t even know the basics of childcare.

“Of course, I’ll play with you. From today on, this Dad will play with you much more fun than Mom.”

“Wow! Then I want to try that. Riding the warship that Dad used to ride!”

“I just want to play ballroom dancing with Dad.”

“What ballroom dancing? You’re still a young kid.”

“Isn’t it more abnormal for a young kid to want to ride a warship? The soldiers are troubled when we go. Don’t you even know that?”

“Dad! Look at her, she doesn’t have the habit of talking to her brother!”

“It’s so absurd to act like an older brother just because you were born a few minutes earlier? If you want to be treated like an older brother, act like one. And if you’re a man, you have to be mature like Dad. I heard that Dad was so outstanding that he exchanged political stories with the Prime Minister from our age, but what is Oppa [older brother in Korean]?”

Oh, it’s confusing, it’s confusing.

I’m sure the children in my memory were toddling around, saying ‘Papa’ and snuggling up to me, but when did they grow up like this?

Even though Prince Alfred was still as angelic, small, and cute as ever, Edward and Adelaide, who had now entered double digits, were slowly showing what real siblings are like.

Who was the one who loudly insisted that even royal family members should not be oppressed and should be educated freely? Damn it, it’s me.

“Okay, kids. Let’s put those trivial things aside for now and talk. Have you had any hard times lately? I heard you’re learning foreign languages recently.”

“I’m learning French and Latin.”

“Dad, I’m better at Latin than Oppa. Audentes fortuna iuvat [fortune favors the bold]. They say that fate originally favors the bold like me.”

“Amor est vitae essentia [love is the essence of life], but I guess she doesn’t have any love for her brother.”

“Yes, yes. This Dad is really proud and happy to see you studying hard, but you are twins, and everyone in this country is watching you closely, so wouldn’t it be better to get along as well as possible?”

Anyway, fighting is just kids’ fighting.

It’s just bickering about who’s better and who’s worse, so people around me may see it as cute now, but it’ll be a problem if they keep doing that later.

It’s natural that the eldest son and daughter of the royal family fighting all the time wouldn’t be a good example.

I think I’m starting to understand why Victoria handed the children over to me and went up to the bedroom.

Whether you’re a genius of diplomacy or the de facto behind-the-scenes ruler of Asia, everyone is equally drained in front of childcare.

I rubbed my eyes and changed my strategy to asking and reacting to individual questions rather than common topics.

“Our princess, what topics are you interested in lately? I saw you were interested in ballroom dancing earlier?”

“Yes. I want to grow up quickly and wear pretty dresses and shoes and go out.”

“You’ll have to get married when you grow up; wouldn’t this Dad be too lonely then?”

“Hmm… Marriage, Mom said that marriage is a must, but do you think so too, Dad? I told her that I wouldn’t marry anyone who isn’t as handsome and capable as Dad.”

“Mom said that she would never allow the eldest daughter of the Great British royal family to declare herself single.”

Hmm, well, to take my daughter, he has to be better than me at least, but if he’s even more handsome than me there, can we find a groom?

As Victoria said, it could be a de facto declaration of being single, but it’s not the 21st century, and the eldest daughter of a 19th-century royal family living as a single woman is… No, is it better for me?

I have complicated feelings.

“Ahem, originally, your views on the opposite sex change every day as you get older, so you don’t have to worry too much. Edward, what have you been concerned about lately?”

“I’m studying hard, but I don’t know if I’m doing well. The teachers all say that I have to become as great as Dad…”

“If you doubt like that, things that could have been done won’t be done, so you have to relax.”

“But everyone around me calls me the next king of this country…”

As Edward’s voice sank gloomily, Adelaide, who used to tease her brother whenever she had a chance, quietly closed her mouth.

Sigh, this damn 19th-century education.

What kind of pressure are you putting on a ten-year-old?

If you could create a wise ruler by constantly nagging them from a young age, the word tyrant would never have been created in this world.

“Kids. From tomorrow on, I’ll try to make time for at least 2 hours a day, so why don’t you go out and play with this Dad? I’ll even let our Edward ride the warship he wanted to ride.”

“Really? Yay!”

“Dad, what about my ballroom dance?”

“I’ll hold a small ballroom dance separately for our princess, so have fun there.”

“Wow! Dad is the best! I love you!”

As the warmth of the children hugging me from both sides rose up my chest, I felt a tingling sensation at the tip of my nose, and I hugged the twins tightly.

Well, now that I’m banned from leaving the country for 5 years, I should spend as much time as possible with my children and build memories.

And I have to give Edward a customized successor education myself.

Learning French or Latin is good, but seeing and learning directly from a trustworthy father is several times more effective than the current era’s cramming education.

I do royal family work in the morning and evening, discuss state affairs with Wellesley in between, and spend time with the children at lunchtime, so the years pass quickly as if time were shooting by.

Like the calm before the storm, no major events or wars that shake the world have broken out.

That’s how 6 years passed in the blink of an eye.