I Became A Hidden Powerhouse Of The British Empire [EN]: Chapter 31

Victoria

Kensington Palace, residence of the British royal family, bordered Hyde Park, one of London’s largest parks.

While it possessed a certain understated elegance compared to other palaces, the expansive view of Hyde Park stretching behind it quickly dispelled any sense of modesty.

More than that, the fact that prominent members of the British royal family resided there imbued it with a unique sense of importance.

Inside the cozy reception room of Kensington Palace.

The sound of two women chatting filled the room, mingling with the sweet aroma of black tea.

Actually, the elegant middle-aged woman was doing most of the talking, while the young girl mostly listened.

Anyone witnessing Cecilia, the middle-aged woman, amiably conversing with the young girl would surely be envious.

Because…

The line of nobles eager for even a brief word with the girl would stretch around Kensington Palace.

Alexandrina Victoria Hanover, the heir presumptive to the British Empire, quietly sipped her tea while listening to Cecilia’s story.

“…Really? How intriguing.”

“I’m telling you, it’s truly fascinating, isn’t it?”

She mostly listened, but not because Victoria wasn’t interested in her conversation with Cecilia.

On the contrary, she thoroughly enjoyed Cecilia’s stories.

Even though this woman hadn’t been formally inducted as a member of the royal family, Victoria inwardly considered her family.

Cecilia’s husband, the Duke of Sussex, was considered an eccentric within the royal family, but Victoria couldn’t have asked for a better uncle.

He was the one who publicly opposed the absurdly strict education and discipline known as the ‘Kensington System’.

The Kensington System was devised by young Victoria’s mother, the Duchess of Kent, and her confidant, John Conroy—a system that, while called education, felt more like confinement.

The stated reason seemed plausible enough.

-Victoria is the likely successor to the British royal family, so she must be educated under strict discipline from a young age.

Consequently, Victoria had no choice but to grow up under her mother’s oppressive control and constant surveillance.

To what extent? Victoria was never allowed to be alone; even when she slept, her mother or a caretaker had to be present.

Privacy was nonexistent, and contact with other royals, let alone the King, was almost impossible. Even her tutors had to be vetted by her mother or Conroy before she was allowed to meet them.

It was called education, but it was actually a form of child abuse aimed at making young Victoria completely dependent on the Duchess of Kent, who harbored dreams of becoming regent [a person appointed to administer a country because the monarch is a minor or is absent or incapacitated] in the future.

“Speaking of which, I heard you’re going on a trip to the Thames Valley this time? It’ll be a nice change of pace, as it’s been a while since you’ve been out.”

“Even so, I don’t know how much fun it will be with my mother tagging along.”

“Still, just being able to get away from this stuffy place and wander around for the first time in a while will be a relief.”

Victoria chuckled.

“Actually, Hyde Park is wide enough, but I can’t wander around as I please, so what’s the point of having a physically large space?”

“…”

Instead of offering clumsy words of comfort, Cecilia poured her another cup of delicious tea.

This was why Victoria liked her.

Of course, at first, Victoria regarded Cecilia as just another snob in league with her mother.

She couldn’t help but be prejudiced. Without exception, everyone who had been granted a private audience with her was a power-hungry ghoul who followed her mother.

Cecilia must have flattered her mother, saying that she was the one who deserved to be the regent of England in the future, and was granted this meeting.

She even heard later that she had used her Irish background to form a bond with her mother, who had come from another country.

Unlike her appearance, she was a surprisingly meticulous and calculating person.

But after going to such lengths, the first thing she said upon meeting her was, ‘The Duchess of Kent will never be regent, so live your own life, Princess.’

She could still vividly recall the memory of bursting into laughter at the absurdity of those words when she first heard them.

“But do you really think the Factory Act [series of acts passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom to regulate the conditions of industrial employment] will pass so smoothly?”

“Of course. My nephew has never been wrong.”

“Now that I think about it, wasn’t it that nephew who taught you how to win over my mother’s favor?”

“Yes, I told you about Killian Gore before, didn’t I? He’s a really, really handsome, smart, lovely, kind, and gallant boy. And he’s so considerate. Last time…”

Cecilia was great in every way, but she had one flaw.

Perhaps because she didn’t have a biological son, she would lose her reason and go on a rampage whenever her nephew was mentioned, unlike her usual self.

Thanks to that, Victoria was able to learn about many interesting topics.

Because of the cursed Kensington System, she was unable to properly learn about domestic politics and social issues.

Thanks to her governess, Baroness Lehzen, who taught her about the constitution and politics, she was able to avoid being a complete blank slate.

However, Victoria was very interested in newspapers, politics, and social issues, so she couldn’t help but feel that that level of education was not enough.

Therefore, the stories that Cecilia occasionally told her about her nephew were like precious gifts that quenched her thirst.

The story of this Factory Act alone was like that.

Victoria had never imagined that such an absurd thing was happening in her country.

In addition to political stories, Cecilia sometimes told stories about the mysterious East that Killian had told her.

These amazing stories, which she had never heard or seen before, were a great comfort to Victoria in and of themselves.

“Ah, that’s right. I almost forgot the most important thing because I was so distracted.”

“There’s plenty of time, so you can take your time.”

“It seems that your upcoming trip includes a visit to Eton College [an independent boarding school for boys in Eton, Berkshire, England]?”

“Yes. I think there will be time to meet the students. I’m looking forward to it because it’s said to be the best school in the country.”

“My nephew has been attending Eton College since last year. As far as I know, he’s about a year younger than you, so you might be able to see him this time.”

Victoria’s hand, which was reaching for her tea, paused in mid-air for a moment.

“I remember now. You definitely said that your nephew goes to Eton College.”

“Yes. I’ve always said he’s smart, but he’s even more virtuous and wonderful than that. From the first day I met him, he was so considerate of me. He even said that he wouldn’t mind not inheriting the earldom if my marriage could be recognized.”

She had heard that story so many times that she couldn’t even count it on one hand anymore.

Still, she must have been so touched that she made such a fuss every time she told the story.

Victoria naturally became curious about a student named Killian Gore.

What kind of person would the nephew that Cecilia, one of the few people who gave her joy, cherished like her own son be like?

If she was lucky, she might be able to find out on this trip.

“But, Madam.”

Victoria couldn’t hold back any longer and asked one last thing that she was really curious about.

“Is your nephew really that handsome?”

“Of course!”

Victoria smiled faintly at Cecilia’s reaction, who nodded almost as a spinal reflex.

It was her nature to be more favorably inclined towards people who were good-looking from a young age.

Still, Victoria didn’t think she was particularly strange.

Why, doesn’t everyone like handsome and pretty people anyway?

She was just a little more honest about it.

* * *

Today, I put more effort into my school uniform than ever before.

I made sure the collar was perfectly angled and the white tie was neatly groomed without a single speck of dust.

It was an event attended by the most esteemed woman with the highest chance of becoming queen in the future.

Not just me… no, I was actually mild.

The students of Eton College were more meticulously grooming themselves and dressing up than ever before.

“Killian, how do I look? Am I okay? What if the Princess likes me when she sees me?”

“Wouldn’t that be an honor? You’re a member of the Duke’s family, so go out there with confidence.”

“Hey, hey, Princess Victoria isn’t just a princess. You know that, don’t you? She’s the first in line to the throne! If His Majesty can’t have children until the end, the princess who’s coming today will become Queen.”

“That’s right. I’m actually looking forward to seeing what kind of person she is.”

The reason why Robert had been up for two hours, carefully grooming every strand of his hair.

The reason why I had called in a personal cricket instructor and devoted myself to training like crazy was all for today’s event.

Fortunately, Aunt Cecilia’s information about Victoria’s preferences was a great help.

If not, I would have wasted my energy on useless things like most of the students here.

“…Hoo. I’m done. Shall we go out now? But you seem a bit relaxed?”

“I’ve done all the preparation I can.”

“Seriously, that’s why handsome guys are like this. The world is so unfair.”

I followed Robert outside.

The sky was clear and blue without a single cloud.

The town street with the dormitory was filled with Eton students dressed in their uniforms, which was quite a sight.

Of course, it wasn’t just the Eton students, but also the townspeople who had all come out to line the streets at the news that the future queen would be passing by.

“Killian, Robert! Our dormitory will be waving flags over here!”

The housemaster, who had been waiting in position, ran over and helped us avoid being crushed by the crowd.

Still, thanks to the signboard of being the second son of the Duke of Rutland, the place where Robert and I were standing was a prime spot to see Victoria’s carriage perfectly head-on.

Looking around, it seemed that the welcome preparations were all finished.

The faculty members were staring at the front, where the carriage was supposed to arrive, with tense expressions, and the students were holding their breath so that they could shout loud enough to shake the world at any moment.

Thud!

A drumbeat sounded, and the sound of instruments announcing the arrival of the VIP rang out in succession.

“Waaaaaa!”

“Princess Victoria!”

“Princess! Long live the Princess!”

The cheers that echoed reflexively before the carriage even appeared shook the town street.

Then, in the distance, a splendid and dignified carriage slowly approached.

As the carriage got closer, the cheers of the people grew louder, and soon the slowly moving carriage stopped at the entrance of the town.

At the same time, John Keate, the headmaster of Eton, stepped forward and bowed politely to the carriage, and then the door of the carriage opened.

Three women were escorted down from the carriage.

The Duchess of Kent, Baroness Louise Lehzen, and finally, young Victoria.

She was a little short compared to her peers, but she had an elegant and resolute atmosphere that was not like her age.

White skin and deep blue eyes contrasted with her reddish-brown hair, which had not yet darkened.

The young girl, who was slated to be the next queen of the British Empire, smiled and waved to the lined-up students.

“Waaaaaa!”

“Princess! The Princess looked at me!”

“She looked at me, not you!”

As expected, even if they’re elites, they’re still kids. They’re burning their competitive spirit with this pathetic stuff.

While others were cheering enthusiastically, I, who knew all about her situation, somehow found that smile a little pathetic.

I could feel a sense of relief that someone who had always been trapped was finally taking a breather.

Come to think of it, what if Aunt Cecilia praised me too much?

That aunt has a bit of a doting side…

Suddenly, Victoria turned her head as if looking for something.

Her eyes, which were moving slowly without being obvious, stopped at me, who was waving a flag diligently with Robert.

I thought she would turn her gaze in another direction, but she kept staring at me.

What? Is she looking at me?

Just as I thought that, she turned her gaze back to the headmaster as if nothing had happened.

Of course, that couldn’t be, right?

I almost became the same level as the guys I was sneering at earlier.

Just as I was about to breathe a sigh of relief, John Keate began his welcoming speech and recited the schedule for today’s event.

Victoria was listening to his lengthy speech with the same expression she had when she arrived here.