I Became A Hidden Powerhouse Of The British Empire [EN]: Chapter 416

< The Imperial Family vs. The Imperial Family (6) >

It’s right to apologize and accept punishment for wrongdoing.

Even people with minimal education understand this universal truth.

However, things become complicated when dealing with nations.

Many powerful countries believe they’re entitled to avoid apologies, regardless of their actions.

In fact, we’re now in an era of imperialistic dog-eat-dog [a ruthlessly competitive world].

It’s almost standard practice to nonchalantly dismiss wrongdoing with a ‘get stronger if you don’t like it’ attitude.

But that only applies to countries weaker than themselves.

With the British Empire as the victim, no country can escape responsibility.

Even other European countries, fearing a potential war, issued statements urging Russia to apologize immediately.

What would happen if the British Empire and Russia went to war when the world economy is so intricately connected?

Every country in Europe would inevitably face a recession.

However, mediation was impossible because Russia’s fault was so clear. Suggesting they come to their senses and negotiate was futile.

Russia simply needed to humble themselves and apologize.

If everyone united to pressure them, Russia couldn’t stand firm, and the British Empire wouldn’t need to resort to war.

France, Prussia, Austria, and all indirectly involved countries began issuing coordinated statements, urging the Russian Emperor to offer a sincere apology.

Even the Ottoman Empire, which had secretly hoped for the British Empire to defeat Russia, shifted its strategy and condemned Russia as public opinion turned against them.

No matter how stubborn you are, you can’t completely disregard public opinion.

Russia was no longer in a position to act as the gendarme of Europe [a policing force].

Instead, they were hoping to rise again, but the Emperor had ruined everything. The nobles must have been incredibly embarrassed.

“Your Majesty! This is entirely the Imperial Family’s fault, so the Imperial Family should issue a sincere apology!”

“That’s right. The Council has nothing to do with this!”

“According to the investigation, even the Ministry of Foreign Affairs didn’t receive an official report on this matter. Minister of Foreign Affairs! Did you commit this outrageous act without following proper procedures?”

Alexander II and Gorchakov, identified as the culprits, became scapegoats even within Russia.

No one, regardless of their concern for the Empire’s reputation, dared to suggest that apologies were unnecessary.

Because everyone knew that war was imminent.

Amidst the intense criticism and blame.

“…I will dismiss Foreign Minister Gorchakov and formally apologize to the British Empire for this incident.”

“The apology statement will be reviewed by the committee. Do you approve?”

“…Do so.”

Alexander II suppressed his lofty imperial pride and declared complete surrender.

* * *

“Russia has swallowed its pride. I suppose they couldn’t stand firm because of their guilt.”

I nodded, smiling at Wellesley’s mocking laughter.

“Regardless of their titles, they should be punished for foolish actions.”

“This incident will significantly diminish the Emperor’s power in Russia. And it will shatter all the relationships of trust they’ve been building with other countries.”

“Really? Prussia and Austria must think Russia is still unreliable.”

“France is very excited right now. In some ways, they seem angrier than we are, criticizing Russia intensely every day.”

Russia’s rise was a threat that France couldn’t ignore, not just the British Empire.

Besides, France wouldn’t have appreciated Russia subtly trying to get closer to Prussia.

Russia’s alignment with Prussia would inevitably distance France from the German sphere of influence.

“I heard that Russian embassies are being attacked in other countries too?”

“We set the example, so other countries have no choice but to follow suit.”

“It’s a bit unfortunate, but they brought it upon themselves. So, how will the Russian Emperor apologize?”

“They asked if they could handle it unofficially, so I told them not to be ridiculous. Other countries are worried about the conflict between the British Empire and Russia, so an unofficial apology would only prolong the concern.”

I couldn’t believe they were still asking to apologize in secret to save face.

Were they really prioritizing their pride over everything else?

“Unofficial is absolutely out of the question. Tell them to write an official letter of apology and make it public to the world. And I will present that letter of apology to Parliament first.”

“The Russian Emperor’s handwritten apology will be revealed for the first time in Parliament… The parliamentarians will be thrilled.”

“There are loud calls for war in Parliament, so shouldn’t we do something to calm them down? Even so, war is too extreme.”

“They probably didn’t truly intend for war. Unless Russia openly declared their indifference. Oh, but what will you demand from Russia? Now that things have escalated, an apology isn’t enough; we need practical benefits.”

Great minds think alike. Wellesley was already considering how to exploit Russia, and a satisfied smile crept onto his face.

Of course, that’s what the Prime Minister of the British Empire should do.

“Actually, there’s not much to gain from Russia. If I had to choose something, I’d be tempted by the territory near the Pacific Ocean, but it’s too far from Canada to manage effectively.”

“You’re referring to the Kamchatka Peninsula next to Sakhalin.”

“Yes. Initially, I considered seizing it, but demanding territory for this matter is unreasonable. And making a specific agreement is a bit awkward. Would it be fitting for the great British Empire to sit at the negotiating table in a strict and solemn manner because of this incident and say, ‘Hand this over and give up that’?”

“That’s true. But isn’t it too lenient to simply say ‘forgive me’ after receiving an apology? It doesn’t align with Your Majesty’s usual principles.”

When you become the world’s strongest power, you must consider appearances and justification rather than minor practicalities.

Some might criticize it as inefficient face-saving, but it’s not merely a waste of resources.

Sometimes these values can yield benefits that money can’t buy.

Of course, that’s separate from this.

As Wellesley said, we need to make them pay for their actions.

So, I conceived the idea of destroying Alexander II’s most prized possession.

It’s not just about revenge.

Trampling on Russia itself will bring significant long-term benefits to the British Empire.

To demonstrate to the world what happens to those who dare oppose the British Imperial Family.

To show that even the emperor of the Russian Empire, once the world’s second-most powerful figure, is no exception.

“Alexander II wanted to restore the former glory of the Russian Empire. If we completely shatter his dream, he’ll likely regret it for the rest of his life. He’ll wonder why he acted that way.”

“Scary, scary.”

“And other countries will once again recognize the power dynamic. No, it’s not so much the difference in power as it is the acknowledgment of the world order.”

Russia erred, and the Emperor kneels and apologizes.

In some ways, it was a simple and natural process, but the way this is presented to the world is crucial.

In crude terms, they practically performed a dogeza [a Japanese term for kneeling and bowing one’s head to the ground] and begged for forgiveness?

This isn’t a diplomatic procedure that arises from an equal relationship.

It’s not just a war that distinguishes the winner from the loser, but it can be seen as a clear superior-inferior dynamic.

The revival of the Russian Imperial Family? That will now be impossible forever.

And I didn’t say it aloud, but of course there are things to gain. Why wouldn’t there be?

Currently, Edward is working diligently in Asia to secure the British Empire’s dominance in the Pacific Ocean, and Russia can no longer interfere in any way.

Regardless of the Qing Dynasty’s situation, the Pacific Ocean is virtually the British Empire’s front yard, meaning they can’t raise any objections.

They may feel unfairly treated, but they should be grateful for my mercy in not forcing them to come to London to apologize.

* * *

Finally, the unveiling.

The highly anticipated public ceremony of the Russian Emperor’s handwritten apology finally commenced.

“…Therefore, I would like to express my deepest apologies once again for causing such great concern, and I sincerely apologize once again to His Majesty Killian, who was greatly harmed by my unilateral decision, and to all members of the British Imperial Family. The Russian Imperial Family will never evade this responsibility and promises to compensate for all the irreversible damage suffered by the British Imperial Family…”

After that, the apology continued endlessly.

There is no other masterpiece as touching as this.

It’s a very long content that reaches several characters, but the core is simple enough to be summarized in one line.

-I was wrong. I’m begging you like this, so please forgive me just once.

It’s as if I told him to kneel, and Alexander II knelt and slammed his forehead on the ground.

Since they explicitly stated that they would compensate for the damage suffered by the Imperial Family, if Russia objects to our actions in Asia later, I can tell them to be quiet.

This was made public in front of all the politicians and was about to be spread far and wide around the world through reporters, so Alexander II is practically finished.

He’s called an emperor, but who would treat someone who knelt to the imperial family of another country in such a humble manner as an emperor?

The Russian nobles will now treat Alexander II as a puppet president and try to control state affairs themselves.

But will the emperor of an autocratic monarchy suddenly say, ‘Ah, yes, I see. Then I will now curl up in the corner and live in silence’?

They will struggle to regain control in any way, and the country, which was just recovering from its past wounds and trying to grow, will start to go wild again.

In this case, it will take at least 10 years for the country to return to normal, or there is a high possibility that the country itself will become a mess without overcoming it at all.

In other words, it means that Russia no longer needs to be feared.

I can just eat popcorn and watch how much the nobles and the emperor fight each other and make a fuss.

Bismarck, who witnessed this situation in London in real time, also clicked his tongue, but he seemed quite satisfied with Russia’s downfall.

“I thought something was off with the Crown Prince recently, but I never imagined that he was carrying out such a plan. Since when have you been working with the Crown Prince?”

“Well. Since when? Didn’t the Crown Prince announce that he was like that from the beginning?”

“It’s hard to say that, because his attitude has been noticeably strange since he came to London. Is what the Crown Prince said really true?”

As expected of the Iron-Blooded Chancellor [Otto von Bismarck].

His ability to discern the truth with just a minor sense of incongruity is remarkable.

“Didn’t I tell you? No matter what happens in this matter, our Prime Minister will never be disadvantaged.”

“Yes, you promised me that. But this didn’t exactly harm me, but I can’t say it’s a benefit either. If I go back to Prussia like this, the Crown Prince’s position will become even stronger.”

“Well, he might receive praise as the top contributor to strengthening the alliance with the British Empire. That would be an unsatisfactory result for the Prime Minister.”

“No, I don’t really…”

“I know everything without you having to say it. And since I promised, I will give the Prime Minister a gift.”

I’ve already kindly informed Friedrich of everything, so he must be preparing himself?

I protected his external honor as a reward for helping me, but he still has to pay the price for recklessly revealing his intentions.

For me, it’s much easier to work with Bismarck, who has been cooperating with me since before the Crown Prince.

“As the Prime Minister said, the Crown Prince has not been cooperating with me from the beginning. He was Alexander II’s secret friend.”

Bismarck was speechless for a moment at my revelation and only blinked.

So, he knows what to do from now on, right?

The fall of royal power isn’t just a story about Russia. It seems like I’ve become someone who only targets kings, which is a strange feeling.