I Became A Hidden Powerhouse Of The British Empire [EN]: Chapter 465

< The Crown Prince Succession War >

Crown Prince Edward’s daily routine was both complex and simple.

Most royals woke up around 6 a.m. at the earliest, but Edward would automatically open his eyes by 4:30 a.m. at the latest.

At this hour, most of the palace servants were still asleep, so he didn’t insist they wake up. Instead, he made his own coffee.

Later, when the servants discovered this, they were startled and offered to take turns, but he repeatedly declined, as making his own coffee had become a personal pleasure.

While drinking coffee, he would turn on the lights and review unfinished tasks from the previous day, or read urgent reports that had arrived in the early morning, and plan his day.

Around 5:30 a.m., he would read a summary report detailing his father’s activities and decisions from the previous day.

He found his father’s methods instructive, dedicating 30 minutes each day to comparing them with his own work and seeking areas for improvement.

By 6 a.m., most of his family members were awake, so he would prepare for breakfast with the help of the servants.

Breakfast was a private family time, governed by an unspoken rule that all members should attend.

Given everyone’s busy schedules, lunch and dinner were often taken separately, making breakfast the primary opportunity to connect and converse.

After breakfast, he would proceed directly to his office for briefings from his secretary and advisors, commencing his official duties.

These included assisting his mother with correspondence to dignitaries from various countries, reviewing responses, presiding over frequent royal events, and coordinating schedules with various institutions.

Having been designated as their successor, his parents had already delegated a considerable workload to him, which Edward accepted and managed without complaint.

“Your Highness, you have a meeting with the Spanish ambassador today. Immediately following that, you are scheduled to deliver a speech at the Royal Charity event. Diplomats from Russia and Prussia will attend the luncheon.”

“It won’t be a simple social gathering, so we need to be particularly attentive. Is all the requested material prepared?”

“Yes, it’s in Your Highness’s office.”

“Then let’s review it while we’re on the way.”

Following this schedule, his younger siblings might go horseback riding, take a walk in the garden, visit other estates, or enjoy afternoon tea.

Edward also used this time to enjoy coffee or tea for about 30 minutes to alleviate his fatigue.

This was also when he would engage in intellectual sparring, disguised as casual conversation, with Adelaide or relax while reading the newspaper.

However, unlike his siblings, for Edward, this was just the beginning.

He limited cultural activities to exactly 30 minutes to an hour each day. The rest of the time, he would invite prominent academics to discuss social issues and emerging technologies.

His father believed that the royal family, if detached from real society, had no right to rule. Therefore, as the future head of the royal family, Edward had to remain informed about world affairs.

Until dinner, he dedicated himself to acquiring knowledge, conducting research, and reviewing reports, aiming to apply this knowledge practically.

Dinner was often consumed at official royal events and social engagements, but he mostly delegated these to his younger sister, Adelaide.

She possessed greater skill and a superior sensibility in such matters.

He was honestly grateful for his reliable younger sister’s assistance in these situations.

He delegated royal-led balls, plays, and concerts to her.

Edward continued to focus on expanding his knowledge during the evening hours.

“Your Highness, shouldn’t you enjoy your youth a little more while you’re still young?”

Even within the current royal family, where a life of restraint was valued, some felt that the Crown Prince was pushing himself too hard.

However, Edward’s response remained consistent.

“I don’t think there are many people who enjoy their youth as much as I do.”

“…Yes?”

“Isn’t that so? Building a strong foundation is essential when you’re young and have the stamina. As you get older, you won’t have the energy, even if you want to. I was speaking with Professor Marx [likely Karl Marx, a prominent philosopher and economist] the other day, and he mentioned that his back aches even after sitting for only four hours, requiring him to stretch. I, on the other hand, can sit for ten hours if I choose. Imagine how much more efficiently I can work now, with the time I have available.”

“No, that’s…”

“Recently, I had a serious conversation with Charles Darwin [the famous naturalist and biologist]. He’s a controversial figure, but his thinking is undeniably profound. He repeatedly expressed his sadness at his declining mental faculties and dulled understanding as he aged. How frustrating would it be to need to review something twice to understand it when you could grasp it instantly when you were younger?”

“Before the age of thirty, I need to develop the skills to handle about a third of my father and mother’s workload.”

“Shouldn’t I maximize my learning during this period when my brain is at its peak performance?”

Recently, he had noticed a decline in his stamina, so he deliberately avoided carriages and opted for bicycles, demonstrating his commitment to self-management.

Even this self-management was aimed at increasing the density of his study and work time, which perplexed those around him.

“…Your Highness, your intentions are admirable, but His Majesty is also concerned about you…”

“I’m eating well and exercising regularly, so what is there to worry about? I’m more concerned about my other siblings than myself.”

If the British Imperial Family had remained a symbolic entity without real power, Edward would not have been so driven.

But that’s not the current reality.

The British Imperial Family is the de facto monarch of Canada and the head of British Imperial Asian policy.

Furthermore, it controls several key locations in the Middle East, including Suez, and the Panama Canal, which will open in a few years, will be added to this list.

It controls global maritime logistics and bears the significant responsibility of managing the Middle East, a strategic base for protecting India.

In particular, his father was making considerable efforts to develop his private land in the sparsely populated Middle East.

However, developing the barren land of the Middle East, which lacks valuable underground resources, is a challenge.

He questioned its worth, but his father only hinted at the truth to him, his successor.

“Although I cannot reveal the specific basis yet, there is intelligence suggesting that a large amount of oil will be discovered in this area in the future.”

He didn’t know the source of this information, but his father was not one to make baseless claims, so he should assume it was true and begin planning.

“Trucial Coast and Qatar Peninsula… All the oil will come from here?”

If oil, currently a highly sought-after new energy source, were to be discovered in abundance, it would be more than just a stroke of luck.

Wouldn’t that mean that, like the Imperial Alaskan territory, the British Imperial Family would become a crucial stronghold, preventing the British Empire from losing its stability in the future?

That’s why his father secretly confided in him, his successor.

With a population of only about 10,000 in such a territory, it is essentially a wasteland. If preparations are made to gradually acquire it, there should be no issues.

“The first step is to divert some of the profits from Suez and Panama to buy out the local tribes and assist them in relocating to other areas… and the second is to send people from the home country to help them settle. The former is manageable, but the latter is problematic.”

Unless offered a substantial sum, who would willingly choose to live in such a hot and desolate land?

This was a problem that even his father struggled to solve, requiring him to continue contemplating and seeking a solution in the future.

With so many important matters to address, what kind of woman should he even consider marrying?

Edward sighed deeply and examined his schedule, which was fully booked 24 hours a day.

“Let’s see… I can’t reduce the workload, reducing study time is illogical, and stopping exercise would compromise my stamina, so that’s not an option. Ultimately, the only remaining options are to reduce meal times, sleep times, and preparation times slightly? If I shave off time from here and there, I can create about an hour of free time.”

One hour a day. This was the maximum amount of time Edward could dedicate to meeting a woman.

He couldn’t sacrifice any more than that. What if they made unreasonable demands?

He’d rather be mistaken for being homosexual.

“But if oil truly becomes abundant, how should I distribute the profits? Should I give my siblings a small stake? I should discuss it with my father tomorrow.”

Looking at the time, the clock already showed 11 p.m.

The day of the Crown Prince, who had maximized his productivity, was drawing to a fulfilling close.

* * *

France is one of the countries that is uneasy about the rise of Prussia, but there is definitely one country that is even more anxious than that.

Emperor Franz Joseph of the Austrian Empire was grappling with a barrage of diplomatic challenges.

Austria possessed a vast territory, but unlike Prussia, where the majority were German, Austria was a multi-ethnic empire with a diverse population.

In particular, the Hungarians frequently voiced their grievances, a trend that intensified in the 19th century, with the rise of nationalism.

Until now, the loose personal union system, where the Emperor of the Habsburg family also served as the King of Hungary, had functioned relatively smoothly.

However, after the Napoleonic era, as the Habsburg family’s authority waned, the ethnic minorities within the empire began to express their opinions more assertively.

In this context, Prussia was increasingly flaunting its power within the German Confederation, naturally amplifying the Austrian Imperial Family’s anxieties.

“I’m going crazy… Bismarck went to London?”

“Yes. Even the Prime Minister of France has gone to London. If some agreement is reached between the three-nation alliance, our position could become precarious.”

“Would France agree to support Prussia? From their perspective, it would be more advantageous to have a balance of power with us as a counterweight to Prussia.”

“Prussia may have offered significant incentives.”

Franz Joseph’s face reflected even deeper concern at the Foreign Minister’s stark analysis.

“We must always consider the worst-case scenario. Had I foreseen this, we should have sent our Prime Minister or Minister to London as well.”

“Even if it’s the Emperor’s birthday, how could we have predicted that the Prime Minister would travel in person so suddenly? Your Majesty’s judgment was not flawed.”

“But the fact that the leaders of the three-nation alliance are all meeting in one place makes me uneasy. How… is there any viable solution?”

“This is somewhat old-fashioned, but the only recourse we have at the moment is to strengthen our ties with that Imperial Family. Is Your Majesty aware? Everyone knows that Queen Victoria is eager to find a Crown Princess…”

At the Minister’s words, the image of his young daughter, raised under the care of Archduchess Sophie, flashed through Franz Joseph’s mind.

When they were young, the sisters had suffered from a high fever together, and the eldest daughter had passed away, but with God’s grace, the second daughter, Gisela, had survived.

She’s only 14 years old now, so she’s very young, but if we arrange an engagement immediately and wait about one or two years, it shouldn’t be too difficult, right?

Even with a significant age difference, the Crown Prince of the British Empire would be a more than suitable husband.

The issue of Old and New Religions can be resolved simply by their respective religious affiliations.

“I’m uncertain how effective strengthening ties through marriage will be in this era, but… yes, it’s far better to attempt something than to remain idle.”

Since an unprecedentedly desirable candidate has publicly entered the marriage market, there’s no guarantee when another opportunity like this will arise.

The eyes of all the royal families in Europe turned towards London in an instant.