I Became A Hidden Powerhouse Of The British Empire [EN]: Chapter 467

< The Crown Prince Competition (3) >

Exactly one month before a large bomb was dropped on London, in the Kingdom of Denmark.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for you, so don’t miss it and be sure to seize it.”

Princess Thyra, the youngest daughter, couldn’t express her feelings about Christian IX’s pressure, and her eyes were just rolling around in embarrassment.

“So… that…”

“Why, is there anything you’re worried about?”

“Ah, yes. That, well…”

As the third princess of Christian IX, she was the youngest of his daughters and had been showered with love since she was a child.

Her mother, Queen Louise, her father, Christian IX, and her older sisters and brothers all cherished her and worked hard to find her a good marriage prospect.

However, people in affluent environments with everything often commit foolish indiscretions.

Princess Thyra had fallen in love with a cavalry officer named Wilhelm Freeman Macheer and was secretly having a relationship with him.

She hadn’t told her parents or siblings, of course, and they had already slept together several times, so what was there to say?

She even crossed a line that should never have been crossed, a truly foolish act, upon hearing the news that marriage talks with a prince from a completely different country might take place.

She hadn’t thought anything when she did the deed, but now that she was actually being told to go to London, she was suddenly terrified.

What if she got caught in London?

She was already worried sick that she might have gotten pregnant when she did something she shouldn’t have last time, but she couldn’t just say that.

How could she say that she was too anxious to meet the Crown Prince in London because she had slept with another man?

If she said that, she would be dragged off to a convent, and her beloved man would likely be forced to commit suicide.

‘Right. Honestly, I don’t even know if I’m pregnant or not? Many people worry about not being able to have children their whole lives, so there’s no way a child would be conceived so easily.’

There’s no need to confess something that hasn’t even happened yet and invite trouble.

After all, just meeting him this time doesn’t mean she’ll be marrying or engaged to the Crown Prince of the British Empire.

She can just go and meet him and then refuse, saying he’s not her type.

But what if they strongly want her?

She absolutely must prevent them from getting together, so she might need to lay the groundwork in advance.

“Um… since the Crown Prince of the British Empire is still single, to be honest, I don’t really trust it…”

“He’s not even 30 yet, so he’s not exactly an old bachelor, is he? In the British Empire, as in other places, many royals marry after 30. The late King William IV married around 50, and his predecessor, King George IV, also married after 30. So, it might just be a characteristic of that family to marry late.”

When you think about it, there are plenty of royals in Europe who are older than the Crown Prince of the British Empire and still not married.

However, the reason why Prince Edward became an issue wasn’t just because he was marrying late.

“Yes, but he’s famous for never having had a scandal with women. I’ve heard that even if a man marries late, he’s bound to associate with women often. But the fact that he hasn’t done so yet makes me wonder if there might be a problem with his, um… his masculine parts…”

“Ah… well, yes, that’s true. Yes, it’s true that some people suspect that.”

It wasn’t quite the level of suspicion of being a homosexual, but Prince Edward had never even had a scandal with women, so he was suspected of being impotent.

In fact, there have been some royals in history who had problems with their male functions and couldn’t have proper relationships with women even at the age of forty.

“But if that were really the case, they wouldn’t be so publicly seeking a Crown Princess. If they went to such lengths to find a Crown Princess and then the Crown Prince couldn’t perform his male duties, how embarrassing would that be for the British Imperial Family? So don’t worry too much.”

“Uh… um…”

“And from what I hear, the Crown Prince is very handsome and passionate about his work. Maybe that’s why he’s been a little late to marry.”

“Yes…”

“So don’t worry and go meet him. Objectively speaking, there is no better marriage prospect, and the committee’s analysis was that you are the most advantageous, so there will be good results.”

The Austrian princess, who is a competitor, is still young, and the other one is too old.

In the end, the Danish royal family, which is currently at the right age, is the most advantageous, but Thyra felt more and more anxious.

‘No, I mean, there shouldn’t be good results!’

Still, if she just frowned enough to not be too rude, they would take care of it themselves.

It’s just a one-time thing to go and pretend she doesn’t know anything, and then it’ll be over.

What could possibly happen in that one time?

With all her excuses blocked, she couldn’t bring herself to say anything to her parents and nodded obediently.

* * *

The Danish Straits, located at the exit of the Baltic Sea, currently hold significant geopolitical value in Europe.

Which country takes the lead in this region is naturally of great interest to the British Empire, and this is also the case for Russia and Germany.

And the Schleswig-Holstein region, located precisely between Denmark and the German Confederation, has always been a cause of conflict.

The fact that it is a member of the German Confederation but also holds a title in the Danish royal family makes it perfect for causing sovereignty disputes, which is the source of the tragedy.

After the Napoleonic era, as nationalism emerged, the Holstein region, with its large German population, demanded independence, while the northern Schleswig region saw Danish nationalists wanting to be absorbed into Denmark.

Prussia, not wanting to miss this opportunity, tried to start a war under the pretext of the demands of the German residents, but the intervention of the British Empire and Russia brought the first conflict to a close, almost maintaining the status quo.

However, this was naturally only a temporary patch, and the seeds of the second conflict could sprout at any time.

The war between Prussia and Austria was probably caused by this, but unlike the original history, a direct war has not yet occurred.

Even so, the national power of Prussia and Denmark has already widened to the point where it is embarrassing to compare them, and Denmark must be feeling tremendous pressure.

The reason they are trying to push their princess as the Crown Princess of this side is probably to create conditions that would make it easier to ask the British Empire for mediation in case of an emergency.

From the British Empire’s point of view, it is advantageous for Denmark, a weak country, to continue managing the exit of the Baltic Sea, so it is a win-win situation for both sides.

From a long-term perspective, both Austria and Denmark have their own useful applications, so whatever Edward chooses, we can create a situation to match it.

“Hahaha, Your Majesty. Seeing you in person this time, the Crown Prince’s face is radiant. Anyone can see that he resembles Your Majesty, and he is so handsome that it makes me, as a man, jealous.”

“I am grateful that you see him so favorably. By now, that child must be talking with the princess. I wonder if they have developed good feelings for each other.”

“Any woman in the world would fall in love with the Crown Prince if they saw him. I would have nothing more to wish for if His Highness would look kindly upon our princess.”

The Danish ambassador was openly flattering and rubbing his hands together.

In his heart, he wanted to have Gisela of Austria meet him first, but Edward seemed to be bothered by the age of 14.

He said that it wouldn’t be good for his image if the first girl he met was a 14-year-old.

Since it was just a matter of order, he told Thyra to see him first, and I agreed without much thought.

Denmark is also a country directly involved in the German Confederation issue, so it’s not bad for building a reputation.

“Ambassador, you must have worked hard to prepare so many things.”

“Not at all. Hard work? Your Majesty has done the hard work, what have I done?”

Um, that’s actually true.

Ordinary citizens and other working-level people may just be interested in the Crown Prince’s marriage itself, but I have to predict the aftermath of this union and prepare for it in advance.

If Edward likes the Danish side, I will slowly discuss the Schleswig-Holstein issue with [Otto von] Bismarck….

“Your Majesty! Your Majesty!”

Ah, geez, what happened again to prevent my thoughts from continuing for more than 5 minutes?

Seeing him rush in like that, even though he clearly knew I was talking to the Danish ambassador, it was clear that it wasn’t a small matter, and I already felt a stabbing pain in my stomach.

The imperial official who came in looked at the Danish ambassador and me with a very troubled expression, then placed a piece of paper on the table and backed away.

“It seems like something has happened, but what on earth…”

The ambassador’s face turned pitch black as he looked at the paper with half anxiety and half bewilderment.

At the same time, even I started to let out a hollow laugh that I wasn’t even aware of.

“Hehehehehe.”

Am I seeing things? What is this? Is what I’m reading real?

When I turned my gaze to the ambassador, he slammed his forehead on the table hard enough to make a loud noise and shouted.

“I’m sorry! I’m so sorry! I will look into it and take action immediately!”

Look at this.

I never thought I would see a scandalous story that I used to watch in daily dramas unfold before my eyes.

Reality always surpasses imagination.

* * *

Not long before Killian grabbed the back of his neck and fell backward.

Edward’s mood wasn’t very good as he had tea with Princess Thyra of Denmark, who had come to London.

What should I say?

Clearly, she came all the way to London because she was thinking about marriage, right?

But what is with that atmosphere as if she was forced to come out?

No. His eyes, which were much sharper than others, relatively accurately pierced the meaning of Thyra’s hardened expression.

It’s not just that she doesn’t like it, but that she’s forcibly suppressing an uneasy feeling.

But what is she uneasy about? Could it be that she grew up like a hothouse flower in the palace and this is the first time she has come to a foreign country and seen another man?

Usually, before getting married, the man goes to the woman’s side to meet, so I can understand if that’s the case.

“Is this your first time in London? The atmosphere is a bit different from Denmark, how is it?”

“It’s a really wonderful city. This is the first time I’ve been to such a crowded and complicated place. Still, the palace is quiet and beautiful, unlike the streets, so it feels strange.”

“If there is anything uncomfortable during your stay in London, please tell me anytime. I will take immediate action to the extent that I can.”

“You are so kind, thank you.”

It’s not that she doesn’t like me, but strangely, the more she does, the more she avoids my gaze, which is a reaction I can’t understand at all.

I was confident that my ability to understand people’s psychology was not low, even if it wasn’t as good as my father’s, but that pride feels very shaken today.

Originally, everything comes from experience, so it can’t be helped that I, who have little experience with men and women, am dull in this area.

Relationships between men and women are as difficult as politics.

“But you’ve looked a little uncomfortable since earlier, are you not feeling well? If so, should we just stop here today and reschedule for another day?”

“Ah, no, that’s not it. I just feel a little bloated, maybe because I came by boat…”

Thyra hurriedly shook her head and took the cup of coffee that the servants had brought, bringing it to her mouth as if to show them.

“The coffee smells really good. It has a fragrant, good origin… Ugh! Ugh!”

She suddenly gagged while smelling it, hurriedly covered her mouth with a handkerchief, and trembled all over.

Is it possible to gag from the smell of coffee? Just as he was about to wonder.

Edward read the complete feeling of fear rising in her eyes and recalled one of the typical symptoms he had read in a book.

His mother had a hard time with this when she was pregnant with him and Adelaide.

The servants who were watching from afar at the sudden commotion were in an uproar and rushed in, someone took Thyra and hurriedly went outside, and someone else called Victoria and Killian’s names and rushed out in a hurry.

Edward, who was watching all the scenes, leaned back in his chair, sighed softly, and brought the coffee to his mouth.

If his father hadn’t strictly forbidden it, he probably would have taken out a cigarette and smoked it.

‘Hoo… this isn’t easy.’

Suddenly, everything in the world becomes annoying.

Should I just quit?

Edward swallowed the curse that was about to come out of his mouth and looked around.

The screams of the panicked people were reflected in his eyes like a scene from a comedy.