I Became A Hidden Powerhouse Of The British Empire [EN]: Chapter 47

Became a Hidden Power in the British Empire 47

Everything You Want

A few days after the election results were announced.

Earl Aaron’s mansion had transformed into a Conservative Party celebration for their victory in Ireland.

“We’ve secured 45 seats in Ireland this time, 45 seats! That’s a whopping 17 more than the last election. It’s all thanks to the Earl’s hard work.”

“Haha. You flatter an old man too much. This is the result of all of our efforts combined. How can I claim it’s my achievement alone?”

“Such modesty. Even O’Connell’s Repeal Association gained 11 more seats compared to the last election, but our party gained 17 more. On the other hand, the Whig Party was completely crushed.”

“Indeed, our party took the largest share of the Whig Party’s pie, which shrank from 33 seats to 5. Of course, I put in a lot of effort, but it was largely thanks to the Tory Party rebranding itself as the Conservative Party. So, the contributions of young members like you are greater than mine, if not equal.”

Wellesley, after hearing the Earl’s kind words, laughed heartily and brought his fellow members of parliament to introduce them one by one.

Disraeli, Gladstone.

They were names James had mentioned in detail recently, so they sounded familiar.

Now, I know everything, not just their names but also their relationship with my son.

With both the Conservative and Whig parties unable to secure a majority without O’Connell’s cooperation, they were hastily sending representatives to Ireland.

Wellesley and his comrades had also come to this remote place, ostensibly to persuade O’Connell.

However, the Earl already knew the full story.

Daniel O’Connell had already concluded some sort of negotiation with Killian, and it had been decided that the next Prime Minister would come from the Conservative Party.

However, since the Conservative and Whig parties were unaware of this fact, they had no choice but to desperately try to persuade O’Connell, who was still maintaining his silence.

Charles Wellesley and Disraeli volunteered to take on this important task, and Robert Peel sent the young members of parliament to Ireland with a prayer in his heart.

It must have been because he judged that those with relatively good images among the public would be more advantageous in persuading O’Connell.

Of course, since the answer was already determined, O’Connell would pretend to be persuaded by Wellesley and side with the Conservative Party, and it was easy to predict how much Wellesley’s position would rise within the Conservative Party.

It was an incredibly elaborate and perfectly designed script.

And when I learned that the person directing this grand play from behind the scenes was none other than my son, Killian Gore.

The Earl felt a complex emotion that he couldn’t put into words.

“Earl, we’ll be on our way now, so please rest comfortably. Oh, by the way, do you know where Killian is?”

“My son is probably greeting other guests on the first floor.”

“I see. Then we’ll go there too.”

Although the owner of the mansion was Earl Aaron himself, he knew very well who Wellesley valued the most here.

He couldn’t help but notice from the way they subtly looked for Killian from the moment they first arrived.

At first, I thought James was making some silly joke.

I knew my son was smart, but after all, he was still a young student.

But what… his assets may already be dozens of times greater than mine, he’s supporting the next generation of Conservative politicians from behind, and he’s even formed a cooperative relationship with the rapidly rising Daniel O’Connell.

Oh, and I also heard that he has friendly relations with Victoria, the future queen, King William IV, and the Duchess of Kent.

This was also an absurd story.

The bad relationship between William IV and the Duchess of Kent was a well-known fact not only in England but also in Ireland.

But could there really be someone who is close to both of them at the same time?

But since that’s actually the case, the Earl could only feel like he was possessed by a ghost.

Of course, I’m happy that my son is an incredible figure whose potential is hard to fathom.

However, it was so far beyond common sense and so unrealistic that I couldn’t help but be dumbfounded.

Still, when I think about it, I think I feel the most joy and pride.

Because the person who is more outstanding and promising than anyone else among the many people gathered at this party today was none other than my son.

With this, the efforts I’ve made to pave the way, working my old body so hard, can have an even greater meaning.

As I was lost in thought for a moment, James, who had spotted me from afar, quickly walked over and greeted me.

“Earl, you were here. You must be tired. Shouldn’t you go inside and rest?”

“Even if I’ve passed it on to my son, how can the owner of the mansion not even show his face? I was just greeting the young members of parliament from the Conservative Party.”

“I see. How was it?”

“Haha… To be honest, I still can’t believe it. I can understand Disraeli, but Charles Wellesley is a true aristocrat who can be called a ‘thoroughbred’ even in England. And Killian is supporting such a person from behind? It would be more understandable if it were the other way around.”

“That’s because Master is an extraordinary person.”

James had told me the truth after receiving Killian’s permission.

He said that he hadn’t told me before because he didn’t want to cause any unnecessary worry.

In other words, it means that his position is now so stable that there’s no need to worry anymore… Isn’t that an admirable level of confidence?

“Come to think of it, you’ve also become Killian’s right-hand man instead of mine at some point.”

“Well, that’s…”

“I’m just joking. Of course, you have to switch to a new horse that is more capable and healthier than this old nag. What do you think of Killian? Is he someone who can become even greater than Daniel O’Connell?”

Even so, wouldn’t it be unreasonable to put an Irish aristocrat on the same level as such people?

For a moment, I had that thought, but perhaps that itself is evidence that this hardened mind is not ready to accept a new era.

“What a pity, what a pity. If I had had that child when I was just a little younger, I could have seen that exciting sight too.”

“Why are you saying that? You can minimize your work from now on and focus on recuperating. You’re only seventy-four years old, Earl.”

“Hey, you have to say it right. At seventy-four, it wouldn’t be strange if I had already gone to be with God.”

I used to think that I wouldn’t regret it whenever I went to God’s side, but now I can’t help but feel a sense of regret.

When did that start?

It must have been from that day.

The day when a young bloodline, whose existence I had never known, came into my mansion holding James’s hand.

I wanted to live a little longer and pass on as much as I could until that child grew up and could do his part.

But from what I hear, Killian seems to have already finished preparing to fly to that distant place where he doesn’t need my help.

And that too, solely with his own abilities.

“James, it seems like my work is mostly done, right?”

“Yes? What do you mean? You should live a long and healthy life and watch Master rise higher and higher with a joyful heart.”

James’s anxious voice was somehow unlike him, and I chuckled.

I’ve been overdoing it lately, so I quickly get tired and sleepy even after just having this much of a conversation.

“I think I’m tired, so I’ll take a nap. I want to talk to Killian, so if you don’t mind, could you call him for me?”

“J-Just a moment, please! I’ll bring him right away!”

“What a fuss.”

Come to think of it, I forgot to say goodbye. I must remember to tell my son.

Watching the back of my old friend hurrying downstairs, the Earl slowly closed his eyes.

* * *

“Father!”

After hearing from James that his condition was not good, I rushed upstairs without looking back.

Fortunately, whether he was really tired and had just fallen asleep, my father raised himself up halfway and stared blankly at me.

“Why are you rushing up here like that? Other guests will think something terrible has happened.”

“Haa… Why did James say such strange things…”

From what he said, he seemed to be in critical condition, but did James just exaggerate?

Well, elders of this age change their condition several times a day, so there’s no point in scolding him for making a fuss.

Rather, I should praise him for doing a good job.

“Wellesley said he was going downstairs to meet you earlier. Did you talk to him?”

“Yes. He said he was planning to leave the mansion tomorrow to negotiate with O’Connell.”

“Negotiation… Hehe, I hope it goes well.”

“I hope so too. It’s just a feeling, but I think it will go very well.”

“It’s so strange. Aside from being smart, there was no one in our family who was as politically savvy as you. Who did you take after to blossom like this?”

Smiling, my father got up from his seat, grabbed his cane, and slowly entered the bedroom.

He’s the type of person who doesn’t want anyone to support him when he has the strength to walk alone.

I paid close attention to make sure he didn’t fall.

Leaning against the neatly made bed, my father stretched and took a deep breath.

“Oh, I feel a little better now. As expected, just being at such a boisterous party at this age feels like it’s draining my energy.”

“So, from now on, don’t go to such busy places and just rest comfortably.”

“You’re saying the same thing as James. Well, you’re already doing well enough on your own, so you don’t need my help anymore.”

“Still, thanks to Father, I was able to create the most ideal structure I had in mind for this election. Thanks to you, I think things will go well in the future.”

“Really? Come to think of it, I have a lot of questions for you too. James told me everything, but he didn’t tell me about your personal feelings.”

My father looked at me with eyes full of anticipation.

“Feel free to ask me anything you’re curious about.”

“Really? Then what should I ask… I heard you often talk to Princess Victoria at Kensington Palace? What do you think of the Princess? She’s about the same age as you, so I wonder if she’s interested in you too.”

“Why are you saying such ridiculous things? You know very well what will happen if I hit on the Princess.”

“Tsk, tsk, if a man and woman like each other, they like each other. You don’t have to approach such things with too many political elements. Of course, it would be a problem if you officially revealed it, but there’s also a saying that secret romances are more exciting.”

As expected, when it comes to stories about their children’s love lives, they get more excited than necessary. Is that a universal truth regardless of status?

He seems even more excited than when he won the election.

“Unfortunately, we’re not in that kind of relationship right now.”

“Really? Then what kind of woman do you think the Princess is? Was she pretty?”

“She seems to have lost some weight recently. She wasn’t fat to begin with, but her servants are worried that she’s been drastically reducing her food intake recently.”

“It seems like there’s someone she wants to look pretty for. If she’s a girl of that age, it’s the time when she’s most likely to have such feelings.”

“That’s because Father is looking at the situation with such hopes from the beginning.”

My father smiled and turned his head, adding, “I wonder if that’s really the case.”

If I keep going like this, there will be no end to it, so I decided to subtly steer the conversation in another direction.

“Come to think of it, you heard that I met King William IV. It was my first time going to Buckingham Palace, and it was really splendid.”

“Really? That must have been an amazing experience. But Killian, according to your plan, the future you will be someone for whom it’s not strange at all to go in and out of such palaces, right?”

“I’m going to work hard to make that happen.”

“James told me earlier that you’re a person who should be compared to the Duke of Wellington, not O’Connell. When I heard that story, I realized that I had never asked you about your future goals. So I want to ask you, Killian, what do you want to become in this country in the future?”

Future hopes.

In fact, it’s difficult to ask me that, but I haven’t found something that I can define my goal with in a single word yet.

A member of the House of Lords of the British Empire? The Prime Minister of the Parliament? A hidden power in Buckingham Palace?

Everything is missing something.

So, if I had to say it, it would be…

“I want to become someone who can control this country as I please.”

“Do you mean you want to become Prime Minister?”

“If I need to become Prime Minister to achieve my goal, I will. But just because I become Prime Minister doesn’t mean I can do whatever I want with this country.”

“Huh, hahaha! I see. You didn’t mean it as a figurative expression, but as a literal meaning. I’ve seen people who say they’re going to make Ireland independent or become the next queen’s confidante, but today is the first time I’ve seen someone who says they’re going to shake this country itself. And that’s my son.”

“I’m only saying this because it’s my father. I never show it in front of other people.”

After laughing for a long time, my father closed his eyes with a more relieved expression than before.

“To be honest, even before I brought you here, I had a lot of worries. Is this the right thing to do? Am I unnecessarily stirring up trouble among my relatives? Am I causing a futile commotion because of my obsession with blood? All sorts of thoughts kept running through my head.”

“That’s understandable enough. I would have thought so too if I were you.”

“But now I can say for sure. The greatest gift in my life of over 70 years was none other than you. Although the time I could spend with you wasn’t very long, those short few years with you were much happier than 70 years. Oh, and please give my regards to James. Tell him that I hope he will rise to a position that suits his abilities, even later on.”

“It wasn’t short. We can build more happy times for a long time to come, so why are you saying such weak things?”

I’m getting anxious, so this won’t do.

As I turned around to leave to bring a doctor, my father grabbed my arm.

It was such a weak force that the expression “slightly touched” would be more appropriate than “grabbed,” but I felt a weight as heavy as a thousand pounds and stopped in my tracks.

“Killian.”

“Yes, Father. I’m listening.”

Holding the hand that was weakly reaching out to me, I gave up on trying to call a doctor and approached the bed.

My father’s voice was a little smaller than before, but it was surprisingly clear and clear. Like a final burst of light.

“It will be difficult to fully demonstrate your abilities with this small position that I’m passing on, right? I also know very well now that the small vessel of Ireland cannot contain you. So…”

I could feel a very small force entering my father’s hand holding my palm.

“The process of you getting everything you want… I and your mother, who gave me the greatest gift of my life even though I don’t even know her name, will be watching from heaven. Whether it’s a person or a country, take everything you want.”

What else could I say?

“…Yes. I’ll make it happen, so don’t worry about anything.”

“…”

“My life has changed since the day Father brought me here. The higher I rise in this country, the more it will all be thanks to Father… Father?”

The 3rd Earl Aaron and my father, Sir Arthur Gore, did not answer.

With a peaceful smile as if he had heard all of my last words.

My father never opened his eyes again.

And something warm that I thought I would never shed in my life flowed down my eyes.