I Became A Hidden Powerhouse Of The British Empire [EN]: Chapter 475

< The Danish Dispute (4) >

It was a common practice until the 20th century, across both Eastern and Western cultures, for a married woman to belong to her husband’s family.

Of course, as with everything in life, there were exceptions.

Such as when the woman’s family was overwhelmingly powerful, or when the relationship between the two countries was so strong that the woman could openly leverage her family’s influence.

However, exceptions were just that, and for the most part, it was an unavoidable reality that the husband’s side held the upper hand after marriage.

That’s not to say the woman’s side was completely powerless. Even as the mistress of a noble family, there were countless ways to directly and indirectly influence the family’s affairs.

And if the subject was a country rather than a family, what more could be said?

Openly favoring or using one’s own family’s power was akin to digging one’s own grave, but subtly lending support behind the scenes was entirely possible.

Leaking state secrets was a serious crime, even for a queen or empress, but minor secrets could be passed on without getting caught.

Being greedy would get one’s head chopped off, but staying within certain boundaries allowed for some maneuvering.

That was precisely the level of involvement the Austrian imperial family was asking of Gisela.

– Try to gauge the current perception of the British imperial family through the Crown Prince. Do not ask directly, and it’s fine to just get a general sense of the Crown Prince’s thoughts. Again, make absolutely sure they don’t feel uncomfortable.

This was the content of the telegram that arrived from Vienna as soon as her meetings with the Crown Prince became more frequent.

They didn’t ask about his character, whether he treated her like a gentleman, or anything about the person she might marry.

At least her father seemed curious about what kind of person the Crown Prince was, but her mother continued to treat her with indifference and coldness.

She would have been more comfortable if they had just ignored her completely, but for some reason, they started interfering in everything.

“After treating Rudolf and me like we were nothing, now they’re…”

“Your Highness, the Empress is trying to fulfill her role as the mistress of the imperial family. Please recognize how precarious the situation is in our home country.”

“My mother cared about the well-being of the imperial family? That’s a surprisingly novel perspective.”

Gisela would bet her entire fortune that her mother cared more about managing her weight than the fate of the country.

As her once-beautiful appearance began to fade with age, she had all her portraits and photographs destroyed.

She was such a superficial person that there was even a saying that she loved her children in order of their appearance.

Who would believe her if she suddenly claimed to be fulfilling her duties as Empress?

At least Gisela, who grew up without her mother’s love, could confidently assert that her mother’s words were false.

Perhaps her mother was trying to use her relationship with the British Empire to gain an advantage in her power struggle with Archduchess Sophie, the Emperor’s mother.

This hadn’t been the case before, but recently, the conflict between her mother, Empress Elisabeth, and her grandmother, Archduchess Sophie, had been escalating daily.

This was because Archduchess Sophie, who had wielded considerable influence as the Emperor’s mother, had retreated into seclusion after the tragic death of her second son in Mexico, which had strengthened the Empress’s power.

So, Empress Elisabeth might be trying to use her daughter, who was to become the Crown Princess of the British Empire, to further strengthen her position in the imperial family.

Not out of some grand goal or patriotism, but purely out of spite towards Archduchess Sophie or her husband, Franz Joseph.

Though timid, Gisela was not stupid and was well aware of the complex situation in the Austrian imperial family.

She didn’t want to follow her mother’s orders to use her as a tool for political marriage, but she didn’t have the courage to ignore her mother either.

She complained to the ambassador in a barely audible voice.

“…But Ambassador, His Highness and I don’t have a loving relationship. It’s true that he takes good care of me, but that could just be pity or sympathy, or…”

“Pity can turn into affection, and affection into love in an instant. Regardless of your current feelings, you are the only woman, besides his family, who has a close relationship with the Crown Prince of the British Empire. You must not miss this opportunity.”

“I know, but… asking about Austrian affairs so blatantly would only create animosity. It seems contradictory to the idea of seizing the opportunity…”

A skilled diplomat might be able to discern the Crown Prince’s true intentions without arousing suspicion, as the ambassador requested.

But that was the realm of experts, and how could she, a mere 14-year-old, use such skillful rhetoric?

It was an impossible request from the start.

And if it backfired, her mother would surely blame her for everything and wash her hands of it.

What more could she expect from someone who had neglected her children and only doted on the youngest?

The problem was that the ambassador was also blinded by ambition and was egging on Elisabeth’s excessive demands rather than cutting them off.

“Just bring up the topic naturally. The recent war between Denmark and Prussia is such a hot topic that it would be stranger not to mention it. Just relay what Prince Edward says about it. We’ll do the analysis.”

“…Okay.”

“With Prussia so openly displaying its ambition, the intentions of the British Empire have become more important than ever. Please keep that in mind.”

“……”

The ambassador smiled contentedly as he saw her nod appropriately and turned to leave.

“Haa… I hope he trips and breaks his nose on the way.”

She muttered the most terrible curse she could muster and shook her head with a sigh.

Sound out Prince Edward?

It was easier said than done. How could she possibly do that?

Of course, the war between Denmark and Prussia was the hottest topic of interest around the world, so bringing it up wouldn’t be strange.

Depending on how the Crown Prince reacted, she might be able to read his true intentions.

But Gisela didn’t want to.

Not because she was worried about things going wrong.

Rather, she didn’t want to treat someone who had sincerely comforted her and made her feel at ease with such a calculating attitude.

She still remembered the taste of the sweet hot chocolate she had drunk when she first met him.

One should have some decency; how could she repay kindness with malice?

“But to openly refuse my mother’s words… she’ll definitely incite my father to force the issue…”

Although her father was a loving person, as an emperor responsible for a country, he wouldn’t prioritize his personal feelings.

“Should I just say I’m sick and not go out…?”

How could she feel more comfortable meeting a complete stranger than people from her own country?

It was a night when she suddenly longed for the warm hot chocolate the Crown Prince had prepared for her.

* * *

When Edward went to Joseon [ancient Korean kingdom], he learned that the saying that a country would be ruined if in-laws gained power was surprisingly widespread.

So, King Taejong had almost obsessively cracked down on his in-laws, and surprisingly, his father knew the name well.

His father had even given him the impressive nickname “Kill Bang-won,” so Edward hadn’t forgotten the name.

Although it was a bit extreme, it seemed to him that the king had made the right decision, as the country’s power would decline in an instant if in-laws were allowed to eat away at the country.

Of course, with his future in-laws being the imperial family of another country, and Edward priding himself on being benevolent and patient, he couldn’t handle things that way.

Instead of cutting off heads with a sword, he would have to gnaw at them with his tongue.

He had known from the beginning that Austria was trying to do something through Gisela, so he wasn’t surprised.

Austria, a tiger with not only its teeth but also its claws, toenails, and whiskers removed, couldn’t do much, but it was still necessary to show the power imbalance at least once for a smooth marriage.

He had received his father’s permission, so he didn’t think there would be any problems… but unexpectedly, Gisela didn’t come to see him.

“What? She’s sick?”

“Yes. She says she’s not feeling well and will be resting this week.”

“Oh dear, if she has to rest for the whole week, she must be very ill.”

“Well… it’s a bit strange, but it doesn’t seem to be that serious. The maids who clean say she’s been reading books without looking too tired. However, I heard that she’s also not receiving the Austrian ambassador under the pretext of being ill.”

He had prepared everything he wanted to say to Gisela if she came to sound him out, but he couldn’t execute his plan if she didn’t come.

He clicked his tongue, not expecting such a variable, and stood up.

“If she can read books, it doesn’t seem to be a major issue. Still, I can’t not visit her after hearing this, so please prepare. Don’t forget to prepare fruits and foods that are good for her health.”

“Yes. I’ve already told them to prepare it.”

As expected, it was convenient to have capable subordinates who didn’t need to be told the same thing twice.

Edward loaded a carriage full of Gisela’s favorite chocolates and set off for the residence where she was staying.

And when Edward entered the garden, he surprisingly ran into Gisela, who was supposed to be sick and confined to her residence, in the garden of the residence.

He had suspected it since he heard that she was reading a book, but it was indeed a feigned illness.

He chuckled amusingly and greeted her cheerfully with a box of chocolates in his hand.

“The British Empire’s medical care is the best in the world, isn’t it? It has revived our princess, who was bedridden with illness, to the point where she can even take a walk. One might believe she received a miraculous healing.”

“Oh, no… I was just going to stay out here for 5 minutes because the weather was so nice…”

“I came to see you because you said you were too sick to see me. But fortunately, you seem to be much better.”

“…I’m sorry. I couldn’t think of a good reason, so…”

“Did the ambassador say something?”

“Huh? How did you know?”

Was it because she was still young or because she was naive?

It was hard not to find it amusing how her reactions were immediately reflected on her face whenever she spoke.

Why wouldn’t he be able to deduce it when she was so healthy but wasn’t meeting the Austrian ambassador because she was sick?

“Did Austria perhaps tell you to gauge the intentions of the home country, as Prussia is poised to devour all of Schleswig-Holstein?”

“Well… uh… yes, but I didn’t intend to do that. But I couldn’t refuse, so I was just trying to buy time by saying I was sick…”

“Why didn’t you want to do that?”

“Well… because I didn’t want to do anything bad to Your Highness…”

Oh dear. This isn’t good. I was just going to tease her a little, but I can’t poke her any further because she looks like she’s about to cry.

“Then just tell them this.”

Edward handed the chocolates to Gisela, who had tears welling up in her eyes, and continued in a nonchalant tone, as if kicking away fallen leaves on the street.

“From now on, every time the Austrian ambassador comes to see the princess, Edward will make a statement in support of Prussia in an official setting.”

“…Yes?”

“If you want to know something and are confident in handling the aftermath, the Crown Prince’s office is always open, so please come and visit.”

If you keep your mouth shut, I’ll take care of you, but if you try to overstep, you’re out.

It would be good if you understood my intention to know your place, and if you want to have a battle of wits, you are welcome to do so.

Whichever you choose, it’s just a pleasant win-win situation for the Crown Prince.