I Became A Hidden Powerhouse Of The British Empire [EN]: Chapter 477

< The Hidden Power of the British Empire - Episode 477 (477/537)>

< The British Imperial Family (2) >

It is often said that in a world of one-eyed people, a person with two eyes is considered abnormal.

In most societies, minorities are always subjected to oppression and scorn, and are forcibly corrected.

However, there is an exception to everything in the world.

With just one family dinner, the British Imperial Family had almost completely accepted Gisela as Edward’s fiancée.

For them, who always talked about political debates, international affairs, and wealth accumulation, Gisela’s refreshing presence was a balm… well, not exactly a cure, but a welcome change.

Of course, Edward himself, and Adelaide, who thought very highly of Gisela, saw her as a kind of cure.

They always had to maintain a tense attitude, so they felt at ease when they were with Gisela.

On the other hand, William and Beatrice, who were of similar age to Gisela, felt differently.

“Isn’t Gisela also a Habsburg princess? How can she be so… naive?”

“My sister says it’s because she grew up in a different environment than us.”

“Doesn’t Austria provide royal education? I thought their imperial power was stronger than ours, but is that not the case?”

“Maybe they focused their education on the crown prince. Perhaps they think women only need minimal refinement.”

“Still, Austria isn’t stupid, and they must be trying to achieve something through this marriage… Could her appearing so innocent be a kind of strategy?”

You only see what you want to see. How can a tiger cub, raised seeing only tigers, recognize a cat as a cat?

Edward and Adelaide were relatively accurate in judging people, but William and Beatrice did not yet have their insight.

So, they had no choice but to suspect anything too foreign.

“Honestly, I don’t really understand it, but if she’s really hiding her true self, wouldn’t Dad notice right away?”

“Oh… that’s true, too? Well, she’s about the same age as us, so she wouldn’t be able to fool Dad, even if I or my sister couldn’t.”

“No. Thinking about it, Dad might already be aware of everything and even be thinking of using that act against them.”

“Oh! That could really be the case. My brother said that Dad’s best skill is deceiving those who plot against him. If the Austrian Imperial Family is plotting something, they might get hit even harder?”

“First, I need to talk to Gisela a bit more. I find it really strange. Seeing how Edward keeps her by his side, she seems genuinely kind, but how can a member of a royal family grow up like that? Is our family just unique?”

At Beatrice’s question, William shrugged as if to say, “How would I know?”

Unlike the eldest son and daughter, who were twelve years older, the two younger siblings had never had proper contact with members of foreign royal families.

So, when they first heard that a Habsburg royal of their age was coming, they had their own expectations.

What kind of person would a princess from a prestigious family that has established a unique position in Europe for hundreds of years be like?

They anticipated a battle of wits to gauge the abilities of the British and Austrian imperial families, and they were burning with fighting spirit.

The eldest son and daughter, already equipped with experience and wisdom, would not be competitors, so the comparison group would have to be them.

But what was this?

They expected a young wolf to come, but instead, a Spitz [a breed of domestic dog] the size of a fist came wagging its tail and rubbing its body against them, which was baffling.

“…Let’s ask Dad about it in detail later.”

“Yeah. No matter how much we rack our brains, asking Dad will be the most effective.”

The young siblings secretly hoped that Gisela might be a young wolf in sheep’s clothing.

However, no matter how much they tried to probe her, the other party did not easily show any openings.

The young siblings eventually had to admit it.

The other party was either a much more skilled fox than them, or a harmless, innocent puppy.

Which conclusion would they reach?

The two eagerly awaited their father, Killian, to make an official move.

* * *

While the dopamine-starved children observed Gisela like a fantastic creature from a magical bestiary.

“So, His Majesty Franz Joseph didn’t say anything?”

“Yes. Strangely enough, he hasn’t said anything to me since His Highness Edward spoke to him about it.”

“It was a bit of a rough way to put it, but the fact that he’s trying to take care of you that much means you should see it in a positive light and be grateful.”

“O-of course. And Your Majesty, please speak more comfortably to me. If I get engaged to His Highness, I want to think of and follow Your Majesty, whom he respects and loves the most, as my father…”

I was testing Gisela one last time as the representative of the imperial family.

This child’s character has already been verified, but this is like a national alliance, so we can’t be complacent just because she has a good personality.

Of course, even considering all that, she has already passed 99.99%, but we have to verify and move on from any possible 불안 [unease/anxiety] factors.

“Then let’s talk comfortably. By the way, what does that child say about me?”

“He said you are the most respected and beloved person in the world. And not only His Highness, but also Princess Adelaide and the other siblings all love and respect Your Majesty, which I found so, so amazing.”

“Haha, well, it’s not that amazing…”

“No, it’s not. Even for me, my father is so busy with work that I’ve hardly spent any time with him. But Your Majesty seems even busier than my father, yet you are so loved and respected by others. Surely, Your Majesty has given your children immeasurable love, right? I think His Highness and the others send such respect because they know Your Majesty’s benevolent heart.”

I guarantee that’s not the reason.

I love the children, but I’d bet all ten fingers that the reason for their respect is something else.

But is there any need to tell the truth to that Pomeranian [another breed of dog, similar to a Spitz] whose eyes are sparkling with admiration and longing?

I laughed heartily and subtly changed the subject.

“By the way, if we get married, Austria and we will become in-law countries, and as the representative of the imperial family, I can’t not give a gift to my future daughter-in-law, right? Tell me anything you want.”

“Yes? No, I’m really okay. Princess Adelaide has already given me a mountain of jewelry and dresses as an engagement gift, and I think it would be shameless to want anything more here.”

As expected of our eldest daughter, she has already secured a top-notch promotional model, the Habsburg princess, by disguising her favor even in moments like these.

However, I can’t save my face if I just let it go like this.

In addition, if we ask what she wants first, we can more easily grasp Gisela’s tendencies in some way.

If I force her to say what she wants, she will say what’s in her heart, whatever it may be.

It would be best if it were something material, but if she has any desire to help her hometown in any way, I needed to find out to what extent that is.

Even if she’s not that close to her parents, she can’t be without affection for her hometown as a person, and I didn’t want that either.

I just need to adjust it to an appropriate level, so I should first find out what’s on her mind.

Well, given her personality, she won’t say what she wants right away even if I ask her to, so I can just take my time and use various methods.

“Um…”

But unexpectedly, after hesitating for a moment, she carefully made a request that I had not expected at all.

“Would it be okay if it’s a bit of an unreasonable request?”

“Of course. I’m a more capable person than you think, so tell me even if it’s an unreasonable request. I can’t give a low-quality gift to the child who will become the crown princess of the home country.”

“It’s a request related to my younger brother, the eldest son of the imperial family, Rudolf Franz Karl Joseph… Actually, my father and mother are so busy that they couldn’t pay much attention to us. So, since we were young, my brother and I have relied on each other, but now that I’ve left for London, I’m worried about him.”

“I see. It’s true that he must be very anxious, even if he doesn’t express it outwardly, since his only reliable older sister has left for another country.”

Rudolf the Crown Prince, could he be the one who met an unfortunate end by suicide in the original history?

If he’s Franz Joseph’s eldest son and a crown prince who had an unhappy childhood, then it seems like he’s the crown prince I know.

I didn’t expect her to talk about her brother here, but I gave her a look to continue, and Gisela continued to speak diligently, even though she was hesitant.

“My brother has received many wounds from strict education since he was young. It seems a little better recently, but he still complained to me every time I met him that it was too difficult. But after coming here, I saw that William, who is my age, is also receiving education diligently, but he doesn’t seem to be having as hard a time as my brother. So, it suddenly occurred to me how nice it would be if my brother could receive education in a place like this… But no matter what, it would be difficult, right?”

“To have the Austrian Crown Prince study in London…”

I might consider it when I have to think about succeeding to the throne in earnest, but that crown prince was now only a twelve-year-old boy.

Besides, Franz Joseph is still healthy enough to last for decades, so inviting the crown prince in the name of strengthening the alliance wouldn’t be too unreasonable.

Above all, it’s also the place where his only dependent sister is, so wouldn’t the crown prince accept it with a happy heart?

If I take good care of his mental health here, he won’t end his life by suicide like in the original history, and I might be able to plant Austria’s next emperor as a pro-British faction.

No one in the world doesn’t know that the British Empire is a more developed country than Austria, so the justification for studying abroad is certain.

I feel like I’ve drawn the best card that I wasn’t even thinking about?

I frowned once as if I was slightly worried, then nodded with a benevolent smile.

“Since our future daughter-in-law wants it, I have to grant that much. I will talk to His Majesty Franz Joseph directly. I will provide education equivalent to the level received by the crown prince of the home country, and if he wants, I will even attach the best university professors, so how about studying abroad here?”

“R-really?”

“Of course. And when Crown Prince Rudolf comes to London, everything will be unfamiliar, so I will provide convenience so that you can take good care of him over there. It just so happens that I wanted to make friends of similar age for our youngest children, so wouldn’t it be nice if they got along well with these children?”

“If you do that for me, I would be so grateful. Thank you so much. This grace is really…”

“We’ll be family soon, so what’s this for? I would be grateful if you continue to trust and support our Edward as you do now.”

Gisela’s eyes were slightly tearful as she was overwhelmed with emotion, and I comforted her and heard information about Crown Prince Rudolf.

-The Austrian Crown Prince’s study abroad in England.

If this news is delivered, Bismarck, who is excitedly beating Denmark, will have a complicated mind.

I was already timing the intervention in the Danish War, but this is a great excuse to show off in front of Austria.

As expected, this child was a lucky charm that rolled in.