I Became A Hidden Powerhouse Of The British Empire [EN]: Chapter 484

< London Social Scene of Tumultuous Times (2) >

“Oh my, is it true that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince personally selected the gifts?”

“Yes, he’s such a warm and caring person.”

“I heard that His Majesty Killian is also very kind and affectionate towards His Imperial Majesty. It seems the Crown Prince has inherited that trait. Gisela is so fortunate.”

“So, tell us, where did His Royal Highness take you? What was your favorite place?”

Gisela, surrounded by the noble ladies who had accepted her invitation, felt overwhelmed by the attention.

*How is it possible that I’m receiving more attention here than in my hometown of Austria?*

Once again, she couldn’t help but realize the immense influence the title of ‘the Crown Prince’s woman’ carried within the British Empire.

“Um… recently, we went to see an opera together. But I think the family dinner was the best.”

“You’re invited to Imperial banquets! It seems you’re already being treated like family.”

“Family… hehe, yes, I’m very grateful.”

The new addition to the Imperial family, whom all nobles admired.

Moreover, not just any royal, but someone destined to become the Empress of this country, barring unforeseen circumstances.

The older noble ladies naturally sought to be close to Gisela, and even the powerful Duchess was no exception.

“The atmosphere in Austria and London must be very different. Are you finding it difficult to adjust to anything?”

“I was worried at first, but I’m settling in well now. His Majesty Killian calls me regularly and looks after me. Not only me, but also my younger sibling. And I have a private meeting with His Majesty at least once or twice a week.”

“Not only His Royal Highness, but His Majesty also calls Gisela?”

“Yes.”

As Gisela nodded calmly, the expressions of the surrounding noble ladies became even more serious.

She didn’t realize it, but in the British Empire, having a private meeting with Killian was considered a tremendous privilege.

The de facto ruler of Canada, one of the United Kingdoms.

The virtual head of the British Empire’s foreign policy and the key figure in Asia.

In addition, he controls the Suez and Panama Canals, dominating the global shipping industry, and his influence extends to the Imperial family and political circles.

In short, being favored by Killian virtually guaranteed success in any election.

For example, the Marquess of Salisbury, known as Killian’s protégé, is already the chairman of the Canadian Parliament at the young age of forty.

Everyone in the British Empire knows that he is the likely successor to Wellesley as the leader of the Conservative Party after Wellesley retires.

Moreover, so many biographies have been written about Killian that everyone knows Wellesley and Disraeli were also Killian’s picks.

“What kind of things do you usually talk about when His Majesty calls you? Ah, I shouldn’t be asking that, should I?”

“No, it’s nothing that important. Last time, he told me I could call him ‘Father’ comfortably.”

“Oh my, he treats you that intimately?”

Having such familiar conversations with someone who is essentially the head of the country was unheard of.

Gisela wondered if it was truly appropriate, but since Killian had instructed her to do so, she didn’t feel the need to be self-conscious.

And the noble ladies gathered here all had husbands who were influential figures in the political and business world.

They were all acutely aware of what it meant for Gisela to speak so casually about Killian.

“His Majesty seems to have a lot of worries. So recently, I even brewed him some tea that is said to help with mental stability.”

“You’re really close. If others saw you, they would think you were his own daughter, not his daughter-in-law.”

“I secretly think of him as my own father.”

After that, Gisela exchanged trivial small talk with the noble ladies and answered their questions.

And of course, even after she left, the ladies gathered again and reminisced about the stories they had shared earlier, making a fuss.

“Did you hear that? My goodness, it feels like they are much closer than I thought.”

“I know, right? I just assumed he was trying to bring in a nice and quiet daughter-in-law, but it doesn’t seem that way at all.”

“The Emperor is clearly orchestrating a grand strategy by treating both the Austrian princess and the Crown Prince as a package deal.”

It’s not just about luxury goods and pleasure in a social circle where only women gather.

Rather, what the highest class is most interested in is power.

In that sense, it’s not much different from men.

In some ways, women were often even more hungry for such news and information.

They were the spouses of the powerful and the mothers of sons who had not yet seized power.

In order for their beloved sons, whom they wouldn’t trade for anything, to succeed, they had to keep a close eye on which direction to go.

Who to align with and which business or policy to participate in.

“Seeing how much effort they are putting into Austria, it’s clear that His Majesty is trying to strengthen the alliance with Austria.”

“Then, will the future key positions be related to Austria? My husband knows a lot of people in the embassy or consulate there. Should I try to secure a position in advance?”

“I would appreciate that.”

“What are you talking about? We all have to help each other out like this.”

Giving money to children to help them succeed or aligning with people who are likely to have a bright future is a practice that has been around in the past and will continue to be so in the future.

“By the way, Princess Gisela looks very good, doesn’t she?”

“Yes, she seems pure and considerate. I feel like I know why His Royal Highness the Crown Prince cherishes her.”

“Then, should we continue to cultivate a deep relationship in the future?”

“Of course. If we become close now and naturally introduce our daughters, how much help would that be to those children?”

Since she came from Austria, she would naturally have few friends in London.

However, the Crown Princess of the British Empire cannot just meet anyone, so her friendships are bound to be limited.

And the children of the noble ladies gathered here were of a status that was not lacking at all to have a friendship with the Crown Princess, so naturally they couldn’t help but be envious.

“If we become close to Princess Gisela, we might be able to associate with other members of the Imperial family, so there is no better opportunity than this. We should invite her often in the future to strengthen our friendship.”

“Yes, I agree.”

After that, Gisela’s stories about her close relationship with Killian at tea time became an established fact among the noble ladies: that the British Empire was trying to strengthen its alliance with Austria.

Once that fact was established, the political and business figures who heard this from their wives naturally began to perceive it as truth.

“What? The Imperial family is trying to do something using Austria?”

“Yes, that’s definitely true. As evidence, His Majesty Killian calls the Crown Prince and Princess of Austria to the palace almost every week for private meetings. Isn’t that proof that he is not only entrusting them with general education, but also personally teaching and instructing them?”

“I see. Send a telegram to the home country right away.”

The Prussian embassy was running around frantically, and,

“Is the British Empire trying to do something through Austria because it is impossible for them to intervene directly?”

“We don’t know what kind of strange schemes those guys will use again. Shouldn’t we inform His Majesty of this fact right away?”

“Of course. Send a coded message to the home country. And we need to dig up more detailed information.”

The misunderstanding of the Russian side, which was keeping a close eye on the Balkans and the German Confederation, was naturally deepening.

* * *

Some people say that the answer is to solve complex problems simply and directly.

Like when Alexander the Great cut the Gordian knot [an intricate knot symbolizing an unsolvable problem] with a sword, which no one could untie, and loudly declared that he had solved it.

At one time, many people were impressed by this and simply pushed through with force, making the sophistry that they had solved it anyway. Surprisingly, there are still quite a few people like that in this era.

“There are members of parliament who say that we should support the Ottomans to repel Russia.”

“Oh, really? Who is the owner of such genius and excellent insight?”

“Graham of the Conservative Party…”

“Please tell him that I will consider it if he is going to hold a gun and stand on the front line himself. Tell him to shut his mouth if he doesn’t have the courage to do so.”

This is all because the British Empire has become too strong.

In the old days, most people wanted to check Russia’s power, but avoid actually fighting Russia.

But that’s not the case now.

Compared to when the Crimean War [a war fought in the mid-19th century between Russia and an alliance including Britain, France, and the Ottoman Empire] broke out, Russia has become relatively weaker, and the British Empire has become stronger in contrast.

In addition, even if we only look at the alliance, France and Prussia were still strong, and if we add the Ottomans, it would be easy to bring Russia to its knees.

In fact, there were those who said that we should take this opportunity to destroy Russia altogether with such calculations.

How can we intervene in the war when there is no justification for it?

Originally, it is the British Empire’s specialty in the 19th century to strike first for no reason, with the idea that if you don’t like it, you should be the strongest country.

It means that there are people everywhere who are grinding their teeth, ready to spew out their hatred if I am not holding the reins tightly and I am negligent for a moment.

“Your Majesty’s position is that we should not directly intervene in this war for now.”

“Not only me, but doesn’t everyone think so? If we have to fight, we have to fight. But what benefit is there for us in sending troops to the Balkans?”

“The Ottomans are just asking for weapons support and for the navy to contain Russia. And there are people who believe that if Russia completely swallows the Black Sea, the Suez Canal [a crucial shipping route connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea] will be threatened.”

“It’s not too late to intervene when Russia becomes that reckless and greedy. Rather, that would be better in terms of justification. If we intervene now, it will only fuel the aspirations of those small countries where the independence movement is already brewing.”

The desire for independence of countries such as Serbia and Bulgaria has already exceeded the level that can be controlled.

Suppressing it now is only a waste of time, and it will only incite anti-British Empire sentiment over there.

In that case, wouldn’t the perception of Austria, which is scheduled to have a close relationship with the British Empire, also plummet?

We must avoid such a thing unconditionally for the sake of what we are planning now.

“Then, shall we ignore the Ottoman’s request for support?”

“Please just say that we will try to resolve it diplomatically first.”

To put it bluntly, Russia is in a hurry, not us.

They must be in a hurry because we are slowly releasing the bait that we can counterattack if they make a rash decision and deploy a significant technology.

“We will decide how to respond when Russia makes its move and we see the extent of their actions. Ah, and we will announce Edward and Gisela’s marriage when their war is over. Please be aware of this and prepare accordingly.”

“I understand. It’s earlier than expected, but considering the subsequent plans, it certainly seems to be the best time.”

The combination of the world’s strongest power, the British Empire, and the traditional prestigious Habsburg dynasty [one of the most influential royal houses of Europe].

And it is a very natural progression for the Crown Prince of Austria to take the British Empire, which is successfully embracing multi-ethnic and multi-racial people, as a role model.

Just letting this atmosphere develop slowly will cause the public opinion of minorities within Austria to fluctuate significantly.

And less than 72 hours after the report that the British Empire may intervene in this conflict using Austria reached Russia,

The Russian Empire declared that it could no longer tolerate the oppression of Orthodox Christians and Slavic peoples, and the great curtain of the Russian-Turkish War, which had been brewing for far too long, rose.

< London Social Scene of Tumultuous Times (2) > End

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