I Became A Hidden Powerhouse Of The British Empire [EN]: Chapter 492

< Uproot and Eliminate (2) >

‘It’s definitely strong, but there are many clumsy aspects.’

That was a famous quote that perfectly captured the state of France in that era.

France, having weathered the storms of the Great Revolution and the Napoleonic era, had long suffered from an unstable political system.

With another revolution threatening to erupt from the accumulated grievances of the citizens, the new royal family was so traumatized by the past that they couldn’t sleep at night.

This was almost inevitable, as most of the French upper class vividly remembered the nightmare of the guillotine.

Therefore, it was only natural that the French royal family leaned towards the pro-British Empire side after overcoming the crisis with the help of the British.

Furthermore, while they experienced setbacks in major events like the war with Russia and intervention in the American Civil War, they ultimately emerged on the winning side.

They had to relinquish control of the American continent, but they recovered significantly by occupying nearly half of Panama, and in Asia, they seized most of the prime land in the Philippines, following their acquisition of Indochina.

Thanks to the pro-British Empire policy championed by former Prime Minister Guizot, the domestic atmosphere and political situation had entered a relatively stable phase.

‘What does it matter what the relationship was like in the past? What matters is who is most helpful now.’

The perception that France was right to align with the British Empire, and that it would be foolish not to, had become widespread throughout France.

However, while this was the case with the British Empire, the situation with Prussia was more nuanced.

‘Marriage? With Marguerite?’

King Louis stroked his mustache and frowned at the unexpected proposal.

‘Is the Crown Prince of Prussia saying he wants to marry a French princess?’

Objectively, Prussia wasn’t a bad match for his daughter, but he wondered about the suddenness of the request.

Unable to decide on his own, he sought advice from the Prime Minister, who also didn’t provide a clear answer.

‘Currently, Crown Prince Friedrich of Prussia is Wilhelm’s only son and is certain to inherit the throne in the future. Considering that King Wilhelm is already well over 70, it may be in the near future.’

‘How old is Prince Friedrich?’

‘He will be 40 soon.’

‘A 15-year age difference? It’s a bit much, but if he’s going to be the king of a country like Prussia, it’s not that big of a flaw.’

What was even more perplexing was the timing of the marriage proposal.

In fact, objectively speaking, the conditions were agreeable.

His daughter Marguerite was of marriageable age, and her original fiancé had died unexpectedly, leaving her without a partner.

If the other party were to be replaced by the King of Prussia, it could be considered a blessing in disguise, but the problem was that the country was Prussia.

‘I would have been more comfortable with Austria, but Prussia… I need to think about it.’

Louis’s wife, the current Queen of France, was a princess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, born in Vienna, so she seemed to subtly favor her own relatives.

And at this point, voices were slowly emerging in the political world suggesting that Prussia, which was constantly growing stronger, needed to be kept in check.

Perhaps Bismarck was trying to promote the marriage for strategic purposes to quell this public sentiment, even if only slightly.

No, it’s not perhaps. In all likelihood, that’s highly likely.

‘Prime Minister, is there any benefit to us if we accept this proposal? Aside from the satisfaction as a father of finding a good match for my daughter.’

‘It could be the starting point for improving the subtly strained relationship with Prussia.’

‘So, what benefits will France get from that?’

In Prussia’s case, the benefits were undeniable.

Currently, Prussia was competing with Austria for leadership of the German Confederation, and at the same time, it was in contact with France and Russia, placing it in a diplomatically precarious position.

If they could establish a firm, friendly relationship with France, anyone could see how much Prussia’s burden would be reduced.

However, the problem was that if you asked what tangible benefits France would receive in that case, nothing immediately came to mind.

It was as if a fierce beast was growing next door, but it was still docile and didn’t show its teeth, so it felt like continuing to feed it.

‘Your Majesty, Prime Minister Bismarck has consistently stated that the triangular alliance between the British Empire, France, and Prussia must remain strong. This marriage can be understood as an extension of that.’

‘The claim that the three countries should form an alliance and divide the world is only possible in the days when Spain and Portugal were rampant. And we’ve already divided up as much as we can, so where else are we going to expand?’

‘I think it means preventing countries like Russia from rising up. The great powers that dominate the world must continue to be the three-nation alliance.’

‘Certainly, that sounds appealing, but the reason people are uneasy is because they don’t know how far they can trust it, right?’

Considering the benefits of this marriage, it was clear that Prussia would gain more.

Frankly speaking, France had nothing to lose by maintaining its current relationship with Prussia.

They already possessed Algeria, the Indochina Peninsula, and the Philippines, so they had little desire to expand their colonies further.

Rather, the consensus was that it was time to consolidate internal affairs to reduce the number of colonies running deficits and further increase profits.

‘Your Majesty, I think Prussia is…’

‘Your Majesty! Prime Minister! I’m sorry to interrupt the meeting, but the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has something urgent to report.’

The Prime Minister, who was about to continue speaking, received a telegram from a staff member who had rushed in, and his eyes widened.

‘Why? Did something happen?’

‘This is a bit… unexpected, but it seems that this news has reached the British Empire as well. They have sent a message saying that if there is a celebration between France and Prussia, the Secretary and the Crown Prince will visit to offer their congratulations, and they wish to coordinate the timing.’

‘The Crown Prince is coming in person?’

Sending such an important guest to congratulate the marriage was tantamount to expressing active support for the union of the two royal families.

‘…It’s a bit surprising that the British Empire is being so proactive.’

‘Your Majesty, there may be some behind-the-scenes circumstances, so I will investigate further first.’

‘Yes. If Guizot were alive, I could have asked him for help at times like this, but it’s a shame.’

Prime Minister Fresnay wasn’t foolish enough to miss the meaning behind the King’s blatant expression of regret.

‘Don’t worry. If necessary, I will go directly to the British Imperial Family and uncover their hidden intentions.’

‘Huh… you don’t have to go that far, don’t overdo it.’

‘No. The former Prime Minister stabilized France by running around like that, but if I just sit back and do nothing, the citizens will throw stones at me.’

The Prime Minister bowed to the King, who was smiling with satisfaction.

Of course, he was desperately trying to suppress the rising sigh inside.

‘Damn it. How long has it been since I went to London, and I have to go back again like this?’

It seems that crossing the English Channel is an unavoidable tradition for the French Prime Minister.

* * *

Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph was experiencing the most bewildered time of his life.

Let’s just say that his daughter, whom he had sent with a desperate heart, became the beloved Crown Princess of the British Empire. Fine.

But it was absurd that things were somehow continuing to unfold in a way that wasn’t unfavorable to Austria, and that strange rumors were constantly circulating, placing his daughter at the center of it all.

‘What on earth is she doing?’

‘What’s going on with the child who was timid and kind, couldn’t say a bad word to her mother, and only cried alone without a word of resentment towards her father, who was too busy to spend time with her?’

‘Isn’t that how rumors are? It’s just meaningless nonsense.’

‘No, rumors without intention cannot spread. There is no complete coincidence in the world, and especially when it comes to the imperial family, that must be the case.’

In particular, if it was a completely different and absurd rumor from the truth, it should normally spread a little and then subside.

However, according to Franz Joseph’s secret investigation, the strange rumors surrounding Gisela were confirmed to be increasing rather than decreasing.

‘Another diplomat who received highly talented education from the Austrian Imperial Family, or something like that.’

‘How does Your Majesty accept this?’

‘Of course it’s slander! Isn’t someone trying to slander that angelic child for some ridiculous reason!’

Some might criticize him for not being a good father when she was growing up, and argue that it doesn’t matter now that she’s married and a member of a foreign imperial family, but Franz Joseph’s heart was firm.

To be precise, now that he had some time to catch his breath, he belatedly felt guilty towards his children.

He also felt that he had neglected his young children under the pretext of having to pay attention to national affairs.

As an emperor with a strong military spirit, he believed that as long as they were born as members of the country’s royal family, they had to endure that much for the country, but he also knew well that his children were hurt by it.

He may have done his best for the country in desperately trying to hold on to the empire as it declined, but as a father, he felt he had failed.

So, wasn’t it natural to want to help his daughter, who was making a new start in the British Empire, to be happy?

‘Your Majesty, but Gisela is now the Crown Princess of the British Empire. If someone is really trying to slander her, wouldn’t that be a problem that the British Empire should solve?’

‘That’s true too.’

Austria had already experienced the heartbreaking event in the past in France where Maria Antonia Josepha [Marie Antoinette] was treated as a witch who ruined the country after being falsely accused of absurd things.

Even though she used the French name Marie Antoinette and became the Queen of France, she was falsely accused of things she didn’t do and was subjected to absurd claims that she lived in luxury and pleasure.

As a result, the public’s antipathy towards the Queen reached its peak, eventually leading to a tragic end.

Of course, that kind of thing would never happen in the British Empire, but wouldn’t it be better to do something than to sit back and watch?

Franz Joseph immediately picked up a pen and wrote a heartfelt letter to Killian, asking him to clear his daughter’s name from these unfair accusations.

* * *

If you were to ask me, Killian, what the most important elements are, I would naturally have to answer fairness, love, and peace.

As such, it is only natural that I refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of other countries or invading them, and instead try to solve problems through dialogue and compromise.

Therefore, Germany and America, which can be said to be the two biggest challenges facing me now, were not something that could be easily solved.

The reason why I tried to influence Bismarck’s actions using Gisela was all because of this, if you think about it.

If I tried to intervene directly, it would inevitably take the form of some degree of interference in their internal affairs, and it would only sow the seeds of even greater conflict.

If I can defuse those two bombs, I don’t think a major war will break out for at least 100 years, so a cautious approach, like that of a bomb disposal squad, is needed.

‘Your Majesty, this is an urgent personal letter from Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria.’

Oh, my. A personal letter is one thing, but what’s an *urgent* personal letter?

Carelessly tearing open the envelope and skimming through what my in-law had sent, I couldn’t help but laugh.

‘Ah… I see. He’s worried that his daughter will be slandered, so he’s asking me to investigate.’

Well, from his perspective, he can’t help but be concerned because he’s hearing strange rumors surrounding his timid daughter.

I wrote a reply promising to take responsibility for finding the culprit and carefully stamped it with the imperial seal.

Who on earth are these wicked individuals spreading such strange rumors?

How dare they try to slander the Crown Princess of the British Empire? I can’t just let these wicked individuals get away with this.

I must find them and make them pay the price.