I Became A Hidden Powerhouse Of The British Empire [EN]: Chapter 89

Became a Hidden Power in the British Empire 89

Wedding Commotion (3)

The morning at Buckingham Palace was as vibrant as ever.

Victoria awoke in her bed, feeling uncharacteristically dizzy.

“…What is it?”

She blinked, disoriented, looking around the room, struggling to understand where she was.

Where was her familiar room in Kensington Palace? Why was she sleeping here?

“Ah, I slipped away with Killian from the ball yesterday.”

That much she remembered clearly.

She had meticulously planned an opportunity to be alone with him, ready to get the answers she sought.

But, as always, her own personality had gotten in the way.

Even though she knew it was coming, seeing the Duchess subtly introduce her daughter to Killian had made her lose her composure.

To top it off, she had enjoyed talking and drinking with him so much that they had finished the wine bottle much faster than expected – a definite misstep.

“Ha… I ruined the opportunity I barely created, like an idiot.”

She should have made Killian drink two glasses for every one of hers to account for his higher alcohol tolerance, but she had drunk so much herself. How could she not get drunk?

“But regardless, why am I sleeping here?”

Holding her throbbing head, she instinctively drank some cool water and tried to think, but yesterday’s memories were hazy.

She remembered trying hard to empty her wine glass while probing Killian’s true feelings, and when he didn’t give her a straight answer, she had become frustrated and drank even faster…

A voice suddenly echoed in her head as she struggled to remember.

– Your Majesty, you’ve had too much to drink. Let’s go to the bedroom and rest.

– No~ I’m not drunk. I’m not drunk at all? But if the Minister answers me, I’ll go to the bedroom. No, the Minister should take me.

“…Heh.”

The moment she recalled her disgraceful behavior, Victoria clenched her fist.

A wave of embarrassment washed over her, sending a chill down her spine.

She swore she had never felt this way in her life.

“…I want to die.”

It wasn’t an exaggeration; she meant it sincerely.

– No, just do it without anyone knowing! Is that a refusal of the Queen’s order now, huh? This is it, that thing. Treason! No, treason is too harsh, uh…

“Ugh! You crazy woman! What on earth did you do!”

She shouted at the foolish woman reflected in the mirror, but nothing changed.

“No, no, no. There’s no way I would have done such a crazy thing. This is it. I had a dream, I had a dream. Ah~ I had such a realistic dream. Haha… hahaha.”

She shook her head frantically, trying to deny reality, but the memories became clearer and clearer as time passed.

No, please stop coming to mind!

It would be better not to remember anything at all; what is this?

But no matter how much she denied reality, the fact remained unchanged.

The crazy girl who was slurring nonsense that was hard to tell whether it was affection or grumbling was definitely Victoria, the Queen of the British Empire. Herself.

It was unacceptable for a human being who was the queen of a country to get drunk and pass out in a place where she was talking alone with a man.

Normally, she would have been worried about damaging the prestige of the royal family, but frankly, she didn’t care about that right now.

“Haa. If I had known I would show such a disgraceful appearance, I should have just asked him honestly while sober.”

How dumbfounded must Killian have been to see the queen in such a state?

Or was he? Thinking about it, she hadn’t sensed any negative emotions in his gaze towards her.

And she was sure that Killian had said that they should have a proper conversation when she came to her senses, but she wasn’t entirely certain if she had heard it correctly.

No, wait a minute.

What if he was disgusted by her behavior and decided to marry another woman?

There were already plenty of women throwing themselves at him, and he might decide to find a more elegant and demure woman than a queen who gets drunk and spouts nonsense.

If that really happened…

“Life is truly exhausting.”

Victoria fell back onto the bed and stared at the ceiling.

Was there any way to turn back time to last night?

“…Damn queen.”

If she weren’t a queen but just a member of the royal family, she could have simply followed her heart and gotten married like her Uncle Frederick, regardless of what anyone said.

Victoria wasn’t a fool.

She was still clumsy in relationships and made many mistakes, but she prided herself on her ability to understand situations because she had a naturally bright mind.

The reason why Killian didn’t get any closer than a certain distance, no matter how much she pushed.

She knew it all too well. She knew it all, but she couldn’t help it.

That was the power of human emotion.

She was keenly aware that even the Queen of the British Empire, the symbol of the world’s strongest nation, was not immune to such human frailties.

As she was wallowing in self-doubt, Cecilia, the head maid, spoke from outside the room.

“Your Majesty. May I come in for a moment?”

“Yes. I’m awake, so you can come in.”

“Then, excuse me.”

Cecilia carefully entered the room and smiled wryly at Victoria, who was still lying on the bed.

“Do you have a headache or feel unwell?”

“No. I wish I did. Sadly, my body is too fine now. But who brought me to this room yesterday?”

“Killian called me. He said that Your Majesty was in a good mood and had too much to drink, so he asked me to escort you so that others wouldn’t see.”

“Haa. I caused trouble until the very end…”

It would be one thing if she was just tipsy, but it was unacceptable to show the young queen completely drunk to the outside world.

Killian’s judgment was accurate, and he did his best for the queen until the end and then left.

Hearing that story made her feel good again, and she felt something swelling inside her chest.

“Did Killian say anything else to you separately?”

“That child never reveals his deep feelings. Ah, but he did say that he would come to see if Your Majesty was okay today. Perhaps Your Majesty would know if you remember what happened yesterday…”

“Today? Then that means he’s coming soon!”

“Yes. He said he had some meetings with Conservative Party members, so he probably won’t arrive for about three hours? If you don’t feel up to it, I’ll send word for him to come another day.”

“No, no, you can’t do that. Tell them to prepare to receive a guest right away. Three hours is enough time to somehow get everything done, from bathing to makeup and dress selection. There’s enough time, so let’s just see him today.”

Why, isn’t there a saying that if you have to go on stage, it’s best to do it right away?

If it’s something you have to endure anyway, it’s better to just do it today.

After washing herself clean with the help of the maids and looking in the mirror, she suddenly thought of Killian’s face, which was becoming more and more handsome.

She had lost even more weight than before, so she was at a level where she would be called beautiful wherever she went, but she couldn’t do anything about her height.

‘I wish I could grow just one more hand span.’

When they first met, the height difference wasn’t this big, but while she had barely grown, Killian had suddenly grown so much that she had to look up at him.

‘Come to think of it, he seemed to have grown a little taller while he was in Asia…’

She glanced down at the splendid shoes made by the best artisans that she would wear today.

They were beautiful enough, but wouldn’t it be nice to have thin, high-heeled shoes that could make her height look even more beautiful?

Victoria looked in the mirror, straightened her back, and slightly raised her heels to look even taller.

Why did she feel like she didn’t have enough dresses or shoes these days?

Victoria looked through countless outfits and fell into a question for which she could not find an answer.

* * *

As soon as the ball ended, I was summoned to a meeting disguised as an invitation from the Conservative Party elders, and I exchanged pleasantries with them.

After finishing the schedule, I immediately directed the carriage to Buckingham Palace to meet Victoria.

I expected that she might postpone our meeting due to the events of yesterday, but surprisingly, that wasn’t the case.

Even though she drank until she fell asleep, it seemed she didn’t have a hangover.

But was it because she still remembered yesterday and was embarrassed, or was it because she was enduring feeling unwell?

Victoria, wearing a colorful dress, came out of her private room and sat silently for a long time after facing me.

“It’s a bit awkward to be alone in a large room, unlike yesterday.”

“I sent all the servants out because I thought we would be talking about things they shouldn’t hear.”

“I see. Your Majesty, how have you been feeling today? Yesterday, that…”

“Ah~ yesterday? I wonder. What did I say? I don’t remember anything. Did something happen?”

Was she planning to subtly pretend not to remember like this?

Well, if I were in that situation, I would have spent at least thirty minutes doing ‘blanket kicks’ [a Korean expression for feeling embarrassed] as soon as I woke up and rolled around covering my face, so I understand how she feels.

But I can’t let her gloss over it.

“I see. Then you wouldn’t remember what I said yesterday either, so let’s talk about it next time…”

“No, no! I remember! Haha, I unintentionally made a mistake yesterday. I guess I was so happy to see the Minister after a long time.”

“I see. But Your Majesty is the Queen of this country. You should be a little more careful from now on.”

“I know. In the first place, it’s all because of who… no, there’s no point in saying this.”

Victoria, who still couldn’t look at me straight, sighed deeply and continued.

“I know. It was definitely not appropriate to try to gauge your feelings by getting you drunk. But since we both remember what happened yesterday anyway, there’s nothing I can do.”

“I’ve thought a lot about it too. I promised Your Majesty yesterday, so let’s come to a conclusion to some extent today, even if it’s not completely.”

“…Huh? Re, really?”

“Have I ever lied to Your Majesty?”

Just as I was about to start talking, Victoria bit her lip tightly and dropped her gaze back down, barely meeting my eyes.

To be honest, I’m a little embarrassed to have this conversation.

In my previous life, I only interacted with people based on necessity and profit.

Of course, that hasn’t changed much now.

Immediately after entrusting her to Aunt Cecilia yesterday and returning, I kept worrying.

It’s clear that I have goodwill towards her.

I find her interesting, admirable, and likable.

If you ask if it’s love, I can’t honestly guarantee that, but that might be because I’ve never truly loved anyone in my previous life, so I’m not sure.

And I’m well aware that Victoria’s feelings are much stronger than the goodwill I have.

But the reason why I haven’t given her certainty until now is because the realistic risks are too great.

And the reason why I didn’t refuse outright is because the potential benefits are as significant as those risks.

“Your Majesty. First of all, as Your Majesty knows, the Queen of the British Empire cannot meet just anyone.”

“I know that too. But… Killian isn’t just anyone. He’s not only an Irish man but also an English nobleman, and now he’s a hero who has made a significant contribution to the country.”

“Yes. That’s true. If he were a typical high-ranking nobleman or another member of the royal family, he might have barely made the cut. But the King is a different story. There will be many people who don’t want Irish blood mixed in the body of the person who will inherit the next throne of this country, let alone an Asian? The words of praise for me now will disappear in an instant.”

“Of course, I’ve thought about that too. But recently, there was a rumor that the Minister is a member of the royal family of that country called Japan in the East. Wouldn’t that be okay then?”

Victoria’s eyes sparkled with anticipation. Ah… she was secretly hoping for that.

I was going to draw a line and say it was nonsense, but I decided to save my words for now because it might be a justification that I could use later.

“I can’t confirm that part. But personally, I don’t think the possibility is very high. And there’s another significant problem.”

“If it’s a problem… is it that? If you become the Prince Consort, you’ll have to step down from the position of Minister…”

It seemed she knew that too.

If I were to be connected with Victoria, I would face enormous restrictions not only as a Minister but also as a member of the House of Lords.

In fact, strictly speaking, there was no legal clause restricting the Queen’s husband from participating in politics.

But now is a time when customs and traditions passed down from ancient times are applied even more strictly than the law.

– The Queen’s husband cannot hold an official title in the government so that he cannot take private profit by using his status.

If I were to violate this tradition, I would surely receive enormous criticism, and as someone with flaws in my origin, it would be difficult for me to bear such a risk.

“You may be disappointed to hear this, but I have no intention of giving up my current position.”

“I know that too. How much the Minister is on the rise now. So I’m still wondering if pushing my position is too selfish… if it’s not such a self-righteousness that doesn’t even consider the other person’s feelings. So if the Minister gives me a definite answer… even if you reject me, that…”

Victoria couldn’t bring herself to finish the sentence and stared intently at the table.

Her eyes were teary, and she looked like she was about to burst into tears if I said the words of rejection.

“I’m not saying I’m going to reject you. However, I think I was only thinking about myself and didn’t consider Your Majesty’s position. Your Majesty’s surroundings must be putting pressure on you to think about marriage, but I’ve been silent, so you must have been very frustrated.”

“…To be honest, I was.”

“But as I said, I have no intention of giving up my current position. And even if I had such a mind, my foundation is too weak right now. I don’t have the confidence to suppress those who will rise up like a swarm of bees and shout opposition.”

“So. Are you saying that it’s not possible now, so I should wait a few more years?”

If you become the Prince Consort, you lose political power, but there is no law that says you must do so.

That means that if the situation in this country and the public sentiment support it, there is a way to circumvent it.

If we can get there, the practical benefits that can be gained by becoming the Prince Consort may be greater than the real power that must be given up.

But in the current situation, the disadvantages are dozens of times greater than the advantages.

“Everything depends on Your Majesty’s heart. How can I dare to tell Your Majesty to wait until my situation improves?”

“I can handle any nonsense about getting married from the people around me. I happen to have a good excuse. But what I’m curious about is what kind of magic you can do to make the situation better in a few years. I thought that now, after winning the war with Qing [referring to the Qing Dynasty in China], was the best time to gain the support of the citizens.”

Was the fact that I was being diligently packaged as a war hero to some extent because of that intention?

In fact, Victoria, who doesn’t know what major events will happen in the future, had no choice but to expect that.

The heat of victory will cool down over time, so she thought that my stock would be at its peak right now.

So she thought that this was the only time to push for marriage, even if it was forced, but I have no intention of stopping here.

“In fact, I need to move the hearts of the people to successfully complete my work, and I think I need Your Majesty’s help with this. The royal family’s popularity is soaring right now, so if Your Majesty helps me, I’ll be able to handle things much more easily.”

“If there’s anything I can do to help, I should definitely help. What is it?”

“It may sound quite unexpected, but this is all going to be a reality. I have evidence too.”

I gained fame through war, so now is the time to save people and put that fame on a solid foundation.

I took out James’ report starting with ‘I found what you said’ from my pocket and put it on the table, adding a word.

“Within the next few years, the worst disaster you’ve never experienced will hit Ireland.”

“If it’s the worst disaster… is it an epidemic? Perhaps the Black Death or smallpox?”

“It’s a disease, but it’s not a disease that people get.”

“If it’s not people, who gets it? Animals?”

Victoria’s eyes, reading the report on the table, were filled with bewilderment and absurdity.

“Are you saying that potatoes get sick?”

“Yes, it’s potatoes.”

“The potatoes I’m thinking of?”

“That’s right, it’s those potatoes.”

No way, how can potatoes getting sick be a major disaster… Victoria, who was muttering like that, raised her head as if something suddenly came to mind.

“Surely potatoes were the staple food of the Irish people?”

“Yes, most of the poor people rely on potatoes and milk to live.”

“Then, if potatoes get sick and farming doesn’t go well…”

Although potatoes are a representative famine relief crop, other regions grow a variety of barley, rye, and corn, so they don’t rely on potatoes alone.

But what if the potato blight spreads to Ireland, where there is nothing to eat but potatoes, and the potatoes are wiped out?

“At least 1 million people will starve to death or abandon their land to escape the famine.”

Victoria’s eyes trembled as she heard the prediction of a damage scale that far exceeded her imagination.

The reason why Ireland has not recovered its population from the mid-19th century even after 200 years.

The potato blight fungus that caused the Irish Great Famine has already been identified by James across the Atlantic.

Right now, no one is aware that it is the harbinger of that terrible disaster, but I know it.

And the fact that the Great Famine is coming is also a sign that it is time to recover all the support in south-central Ireland that I had entrusted to Daniel O’Connell.

I had already finished preparing before going to Qing.

Before becoming a hidden power in the British Empire, it is time to become the savior of Ireland first.