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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 41
Chapter Title: An Audience with the King
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Let's review the information.
The current king of the British Empire, William IV.
An elderly king, soon to be seventy, and I'd heard the rumors that he doted on Princess Victoria, his designated heir.
Indeed, whenever Victoria spoke of William IV, a gentle smile would always grace her face.
If that was the case, I could roughly guess why he had summoned me.
I just hadn't expected him to do it with such secrecy.
It meant he was serious about the matter of succession, which also implied he might judge me by an incredibly strict standard.
No matter how much the British royal family's power was waning, they weren't so feeble that they couldn't dispose of one country bumpkin of mixed Irish blood.
However, looking at it coolly, it was also a fact that William IV would pass away in about four years.
It was time to seriously consider how I could turn the wheels of history, which only I knew, and make a choice.
"Please, come in. He is waiting for you here."
As expected, the official led me to the northern part of the palace. Following his guidance, I entered a space that looked like a study.
Befitting a study that also served as the king's office, the interior was adorned with all sorts of priceless works of art, and the room's owner was seated in a comfortable-looking chair, watching me.
I followed the etiquette I had learned, meeting William IV's gaze and offering a polite bow.
Then, I waited for the king's permission to speak.
"You must have been surprised by the sudden summons. I called you now because I thought it would be difficult to have a private conversation during the award ceremony. I apologize if you wanted to watch the debate."
Confirming there was no particular negative emotion in the king's voice, I accepted his greeting with a reverent attitude.
"What importance could a mere debate hold when I have been granted the honor of a private audience with Your Majesty?"
"I hear you are a renowned model student at Eton. Did you not wish to participate in the debate?"
"I had already decided to yield the opportunity to my fellow students, fearing I might stand out too much."
"That is a relief. I had an attendant tell the headmaster to remove you from the list beforehand, but I was a bit concerned that I might have unfairly deprived a student of his opportunity."
So Keate met with a royal official not for the commemoration ceremony preparations, but because he was told not to let me participate in the debate?
Now I understood why he had acted so unlike his usual self.
They needed to bring me here while everyone's attention was on the debate, but if I were participating, that would be impossible. So they must have arranged it in advance.
Seeing them handle things so meticulously, it seemed they truly didn't want our meeting to become public knowledge.
"I truly have no lingering regrets about the debate, so it is quite all right. Rather, I am simply grateful that Your Majesty has taken an interest in a mere student like myself."
"Your actions have made it impossible not to take an interest. I must send you back before the debate ends and go down myself, so we cannot speak for long. May we get straight to the point?"
"Yes, of course."
"I trust you wouldn't, but I would like you to answer honestly, without any falsehoods. Even if you were to tell me something other than the truth, I have ways of finding out, so keep that in mind."
If the person standing before the king were a typical thirteen-year-old student, that threat would have been very effective.
Coming from none other than the king of a nation, even if one tried to lie, it would surely show on their face.
Of course, it had not a speck of effect on me, but I feigned bewilderment and hurriedly nodded my head.
"O-of course. How could I possibly utter even the slightest falsehood before Your Majesty?"
"Good. Then let me ask. I hear you have been frequently visiting Kensington Palace. Has the Tory Party given you any sort of instruction?"
"..."
As I deliberately remained silent for a moment with a blank expression, William IV narrowed his eyes and asked again.
"Was the question a bit vague? I am asking if the Tory Party has given you some kind of order."
"Ah, no, Your Majesty. It's just that I heard the same question in the Grand Hall earlier... I apologize."
"In the Grand Hall?"
"Yes. I'm sure a report will reach you soon, but His Grace the Duke of Wellington and Prime Minister Charles Grey called me over to ask what was discussed at Kensington Palace."
The fact that the top leaders of the Tory and Whig parties asked me directly was, conversely, proof that they had nothing to do with this matter.
Of course, the Duke of Wellington could have been acting, but if I started doubting and digging that deep, there would be no end to it.
"Then that means you were summoned to the palace solely at the will of the Duchess of Kent... Could you tell me what she wants from you? As a bright student, I'm sure you understand my meaning."
He's telling me to choose whether to side with the Duchess or with him. Isn't that a bit much to put on a thirteen-year-old student?
Of course, the trap is that both are stocks confirmed to be delisted in the near future, so neither is worth going all-in on.
"Your Majesty. I may be an Irish noble, but I am still a peer of this realm. I have no intention of pledging loyalty to anyone other than Your Majesty."
"Is that your answer to my question? Good. A truly noble sentiment. I am pleased."
In the original history, William IV passes away the same year Victoria comes of age, but until then, he is the one sitting on the throne.
If I score points here, I might be able to lay some groundwork that could be of great help to me later.
"In truth, I have long felt a strong aversion to the Duchess's policies. I simply couldn't show it, as doing so would have restricted my access to the Princess."
"So you catered to the Duchess of Kent to get close to Victoria. But that sounds as if you, too, want something."
"Of course. First, as a noble of this country, I cannot stand by and watch the Duchess and Sir Conroy manipulate the future queen as they please. But beyond that, I cannot deny the materialistic desire that I would want for nothing more if the Princess, in the future, does not forget my contributions and takes me as a close aide."
"Your honesty makes you rather trustworthy. Then tell me in detail what you are doing at the palace now."
"Yes. Then first, I will explain the educational policy the Duchess desires..."
Unlike in the Grand Hall, I told William IV something very close to the truth about what the Duchess had asked of me.
Of course, I didn't mention how close I had become with Victoria, but I did confess that, contrary to the Duchess's orders, I was telling her about the books and information she wanted to read.
"I knew her vain ambitions were great, but hearing this is simply absurd. I will do whatever it takes to hold my position until my niece comes of age, so that demon cannot utter a single word about a regency. You are to convey my will to Victoria. Tell her she has nothing to worry about."
"Yes. And Your Majesty, if it is all right, I would like to tell the Duchess that you summoned me."
"What nonsense is this? The reason I went to such lengths to call you here is because I wanted this meeting to remain an absolute secret."
"But there are no perfect secrets in this world. If, by any chance, the Duchess were to find out I hid the fact that I met with Your Majesty, I would be immediately banned from Kensington Palace. Therefore, would it not be better to leak this fact and gain her trust?"
"Oho, so you intend to be a double agent? Indeed... that would be far more effective."
William IV nodded his head as if in admiration and continued.
"Then you can go back and tell her something along the lines that I seem to be trying to keep her in check, so she needs to be careful."
"Yes. And I will also say that you gave me a secret order to regularly report on what kind of education the Duchess is providing the Princess."
"And why is that?"
"That way, the Duchess won't find it strange even if I regularly send letters to Your Majesty. Of course, I'll tell her that the reports about her will be false and that she can inspect them beforehand."
Visiting the palace too openly would attract scrutiny, but letters could be sent as much as I wanted without drawing attention.
As a bonus, this way I could earn the trust of both the Duchess of Kent and William IV, so there would be no need to make an enemy of either.
Normally, walking a tightrope between two sides only ends in a fatal fall, but weren't both of these people destined to exit the stage of history within four years anyway?
I just needed to maintain a proper distance until then and extract whatever I could.
"I see now why she coveted you. You possess a depth of cunning unbelievable for a young student. All the more reason to confirm this point. If you were to become Victoria's loyal servant in the future, what would you want from her?"
"I desire only one thing. That when I have the ability to reach a position I desire, I will not be crushed by the ceiling of my birth."
"Hmph... yes. It seems you already feel the limitations of being Irish at such a young age. In a way, the fact that a child like you feels this way might be something I, as the king of this country, should be ashamed of. If that is all, it is a sufficient reward for your efforts, so I shall not object."
I felt it just now, and I feel it again in this moment—this damn social status of mine is a cheat code that works everywhere, to an almost laughable degree.
Whether they were Tories, Whigs, or members of the royal family, whenever I mentioned the four words 'overcoming my status,' they would immediately understand and send me looks of pity.
And if I said I would get involved in exchange for such a reward, they would believe in my desperation without a hint of suspicion.
Not a single person suspected that I might have ulterior motives of getting romantically close to Victoria.
Of course, I too was well aware that if I tried such a thing, I would face the wrath of our fine English gentlemen—"how dare a lowly Irish fellow look so high"—and receive the stern judgment of society.
However, that didn't mean I couldn't build a personal friendship with the queen and wield her influence as if it were my own.
Though the unimaginative old folks probably couldn't even fathom it.
"Then, since you have chosen to take my hand, I must give you a reward. What do you desire? I will grant it, within my power."
"If I receive something too extravagant, people will suspect that I have made some sort of secret pact with Your Majesty. So, if you give me something too conspicuous, it will only put me in a difficult position."
"That is also true. Then tell me something that could help you, even indirectly."
"...In that case, I wish for you to please recognize the marriage of my aunt, Lady Cecilia Underwood."
"You mean the woman who married Frederick? Come to think of it, you said she was of the same house..."
The face of William IV, which had seemed kind enough to grant anything, was momentarily colored with difficulty.
He scratched his head and let out a low sigh.
"Your consideration in asking for your aunt's happiness rather than your own advancement is truly commendable. However, I have already declared that I will not recognize a marriage that violates the laws of the royal family. To go back on that after only a few years would inevitably damage my prestige. I'm afraid I cannot grant that request right now, if nothing else."
"Then a little later would be fine. The two of them truly rely on and love each other. I have no doubt that Your Majesty understands this."
"Good heavens... To think my younger brother would cause such a headache even in his old age. Then let's do this. Since I have already spoken the words in my lifetime, it is impossible to retract them. Therefore, I will add it to my will. If I do this, I don't know when it will be, but the child who succeeds me on the throne should be able to handle it posthumously."
Victoria had already said she would recognize the marriage of the Duke of Sussex and my aunt when she became queen, but it would have been difficult to handle the matter immediately upon her accession.
Perhaps after two or three years, but showing herself overturning the decision of the previous king right after ascending the throne would not have looked good.
However, if William IV wrote in his will that it was acceptable to reverse the decision, Victoria would be able to bless their marriage without any worries.
If that happened, I could then ride on the coattails of the Duke of Sussex and my aunt, the new Duchess, without any problems.
I might even be able to consider the option of being adopted as their son, going beyond just having godparents.
"Thank you for your generous decision. I will become Your Majesty's eyes and ears, thoroughly observing Kensington Palace and serving the Princess to the best of my ability, so that you will never be disappointed."
"Yes. I am truly glad you are a child with whom I can reason. Continue to be a steadfast source of strength by her side."
Afterward, William IV asked a few minor questions, and I answered them before we parted.
The mental toll of the day was so great that I felt completely drained of energy.
* * *
After Killian Gore left, William IV did not rise from his seat immediately.
There was still a little time left before he had to go down to the Grand Hall.
"What do you think?"
As he suddenly posed the question, the door to the adjacent room opened, and the Lord Chamberlain, Earl Talbot, slowly walked out.
"An interesting boy."
"Isn't he? I found it quite impressive how quick-witted he is, yet he doesn't hide his desires."
"He didn't hesitate to reveal his weaknesses, which I believe is his own way of survival. It can be understood as a signal that he is such an insignificant being compared to others that they need not worry about him."
William IV's impression was exactly the same as the Lord Chamberlain's.
He was undeniably intelligent for a student of his age and knew the ways of the world, but that was as far as it went.
He was the type to know exactly how high he could aim and not cross the line.
Looked at negatively, he was the type to be thoroughly jaded by the world.
But one couldn't see him in a purely negative light, as it was possible to guess why the young boy had become that way.
'Of mixed blood, an illegitimate child, and from Ireland... For such a boy to survive in this country's upper class, he would have had no choice but to become like that.'
The reason he asked for his aunt's marriage to be recognized was probably not entirely pure of purpose.
If his aunt were officially recognized as a duchess, her nephew, Killian, would inevitably enjoy the reflective benefits.
If the king were to show direct favoritism toward Killian, it could attract scrutiny and jealousy, so aiming for an indirect benefit was an excellent judgment.
At that level, he was more than qualified to serve as Victoria's advisor by her side later on.
"In any case, the thought that I can finally land a proper blow on that devilish woman makes me feel as if all my frustrations have been washed away. Today's events alone feel like they've added a year to my life."
"That would be the greatest disaster for the Duchess."
"Hahaha, indeed. It took quite a bit of effort, but it was an event well worth it. By the way, I believe the boy said he conveys topics or book contents that Victoria finds interesting... I should have asked what my niece is so interested in these days. I forgot."
To think I was so preoccupied with the backroom dealings that I forgot to ask about my beloved niece.
It was a painful mistake, but I could just ask him to let me know via letter next time, so I'll let it be for now.
At the same time, he realized the time had come to resume a goal he had set aside due to the Duchess's interference.
Until now, it had been impossible even to meet Victoria, making it impossible to educate her, but now he could convey his words through Killian.
Therefore, it was time to once again attempt the heir's education, which he had been unable to do properly until now.
Of course, Killian's cooperation was essential for that.
'I should amend the will immediately and have him confirm it. Then he will faithfully follow my orders.'
It seemed the student's value might be even greater than he had thought.
This was especially true considering he was obedient, easy to handle, and had a surprisingly modest ambition.
If it had been one of the high-ranking nobles he dealt with daily, they would have demanded a much greater price. But what Killian asked for was, from William IV's perspective, trivial.
"Haha. Truly, the timing is perfect."
William IV let out a pleasant laugh for the first time in a while. A useful card had fallen into his lap just when he was feeling frustrated; it was truly a blessing for the royal family and the Empire.
William IV blessed the great empire that would shine ever more brilliantly in the future, and its future queen.
God Save the Queen.
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