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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 49
Chapter Title: The Bridge of Ireland
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"...I think that's enough for today's lesson. I'm not very skilled in military matters, so it took quite a while."
"But there's a certain fun in learning together. In fact, the parts where you're a bit clumsy add a human touch. If you were an expert in military affairs too, Killian, I might have started wondering what in the world you really are."
"I'm glad you felt a human touch. Haha."
"Honestly, couldn't we have just skipped the lesson for today? You must have been through a lot."
Victoria gazed at the boy before her, who wore a smile as perfect as a sculpture.
He was smiling like that, but what was he feeling inside?
When she first heard the news and wrote a letter of condolence, she had been, frankly, a bit bewildered.
She didn't yet understand the feeling of losing a parent, so she hesitated over what words of comfort to write.
She had a deceased father, but he had passed away when Victoria was only a year old.
Because of that, she still didn't know the feeling of losing a parent.
Her father had been absent since before she could remember, and she knew all too well how profound that loneliness could be.
In Killian's case, he must have regarded his father as the benefactor of his lifetime, so his sense of loss would surely be immense. To be honest, she still couldn't quite grasp its magnitude.
Still, it wasn't as if she couldn't imagine it at all.
Even though her father had been gone from the start, and she had only *that* kind of mother.
It was because Victoria never wished for her mother to disappear completely.
She hadn't yet given up hope that if she could just get rid of Conroy, she might one day be able to mend her relationship with her mother.
Despite the terrible torment she had endured since childhood, the bond between parent and child was, in the end, just that.
"It's alright. To be honest, I wished my father could have lived longer to see me grow, but he said he was happy. The letter you sent was also a great comfort. Thank you again."
"Don't mention it. If there's anything else you need, please don't hesitate to ask. I actually feel like I haven't been able to repay you enough for all the help I've received..."
"I'm not expecting anything in return, so it's fine. If I ever truly need your help in the future, I will let you know."
He seemed to have said something similar before, yet she couldn't recall him ever making a single request.
At first, she had been certain that he, too, must want something.
After all, everyone who approached her, no matter how they tried to hide it, had some kind of desire.
Though she was powerless now, she would one day be the Queen of England.
There were many who wanted a promise of future gain, and that was true even of her own family.
But Killian had only pretended to covet a title in front of her mother; before Victoria herself, he had never mentioned it.
Instead, he'd said something about how it would look better if public opinion for granting him a title naturally formed in Parliament first, and that she could acknowledge it then.
Ah, on second thought, there was something he had wanted.
He'd asked for her to bless the marriage of his uncle, Frederick, and Lady Cecilia.
And she recalled him saying that all he hoped for later was not to be discriminated against for being from Ireland.
But strictly speaking, wasn't that less of a demand and more of a common-sense plea to normalize an abnormal situation?
She hadn't understood at first, but now she thought she did.
The reason he considered that to be enough was likely because he had unshakeable confidence in himself.
As long as he could stand on equal footing, he didn't mind competing with anyone. Based on what she had observed so far, it was convincing.
Whether in economics, society, or politics, she had never seen anyone, even among adults, with as much insight as Killian.
He was a year younger than her, yet how he had acquired such a level of perception remained an unsolved mystery.
If there was one thing she didn't like, it was that despite being younger, he sometimes treated her like a much younger girl.
She had to accept it for now, as she was the one learning, but she felt it would be necessary to clearly establish their relationship when the opportunity arose.
"By the way, Killian, didn't you say you were going to give me some homework last time? About who benefited the most from this election."
"I did."
"I've thought about it quite a bit. Could you give me a score?"
Victoria spread the newspapers Killian had brought on the table so the headlines were clearly visible.
-Shocking: O'Connell's Repeal Party Sides with the Conservatives. Robert Peel of the Conservative Party is the New Prime Minister-
"Daniel O'Connell had shown signs of splitting with the Whig Party, but not many people thought he would join hands with the Conservatives. The Morning Chronicle, a pro-Whig newspaper, interpreted it as O'Connell deliberately acting out to increase his own value."
"Many people likely saw it that way. The Conservative Party wasn't on very good terms with Mr. O'Connell, after all."
"Exactly. With this decision, the Whig Party has taken a huge blow, and the new leadership of the Conservative Party has solidified its position. And His Majesty, who backed the current Prime Minister, has also gained considerable power."
"So, who do you think benefited the most?"
Ordinarily, one would point to the Conservative Party, which had regained power, or the King, who had pushed through the Prime Minister's appointment and gained legitimacy for it after the fact.
Or perhaps O'Connell, who could finally wield real power in Parliament, would be a strong candidate.
However, that was merely the judgment of ordinary intellectuals and newspapers with limited information.
Victoria knew very well who had predicted this turn of events from the beginning.
"The Conservatives did very well in Ireland this time. And strangely, Daniel O'Connell suddenly set aside the conflicts surrounding Ireland and joined hands with the Conservatives. The newspapers say it's thanks to the efforts of MP Charles Wellesley, but you told me yourself, Killian, didn't you? That you have a special relationship with MP Charles Wellesley."
"You remembered?"
"Of course. I believe there was someone who helped Charles Wellesley negotiate smoothly with O'Connell. Otherwise, his rather abrupt move doesn't make sense. If so, a likely candidate would be a family or a nobleman with some influence in Ireland, and that person must have also gained considerable power from this election. What do you think?"
It was closer to a shot in the dark based on a hunch, but strangely, she didn't feel she was wrong.
Killian gazed at her with his usual inscrutable eyes, then let out a soft chuckle.
"Seventy points. That sounds less like an analysis and more like you picked a candidate from the start and then fit the surrounding circumstances to match."
"But the fact that I got some points means you're not exactly denying it, right?"
"If you can provide a more in-depth deduction next time, I will give you an answer."
"Are you leaving? You seem to be getting up a little earlier than usual."
"I have another appointment after this. I need to see the Prime Minister."
A meeting with the man who would be the next king of the British Empire, followed immediately by a meeting with the Prime Minister.
Yet, seeing his relaxed demeanor, as if he were just going for a stroll in the neighborhood park, she sensed something subtly different about Killian.
To say he had matured might not be the right expression.
He had always been precocious for his age.
...But still, something was different.
She couldn't put her finger on exactly what it was, but Victoria thought the current Killian seemed more natural.
Victoria watched his back until he disappeared from sight.
***
"So she's starting to figure it out."
It was a conclusion she reached only because I practically spoon-fed her the information, but Victoria reacted as expected.
At this point, it was an assumption that only she, who knew me to some extent, could even imagine, but in a few years, other candidates could easily emerge.
Thanks to her, it served as a good reference.
It allowed me to definitively decide what position and what standing I should aim for within the party from now on.
"..."
I took the carriage that was waiting for me in front of Kensington Palace and headed for Westminster.
This was because 10 Downing Street, famous as the Prime Minister's residence, was not yet being used as such.
In the past, I would have met him with Wellesley or Disraeli, but things were different now.
As I entered the office alone, Robert Peel, who was sitting at his desk, greeted me with a broad smile.
"Welcome. It's not a short distance from Eton to Westminster. Was the journey difficult?"
"I came from Kensington, so it didn't take long at all."
"Ah, that's right. You were with the Princess. I hope I wasn't interrupting anything?"
"Not at all. On that note, I'm late in coming to see you in person. My sincerest congratulations on your reappointment as Prime Minister."
The smile on Robert Peel's lips grew even wider.
"Hahaha, as for the reappointment, the first time was practically a temporary position, so I suppose it's only now that I've become a proper Prime Minister. And I should be the one thanking you. I heard from Wellesley that you made a tremendous contribution to persuading O'Connell."
"Since you already know everything, there's no use in denying it. Yes, I worked very hard."
Looked at coolly, Victoria's point that Wellesley had persuaded O'Connell on his own lacked credibility.
For someone with no prior connection to suddenly win over his opponent with incredible negotiating skills would inevitably feel suspicious.
Since I was planning to start revealing my presence within the party soon anyway, I decided to use this opportunity.
Therefore, the report Robert Peel received was as follows:
-The reason Charles Wellesley was able to persuade Daniel O'Connell was entirely thanks to the Earl of Aaron's family and Killian Gore.
"To be honest, I was a bit anxious when Wellesley said to just trust him and leave it all to him. He's been very active lately, but this was too important a matter. What kind of magic did he use to capture O'Connell's heart?"
If O'Connell had ended up rejoining the Whigs, Robert Peel would have been dragged down from the premiership just four months after taking office.
Although it wouldn't have matched the shortest tenure on record, George Canning's 119 days, Canning died due to ill health; he wasn't ousted.
In that sense, if the Conservatives had failed to persuade O'Connell, Robert Peel would have earned the dishonorable title of being the Prime Minister with the shortest effective term.
It was easy to understand why he hadn't fully trusted Wellesley and why he was beaming so brightly now.
"Mr. O'Connell is more sincere about the Irish issue than anyone. But even when the Whigs held an overwhelming number of seats, the Church Reform bill ultimately failed to pass. A seed of doubt must have sprouted in a corner of his mind that if he continued with the Whigs, Ireland would remain stagnant for years to come."
"Wellesley also said he would exploit that point and get him to concede by promising gradual reform. But was O'Connell that easy a man? To change his stance just by hearing such words?"
"No. In fact, my late father worked hard for several years to expand our influence within Ireland. The proof is that in this election, we retook not only Northern Ireland but also a significant portion of the central regions that had been held by the Whigs. And Mr. O'Connell is deeply concerned about the fact that he has no successor to follow him. I exploited that point."
"A successor? Don't tell me you..."
"Yes. My family and I will continue to gain stronger influence in Northern Ireland. And if I join forces with Mr. O'Connell in the future, his concerns about lacking a successor will naturally be resolved."
The smile on the Prime Minister's lips vanished in an instant.
"O'Connell is a separatist... Don't tell me you are too?"
"No. If I had other intentions, would I be speaking so openly about it here? There is an age difference of over forty years between Mr. O'Connell and me. This means it is entirely possible for me to swallow his faction by pretending to learn from him step by step."
"Is it possible? If you could do that, it would mean Ireland would become our complete stronghold..."
"With your help, Prime Minister, it is absolutely possible. My father had already laid out all the plans, and I have only recently learned their full scope. We just need to find the right balance, granting Ireland's demands bit by bit, without overly provoking public opinion on the mainland."
By claiming most of this was my father's plan, I could avoid suspicion of having changed suddenly and naturally secure our interests.
Of course, I couldn't create the impression that I was running wild as soon as I gained a title and power, so I had to maintain a humble attitude.
"Astonishing. To think the Earl of Aaron had devised such a meticulous plan. It's not entirely incomprehensible when I think of it as the paternal love of a father wanting to leave his young son with a solid foundation."
"My uncle has agreed to manage Northern Ireland for the time being. He is continuously working to win over other nobles and landowners, so I will be able to report good results."
"Hahaha, indeed. Now that you've received your title, you seem even more dependable."
"Thank you. Within ten years, I will bring at least ninety seats from Ireland over to the Conservative side. However, our analysis shows that for this to happen, there are certain laws that must be passed during this term."
Even loyal dogs need to be fed to be tamed; it goes without saying that the same is even truer for people.
You have to give to get.
Robert Peel, who understood this simple principle, asked nonchalantly.
"You mean the easing of the tithes? We've already promised that, so it can be handled without any problems."
"That is a promise to Mr. O'Connell, is it not? Northern Ireland has a significant number of Anglicans, not just Catholics, so a different appeasement policy is needed. Of course, I don't wish to place a great burden on you, Prime Minister. It doesn't have to be right away, but if you could pass just three bills by the end of your term, Mr. Wellesley and I will handle the rest."
"Three bills by the end of my term means we only need to handle one per year. That doesn't sound like a heavy burden, but my answer will depend on what those bills are. May I hear what they are about?"
"Of course."
What else would they be about?
They were bills to ensure I received a reward commensurate with the effort I was putting in.
His answer could change? I'm sorry, Prime Minister, but that's not an option you have.
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