In the British Empire, the authority to create a new peerage belonged to the monarch. The prime minister's role was usually to recommend suitable candidates.
Receiving an English title was not merely an honor—it was effectively a ticket into the House of Lords.
Because of its importance, it was customary for the prime minister to consult cabinet ministers and the leaders of other political factions before making such a recommendation.
Now once again serving as prime minister thanks to the support of Daniel's Repeal Party, Robert Peel convened a meeting in accordance with that tradition.
He had already coordinated with his ministers. But Peel did not yet wield enough authority within his own party to silence every senior figure, so gathering as much consensus as possible was necessary.
Present at the meeting were:
Lord Melbourne, leader of the Whigs
Daniel, leader of the Repeal Party
Arthur, Duke of Wellington, representing Conservative peers
Charles, Duke of Rutland
All of them had direct or indirect ties to the matter at hand.
Peel began calmly.
"Thank you all for coming despite your busy schedules. Parliament will formally begin its new session in three days. I thought it best to settle this matter beforehand."
Melbourne spoke dryly.
"Does our opinion truly matter? As I understand it, even if we object, you could still proceed with the recommendation."
"That's true," Peel replied. "But this nomination carries symbolic weight. I would prefer to present it as a decision supported by all sides of Parliament—Commons and Lords alike."
The explanation sounded grand, but everyone in the room understood what it meant.
Peel wanted the Whigs to support the Conservative nomination.
Melbourne picked up the written recommendation and read aloud.
"The Arran family has long worked to promote harmony between Ireland and England. The Crown and Parliament therefore have a duty to recognize their contributions. Accordingly, we propose that Killian Gore, the current Earl of Arran, be granted the English title of Baron Sudeley, so that he may serve not merely as an Irish noble but as an English peer devoted to the service of the realm…"
Melbourne lowered the paper.
"In short, you want the House of Lords to accept Killian Gore as one of its members."
"I believe the Earl of Arran has more than earned that distinction," Peel said. "You're well aware how dramatically opinion in Northern Ireland has shifted in his favor."
"That may be true," Melbourne replied, "but we already allow twenty-eight representative Irish peers in the Lords. When a seat opens, the Arran family will surely claim it in time."
"That would not properly reward a noble who has rendered service to the kingdom."
Melbourne understood perfectly well what Peel was doing.
Granting Killian an English title would elevate him beyond the temporary Irish representation system and secure him a permanent seat in the Lords.
And if the Whigs themselves supported the recommendation, it would silence critics who questioned allowing such a young Irish noble into England's highest chamber.
Melbourne didn't like the maneuver one bit.
But this was an Irish matter—and that complicated things.
Until he understood Daniel's intentions, he could not commit to opposition.
He cleared his throat.
"Perhaps we should hear from someone directly concerned. Daniel, what does your party think?"
Daniel answered without hesitation.
"We have no objections. The more voices Ireland has in the Lords, the better. Why would we oppose that?"
Melbourne frowned slightly.
"But you and the Earl of Arran are not exactly aligned politically."
"That's true," Daniel said calmly. "But regardless of ideology, I believe he sincerely wishes the best for Ireland. What more could we ask for?"
Melbourne sighed inwardly.
Yes. That was exactly the kind of man Daniel had always been.
If something genuinely benefited Ireland, he would not reject it merely because the person involved belonged to a different political faction.
Perhaps the mysterious warning letter truly had come from him.
If that were the case, opposing him here would be extremely risky.
Melbourne folded the document.
"If the Repeal Party supports the nomination despite ideological differences, then the Whigs cannot oppose it outright. After all, if Irish or Scottish peers contribute to the interests of the Empire, they deserve a place in the Lords. Establishing such precedents would also improve local opinion."
Peel blinked in mild surprise at Melbourne's sudden shift in tone.
Then he turned toward Lord Wellington.
"With the Whigs in agreement, the Commons are effectively united. Now I would like to hear the opinion of the Duke of Wellington, the spiritual pillar of our party."
Lord Wellington scratched his head.
"So you intend to grant him the title immediately upon reaching adulthood?"
His voice sounded slightly uneasy.
"Prime Minister, as you know, the minimum age to participate fully in the Lords is twenty-one. He can observe proceedings, certainly, but he cannot vote or speak formally. Isn't it rather premature to grant him a seat already?"
He paused before adding another concern.
"And I assume you know that before the year ends the Duchess of Inverness intends to adopt him as her son."
Peel nodded.
"Yes, I'm aware."
"Then isn't it possible that he may eventually be recognized as a member of the royal family? If so, creating a seat for him now may appear… somewhat hasty."
"That won't happen," Peel replied calmly. "Her Majesty will not make such a decision—and more importantly, Killian himself firmly refuses such privileges."
Melbourne already knew that much.
Being adopted by the Duchess of Inverness meant gaining the backing of the Duke of Sussex, the senior member of the royal family.
Combine that with a new English title and a seat in the Lords…
Killian would effectively join the highest tier of British society.
Melbourne muttered thoughtfully.
"Killian… said that himself? That he would refuse even if the Queen offered to recognize him as family?"
"Yes," Peel answered. "He said he has already received more kindness than he deserves and would not seek further favor."
Lord Wellington nodded slowly.
"He always did know how to keep his place. If that's the case, I have no objections."
Lord Rutland spoke up for the first time.
"My son shared a dormitory with him at Eton until last year. I can assure you his loyalty to Britain is genuine. And he has always had a very clear understanding of his position."
Peel clasped his hands.
"Then I will record the Duke of Wellington and the Duke of Rutland as supporting the nomination. With this, the Earl of Aaron will effectively become a member of Parliament next year."
He added casually,
"That will make it easier to include him in the Cabinet."
Melbourne nearly choked.
"You intend to give him a Cabinet position? He's barely out of Eton—still practically a boy!"
"Not a full minister," Peel replied. "I'm considering appointing him temporary Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs. Cabinet offices have no age requirement."
"That's still far too young."
"That's why it's temporary," Peel said. "There may be matters where the Earl of Arran could contribute."
Melbourne was about to object again—
Until Peel added quietly,
"Merchants are growing increasingly furious. Our trade balance is collapsing. Does the Whig Party happen to have a solution?"
Melbourne froze.
Ah.
He had forgotten.
Killian was not purely Irish.
He was of East Asian birth.
"…In that case," Melbourne said slowly, "he may indeed be the most suitable candidate we have."
The room fell silent.
No one objected after that.
Because this issue—unlike ordinary politics—was one that every British politician considered a national priority.
Later — Kensington Palace
Just as Peel predicted, the creation of my new title was approved far more quickly than expected.
The recommendation went to Victoria with the support of both parties and the Lords, and she naturally agreed to respect Parliament's decision.
Victoria also announced that the Duchess of Inverness would remain her Mistress of the Robes and hosted a private dinner celebrating my adoption.
The dinner was intimate—only four guests.
Victoria.The Duke and Duchess of Sussex.And me.
The Kensington dining room was elegant beyond anything I had seen before.
Victoria sat at the head of the table.The Sussex couple followed according to rank.I took the final seat.
Victoria had carefully chosen a dress that displayed the locket I gave her for her birthday.
At first she spoke mostly with the Duke of Sussex, as etiquette required.
Eventually the first main dish—roasted pheasant marinated with herbs and spices—was served.
Victoria finally turned to me.
"Now that you're officially the Duchess of Inverness's son, will you move into Kensington?"
"I don't think that would be wise," I replied. "Even if I've been adopted, I'm not a member of the royal family. Living in the palace would invite criticism."
"How unfortunate," she said lightly. "By the way—how long do you intend to keep calling her 'Aunt'? I'm sure the Duchess will be disappointed."
Cecilia immediately nodded.
"Now that the formalities are complete, it does feel a little strange."
I hesitated.
"…You're right. As a noble, I should observe proper forms of address."
I took a breath.
"Then… Mother. Would that be acceptable?"
Cecilia's eyes lit up.
"Of course! I've dreamed of hearing that word at least once in my life."
I understood why.
She had never had children.
For her, that word meant something precious.
For me, it felt unfamiliar.
In my previous life I had been an orphan.
In this life my biological mother had already passed away before my memories returned.
Yet Cecilia had always treated me like a son.
If calling her "Mother" made her happy, I had no reason to refuse.
Victoria smiled warmly.
"You have me to thank for that arrangement."
"I'm grateful, Your Majesty."
"There's no need for gratitude. Next week you'll receive your English title. Accept it proudly."
"I'll do my best."
Victoria had grown more confident since becoming queen.
Her words remained polite, but her tone now carried unmistakable authority.
She lifted her glass slightly.
"How does it feel to become an English peer?"
"It's an honor. I cannot vote in the Lords until I'm twenty-one, but I intend to observe and learn as much as possible."
Victoria laughed.
"I suspect the House of Lords may learn more from you than the other way around. I've been hearing quite a lot of criticism about them lately."
I tilted my head.
"The conflict between Commons and Lords is nothing new. But do you believe the Lords are entirely at fault?"
"You're the one who said their influence would decline."
"In the long run, yes. But that's the future. We live in the present."
She paused, listening carefully.
"The balance between the two chambers is delicate. That balance can create opportunities for the Crown."
Victoria grew quiet.
She understood.
The monarchy had little formal power.
But when Commons and Lords opposed each other—
the Crown could become the decisive weight.
After dessert arrived, Victoria changed the subject.
"Oh, I almost forgot. The Prime Minister asked for my approval for the new Cabinet. Your name was included."
"…Mine?"
The Duke of Sussex frowned.
"Killian? In the Cabinet?"
Victoria nodded.
"You'll be the youngest under-secretary in history. But the Prime Minister seemed confident you could handle it."
I rubbed my forehead.
"…And why exactly does that involve whether I've been to China?"
Victoria blinked.
"Didn't he explain? You're being appointed temporary Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs."
She added matter-of-factly,
"Apparently the government believes your knowledge of East Asia will be useful in dealing with Qing China."
Ah.
So that's what this was about.
Britain's disastrous trade imbalance with China.
And their brilliant solution was…
Send the half-Asian noble and hope he can somehow smooth things over.
I sighed inwardly.
You're the ones who started the mess by selling opium.
But of course, explaining that to nineteenth-century British politicians would be pointless.
Victoria tilted her head curiously.
"So you do speak the language?"
"I know enough about Qing culture and language. At the very least, probably more than anyone currently sitting in the House of Lords."
"That's why the Prime Minister recommended you."
She continued calmly.
"Trade deficits with China have become severe, and tensions are rising rapidly."
I nodded slowly.
So their brilliant diplomatic strategy was:
"You're Asian. Fix it."
Honestly…
Considering how Europeans still mix up Koreans, Chinese, and Japanese even in the twenty-first century—
I suppose I shouldn't expect too much from the nineteenth. 😑