People often say that for a politician to achieve greatness, ability alone is not enough. Luck matters too.
To ride the momentum of politics, one must catch the current of events. If that current never arrives, even the most talented figure will simply disappear into obscurity.
Of course, there are those who create the current themselves—but that usually requires a certain level of name recognition.
In the nineteenth century, if some nobody suddenly tried to introduce an agenda meant to shape the whole of society, it would simply vanish without a trace.
Seen in that light, most successful politicians are at least somewhat fortunate.
Even someone like William Gladstone—who in the original timeline would undoubtedly rank among the greatest prime ministers in the history of the British Empire—could hardly be an exception.
At least, that should have been the case.
"Wait… doesn't this ruin the entire plan?"
"It's not ruined," I replied calmly. "But we'll need to make a few adjustments."
Gladstone's ambitious plan—dramatically leaving the Conservative Party and joining the Whigs in a blaze of publicity—had struck a massive reef before it had even begun.
The newspapers were filled with only one story.
Queen Victoria Declares Herself Single!'I Will Not Even Consider Marriage Until Society's Problems Are Resolved.'
'I Am Married to the Nation' — The Queen's Devotion to Her People
The True Image of a Monarch Who Loves Her Subjects — Echoes of Elizabeth I
Wherever one went in London, the front page of every newspaper carried Victoria's bombshell declaration.
Whether in drawing rooms or taverns, everyone spoke about the same thing.
Even while William Gladstone rode here in his carriage, people shouting about the Queen's announcement could be heard through the doors.
Under circumstances like this, if William struck the Conservative old guard and defected to the Whigs…
No one would pay the slightest attention.
In a way, it was fortunate the news had appeared before we acted.
If the move had already been made, we would have needed to rebuild the entire plan from scratch.
William tilted his head slightly.
"You seem less surprised than I expected. Everyone around me is in chaos over this."
"Well, I've spoken with Her Majesty about it before," I said. "She always complained that she didn't want to deal with the constant pressure to marry."
It was true.
If she simply waited indefinitely for my political position to rise, the pressure on her to marry would only intensify.
She had said she had a good solution.
But even I had not expected something this dramatic.
Still…
In terms of effectiveness, it was brilliant.
People were already praising the declaration, comparing Victoria to Elizabeth I.
The idea of a monarch marrying the nation.
"I shall take the British Empire as my husband."
It carried a strangely romantic resonance—something only a queen could say.
One editorial even wrote:
Elizabeth defeated Spain and laid the foundation for England's rise to empire.Victoria has defeated the great Qing Empire of the East and proven Britain's supremacy.Could this truly be coincidence?
If Victoria had been unpopular, such comparisons would have sparked ridicule.
But fortunately for her, both she and the monarchy currently enjoyed tremendous popularity.
Unlike previous monarchs, she actively showed interest in the lives of ordinary citizens.
At the same time, she respected Parliament and carefully balanced her household staff so that no political faction dominated.
For a young queen to govern so competently…
It was no wonder intellectuals and citizens alike admired her.
Most people urging her to marry did so only because they hoped such an excellent monarch would produce an heir soon.
But after such a firm declaration, anyone who continued pestering her about marriage would simply be criticized.
If her political instincts continued to sharpen like this, she might genuinely be remembered as one of the greatest monarchs in British history.
Still.
That was one issue.
This was another.
William Gladstone, whose grand political defection had been derailed, sighed heavily and slapped the newspaper against the table.
"Nothing ever goes right," he muttered. "Is it possible I'm simply one of those unlucky men?"
"Hardly," I said. "If that were the case, you wouldn't have won your first election the moment you entered politics."
The man who would become prime minister in the original timeline was hardly destined for failure.
Still, it was true that many of Gladstone's opportunities had been erased… because of me.
In the original timeline, he had gained enormous attention by opposing the Opium War as immoral.
But that dramatic moment had vanished.
Meanwhile, Charles Wellesley—who originally should have been insignificant compared to William Gladstone—was now hailed as the hope of the Conservative Party.
Benjamin Disraeli had also entered politics much earlier than expected.
Compared to his historical counterpart, Gladstone was practically suffering from divine misfortune.
It was understandable he felt that nothing worked.
"But what should I do now?" Gladstone asked with frustration.
"I planned to switch parties while creating a major political issue, just like you suggested… but now that's impossible. Should I abandon the plan?"
"That would be a mistake," I said immediately.
"You wanted to become the rising young politician who struck the Conservatives before defecting and then rose as the savior of the Whigs. If the 'striking the Conservatives' part disappears, the entire strategy collapses."
William Gladstone sighed.
"This is difficult… but are you really sure it's safe for you to help me like this?"
"If anyone discovers it, they could accuse you of betraying your own party."
"No problem," I replied.
"It won't be discovered. And even if it were, I've prepared contingencies."
After all, the only person capable of revealing my involvement was William himself.
And unless he intended to destroy himself politically, he had no reason to do so.
Even if he tried, I had already prepared measures to portray it as slander.
Did he really think I would attempt something this dangerous without safeguards?
William Gladstone nodded slowly.
"You said earlier that this would make British politics healthier?"
"Exactly," I said.
"At this rate, the Conservatives will effectively become a one-party dictatorship."
A general election was coming soon.
If the trend continued, the Whigs might struggle to win even 150 seats.
Meanwhile the Conservatives would dominate both the Commons and the Lords.
"That would mean they could pass any law they wanted," William Gladstone said quietly.
"Exactly."
"Then you're helping me defect to prevent that situation."
He gave a small laugh.
"You truly think differently from most politicians."
"Most politicians would prefer their party to dominate absolutely."
"Well," I said lightly, "technically I'm not even a Member of Parliament."
As a peer and cabinet minister, my position was fundamentally different.
Even if the party faltered, my position would remain secure.
William Gladstone nodded thoughtfully.
"You may be right."
"But in the end," I continued, "what matters most is that British politics remains healthy if the Empire is to dominate not just for ten years—but for a century."
"Unchecked power inevitably rots."
"And you already saw that among the Conservative elders."
William Gladstone chuckled bitterly.
"That is true."
Then he looked at me with admiration.
"The more we talk, the more remarkable you seem. Many people speak about principles, but few act on them."
"If you maintain this mindset," he added, "the Whigs will never surpass the Conservatives no matter how hard I try."
"Competition improves policy," I replied calmly.
"And better policy leads to national prosperity and happier citizens."
"Who wins or loses is secondary."
"Healthy competition…" William Gladstone murmured.
"Very well. I'll remember your words."
He stood.
"I'm fortunate to have someone like you as a junior."
"And I'm fortunate to have you as my senior."
Otherwise I might have needed far more dangerous methods to weaken the Conservatives.
But thanks to Gladstone, things could proceed smoothly.
Victoria's declaration had stolen the spotlight.
But unlike Gladstone, I could speak with her whenever I wished.
Which meant that the person currently attracting the attention of the entire British Empire…
Could be used to amplify this political drama even further.
"Senior," I said suddenly.
"I've had an idea. We'll proceed with the plan—but make it bigger."
"Bigger? How?"
"At first we planned to frame it as Conservative elders driving away a principled young politician."
"Now we'll add something else."
"The opium issue."
With that, the story would naturally connect to Victoria's declaration.
And the damage to the Conservatives would grow even larger.
Perhaps fifty seats lost in the next election.
Robert Peel had been walking around lately as if the world belonged to him.
This should restore a bit of humility.
William Gladstone and I exchanged bright smiles as we shook hands.
For now, the balance of power must be maintained.
One Week Later
A week passed after Victoria's explosive declaration.
During that time, William and I were busy identifying which Conservative politicians were better removed from the political stage entirely.
London remained noisy and chaotic.
"Your Majesty," I said lightly, "did you know your declaration has become the main topic of discussion in high society?"
Victoria raised an eyebrow.
"Oh? And what is the most popular interpretation?"
"Well, some say Your Majesty simply has impossibly high standards."
Victoria shrugged.
"That's not entirely wrong."
"Most candidates failed to meet my standards."
"And the second theory?"
"That you dislike the idea of sharing power with a husband."
That interpretation had often been applied to Elizabeth I as well.
Even a queen, once married, was expected to yield authority to her husband.
Victoria tilted her head.
"Interesting. I hadn't even considered that."
"Are people worried I might remain unmarried forever?"
"Of course they are."
After all, Victoria had declared she would not even consider marriage until the nation's problems were resolved.
But Britain would never exist without problems.
Which meant the declaration could theoretically last forever.
Victoria laughed softly.
"After I made the speech, members of the royal family and Privy Council rushed to interrogate me."
"They asked whether I was serious… whether I had someone in mind…"
"And what did you say?"
"I told them not to overinterpret my words."
"I meant exactly what I said."
Anyone daring to criticize a queen who claimed she loved her people too much to marry would look ridiculous.
Still, I leaned forward slightly.
"Your Majesty understands, of course, that citizens now expect you to demonstrate that devotion."
"If expectations are not met, the declaration could backfire."
"Of course I know," Victoria replied confidently.
"I calculated everything."
Then she added thoughtfully:
"However… if I ever decide to marry in the future, I'll need a reason strong enough not to contradict my declaration."
"That's true," I said.
"A royal proclamation cannot be reversed lightly."
Victoria smiled mischievously.
"You know the solution already."
"If you accomplish something so great that overturning my declaration becomes justified."
"Suppose you became Ireland itself," she added teasingly.
"In that case, marrying you wouldn't contradict my promise of marrying the nation."
I blinked.
Was she actually thinking along those lines?
It had been one of my long-term political ideas—to use marriage as part of a strategy to unify the Empire.
But I never imagined Victoria had considered it already.
"Well," I said with a sigh.
"If that's the case, I'll have to work harder."
Victoria's eyes sparkled.
"Then I should help."
"This will be the first time you and I work together on something."
Come to think of it…
She was right.
We had known each other for years.
But this was the first time we would coordinate a political operation together.
"Then let's do it properly," I said.
"Your Majesty declared yourself married to the nation. Now show the people the proof."
"Announce that corruption and opium trafficking—evils destroying citizens' lives—must be eradicated."
"And leave the rest to me."
Normally the monarchy did not interfere deeply in politics.
But urging politicians to act—especially on matters affecting ordinary people—was entirely acceptable.
If done correctly…
We could not only rebalance Parliament.
We could strengthen the monarchy as well.
After all—
This was the first joint operation between Victoria and me.
So we might as well make it spectacular.