After we climbed to the second floor, Victoria pushed open the door to a private sitting room without hesitation.
The spacious chamber was empty.
She dropped onto the sofa in the center of the room and released a long breath of relief.
"Whew… I can finally relax."
"The official schedule in Ireland is over, so I think I'll rest here for a while and go back down when the banquet is almost finished."
"You've worked hard, Your Majesty," I said. "Without your efforts, this visit could never have ended so successfully."
She raised an eyebrow.
"And who was the person laughing downstairs and chatting about beer while I was working so hard?"
"…My apologies."
"I discovered something I had overlooked in the migration plan. I started discussing how to implement it immediately and lost track of time."
She had warned me beforehand that once the formal greetings at the banquet ended, she intended to spend the rest of the evening with me.
Still, I hadn't expected her to finish so quickly.
"I waited and waited for my minister to come upstairs," Victoria continued, crossing her arms. "So I went down to check."
"And what did I find?"
"You were drinking beer and chatting happily with someone else."
"So the thing you overlooked in the migration plan was… drinking beer?"
"That's not what I meant," I said quickly.
"We were discussing building that brewery in Canada so Irish immigrants could settle more easily."
I cautiously glanced at her.
Fortunately, Victoria didn't seem genuinely angry.
"That beer was quite good," she admitted. "Even if it was a little bitter."
"Since I praised it, that should help whatever plan you have, right?"
"Of course."
"Once people hear that the Queen of the British Empire praised that beer, they'll be eager to try it themselves."
"In distant places like Canada, even more so."
With the right marketing, the label "The Queen's Beer" could become wildly successful—even in America.
The United States didn't always get along with Britain, but Americans had always possessed a strange mixture of resentment and fascination toward the British monarchy.
If the Queen herself praised a beer, curiosity alone would drive people to taste it.
Victoria tilted her head slightly.
"So, Killian… that means you owe me another favor."
I laughed awkwardly.
"I always feel indebted to Your Majesty."
"Oh no," she said with a smile. "Don't try to brush it off."
"This time I believe I deserve proper compensation."
"If you disagree, feel free to argue. I'll listen."
How could I possibly object?
Under her bright smile, I could only return an awkward grin.
"You asked me to help remove the Conservative elders connected to the opium trade by drawing attention to opium."
"You asked me to travel to Ireland to calm public opinion so the famine could be prevented."
"And you asked me to promote rutabaga as a potato substitute by eating it in public."
"The first two were easy," she continued.
"But the last one was honestly a bit difficult."
"I did recommend cooking it or adding sauce," I said weakly.
"But my method was more effective, wasn't it?"
"Didn't everything turn out even better?"
"…Yes."
"Answer."
"Yes, Your Majesty. You are correct."
Hearing it listed like that, I had to admit she had indeed worked quite hard for my sake.
Calling it "compensation for affection" wasn't entirely unfair.
"And thanks to my brilliant improvisation," Victoria continued smugly, "that emotional comfort business you forgot about will also proceed more smoothly."
"I think anyone would feel grateful in that situation."
"Don't you agree?"
"You are absolutely right, Your Majesty."
As long as she didn't suddenly demand we announce our marriage immediately, I had already resolved to accept whatever she asked.
Considering how much she had helped, I didn't mind returning the favor.
She was wise enough not to ask for something impossible.
"So," she said brightly, "you now owe me four favors."
"We'll cancel the debt if you grant four requests."
"…That seems fair."
"What would you like me to do?"
"I haven't decided all of them yet," she said.
"But the first one is already chosen."
"And we can do it right now."
"See? Easy."
"Somehow that makes it sound less easy," I muttered.
"It's simple," she said. "I'll ask a few questions. You just answer honestly."
A truth game?
The request felt almost youthful, and I had a good idea what she might ask.
So I nodded calmly.
"I've never lied to Your Majesty anyway. If you prefer this format, I'll answer whatever you ask."
"Good."
She hesitated slightly.
"Um… are there any families proposing marriage to you these days?"
"A few have tried," I said.
"But I declined them all."
"Then… have you ever been in a relationship with a woman?"
"Not really. I haven't had the time."
Technically my previous life didn't count.
"…I see."
"Then let me ask differently."
"There must be many women who like you, right?"
"Not particularly before," I replied.
"But recently… the number seems to have increased."
"Perhaps my position has something to do with it."
"That's not it," Victoria said with a snort.
"They hesitated before because of your uncertain status. Now that you're powerful, they're flocking to you."
"Hmph. So worldly."
"For the record, I recognized your extraordinary talent the very first time we met."
"I'm fundamentally different from those shallow women."
Well…
That was because I deliberately displayed extraordinary abilities.
But I simply nodded politely.
After several more trivial questions, Victoria suddenly took a deep breath and looked directly into my eyes.
"In summary," she said, "Killian has never properly compensated me for my devotion."
"So I believe I deserve at least a small reward."
Her voice gradually grew quieter.
Her face flushed pink as she fidgeted with her fingers.
"So… I was wondering…"
"What kind of… expression of affection… would be appropriate compensation."
"From Killian's perspective."
I replied carefully.
"Touching Your Majesty without permission is considered a grave offense, even for nobles."
"I don't believe I'm in a position to suggest such things."
"Oh, come now," she said quickly.
"There's no one here but the two of us."
"Of course we're not officially courting yet, and we certainly aren't married, so inappropriate behavior would be improper."
"But still… I worked very hard this time, so at least—"
If I let this continue, she would talk herself into circles forever.
I stepped forward and knelt on one knee before her.
"Your Majesty," I said softly.
"Forgive this brief discourtesy."
"…?"
I gently took her hand.
Then I lowered my head and pressed my lips against her knuckles.
Her entire body trembled slightly.
I had considered kissing her lips.
But this era was extremely conservative—and Victoria herself was quite traditional.
Even this gesture was already bold.
Her face turned crimson, confirming I had judged correctly.
"I–I mean…"
"If that made you uncomfortable—"
"No! Not at all!"
She shook her head rapidly.
"It's just… we're not even formally engaged yet."
"It feels a little fast."
"But… I don't dislike it."
Her face was now pink all the way down her neck.
She turned her head away to hide it.
"Anyway… that settles the first debt."
"I need a moment alone to calm myself."
"Should I step outside?"
"…Yes."
"If you stay here, my heart might actually burst."
I hadn't expected such a reaction from something as simple as a hand-kiss.
Perhaps it was the difference between modern sensibilities and the strict customs of the Victorian era.
I stood and bowed politely.
Before leaving, I glanced back.
Victoria was peeking at me.
When our eyes met, she jerked her head away in embarrassment.
Was that really the same queen who had been so regal downstairs earlier?
Honestly…
She looked rather adorable.
Suppressing a smile, I quickly slipped out of the room.
After returning to the first floor, I pushed through the crowd and found the man I had intended to speak with.
His brightly colored clothes made him easy to locate.
"Ah, Minister," Benjamin Disraeli said cheerfully.
"Finished speaking with Her Majesty already?"
"Yes. She's resting."
"Now then… shall we discuss the real matter?"
"The real matter?"
"This floor is crowded," I said. "Upstairs no one will overhear us."
"So tell me."
"Why did you come to Ireland so suddenly?"
Moments ago Benjamin had looked like a carefree party guest.
Now his expression turned serious.
"You saw through me immediately."
"I was wondering when to bring it up."
"There had to be a reason," I said.
"If assistance was needed, you could have sent someone."
"You wouldn't travel from London to Ireland without cause."
"So what happened?"
Benjamin Disraeli sighed.
"I'm not sure whether to call it the crisis we feared… or the opportunity we expected."
"But the situation you mentioned earlier is beginning to unfold."
"I mentioned many things," I said dryly.
"Ah… that's true."
"Shortly after you left, the Prime Minister and Charles Wellesley clashed in Parliament."
"If this continues, the Conservative Party could face a serious internal split."
"So I came to hear your opinion directly."
Many of the Conservative elders who opposed me had already been eliminated due to their connections with opium traders.
Perhaps the remaining senior politicians now felt threatened.
Or perhaps younger MPs had begun demanding the old guard step aside.
Either way, the conflict was inevitable.
"What triggered the dispute?" I asked.
"The Canadian Immigration Bill," Disraeli replied.
"The Prime Minister opposes sending settlers west."
"He fears conflict with the United States."
"That would be the obvious concern."
Americans were obsessed with their so-called Manifest Destiny.
Naturally they would react strongly if Canada expanded westward.
But I had already prepared for that.
"What should we do?" Disraeli asked.
"Should Charles compromise?"
"No," I said.
"Actually… the timing is perfect."
"O'Connell recently told me the Repeal Association will dissolve and join the Conservative Party in the next election."
Disraeli's eyes widened.
"Truly?"
"Yes."
"With their seats combined with the Wellesley faction…"
"Our influence inside the Conservative Party will surpass the old guard."
I smiled faintly.
"In that case…"
"Let's simply take it."
"The leadership of the Conservative Party."
If the old men still believed they had a choice…
Then it was time they learned the truth.
Their era had already come to an end.