Chapter 33
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 33
Chapter Title: Victoria (3)
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I knew a great deal about the Duchess of Kent, not just from records but from the many stories Aunt Cecilia had told me.
She was the one who had made her daughter’s already sensitive adolescence all the more difficult with her absurd overprotectiveness and control disguised as a strict education.
An ambitious woman who sought to make her young daughter dependent solely on her, intending to wield influence from behind the scenes as regent.
Viewed this way, one might wonder what kind of terrible parent she was, but it wasn't that she didn't love her daughter.
The Duchess of Kent was originally from Germany and spoke clumsy English, so the only person she could trust was her husband.
But when her husband passed away just a year after Victoria was born, the Duchess was left with no one to rely on.
It was then that her comptroller, John Conroy, approached her. The Duchess placed her trust in him and invested her entire life in her young daughter.
Her love gradually turned into obsession, and that obsession evolved into ambition.
A common story.
Cecilia had also told me she’d had great success by following my advice and actively exploiting these traits of the Duchess, so getting through to her wasn't too difficult.
“My aunt often expressed her admiration for the Princess's profound knowledge of literature. As I also have a great interest in the subject, I was curious about the methods you employed in her education, Duchess. It is a great honor to finally meet you.”
“It seems she has gilded my reputation a bit too much. How embarrassing.”
“As you know, Duchess, my aunt is not one for empty words.”
“Yes. She is certainly a thoughtful and wise woman.”
The Duchess of Kent then looked at me without a word.
I seemed to have made a good first impression, but I could clearly feel that she had not yet withdrawn her observant gaze.
This was to be expected.
I never expected to dismantle a lifetime of guardedness with just a few initial words.
When dealing with this type of person, rushing things is a surefire way to ruin everything.
One must approach it with the mindset of gradually disarming them over a period of at least a few weeks, if not months.
“By the way, what did you think of the students' match earlier? Knowing that you and the Princess were watching, everyone played with all their might...”
“They played with such fervor. It was wonderful to feel the passion that only students can exude. I suppose the students were quite excited to hear that our Victoria was coming, weren't they?”
“Of course. They were granted the honor of playing before a distinguished guest who may one day be Her Majesty the Queen.”
“You played very hard as well. Yet you never lost your composure beyond a certain point, which I found impressively aristocratic.”
It seems my efforts paid off and I stood out a little. I'm glad all that time spent training, sweating blood and tears, wasn't for nothing.
“Thank you for your kind words.”
“I hear you are always at the top of your class. If you were to meet our Victoria, what would you wish to speak about? If there's something you'd like to hear, you may speak of that as well.”
“It may sound presumptuous, but I wished to offer a word of encouragement. Even a mere student like myself feels the burden of my studies at times, so I can only imagine the immense pressure on one who may one day become the monarch of this nation. However, with a steadfast mother like yourself, Duchess, as well as Sir Conroy and my aunt, I am not worried. I simply wanted to convey that I, and all the students of Eton, are cheering for you and the Princess with all our hearts, even from afar. Though I am not sure if I am qualified to speak for all of Eton...”
“If you are the top student among the new boys, wouldn't you be qualified to represent them, at the very least? Yes. A fine student such as yourself is unlikely to be a bad influence on our Victoria. I suppose it would be all right for you to converse with her. Come this way.”
The Duchess rose and walked elegantly, and I followed her in silence.
We entered an adjacent room, where I saw Victoria and her governess, Baroness Lehzen, engaged in pleasant conversation.
“I am sorry to have kept you waiting. Victoria, as you heard earlier, this is Cecilia's nephew, Killian Gore. I've spoken with him briefly and found him to be a student with a good head on his shoulders. I thought it would be nice for you to speak with him as well, so I brought him here. Would you care to have some tea together?”
“Yes. If Mother sees him that way, he must certainly be a fine student.”
Victoria turned her gaze toward me and smiled elegantly.
In truth, a certificate of 'fine person' issued by the Duchess of Kent was, from Victoria's perspective, most likely synonymous with 'utterly useless human being.'
Of course, Cecilia would be an exception, so she was probably viewing me, her nephew, with some favor for now.
Therefore, I had to make the best possible impression here to proceed to the next stage of my plan.
The problem was that not only Victoria but also the Duchess of Kent was present.
Any clumsy move would surely lose me points with both of them.
In a way, this was a golden opportunity, but I couldn't make the mistake of trying to catch two rabbits at once on our first meeting.
The most important thing was to set my priorities.
The person I absolutely had to impress was not Victoria, but her mother.
This was because if I could capture the Duchess's heart and earn permission for a private meeting with Victoria, I could then naturally close the distance between us.
Of course, I couldn't afford to lose too many points with Victoria in the process, so my plan was designed to minimize losses while maximizing gains.
This was no easy task, but I was confident I could do it.
I had considered every possible scenario, and this particular setup was not unexpected.
“Thank you for granting me the honor of meeting you, Your Highness. I am Killian Gore, and I greet you on behalf of the new students of Eton.”
“A pleasure to meet you. I saw you striving in the cricket match earlier. Your conduct was excellent, quite unbelievable for a new boy.”
“Thank you for your kind assessment. I prepared a small entertainment, thinking I might have such an honorable opportunity. If it would not be an imposition on you both, may I present it?”
When the Duchess of Kent nodded for me to proceed, I took several cards from my pocket.
“I have heard that the late Duke of Kent was a great patron of Eton. It is thanks to him that we are able to receive our education in such a fine environment, and I have been pondering how we might express our gratitude.”
“What a grateful sentiment.”
“And as Eton is a school that nurtures the future leaders of this nation, I prepared a bit of magic to show you the value we hold most dear, expressed in words.”
Magic was immensely popular these days among commoners and nobles alike, so the Duchess would likely see it as simple entertainment and harbor no particular suspicion.
I hadn't properly learned magic, but cardsharping was, in a way, a type of magic itself, and I was skilled enough to perform for a lay audience.
Before the Duchess of Kent, I shuffled cards with words written on them, laid them out face down, and performed a trick where a sentence was formed using only the cards she selected.
It was a simple trick—memorizing the card positions beforehand and subtly switching them mid-performance—but it was difficult for novices to discern.
Of course, I hadn't prepared this trick merely to play the clown in front of the Duchess.
Under the pretext of performing magic, I had deliberately seated the Duchess and Victoria on opposite sides of me, having arranged it so they would see different words.
The Duchess of Kent looked at the phrase I had preset for her and read it aloud in a satisfied voice.
“‘Obedience is the highest virtue.’ Indeed. A phrase that makes one immediately understand why Eton is the finest school in the British Empire.”
“...Hmm?”
Victoria stared intently at the cards she had received and tilted her head, prompting the Duchess to ask.
“Is something amiss?”
“No. I was just surprised to have received the exact same phrase.”
“That is why it's called magic. If it were wrong, it wouldn't be magic, would it?”
As the Duchess chuckled, I swiftly collected the cards I had given them.
As I did, my eyes met Victoria's. She handed the cards back gracefully and said with a bright smile.
“A fascinating trick. And the phrase was quite memorable.”
“Thank you.”
I'm sure it was quite memorable, indeed.
Because the phrase I had given her was completely different from the one the Duchess read: [Patience in waiting for one's time to come].
With this, she would understand that no matter what sweet words I whispered to the Duchess here, they were not my true feelings.
Unaware of this, the Duchess leisurely savored the aroma of her tea and continued her questioning.
“I would like to hear a student's thoughts on why Eton places such emphasis on obedience. Could you tell me?”
“I believe Eton teaches us to obey the authority of our elders to guide us away from the path of arrogance. Most who come to Eton are either the nation's brightest minds or are born of noble blood. It is easy for them to fall into the delusion that they are the best in the world, that no one is smarter than them.”
“So you are saying they learn to submit to authority to be taught that this is not the case?”
“Yes. I believe that the higher a person is destined to rise, the more they must cultivate the humility of knowing they are not the best, starting from a young age. Considering the power and influence they will one day wield, shouldn't those of noble birth learn such virtues all the more?”
Just as I intended, the Duchess's gaze turned to her daughter, the one who would one day hold the most noble station in the land.
“An Eton student's way of thinking truly is different. Isn't every word he says correct? It aligns perfectly with what I have always emphasized to you.”
“It seems so. I never realized Mother's words were so well-founded.”
“As I have said many times, it is not that I enjoy educating you so strictly. But as this student says, one who is destined for a high station must learn the values of obedience and humility from a very young age. This is all for your sake, so I would be grateful if you understood your mother's heart.”
As Victoria nodded silently, the brightest smile I had yet seen appeared on the Duchess's lips.
She couldn't help but be pleased.
What was the Duchess of Kent's greatest project at the moment?
It was educating Victoria to be absolutely obedient to her word.
Although it might have been somewhat effective when she was younger, Victoria was now entering the throes of adolescence.
Naturally, though she couldn't express it openly, she must be brimming with irritation and discontent, and the Duchess couldn't have been unaware of her daughter's state.
In this situation, she had just received powerful supporting fire to justify her methods.
Moreover, she could now justify her actions with the educational philosophy of Eton, the very institution that taught Britain's finest minds.
The Duchess was probably in the midst of gleefully hypnotizing herself, rationalizing her past educational practices.
-See? My methods were not wrong after all. If Eton teaches its students this way, shouldn't my daughter, who is destined to be far nobler than them, be taught even more strictly?
It is not my education that is strange, but the King and the other royals who complain about it.
Ahem. Her inner voice was so clear it was almost embarrassing for me to hear.
Still, seeing Victoria appropriately play along with her mother's words, I was relieved that my message seemed to have been well-received.
I had only aimed to minimize my losses, but this result was better than I could have expected.
Although we hadn't spoken much directly, I could feel a distinct curiosity in the future queen's gaze as she looked at me.
* * *
After tea, the Duchess and Victoria prepared to leave Eton for their next engagement.
Just as I was about to bid farewell to the Duchess and Victoria as they were about to board their carriage.
The Duchess first saw Victoria into the carriage, then discreetly approached me.
“Your words earlier were truly wise. If you have the time, could you come to Kensington Palace next weekend? I will send a carriage for you.”
“What? To Kensington Palace?”
“Of course. You can see your aunt and we can talk some more. I am also curious about how Eton students treat their seniors and teachers.”
In other words, she wanted me to share more knowledge that could help make her daughter absolutely loyal to her mother's authority.
Of course, I had an ace up my sleeve saved for just such an occasion, so it was not impossible.
“It would be my honor, Duchess. I will tell you anything you wish to know, to the best of my knowledge and ability.”
“Good. Then I shall look forward to next week.”
She gave a gentle wave of her hand and turned to enter the carriage.
I waited with a respectful bow until the carriage was out of sight.
With this, I had succeeded in reaching the entrance to the mountain I had to climb.
Now, it was time to earn the license to climb it.
For an outsider like me to freely enter and exit such a heavily guarded place, simply spouting flattering words had its limits.
When trying to earn the trust of a guarded individual, simply filling them with the intoxicating belief that success is guaranteed is not as helpful as one might think.
I had to make her feel an anxiety that, without my presence, the success of her plans might be jeopardized.
It was now time to instill not a rosy future, but a sense of crisis—a feeling that one wrong move could lead to failure.