Chapter 56
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 56
Chapter Title: Time to Exit
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How beautiful is the sight of someone who knows when to leave and steps back with grace.
Such people are praised for generations, regardless of time or place.
In other words, perhaps such actions are praised precisely because the vast majority of people are not like that.
One must know when to concede and when to step away, but that's easier said than done.
Most people can't leave while the applause is still roaring. They linger after the curtain falls, dragging things out until they're forcibly removed from the stage.
The atmosphere at Kensington Palace was not much different.
Yesterday's celebration for Victoria's birthday was tantamount to a closing ceremony, signaling the end of the Duchess of Kent and Conroy's show.
However, as Conroy himself had said yesterday, he lacked the grace to accept that his role was over.
“Princess Victoria, I'm coming in.”
It was a leisurely noon, and Victoria and I were in the middle of discussing the events of yesterday's party.
Victoria openly furrowed her brow upon seeing Conroy and the Duchess of Kent burst through the door without permission.
“When did I give you permission to enter?”
“The Duchess has something to say to you, Princess. Does a mother need permission to see her own daughter?”
“How surprising. I was under the impression Sir Conroy was a man, but it seems he is my mother. Yet, I don't recall having two mothers. How can that be?”
At Victoria's sudden outburst, so unlike her usual silent compliance, both Conroy and even the Duchess of Kent were struck dumb, utterly bewildered.
Conroy, the first to recover, cleared his throat and let out an awkward laugh.
“Ha... haha, now that you've come of age, Princess, your jokes have certainly become more... daring.”
“Were we ever on such familiar terms as to exchange jokes, Sir Conroy?”
“...”
Damn, that's cold.
The once-warm atmosphere in the room had frozen over in an instant, like the dead of winter.
The Duchess, who had been stunned by the unexpected turn of events, finally came to her senses and raised her voice.
“Victoria! What is this insolent way of speaking!”
“Mother. Must I be the one to remind you who is failing to observe propriety?”
Needless to say, barging into a royal's private chambers without permission is a grave breach of etiquette.
If the person doing so was a young man entering a young woman's room, he could hardly complain if he were called a pervert.
Victoria's suddenly firm attitude must have been bewildering, but the Duchess refused to back down and retorted.
“Honestly, this isn't the first time. We've always done this. I don't understand why you're suddenly making an issue of it now.”
“Mother, I am an adult now. Do you truly believe it's acceptable for a man to barge into a grown woman's room without permission?”
“Of course, but Sir Conroy is like family. It's perfectly fine.”
“I believe there is etiquette to be observed even among family.”
“Goodness, what has gotten into this child? It would be one thing if it were late at night or early morning, but the sun is high in the sky. Besides, we knew you were in here talking with Killian, so what's the harm in coming in?”
As the mother and daughter's voices grew louder, even a servant from outside came in, startled.
Normally, he would have let the Duchess handle it, but Conroy, still seething from yesterday's events, made his displeasure plain and added his own piece.
“It seems the Princess wishes to be treated in a manner befitting her new status as an adult. But, Princess, you needn't place too much importance on coming of age. It is merely a legal term, after all.”
“That's a curious thing to say. You must be quite well-versed in the law, Sir Conroy.”
“Do you truly believe the princess of yesterday is so different from the princess of the day before? Do not delude yourself. You are still young, Princess, and utterly unprepared to bear such a heavy burden!”
Hearing such words from the very man who deliberately shackled Victoria to prevent her from becoming independent was, frankly, disgusting.
If I felt that way as a third party, I could only imagine how the person directly involved felt.
Perhaps because I had already told her there was no need to hold back today and that she could unleash everything she'd been bottling up, Victoria showed no hesitation.
She scoffed and tilted her head.
“It's true that I am lacking. I certainly need the help of excellent advisors. But what does my being young and unprepared have to do with you, Sir Conroy?”
“...What did you say?”
“It's true. I, too, feel my own inadequacies. But what changes if I admit to them?”
“Things must change! If you admit you are unprepared, then you must keep people by your side who can compensate for that!”
The Duchess, watching from the side, was startled by his threatening gesture of slamming his hands on the desk, but Victoria didn't even blink.
True to her innate character, the angrier Conroy became, the more fiercely Victoria's spirit burned, rather than shrinking back.
“People to compensate? Who?”
“Your mother, of course, who is right by your side! Who in this world is more trustworthy than family! State clearly that you will make the Duchess of Kent your regent, and me your private secretary!”
“And why should I do that?”
“Ha! You just admitted you were unprepared, and now you feign ignorance?”
“No, what does that have to do with a regency or a private secretary? Let me be clear: I will entrust you with nothing.”
While I, watching from the side, felt a satisfying sense of release, Conroy's face twisted into an expression beyond description.
His hands trembling, he practically threw the documents he'd brought onto the desk in front of Victoria and slammed his fist down.
“I will not say it again. Sign this, now. You are still young! Too weak to bear the crown of this nation.”
“Then I suppose I can prove my strength by not signing this, can't I?”
“Do not play with words! Duchess, are you just going to stand by and watch your daughter go astray like this? If this continues, she will go down in history as the most unprepared monarch ever!”
“Th-that's right. Victoria, you've always listened to your mother. Why are you suddenly acting this way? You may be an adult, but you're still young. What do you know of politics? Listen to your mother, even now.”
I thought she'd have lost her mind by now after being openly humiliated in front of Viscount Melbourne yesterday, but it seems she still has a sliver of reason left.
Thinking she needed another push, I gave Victoria a signal with my eyes, and she let out a deliberate sigh.
“Mother. My ignorance of politics is only relative. I am not so ignorant as to entrust matters to you or Sir Conroy.”
“W-what did you say?”
“Princess Victoria. Have you eaten something disagreeable?”
“Mother. Do you know what the main point of contention was in the recent economic debate surrounding the Corn Laws? Can you explain the theory of comparative advantage in free trade that arose in critique of protectionism?”
Of course, she couldn't answer.
Leaving the Duchess staring blankly as if she'd just heard a foreign language, she turned to Conroy.
“There is an economic depression raging outside, is there not? Can you explain why this situation came to be, what monetary policy the Bank of England is employing, and what effect it is having on the economy?”
“...What are you...”
“You said I should appoint you as my private secretary because I am so lacking. But why should I appoint someone who doesn't even know these things? Still, I must say... you have remarkable confidence. You intended to become my secretary without knowing any of this?”
Conroy's eyes twitched.
The rage of being openly slighted again, following yesterday's humiliation, and the bafflement at how Victoria—who should have been poorly educated—knew such things were plain to see.
“How... how does the Princess possess such knowledge?”
Conroy looked at the Duchess, but she was just as clueless.
Next, both their gazes turned to me, but Victoria's mocking laugh echoed through the room before they could.
“How amusing. After seeing only what you wanted to see and hearing only what you wanted to hear, are you now looking for someone to blame? I believe some self-reflection should come first.”
“Princess Victoria. I understand you're still excited from yesterday's banquet, but perhaps you should choose your words more carefully?”
“Have you ever chosen your words carefully with me, Sir Conroy? From now on, I intend to return what I've received in kind.”
“...Why on earth. It's as if you've changed overnight...”
“Overnight? The very fact that you think so is proof you know nothing about me. And you want to be what? My secretary? Pfft.”
I told her not to hold back, but I didn't expect a runaway train with no brakes. Even I'm getting chills just listening.
Her final sneer made Conroy's eyes glaze over. He clenched his fists, his body trembling, then glared at me and shouted.
“For a princess ignorant of politics and economics to gain such knowledge would take more than a day or two! It was you! You're the one who betrayed us!”
“Me? Is there a reason you think so?”
As I tilted my head with an air of innocence, the fury in Conroy's eyes reached a breaking point.
“There's no one else who could have given the Princess such knowledge! You're the one who filled her head with nonsense! To steal my plans, to take my position! After all the consideration I showed you, you ungrateful bastard!”
“You truly are showing your ugliest side right to the very end. Who is stealing whose plans?”
Victoria let out another derisive laugh, and this time, Conroy's body went completely stiff.
“...What?”
“Why on earth would Killian need to refer to your plans, Sir Conroy? That's an overinflated sense of self-importance.”
I could almost hear the sound of Conroy's psyche shattering.
If he admitted defeat and stormed out now, he could have ended this with minimal losses, but...
“Princess Victoria! You are being deceived by this bastard! Th-this son of a bitch, do you know what he's been saying in front of us! He's nothing but a bat, sucking up to us and now switching to your side because he thinks your time is coming! Just yesterday, he was suggesting we pressure you together when he was present today...”
“He said the same to me. That we should enjoy watching your final, desperate struggles from the best seats in the house.”
“...What...”
“Now your own words don't even make sense. A moment ago, you said the knowledge I possess was taught to me by Killian. In that case, the idea that Killian was ever on your side is illogical from the start. You yourself said this knowledge couldn't be acquired overnight, didn't you?”
Unless they were complete fools, they would now understand the situation.
Not just Conroy, but even the Duchess of Kent stared at me with a face drained of all color, her lips trembling.
“You, you, you... how dare you... after how I treated you, you betray me?”
“I'd rather not be labeled a traitor, so allow me to make one correction. Strictly speaking, I am not a traitor. I was never on your side, not even for a single second. So, wouldn't the term 'betrayal' be a bit of a misnomer?”
“You son of a bitch! Shut that mouth!”
“I will not permit violence in this room.”
With his eyes half-crazed, Conroy lunged at me. Victoria shot up from her seat and stepped between us, as if to shield me.
But Conroy, realizing he had been played for a fool for years, was already seeing red.
“Get out of the way! I'm going to smash that bastard's face in...!”
Just as he reflexively grabbed Victoria's arm to shove her aside.
“John Conroy! Who do you dare lay a hand on!”
With a thunderous roar, the final actor arrived to bring this play to a close.
My uncle-in-law and a resident of this very Kensington Palace.
The Duke of Sussex, Augustus Frederick, the current king's brother, stood at the door, veins bulging in his neck as he glared at Conroy.
“Have you gone mad, buoyed by the Duchess of Kent's favor? You dare raise a hand to royalty? And to the heir presumptive of this nation, no less!”
“D-Duke of Sussex... what are you doing here?”
“Now that you two can no longer prevent me from seeing my beloved niece, I came to pay her a visit. But I must say, I don't know what I'm seeing right now. To think such an outrageous thing was happening here at Kensington. Ha! So this is what you've been doing, brazenly committing such acts while keeping the young princess isolated from everyone?”
What the Duke of Sussex had just witnessed upon entering the room was the sight of Conroy grabbing Victoria's arm and trying to push her aside.
Realizing this, Conroy went pale and frantically shook his head and hands.
“Y-Y-Your Grace. I know what you must be thinking, but it's not true. I wasn't trying to harm the Princess, I was trying to get to, to that fellow Killian...”
“That fellow? I've never seen such arrogance. Does your closeness to the Duchess make you think you're a duke yourself? My nephew is the rightful heir to an Irish earldom. Who in the world are you to call him 'this fellow'?”
“Y-Your Grace... That's... I didn't mean it like that. Killian... the Earl of Arran, he deceived me! The Duchess of Kent here can testify. That man is a liar! I am the victim!”
The Duke of Sussex glanced over for confirmation, and while the Duchess stammered, Victoria firmly shook her head.
“Uncle, Sir Conroy's words are nonsense, not even worth considering. Killian has been my loyal friend from the very beginning and has always shown a friendship worthy of my trust.”
“My niece says otherwise.”
“N-no, the Princess is just protecting the Earl of Arran...”
“And unless my eyes deceive me, the person you were about to harm just now was not Killian, but Victoria.”
Conroy's already white face went beyond pale, turning ashen.
Why. Of all the times.
His expression was one of someone about to die from the sheer injustice of the Duke of Sussex appearing at that exact moment.
“No! I swear, I was not trying to harm the Princess. I just meant for her to step aside for a moment...”
“Conroy, I may be getting old, but do you take me for a senile fool? There's no need for further discussion. I will report exactly what I saw here today to Buckingham, so be prepared.”
No matter what excuse he made, the fact that Conroy had laid a hand on Victoria right in front of the Duke of Sussex was undeniable.
Even if the era of absolute monarchy was long past, harming a member of the royal family was still, of course, a serious crime.
Besides, the scene itself was just too damning.
What would others think if they heard what Conroy had done?
They would naturally assume he had resorted to violence when Victoria refused his demands to be appointed her secretary.
If this reached the King's ears, it would be tantamount to a social death sentence for Conroy.
“Y-Your Grace! Please, just listen to me! This is truly a misunderstanding...”
“Then wait outside for now. I will hear both sides separately and then make my judgment. Duchess of Kent, you will wait outside as well.”
“Y-Your Grace... please, be lenient. If you hear my side, you will see it was a misunderstanding.”
“I understand, now wait outside.”
Conroy continued to bow and scrape, looking as if he were about to grab the Duke's trousers and beg.
Seeing this classic example of someone who bullies the weak and fawns over the strong, the Duchess of Kent's gaze toward Conroy wavered slightly.
Was she finally beginning to doubt her judgment of character?
But what could be done? It was her own choice to turn her back on her daughter, trusting the words of a man with such a small capacity.
***
Once Conroy, the Duchess of Kent, and the servant had all left, the Duke of Sussex slowly walked over and sat down opposite me.
“Hoo, that was truly satisfying. Thanks to you, I enjoyed that immensely.”
“Indeed. It was a very realistic performance. Your Grace has a talent for acting.”
“My dislike for that man was 100 percent genuine, so it's hard to call it acting. Hahaha!”
As the Duke of Sussex laughed heartily, the same smile appeared on my face and Victoria's.
Realistically, how could the Duke of Sussex have burst in by chance with such perfect, measured timing?
Of course, he had arrived earlier and was waiting for the right moment to intervene.
“What do you think? Should we report him just like this? With you, me, and even the servant as witnesses, we could certainly finish Conroy off for good.”
“Still, it's not a crime that would have him rot in prison for life. It might be different if we brought in the charge that he abused the Princess when she was a child, but that would inevitably involve the Duchess, which would not sit well with the Princess.”
Taking down Conroy was one thing, but I wouldn't recommend a mud-slinging court battle with her own mother.
Sure enough, when I looked at Victoria, she was sighing, her gaze fixed with a complicated expression on the direction her mother had exited.
“I don't know about anyone else, but Mother... if she apologizes first, I'm willing to reconcile.”
“The more she sees of Conroy's despicable behavior, the higher that possibility becomes. So let's do this. Your Grace, please tell Conroy that we will let today's incident slide, on the condition that he keeps his mouth shut and doesn't spread any rumors about me or the Princess.”
No one would take the word of someone like Conroy seriously, but there was no guarantee it wouldn't become a nuisance if he started running his mouth.
In this situation, the most effective approach was to hold a leash around his neck and pressure him with the threat of social ruin if he so much as opened his mouth.
“Will that be enough?”
“When a cornered rat has nothing left to lose, even it will bite a cat. And from his perspective, won't living with the constant fear that this incident could be his downfall be a much greater pressure? It will also give the Princess more peace of mind.”
“That's true. This seems much cleaner than blowing the issue out of proportion and becoming the subject of gossip.”
“Ah, but you should still receive a sincere apology from him, shouldn't you? If you go with His Grace and tell him you'll cover up the incident if he gets on his knees and begs for forgiveness, he'll do it immediately. Seeing Conroy in such a state, the Duchess will have no choice but to admit her poor judgment of character.”
The Duke of Sussex chuckled and nodded.
Victoria, in particular, looked more excited than I'd ever seen her. She shot up from her seat.
“Excellent. Shall we go at once? I'm truly looking forward to hearing what kind of apology that man comes up with.”
As she was about to leave the room with the Duke, she paused for a moment, turned back to me, and smiled brightly.
“Thank you. Of all the birthday presents I've ever received, I don't think any has been as enjoyable as this.”
“I'm glad you like it.”
The saying that revenge only brings emptiness or begets more resentment is something uttered only by those who have never experienced proper revenge, or by those who have become so consumed by hatred that they've crossed a line.
There are few things in this world as satisfying and cathartic as a perfectly and meticulously planned revenge.
Victoria's footsteps, lighter and more cheerful than ever, were proof of that.