"Hmm…"
I stared at the list of books I had brought back from Kensington Palace, lost in thought.
When I told Victoria she could ask for anything she wished, she handed me a list of every book she had ever wanted to read.
Of course, people like Baroness Lehzen and my aunt Cecilia were also around her.
But neither of them was truly free from the watchful eyes of the Duchess of Kent.
That was probably why Victoria seemed eager to hear about every book she had longed to read—through me.
At first I thought it wouldn't be a problem.
But this girl…
Her intellectual curiosity was no joke.
Apparently my explanations alone weren't enough.
She had asked me to buy entire books on the subjects and summarize them for her.
And the topics weren't limited to ordinary social issues.
Somehow she had even heard about Charles Lyell's Principles of Geology, published a few years earlier, and asked me to explain that as well.
Thanks to that request, I ended up instructing James to obtain every book on her list so I could read them myself and prepare summaries for her.
Still, if this much effort could win Victoria's goodwill, it was practically free profit.
Fortunately, she seemed to view me favorably.
In front of the Duchess she performed her role perfectly.
After two or three more visits, the Duchess began trusting me completely and stopped assigning servants to monitor our conversations.
Of course, I still checked every time I visited.
One careless moment was all it would take to get stabbed in the back.
In any case, even I couldn't pretend to know the contents of a book like Principles of Geology.
So I had to complete this week's "homework."
After spending roughly three hours reading through the material thoroughly, I decided it was time to move to the next stage of the plan.
* * *
"Hey, Killian. It's getting harder and harder to see you these days. Don't forget about us."
"I hear you've been visiting Kensington Palace every week to meet the princess. They say the Duchess guards her like a fortress. I can't believe you broke through that."
"While some of us are battling old men in Parliament, someone else is enjoying cozy afternoons with the future queen. Life really isn't fair."
"That's not what it's like at all," I protested.
And battles in Parliament?
From what I'd heard, Charles Wellesley was currently being treated like the Tory Party's rising star.
Surely he hadn't already forgotten whose idea that had been.
"But Benjamin's right," Charles continued. "I'm genuinely curious. I saw the Duchess of Kent once before, and she was formidable. Even my father shook his head about her. How did you manage to get close?"
"It's not complicated," I replied. "I simply convinced her that letting me meet Victoria would benefit her."
"That's exactly what I'm asking—how did you convince her?"
Then Charles shrugged.
"Actually, knowing you, maybe it's not that strange."
Apparently he had reached the stage where any success of mine could simply be explained with, 'Well, Killian did it.'
Honestly, it saved me the trouble of explaining.
Meanwhile Benjamin—Disraeli—smiled casually while analyzing the situation with surprising sharpness.
"Killian, what was the future queen like in person? Rumor says she possesses the wisdom of Athena, the beauty of Aphrodite, and the gentleness of Hestia."
"What kind of ridiculous rumor is that?"
I would bet my entire fortune that even Edward, the Duke of Kent, would never have praised his daughter like that.
And gentleness?
Hestia might file a complaint over that comparison.
"Well, let's set aside the beauty part since that's subjective," I said. "But she is definitely intelligent. More importantly, she has a strong desire to learn new things."
"Then her political inclination becomes very important."
"She's extremely interested in social issues. But most of her views lean rather… progressive."
"In that case she might grow close to the Whigs."
"If we had to categorize it, she'd probably feel more affinity with the Whigs than the Tories."
That matched what I remembered from history.
In the early years of her reign, Victoria had been close to the Whig Party.
A Whig prime minister had helped guide her through the basics of governance.
Meanwhile the Tories, who would later evolve into the Conservative Party, had often clashed with her.
Their relationship only improved somewhat after Benjamin himself eventually became the party leader.
Even then, Victoria continued to disagree with many Conservative politicians.
So realistically, she would probably lean toward the Liberals rather than the Conservatives.
"Even if the monarch's power continues to decline," Benjamin said thoughtfully, "its influence can never be ignored. If the next queen forms a close relationship with the Whigs, wouldn't that put us at a disadvantage?"
"That's exactly why Killian is investing so much effort into her," Wellesley replied. "Even if she's politically closer to the Whigs, meeting Killian every week will inevitably make her emotionally closer to us."
As Britain developed into a constitutional monarchy, the king's authority was steadily shrinking.
But it was still formidable.
The monarch still possessed the formal powers to appoint prime ministers, dissolve Parliament, approve legislation, and appoint judges and bishops.
More importantly, the monarch's real influence came from informal authority.
As both head of state and leader of the Church of England, the monarch carried immense moral authority.
Public opinion also tended to follow the monarch's stance.
For the Tories, already struggling against the Whigs, Victoria siding openly with their rivals would create an impossible situation.
"Killian," Benjamin asked suddenly, "did you approach the princess purely to gain an advantage in the political landscape?"
"That would certainly sound like something Killian would do," Charles said. "Let's be honest—our current popularity in the party is temporary. If we want long-term influence, we need real backing. The queen's favor would be perfect."
"Exactly," Benjamin agreed. "If the future monarch becomes close to Killian, he could enter the House of Lords easily. And if we control the House of Commons, then theoretically the Commons, the Lords, and the Crown could all move in harmony."
"Magnificent," Charles murmured. "True national unity. True democracy."
Both men nodded with satisfaction at the grand political architecture they had imagined.
Ironically, the scenario Benjamin proposed—a Conservative-dominated political order—was something I had envisioned long ago myself.
Improving my relationship with Victoria would not only help me enter the House of Lords but also strengthen my standing within the Conservative Party.
"You both grasp the core of the matter without needing an explanation," I said.
"So you'll continue visiting Kensington Palace regularly and earning the princess's favor."
"Don't worry about the Commons," Charles added. "We'll inform you if anything happens here. Focus on your mission. I thought you might finally be pursuing romance, Killian, but I suppose that's not the case. Though admittedly… she's not exactly a typical candidate for youthful romance."
"Wellesley," Benjamin said dryly, "she is the future monarch of this country. Anyone approaching her with impure intentions might not even leave behind bones."
Of course, maintaining a good relationship with Victoria was essential for my long-term plans.
But was that really the only reason?
Until recently I would have answered yes without hesitation.
Yet suddenly I remembered something.
The bright smile she had shown when I promised to find the books she wanted.
I had met countless people and seen countless emotions.
But that smile contained something difficult to define.
Relief.
Anticipation.
Joy at finally glimpsing the wider world after being trapped for so long.
If I could see that expression again…
Perhaps that alone might make the effort worthwhile.
It was only a fleeting thought.
Not something worth saying aloud.
* * *
About a month after Killian began visiting Kensington Palace regularly…
The officials at Buckingham Palace, responsible for monitoring the royal family's affairs, naturally received a report.
And this matter concerned not just any royal—but Princess Victoria, the first in line to the throne and the particular favorite of King William IV.
Although the Duchess of Kent currently prevented even the king from freely meeting his niece, that only made William more protective.
He demanded regular reports about her situation.
Charles Chetwynd Talbot, the king's lord chamberlain and the 2nd Earl Talbot, frowned as he reviewed the information.
"The Duchess of Kent is inviting an Eton student to the palace regularly?"
"Yes, my lord. He appears to meet Princess Victoria frequently."
"Hmm… If this happens every week, it suggests a deeper relationship. We cannot ignore it."
Normally such a trivial matter wouldn't require the direct attention of the Lord Chamberlain.
He already oversaw royal staff, ceremonies, and court events.
But because Victoria was involved, he had no choice.
"You investigated the student, I assume?"
"Yes, although the available information was… surprisingly scarce."
"Scarce?"
Talbot frowned.
The Duchess of Kent was not the type to invite random people into Kensington Palace.
Receiving such a thin report suggested incompetence.
He took the document and flipped it open.
"What is this? One page?"
"My lord… there truly wasn't much information available."
"That's absurd. An Eton student invited to Kensington Palace should have a mountain of records…"
He paused.
His eyes fixed on the name at the top.
"…Killian Gore?"
"Yes."
"I've never heard of him. Is he a commoner?"
"No, my lord. He is the illegitimate son of an Irish noble family."
"What?"
Talbot rapidly scanned the report.
The heir to the Earl of Arran, though illegitimate.
Of mixed Eastern heritage.
Admitted to Eton College with a recommendation from the Duke of Wellington.
"The top student among the freshmen… praised by every instructor… Clearly a prodigy."
Talbot tapped the paper thoughtfully.
"Is that why the Duchess noticed him? No… simple talent alone wouldn't justify introducing him to the princess."
His instincts—sharpened by decades in royal society—warned him that something was hidden beneath the surface.
But the report was too thin to prove anything.
"According to this, his character is humble, respectful of tradition and authority, and politically neutral…"
Talbot frowned.
"This profile is almost too perfect."
"Yes, my lord. We assumed the Duchess selected him simply because he might help with the princess's education."
"No. That can't be the only reason. If it were, she would have introduced other students before."
After all, Killian was only a freshman.
Many older students possessed far more knowledge.
"So what makes Killian Gore unique?" Talbot murmured.
Irish.
Mixed heritage.
Illegitimate.
Perhaps the Duchess believed he would be easy to control.
But there was another detail.
"…Wait. The Duke of Wellington recommended him?"
Though Wellington had stepped down from party leadership earlier that year, he had long been the dominant figure of the Tory Party.
If he recommended this student…
Then Killian likely had close connections to the Tories.
"Which party is the Arran family aligned with?" Talbot asked.
"The current earl once ran for election as a Tory candidate before inheriting his title."
Talbot's expression hardened.
"I see. Then this could be more serious than it appears."
It was an enormous leap in logic.
But Talbot trusted his instincts.
Killian Gore was merely a front.
Perhaps the Duchess was secretly negotiating with the Tory Party.
Or perhaps the Tories intended to influence Victoria through the boy.
Another possibility—
The Tories themselves had approached the Duchess.
Considering her adviser John Conroy was also of Irish background and known to lean toward the Tories, the theory seemed plausible.
And King William IV, despite occasional friction, had generally cooperated with the Whigs.
If the Tories feared losing influence under a future queen…
Then infiltrating Victoria's circle would make sense.
"The sly snakes of the Tory Party," Talbot muttered, rising to his feet, "have been quiet for too long."
The pieces of his imagined conspiracy now fit perfectly together.
"I must see His Majesty immediately. Continue the investigation."
"Should we focus on Killian Gore?"
"No. Investigate his connections with senior figures in the Tory Party."
Having already constructed an elaborate conspiracy in his mind, Earl Talbot hurried off to meet King William IV.
The quiet halls of Buckingham Palace had begun to stir—all because of a small breeze that had blown in from Kensington.