Chapter 9

Food War (2)

St. Petersburg, Winter Palace.

Emperor Nicholas quietly covered the letter.

“Alexander.”

A name given after his revered elder brother.

Crown Prince Alexander.

“Yes, Father.”

“You should go to England.”

“...Yes?”

The Tsar spoke firmly.

“Go to London.”

“Father, why...”

“Your great-uncle also visited Paris in his youth, along with other officers.”

Although Alexander wanted to say that it was different because his great-uncle had gone there after winning the war, he closed his mouth.

“The Holy Alliance must be maintained. And to do so, it is not too early to start making your presence known to the various countries.”

The extremely conservative Tsar Nicholas truly believed this.

“The French still yearn for Napoleon. They could start another war at any time.”

All European countries, except for Britain, the Papal States, and the Ottoman Empire, are members of the Holy Alliance. Britain could not join due to legal issues, specifically the regency of the Prince of Wales. The Papal States could not join due to religious issues, and the Ottoman Empire could not join because it would be highly unusual for it to be a member of the Holy Alliance.

“The visit to congratulate the newly enthroned William IV will be the pretext, but the main goal of this delegation will be to bring Britain into the Holy Alliance.”

“How will you respond to Britain’s proposals?”

“Is there any reason to refuse? However, if we can make the terms more favorable to us, we can do so. But there’s no need to push too hard. Alternatively, we can handle both issues together.”

For example, lowering tariffs on imports from Holy Alliance member countries. The possibilities are endless.

And Nicholas would do anything to preserve and maintain his brother’s legacy.

***

Seoul! Rise up!

They were betrayed.

The corrupt and incompetent monarchy and nobility had brought the country to ruin.

But they never bowed to the Chinese.

Genetically, they were closer to the Mongols and Tatars, and they were people who would rule rather than be ruled, and if ruled, they would resist to the death.

Descendants of Prester John, who once forgot the Catholic faith, and among the lost ten tribes of the Jews...

“Ah, this is a bit much.”

I twirled the fountain pen.

The Koreans, who are the protagonist’s comrades and collaborators, believing in the right faith and not superstitions, the Chinese as the villains, and the Japanese as the treacherous betrayers.

This is the frame I roughly set up.

The reason... there’s no particular reason. I just don’t like China and Japan.

Of course, I am influenced by my past life’s memories, but still, it’s not like I’m going to become a national leader and act irrationally. I’m just giving a positive portrayal of Korea in my novel and criticizing China and Japan. Who would say anything about that? After all, in this era, people believe in the mystique of the East, fortune-telling, and prophecies.

“So, will the uprising succeed?”

“It will fail.”

I gave Laila a simple answer.

“The odds are 90 to 1, a fight between heavily armed regular troops and untrained civilian militia. They can only hope for help from European armies, but due to various circumstances, the European armies will not be able to provide adequate assistance. In the end, they will fight valiantly, and the last man will fall.”

The description is heavily inspired by the Warsaw Uprising I read about in the past.

This will be a 100% hit.

Facing an overwhelming and ruthless enemy, they will fight to the last man to defend their homeland, believing in a hope that will never come, and will die as martyrs for their country and people.

Isn’t this a story that resonates across time and place? It was the case in the Battle of Aisian, the Battle of Thermopylae, the Fall of Constantinople, and the Battle of Kosovo.

When it actually happens, it will create a national shrine and fuel the will to resist, and even foreigners will praise their courage.

So there’s no reason not to use it. I am, after all, a popular novelist.

At that moment, Laila spoke.

“Sir, have you heard the news?”

“What news?”

“A Russian delegation, led by the Crown Prince, will soon visit London.”

“Hmm... wasn’t the Crown Prince 14 years old?”

“He is 13.”

“Then it’s just a goodwill visit.”

It’s not uncommon for a Crown Prince to visit a foreign capital for goodwill in Europe.

After all, they are so interrelated that a few steps away, they are all relatives, and I’ve heard that Crown Princes often become close friends.

“Russia is somewhat on the periphery of Europe, so it’s not unusual for them to want the Crown Prince to see the world. Even Peter the Great, who they call the Great, traveled abroad even after becoming Tsar.”

I said this and turned my attention back to the manuscript.

“If I could ruin my reputation in exchange for a successful novel, that would be a huge loss, wouldn’t it?”

“Of course.”

“So I wrote a new novel to restore my reputation.”

I sighed.

“But did this novel produce this result?”

“No way.”

No, it’s almost 99%.

There’s no other reason.

France-Spain, Gibraltar Return Demands Intensify! Louis-Philippe’s ‘Gibraltar is Spain’s rightful territory’ Outrage!

The necessity of an Anglo-Russian alliance to counter the Franco-Spanish alliance... Where will the Germans stand?

High-ranking official, requesting anonymity: Louis-Philippe’s ambition casts a cloud of war over the European continent!

“I can’t do this.”

“Pardon?”

“Damn it, I need to get into politics, I can’t handle this.”

I can’t even understand how the situation is spiraling out of control.

Of course, just because I want to get into politics doesn’t mean I can immediately do so.

In 21st-century Korea, I could found a political party and run for election, and it would be possible. Even celebrities and businesspeople can get into politics. Naturally, a famous author can too.

The problem is that it’s 19th-century Britain.

Of course, I can participate in politics, but the methods are incredibly primitive.

Voting rights are extremely limited, and it’s almost a given that women and the poor don’t have them.

Voting rights are only for those who pay a certain amount of taxes.

In other words, the working class has no right to vote.

Nobles? Male nobles have the right to be members of the House of Lords from birth, but I don’t.

I’m called a baron because my mother is a countess, but in Britain, the children of noble families are treated as commoners unless they inherit a title. A prime example is Winston Churchill.

Churchill, a member of a ducal family, was once the first in line to inherit the title but could enter the House of Commons and become Prime Minister because he was legally a commoner. If the Duke of Marlborough had died and Churchill inherited the title, he would have never become Prime Minister.

If I receive a separate title in Britain, it might be possible, but even Arthur Conan Doyle received a knighthood, so it’s not impossible...

But if I want to get into politics, my only option is the House of Commons, the lower house. Since I don’t have a title by British law, I’m a commoner, and commoners can only enter the House of Commons. My mother is still in good health.

Of course, getting into the House of Commons is not easy.

The world is about money and connections, and it’s true.

And I have no connections in that area. I have some money from selling novels, but...

If my actions have changed history, I need to understand how it’s unfolding, but I have no way to know.

Newspaper articles are inaccurate and exaggerated, and there are many false reports.

And that’s the only source of information.

If it were the 21st century, I could try to fact-check by digging through the internet, but that’s not the case.

So at least, as a member of parliament, I would receive information to the extent that the British government knows.

“Sigh, unless I marry into a political family, it’s going to be difficult.”

“... Marriage?”

Laila paused before speaking.

“Yes, my mother is actively looking for a good match. Since our family has money and a nominal title, we can probably find a decent family to marry into.”

It’s difficult to marry into a formal noble family, and probably among the upper echelons of the bourgeoisie?

‘If it were an American family, I could marry into a truly wealthy family, but my mother wouldn’t care about that.’

America is still a backwater in the New World.

And Americans themselves know this, so when the Gilded Age comes, they will try to marry into European noble families.

That’s why many impoverished European noblewomen ended up marrying wealthy American industrialists.

‘Of course, the Gilded Age is still a ways off, and most importantly, my mother is a typical French noblewoman, except for her strong faith. Even if we lost our estates and are living in exile, her pride wouldn’t allow her to find a daughter-in-law among the backwoods of the New World.’

She would want to marry into a baronial family, but given our situation, she’s probably looking at influential bourgeois families with seats in parliament or governorships.

“But didn’t you ask about the girl you had in mind last time?”

“That’s just talk. My mother is the type who, in principle, won’t bend unless the other party is of equal or higher status, no matter how strong they are.”

In other words, she always chooses principle over reality and won’t bend to what she considers unreasonable.

“In short, if given a choice between a poor baronial family and a wealthy commoner, she would choose the baronial family.”

“But aren’t the bourgeoisie commoners?”

“The bourgeoisie are practically quasi-nobles. My mother has lived in Britain for decades and has adapted to the treatment of the bourgeoisie as almost equal to nobles.”

While it’s true that the bourgeoisie are still treated below nobles, the British bourgeoisie are on par with minor nobles in continental Europe.

And British barons, unlike the petty barons of the continent, often have the prestige of continental counts.

This is a result of the differences between the British and continental European systems.

“Even knighthoods are hereditary in Europe, but not here, that’s the difference.”

“... I see.”

Is it just my imagination, or does Laila’s voice sound a bit melancholic?