The Shadow of Great Britain

”Does she play Whist alone?”

Leopold inquired quietly about the Duchess of Kent’s current situation, but his tone did not sound too surprised. It seemed as if a long-foreseen worry had finally been confirmed.

”Yes.” Arthur nodded. ”Sometimes Flora joins her for a two-player game. Occasionally, the Duchess sits alone in a chair looking at chess manuals or staring out the window. Only when Mrs. Levin visits Buckingham Palace does the Duchess’s face show a hint of a smile.”

”Mrs. Levin...”

Leopold murmured, his brow furrowing involuntarily.

Arthur knew that the King of Belgium did not favor that Russian woman. It wasn’t just because she was emotionally expressive, had a bad reputation, and often carried herself with arrogance, but more so because Leopold was aware that Mrs. Levin was essentially a female spy.

It is well-known that since Belgium’s independence, the Russian government has harbored long-term animosity toward the newborn constitutional state.

Back then, if not for the Warsaw uprising, which had drawn Tsar Nicholas I’s attention with the Poles, he would have joined forces with Prussia and Austria to dispatch foreign intervention forces to Belgium to help the Dutch suppress the Belgian revolution.

Thus, Leopold maintained a hostile stance towards Mrs. Levin’s attempts to exert Russian influence on the British Court.

After all, for Belgium to establish itself in Europe, it relies on the independence guarantees from England and France.

To gain the support of the French, he married Louise Marie Orleans, daughter of King Louis Philippe of France.

Moreover, the successful succession of his niece, Victoria, was the best assurance of British support.

Of course, just maintaining good relations with his niece, in Leopold’s view, was not secure.

If the Duchess of Kent could repair her relationship with Victoria, it would undoubtedly elevate Belgium and Britain’s diplomatic relations to a higher level.

That’s why he sought out Sir Arthur Hastings, whose loyalty to the British Royal Family is beyond words. After all, in Leopold’s view, given Arthur’s current standing in Victoria’s mind, he might be the game-changer.

To win over Arthur, the Belgian government was willing to make concessions to the England Electromagnetic Telegraph Company in telegraph construction, completely within Leopold’s tolerance range. Not to mention, from the current role that wired telegraph has shown, even without the intent to win over Arthur, advancing related construction is absolutely necessary.

If it weren’t for considering that Arthur was visiting Brussels in a non-public capacity this time, Leopold would have even considered awarding Arthur the Commander-level Leopold Medal to recognize this foreign friend’s significant contributions to Belgium in science, technology, and industry.

However, Arthur was unaware that he had missed a medal that could have added prestige to his accolades.

Of course, even if he knew, Arthur might have politely declined.

Because recently, accusations by Fleet Street journalists regarding Belgium’s supposed attempts to influence Queen Victoria have indeed become frequent. Now, Buckingham Palace already has a Belgian Baron Stockma. If Arthur accepts Leopold’s honor at this time, by the time he returns to London, he’s likely to be denounced by Fleet Street, falsely accused of defecting to the Belgians for a medal.

How could Sir Arthur Hastings defect to the Belgian government over a medal?

It’s simply a joke!

Even if he were to defect, it would be in consideration of the Belgian government’s approval for the England Electromagnetic Telegraph Company’s extension of railway telegraph lines.

”Your Majesty, Prince Albert is here.”

With the court attendant’s announcement from outside the door, Leopold and Arthur almost simultaneously looked towards the entrance.

A tall and slightly reserved young man stepped into the Green Hall.

Albert was dressed in a well-tailored dark blue coat. Following his uncle’s instructions, he did not wear a sword at his waist today, nor did he adorn any ribbons or medals on his chest. He only pinned a simple emerald brooch at his collar, making him appear increasingly gentle and elegant.

Arthur had a brief encounter with Albert at the Leipzig Theatre entrance. Although the two did not know each other, he appropriately rose and nodded slightly in greeting.

Leopold stood up, walked to Albert’s side, and lightly patted his nephew’s shoulder, as if signaling him to relax.

”Albert.” Leopold turned to Arthur and said with a smile, ”Let me introduce you to a significant figure in London—Sir Arthur Hastings. He is your cousin’s most trusted court advisor and a scholar and practitioner with achievements in Natural Philosophy, art, and police affairs.”

Arthur bowed slightly and nodded to Albert. ”Your Highness, it’s a great honor to meet you.”

Albert smiled politely, and extended his hand towards Arthur, his clear voice carrying a hint of youthful shyness. ”Sir Arthur, I recall us passing each other outside the Leipzig Theatre. Only, with the crowds surging then, I didn’t have a chance to converse with you. I’m glad that regret can be remedied today.”

Arthur was surprised Albert remembered that incident when they had merely walked past each other.

But soon, he figured out how things came about.