The Shadow of Great Britain

Perhaps Albert noticed his name on the marquee of the Leipzig Theatre, after all, the billboard clearly stated the arranger of "Turandot" was him and Mendelssohn.

"Your memory is quite good," Arthur said with a smile, shaking Albert’s hand. "That night, Mendelssohn conducted, and the audience’s enthusiasm nearly melted the stage."

Leopold, seeing both had finished the opening remarks, smiled and invited Albert to sit down. "You’ve come at the perfect time, Albert. Sir Arthur and I were just talking about your Aunt Victoire."

Albert was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, "Aunt... Is she in good health recently?"

Albert’s tone sounded cautious. It was obvious that this nephew had complex feelings toward his aunt.

This isn’t to say that the Duchess of Kent was unkind to Albert; on the contrary, she had always treated her family well. Though arguments might occur with her brothers, she showed extraordinary care for her nephews and nieces.

Once Victoria was formally recognized as the heir to the British throne, the now more financially stable Duchess of Kent immediately invited Albert and his family to vacation in Britain, with all travel and leisure expenses covered by Kensington Palace. From then on, she continued doing so almost every year.

However, despite the kindness of his aunt, Albert could still sense the odd relationship between his aunt and cousin Victoria, as well as the peculiar Kensington System.

Just as Leopold could foresee the possibility of Victoria clashing with her mother upon ascending the throne, Albert had similar suspicions.

Even though Leopold’s conclusion came from his long-term interactions with Victoria and her mother during his time in Britain.

As for Albert?

He mainly sensed it through his delicate intuitions.

Compared to others his age, Albert’s thoughts were noticeably more delicate, probably due to his unfortunate childhood.

Victoria lost her father at birth, while Albert was "abandoned" by his mother at the age of five.

Albert’s parents’ marriage was fraught with issues. The Duke of Coburg was notoriously promiscuous, and tensions only escalated after Louise’s infidelity.

Under threats from the Duke of Coburg, Louise agreed to leave Coburg without any belongings, and was never to see her two sons again. She and her lover eventually settled in Paris, where she died of illness at the age of 30.

As Albert wrote in his diary, "My childhood is unbearable to recall, deeply unhappy and utterly tragic. I don’t know how many times I wished I could disappear from the world."

Fortunately, the Rose Palace in Coburg contained many books, offering him some solace.

He especially loved those 23 historical novels by Sir Walter Scott, and after Scott’s unfortunate passing, he became fond of the historical novels by Scott’s successor, Mr. Eld Carter.

When Albert first visited Kensington Palace, he even tried chatting with his cousin about Walter Scott’s books, but sadly, Victoria’s attention was entirely captivated by the tropical parrot he brought from Coburg. She praised the parrot, saying it was larger and more gentle than Aunt Duchess of Kent’s gray parrot, even allowing it to perch on her hand and putting her finger into its beak without fear of being bitten.

Moreover, Victoria’s energy levels were far greater than he imagined. She often left him at Kensington Palace to attend evening banquets.

Although later the Duchess of Kent insisted Victoria must take Albert with her when she went out, Albert, who disliked social events and staying up late, clearly didn’t consider banquets and salons a pleasant chore, often nodding off from fatigue at those places.

In comparison to dealing with those noble girls and endless dancing, Albert preferred silently reading alone or interacting with other men; whether discussing philosophy or literature, he was open to it all.

Whereas his cousin Victoria viewed his behaviors as a sign of immaturity.

Baron Stockma, who had been observing him and Victoria, once privately commented to Leopold that Albert seemed much too indifferent and taciturn towards women.

Many British noble ladies privately compared the two princes from Coburg, unanimously concluding that despite Albert being more handsome and intelligent, his brother Ernest was more pleasant to be around due to his better nature.

However, even though Albert’s traits were seen as flaws by the young ladies, from another perspective, those flaws earned him recognition from old-fashioned gentlemen as they represented virtues advocated by traditional Christian morality.

Even King William IV, who was deeply disgusted by the Coburg family, showed no particular animus upon meeting the quiet Albert. Yet, William IV thought Albert’s brother Ernest resembled their troublesome Aunt Duchess of Kent.

The moment Arthur saw Albert in Laken Palace, he immediately understood why Leopold had treated him with such courtesy upon his arrival in Brussels.

After all, this king merely wanted closer ties with Britain.

Now that William IV had passed away, the biggest obstacle to Victoria’s marriage prospects had vanished.

Therefore, as long as Victoria herself agreed, her marriage could be settled.

And the list of people who could influence Victoria’s choice in a partner could be counted on one hand.

With the Duchess of Kent and Conroy already out, aside from this, there was Leopold himself, Lady Leisen, Viscount Melbourne, Baron Stockma, and Arthur Hastings.

Firstly, Stockma was Leopold’s man. If Belgium could also win over Arthur, it would be a three-to-two situation.

Next, as long as Leisen and Viscount Melbourne did not vehemently oppose, the marriage was essentially settled.

However, despite Belgium’s urgency, Arthur was relatively unhurried in matters of marriage.

The reason was not particularly complicated.

Victoria herself currently had no interest in discussing marriage; she had just ascended the throne and was absorbing the excitement of her status as queen.

She was now exposed to things she hadn’t encountered in the previous eighteen years, waking each day to new attractions that drew her attention, accompanied by the charming elder statesman like Viscount Melbourne, reducing her emotional needs.

She had almost entirely forgotten about Lord Elphinsone, who had been dispatched to Madras, India, as governor.

If Arthur recalled correctly, Victoria had written only one letter to him after ascending the throne, and she showed no signs of recalling Elphinsone back to London.

However, Victoria’s lack of interest was for the best; let that Scottish lad stay in India.

It would be better if he were shot by the Afghans in the mountains, ensuring no future trouble.

As long as Elphinsone didn’t return to London, Arthur could afford to delay pushing Victoria’s marriage forward, avoiding straining their relationship with hasty matchmaking.

But should Elphinsone return, Arthur would have no choice but to hurriedly find a prince from the European royal family and dispatch him to Victoria’s side overnight.

Whether the prince was Alexander from Russia...

No, no, Alexander from Russia wouldn’t work...

Or his old friend Louis Bonaparte...

No, that’s also unsuitable, Louis can’t either...

Arthur pondered as he scrutinized Albert in front of him.

He furrowed his brows while thinking, perhaps this young man is indeed quite alright?

Feeling uneasy under Arthur’s gaze, Albert couldn’t help but ask, "Sir Arthur, are you feeling unwell?"