The reporters' hands, which had been moving furiously across their notebooks, suddenly stopped.
Those who had even prepared draft articles in advance—hoping to publish the news as quickly as possible—stared at me in disbelief.
"Y-Your Highness… does that mean you intend to respect Parliament's bill?"
"Our British Empire possesses one of the most advanced political systems in the world," I replied calmly. "But when a nation is the first to establish such a system, imperfections are inevitable. We are no exception. Although we claim to follow the rule of law, many aspects of our governance still rely heavily on tradition and custom. It is not uncommon for the law and tradition to conflict. Therefore, I believe efforts to clearly codify long-standing traditions into law deserve proper respect."
"But the intention of the bill is clearly to exclude you from domestic politics!"
"The royal family of the British Empire must remain neutral in domestic political affairs. This has been our tradition, and it must continue to be our tradition. Some traditions change with time—but this is one that should endure forever. Therefore, I have decided to willingly accept Parliament's request."
"So… like Socrates, who knowingly drank the poisoned cup, Your Highness intends to set an example by respecting the nation's system?"
At that point, the contrast must have seemed overwhelming.
Compared to politicians who fought petty political battles for personal gain, my stance appeared almost magnanimous.
Seeing the unmistakable admiration in the reporters' eyes as they scribbled furiously, I chuckled softly and shook my head.
"You flatter me too much. If I were truly such a great man, I would have declared my respect for Parliament's decision before this controversy even began. When the debate first erupted, I was naturally angry. I even considered using the situation as an opportunity to involve myself in domestic politics."
"That would have been understandable. What made you change your mind?"
"As I said, regardless of Parliament's intentions, I concluded that protecting the traditions and rule of law of this nation was the right choice. That is also why Her Majesty did not dissolve Parliament. I am only human—so even now my feelings are not entirely pleasant. But more than that, I love the British Empire, and I feel a duty to continue serving this country. That conviction is why I respect Parliament's decision. My beliefs should not be shaken by Parliament's actions."
"Parliament's actions cannot shake my convictions… my decision is not for Parliament, but for my own beliefs…"
The reporters began writing furiously again.
Before leaving the podium, I made one final request in a polite tone.
"As Her Majesty has said, I hope our politicians will end this exhausting conflict and once again focus their wisdom on policies that serve the nation and its citizens. The press as well—I ask for your help in ensuring that the decision made by the Queen and myself contributes to calming the divisions that have grown within our society."
"Leave it to us!"
"We will follow Your Highness's example and always put the nation first!"
The press conference that had been expected to become a stage for condemning Parliament had instead transformed into a celebration of my supposed magnanimity.
Even as Victoria and I stood and returned into the palace—
The applause and praise of the reporters continued.
* * *
The House of Commons and the Whig Party, which had been completely cornered, had no choice but to grasp the lifeline I offered.
MPs who had been convinced Parliament would be dissolved welcomed me with thunderous applause when I appeared at the next session.
It was almost like the reaction of someone welcoming the savior who had preserved their life.
In fact, the comparison was quite accurate.
Politically speaking, I had just saved their lives.
"Your Highness! I do not know how to repay your magnanimity!"
"When I read the article about your decision, I wept with shame. I realized I had forgotten the true nature of politics."
William Gladstone, Lord Palmerston, Lord John Russell—
Every Whig MP present approached my seat before the session began, bowing repeatedly in gratitude.
Even the Conservative MPs who had cooperated with the Whigs to pass the bill did the same.
Naturally, Charles Wellesley and Benjamin Disraeli did not forget to perform their own apologies.
The endless expressions of gratitude delayed the session for over an hour.
And when the meeting finally began—
Progress was just as slow.
Although everyone had already agreed to pass the bill in its original form, most MPs hesitated to openly voice their support.
"All members who support the bill, please say 'Aye!'"
No one spoke.
In such an atmosphere, how could they?
They all glanced at me nervously.
Finally, with a wry smile, I stood up.
"Mr. Speaker, if it is not improper, may I speak before the vote?"
"…That may indeed be necessary."
"Thank you. Honorable members of Parliament, as everyone here knows, a rather unfortunate incident has recently occurred. However, as I stated earlier, I firmly believe that the continued development of the British Empire requires the strengthening of the rule of law. The legislative authority of Parliament will only become more important as time goes on. Therefore, when a bill is voted upon in this sacred chamber, no external pressure should influence the decision."
"Please exercise your authority according to your own beliefs and convictions. As for myself, I will faithfully remain within the role defined by this law and continue doing everything I can for the future of this nation."
Clap.
The first applause came from Benjamin Disraeli.
Soon the Conservative MPs joined him.
Then the Whigs followed.
"Your Highness! Thank you!"
"Thank you! Thank you!"
The chamber had turned into something resembling a revival meeting.
Amid the cheers of the MPs, I bowed politely.
Until the very last moment.
So that the smile threatening to escape my poker face would not be seen—
I lowered my head even deeper.
* * *
"What on earth just happened? No—what happened?!"
As soon as the meeting ended, Charles Wellesley rushed over, clearly agitated.
"Why did you let the bill pass? Everything had developed in such a way that rejecting it would have carried no risk. You told me to stay calm because you had a plan!"
"And you did excellent work, Prime Minister. Everything went exactly according to plan."
"The bill passed! And that was the plan?"
"When did I ever say I intended to defeat the bill? From the beginning, I assumed its passage was inevitable."
Wellesley stared at me in disbelief.
Considering that he had followed my lead throughout the entire affair, his reaction was understandable.
He had expected me to deliver a brilliant maneuver that would crush the Commons' scheme.
Instead, everything seemed to have returned to where it started.
"But this means the Prince Consort is now legally barred from holding positions in Parliament or the government! I understand the intention of respecting tradition—but the loss is enormous!"
"A loss? What exactly have I lost?"
"Well… obviously…"
"Name a single thing that has changed from what I previously possessed."
Wellesley paused.
He thought carefully.
Then scratched his head.
"…Well…"
"…Hmm…"
When he fell silent, I continued calmly.
"My influence in Canada and Asia. My wealth. My connection with the Prime Minister. Tell me—what exactly have I lost?"
"But you can no longer hold office in the government—"
"As long as you remain Prime Minister, why would I need such a position?"
"…So the purpose of this plan was to create the impression that you have no interest in power?"
"That's only part of it. We could have crushed Parliament this time, but in the long run that would have been a mistake. As long as Britain follows a parliamentary system, Parliament will inevitably remain the center of political power. Crushing it through force would harm the country's future."
If I had intended to abolish Parliament and restore absolute monarchy, that might have been different.
But I did not.
The goal was not suppression.
It was taming.
Instead of cutting off someone's head at their most desperate moment—
You cut the rope from around their neck.
That was the scene I wanted to create with this plan.
"From now on," I continued, "not only the Whigs but the entire Commons will feel indebted to me. At the same time, they will believe that the Prince Consort truly has no intention of interfering in domestic politics."
"…Then no one will attempt to restrain Your Highness like this again."
"And after being criticized so harshly this time, Parliament will have no choice but to be more careful about public opinion. The Lords also took their share of the blame, so neither side can behave too arrogantly."
The Prime Minister had been criticized along with Parliament.
But politics was always relative.
Even if the Conservatives were criticized, as long as the Whigs were criticized more—
It was not truly a disaster.
In elections, victory required only one vote more than the opponent.
Which meant Wellesley's chances of remaining Prime Minister in the next election were unaffected.
"I noticed the Morning Post has grown tremendously as well…"
"It's now unquestionably the largest newspaper in the Empire. If you ever need to influence public opinion, feel free to use it."
The law restricting my involvement in domestic politics looked like a chain.
But in reality—
Under the current circumstances, it was armor protecting my image.
After such a massive political crisis, how would the public perceive a Prince Consort who voluntarily accepted limits on his own power for the sake of tradition?
A man with no ambition.
A true patriot.
And in truth—
The supposed limitations meant nothing.
I was connected to the most powerful man in Britain—the Prime Minister.
There were countless MPs in both the Lords and Commons willing to speak on my behalf.
I controlled the most powerful newspaper in the Empire.
And most importantly—
The law itself guaranteed my authority over the colonies, which would eventually become even more powerful than the homeland.
Yet despite all this—
The people praised Prince Consort Killian as a man with no desire for power.
Even the Whig MPs who once demanded that I be restrained were now reflecting on their own mistakes.
"Prime Minister," I said finally, "now you should mediate between the Commons and the Lords so they can reconcile. As the son of the Duke of Wellington, you are the perfect person to play that role."
Wellesley nodded slowly.
"I see… I will restore my presence that way. After all, it would be foolish for the Commons and the Lords to continue tearing each other apart."
And so—
The betrayal scandal that had shaken the British Empire finally subsided.
The political world quickly returned to normal.
But the reputations of both the Commons and the Lords had been permanently stained.
And it would take them years to recover.
As for me—
I had surrendered nothing I actually possessed.
I had simply made a grand show of relinquishing powers that never truly mattered.
And in doing so—
I alone emerged from the entire conflict with the one thing that mattered most.
The trust of the people.