Before meeting Florence Nightingale, I had reviewed what little knowledge I had about her.
The image most people had—the Lady with the Lamp, the founder of modern nursing—naturally conjured the impression of a compassionate and selfless woman.
To be honest, my own knowledge wasn't particularly detailed either. I only remembered fragments of her achievements.
But I had once heard that, contrary to the public image, the real Florence Nightingale had a rather bold personality.
That didn't mean she was rude or ill-tempered.
From what William had told me, she had been helping the poor and the sick since childhood whenever she saw them. A person like that could hardly be described as cruel.
Still, the fact that she insisted on becoming a nurse despite her father's opposition suggested that she possessed a formidable stubborn streak.
It was often said that many people who made a name for themselves in medicine—Albert Schweitzer among them—shared a certain stubbornness.
Otherwise, they would never be able to care for patients effectively with limited resources.
But even so, I hadn't expected her to say exactly what she wanted directly in front of the Queen.
A story I had once heard about Florence Nightingale suddenly made perfect sense in an instant, and I almost laughed.
Of course, her family looked utterly horrified.
"Y-Your Majesty! I'm terribly sorry! What my daughter meant was not that the city where Your Majesty resides is lacking—she merely—"
I glanced sideways.
Victoria didn't look offended at all. If anything, she seemed intrigued.
Seeing William turn pale, I quickly reassured him.
"There's no need to panic like that. As Her Majesty said, this isn't a formal audience. Miss Florence? I'd like to ask you a few questions. Would that be alright?"
"Yes, of course."
"You mentioned seeing many sick people in London. Did you feel they were not receiving proper treatment?"
"Yes. Since childhood I've traveled to many places thanks to my father, who enjoys traveling abroad. Wherever I went, I often saw sick people. I haven't studied medicine properly yet, but there was always one thing in common in places where illness appeared frequently."
"And that was?"
"The sanitation was very poor."
The idea that filth caused disease had existed since medieval times.
It wasn't an entirely unfamiliar concept.
Anyone with even a little interest in public health would likely know as much.
"So you believe the unsanitary environment in London contributes to the number of patients?"
"When I helped care for sick people before, I often saw improvement simply by cleaning their surroundings. Patients are far more affected by their environment than healthy people."
"You said you haven't studied medicine properly?"
"Yes. I've studied mathematics, foreign languages, and philosophy. But I haven't been allowed to study medicine because of my parents' opposition."
"And yet you reached that conclusion on your own. That's impressive."
"Thank you!"
"I hear you wish to become a nurse. But nursing is far more difficult and demanding than most people imagine. May I ask why you insist on becoming one?"
Perhaps she sensed that this moment might be the opportunity of her life.
Florence Nightingale's eyes shone with intense seriousness.
She briefly glanced at her father, who was watching her anxiously, before turning back to me.
"Since childhood, I've believed it to be a mission given to me by God. Caring for the sick and helping them recover is the one desire I've carried all my life."
"You understand how nurses are treated in society, don't you? It will be difficult. Can you endure that?"
"I want to become someone who helps change that perception. If I may speak frankly, the medical system of this country has many problems. Isn't that precisely why Your Highness is trying to improve it by establishing training institutions?"
"Fl-Florence! You're speaking to His Highness—choose your words more carefully—"
"It's fine," I said. "In fact, I find this kind of honesty refreshing. Now then, could you explain what problems you believe exist within the medical system?"
Her personality differed somewhat from the image I had imagined.
But the saying that promising talent reveals itself early clearly held true.
To think she had already thought about these issues before even becoming a nurse.
"From what I've seen while visiting various hospitals, the workload is overwhelming. No matter how capable doctors are, they simply cannot care for every patient themselves. It's unrealistic to build a system that expects them to."
"That's true."
"That's why nurses are so important. They should cover the areas doctors cannot. But in reality, nurses possess no professional training. Doctors don't expect it from them either. I believe nurses should develop enough expertise to truly assist doctors. If that happened, wouldn't the quality of medical care improve dramatically—both in hospitals and in the army during wartime?"
It was a logical argument.
History itself would eventually prove her correct.
But in this era, the idea was far ahead of its time.
Most people would struggle to sympathize with it.
More importantly, even if nurses gained expertise, who would devote themselves to studying for such a poorly respected profession?
And that was exactly why—
someone who could become the face of this change was necessary.
"Your idea may be somewhat unrealistic for now," I said, "but it does make sense. So you believe you can become such a highly trained nurse yourself?"
"Yes. I believe I can."
What confidence.
"Then let me ask you something else. Imagine a war breaks out and many soldiers are wounded. Naturally, medical personnel would be needed. What would you do?"
"I would go with them, of course, and care for the soldiers fighting for the country."
"The battlefield is far more terrifying than you imagine."
William nodded vigorously beside her.
But Florence Nightingale simply shook her head.
"If I cannot endure such an environment, then my conviction was never strong to begin with. But I don't believe that will happen."
"Very well. Let's consider another situation. There are wounded soldiers before you. To obtain medicine, you must go to the supply depot. Unfortunately, the door is locked, and the officer says he cannot open it without the commander's permission. What would you do?"
Most people would say they would run to the commander and request the key.
But after thinking briefly, she asked me a question instead.
"What condition are the patients in? Are they critical, or can they wait?"
"Some could wait. Others might die at any moment. That's the reality of the field."
Now then.
What would she say?
Victoria leaned forward with interest as well, waiting for her answer.
After a moment of thought, the well-mannered young lady in her mid-twenties calmly said something none of us expected.
"If the officer is carrying a pistol or some other weapon, I'd use it to break the lock and take the medicine. Then I'd report the matter to the commander afterward."
"Oh…"
I had expected her to say she would persuade the officer to open the door.
But shooting the lock?
Beside her, William pressed his hand to his forehead and shook his head in despair.
His sigh sounded almost tragic.
But unlike the mortified father, I found the situation thoroughly entertaining.
Ah.
So this was what people called girl crush.
Though in this case she might literally crush something.
"But that would violate military law," I said.
"But it would be faster, wouldn't it?"
The more Florence spoke, the deeper William buried his face in his hands.
I struggled to suppress my laughter.
"You could be punished for that."
"If I'm punished but the soldiers survive, that seems like a worthwhile outcome."
"Your Highness! I'm terribly sorry! I'll take her away and speak with her—"
"That won't be necessary. I believe I've heard enough. Miss Florence will be admitted as a scholarship student to the new training institution."
"Yes, I'll take her out—…pardon?"
I felt a little sorry for William, but this woman was clearly a natural medical professional.
Not just in talent, but in mindset.
"As a father myself, I understand your concern about sending your daughter into such harsh conditions," I continued. "That is precisely why we will work to dramatically improve the medical environment of the British Empire. We will enhance the professionalism of nurses and create additional roles once conditions in the field stabilize."
After all, if nursing allowed career paths beyond harsh frontline work, families from the upper classes would feel more comfortable letting their daughters pursue it.
"Miss Florence won't wish to remain a field nurse forever. If she rises to a position overseeing others, she could save far more lives. Wouldn't you agree?"
"Yes… of course."
"Then it's settled. William, I apologize for changing my earlier conclusion. But if Miss Florence graduates from a royal-backed institution, she can work as a nurse without facing the dangers you fear. What do you think?"
"…If you're willing to go that far… though as you just heard, my daughter…"
"Isn't that exactly the point?" I said with a smile. "If it's to save lives, a little initiative before reporting afterward is acceptable."
Had he assumed I would never allow someone who casually spoke about breaking military regulations to become a nurse?
But this was exactly the kind of person I wanted.
Breaking long-established systems always required a bit of boldness.
The reason I invested so heavily in medicine was not only for the nation.
It was also for the royal family.
We already possessed wealth, honor, power, and a reputation for serving the people.
But one final piece was missing.
And that piece was her.
Saving lives inspired instinctive respect and admiration.
And at present, none of the institutions—Parliament, the government, or even the monarchy—received that kind of reverence from the public.
Which meant it had to be created.
Whether she became a white-clad angel or not, the praise for raising generations of medical professionals who saved tens of thousands of lives would one day fall upon the royal family of the British Empire.
"Miss Florence," I said, "continue learning and gathering as much knowledge as you can. One day, there will certainly come a moment when you must use that knowledge and conviction."
"Yes! I'll devote myself fully—with the spirit of acting first and reporting afterward!"
…Well.
She should still report to me first.
Of course, the praise might not be the only thing we received.
Still, as long as the results were good, that was what mattered.
Admittedly, I was starting to feel a little uneasy.
But I believed in her.
Surely I could believe in her… right?