After the whirlwind audience with the Queen and the Prince Consort ended, the Nightingale family kept their promise and shared a short tea with Killian.
Victoria had another engagement and departed first, but before leaving she did not forget to offer Florence a few words of encouragement, urging her to continue working hard.
After that, nothing particularly unusual occurred.
Killian briefly explained his plans for the new modern medical training institution, and Florence enthusiastically shared her thoughts about the nursing field.
Each time she did, her father's face seemed to grow a little more worn and anxious, but she paid it no mind.
Her sister, meanwhile, had been half out of her mind from the moment she began staring at the Prince Consort's face, so she hardly counted in the conversation.
To be honest, Florence had not intended to speak quite so freely.
But Killian listened so attentively that she found herself becoming a little carried away.
Still, what could she do?
Until now, even her own family had followed her everywhere, urging her to abandon her dream of becoming a medical professional.
And now the highest figures in the nation themselves were supporting her dream.
Of course she was excited.
On top of that, the Queen herself had encouraged her to become a great medical professional.
At this point, her family could hardly object anymore.
Preventing her from becoming a nurse now would practically be the same as openly rejecting the Queen's will.
And the Prince Consort himself had offered to enroll her as a scholarship student at the new institution.
Seen from another angle, it was practically an honor for the entire family.
Indeed, throughout the entire journey back to Hampshire, her father remained silent, his face full of complicated thoughts.
Only after their carriage had left London behind did he finally speak in a heavy voice.
"I already thought you were impossible to stop when you insisted on becoming a nurse. But today… I truly thought my heart would stop. You weren't trying to give your father a heart attack, were you?"
"Of course not. Honestly, I didn't intend to go that far either."
"You should have remembered that. If anyone hears that you told the Queen of the Empire that London is a city filled with sick people, no one will believe it. They'll think you must be mad."
She hadn't even said it quite that harshly.
Her father was exaggerating.
"And what was that about shooting the lock off a supply depot? Is that something a well-educated young lady should be saying?"
"But the Prince Consort seemed to like it very much. He said that kind of boldness was necessary to save lives."
"Well… that's only because His Highness was being generous and didn't wish to criticize you directly. He meant that the spirit behind your words was admirable—not that such actions should actually be encouraged."
He had clearly been about to say that Killian was the strange one before hastily swallowing the words.
The Prince Consort made a very convenient shield.
If anyone tried to discourage her from becoming a nurse in the future, she could simply ask whether they meant to say the Queen and the Prince Consort were wrong.
"Yes, yes. I suppose saying I'd shoot the lock was a bit excessive."
"Exactly! I'm glad you understand that now."
"Guns are important military equipment, after all. It would be wasteful unless the situation were truly urgent. In that case I suppose using a hammer might be better—"
"That's not the point! Please, behave with the dignity of a proper young lady!"
"If maintaining dignity would save the same number of lives, then of course I would maintain it. But if abandoning dignity could save even one more person, then dignity has no meaning at all."
Her father and sister clearly misunderstood her.
In everyday life, Florence was actually the most dignified person in the family.
The moments when they scolded her for lacking decorum usually happened when she was helping the poor and the sick during volunteer work.
When people were suffering in front of you, was it truly proper to sit calmly drinking tea and offering charity from a distance just to maintain appearances?
To her, that wasn't dignity.
It was hypocrisy.
True dignity came not from clothing or speech, but from one's actions.
"...Sigh. Since the Queen and His Highness have spoken so strongly in your favor, I suppose you must follow your path. But how on earth am I supposed to explain this to your mother…?"
"If Mother hears that the Queen herself encouraged me, she'll probably say there's nothing she can do."
"I confidently told her you would abandon this nursing nonsense after today…"
"Ah, so that was part of the plan. I did wonder why you brought us to the palace. But honestly, it felt like the Prince Consort had a favorable impression of me from the beginning. Since things worked out well, I'm grateful to you, Father. As for my sister…"
Florence glanced sideways.
Parthenope was still drifting about like a girl lost in a dream.
Well.
She had to admit that Killian was handsome.
But… was he really that handsome?
Though now that she thought about it again, perhaps he was.
"Sister? We left London quite a while ago. Perhaps you should return to reality."
"Anyone hearing you would think I'd lost my mind. That's not it."
"Your eyes looked like they were shooting hearts. Most people would call that losing your mind."
"So what? How often do you get the chance to meet someone like that in your life?"
"It's fine to be excited, but you do realize he's the Prince Consort of the Empire, right? He already has a wife. And that wife is the Queen."
Florence had offered the reminder just in case.
But Parthenope only looked at her as though she had said something ridiculous.
"That's not what I mean. In fact, the fact that he's the Queen's husband makes it easier to admire him freely. Even if I squeal about how wonderful he is, who would seriously think I'm pursuing a married man?"
"Ah… when you put it that way…"
"Exactly. Married gentlemen say things like 'Our Queen is so beautiful—long live Her Majesty!' all the time. Do their wives think they're planning an affair? Of course not. It's the same kind of admiration."
It was a strange line of reasoning.
Yet somehow it was difficult to refute.
Perhaps this was simply how writers thought.
"Well… as you say, no one is seriously trying to date or marry the Prince Consort. So I suppose it's not really a problem."
"Exactly. In fact, it might be good inspiration for my writing. When you start attending that new school, can I come along to the entrance ceremony? Since the Prince Consort is founding it, he'll surely be there. I was too shy to speak with him today."
"…That's surprisingly strategic."
"Strategic? That word suits you better. You boldly said all those things in front of the Queen and the Prince Consort and captured their attention immediately. Don't misunderstand—I think that's very important. Because you showed such determination, His Highness decided to support you, and Father can no longer oppose you. It was an excellent strategy. My sister truly is something special."
Ah.
That hadn't been a strategy.
It was true that she wanted to draw attention.
But everything she had said had been completely sincere.
If anything, she had restrained herself slightly.
But if her father and sister discovered that fact, they might truly faint.
So perhaps it was best to remain quiet.
"I hope the school is completed soon."
With dreams of her new life ahead of her, Florence closed her eyes in the rattling carriage.
At twenty-five years old, she simply rejoiced that today's meeting had made her lifelong dream possible.
She had not yet seriously considered what impact it might have on the entire British Empire.
* * *
Having gained unexpected results, I hurried the construction of the institution even faster than originally planned.
It would become the first modern nursing training institution not only in the British Empire, but in the entire world.
At the same time, it would also function as a facility where doctors could receive more structured support during their education.
In modern terms, it was something like placing a medical school and a nursing school side by side.
Fortunately, I had once pretended to be a medical professor a few times during my previous life, so I had a superficial understanding of how modern medical education worked.
Of course, half-knowledge could be dangerous.
I had no intention of introducing methods I wasn't confident about.
Still, by comparing what I knew with current practices and consulting experts, we were able to adopt several improvements that seemed promising.
Doctors would be trained here in a more systematic way, and then placed in state-run hospitals where they could work alongside professionally trained nurses.
With luck, this might allow a more modern medical system to take root in Britain.
At first many people said it would be difficult.
But once I started pouring money into the project, everything began running smoothly.
Long live capitalism.
This was why I couldn't help loving this country.
Even the hospital construction and school funding came largely from "donations"—or rather, contributions—from the Rothschild Bank and Baring Bank.
As a result, I didn't have to spend very much of my own money.
Of course I could have funded everything myself.
But I was giving them an opportunity.
"Do you know what the greatest weakness of the Rothschild family is?"
"That we are Jews?"
"Exactly. The belief that Jews care only about money is deeply rooted across Europe. Unfortunately, if things continue like this, that perception will only grow stronger. After all, as long as you work with me, your family will earn even more wealth."
"…That's both flattering and painful to hear."
"Then perhaps it's time to engage in social contribution. Corporate Social Responsibility. CSR."
For capitalists of this era, the term was practically heresy.
And Rothschild's reaction was hardly enthusiastic.
But I was quite skilled at persuasive sophistry.
"Think of it purely in terms of profit and loss. CSR is simply a pleasant phrase used to win public favor. In essence, it means sacrificing a small portion of profit today in order to maximize profit tomorrow."
"…Is that so?"
"Of course. Consider this. Right now your family's wealth is tolerated. But the richer you become, the more society will resent you. At the moment you're still the second-largest financial power, so you attract less attention. But soon your bank will surpass Baring. What do you think people will say then?"
"The richest man in the Empire is Your Highness, isn't he?"
No, absolutely not.
He shouldn't be saying things like that.
The wealth publicly attributed to me was less than one-third of what I actually possessed.
And it needed to stay that way.
"Whether I'm the richest man is irrelevant. The point is that the Rothschild family needs to change its public image. When people think of you in the future, which image will help you more? Rothschild the greedy money-demon—or Rothschild the financier who supports society and saves lives?"
"…Obviously the latter. But bankers rarely enjoy a good reputation. Especially Jewish bankers."
"That's why I'm helping you change it. And this isn't just about vague reputation. If your bank has a positive image, it becomes far easier for me to include you in royal or government-led projects."
"That… is certainly true."
"Good. I like quick learners. You may be Jewish, but the people of Britain will come to see you as honorable financiers serving the Empire. Just trust me."
In other words—
stop complaining and hand over the money.
Apparently my polite and gentlemanly persuasion worked.
After thinking for a moment, Rothschild nodded firmly.
"Very well. Then we shall participate in that… CPR you mentioned."
"CSR. Now then, besides medical institutions, shall we discuss another matter? It's still related to healthcare. I'd like to examine London's water and sewer systems."
This time Rothschild agreed without hesitation.
Naturally.
No matter how rich someone was, it was always best to make investments with someone else's money when the returns were uncertain.
As Rothschild signed my proposal, he continued murmuring to himself.
"Corporate social responsibility… to overcome the weaknesses of being Jewish…"
Good.
The idea had sunk in perfectly.