Kim Jwa-geun himself did not know it, but the timing of his arrival in London with his delegation worked greatly in my favor.
I had already been planning an event to divert France's attention.
And what better excuse than announcing that an ambassador had arrived from Joseon?
To welcome my friends who had traveled all the way from Joseon, I held another grand banquet.
It was meant to show the ambassadors of other nations that the world was peaceful—and that Britain was enjoying that peace to the fullest.
And under the pretext of helping Kim Jwa-geun become acquainted with other foreign diplomats, I invited ambassadors from France, the Ottoman Empire, Spain, Austria, Prussia, and many others.
Kim Jwa-geun immediately sent back word that he would attend no matter what.
And so the day of the banquet arrived.
Kim Jwa-geun, who had been sitting awkwardly in a corner with an expression that seemed to carry all the worries and anxieties of the world alone, immediately brightened when he saw me and hurried over.
"Your Highness! It has been far too long. I should have come to pay my respects as soon as I arrived, but I was overwhelmed with matters… please forgive me."
"Not at all. I know better than anyone that your schedule has been packed with official duties since the day you arrived. Why would I feel offended?"
"Thank you for your understanding. And thank you as well for inviting me to such an occasion."
"Other ambassadors and even members of our Parliament are curious about the envoy who has come from the distant eastern 'Land of the Morning.' So please relax and speak comfortably with everyone. The interpreters will take care of translation."
"Thank you! Thank you!"
He was practically wagging his tail like an excited puppy.
Judging from how much more deferential his attitude had become, I could roughly imagine what he must have gone through during his audience with Victoria.
Victoria had said his demeanor was like that of a puppy that had just fallen into water and barely crawled back out.
He must have been quite shaken.
Although I already had a good idea, I pretended ignorance and casually asked,
"How do you find London? It must feel rather different from Shanghai, which is still developing."
"Yes… I hardly know how to describe it. It feels as though I've come to another world. Everything I believed and understood until now has been fundamentally shaken. Not just me—the younger men who came with me feel the same. Ah, and they also said that if they ever have the chance, they would very much like to meet Your Highness."
"Is that so? My schedule has been rather full recently… but since they've traveled such a long way, it would be only proper to make time. I will arrange something soon."
"Thank you. The others will be very pleased. The young men who came here are already changing their minds. They now think they should learn as much as possible from Britain before returning to Joseon. After some time, they may even come to see Your Highness as someone greater than our own king. If those words reached Joseon, I would certainly be exiled immediately. Ha ha."
One could dismiss that as mere flattery.
But the sincerity behind those words felt so genuine that I couldn't help but smile.
Well, I suppose I would feel the same.
If someone had lived their entire life in Joseon and suddenly came to the British Empire, they would naturally compare the two.
And after becoming accustomed to life here, if they returned home and saw their king again…
Would they still offer the same absolute loyalty as before?
To them he might seem little more than the village headman.
At that point, their love for their homeland and their loyalty to the king personally would likely separate into two different things.
After all, compared to the monarch of Joseon—who might now seem like a mere village official—
wouldn't the husband of the Queen of the British Empire, treated with utmost respect by the highest officials in the world's greatest empire, seem far more impressive?
If it weren't so, that would be stranger.
Even Kim Jwa-geun himself seemed to be following exactly that path.
Wait a moment.
If used correctly, this might actually become an opportunity for something significant.
Just as my mind began rapidly constructing a promising scenario—
Gladstone and Lord Palmerston approached from the other side of the room after spotting me.
"Your Highness, there you are. And this gentleman must be… ah, the envoy from Joseon."
"Minister Kim Jwa-geun, these two gentlemen are Mr. Gladstone of the Liberal Party and Lord Palmerston. They represent the opposition in Parliament. In Joseon terms… well, there isn't quite an equivalent. Perhaps you could think of them as key members of the Bibyeonsa."
After hearing the interpretation, Kim Jwa-geun hurriedly adjusted his clothing and bowed respectfully.
"I am Kim Jwa-geun, ambassador of Joseon. It is a great honor to meet the distinguished figures who guide Britain."
"Haha, guide the country? That would be going too far. We simply work hard every day out of a desire to serve our nation."
Gladstone laughed modestly, then glanced between me and Kim Jwa-geun before speaking again with a grin.
"You've been in London for some time now. Has anything impressed you particularly? Or perhaps something you wish to see?"
"Everything has been impressive, so it's difficult to choose just one. But if I had to say… I'm curious about the education system in such an advanced country. Do you have institutions like our village schools or academies? Or do students study privately at home?"
"Here we call them schools. Students learn knowledge appropriate to their age, and when they grow older they attend university to pursue deeper studies."
"Oh! I see. Then do you not have an examination system like our civil service exams?"
Perhaps the national obsession with education had existed even then.
Of all things, the one he wanted to know most about was Britain's schools and examination system.
It was so characteristically Korean that I found myself nodding unconsciously.
"Well, in that case it might not be a bad idea to arrange a visit. Now then… where would be best…"
"Your Highness, why hesitate? Naturally Eton!"
Gladstone suddenly exclaimed with unusual excitement.
"Ambassador Jagang Kim wishes to see the finest institution educating the future leaders of this nation, does he not? If so, what place could be more appropriate than Eton?"
After hearing the translation, Kim Jwa-geun's eyes shone.
"Is Eton the finest academy in this country? Would it be something like Sungkyunkwan?"
"Well…"
"No. Not at all."
I was about to say that comparison was close enough, but Palmerston's voice cut me off.
Despite the sharp looks from both Gladstone and myself, Palmerston stood proudly and refused to back down.
"If one is to visit a school, it should obviously be Harrow. Mr. Gladstone is distorting the facts because of personal bias. Eton's glory belongs to the days when King Arthur wielded Excalibur. In reality, Harrow surpassed it long ago."
"Eton did not exist in King Arthur's time, Lord Palmerston."
"Exactly. Which means Eton has never once been superior to Harrow."
"Honestly… Harrow men are admirable in many ways, but they become stubborn at moments like this. Isn't that right, Your Highness? Saying Harrow surpasses Eton—Christ himself would find that absurd."
"Mr. Gladstone, dragging His Highness into this simply because your argument has grown weak is hardly fair. Even if His Highness graduated from Eton, basic facts remain unchanged."
What on earth were these grown men doing?
I had invited them here to behave with dignity in front of the Joseon ambassador, and now they were arguing over something this childish.
Look at that—now they're glaring at each other like rivals.
Even the ambassador looks confused.
"Your Highness… why are they arguing like that? What sort of places are Eton and Harrow that gentlemen who were laughing moments ago are suddenly like this?"
"Just think of them as Noron and Soron."
"Ah! I understand immediately."
After nodding at this perfectly clear explanation, Kim Jwa-geun asked again with a serious expression.
"Then which one is Noron?"
"…."
Yes.
Factional rivalry was universal.
"Incidentally, I graduated from Eton."
"…."
After a brief silence, Kim Jwa-geun burst into hearty laughter and clenched his fist.
"What does it matter which is Noron or Soron, or which faction is which? Since Your Highness graduated from Eton, it must surely be the greatest institution and the object of admiration for all people of Joseon!"
"So shall we arrange the visit to Eton?"
"Of course! Eton! Eton is the greatest! Please allow us to see Eton!"
At Kim Jwa-geun's desperate plea, Gladstone nodded with satisfaction while Palmerston clicked his tongue in disappointment.
Unlike the other Joseon officials, this man truly had sharp instincts.
If he had forced me to openly declare Eton superior, I might have marked him down a little.
But he handled the situation perfectly on his own.
Kim Jwa-geun of Joseon.
Stage one of the intuition test—passed.
About an hour after the heated debate over Britain's greatest educational institution had ended,
Count Beaufoy, the French ambassador, was weaving through the banquet hall enjoying the renewed prestige of France as a rising great power.
"Count, tensions in Italy have been escalating recently. How does France view the situation?"
"Ambassador, regarding the recent statement from the Papacy, as the foremost Catholic nation…"
"How does France intend to respond…"
France, having regained stability, had begun gradually re-engaging with various matters across Europe.
But the reactions of other nations were different from before.
Instead of bullying Europe like Napoleon once had, France now intervened with moderation, presenting itself as a benevolent helper.
Austria had recently overcome difficulties thanks to France's assistance, yet France had made no excessive demands in return.
Italy, aspiring toward unification, experienced something similar.
France positioned itself as a mediator rather than an aggressor, engaging in dialogue with many nations.
And gradually, its influence across Europe was growing.
Normally Britain would interfere whenever France grew too influential.
But now Britain was France's closest ally.
Indeed, it was far more profitable to share benefits together with Britain than to weaken one another through rivalry.
France could once again stand proudly as a great power in Europe.
Britain, meanwhile, benefited from France stabilizing the continent.
A true win-win.
The ambassador from that small eastern country which had once humiliated France held no interest for him.
Unlike other diplomats who showed curiosity toward Joseon, the count busily searched for opportunities he could bring back to Paris.
And by chance he overheard Gladstone speaking with the Ottoman ambassador.
Gladstone's voice, slightly flushed from wine, carried clearly across the room.
"Ambassador, if the administration of the Holy Land were entrusted to Britain, wouldn't relations between our countries grow even stronger?"
"Hmmm… but that…"
"It would not be disadvantageous for your empire. If Britain were entrusted with the Holy Land, we would naturally not ignore Ottoman difficulties. Should an unfortunate incident occur, we would respond even more actively than before."
Anyone could tell that the conversation was aimed at Russia.
The Ottoman ambassador seemed interested.
Gladstone finished his wine and suggested they discuss it further later.
Administration of the Holy Land…
Certainly one of the greatest honors a Christian nation could claim.
Even though religion had less influence over politics than before, Catholic power in France could not be ignored.
And unlike Protestant Britain, France was widely regarded as the traditional defender of Catholicism.
If France could secure authority over the Holy Land from the Ottomans, the prestige and impact would be far greater for France.
The only concern was the condition Britain had attached.
But perhaps that didn't matter.
Britain had clearly implied it would suppress any Russian interference.
That meant they had already calculated everything.
It was frustrating, but Britain's superior intelligence network had already proven itself during the recent revolutionary crisis.
Why was Britain so confident Russia would not interfere?
Because Russia knew it could not challenge the Ottomans while Britain stood behind them.
It was obvious.
With the Britain–France–Austria alliance already formed—and Prussia preparing to join—
how could Russia possibly attack a state protected by such powers?
Anyone who did so would either be a madman or utterly incompetent.
Russia did sometimes seem suspiciously close to both.
But surely they weren't complete fools.
And after all, nothing had been formalized yet.
Even if France inserted itself into the arrangement, it would hardly be stealing Britain's interests.
After organizing his thoughts, Count Beaufoy smiled confidently and approached the Ottoman ambassador standing alone.
"Ambassador, forgive me for overhearing—but perhaps you would consider continuing that conversation with France instead? I believe we could offer better terms."
Even as allies, France could not remain forever one step behind Britain.
Yes.
That was quite right.
If they were Britain, then France was the historic rival—the Kingdom of France.
This time, France would make the first move.
Certain that he had finally found an opportunity to strike a blow against the ever-confident Killian, Count Beaufoy smiled broadly.
Let France take responsibility for the peace of Europe.
And Britain could stand back and watch from behind, just as it always did.