"Y-Your Highness! This is not what we discussed beforehand—!"
Several startled mbers of Parliant sprang to their feet and raised their voices, but the mont I turned around and looked at them, they quickly shut their mouths and sat back down.
Different from what we discussed beforehand?
As far as I rembered, I had simply told them to trust and watch as I handled things.
If they just kept their mouths shut, I'd spoon-feed them the outco anyway.
So they could sit there quietly and swallow whatever I served.
If they didn't like it, they were free to co up here and give the speech themselves.
"Our honorable mbers of Parliant seem rather startled as well. But this is the tide of the tis. Didn't the previous electoral reform increase the number of voters nearly tenfold? Everyone here would likely agree that suffrage will inevitably expand. The real issue is the speed."
This was the critical mont.
One wrong step and I might be dismissed as a smooth-talking opportunist who said much but ant nothing.
But thanks to the reputation I had already built, people wouldn't imdiately view with suspicion.
Facing the hopeful gaze of the Chartists, I continued slowly.
"Before sharing my opinion, I must clarify one thing. I did not co here to make empty promises, nor to incite you for the sake of so political goal. I will make no promise that cannot be kept. That ans every word I speak here is sothing I am prepared to take responsibility for. I ask you to keep that in mind as you listen. And since this gathering is ant for communication, I will occasionally allow questions from the audience."
"Now then, I will begin with the conclusion."
"I am sorry to say that implenting full universal suffrage imdiately is not realistically possible."
From the MPs behind ca audible sighs of relief.
From the intellectuals sitting in front ca unmistakable disappointnt.
Many of them looked as though they wanted to boo if they dared.
"Everyone seems to have sothing to say, so let us pause here. Is there anyone who wishes to ask a question?"
Several people leapt to their feet imdiately.
But when soone stood up near the front, the other young n quietly lowered their hands.
Apparently that man held so authority among them.
I pointed to him.
He bowed politely before speaking in a firm voice.
"Your Highness, my na is George Julian Harney, rely an insignificant young man of this country. But what you just said—that it is unrealistic—is sothing Parliant has repeated countless tis. Forgive my bluntness, but to my ears it sounds as though Your Highness is saying exactly the sa thing."
"I see. Then allow to ask you a question in return. What do you consider the scope of universal suffrage?"
"All adult n, of course."
"And why is that universal suffrage?"
"…Pardon?"
Harney blinked in confusion.
The young n beside him looked equally puzzled.
In this era, even demanding universal male suffrage was already considered radical.
But precisely for that reason, they had overlooked sothing.
Sothing that was obvious to soone raised in the twenty-first century.
"Universal suffrage ans guaranteeing the right to vote to all citizens above a certain age without discrimination. There is no country on earth that currently practices such a system. Yet you believe the British Empire should adopt it imdiately."
"That is correct."
"But then your proposal is only half of universal suffrage."
"Literally half."
"Because half of humanity is female."
"If it is truly universal suffrage, then gender distinctions should not exist. Why do you not demand won's suffrage as well?"
Research had shown that a few Chartists did support won's suffrage.
But they were a minority.
Even universal male suffrage was considered absurdly radical.
Demanding the vote for won as well would be completely unacceptable to society.
"W-Well…"
"You argue that promises of gradual expansion are rely excuses. That we should leap from zero to one hundred imdiately. But if that is your standard, then universal suffrage must include won. What do you say?"
"It might be possible soday, but that—ah!"
Harney stopped mid-sentence as he realized the contradiction.
If gradual expansion was unacceptable, then excluding won from suffrage was itself contradictory.
Male suffrage alone was not truly universal.
It was rely another interdiate stage.
"Policy decisions must consider reality and circumstances. Expanding suffrage is inevitable. One day, as you wish, every adult will vote and choose their representatives."
"That day will co."
"Today, science and technology are advancing rapidly. Machines already allow won to work in factories. If this trend continues, won may soday work in military industries. And eventually they too may obtain suffrage. When that day arrives, true universal suffrage will exist."
"…."
"That day will co. Earlier I promised that I would not speak irresponsibly. Let repeat it clearly."
"Suffrage will expand."
"But not tomorrow."
"Not the day after tomorrow."
"And most likely not next year either."
"However, I am not telling you to remain silent and wait."
The intellectuals' expressions softened sowhat.
Harney sat down awkwardly after losing the exchange.
I continued calmly.
"The desire to secure one's rights is a natural instinct for every human being. And bold claims are often necessary to make those rights heard. In that sense, I do not view your movent negatively. Voices like yours remind Parliant of what citizens truly think."
"But when demands and actions cross a certain line and beco extre, the result is rarely good."
"The most famous example is Napoleon Bonaparte."
In Britain, attacking France was the ultimate rhetorical shield.
Insult France, insult Napoleon, and people would instinctively sympathize.
Even the young intellectuals here were no different.
"Although I myself am royalty, I deeply respect the noble ideals of the French Revolution. Yet extremist forces distorted those ideals. Under the pretext of protecting the revolution, Maximilien Robespierre sent countless people to the guillotine."
"The atmosphere of terror that followed eventually produced Napoleon."
"And the result was war across all Europe—and ruin."
"Radical demands may seem exhilarating at the ti, but they inevitably provoke a powerful backlash."
No one present was foolish enough to miss the implication.
The reaction in the room confird that.
"So of you may now ask why I ca here at all."
"I ca to communicate."
"To hear your voices."
"To incorporate what can be incorporated."
"To explain what cannot."
"And to share what I personally believe is the right direction."
"Everything in this world has its season. When you plant a tree, you must wait for it to bear fruit. If anyone here knows a thod to harvest fruit imdiately after planting, please tell . I will gladly pay a fortune to learn it."
Silence filled the hall.
"Running a country is no different. Sudden revolution may seem refreshing, but it always produces side effects. Let give a real example."
"Does anyone here know what is happening in Ireland this year?"
"The potato harvest has failed."
"Despite precautions, potato blight has reached Ireland. This year's harvest is practically ruined."
Thanks to earlier warnings about potato blight and preparations for alternative crops, the crisis had not beco catastrophic.
Over a million people had emigrated to Canada, and grain imports stabilized prices after the repeal of the Corn Laws.
"Yet the damage is smaller than expected. Alternative crops were planted years in advance. Over a million people crossed the Atlantic to Canada. Grain prices remain stable thanks to earlier reforms."
"Even preparing for a potential famine required years of planning."
"Slowly, but surely."
"That is the promise I can make."
"This year, Victoria Hospital, nad after Her Majesty, will open. My own institutions—the Killian dical College and Killian Nursing College—will begin training doctors and nurses."
"We will improve labor laws."
"We will ensure legal working hours are enforced."
As my speech continued, the hall grew completely silent.
I had promised not to make empty pledges.
That ant every word was effectively a declaration.
Technically this could be called political interference.
But Parliant had already granted permission.
"Before I stood here today, the Pri Minister promised that Parliant would consider these matters positively. So you need not worry."
"But none of these things can be done overnight."
"One thing, however, is certain."
"During the ti you continue your struggle—and during the ti I remain Prince Consort of this nation—the future you seek will arrive."
"Suffrage alone will not truly secure your rights."
"As Prince Consort of the British Empire, and Duke of Dublin, Kent, and Canada, Killian Gore makes this promise."
"The society you desire—and more—will one day exist."
"Trust , and walk toward the future together with !"
The mont the speech ended, thunderous applause erupted.
Even the MPs behind were calm.
Technically I had promised nothing with a deadline.
To them, it sounded like empty political rhetoric.
The intellectuals would realize the sa soon enough.
After a few more exchanges of debate, they would probably accept it.
For now, the imdiate crisis was over.
I took a drink of water and prepared for the upcoming discussion with the young intellectuals.
Among the audience, Karl Marx felt sothing close to shock.
Not rely because the speech was persuasive.
But because he sensed genuine sincerity within it.
In truth, Marx himself agreed with part of the Prince Consort's argunt.
The Chartists believed that securing voting rights alone would guarantee workers' rights.
That was a serious misconception.
The Chartist movent focused on political reform rather than economic reform.
Killian had clearly recognized that limitation.
That was why he had subtly introduced the subject of labor rights.
In other words, he too understood that capitalism contained deep contradictions.
He was fundantally different from economists and politicians who blindly praised the market.
Yet if soone with that intelligence chose to use it to strengthen exploitation, he could beco the most dangerous figure imaginable.
Perhaps it was still too early to judge.
"Friedrich, what did you think of that speech—"
Marx turned toward his friend Friedrich Engels.
And froze.
Engels' eyes were blazing.
"Karl! You heard that speech, didn't you?"
"That's why I'm asking your opinion."
"It's him. It must be him."
"…What do you an?"
"The key figure who will bring about true socialism—true communism!"
"Killian Gore is the man destined to lead the communist revolution!"
Marx stared at him.
What kind of absurd nonsense was this?
"A prince of the British Empire leading a communist revolution?"
Marx shook his head slowly.
His friend had clearly eaten sothing strange.
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