I'm Going to Australia!

January 9, 1900, the third day after Duke Arthur's burial.

This was the third day since Queen Victoria had issued orders to the government, and five days since Duke Arthur had been assassinated.

Buckingham Palace, Queen Victoria's office.

Early in the morning, Queen Victoria sat at her desk, her face ashen and her eyes bloodshot.

The once neatly stacked piles of documents on the desk had all been swept aside in a fit of rage by the Queen.

The cause of such fury in this eighty-one-year-old woman was, naturally, the recent assassination of her most beloved son, Duke Arthur.

Thanks to Britain's world-leading intelligence network, within just a few days, a complete list of all individuals involved in the assassination, along with detailed files, had been placed on Queen Victoria's desk.

Because this involved secrets of the royal family, no one else knew the contents of this list.

"Arthur! My poor Arthur, I have failed you." Queen Victoria stared at the list with red-rimmed eyes. On it was written plainly that Duke Arthur had died at the hands of a loyalist sharpshooter under Crown Prince Edward's faction.

"Albert, I have harmed our child. Arthur never intended to compete with Edward, yet in the end, he still fell victim to the struggle for the throne." Tears welled in Queen Victoria's eyes as she spoke with regret.

Prince Albert was the lifelong beloved partner of Queen Victoria. Even now, nearly forty years after Prince Albert's death, she still often missed him.

And Duke Arthur was Queen Victoria's favorite son.

Because Prince Albert had died on his way to visit Crown Prince Edward, Queen Victoria, who adored Prince Albert, had harbored a certain displeasure and had long forbidden Crown Prince Edward from participating in state affairs.

It was only in recent years, as Queen Victoria's health declined, that Crown Prince Edward gradually gained opportunities to engage with governance.

At the same time, Duke Arthur, as the only prince enfeoffed within Britain itself, not only held a high position in the military but also enjoyed Queen Victoria's favor.

Such a stark disparity was precisely why British political circles and the public repeatedly speculated that Queen Victoria intended to replace the crown prince.

Perhaps Crown Prince Edward resented Queen Victoria's partiality toward Duke Arthur and wanted to eliminate this greatest threat to his succession; or perhaps those loyal to Crown Prince Edward wished to clear the path for their master. Regardless, Duke Arthur had indeed died at the hands of the crown prince's faction.

Although the assassination had been meticulously concealed, broken into several stages to largely exonerate Crown Prince Edward and his faction from suspicion, the intelligence agency had still uncovered clues.

"Edward..." Queen Victoria's gaze fell on the word "Crown Prince" in the file, a word that stung her eyes. Emotions surged, but she could not utter a single word.

After a long while, Queen Victoria finally pulled herself out of her profound grief and spoke to the door: "Beatrice, go and fetch Little Arthur."

Princess Beatrice was Queen Victoria's youngest child and her greatest support and reliance in the forty years since losing her husband.

Now also widowed, Princess Beatrice had been by Queen Victoria's side, serving as her unofficial secretary and closest confidante.

"Yes, Mother." Princess Beatrice left quickly.

Before long, Little Arthur was brought by Princess Beatrice to Queen Victoria's office, while Old Butler Hunter escorted them all the way to the office door before waiting outside with peace of mind.

Watching the young boy walking toward her step by step, Queen Victoria finally revealed a smile she had not shown in a long time. She said softly to Little Arthur, "Arthur, come quickly to Grandmother."

Arthur immediately quickened his pace, walked over, helped Queen Victoria back into her seat, and then said, "Grandmother, Arthur is here."

"Arthur, how have you been sleeping these past two days?" Queen Victoria tried her best to maintain her usual demeanor, but the slight tremor in her voice betrayed her emotions.

"Quite well, Grandmother. But you—please don't grieve too much. Though Father is gone, the nation still needs you, Grandmother. I and all the royal family members need you too, Grandmother." Arthur looked at Queen Victoria's state and naturally understood how cruel it was for this elderly queen to lose a beloved son in her old age.

"Good child, don't worry about Grandmother. Grandmother is fine. After a while, we will formally hold your inheritance ceremony for the title. If there's anything else you need, just tell Grandmother." Hearing this, Queen Victoria smiled and reached out to pat Arthur's head.

"Grandmother..." Hearing Queen Victoria say this, Arthur wanted to speak but didn't know where to begin. Perhaps his request would be another blow to the aging Queen Victoria. Seeing the loving look in her eyes, he found it hard to voice.

"What is it, child? Speak freely. Grandmother is here." Seeming to notice Arthur's hesitation, Queen Victoria smiled with a sense of release and comforted him.

"Grandmother, I don't want to stay here anymore. I want to go out and clear my mind." Arthur gritted his teeth and finally spoke his request.

Queen Victoria did not react as emotionally as expected. Instead, she fell into a long silence.

After a considerable pause, Queen Victoria asked in a hoarse voice, "Then where do you want to go, Arthur?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe Australia or New Zealand. I hear the sea views there are nice—perhaps better for clearing one's mind," Arthur said.

Such a flimsy excuse could hardly fool Queen Victoria. If it were just about sea views, Britain's own coastline was beautiful enough; there was no need to travel ten thousand miles to Australia.

But thinking of Arthur's reason for wanting to get away, Queen Victoria found herself unable to press further.

"Then, Arthur, will you come back?" Queen Victoria asked.

Will I come back? Arthur asked himself. Unless something very important came up, probably not.

Though under Queen Victoria's control, Little Arthur could roam any land of the British Empire freely.

But how much longer could Queen Victoria hold on? In the original timeline, she had died in January 1901, just a year later.

And now, having suffered the loss of a son once more, whether she could even last until next January was uncertain.