I Want to Go to Australia!

January 9, 1900. The third day after the burial of Duke Arthur.

This was the third day since Queen Victoria gave her orders to the government, and five days had already passed since the assassination of Duke Arthur.

Buckingham Palace, Queen Victoria's office.

Early in the morning, Queen Victoria sat at her desk with a livid expression and bloodshot eyes.

The documents that had originally been piled high on the desk had all been cast aside by Queen Victoria as if in a fit of rage.

The reason she could be so furious, despite her advanced age of eighty-one, was naturally because of the recent news regarding the assassination of her favorite son, Duke Arthur.

Thanks to the British intelligence agency, which led the world in scale, mere days were all it took to deliver a list of all individuals involved in the assassination and their detailed dossiers straight to Queen Victoria's desk.

Because this matter involved royal secrets, no one else knew the contents of this dossier and name list.

Arthur! My poor Arthur, I have failed you. Queen Victoria looked at the list with bloodshot eyes; it clearly stated that Duke Arthur had died at the hands of a loyalist gunman working under the faction of Crown Prince Edward.

Albert, it was I who harmed our child. Arthur never had any intention of competing with Edward, yet he still ended up dying in a struggle for the throne. Queen Victoria murmured with tears welling in her eyes, filled with regret.

Prince Albert was the beloved partner of Queen Victoria's life. Even now, nearly forty years after Prince Albert's passing, Queen Victoria still thought of him constantly.

As for Duke Arthur, he was Queen Victoria's favorite son.

Because Prince Albert had died on his way to visit Crown Prince Edward, it had caused Queen Victoria—who cherished Prince Albert so deeply—to harbor a resentment, and she had consistently refused to allow Crown Prince Edward to participate in state affairs.

It was only in recent years, as Queen Victoria's physical condition deteriorated day by day, that Crown Prince Edward finally gained the opportunity to gradually touch upon various affairs of state.

Yet at the same time, Duke Arthur, as the only prince enfeoffed within the British mainland, not only held a high position in the military but also continually enjoyed Queen Victoria's favor.

Such a stark disparity was precisely the reason why the British political arena and the common populace repeatedly whispered that Queen Victoria wanted to appoint a new crown prince.

Perhaps Crown Prince Edward was dissatisfied with Queen Victoria's favoritism toward Duke Arthur and wished to eliminate the greatest threat to his succession; or perhaps those loyal to Crown Prince Edward wanted to pave the way for their master. In any case, Duke Arthur had indeed died at the hands of the crown prince's faction.

Although the entire assassination had been well concealed and even broken down into multiple stages—which cleared Crown Prince Edward and his faction of suspicion to the greatest possible extent—the intelligence agency had still uncovered clues.

Edward... Queen Victoria cast her gaze upon the two stinging words on the dossier, Crown Prince. Her emotions surged, yet she could not utter a single syllable.

After a long while, Queen Victoria finally recovered from her extreme grief and spoke toward the doorway: "Beatrice, go fetch little Arthur."

Princess Beatrice was Queen Victoria's youngest child, and also her greatest pillar of support and reliance during the forty years she had spent without a husband.

Princess Beatrice, who had now likewise lost a husband, had remained constantly by Queen Victoria's side as her unofficial secretary and closest confidante.

"Very well, Mother." Princess Beatrice departed swiftly.

Before long, little Arthur was led into Queen Victoria's office by Princess Beatrice, while Old Butler Hunter escorted them all the way to the threshold of the office, only then waiting outside in peace.

Watching the young man step by step approach her from the doorway, Queen Victoria finally revealed a long-absent smile, speaking softly to little Arthur: "Arthur, come quickly to your grandmother's side."

Hearing this, Arthur immediately quickened his pace, stepped forward, and helped Queen Victoria back to her seat before speaking: "Grandmother, Arthur is here."

"Arthur, how have you slept these past two days?" Queen Victoria tried her utmost to maintain her usual composure, but her slightly trembling voice betrayed her emotions.

"Quite well, Grandmother. It is you who must not grieve excessively. Although Father is gone, the nation still needs you, Grandmother, and I and all the members of the royal family need you as well, Grandmother." Looking at Queen Victoria's appearance, Arthur naturally understood just how cruel it was for an elderly woman to lose a beloved son in her twilight years.

"Good child, do not worry about Grandmother; Grandmother is well. After some time passes, we will officially hold the ceremony for you to inherit the title. Tell Grandmother whatever else you might need." Hearing this, Queen Victoria smiled and reached out to stroke Arthur's head as she spoke.

"Grandmother..." Hearing Queen Victoria speak thus, Arthur wanted to open his mouth, but he did not know where to begin. Perhaps this request of his would deal yet another blow to the aging Queen Victoria. Looking at the affectionate way Queen Victoria gazed upon him, Arthur found the words difficult to utter.

"What is wrong, child. Speak freely; Grandmother is here." Seeming to perceive Arthur's hesitation, Queen Victoria smiled with a sense of release and offered comfort.

"Grandmother, I do not wish to stay here anymore; I want to go out and clear my head." Arthur clenched his teeth and finally voiced his request.

Queen Victoria did not react with the agitation he had anticipated; instead, she appeared remarkably silent.

After a long pause, Queen Victoria asked in a hoarse voice: "Then where do you wish to go, Arthur?"

"I am not certain. Perhaps Australia or New Zealand. I have heard the sea views are rather nice there; perhaps they are better suited for clearing one's mind." Arthur said.

Such a flawed excuse could obviously not deceive Queen Victoria. If it were merely a matter of sea views, the coastal scenery within the British mainland itself was quite fine, and there was simply no need to run off to Australia, thousands of miles away.

Yet considering the reason why Arthur wanted to go out and clear his mind, Queen Victoria found herself at a loss for how to respond.

"Then, Arthur, will you still return?" Queen Victoria asked.

Would I return? Arthur asked himself inwardly. If nothing exceptionally important arose, probably not.

Although under Queen Victoria's control, little Arthur could gallop across any parcel of land in the British Empire.

Yet how much longer could Queen Victoria hold on? In the original history, Queen Victoria passed away a year later, in January 1901.

And now, Queen Victoria had once again experienced the additional pain of losing a child; whether she could even last until January of next year remained entirely uncertain.