The Shadow of Great Britain

Actually, saying Thomas Gath Jr. is wealthy isn’t accurate. More accurately, Gath Jr. practically borrows money from the Rothschild Bank every month to make ends meet, but oddly enough, he never repays, and Rothschild never sends anyone to chase the bill.

Ledley can find this place, and Arthur naturally can manage the rest.

That very afternoon, he went to play a game of cricket with Lionel Rothschild and learned the reason from the young master himself.

Rothschild surely isn’t running a charity, and they have no interest in aiding someone who seems to have no future.

It’s not that they don’t ask Gath Jr. for debts, but because every month someone else pays off Gath Jr.’s bill, and this person’s identity is quite interesting because he’s none other than Sir John Conroy, the Grand Steward of Kensington Palace.

Lionel had previously half-jokingly and half-probing inquired about why Conroy would support such a useless individual.

But Conroy’s answer was rather perfunctory. According to him, he had a deep friendship with Gath Sr. and couldn’t bear to see his old friend’s only son living so miserably. Therefore, even if Gath Jr. was a waste, as long as it was within his capability, he would try to lend a hand.

This explanation is obviously a lie. Regardless of whether Gath Sr. and Conroy really had a friendship, every month, rain or shine, Conroy would promptly fill the gap of sixty or seventy pounds for Gath Jr., and he had done so for four or five consecutive years, which simply didn’t make sense.

But whatever the specific reason for Conroy’s attention, Lionel is too lazy to care. After all, someone is proactively giving Rothschild money; he certainly can’t stop them.

But seeing Arthur so interested in the matter, Lionel freely shared another piece of information.

He said that Rothschild hadn’t totally neglected seeking debts from Gath Jr.; in fact, in 1830, they did chase after a debt from him once.

However, at that time, not only did Gath Jr. refuse to repay, but he also brazenly insulted Lionel, calling Rothschild merely a bunch of vile Jews with some copper coins in their pockets while challenging them to go to Princess Sophia for the debt.

A young and impulsive Lionel almost couldn’t hold back then and considered privately arranging for someone to put this lad in a sack and throw him into the Thames River.

But in the crucial moment, his father Nathan Rothschild was cautious, afraid that Gath Jr. might indeed have connections with the royal family, thus arranging for lawyers to conduct legal proceedings, hoping to explore the counterpart’s background through court trails.

As a result, his father indeed found something.

No sooner had he sent someone to transfer the case than Sir John Conroy appeared at their doorstep.

Not only did he clear the outstanding debt of three hundred pounds for Gath Jr., but also instructed Nathan that if Gath Jr. ever owed money again, not to rush into debt litigation but to come to Kensington Palace to find him.

And Conroy’s only request was that future monthly loans from Rothschild to Gath Jr. shouldn’t exceed one hundred pounds.

This time, all the truth came to light.

Gath Jr. is certainly Princess Sophia’s child, and the reason Conroy gained Sophia’s trust is likely because he helped solve the troublesome issues regarding this illegitimate child, allowing Gath Jr. to comfortably live a carefree life while refraining from flaunting his controversial lineage everywhere.

Moreover, considering Princess Sophia’s upbringing and her love affair, this 58-year-old princess who has lived in deep palaces for a long time, away from social life, has developed a simple and timid character. Therefore, in her perspective, exposing an illegitimate child is as catastrophic as the sky falling, and Conroy’s proper handling of this issue understandably earned her submission and even gifted him a mansion worth four thousand pounds.

Arthur was contemplating Princess Sophia’s situation, his tangled thoughts yet to be clear, when suddenly a series of faint footsteps reached his ears.

His expression slightly paused as a result.

"Ahem!" Flora Hastings suddenly coughed softly and discreetly tugged at his sleeve.

Only then did Arthur snap back to reality, followed the sound, and indeed saw two familiar figures slowly walking towards them in the garden gallery—The Duchess of Kent walking in front, with Leopold I following hesitantly behind.

The duchess’s eyes were still marked by traces of tears, with redness lingering in her eyes, her handkerchief tightly clenched in her palm.

She reached Rose Hall’s entrance, at once spotting Arthur and Flora standing by the pillars.

She was initially startled, clearly not expecting them to be there already.

But suddenly, as if remembering something, her face displayed an awkward yet hurried awareness.

"Ah... Sir Arthur," she instinctively adjusted the corner of her handkerchief, her tone slightly unsteady, "Today’s... is your teaching day, isn’t it."

Arthur politely took a bow.

"Indeed, madam. I originally intended to wait briefly in the corridor before class and didn’t expect to disturb your private conversation with His Majesty Leopold, so please forgive me."

Arthur maintained his usual composure, his language measured and courteous, neither admitting to overhearing nor deliberately evading the topic.

The Duchess of Kent was silent for a moment, her gaze briefly shifting between Arthur and Flora, seemingly realizing they had overheard quite a bit.

Her ordinarily red eyes now lightly trembled as if stirred by something.

"Did you... hear everything?" Her voice lowered, tinged with a rare vulnerability not often shown to outsiders.

Arthur nodded slightly, his tone gentle, almost tender: "Heard some. But allow me to say, madam, in my view, any mother’s urgency and care when running for their children never need to be concealed or ashamed."

The duchess was stunned for a moment, temporarily at a loss for words, only lightly wiping her eye corners with her handkerchief, forcing a smile: "You’re quite the eloquent young man. But indeed, you are Delina’s teacher of grammar and rhetoric."

At this point, Leopold stepped forward and nodded to Arthur.

"Sir Arthur Hastings, I’ve heard your name." He spoke in English with a slight German accent: "I’ve wanted to meet you for a long time, just never had the opportunity. Since returning to London, Delina constantly mentions you, saying you are a patient and good person. Receiving such a compliment from my niece is no small feat."

Arthur bowed to him: "Your Majesty flatters me. It’s my honor to offer my humble support to Her Majesty Victoria."

Leopold nodded slightly but said no more. He seemed still immersed in the aftermath of the earlier dispute with his sister, his expression slightly relaxing.

The Duchess of Kent also rallied herself, saying: "Delina... should still be in the music room. You should go find her, today’s class should continue as usual, I won’t accompany you."

Arthur nodded slightly: "Of course. Then... Your Majesty, I shall take my leave now."

He had just turned around, relieved to narrowly escape, but before taking a step forward, he heard Leopold’s voice again behind him.

"Sir Arthur."

"Hmm?" Arthur turned back: "Is there anything Your Majesty needs assistance with?"

Leopold waved his hand with a smile: "No assistance needed. I mentioned earlier that I wanted to meet you. This was not mere politeness. After your lesson with Delina, please stay at Kensington. I’ll treat you to dinner, and discuss things we both find interesting."

The Duchess of Kent heard this, unsure of her brother’s intention: "Leo, what are you planning?"

Leopold did not shy away, openly saying: "Nothing much, you can join if you like. You may not know, but given the talents and skills of Sir Arthur Hastings, merely being a home tutor is truly beneath him."