The Shadow of Great Britain

Arthur did not hurry his steps as he left the restaurant.

He had walked down the corridor leading to the Inner Court countless times. The carpet patterns, the portraits of successive Kings hanging on the walls, and the overly neatly trimmed lawns outside the windows were all too familiar to him.

Because of this, he was able to draw his attention away from external things and replay the recent conversation in his mind.

He did not dislike Flora.

Quite the opposite, his impression of her was always proper and clear.

Restrained, cautious, knowing when to advance and retreat, aware of her position within the court system, never crossing boundaries, and rarely flamboyant. She was a traditional British lady as traditional as can be, impeccable as a Lady, and reliable as an ally.

But the problem was, over the past few years, the closeness between him and Flora was the product of precise calculation.

In the days before Victoria’s accession, Flora’s existence was a crucial link for him to approach the core, maintain presence, and uphold trust chains.

He never lied to himself.

He knew how much of the care, patience, and occasional gentle closeness he offered was genuine and how much was necessary for strategic reasons.

And now, everything was over.

After Victoria ascended to the throne, the axis of power had completely shifted. Buckingham Palace no longer needed Kensington Palace as a mediator, and the Queen no longer needed her mother’s Lady to define the boundaries of the world. Flora’s political value had been entirely dissipated by time itself.

This was not her failure, but the result of the era.

However, Arthur had previously assumed that the now-out-of-power Duchess of Kent would certainly hold onto the few confidantes around her like clinging to a lifeline, unwilling to let them leave. And as long as the stubborn Duchess was unwilling to let Flora leave Kensington, the conservative and traditional Flora would certainly not actively propose resignation, thus her marriage would naturally be out of the question.

But unexpectedly to Arthur, the Duchess of Kent not only gave her consent but even volunteered to act as a matchmaker.

Maybe it’s because the Duchess feels guilty towards Flora, or because she holds favorable views towards Arthur?

Or perhaps, both?

In any case, it seems he has unwittingly made things somewhat awkward.

Arthur stopped at the corner of the corridor. He was well aware that he was not hesitating about where to go, but subconsciously looking for a reference point for comparison.

In his world, relationships with the opposite sex were not unfamiliar variables.

Quite the contrary, he always had an effective way to interact with women.

Miss Fiona Ivan, the owner of the Nightingale Mansion, was the most typical and dangerous example among them.

If interacting with gentlemen, Arthur’s approaches were nothing more than a few moves: either providing recognition, or mutual interests, then adding some friendship that blooms from prolonged interaction, thus forming an unbreakable bond.

He was very clear that most men cared not about you as a person, but whether you could make them stand firmer and go further. As long as this point held, loyalty, friendship, and even a certain almost personal trust would come like added bonuses.

Thus, when dealing with gentlemen, Arthur always put everything on the table.

He would make the other party understand why you need me, why I choose you, what we can each gain, and what we must each bear.

This type of relationship did not require much emotional investment, nor much explanation: as long as everything was logically coherent and benefits aligned, the rest was left to time and inertia.

But once the counterparts became women, especially those allowed into one’s private domain, this method was no longer fully applicable.

Of course, many ladies also understood interests, position, and propriety, but unlike gentlemen, they often weren’t satisfied by being needed itself, but instinctively questioned, ”Does this need have continuity?”

Asking such questions is innate to the young ladies, but that doesn’t mean you must always answer their questions.

Conversely, if you foolishly answered honestly, you’d be nearing failure instead.

When interacting with ladies, you cannot use the language of stark benefits exchange.

Arthur long realized that what truly works in the female world is never ”what you can get in the future,” but ”am I seen right now.”

One must not rush to express stance or hastily promise the future, but give a sense of being sincerely acknowledged through details.

Remember a phrase casually mentioned by the other party, impede an unnecessary offense at the right moment, or discreetly offer assistance when she needs to maintain decorum. These actions weren’t costly but carried high adherence.

These actions do not aim for possession nor represent outcomes, but easily lead ladies to a type of misunderstanding—there’s a place for me in his heart.

Although Arthur’s theory was not always infallible...

Yet, it was particularly applicable to Flora, this lady who grew up in a Noble family and immediately entered Kensington Palace upon adulthood.

As for Miss Fiona Ivan, although she too fell for this set, she was much harder to deceive compared to Flora.

After all, compared to a Noble young lady, Fiona’s level of socialization was still too high.