Surviving as a Writer in the British Empire

＜ Silver Hose (1) ＞

“Stop it, Douya.”

“Your Excellency, be careful.”

“It’s okay. I can walk.”

Prince George waved his hands like that and looked away.

A rare, unobscured London sunrise was something he hadn’t seen in a long time.

“It’s literally ＜Dunbringer＞.”

“I must have liked that Asian very much, Your Excellency.”

“Even more so when I saw it myself.”

George lamented and said so.

Yes. It’s lamentation.

In other words, didn’t all sorts of nasty things stick to me after I got into this damn place?

Not to mention the so-called private tutors who complained to Hanslo Jin while drinking.

No, my God, how old is George himself now, and should he be blamed for not knowing that word?

But… the really nasty ones, to the point where even those tutors look like nagging adults.

Those who try to get rich quickly, the old smirks of the parliament, and the scheming businessmen who try to cling to them by asking for help.

The sudden death of his older brother forced him to give up his future as a naval officer and husband to his cousin Marie.

However, the filth that clung to it was terribly filthy and overly disgusting.

That may not be the reason why he stayed at the York villa.

It was Hanslo Jin’s novel that gave a small sense of refreshment to his life, so I can’t help but like it.

Well, I sounded a bit angry, but… that’s it, as a husband, isn’t it something you can do to a mean friend who made his wife cry?

But, nonetheless.

“He didn’t ask me for a favor until the very end.”

George murmured as he watched the blindingly cold dawn.

The man from far away where the dawn rises. It’s definitely not where I lived, so if there are a lot of inconveniences, there must be many, but throughout the entire meeting, he doesn’t make a single request like this.

Ask for money, or to be put in the Royal Society of Literature, or to ask for a high position in the country…

The only thing I did was to ask for permission because I want to appear in a work later.

Can you honestly call this a ‘request’?

It seemed very different from the general or distorted common sense he had known.

Can’t I at least say something for my country? According to Isabella Bird Bishop’s report, which was stolen from her grandmother, Joseon seems to be a medieval kingdom not much different from China.

‘Do you hate your own country?’

George thought about that for a moment, but soon dismissed the assumption.

There was no such thing as such. The fierce hatred common to those who came to other countries out of hatred for their country is not to be found.

Rather, what is peeking out of him.

“He was a pure man.”

“dismissal?”

“Innocently, I want to make people happy. I saw only that.”

George slowly remembered the conversation he had had with him.

─That’s why the theater is good, but that alone is not enough. No matter how popular it is, it takes a year just to prepare for a play, and the price is exorbitantly expensive, right? So movie! I filmed a video in advance and edited this video! Everyone can see it whenever they want! Such a film will become the center of the media!

─Personally, I think Art Nouveau itself is rather hopeless. It’s not an art movement, but rather a form of commercial art. Mass production, popularization, more peripherally! Why? Metaphysical art requires a level of culture, but it is pretty just by looking at it! Everyone likes to do it.

─And this, sports! What did you say these days? Isn’t there a nobleman who wants to do the Olympics in France? I think it will be a huge hit. Fundamentally, my biceps are thick, and your biceps are thick. Isn’t this a creature that can fight all day long? But the strongest guys in the field gather and compete to see who is the strongest? This, there is no person who will not be fascinated. Isn’t it even the promotion of national prestige?

Of course, at the same time, he constantly wanted his own success and commercial success.

But where in the world is there a human being who doesn’t have that level of greed?

Rather, in a world overflowing with people who want to make money even by trampling on others, the desire to make money while making others happy is just cute.

Besides, having succeeded in actually making it a reality, it deserves praise.

He was obviously the same age as himself, but unlike him, who was covered in dust and ash and was full of dull colors, his eyes still twinkling and chasing his dreams looked so dazzling.

It wasn’t that he didn’t know the world, and he wasn’t swept away by it, but it was a strange personality that seemed to mix the opposites of fire and water.

‘Of course… that’s why I wanted to be friends even more.’

Thinking so, George suddenly saw a nameless naval officer guarding him by his side.

A man who was once commissioned as a naval officer with him. However, his true identity was a nameless guard dog of the intelligence department and the nation without a proper name.

Come to think of it, the biggest and dirtiest dust has been clinging to him since a long time ago.

George shook his head, put the thought out of his head, and slowly moved toward the rising sun.

The officer panicked and ran to him.

“Please take the carriage, Your Excellency.”

“I’m going to go for a walk.”

Isn’t the weather nice?

The Crown Prince smiled brightly and walked towards London in the morning.

I thought.

What could he do for his new, naive friend?

***

It’s a strange ceiling.

I stared blankly at the ceiling and thought. No, to be precise, an unfamiliar memory was playing automatically in my retina.

“Crazy, really…”

I was tired, and my spirits that had been blown away by the whiskey returned to their original places for a while, but when I remembered what I had done, I felt like I was going to fly away again. Maybe it’s because of the hangover.

Are you friends with the Crown Prince? So, am I the next king’s friend? Oh yeah, that’s awesome.

To be honest, I’m still at a loss as to how this happened.

Why not? The result is too dramatic for a duet of tiredness and drunkenness.

He is even a sponsor of the Savoy Theater Company, where media mixes of his works are in progress.

Thanks to that, I was promised additional support from Opera right away yesterday.

yes, good is good

“And… hmm.”

I stirred the empty snack bowl.

There, the notebook he usually carried for notes was spread out, along with a fountain pen he had never seen before.

······No, it’s not the first time I’ve seen it. It was borrowed from Prince George while drunk. Wow, the nib is unusual. This is probably not gold plating, but steamed gold, right?

From noble mtl dot com

Anyway, on top of that notebook, I could see my handwriting, which must have been scribbled by hand yesterday.

Through the medium of that handwriting, the memories of yesterday, which had been lost due to excessive drinking, were brought back to life little by little.

It’s not detailed, but at least the contents that came out while making the character.

And, after reviewing this.

“… I’m sure I’ll write something.”

I’ll have to refine it a bit to turn it into a manuscript, but I think it’ll come out pretty good.

Well, it’s a manuscript, and right now, cleaning is more important than that.

“Turn it off. Goal.”

I’ll have to sort these out.

Grabbing my brittle head, I looked at the branded whiskey bottles and snack plates that George V and I had emptied.

Wow, how many bottles did you drink?

No, I’m not the type to drink that much, but strangely, the alcohol went well.

That would mean that Prince George was a good drinking buddy.

Once you have collected the bottles, stop by the store to replenish the whiskey you drank. If Mr. Miller sees it, he’ll be furious.

Dreaming of the perfect crime, I reached out and picked up the bottle that had fallen to the floor.

That moment.

“Hensle, are you there? I heard you went through a lot yesterday—”

“······uh.”

I met Mr. Miller’s eyes as he entered the living room.

On the table were all of Mr. Miller’s favorite brand whiskey bottles. Everything is empty, even the night snacks made for snacks.

“・・・・・Handle?”

“That, uh. Mr. Miller.”

keep calm, stay calm

I did nothing wrong. I’m not some kind of Monty, and I’m not the one who stole the alcohol my father hid.

Moreover, the opponent was the crown prince.

Even if it is a collection that Mr. Miller has been collecting piece by piece for decades!

I wish I had been praised. Absolutely, there is nothing I can do about it!

“Handle.”

“Mr. Miller. I can explain.”

“That’s what it should be.”

Mr. Miller laughed.

But those eyes were dead. It seems as if something that is so dry will burn up if you light it right away.

“Otherwise… I don’t know how I’ll treat you.”

Uh… Yes, of course.

***

“To be the crown prince.”

After tidying up the table and calmly explaining what had happened yesterday, Mr. Miller, fortunately, changed his attitude in an instant.

And, of course, I was very surprised.

No matter how much Mr. Miller is, the name of the Crown Prince must be absurd.

“I heard that you’re a fan, but did you mean to invite me to the villa?”

“Because it is.”

“Huh, true. You’re not one to talk nonsense.”

said Mr. Miller, stroking his chin.

“Even if it’s just a cover-up for stealing my alcohol, it’s too big a story.”

“I’m sorry…”

“It’s a joke. I meant to eat with you or Monty someday anyway. It’s just a pity that you ate with someone other than me.”

“Mr. Miller…!”

A true employer. Heck, I’ll follow you for the rest of my life.

“By the way, he’s the crown prince’s son… Hmm, as rumor has it, being thrifty is too much.”

“Do you know Mr. Miller?”

“Aren’t rumors of the royal family the best gossip in the social world? The crown prince is famous for being more sociable and gentle, but the less sociable crown prince is also quite well-known.”

Huh, did you?

I nodded. Certainly, it was an award I didn’t like much about being a social president.

Anyway, Mr. Miller thought for a moment, then nodded and patted my shoulder.

“You are lucky. It’s a royal family that reigns but doesn’t rule, but if you become close to the crown prince, the day will come when you will be of help. Strange greed can be dangerous, but you can’t be like that.”

“Of course, I will be careful.”

My neck is precious to me too.

“good. Then once.”

“four.”

Mr. Miller pointed to the door. What, are you really going to send it out?

“Wash up and come. The smell of sweat and the smell of alcohol added to it. How much and how did you drink?”

“······yes.”

I swallowed my sadness and nodded.

Sniff, even if I smell it, it smells really bad. Come to think of it, I was going to go to the Bath House yesterday. However, the prince’s hand came out of nowhere and it was canceled.

“Don’t come here after bathing, come directly to Bazewater. Now that your urgent matters have been resolved, shouldn’t you join us?”

“all right. I will.”

So I packed some clothes to change into and headed to the public bath.

Ugh, London is such a problem.

Even though it is a luxurious residential area called West End, there is no sewage system, so you have to go to a public bath to wash.

Is this… the heart of the British Empire that dominates the world?

only laughter comes out

So I moved to the street in a different direction than usual.

The bath itself was quite pleasant. The public baths in West End have high-end facilities themselves, so no one said anything about paying a lot of money.

And thanks to walking a different path than usual with such a fresh feeling.

“······oh my god.”

I saw a sight I had never seen before living in London.

Is that the cabal…?