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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 5
Chapter Title: Arrival in the Empire
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The British Empire.
The fact that I was leaving the stifling lands of Joseon for England was, in itself, wonderful, but there was one problem.
What do I want to do from now on?
I had never seriously considered what kind of person I wanted to become.
In Joseon, I was a being who could do nothing from the start, so even contemplating such things was nothing more than a luxury.
But not anymore.
The place I would live from now on was not Joseon, where the shackles of my birth—a mixed-blood slave with the blood of a Westerner—had rendered me powerless.
Depending on my efforts, I could have anything; if my abilities were sufficient, I could rise to any position.
So, what should I do?
Amass a vast fortune?
I couldn't be certain, but if I fully utilized my major, it wouldn't be impossible.
However, if it was just about money, I had handled well over ten billion won in my previous life.
Yet, the end of that life could hardly be called good, not even with a generous turn of phrase.
If you were to ask why it ended that way, the answer is simple.
Even with money, if you lack the social power and position to back it up, your limits become glaringly clear.
The reason I endured all sorts of humiliation in Joseon was, in essence, the same.
It was because I was in a position that could only receive such treatment.
From that perspective, I had finally seized a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Though I was an illegitimate child, as the sole blood relative of a titled nobleman, I could certainly climb higher depending on the circumstances.
Money and fame are merely means to an end, tools.
In this life, I will rise to a position where no one can dare to shake me.
Of course, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. To achieve that, I needed to prepare thoroughly from this moment on.
First, I had to clearly grasp my position and act out the best possible scenario for it.
Honestly, until now, I had been a passive listener in conversations, so there was nothing to worry about.
But now, I was no longer a bystander but a direct participant.
Regardless of my fluency in multiple languages, to those around me, I was just a ten-year-old boy raised in Joseon.
If a child like me suddenly started understanding or speaking English, wouldn't it seem unnatural?
I could probably force an explanation and make them accept it, but there was no real benefit in doing so.
I knew this from my past life's experience of manipulating people's minds countless times.
There is a fine line between appearing smart and appearing bizarre.
The image I needed to project was that of an exceptionally bright child, and I must not cross the line beyond that.
In Joseon, I had no such luxury and had to draw attention to myself one way or another, but there was no reason for that now.
In truth, being a child comes with many restrictions.
No one takes you seriously, and you often need a guardian to do anything.
But for that very reason, if I handle myself well, I can avoid arousing anyone's suspicion.
What was the lesson learned from the harsh experiences of my past life?
This time, I had no intention of repeating the same mistakes.
Until I reached a position unshakable by anything, no one must be able to definitively identify the person I truly am.
On the surface, I would be a reasonably intelligent young master of a noble house.
My other facets must be hidden at all costs… I'll have to think more about the specific methods after arriving in England.
As I steeled my resolve to become someone no one could look down on in England, my eyes naturally hardened.
Perhaps that made me look as if I were lost in deep thought.
I heard the middle-aged man who had come for me cautiously ask the interpreter.
"He has lived here for ten years, so it must feel like his cherished hometown. He seems troubled to be leaving. What should we do in a situation like this?"
"As far as I know, in Joseon, if the mother is a slave, the child becomes a slave as well. Once he arrives in the homeland and lives there for a few days, he won't even think of Joseon, so don't worry."
"You think so? But now that I think about it, we still have a long way to go to London. How should we communicate? Do we need to translate from Joseon to Qing, and then Qing to English, like we did in Joseon?"
"That was only possible because an interpreter from Qing was with us… I don't speak the Joseon language. Besides, even without me, Sir James, are you not fluent in the Qing language?"
"I can only speak the Qing language; I don't know a word of Joseon's. And even if I were fluent, I'm no match for a professional interpreter like you. Had I known, I would have asked for an interpreter fluent in the Joseon language back in Qing."
It was becoming an ordeal to pretend I couldn't understand when I could hear everything they were saying.
Still, considering my future position in England, I thought it might be a good idea to reveal a certain degree of intelligence in advance.
Although my father supposedly had no legitimate children, I was still undeniably illegitimate.
To monopolize my father's attention and affection, shouldn't I display an intellect worthy of being called a prodigy, second to none?
Pretending to know English would cross the line from smart to strange, but Chinese was within an acceptable range.
Modern Chinese is based on the Beijing Mandarin used by the Qing, with some modifications, so strictly speaking, it is slightly different.
To someone who knows the Qing language, it might sound a bit awkward, but that's precisely why it's better.
It would not be strange at all to use the excuse that I taught myself.
"Um… hello. I can speak the Qing language. Could you possibly interpret for me?"
"What? Are you speaking the Qing language right now? How on earth…?"
"The household I was in belonged to a high-ranking official in the Ministry of Rites, so I often heard the Qing language. There were also many books in the house. So, I taught myself."
"You taught yourself a language? Just like that?"
"I tend to learn languages very quickly. I can also speak some of the language from the Wa country to the south."
The interpreter's eyes widened.
I had specifically asked him to interpret to hide the fact that I understood English, but the gentleman named James must have understood me as well.
As expected, he was also staring this way, his mouth agape.
"Language is not something so easily learned, yet to reach this level on your own… and not just one, but two."
"Right? Even in Joseon, I never met anyone my age who was smarter or learned faster than me."
Like a ten-year-old who loves to be praised, I didn't hide my pride.
They must have been a little surprised that a ten-year-old could speak three languages.
No, not just a little. They looked utterly astonished.
"Then that is a great relief. We still have a long journey to London, so I can teach you some simple alphabets in the meantime. If you can read simple words by the time we arrive, your father will be very pleased."
"Yes, English is new to me, but I'll do my best to learn. I want to be able to talk to many people soon, too."
In fact, this was about half-sincere.
While I could speak English like a native, that native standard was American.
It was worlds apart from the accent used by nobles and the educated in Britain at the time, the Received Pronunciation commonly known as Posh.
What if I went to England and started rolling my tongue the way I did in my past life? I'd be shunned at the door of high society.
For Chinese or Japanese, some awkwardness would be forgiven since I was a foreigner, but not for English.
Somehow, I had to change the American English ingrained in my tongue to a British accent.
Still, I wasn't particularly worried.
After all, to everyone around me, I was someone learning English from a completely blank slate.
It wouldn't matter if my pronunciation was a bit clumsy at first. Even that would be seen as a sign of my prodigious learning ability.
If I worked my tail off correcting my pronunciation, I would get used to it in a year or two at the latest.
The middle-aged gentleman, unaware of my inner thoughts, smiled warmly and offered various pieces of advice.
"I'm not an interpreter, so I don't know everything perfectly, but the languages of Asia, which are part of the Sinosphere, are of a completely different lineage from ours. It will probably be very difficult at first. But if there is anything you don't know, please ask me anytime. I will help you with all my might."
"Yes. Thank you."
From that day on, the middle-aged gentleman, who introduced himself as James, brought the interpreter along and helped me with my English studies all day long.
At first, I thought he was being so kind out of deep loyalty, but as I heard his story, I realized he had his own reasons.
"When you arrive in London, it will be very awkward and difficult at first. Although you are the master's only blood relative, you are still, in the end, an illegitimate child. In fact, even in Europe where we are headed, the treatment of illegitimate children is not good. It might even be worse than in the East."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. In the past, under no circumstances could an illegitimate child become their parent's heir. They could not receive any legal guarantee of status or protection."
In the East, there were many cases where an illegitimate son was favored over a legitimate daughter in succession, but such cases were rare in the West.
The famous William I, Duke of Normandy, is a good example.
Even he, known as William the Conqueror, was said to have suffered from numerous rebellions in his early days for being an illegitimate son without legitimacy.
"Then, even if I go to London, will I not be able to enjoy any rights?"
"No, that's not the case. Fortunately, treatment has been improving recently. The concept that every person has rights that cannot be infringed upon is spreading widely. If there are no legitimate sons or daughters, and the parent declares they will pass on their inheritance, it can be pushed through somehow.
However, if you are deemed incapable of inheriting the title, your relatives will surely rise up."
"That shouldn't be a problem then. It just means I have to work hard, right?"
I was worried I might be treated as an outcast in England as well, but if this was the case, there was no problem.
So, in the end, all I had to do was make my father pass the title to me, regardless of what his relatives thought.
Of course, on the outside, I put on a determined expression to hide these inner thoughts.
"You don't need to worry too much. The fact that you can already read simple words is proof enough of your brilliance. Unlike me, you don't have any siblings…"
"Were you in the same situation as me, James?"
"Similar. My father is the current Earl of Westmeath, a man who holds a seat in the British House of Lords. As for me, being an illegitimate child with six legitimate children above me, I couldn't even dream of proper treatment."
"But you are acting as my father's representative, aren't you?"
"That was possible because I am, at least, of noble blood, and the Earl saw my abilities in a favorable light. And as I said, the treatment of illegitimate children has improved considerably compared to the past. So, you don't need to worry too much either, Young Master."
A steward of a noble house who manages the estate in place of the lord must be of a suitable status.
It's only natural when you think about it.
Who in their right mind would hire just anyone to manage their estate and household finances?
To become a steward for a respectable noble family, one had to be at least of noble blood.
It was the same principle as those who served the king having to hold at least the rank of Earl or Marquess.
Therefore, the fact that James was acting as a representative for his Earl father was quite significant.
It meant that even an illegitimate child could receive at least minimal noble treatment if they had the ability.
So, there was even less reason to worry.
Besides.
Even if the treatment was poor, compared to toiling as a mixed-blood slave in Joseon, it would be a paradise on earth. How could my heart be heavy?
* * *
During the voyage to London, I spent most of my time studying English with James.
In truth, I poured almost all my effort into correcting my pronunciation, merely pretending to learn the rest.
James, oblivious to the truth, was constantly amazed by my progress and gave me a thumbs-up.
Of course, I had no intention of dedicating all this precious time solely to English.
Besides studying, I put considerable effort into earning James's trust during the journey to London.
Considering my status as an illegitimate child, I needed to secure a reliable person in England who would be entirely on my side, besides my father.
In that respect, James was the perfect candidate, second to none.
A steward who managed an Earl's estate and was fluent in the Qing language was truly rare.
Above all, hadn't he also suffered under the shackles of being a nobleman's illegitimate son?
Who could be easier to form an emotional bond with?
With these conditions in place, forming a deep relationship with him was a piece of cake for me.
It had to be. What is the most important thing when committing fraud?
First, second, and third, it is to gain trust.
No matter how enticing the conditions you offer, if the other party doesn't trust you, it's all useless.
The most crucial skill for a top-tier con artist was not the meticulous planning of the scam, but the art of conversation to perfectly win the target's trust.
And in that field, I was a master.
Indeed, during the long, yet short, journey to London, I sometimes stimulated his sympathy and at other times empathized with him, completely winning his favor.
With this, I had secured at least one ally in London who would be entirely on my side.
Finally, as the ship rounded the Strait of Dover and entered the lower reaches of the Thames, the full view of the 19th-century British Empire came into sight.
"Wow."
I had been to London a few times in my past life.
Even then, I had the impression of a wonderful city that was both quaint and modern.
The London of now was certainly shabbier, the air dirtier, and the streets messier in comparison.
But somehow, it looked far more wondrous and overwhelming now than it did then.
It was probably because of the time I spent in Joseon.
By modern standards, there wasn't a huge difference between Seoul and London in terms of urban infrastructure.
No, actually, London had many inconveniences because its foundational facilities were so old.
This wasn't because Seoul was particularly superior, but because London had undergone modernization so much earlier.
The scene of industrialization unfolding before my eyes was proof of that.
Comparing it to the vista of Hanyang, still vividly etched in my mind, the difference felt even more extreme.
Beyond the steamship gliding serenely up the Thames, the new London Bridge, which was being built, came into view.
The construction seemed to be in its final stages, and its complete form was quite impressive.
James stuck close by my side, pointing to various places in London and explaining eagerly.
"This river is the Thames. It passes through Oxford, cuts through London from west to east, and then flows into the North Sea. It used to be a rather clean river, but now the pollution is so severe that you must never immerse yourself in it or drink from it."
"The smell rising from it certainly seems unusual."
"In the past, a huge number of salmon would return from the North Sea, but their numbers are said to be dwindling now. Ah, that tall building you see over there is St. Paul's Cathedral. It's where the state funerals of great figures who have made significant contributions to the nation are held. Strictly speaking, only the area around the cathedral is London, but these days, most people just call the entire surrounding area London."
As I listened to James's ceaseless explanations, I felt the ship's speed decreasing.
The magnificent sound of the steam engine as the ship came to a halt heralded the true beginning of my second life.
I had finally arrived.
In London, the capital of the world's most powerful nation in the 19th century, the British Empire.
"Young Master, welcome to London."
Before I could even soak in the emotion, James extended his hand with a benevolent smile.
"Let us go. The Earl is waiting."
Without hesitation, I grasped his hand firmly.
I wonder what kind of person my father in this life will be.
My heart fluttered with a mix of anticipation and excitement.