The Queen of the British Empire giving birth in a colony—something that had never happened before and likely never would again—naturally drew enormous attention from the people of Canada.
And not just one child, but twins.
If they grew up safely, the child most likely to become the next king of the British Empire had been born on this land.
Church bells announcing the birth of the eldest son who would inherit the throne rang across the country, and everyone sent blessings for the health of the Queen and the children.
Large celebrations were planned, but Victoria still needed rest, and for the sake of the babies' health it was a time that required caution. Most of her days were spent recovering.
Killian stayed with her when he could, but he still had many responsibilities, so there were many days when she had to pass the time alone.
A two-week sea voyage would be far too dangerous for babies this young, so they would be staying here for quite a long time.
It was inevitable that things would become somewhat dull.
Most of the delicate tasks involved in caring for newborns were handled by royal nurses, so there was little Victoria needed to do herself.
Thus, while recovering day by day and living a peaceful but somewhat boring life, a familiar and dearly missed face came to visit her.
"I'm glad you look well."
"Good heavens, you really came? I thought you were just saying that."
"…My daughter has given birth for the first time. What did you expect me to do—sit alone in London doing nothing? I meant to arrive by the due date, but everyone around me insisted preparations had to be thorough. All that fuss for a mere two-week voyage."
When Victoria saw the face of her mother, the Duchess of Kent, with whom her relationship had been slowly improving, an uncontrollable smile appeared on her lips.
She might speak casually, but for a noblewoman who had lived a sheltered life, crossing the Atlantic rather than the Dover Strait could not have been easy.
Victoria herself had experienced the voyage and knew how difficult the journey must have been.
There was still a slight stiffness between them, but that was simply her mother's nature.
By now, it would not be an exaggeration to say they had become an ordinary mother and daughter.
"But where is your husband? His wife has just given birth and is recovering, yet I don't see him anywhere."
"He was with me all morning. He stepped out briefly to prepare for the ceremony. The celebration for Edward and Adelaide's birth will be held in two weeks. People are coming from all over Canada, so there's quite a lot to prepare."
"Quite the grand affair. Well, it's not often that the future king of the British Empire is born in a colony. Still, giving birth to two children at once couldn't have been easy. I'm relieved to see you healthy."
"I truly didn't expect you to come, Mother. Thank you."
"…There's no need to thank me for such a thing."
Perhaps embarrassed by the sincere gratitude, the Duchess turned her head slightly and began complaining about the furniture in the room.
"Still, this is where the Queen of this country is resting, isn't it? What kind of furniture is this? It's worse than the room you had in Kensington Palace when you were a child."
"It can't be helped. This is only a temporary residence. We haven't even decided which city will become the new capital yet, so we can't waste money."
"The capital hasn't even been decided? This place really must be brand new. I suppose that's why it's so noisy with talk of new titles and colonization. There was quite an uproar back in Britain too. They said it's the first time a noble title was created in a colony. Duke of Canada, was it?"
"Yes. Don't you think it suits Killian perfectly?"
"…It's better than Duke of Kent. To be honest, when I first heard that the title your father once held would be given to him, I had rather complicated feelings."
"Did it make you uncomfortable?"
Though she looked somewhat conflicted, the Duchess slowly shook her head.
In the past she had disliked Killian, believing she had been deceived by him.
But after learning that he had repeatedly helped bridge the gap between her and her daughter, she saw no reason to dislike him any longer.
"He's often called Prince Consort anyway, and here he'll be addressed as the Duke of Canada. Why would that make me uncomfortable? Your happiness is what matters most. Now then, may I see my lovely grandchildren?"
Grandparents might feel somewhat distant from their own children at times, but they are helplessly charmed by their grandchildren.
When the Duchess saw the twins sleeping peacefully in their small cradles, the corners of her mouth trembled slightly.
"They must take after their father. They're quite handsome."
"…Shouldn't you say they resemble me?"
"Just because you're the Queen doesn't mean you should abandon your conscience. One must say what is true."
"What do you mean? I'm often called a beautiful queen, you know."
"Well, you do look much better since you worked so hard to lose weight. Thinking back, I should have suspected something when you stopped eating desserts. But honestly, if you have any sense, you should hope the children resemble their father."
Victoria was secretly pleased that the children seemed to resemble their father.
Still, did she have to say it so bluntly?
"Fine. Looks only matter for a while anyway. What matters more is how intelligent and wise they become."
"In that case, shouldn't you hope they inherit their father's talents even more?"
"…Are you really my mother? Perhaps you've been replaced by the Duchess of Inverness."
In truth, there had been something else Victoria worried about when the children were born.
Not their appearance or intelligence.
There had simply been too many things to consider.
One example was the question of which dynasty the future monarch would belong to.
Victoria was the last queen of the House of Hanover.
But since she had taken a new husband, the next king would inevitably be the ruler of a new dynasty.
Traditionally in Britain, when a queen married another royal, it was effectively regarded as the founding of a new royal house.
If Killian had been merely a minor nobleman, things might have been different.
But officially, he was also a prince of an Asian royal family.
Yet it would be impossible for the King of the British Empire to be described as a ruler of the Lee or Tokugawa dynasty.
People would never accept it emotionally.
More importantly, Killian himself firmly rejected the idea.
Thus, in the end, the names Lee and Tokugawa were discarded, and only the name Gore remained.
"Now that you've come to Canada, you'll stay here for a while, won't you? When Killian returns later, you should have dinner together and talk."
"Yes. I'll rest here for a while and watch my adorable grandchildren grow. My, you're already the mother of two children… It feels like just yesterday that Killian first came to Kensington."
"At the time you told me not to grow too attached to him because he would only be a useful subordinate."
"Hah! That was because I didn't know his true background. If I had known he was Asian royalty, I would have treated him differently."
"Really? I had already chosen him even before I knew that."
The Duchess laughed softly and shook her head as she looked at her daughter proudly puffing out her chest.
"Well, it seems you have better judgment in men than I do."
"Of course. That's one thing I'm very confident about."
Victoria smiled brightly at her mother.
The wound that once seemed impossible to heal now felt as though it had disappeared without leaving even a scar.
The celebration for Edward and Adelaide's birth was actually held on a far larger scale in Canada than in Britain.
Partly because the children were currently in Canada.
But also because I deliberately created the situation to make them the symbolic center of Canada.
Despite the unprecedented scale of the celebration, it ended without any major incidents.
Because enough preparation time had been given for people to travel from across the country, the crowd was extremely diverse.
French settlers from Quebec who had long established roots in Canada.
Descendants of Loyalists who had come from Britain.
And newly arrived Irish immigrants and Black settlers.
Such a diverse group gathered in one place.
Those who entered the banquet hall were influential figures from their respective regions, so the atmosphere remained relatively friendly.
But how long could such harmony last?
When immigrants from different cultures live together, conflict is inevitable.
In some ways it was a future already foreseen.
In truth, the reason tensions had not yet surfaced was simply that Canada's territory was far larger than its population.
The French lived among the French.
The English among the English.
And the Irish and Blacks—who tended to mix somewhat more easily—lived among themselves.
However, cities like Toronto and Montreal were now rapidly industrializing.
Signs of future conflict were already beginning to appear.
Even in this very hall, people were quietly clustering with their own groups rather than truly mixing.
If Canada was to become a true multiethnic immigrant nation surpassing even the United States of the original timeline, the first step had to be set firmly.
In modern America, many argue that racial conflict ultimately stems from how the issue was ignored throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries.
In that sense, this might be an even more important problem than industrialization.
"Your Highness, everything is ready."
"Thank you. Thanks to the Governor's efforts, everything should conclude smoothly."
"No, Your Highness. It is thanks to your presence that preparations were completed so easily."
I briefly praised the Governor's efforts before walking steadily toward the podium in the banquet hall.
The moment I appeared, the people who had been chatting and laughing straightened their posture and erupted into applause and cheers.
I waved while making eye contact with them and took a moment to gather my breath.
I was actually scanning the crowd to see who had come.
But they probably thought I was personally greeting each of them.
As expected, all the influential figures from each region were present.
Even the Irish and Black communities had sent representatives from their villages.
Their influence would certainly not be small.
After deliberately pausing for a moment—just when everyone was waiting for me to speak—I began slowly.
"First of all, I would like to thank all of you for traveling such a long distance to attend today. Since most of you already know me, I will skip the formal introduction… or perhaps I should give one?"
"No!"
"It is an honor to meet Your Highness!"
After easing the tension slightly, I picked up the wine glass beside me.
The sweetness was perfect for moistening my throat.
"As you all know, a joyous event has recently occurred within our British Empire. The birth of heirs who will bring stability to the royal family. And because they were born here rather than in Britain, it holds an even more special meaning for all of us."
I paused briefly and looked around.
Everyone nodded in agreement.
"To be precise, British Canada has not yet reached its final form. More people will come here in the future—immigrants from many different backgrounds. There may be conflicts along the way. But that is exactly why I wish to tell all of you something clearly. Take pride. The place you live in will become a country unlike anything that has existed before—and unlike anything that will exist again."
"The British Empire stretches across the world and holds countless territories. Yet nowhere else do people from so many nations put down roots and live together in harmony as they do here in Canada. Problems will arise in the future, but I firmly believe that this mixture of cultures gives this nation limitless potential unlike anywhere else."
The crowd seemed genuinely moved by my words.
But this alone was not enough.
What I wanted was not simple approval.
I wanted them intoxicated with the idea that a multiethnic empire was the future of the world.
The children would remain here for a while.
But I would return to Britain within a few months at most.
There were at least two neighboring countries in Europe who would be deeply displeased by the expansion of the British Empire.
So this needed to be made clear now.
From this moment onward—
My British Canada would have no need for division.