Hanborg extinguished the cigar. “Everything depends on your choice, Your Highness.”
Alte said nothing and got up to leave.
The next morning, after breakfast, Hanborg left home and got into the driver’s car. Ke was already waiting, reading silently with a strange expression.
“What’s wrong? Did the opposition party say something about me?” Hanborg asked.
“Worse… and awkward.” Ke stammered, looking at Hanborg oddly. “Owen, my friend, I want you to tell me the truth. What do you think of Her Majesty?”
Hanborg frowned. “Agile, intelligent, mature, and rational…”
“You know that’s not what I’m asking,” Ke said angrily, hitting him.
What special feelings do you have for her?
Hanborg was both amused and exasperated. “Why are you always interested in these romantic rumors between me and her? I’ve told you before, I was once her mentor and protector. Now I’m her servant and friend.”
“Fine! Believe what you want!” Ke angrily shoved the reader into his hand. “Read it yourself.”
Hanborg looked down at a large headline in “Today’s Mail” featuring a photo of him and William Mina. She looked up at the sky while he gazed at her tenderly. The military uniform and buildings complemented the young queen’s beautiful face, her eyes moist and breathtakingly beautiful. Hanborg, always praised for his looks, also appeared exceptionally handsome in profile. The photo resembled a movie poster.
The bold headline read: “Hidden Emotions – Prime Minister Infatuated with the Queen.”
“The Herald” published the same photo but with a more sensational headline: “Extramarital Affair or Unrequited Love – Prime Minister Remains Unmarried Only for the Queen. Eight Years of Affection: The Queen and Prime Minister’s Unique Relationship. From Secretary to Prime Minister, He Always Remained by Her Side. Does Prince Albert Know?”
When Hanborg saw this headline, he casually threw the reader onto the back seat.
Simply absurd!
Some of these articles made sense.
Ke picked up the reader and continued browsing. Everyone knows you have a good relationship with the Queen, and some think it’s ambiguous. Most people love gossip and won’t restrain themselves because she’s the Queen or married. Anyone looking at this photo would let their imagination run wild.
Ke enlarged the lingering gaze photo and examined Owen. Even the most obtuse person could see your feelings for her.
“She is just my own child.”
“Save that line for the journalists.”
The car approached the Prime Minister’s residence, where over a hundred journalists swarmed around the vehicle, camera flashes rising and falling.
“Mr. Hanberg, do you have an explanation for today’s news?”
“What exactly is your relationship with Her Majesty?”
“Are your feelings for her one-sided or mutual? Does she know how you feel?”
“How do you feel seeing her married?”
“Did you become Prime Minister because of her?”
“Is this why you’ve remained unmarried, Prime Minister?”
Hanberg sat calmly in the car, instructing the driver to stop and drive directly inside.
“People’s interest in rumors is always stronger than politics,” he said with a bitter smile.
“I’m sure the PR director has already torn everything apart,” Ke remarked.
Surrounded by reporters, Hanberg entered the Prime Minister’s residence under guard protection, saying nothing.
The guards blocked the reporters, capturing only the Prime Minister’s stern side profile.
Abert leaned down and kissed her, stopping her unfinished words with his lips. Wilhelmina’s eyes were moist as she hugged him tightly.
This time, the royal family sent only one spokesperson who briefly addressed their relationship without answering reporters’ questions before leaving. The Prime Minister’s public relations spokesperson countered by accusing them of spreading malicious rumors.
“Grasping at straws and spreading rumors based on a single photo is pure imagination. If the prime minister turned his head with a smile, you should go into literary creation instead,” stated the spokesperson.
Unable to be satisfied, the media dug deeper. The past between Wilhelmina, the Queen, and Prime Minister Hanborg was gradually exposed. A retired palace attendant narrated how Hanborg became Wilhelmina’s secretary, adding to the media and readers’ curiosity.
An old photo was uncovered, showing a young Wilhelmina in a blue dress, with Hanborg holding her in a protective posture. The little girl’s hands were tightly wrapped around his neck, her demeanor one of dependence.
Several photos from Alexander’s funeral were soon released.
Hanborg held Wilhelmina’s hand, bent down to speak to her, and fed her cookies, showing tender love. Wilhelmina displayed clear dependence on him.
Photos captured Hanborg picking Wilhelmina up from school, showing him rushing over like a bodyguard and kissing her face before carrying her into the car. This image of Hanborg lifting and kissing young Wilhelmina became popular in the media. The well-angled photo displayed their intimate smiles; young Wilhelmina appeared beautiful and cute, while Hanborg looked youthful and handsome.
“I don’t even have these photos!” Wilhelmina said to her husband, mixing laughter with tears. “Where did they get these, even from grandfather’s funeral?”
Abert looked through the photos and remarked, “You were so adorable back then, like an angel. Who could not love you?”
“You speak as if you had fallen for me back then,” Wilhelmina scoffed. “Don’t forget how you used to scare me in the cafeteria.”
“You remember that so clearly?” Abert argued. “I was just a half-child, overly cautious and a bit self-centered.”
“Aha, you admit you were self-centered.”
“I only said I was self-centered back then,” Abert defended.
“Later, I grew up and realized I had misunderstood such a wonderful girl.”
Wilhelmina laughed and leaned in to exchange a light kiss with her husband. Despite the overwhelming media commentary, most citizens viewed the matter positively, as the Queen and Prince’s relationship appeared harmonious.
“I think they were just friends, perhaps best friends,” one man said during an interview. “Her Majesty is a charming woman, but if I had raised a girl like Hanborg did, she would only feel like a sister to me.”
Others had more romantic views: “There was definitely love between them, but it was a pure relationship. He must have hidden his feelings because she was married, making it even more touching. Hanborg was a deep, caring man who protected her like a guardian angel.”
Older people dismissed the rumor, asserting, “Hanborg was her servant from the beginning. The Queen would never talk about love with a servant.”
“I want to know Prince Abert’s view on this,” an excited man said. “Will they divorce? And why hasn’t Hanborg married?”
“A love entanglement among the top three figures of the empire” stirred people’s hearts.
The first suggestion in the PR department’s response plan was for Hanborg to get married.
“At least announce an engagement or that you have a girlfriend,” an employee said seriously. “Only this can quell the rumors. We’ll arrange for that lady to be interviewed to show your relationship is good and that you’re loyal to Her Majesty.”
“That’s a good plan,” Hanborg smiled, setting down the report. “But where will I find a girlfriend?”
“There are many young, beautiful girls in the office,” Falk replied. “They’d be happy to help.”
“But how will we handle this afterward? Won’t the media suspect we’re faking it? This seems too obvious.”
“Why worry?” Falk asked. “Use this opportunity to marry and have children. You’re already thirty and should have been married long ago. Once you’re married, no one will connect you with Her Majesty again.”
Hanborg found it absurd. “I won’t handle my marriage carelessly.”
