Chapter 2357: What a Scoundrel, Hastings! (2)

Seeing the Queen’s anxiety, Sir Arthur Hastings couldn’t help but furrow his brow, attempting to ease Victoria’s worries: “Hmm… Your Majesty, if you will allow me, my opinion is that it is indeed difficult for a person’s judgment to be absolutely fair. In such cases, it might be worth listening to the views of those who have no vested interest in them.”

“People with no vested interest in them?” Victoria didn’t understand Arthur’s point: “Where in the court can there be such people?”

Arthur nodded with a smile: “You’re right, the British nobility at court, more or less, always carry a bit of bias. But the foreign guests who have come to attend the ceremony do not. They are all guests from afar, having never met these ladies before, so naturally, they won’t feel disappointed if a certain lady is not chosen. Therefore, their evaluations are often the most impartial. You might consider listening to the foreign guests’ opinions on the ladies at the dinner or ball. For example, His Highness Prince Albert of Saxony-Coburg…”

Arthur paused for a moment, as if merely offering another logical choice: “Or… the Russian nobleman who just arrived in London last night would also be very suitable to consult.”

Upon hearing Arthur mention Alexander, Victoria’s expression clearly turned somewhat unnatural.

Such subtle movements, of course, didn’t escape Arthur’s notice, but he acted as if he had seen nothing, simply picking up his teacup and smiling lightly: “His Highness Prince Alexander has sharp insight. Raised in the court of St. Petersburg from a young age, he’s been in frequent contact with visiting envoys from all over Europe, particularly adept at observing the ladies at balls.”

Victoria’s eyelashes fluttered slightly, and she curiously asked: “Are you very familiar with him?”

Arthur seemed amused by the question: “Familiar is a bit of a stretch, but when I was in St. Petersburg, I did interact with him, and I’ve also heard many rumors about him.”

“Such as?”

“His Highness Prince Alexander is very gentle in dealing with people, always very kind.” Arthur praised with a smile: “At court balls, I often saw the Prince surrounded by young ladies, and he knows how to make conversations light and is skilled at making everyone feel valued, so the girls all enjoy chatting with him.”

Arthur recollected: “For him, being friendly and kind is instinctive. If he smiles and greets a lady or dances with her, it’s often out of gentlemanly manners. The same attitude he would show to the daughter of a Duchess as to a maid in the palace; even a shy German noble lady in a corner of the ball wouldn’t be neglected by him. His Highness Prince Alexander is just that considerate.”

Victoria’s hand slowly withdrew from the teacup.

Arthur acted as if he hadn’t noticed anything, continuing to offer his suggestions: “For this reason, I recommend consulting his opinion, because his observations of the ladies are undoubtedly the most comprehensive.”

Victoria’s face grew cold, even the smile at the corners of her mouth disappeared: “Indeed, if only Albert could learn a bit from him in this regard. I’m not demanding that he be as charming as Alexander, but he always seems a bit reserved in social settings, too constrained.”

Here, Victoria’s emotions clearly carried a touch of frustration.

It wasn’t clear if she was dissatisfied with Albert or unable to let go of Alexander.

Hearing this, Arthur didn’t argue; instead, he seemed to agree with her observation deeply: “His Highness Prince Albert indeed doesn’t have the natural social aptitude like His Highness Prince Alexander. When I saw him at balls before, he was always standing there awkwardly holding a glass, not knowing whom to chat with or how to start a conversation. But you can’t blame him; in my opinion, Prince Albert cares a bit too much about how others perceive him. He always tries to meet everyone’s expectations of him, not wanting anyone to be disappointed.”

At this point, Arthur said somewhat helplessly: “I think perhaps the expectations from His Majesty Leopold are too high.”

Arthur didn’t make himself clear, but Victoria understood his implication.

Victoria wasn’t a fool; she certainly knew that from a few years ago, her dear Uncle Leopold had been striving to match her with Albert.

However, as a superficial admirer of appearances, her first impression of Albert was not very good.

In her impression, Albert was an introverted “chubby kid,” a typical German “frog.”

Of course, it might be a bit harsh to describe Albert as a “chubby kid.”

But even from Arthur, who was a supporter of Albert, last year’s visit to England by Albert didn’t leave him as someone capable of sparking much conversation among the ladies. Worse, this book-loving young man didn’t know how to dress himself, let alone showcase any humor or wit in front of the ladies.

Because of this, when Baron Stockma was sent to Germany last year to serve as Albert’s private advisor, Arthur privately suggested to this most important advisor of the King of Belgium: “It would be best to persuade His Highness Prince Albert to work on managing his physique.”

Furthermore, to pique Albert’s interest in exercising, Arthur even specially sent him a copy of George Silver’s Swordsmanship Manual, cheekily suggesting in a letter to join the Swordsmanship Club at Bonn University, and sharing his personal insights into mastering the various German schools of swordsmanship.