## Chapter 193: The Pendulum of Fate
The second floor of the Olmak Club was dotted with several secluded rooms, facing the spiral staircase. Through the rose-colored curtains and windowpanes, one could see the goings-on downstairs.
Inside one of the rooms, Viscount Palmerston and Viscount Melbourne each held a tall glass filled with a quarter of pale red wine. Judging from the label on the bottle resting on the nearby countertop, they were enjoying a bottle of Romanée-Conti, produced in the Burgundy region of France in 1820.
Viscount Melbourne gently swirled the wine in his glass, taking a distracted sip.
Viscount Palmerston, observing his troubled expression, smiled and put an arm around his shoulder, guiding him to the sofa. “William, there’s no need to worry so much. While the Judge position is tricky, we’ll find a solution.”
“Do you have any news about the new Chief Justice?” Melbourne asked, looking up.
Palmerston pondered for a moment. “The Chief Justice position is currently shrouded in secrecy within the party. Perhaps only our new Prime Minister, Earl Grey, knows who he intends to appoint.
William, you know, the history of the establishment of the Chief Justice in Britain is longer than that of the Prime Minister. This is a position of great power and authority.
The Chief Justice acts as the legal advisor to His Majesty’s Privy Council, has the power to appoint His Majesty’s legal representatives, the Attorney General, and the Solicitor General, and also presides over the Court of Chancery, which represents the highest legal authority in Britain. He leads the work of the High Court of Justice and holds the appointment power for all the court presidents in Britain. Moreover, by tradition, the Chief Justice enjoys the honor of presiding over the House of Lords.
Oh, and of course, as the most just, honest, selfless, and knowledgeable representative of all of Britain, the Lord Chief Justice also has the arduous task of overseeing the Church of England’s church property.
In addition, he also acts on behalf of His Majesty in overseeing education, charity, and healthcare, serving as the inspector of the Royal Public Hospitals of Britain and taking on the responsibility of supervising all universities in England, ensuring that the two universities representing our beautiful England reach the highest educational standards in the world.”
Viscount Melbourne, hearing this, couldn’t help but loosen his furrowed brows and ask, “Two? Are you excluding the University of London and King’s College, both also located in England?”
Palmerston put down his glass and said, “William, the primary task of a university is to cultivate talent. Have the University of London and King’s College produced any real talent? The name ‘university’ can’t be casually applied to just any school. Even if I expand the search to the entire territory of Britain, I would at most include the University of Edinburgh and the University of Glasgow in Scotland. Yes, I believe that currently, Britain only has four decent universities.”
Viscount Melbourne, hearing this, merely joked, “Your selection method is unfair to newly established schools like the University of London, King’s College, and the Hervaut University. After all, in terms of founding time, the older Hervaut University is only nine years old, the University of London is four years old, and King’s College only started accepting students last year.”
Seeing that Melbourne was finally relaxing, Palmerston smiled and patted his brother-in-law’s shoulder. “That’s right, William. While I don’t know who the next Royal Chief Justice will be, I know that our new Prime Minister has already decided on the newest Keeper of the Great Seal.”
“Keeper of the Great Seal?”
Viscount Melbourne perked up at the mention of the title.
Those unfamiliar with British politics might not understand the significance of the Keeper of the Great Seal, but Viscount Melbourne was well aware.
The Keeper of the Great Seal, as the title suggests, has a simple responsibility: to keep the Great Seals of England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales for the King.
On the surface, this is merely a symbolic role.
Therefore, not every cabinet appoints a Keeper of the Great Seal. In the absence of an appointed Keeper, the Chief Justice usually takes on the responsibilities of the position.
If a cabinet announces the appointment of a Keeper of the Great Seal, it is usually a signal to the outside world that the newly appointed Keeper will soon become the Chief Justice of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
This operation usually only occurs when the Prime Minister wants to appoint a civilian Chief Justice.
Because, according to regulations, the Royal Chief Justice, due to his dual role as Speaker of the House of Lords, must be a member of the nobility, meaning he must hold a peerage of Baron or above.
The position of Keeper of the Great Seal, however, is typically held by a civilian. However, due to the nature of the role, the Keeper of the Great Seal, a position that has been around since the Middle Ages, is actually a minister of the King’s household, also known as an inner minister. This is different from traditional outer ministers, such as the various departmental ministers.
Because they are closer to the King, most household ministers, even if they are not nobles, are quickly granted a peerage, thus gaining entry into the House of Lords.
Therefore, through years of trial and error, the appointment process for civilian Chief Justices in Britain has evolved into a three-step process:
1. The Prime Minister appoints the candidate as Keeper of the Great Seal.
2. The King understands the implication and grants the candidate a peerage. The specific title, whether Baron or a higher peerage, depends entirely on the King’s mood and personal relationship with the candidate.
3. The Prime Minister announces a cabinet reshuffle, with the Keeper of the Great Seal taking on the role of Royal Chief Justice.
Viscount Melbourne, despite his habit of napping in Parliament, had spent 25 years in the House of Commons before inheriting his father’s title and entering the House of Lords. Naturally, he was well-versed in the inner workings of the system.
As the saying goes, even if you haven’t personally defeated the French, haven’t you seen them flee in the newspapers?
Viscount Melbourne leaned forward from the sofa, “Who is the new Keeper of the Great Seal?”
Viscount Palmerston picked up the bottle and poured himself another glass. “The founder of *The Edinburgh Review*.”
Viscount Melbourne furrowed his brow, “There are several founders of *The Edinburgh Review*.”
Palmerston put down the bottle, smiling and patting his lover-brother on the shoulder. “But only one is qualified to become Chief Justice. You should remember who the lawyer was who helped Queen Caroline win her divorce case against King George IV.”
Viscount Melbourne, upon hearing this, stood up in surprise. His face filled with excitement. “Henry?”
“Correct,” Palmerston grinned. “Not my Henry, but another Henry, Henry Peter Brougham. It won’t be long before we call him Lord Brougham.”
Viscount Melbourne couldn’t help but clap his hands in delight. “Excellent! He became famous after that royal divorce case. If I explain Norton’s situation to him, I’m sure he’ll be willing to help me.”
Palmerston quipped, “You should thank our former King George IV for his timely demise. Well, perhaps it’s not polite to say it that way. But if the former King were still alive, Mr. Brougham might never be knighted, let alone become Chief Justice.
After all, the rift between the former King and Queen Caroline was deep. When the Queen died, he wouldn’t even allow her coffin to pass through London. Robert Baker, who was responsible for arranging the route, couldn’t withstand the public pressure and ultimately allowed the Queen’s coffin to pass through London. As soon as the funeral ended, the furious King dismissed Baker. Looking back, Baker was quite innocent.”
Happiness brings joy, and the radiant smile on Viscount Melbourne’s face completely erased any trace of his previous gloom.
He asked, “By the way, in which constituency did Mr. Brougham stand for election this year?”
Palmerston closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. “Hmm, let me think. I believe it was…York? Yes, I remember he ran in York!”
“York?” Melbourne slapped his forehead. “God, was it Brougham who defeated George Norton in York? Is this not God’s arrangement? It’s too coincidental. There were so many corrupt constituencies they could have chosen from, how did they end up facing each other?”
Palmerston shrugged with a smile. “Who knows, maybe it’s just as you said, God’s guidance. God is pointing the way for you, you’re destined to be with Mrs. Norton. William, although Lady Ponsonby hurt you, that was a long time ago. Perhaps you should find another excellent lady to accompany you. God allowed you to be tormented by her for 20 years, giving you an unfortunate marriage, so now He’s sending a true angel to compensate you.”
Viscount Melbourne, hearing this, just smiled helplessly, shaking his head. “William, you’re thinking too much. I really just want to help her. If someone had helped me when my marriage went wrong, my late wife and I might have survived it.”
Seeing that his future brother-in-law was not taking his advice, Palmerston could only sigh, “You, William, why are you always so stressed? You should learn from me, live a carefree, easy life. Life is just a play, don’t take it too seriously.
But Byron was such a bastard, he ruined your first half of life. The representative of Satan’s poets, that title really suits him. He came into this world, besides getting involved with Greek independence and Italian Carbonari, his biggest mission was to ruin you!”
Just as the words left his lips, a sudden, rapid, and brilliant melody came from the windowpane.
Viscount Palmerston and Viscount Melbourne both frowned slightly.
“What’s that noise?”
The two stood by the window and looked down. In the center of the stage downstairs, a young man in a tailcoat was waving his arms, which fluttered like butterflies, his fingertips dancing across the piano keys. A series of notes filled the entire hall, immediately eliciting exclamations from several ladies and cheers from the gentlemen at the gambling tables.
Viscount Melbourne wondered, “It’s not Moscheles. Did the Philharmonic Society get a new pianist?”
Viscount Palmerston, seeing Lady Cowper sitting in front of the stage with a beaming smile, couldn’t help but think of some things that were not suitable for outsiders to hear. He winked playfully at Viscount Melbourne.
“Why don’t we go down and see? We’ve been so stressed lately over the election and the motion of no confidence, it’s time to relax. The pianist is here, why don’t you go and dance with Mrs. Norton?”
Viscount Melbourne was hesitant, but Palmerston wouldn’t give him time to think. He put an arm around Melbourne and headed out. “William, listen to me, be bold, it’s no big deal. Even if you do something with Mrs. Norton, what’s the harm? One sleep and you can get a new judge position. Where else can you find such a profitable deal? George Norton is really making a fortune this time, you have nothing to apologize to him for.”
The two pushed their way out of the room, but at a spot hidden from their view, the Red Devil lay on the windowsill, biting into a red apple with a pained human face, his mouth dripping with blood. His long, strong black tail whipped against the rose-colored curtains, creating ripples.
The Red Devil casually threw the apple core out the window, hitting Mrs. Norton, who was watching Arthur’s brilliant performance in the ballroom.
The apple core slid down her long hair, eventually stopping at her heart. A soft red light flickered, and the apple core slowly merged into her chest, disappearing inside.
The Red Devil let out a long, loud burp. The sudden noise startled Arthur, who was playing, causing him to pause involuntarily.
He narrowed his eyes and looked up at the second-floor window, but only met the Red Devil’s malicious smile.
Agareus clasped his hands together and muttered, “Coincidence? Where are there so many coincidences? The direction of fate, God’s arrangement, call it what you want. Anyway, Professor Agareus only demands that things go according to my instructions.”
He pulled out a parchment scroll from his waist, glanced at Arthur, who was still playing, and nodded slightly. Then, he pulled out a quill and scribbled randomly on the yellowed pages.
As the fiery pen tip danced, a vivid painting appeared on the scroll in an instant.
In front of the piano was Arthur, wearing a tailcoat, with a magnet wrapped in lightning and a bloody scepter above his head. On top of the magnet and scepter, a rocking pendulum was placed.
The pendulum swayed, in the silent room, tick-tock, tick-tock, the second hand of fate was already moving…
(End of Chapter)