207 Tues. I even met my British mother.
Westminster.
It is the political center of England and is called the City of Westminster.
It is a borough within London that means a city within a city.
There were many important facilities that could be called a political center, including the residence of the British royal family, Buckingham Palace, the Houses of Parliament famous for Big Ben, and Westminster Palace.
“Are you really here?”
Lucy nodded at my question.
“Yeah, I double-checked there.”
In response to her answer, I looked at the palace in front of me.
Buckingham Palace.
I know the Queen lives here, but now the Duke of Westminster lives there.
“Where is the queen going?”
“I heard you’re staying at St. James’s Palace. I heard there’s a reason Buckingham Palace was given away to Mr. Grossbane for a while.”
“……?”
“It looks nice here, but it’s an old building. Besides, it’s expensive to repair, so it’s been a headache for the royal family. I heard that the Duke of Westminster came in and took over the repair.”
Ah, so that’s why you allowed me to stay while I was doing the repairs.
“There’s a reason the old man invited you to the house.”
Buckingham Palace must have been the house I called for dinner.
In Korea, we go to the Blue House to eat.
“Why?”
I pretended not to know Jackie’s question.
I didn’t want to say that the old man had invited her into the house to show her.
“Why is there such a thing? It’s something like that when you show a splendid house and make a big fuss.”
“Hmm, I don’t think Jerome is like that.”
You’ll know that when you meet him.
“Come on, don’t stand like this and go inside. It’s burdensome for tourists as well.”
The area around Buckingham Palace is also bustling with tourists.
They asked the guards to visit and looked at us with envy as we were about to enter.
It was announced at the front door that it is now forbidden to visit the inside.
‘Oh, it’s embarrassing.’
How do you live in a place like this?
No matter how much money and power you have, seeing people swarming around my wall makes me feel anxious and unable to live.
“Welcome, welcome to Buckingham Palace.”
A middle-aged woman with long hair greeted us.
Even pretending to be, he is not a noble.
what is it
Sanggung in historical dramas?
Anyway, we followed her into the palace.
It was much larger than Robert Bardock’s mansion, but the interior was very modest.
To the extent that the antique feeling is revealed as it is.
In a word, it had the atmosphere of a castle in the Middle Ages.
I didn’t even know it was still in pristine condition for repairs.
When we got to the drawing room, we were greeted by Jerome Grosbane, who was waiting for us.
“I met you sooner than I thought. Did you handle the busy work at that time?”
He reached out to me and asked.
It’s like the nuance is saying, ‘I know you weren’t busy back then’.
“You handled it well, so we met sooner, wouldn’t it?”
“Heh heh heh, that’s right. Let’s all sit down.”
The drawing room was small but cozy and not suited to the palace.
In his words, it is not an official ceremonial venue, but a place where the queen actually dines.
It’s the exact opposite of Robert Bardock’s dinner table, which felt flat and cold.
“I thought it would be gorgeous because it’s a palace, but it’s very simple.”
At Jackie’s words, Jerome asked with a smile.
“Are you disappointed?”
“No, I rather liked it. The atmosphere is so warm, I think the rice will go well.”
“It wasn’t like this originally, but it’s because I’m using it now. My taste is a bit modest, heh heh.”
“I saw you reading at the library and I thought it would be. Hohoho.”
As Jackie said, the Jerome I saw in the library was so easygoing that I thought he was an ordinary citizen.
There were no ordinary attendants or bodyguards, and his attire was unparalleled.
Besides, even now, he invites guests to the palace and wears clothes like a country old man.
“Let me formally introduce myself. My name is Jerome Grosbane, 5th Duke of Westminster and chairman of the Grosbane Group.”
His gaze rests on Jackie for a long time.
It seems to appeal that he has both money and fame.
I dug into the moment and introduced myself.
“I will also officially introduce myself. This is Edward Jin, the CEO of All Mining.”
“I’m sorry, but may I ask what company it is?”
“We have a mining industry in Australia.”
“Hmm, what’s your main focus?”
“There are a lot of things, but right now we’re focusing on iron ore, gold and oil.”
“Huh, even one of them is great, but you mean to focus on all three?”
“I was lucky.”
While greetings were coming and going, a person who looked like a chef appeared pushing a cart.
He lifted the round silver food cover and showed the food inside.
Lamb steak not very special.
In England, eating lamb is as common as eating pork.
That’s why it looks more modest.
After the chef set the dishes, I looked around the table.
“What are you looking for like that?”
“Isn’t there some kind of barbecue sauce?”
I’m a beginner, so sauce is essential when eating meat.
“That only gets in the way of the flavor. You should eat it with salt.”
“Hmm, salt is special, isn’t it?”
It is neither coarse salt nor flower salt.
It was transparent like crystals of snow.
“It’s called maldon salt. It has a clean taste, so it will go well with it.”
According to Jerome’s further explanation, Maldon Salt was also certified by the royal family this year, and he said that the salt on this table was the best among them.
‘It’s better than not spraying.’
The salty taste is a bit weak, but it has its own umami.
As we ate steak, wine came and went, and a rather friendly dinner followed.
As the atmosphere matured, I slowly put the dragon to my lips.
“Mr. Grosbane, you see a sign quite close to Her Majesty? He also gave you Buckingham Palace.”
“Apart from his status, he’s also one of the few friends. At this age, it came naturally to me.”
After all, Jerome is also quite old, and Queen Elizabeth II is said to be the longest-lived monarch in history.
If you’re over 80, it’s only natural that you have fewer friends.
“Maybe we can meet and see Her Majesty the Queen?”
“Why do you want to meet him?”
“I would like to make a proposal for the Brent oil field.”
“Hmm, I think you got the street number wrong. The Queen is not involved in politics, economy, or administration at all. The royal family has a separate task for the royal family.”
“That’s right. I didn’t know. I’m sorry for asking too much.”
I put an iron plate on my face and bounced it off.
Confident old people must go through this procedure.
Then Jerome smiled and opened his mouth.
“No. But if it’s about the Brent, I think it’s important to the country. Can you tell me what your proposal is? You could listen to me and get me to meet the Prime Minister.”
Look, I’m interested.
“No, the Prime Minister is out of my interest.”
British Prime Minister Dave Carmel.
Because he has a connection with the Royal Dutch Shell, who commissioned Brent Oilfield.
“What’s the reason?”
“My goal is to receive a direct title from Her Majesty the Queen.”
“I don’t think you’re familiar with the title, but the list of titles is to be listed by the meritocratic jury. The monarch approves and grants the title, and he doesn’t directly select the target.”
“Isn’t that just a superficial procedure? There are also some informal procedures in the world. Isn’t it funny that the monarch can’t choose a person to swear by? I want until.”
Jerome drank the wine and looked contemplating.
And he told me that he had made a decision.
“I, the Duke, have authority over the informal process. So tell me, I will listen to your suggestions and, if the matter is considered serious, will present to my Queen, and do whatever you want.”
“good.”
I took the data from Lucy and handed it to Jerome.
Of course, Jackie wrote it based on what I saw with my own eyes.
“Hmm, having data means that we have prepared that much.”
Jerome looked at me without even scanning the contents.
“From what is currently known, there are two main concerns for the UK with the Brent oil field. One is that the depletion of the reserves is approaching within 10 years, and the other is that post-processing, offshore platforms and subsea oil tanks that have been shut down. Demolition and filling of drilling holes.”
Reserves are also reserves, but the second problem, follow-up treatment, is particularly urgent.
This is because there is an oil well that is being demolished immediately.
If it was a few decades ago, they would have all been blown up and buried in the sea, but now people are more aware of environmental pollution.
The voices of international environmental protection groups including Greenpeace cannot be ignored.
As a result, the processing cost will increase accordingly.
“In the case of the offshore platform Brent Delta, which stopped production last year, they said the cost of processing was over $2 billion. The British government and the Royal Dutch Shell paid half of that?”
“I’ve heard of that.”
“Starting with the Brent Delta, the number of offshore platforms that will be scrapped from next year will gradually increase. First, I will suggest a way to finance the cost. Currently, there is no other way than to cover it with taxes.”
“How?”
I answered by pointing to the material.
“It’s simple. All you need to do is re-operate the facilities that have been disposed of and pay for the treatment costs. Our All Mining will take care of the guidelines.”
“Is that possible? It must have been a decision made carefully after investigating the Royal Dutch Shell in detail.”
“You’ll find out if you try it with a Brent Delta that has stopped working.”
“Okay, so the first problem? Is there a solution to that?”
“Of course. However, the condition is that we, All Mining, take charge of the consignment of new oil fields to be developed in the North Sea.”
“The Shetland Islands are impossible. There is a contract with the Royal Dutch Shell on a regional basis.”
The Shetland Islands are the richest in British territorial waters.
In a word, the center of the Brent oil field.
But the future of the British oil industry as I see it is not there.
“You do that.”
Jerome said with satisfaction that he would meet the queen and discuss the proposal positively.
He says the queen has no real power, but that doesn’t mean she’s a scarecrow.
If the Queen has the will, her high honor is what moves people.
To add to the explanation, Britain is a constitutional monarchy, in a word, a class society.
Therefore, it is said that the nobles including the royal family inherit their position and property, and they assist the queen and act according to her will.
Because there is royalty, there is nobility.
It’s a natural way to protect your identity.
“I think I’ve finished eating now, but how about having tea time at the sponsorship?”
We gladly accepted Jerome’s proposal.
Teatime at Buckingham Palace’s patronage.
This place is unpretentious, so it doesn’t feel like it, but if you enjoy tea time with the palace in the background, wouldn’t you feel like a king?
‘Hey, that’s awesome.’
A white table and chairs were set in the picturesque garden.
It was a landscape that seemed to feel good without doing anything.
‘yes? What is that?’
While drinking tea and enjoying the excitement, someone on horseback approached us from afar.
A young man with blond hair in a riding suit.
He looked like he could be trusted even as a movie star.
“Ah, here you are.”
Seeing him handsomely dismounted from his horse, Jerome continued.
“Introduce yourself, my grandson.”
Damn it, my guess was right.
“Nice to meet you. My name is Damian Grosbane.”
Seeing him greet him in a formal way fills him with anxiety.
He’s handsome and tall, but he’s even polite.
‘I’m even meeting my British mother.’
The guy who looks like he has everything in the world is the heir to the real estate group in the next work.
Then Jackie was looking at him.