CHAPTER 603: CHAPTER 594: THE TROUBLESOME AUSTRIAN EMPIRE

"Albert, you don’t need to bear such a heavy psychological burden. I will always stand by you!"

Queen Victoria grasped Prince Albert’s hand and said affectionately.

As the Queen of the Kingdom of Britain, she couldn’t speak ill of her subjects, so she had to be vague on this matter.

"Fortunately, I have you!" Prince Albert also understood Queen Victoria’s difficulties and decided to end the topic.

After a moment of affection in the carriage, the carriage slowly came to a stop.

The coachman outside the carriage, speaking in broken English, said to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert inside the carriage, "Your Majesty, we have arrived! You may disembark now!"

"Got it!" Queen Victoria responded loudly, then slightly tidied her wrinkled ceremonial dress and got out of the carriage with Albert.

Mokar, who was in charge of the reception, hurriedly ran to them upon seeing Queen Victoria disembark and said, "Your Majesty, please follow me!"

Under Mokar’s guidance, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert entered my castle near the West Parisian Forest of Boulogne.

"Your Majesty, please wait here with the Prince for a moment!" Mokar apologized to Queen Victoria and left.

After a while, Franz Joseph and Elizabeth also entered the castle.

At this time, Franz Joseph seemed to have forgotten the unpleasantness at the previous military parade. He looked around the castle seriously and then led Princess Elizabeth to the Victoria couple.

"Your Majesty!" Elizabeth gracefully saluted the Victoria couple before her.

"What a lovely princess!" Seeing Elizabeth, who was like a porcelain doll, Queen Victoria couldn’t help but praise, "Are you Franz Joseph’s fiancée?"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Elizabeth nodded obediently in response to Queen Victoria.

"I can see that your husband has good taste! To choose you among so many royals! You’re truly beautiful!" Victoria couldn’t help but comment on Elizabeth.

"Dear!" Prince Albert’s voice deepened slightly, reminding Victoria to be cautious.

"I apologize!" Queen Victoria immediately realized her behavior was somewhat inappropriate and quickly apologized to Franz Joseph and Elizabeth.

"It’s nothing!" Franz Joseph smiled magnanimously, shook his head, and replied.

Afterward, Prince Albert and Franz Joseph were silent, while Queen Victoria grabbed Elizabeth’s hand and took her to a secluded corner to discuss some private matters between women.

During this time, Elizabeth frequently stole glances in the direction of Franz Joseph.

About twenty minutes later, the guests brought into the castle by Mokar had already occupied one-third of the castle’s living room area.

"His Majesty the Emperor arrives!" With Mokar’s shout, Jerome Bonaparte appeared in the castle and quickly approached Franz Joseph and Albert, inviting them to dine together.

The remaining guests were also directed by Mokar to different rooms in the castle for dining.

When Jerome Bonaparte, Franz Joseph, Elizabeth, and the Victoria couple entered a small dining room on the right side of the castle’s living room, they found the pregnant Empress Augusta sitting in the main seat of one of the two tables (one table was in the inner room).

"Your Majesty the Empress/Augusta, what are you doing here?" Elizabeth and Queen Victoria exclaimed in unison.

"Didn’t I come to accompany you? Princess Elizabeth, Your Majesty Victoria, come sit!" Empress Augusta carefully rose to invite Elizabeth and Victoria.

"Be careful/Take care!" Elizabeth and Queen Victoria said in unison to Augusta.

"I’m not that delicate!" Augusta took Elizabeth and Victoria’s hands and sat down with them, then glanced at Jerome Bonaparte and the others, playfully chiding, "If you have something to discuss, you may go to the inner room!"

Then, Augusta complained to Queen Victoria and the others, "They always like to discuss work matters during meals!"

"Indeed!" Queen Victoria echoed, "Those matters are clearly trivial, yet they can always discuss them with great interest! I don’t know what’s so interesting about that!"

Queen Victoria and Augusta’s criticism brought a slight bitter smile to the faces of Jerome Bonaparte and Prince Albert.

Of course, their words also provided Jerome Bonaparte, Franz Joseph, and Albert with a fitting reason to enter the inner room.

"Since the ladies do not appreciate us discussing matters at the dining table, shall we leave the conversation to them and head to the inner chamber?" Jerome Bonaparte shrugged and inquired of Franz Joseph and Albert.

"I agree!" Albert immediately concurred with Jerome Bonaparte’s suggestion.

"I... also agree!" Franz Joseph hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement.

The three of them entered the inner room, and Jerome Bonaparte casually closed the door behind them.

Seated at the round table, Jerome Bonaparte and Prince Albert exchanged a glance before Jerome Bonaparte addressed Franz Joseph, "Franz, is there nothing you wish to say to me?"

"Why were there Russians at the parade?" Franz Joseph frowned and slowly spoke.

Looking at the visibly frustrated Franz Joseph beside him, Jerome Bonaparte understood that Franz Joseph wanted to accuse him of betraying him and dragging the Austrian Empire into the mire, yet feared offending him and Albert too greatly, leading to isolation.

"Having Russians at the parade is quite a normal occurrence!" Jerome Bonaparte affirmed forcefully to Franz Joseph, "Just like an ancient Roman general would parade the soldiers of a defeated nation back in Rome, we too need to let the people see what we accomplished in Sevastopol."

"Why didn’t you inform me earlier?" Franz Joseph asked Jerome Bonaparte, his voice carrying a hint of reproach.

Jerome Bonaparte innocently responded to Franz Joseph, "I thought you already knew! That’s how a parade is supposed to be conducted!"

"Absolutely, a parade should be conducted like that!" Prince Albert chimed in supportively.

Confronted with Jerome Bonaparte and Albert’s obstinate remarks, Franz Joseph felt inwardly humiliated.

"Franz, does the Austrian Empire not wish to stand together with us and the Kingdom of Britain?" Jerome Bonaparte feigned shock in asking Franz Joseph.

"Of course not!" Despite Franz Joseph harboring resentment towards England and France for plunging him and the Austrian Empire into turmoil without notice, he dare not separate from them in the politically correct stance against Russia.

"Since the Austrian Empire declared war to stand with us, then why are you afraid of those Russian soldiers?" Jerome Bonaparte asked firmly.

"We aren’t prepared!" Franz Joseph replied to Jerome Bonaparte.

"Not prepared? Prepared for what?" Jerome Bonaparte paused for a few moments before questioning Franz Joseph.

"We aren’t prepared for a war with the Russian Empire!" Franz Joseph replied to Jerome Bonaparte, "Our weapons are still undergoing modernization, and our finances are nearing bankruptcy..."

After Franz Joseph’s candid revelation, Jerome Bonaparte and Albert exchanged looks, even though they had downgraded their expectations for the Austrian Empire, they hadn’t expected its finances to be in such dire straits.

"You just mobilized a bit!" Albert responded despondently to Franz Joseph.

"That mobilization cost the Empire 50 million florins, added to the prior war with Prussia! Our finances can’t sustain a proper war at this time!" Franz Joseph replied disheartenedly to Jerome Bonaparte.

Prince Albert hurriedly inquired if Franz Joseph would accept a military loan with a lower interest rate than bonds.

"Mr. Albert! If the Kingdom of Britain is willing to lend us a loan to develop industry, we would accept! As for military matters..." Franz Joseph hesitated for a moment, and then resolutely said, "We fear we will not accept!"

"As for an industrial loan, it’s not impossible!" Jerome Bonaparte, under Prince Albert’s astonished gaze, responded to Franz Joseph, "How much does the Austrian Empire need?"

"Three... five billion francs!" Franz Joseph held up five fingers, responding to Jerome Bonaparte.

"Five billion francs, huh! That’s not a small sum!" Jerome Bonaparte contemplated for a moment before he said to Franz Joseph, "France is willing to provide the Austrian Empire with a low-interest loan of five billion francs! However, a portion of the loan will be delivered in the form of technology to the Austrian Empire! I wonder if the Austrian Empire is willing to accept?"

Recalling what Prince Metternich had said about industrialization requiring not only funds but also technology, Franz Joseph nodded affirmatively and replied, "Certainly!"

"However, the Austrian Empire must agree to one condition!" Jerome Bonaparte said to Franz Joseph.

"What condition?"