[The plot follows the second extra story, an independent world line, it’s time to give out some benefits~]
December 10, 1838
The wind is biting in Vienna in winter.
Pedestrians everywhere were in a hurry and refused to stay in the streets. They either went to the theater to watch a play or went to a cafe to have a cup of steaming coffee to pass their leisure time.
And among all this desolation, there is one place that is bustling with activity at the moment.
St. Peter's Basilica, located in the alley of Graben Street, is currently being visited by a large number of uniformed soldiers and attendants.
The soldiers patrolled around, observing every passer-by with vigilant eyes; while the attendants carried various items to decorate the already magnificent church.
Yes, a grand wedding is about to be held here, to be precise, tomorrow.
The man of the marriage is the Duke of Lechstadt, who has won the trust of Her Majesty the Queen Mother and has recently become increasingly powerful in the empire; and the woman is Princess Christina of the Savoy royal family of the Kingdom of Sardinia.
This marriage was unimaginable a year ago, but a year later, it is about to become a reality.
How did it happen?
Just last year, Emperor Franz I of Austria passed away. Since all his surviving sons had died, his grandson, Franz Joseph, who was only seven years old, succeeded to the throne, while his mother, the Queen Mother Sophie, served as regent.
The chaos caused by the handover of the throne gave the Kingdom of Sardinia, which had always hated the Austrian Empire, an opportunity. They took the opportunity to declare war on Austria, hoping to march into Milan.
In a hurry, the Austrian army was at a disadvantage in the war. However, the Queen Mother Regent, with the help of her most trusted Duke Lechstadt, quickly stabilized the situation within the empire; then she sent the Duke to Milan to reorganize the army, and finally
In the war, the Kingdom of Sardinia was defeated.
By 1838, the war was over, and the Kingdom of Sardinia, which had stolen the chicken but lost the rice, had to face severe punishment. After proposing harsh peace conditions, Her Majesty the Queen Mother suddenly hinted to the Sardinian envoys that if Savoy
If the royal family is willing to let a princess marry a duke, then she can relax the conditions, otherwise she will have to be sorry.
After intense diplomatic negotiations, under the severe threat of Her Majesty the Queen Mother, the Savoy royal family, which was in a defeated state, had to obey the wishes of Her Majesty the Queen Mother.
So, Princess Christina came to Vienna to fulfill her obligations.
It is conceivable how the princess is feeling. She has been depressed since arriving in Vienna. Everyone can see her sadness and pain of being used as a collateral.
After the two of them met, the future groom also had the same cold expression and a routine look, which made people worry about the future married life of the couple.
However, no one is surprised by this kind of thing.
After all, among the royal families throughout Europe, almost every marriage is a political marriage. "Happy" or "sad" does not affect the survival of the marriage. For the princesses, this is their innate obligation.
They have enjoyed glory and wealth since childhood, so when the family needs it, they must also fulfill their responsibilities and marry the person designated by the family. This has been the case for thousands of years.
Compared with those political marriages that are completely unsuitable, Duke Leichstadt is already a very ideal marriage partner.
After all, the Duke is young, handsome, talented, and has a surname that is resounding all over the world. Maybe not long after, Princess Christina will finally accept her fate...
Her Majesty the Empress Dowager, His Majesty the Emperor, and the two newcomers have all arrived at the Hofburg Palace in the center of Vienna.
Tomorrow, the newlyweds and their two majesties will take a carriage from the Hofburg Palace to this magnificent church to witness the sacred ceremony.
At this moment, Her Majesty the Queen Mother was standing in the window of her lounge, looking at the green dome of St. Peter's Church in ecstasy.
And beside her stood Duke Lechstadt.
There were only two of them in the whole room, so it was very quiet.
The Duke was wearing a uniform, and the shining Diamond Cross on his chest made him even more handsome.
"My heart..."
After watching for a while, Queen Mother Sophie finally spoke. She turned her head to look at her beloved, and then sighed, "I feel pain when I think about seeing you exchanging rings with a woman tomorrow.
Unbearable!"
Like the Duke, Her Majesty the Queen Mother was also dressed in fine clothes, but even so, it was difficult to conceal the sadness in her eyebrows.
"This is exactly your arrangement..." The Duke shrugged, "I'm just obeying your arrangement."
"Isn't this just for you?" Sophie rolled her eyes at him, "Why, you seem to be looking forward to it?"
The Duke didn't reply. He knew that Sophie was in a bad mood at the moment, so she was looking for trouble with him to lose her temper.
Seeing his silence, Her Majesty the Queen Mother softened her heart again.
She stretched out her hand, grasped the Duke's right hand tightly with both hands, and then looked at his face as if praying.
"My darling... I really don't want you to marry anyone else... but I have to do it." She said and blinked sadly, "Don't forget it.
, she is just a gift I gave you, you can do anything with her, anything a couple should do, but only your love... should be left to me! Leave it all to me!"
"Of course." The Duke replied quickly, and then he also held the hand of Her Majesty the Queen Mother.
The two of them held hands tightly, and the sadness in Princess Sophie's face gradually disappeared, as if she had received infinite encouragement from the Duke's words.
Then, she spoke again, "I watched you grow up. In my heart, you will always be that stubborn and smart child who needs my care and help. I really can't imagine you becoming the head of the family...
...However, I firmly believe that you will do well in whatever you do, and you will become a person that makes everyone proud in the future!"
"Of course." The Duke replied, "Even to protect you, I will make myself outstanding."
"Protect me? No..." Sophie smiled and shook her head, "It's sharing. We are sharing everything about each other, and there are never any secrets. No matter before or after, I hope that we will always be close... after marriage.
You are still my heart and soul, never leave me..."
Naturally, Aigron could only agree.
With his comfort, Sophie finally came out of her anxiety and fear, and at this time, the two people had embraced each other unconsciously.
When fear disappears, it is replaced by desire.
Sophie hugged the young man in front of her tightly, and then spoke into his ear in a sweet tone.
"I...I want it. Aiglon, let me forget the troubles at the moment..."
Although she used cryptic words, the two of them had been together for so many years, and the Duke certainly understood what she wanted.
He also knew that she was afraid of losing herself, so she wanted to gain a sense of security in this way.
What he has to do, of course, is to use actions to prove that he will never break his promise and give up the extremely intimate bond between the two people.
Besides, under Sophie's teasing, he himself was a little impulsive at this time.
However, he still has one last concern
"She is in the room next door, why don't we change rooms..." the prince whispered. "She will be my wife soon, so we'd better give her a little respect."
"Really?" Sophie's hand stopped on Aigron's chest.
Then, she laughed arrogantly, "If she can hear it, then let her listen carefully! She must know who has the final say in this country!"
After she finished speaking, her hand began to move again, stroking Aigron's heart. "Why, we just met twice, and are you starting to feel sorry for your future wife...?"
Aigron understood now that what Her Majesty the Queen Mother did was not just a whim. She wanted to show off to the bride who had just entered the house, so that Her Royal Highness the Princess could position herself properly to avoid any inappropriate thoughts.
.
Even though he has always been a very hard-hearted person, he couldn't help but hesitate at this time.
"There's no need to do this..."
"Why is it unnecessary?" Seeing his hesitation, Sophie couldn't help but frown slightly, and then glared at him, "What? Do you still think I went too far...? Don't forget, it was her motherland that took the initiative.
I provoked, violated my country, and caused the death of many people. After I defeated Piedmont, I only asked them to pay such a small price, which is considered mercy on my part! Shouldn't she treat me in order to save her family from disaster?
Are you grateful?"
After saying this, her tone softened a little, and then she hugged Aiglon tightly and lowered her head against his chest.
"I don't intend for you to be tied to me forever for the rest of your life. Although I am selfish, I can't do this... because you have a great surname and fulfill the responsibilities of the pillar of the country. You can't be tied to me alone.
By your side. So, I found a wife for you, so that she can stay with you forever, give you children, and let your family flourish, so that I can put aside the regret in my heart...
…”
Sophie's words were so touching that Aigron was immediately moved.
"Actually... I don't really care about this."
"Even if you don't care, I still care about you. For more than ten years, I have been taking care of you and arranging everything for you, and you have sacrificed everything for me, and you are still helping me support this country... Yu Qing
No matter what, I must continue to do my best to prepare everything for your future."
After a pause, she sighed with some annoyance, "Of course, I can give you everything, but I can't legitimately be your wife. Not only can't I, I have to find you a wife. I can't bear the thought of this."
I can’t help but feel heartbroken! God gave me such a good lover, but yet he teased me like this. My heart aches when I think of this.”
Aiglon understood that although her marriage was the result of her own arrangements, she still couldn't help but feel jealousy in her heart. This could be regarded as her revenge on the bride, even though the bride was just a victim from the beginning to the end, suffering the greatest pain.
Regarding the predicament the two of them were facing now, Aigron had no choice but to help Sophie, who was the Queen Mother, and could not become his wife anyway. Although the whole of Austria and even the whole of Europe knew about their affair, the fact could not be changed.
Maybe this is fate...why bother thinking so much?
"Okay, don't think about that anymore." He hugged Sophie skillfully and kissed her lips.
"Well, well done..." Sophie murmured comfortably, then took the initiative to stick out her tongue and intertwined with his.
They have done this kind of thing countless times over the years, and are completely familiar with everything about each other, but even so, they are not tired of each other, and the full love has always been lingering in their hearts.
After kissing for a while, Sophie let go of her lips, then raised her head and looked at Aigron's face, which was so close.
Because of lust and desire, her cheeks were already blushing, and her eyes seemed to be dripping with water. Her eyes were burning with fire, as if she wanted to devour the beloved lover in front of her whole before she would give up.
"My heart~" She breathed heavily and said tremblingly, "Hold me tight..."
Then, she said loudly what she was thinking, "Now, all the obstacles in front of us have disappeared... I will give you a legal son, who will inherit your title and your family, only the two of us."
My son deserves this!"
Aiglon was stunned.
She...she is serious.
Sophie arranged a marriage for herself, but then she wanted to give birth to a child so that she could inherit everything she had.
This is not their first son, but he will become his "eldest son".
Even he was shocked by this crazy idea.
"Don't be like this..." He quickly persuaded Sophie, "You are already the Queen Mother. You have to attend many occasions. If you get pregnant again, the whole country will be shocked!"
"What does it matter?" Sophie didn't listen at all, but replied stubbornly, "I just said that I was not in good health and I was recuperating. Anyway, there is nothing major that needs to be handled by me in person... It's only a few months.
, as long as you conceal it carefully, no one will see it... As long as we give birth to a son, it will be your legitimate son, and I will give up my wish."
Although these words did not sound very reliable, Sophie spoke very seriously and even looked at the Duke with questioning eyes, as if urging him to nod quickly.
He knew that when Sophie, who had always been willful, spoke with such eyes and demeanor, it meant that her mind had been made up and she would never change it again.
She wanted to declare her sovereignty in front of her wife on the eve of her wedding, and even wanted to seize the position of the eldest son.
"When did you plan all this?" he asked with a wry smile.
"Well... maybe it was ten years ago, maybe it was yesterday?" Sophie smiled slyly, "In short, my plan has reached this stage, and I cannot tolerate your objection or rejection~"
"Think again, this is not a simple matter." Aigron still tried to persuade her one last time.
"What are you considering? I have already decided!" Sophie interrupted him impatiently, and then hugged him tightly, "I am the Queen Mother, I can do whatever I want, and anyone who is not convinced can do it myself.
Just bear with it, I just want the two of us to be happy..."
What a willful, arrogant, and terrifying woman...
However, it aroused endless love in his heart.
What is the reason why she is so deliberate? It is not all for herself.
Is there any benefit in thinking so hard about my future, even sacrificing my reputation, and taking huge risks?
Yes, she loves me... the Duke said to himself in his heart.
Maybe I'm sorry for my wife, but so far I and Sophie have failed so many people, but so what?
The two of us have come so far together, so why should we care about other people's eyes?
Moreover, now that things have happened, he has nothing to hesitate about.
Since she was willing to go all out, what reason did she have to shrink back?
When he thought of this, he no longer hesitated and lowered the curtain.
The velvet curtains poured down, darkening the room in an instant.
In this dim light, just like countless times before, he hugged Her Majesty the Queen Mother across his chest, and then gently placed her on the bed.
Her Majesty the Queen Mother had always allowed him to act, just looking at him with a smile and silently encouraging his "offense".
Although they had been intimate countless times, when faced with this fiery gaze, Aigron was still like the boy in the hotel many years ago, his heartbeat quickened and his body's blood surged, as if he was about to melt.
The only difference is that the boy back then almost fell asleep due to nervousness and excitement, but now he is familiar with every inch of her skin.
Without any guidance, he easily untied Her Majesty the Empress Dowager's luxurious palace dress with a flick of his fingers. Soon, Her Majesty the Empress Dowager's noble body no longer had much mystery, and was dazzlingly white in the dim light.
It's like being illuminated by an angel.
Then the Duke himself untied his clothes, and there was no longer any agreement between the two men.
"Aiglon, my darling~" Sophie moved her tongue and licked his chest gently, and then she pretended to be serious and reprimanded the young man, "Seduce Her Majesty the Queen Mother next to your wife, you
What a dirty, shameless bastard!"
This stern gaze was originally enough to frighten people, but at this moment, Aiglon heard it, like an aphrodisiac, and couldn't help but feel even more excited.
"Your Majesty the Queen Mother, please allow me to sacrifice my life for the country!" He smiled and said to the beauty in his arms, "In order to repay your favor, I will not hesitate to sacrifice everything in myself~"
"Then...what are you waiting for?" Sophie blinked.
"As you wish!" Aigron shouted.
Everything was as illusory as a dream. Her Majesty the Queen Mother suppressed herself first, and then murmured cheerfully, and her voice became louder and louder. This was both a comfortable vent and a vague demonstration.
No one knows whether the gasps and shouts echoing in the room will be transmitted to the next room, but it is conceivable that even if they can be heard, the victim can only silently endure the fate arranged for her by God and the evil woman.
…
However, at this time, neither of the two cared so much. They were entangled together and reached the peak of indulgence together.
"Aiglon, I love you..." After the last soft cry, the Queen Mother closed her eyes comfortably.