The quarrel between Aiglon and Teresa did not anger Count Nepeg. On the contrary, he looked at them with interest and a look of relief on his face.
At first, he and Louisa tried every means to arrange this marriage, in order to make the empire's famous Archduke Karl an in-law. Everything originally planned went well, and they were all waiting for the day to attend the wedding. However, one day, they suddenly received a message.
News of the escape of Duke Leichstadt.
In addition to being shocked and annoyed, they soon became a little scared that their efforts would be self-defeating and they would be angered by the angry Archduke Karl?
Judging from the time, this was very possible. After all, once his "step-son" ran away, Princess Teresa would become the laughing stock of the upper class society. As a father, how could he not hate the person who brought her together?
Even if you don't consider these things, it is very embarrassing to have ruined Princess Teresa's life.
They waited anxiously for the follow-up news, not knowing what to do. However, they did not expect that fate would be so wonderful. Everything would take a turn and this marriage would come true again.
And now, the newlyweds were standing in front of him.
Although they did not enter the palace of marriage in the way expected, Count Neipeg could see the love between the two of them. They were a loving couple, and they were very satisfied with each other.
He didn't know what these two people would be able to achieve in the future, but just watching this scene was enough... Count Neipeg confirmed that he had done something right.
While he breathed a sigh of relief, he couldn't help but feel happy secretly.
In front of His Highness, he did not dare to regard himself as his father, and naturally he did not dare to regard himself as Princess Teresa's father-in-law. But even so, he could not help but feel sincerely happy for these two lovely boys and girls.
and blessings.
"Okay, Your Highnesses, if there is nothing else, let's go over now." Seeing that they were almost laughing, he urged them gently, "Don't keep Louisa waiting."
Then, he took Aiglon, Teresa and the others into the carriage and galloped towards the palace together.
Although it is called a "royal palace", the Principality of Parma is a small state, and this palace is of course not very eye-catching. It is located on the bank of the Parma River. It is an unremarkable Renaissance-style building. Of course, the environment is quite quiet. In addition,
The climate of this generation is also quite comfortable, so as the ruler here, Queen Louisa can feel content.
Because Count Nepeg was leading the way, the guards along the way did not make any obstructions, and saluted all the way, welcoming Aigron and Theresa into the palace.
Then, Count Nepeg took the two of them to a reception room.
This room is quite spacious and elegantly decorated. You can see the garden outside the window through the glass window. There are several brocade-covered chairs around the fireplace, and a middle-aged lady is sitting on the chair.
, she seemed to have something on her mind, and had been thinking with her head down. She suddenly woke up when she heard the sound of the door knocking.
"Come in!" She was slightly nervous, but quickly calmed down.
The door was opened immediately, and then Count Naipeg walked in with the young couple.
Then the count came to the lady's side, kissed her hand affectionately, and sat down beside her.
And Aiglon and Teresa also walked up to her.
Aigron's eyes immediately fell on Madam's face, and Madam just looked up at him.
This is my mother, so familiar yet so strange.
Aiglon opened his mouth. It seemed that he had a lot to say, but he seemed to be unable to say anything.
Louisa also seemed a little distracted, staring at him without saying a word.
Teresa and Count Neipeg both knew about the grievances between the mother and son, so they remained silent and waited for the mother and son to adjust their emotions.
The silence made the atmosphere in the room suddenly become solemn. After who knows how long, Louisa sighed secretly and spoke first.
"A surprising reunion, isn't it?"
Although her voice was not loud, it was like a pebble thrown into a pool of stagnant water, causing ripples and making time swim again.
"Yes, madam." Aiglon nodded slightly, "I thought I would never see you again."
"That's true." Madam smiled, seeming to disapprove, "Although you boldly chose your own path, I won't yell at you to kill you. There will be so many years to come, how can I possibly see you again?"
Why don’t you meet in person?”
"No, for me, the moment I left, I said goodbye to my previous ten years of life. If I succeed, I will not look for you, because it will only remind me of what I want to bury.
Resentment; if I fail, I will be even more shameless and run to you to beg for shelter. It would be better for me to disappear silently."
Aigron's tone was very calm, but it also revealed a sense of indifference and alienation.
Louisa frowned slightly, obviously she was stung, but she quickly covered it up.
"Surprisingly frank and decisive, your backbone is stronger than many people."
"This is one of my few advantages." Aiglon replied, "Madam, I am very happy that you have forgiven me for my boldness. Today I came here specifically to see you, which means that all our previous grievances have disappeared.
You are my mother, I acknowledge this and will always remember this, and I wish you good health and a long life in the future."
Although he said so, Aigron still couldn't find any love for his mother in his heart. He just wanted to reassure Teresa. After all, she had always wanted Aigron to reconcile with his mother.
In fact, the reason Aigron had such a big opinion against Louisa was not because she abandoned Napoleon. It was just a grudge from the previous generation and it was excusable. He was not qualified to accuse her.
Emperor Napoleon was born in 1769, and Louisa was born in 1791, which means that Emperor Napoleon is 22 years older than her, a generation difference. Under normal circumstances, this age gap is enough to cause the couple to lose too much in common.
language.
What's more, Napoleon was also a bitter enemy of Austria at that time. The emperor invaded Vienna twice in 1805 and 1809, forcing the imperial royal family to flee in panic twice. It can be imagined that Louisa's girlhood
He spent his time cursing Napoleon.
Fate made an interesting joke. After being defeated by Napoleon many times, Emperor Franz wanted to reconcile with the French Empire, so he thought of marriage, and Princess Louisa was naturally the best candidate for marriage. As for Louisa herself
Ideas are not important at all. According to Metternich's words, "Emperors gave birth to princesses to do this job."
As a result, Louisa married into France and became another French mother-of-the-century from Habsburg.
When Napoleon was still an emperor, she could naturally forget these resentments and enjoy the honor of the imperial queen with peace of mind. The husband and wife also maintained the due harmony. Napoleon even thought the marriage was quite suitable; but when Napoleon became emperor
After she fell from her seat and no longer had an empire, the grudge she had harbored in her heart surfaced again, prompting her to quickly forget about her husband.
After being brought back to Austria by her father in 1814, she quickly found a new love and made Count Neipeg, who had escorted her all the way back home, become her lover; and after the news of Napoleon's death finally reached the European continent in 1821, she
Soon she got her wish and married the earl.
Her previous life as a couple and her experience as the empress of the empire were all thrown out of her mind as if they were a nightmare.
What Aigron really resents is his mother's indifference and indifference during his childhood.
After Napoleon had been forgotten by her, she seemed to regard her son with Napoleon as a trick of fate. She was almost indifferent to his growth and returned to Schonbrunn Palace to visit him only rarely in more than ten years.
Very rarely, even when we meet, we know a brief and indifferent ritualized greeting.
Under such circumstances, Aigron naturally had no good impression of his mother.
And even now, he has nothing to do with his mother. After all, as the eldest daughter of the emperor, no one requires her to be so indifferent to him. She actively chooses to be so.
Even though he met his mother today under Theresa's persuasion, he still couldn't find a trace of respect and love for his mother in his heart. All he could do was not to say the most hurtful cynicism to her face.
"I also wish you all the best in the future," Luisa replied in a low voice. Then she no longer argued with her son, but turned to look at Teresa. "It seems that I don't need to wish you a happy marriage because you have already done it!
"
Then, she nodded slightly and motioned for Teresa to come to her.
Their fathers are brothers, but now Princess Teresa has become her daughter-in-law.
In the Habsburg family, this kind of marriage has happened many times, and even the marriage of uncles and nieces has happened several times, so the issue of seniority between Louisa and Theresa was not taken seriously.
thing.
In terms of age, Teresa is more than twenty years younger than Luisa, so in this regard, the relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law is not strange.
"Teresa... you are so beautiful now." Luisa stood up with a smile, and then hugged the girl. "Looking at your radiant look, I think you should be enjoying your life now."
"Yes, Your Highness, I am so satisfied with everything now." Teresa also smiled and answered her, "You have a very good son, and he will never live up to your original expectations. So you don't have to worry at all.
My father and I will be dissatisfied with you, and I am so grateful for your efforts to bring us together!"
After she finished speaking, she looked at her husband again, and then continued, "To be honest, I have been persuading His Highness and you to put aside the past grudges, because in my opinion, we are originally a family, but because of some
We just resent each other because we should have let go of the grudges long ago, but what’s the point of this grudge? What’s past is over, and we can cherish each other in the future, isn’t that good?”
Aiglon frowned slightly.
The thing he feared most has come.
He actually knew Theresa's motive for promoting the reconciliation between mother and son so enthusiastically. Theresa hoped that her relationship with the Habsburg royal family would become harmonious and that everyone would put aside their past grudges, because what she feared most was that she would have a conflict with Austria in the future.
Put her in a dilemma.
She must hope that if she can really ascend the throne one day, she can keep the two empires in harmony for a long time.
I know I know, but it is still a little difficult for him to satisfy Teresa's selfish desires and forcefully stage a drama of harmonious mother and son.
In other words, it simply can't be done.
Some things cannot be forgotten simply by forgetting them.
Aiglon knew that a man could bend and stretch, and he had practiced it many times. He had spoken kindly to the Czar, and was respectful to the Pope, because he had never expected anything from these people, and he could put away his pride for the time being.
But it was different for Luisa, because this was his mother, the mother he had placed his hopes on.
At the beginning, I really hoped that she could say a few words to improve his situation a little; or at least accompany him a few more times, so that he could feel the warmth in the cold palace.
But these expectations have been disappointed, she gave nothing.
It is precisely because we have placed high expectations that when our expectations fail, we will feel increasingly resentful.
Why did you leave me aside and ignore me? He never asked this question face to face, but he had asked it angrily many times in his heart.
But now he is too lazy to know the answer, because the facts are right in front of him, and no matter how many reasons there are, they are still facts.
So...since everything has happened, nothing can be made up for.
To him, Louisa was just the person who gave him life in this life, not his mother.
So Theresa's eyes were obviously full of hope, but Aigron just stood there blankly, without giving any response.
He didn't mean to disappoint Teresa, he just couldn't speak.
His performance made the air in the room seem to solidify again. Teresa blinked and seemed a little panicked. She wanted to say something else.
"Okay, Teresa, stop now." At this time, Luisa suddenly smiled again and said, "You are very cute and kind... You have an enviable family, harmonious and happy, you
Your parents have isolated you from most disasters in the world since you were a child, so you have grown up kindly. You sincerely believe in perfection and pursue it passionately. This is your advantage, but you cannot take these things away.
You can’t force yourself on everyone, even your lovely husband... Please understand, he won’t be so attentive to me, I know that."
After hearing these words, Aigron breathed a sigh of relief, because he finally no longer needed to play the role of a filial son.
However, at this moment he understood another fact: the mother knew her son better than he imagined.
When he learned this fact, he couldn't help but feel angry.
You know what I'm thinking, so why do you treat me like this?
"Since you know me so well, please tell me, how should I face you, my mother?" He couldn't help but raise his head, and then faced his mother challengingly.