"You have faced many hardships in life, and you can still get through it this time, just like before."
In his mother's speechless silence, Aiglon protected her tightly to give her some comfort.
So far, he has hugged women a lot and has become proficient in his movements, but this time his feeling is very subtle. This is the first time since he can remember that he is so close to his mother.
Awkward, anxious, but also a little confused.
Even now, he was still sure that although his mother wanted to hug him, she never put herself at the top of her heart. She just instinctively wanted to find some comfort from her eldest son when facing misfortune.
Aigron had just stabbed her so sharply, and he felt a little bit guilty at this moment, so he didn't care about it so much, and just comforted her for now.
Time passed quietly, mother and son hugged each other like this, and Louisa's breathing slowly became smoother.
Although she looked like she was about to cry, she still did not shed tears after all.
Yes, she has indeed seen too many storms and waves. Both her father and her ex-husband have experienced the darkest moments together with the country they ruled, so even if the disaster she is experiencing now makes her uncomfortable, she can still survive it.
Since it is an unchangeable reality that her current husband, Count Neipeg, is facing death, she can only accept God's arrangements and try her best to make proper arrangements for his funeral while her husband is still alive.
This is why she is so tolerant of her eldest son's cynicism.
"Thank you, son." After she came to her senses, she smiled reluctantly, and then nodded to Aigron, who was close at hand, "I feel much better."
"That's good." Aigron breathed a sigh of relief secretly, then let go of his arms and sat back down. "Madam, I sincerely hope that you can survive this blow."
"God sent us to this world to punish us for our sins. Who can escape?" Louisa sighed, "My life so far has been full of failures. I have been witnessing the direction of our family since I was a child.
Decline, our country is in danger, and we can't even save our own capital. It's fine if I don't study history, but when I think of our ancestors who were so powerful and ruled almost half of Europe, and then compare it with what it looks like today,
How can you not be sad and discouraged?
Then, I married your father as a political tool... I don't hate him, but I'm sorry I don't love him either. How can I love someone who has trampled on the capital of our country twice and is more than 20 years older than me?
?I originally thought that I needed to play the role of a queen, as the mother of the country, to rule the country that chopped off my aunt's head. Since this was my fate, I could only accept it silently, but I failed again... I only passed three
I saw the empire fall apart in 2011, and before I could even get used to my role, I found myself being mocked and pushed out of office!
In a daze, I was brought back to Austria by my father. I found that I didn't even feel much pain. I didn't choose all this. Fate gave me things and took them away. None of them had anything to do with me. I didn't even feel sad.
I can't even make a slight change.
Then... I chose Abbott, my current husband, and I got close to him at all costs, even before the news of your father's death came. I know this is unseemly, but... I can't do it for once.
Choice?!
This is the first time I have made a choice for myself, and no one will interfere with me this time. I value my choice, and I am very happy that I can finally live without being a symbol."
At this point, Louisa suddenly smiled bitterly again.
"I can understand that you hate me because I didn't fulfill my responsibilities as a mother to you. I'm afraid to face everything in the past that I can't look back on. I don't even have the guts to try to make up for it. I just want to stay away from these nightmares and hide as far away as possible.
The better! You can accuse me of being ruthless or cowardly, and I have no excuse...I'm not trying to make excuses to you, because I'm really not worthy of the name of mother to you...You said so many sarcastic words to me,
With a knife to cut out my heart, what can I say? This is my fate, and I have failed again. My whole life has failed... My eldest son hates me, and my husband is about to leave me.
This is just a few more lines on my resume of failures, what can I say? I can’t do anything..."
Now that Luisa mentioned this, Aigron found that he had nothing to say.
She has already admitted that the fault was on her side, so what's the point of blaming her now? No amount of arguing about the past can change it.
Aigron looked at his mother quietly, and suddenly found that he had lost his sarcastic interest.
Is this understanding or sympathy?
No, it's not that. This is relief, I finally let go.
This is the first time that my mother has revealed her heart to her, and it may also be the only time.
"Madam, the situation is not that bad." Aigron comforted her with gentle words, "At least you were born into the Habsburg family, have the titles of princess and grand duke, and rule this beautiful country. I think that's all.
It’s enough to make the world envious.”
"Being the envy of the world cannot replace living." Louisa sighed again.
Because she had vented to her son, she felt a lot more relaxed at this time.
"When you say nice things, you really make people feel a little cute." She made a joke instead.
Of course, this is actually what I mean.
This eldest son was not only handsome and graceful, but also brave and resourceful. He had achieved such a great reputation in just one year, which really impressed her. Looking back, if she had discovered these things from the beginning, maybe she would have adopted a different attitude.
It wouldn't be such a tense situation between mother and son...
Alas, the done deal is done, there is no point in thinking about it anymore.
This joke made Aigron laugh too.
"I am very popular with the ladies, and my mother-in-law also said so." Then he said with a little pride.
"So, what is your relationship with the other lady?" Louisa asked abruptly, "I mean Her Highness Sophie."
This sudden question made Aigron stunned.
"When I came to Schonbrunn Palace more than a year ago, I clearly felt that her attitude towards you was a little different. I originally thought it was the love and care of the elders for the younger ones, but it was still too close. Originally,
I didn't think much about it, but after you fled, news spread that she fell ill and disappeared from the public."
At this point, Louisa looked at Aigron with a sharp look, "I know my father and the Austrian court. If they do this, it means that she is related to your escape, or she helped you.
Escape, or she is too sad because of your escape. Either way, it shows that the relationship between the two of you is extraordinary."
At this point, Luisa stopped, as if waiting for her son's answer.
"Since you have already mentioned this, it would be too boring for me to quibble." Aigron shrugged, "Yes, we do have an affair. I saw her before fleeing, and she cried.
I suffered a heart attack and fell ill after I left..."
He doesn't know how much inside information his mother knows, so he is not prepared to reveal too much information, lest he be bluffed by his mother into more inside information and make himself more passive.
For Aigron, this was indeed a memory that was unbearable to look back on, so he didn't plan to talk about it more, but for Luisa, this was enough.
"If that's the case, then Your Highness Sophie is really pitiful...because even more tragic news is still waiting for her. Her beloved child has already entered into marriage with someone else," Louisa said calmly.
"Is it your turn to be sarcastic to me now?" Aigron asked.
"No, son, mother will not do this to you." A smile quietly appeared on the corner of Louisa's mouth, "My son has an affair with a noble lady, so what should I be ashamed of? I just
I want to tell you that if you haven’t completely forgotten her, then I can find a way for you to contact her. I don’t think you doubt that I can do it, right?”
Aigron's heart trembled suddenly.
Even though he had always been good at hiding himself, he couldn't help but change his expression at this moment.
Yes, although his contact with the Austrian court has long been severed and it seems that it will never be restored, the mother is different. She is the eldest daughter of the emperor. Who can stop her from visiting her sister-in-law or writing letters of condolence to her sister-in-law?
Woolen cloth?
She really could do it if she wanted to.
But why would she be willing?
Aigron didn't believe that his mother would suddenly show kindness and respond to his requests.
All this is conditional.
Aigron looked at his mother again. At this time, in addition to the remaining sadness, there was an enigmatic smile on her face.
Well, her time of emotional vulnerability has passed, now it's her ruler side.
Aigron's mind was running at high speed, and he had to admit that his mother had given him a proposal that he was very interested in.
"Are you doing it for William and Amberdine?" After a moment, he sighed.
He deliberately mentioned his mother's two children in order to make himself appear more proactive.
"Yes..." Louisa was very honest and nodded directly, "Albert is going to die. He doesn't care about himself. The only thing he can't let go of is these two children, and I can't let him live in heaven.
They can’t rest in peace, so I have to find a way for their future. You should know about the treaty, right?”
Although Louisa did not explicitly say what the treaty was referring to, given the context at this time, Aigron certainly knew what she was referring to.
Treaty of Attribution to the Duchy of Parma.
Speaking of the Principality of Parma, it has a long history. The Farnese family continued to rule the Principality until the family's extinction in 1731. Then, the Principality was ruled by King Philip V of Spain (Bourbon family) and his wife Elie, Princess of Parma.
The eldest son Carlos, born to Sabetta Farnese, inherited the throne and was called Carlos I. In other words, it fell into the hands of the Parma branch of the Bourbon family.
Carlos ruled the principality until 1735. After the War of the Polish Succession, Parma was ceded to the Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI in exchange for the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, and the principality fell into the hands of the Habsburg family.
But in 1748, after the Peace of Aachen was signed, the principality was ruled by Philippo I, a member of the Bourbon dynasty.
Then in 1796, Napoleon occupied it and deposed the rulers of the Bourbon family; and when Napoleon's empire was destroyed in 1814, Queen Louisa was brought back to Austria by her father. Then in order to accommodate the daughter, the emperor gave Parma to
Got her.
Logically speaking, the Principality of Parma should be passed down to Louisa's descendants, but at this time there was another problem. Louisa married Count Neipeg, which was an intermarriage between noble and lowly people. Therefore, the Bourbon family raised objections to her children's inheritance rights to the Principality of Parma.
.
After back-and-forth negotiations, an agreement was finally reached. Louisa could rule the Principality of Parma until her death, and after her death, the governance of the Principality would be transferred to the original Parma branch of the Bourbon family.
In other words, Count Neipeg's children will have to leave Parma and find another place to live.
According to the original historical records, Queen Louisa lived a long life and lived until 1847. After her death, the new generation of Earl Nepperg and her family returned to live in the Austrian Empire, and their reputation has been unknown since then.
But now, the direction of history has bifurcated slightly because of Aigron.
Many fates have changed because of this young man, and Count Neipeg seems to have placed part of his hopes on him before his death.
Thinking of this, Aigron finally understood why the couple acted like this.
It is obvious that Count Neipeg has been deliberately cultivating his children's respect for him; and Louisa is so tolerant of her son's offenses, probably for this reason.
"You love them more after all." Aigron seemed to be complaining or sighing.
Of course, he wasn't angry either. What was there to be angry about when he already understood it.
"Actually, you get more than that." Louisa explained to him softly, "I have helped you before, and I will help you in the future. Of course, I won't do it too obviously, but I will do my best to facilitate you.
You blame me for not loving you enough, but I will make my children respect you and make up for my faults... There is only one thing I need, which is to help me take care of them. If one day you become successful, then support them.
They will also be your helpers, after all, they are a family, right?"
Although he was making conditions and trying to stay calm, Aigron still heard some worry from his mother's tone.
That's right, no one can predict the future. Of course Louisa doesn't know that she can live for at least 20 years. Even the princes and nobles will die easily these days. What she fears most is that if Count Naiperg leaves, she will not be able to survive.
If she persists for a long time, she and Count Naiperg's children will no longer have anything to rely on, and the Principality of Parma will be taken away by others.
Of course Louisa doesn't want her failed life to end with another failure.
"Son, I didn't beg you, and of course I didn't kidnap you emotionally. Your choice is free." Finally, Louisa looked at Aiglon and said word by word, "You can decide for yourself...if