"Your Highness, His Majesty the Emperor invites you to dinner."
After saying that, the attendant respectfully left the room, leaving the two people looking at each other.
Although he is the grandson of His Majesty the Emperor, Aigron does not have the opportunity to have dinner with His Majesty the Emperor every day. To receive this order suddenly at this moment does not seem to be a good sign.
"It seems that His Royal Highness has convinced His Majesty that his determination is greater than imagined." After a moment, Count Dietrichstein whispered.
"Yes, so it's not too late for you to regret it now, I can understand it." Aigron nodded.
"Since I promised you, I will not go back on my word. However, Your Highness, there is only so much I can do to help you. I hope you can understand." The count sighed.
Then, he stood up again, "Okay, I won't disturb you anymore. You can have a good rest first and meet with His Majesty again later."
After the count left, Aigron picked up the book again and looked out the window and started reading.
Silence returned to the room, with only the ticking of the clock and the increasingly slanting sunlight outside the window reminding people of the passage of time.
When night began to fall on the earth, Aigron finally walked out of his room and followed the attendant to the restaurant.
Although it was already dark now, the brilliant lights brought by the chandeliers on the ceiling illuminated the restaurant brightly, and a group of uniformed attendants shuttled through it, showing the extraordinary royal style.
When Aigron walked into the restaurant, His Majesty the Emperor had already arrived and was sitting on the main seat. So he walked up to His Majesty the Emperor and saluted him respectfully.
Although he ruled a vast empire, the passage of time inevitably left its mark on Emperor Franz I. His Majesty's hair had turned gray, and no amount of majesty could conceal the aura of old age and decline.
But even so, he still has enough energy to rule the empire effectively.
Because today was not a formal occasion, he did not wear fancy clothes. He just wore a military uniform as casual clothes and did not wear a medal. The simple and plain attire made him look more energetic than when he was dressed up.
His Majesty the Emperor seemed to be in a good mood today. He looked at Aigron up and down, and then nodded happily.
"Franz, every time I see you, I wonder if you could be more handsome, and I'm not disappointed every time."
The sudden compliment made Aigron a little at a loss. He didn't quite understand what His Majesty the Emperor meant, but he had to express his gratitude first.
"Thank you for your compliment. I will try my best not to disappoint you in the future."
"Please sit down. It is really pleasant to have a young man by your side during dinner." His Majesty the Emperor smiled.
Aigron obeyed His Majesty's will and found a seat to sit down.
This is a long dining table, with His Majesty the Emperor sitting at the main seat, and the Queen sitting opposite him. Aiglon is next to His Majesty the Emperor, and opposite him are the second prince, Archduke Karl, and Princess Sophie.
Crown Prince Ferdinand, because of his poor health and frequent epileptic seizures, has not married yet, nor has he participated in His Majesty's dinner, but ate alone in his bedroom.
After he sat down, Princess Sophie looked at him, then smiled and winked.
"Good evening, Franz..."
"Good evening, Your Highness." Aigron also greeted her.
The two looked at each other and smiled, then looked away.
As His Majesty the Emperor began to eat, dinner also officially began.
Because tonight is not a grand palace banquet, it is just a dinner among the royal family members, so the meal is not considered luxurious.
The cold appetizer is white sausage, supplemented by mushroom cream soup, and the main dish is sirloin cut into small pieces, served with a sauce made of cod and caper buds, and there are many small desserts on the side.
Dining is the time when the royal family members are closest to each other during the day, and it is also the time when they usually need to put on airs the least, so they talk a lot more to each other. Even His Majesty the Emperor, who is always serious and inaccessible, seems approachable.
Got up.
"Franz." After taking a few bites, His Majesty the Emperor looked at the young man, "I heard that you rejected Metternich's proposal? Can you tell me your reason?"
"I don't know how His Highness the Prince conveyed my words to you, but I have already told His Highness the specific reasons... It's very simple, I don't want to be a soldier, Your Majesty." Aigron replied as calmly as possible, "This is purely
The issue of interest is not that I intentionally oppose him."
"But in life, not everything will go as planned, even as an emperor." His Majesty the Emperor spread his hands, "No, I should say, this is especially true as an emperor."
His Majesty the Emperor's tone was very kind, just like an ordinary grandpa educating his grandson.
However, this kind of kindness also contains unquestionable authority. At least in this palace, no one can disobey his will.
Aiglon took a deep breath and slowly calmed down his suddenly accelerated heartbeat.
"Your Majesty, this is not just an occasional willfulness on my part. I made this decision after careful consideration. Although considering my age, it is indeed ridiculous to think carefully, but I ask you to listen to my reasons."
"Oh?" His Majesty the Emperor was very interested, so he nodded, "Tell me."
"My father is a man who has brought countless nightmares to the European continent. Because of his greed, countless young people from Lisbon to Moscow have died in foreign lands, never to see their families who miss them. Even if this kind of tragedy
I can still feel it to this day." Aigron continued in an affectionate tone full of guilt, "Just because I know the nightmare he caused, I feel that I can't stare at the guns and cannons that create innocent souls... I don't want to follow him.
Like him, he exchanged his blood for his reputation, and those shining uniforms cannot move me. I just want to be an ordinary person, live here in seclusion, live quietly, and pray for those warriors who died in vain.
"
Because he had rehearsed it many times in his mind, his words came out so sincerely that he almost believed them.
However, he definitely didn't think so. He had had enough of this secluded life and just wanted to regain his freedom. To achieve this goal, he didn't mind burning down the whole world.
Under his influence, everyone at the table became quiet.
His Majesty the Emperor listened to Aigron's confession in astonishment, and for a moment he was somewhat moved.
Metternich's words and his grandson's words were lingering in his mind, and after weighing them, he felt they made sense.
"Look, we have raised Franz into a monk! This compassion is really touching." After a moment, he smiled awkwardly, relaxing the atmosphere at the table, "Franz,
I don’t want to interfere with your wishes, but as your grandfather, I have the obligation to make plans for your future..."
"His Majesty!"
At this moment, Princess Sophie suddenly spoke.
His Majesty the Emperor looked at his daughter-in-law with some surprise. "Sophie, what's wrong?"
"I think what Franz said makes sense." Sophie raised her head bravely and looked at His Majesty the Emperor, "Franz does not have to live like Napoleon, and I don't think he is suitable to be an officer. You just didn't
Do you think he is handsome? How can such a child withstand the harsh torture of the army? Since he prefers pens to swords, then as elders, we should satisfy his wishes, right? He likes a quiet life.
Let him continue like this, maybe one day he can become a Napoleon in the world of poetry, and maybe leave more immortal poems for your Schonbrunn Palace... Wouldn't that be great?"
Aigron did not expect that Princess Sophie would actually do what she said she would do to help him, and so quickly.
Saying some nice comforting words in private is completely different from the pressure she needs to face to argue with His Majesty the Emperor in person. From this point of view, she really takes good care of herself.
"Sophie, you Bavarians have always loved poetry and music more than guns..." Her husband Archduke Karl next to her smiled and made a joke, trying to smooth things over for everyone.
However, Princess Sophie did not appreciate it. She turned her eyes slightly and gave her husband a stern glance.
Under this stern gaze, Archduke Karl immediately took a mouthful of soup and closed his mouth.
The second prince, Archduke Karl, had always had a gentle personality, even a little weak, so he respected and feared his strong-willed wife Sophie. In history, in 1848, he had the opportunity to inherit the Austrian throne, but because of Sophie's insistence, he gave up.
The throne was given to their son, the future Emperor Franz-Josef.
While the male members of the Habsburgs were declining day by day, Princess Sophie controlled the palace with her strong will and was even known as "the only man in the Habsburg Palace".
It was only then that Aigron saw this momentum.
"Your Majesty, what Sophie said makes sense. We should not only train Franz, but also refer to his personal opinions. Otherwise, he will only fall into depression and pain at a young age, which will be harmful to everyone.
Not good." Seeing that her sister (who was also the nominal daughter-in-law) defended Aigron so actively, Her Majesty Queen Caroline couldn't help but speak.
The Queen, who is only 34 years old this year, is the fourth wife of His Majesty the Emperor. There is a 24-year age difference between her and His Majesty the Emperor. When she and His Majesty the Emperor are getting older together, they are more like father and daughter than husband and wife.
.
When the two get along, they are more like a father and daughter. His Majesty the Emperor views his new wife with a gentle and tolerant attitude, but they don't communicate much with each other. On the contrary, she gets along better with her sister, Princess Sophie.
Some.
His Majesty the Emperor did not expect that the small matter he originally wanted to resolve at the dinner table would suddenly turn into a dispute among the members of the royal family, and his wife and daughter-in-law unanimously supported his grandson's opinion.
Maybe it would be a better choice to let Napoleon's son bid farewell to guns forever?
Metternich's suggestion was still lingering in his mind, and he suddenly became a little undecided about it.
Just as he was thinking about it, the dinner came to an end. The attendants brought the fruits after the meal, and His Majesty the Emperor decided to observe it for the time being.
Just like that, as His Majesty the Emperor stood up and left the table, the people at the dinner left the restaurant with either a happy or depressed mood.
Aigron is the lucky one.
No matter what, with the help of Princess Sophie, he finally avoided trouble for the time being.
However, this is only temporary.
If you don't get rid of this kind of life of relying on others as soon as possible, you will still be manipulated by others at will. If you can escape today, you will not be able to escape tomorrow.
"Aigron~"
He suddenly heard the greeting in his ear, turned his face and saw Princess Sophie next to him.
After she left the restaurant, she changed her title.
No matter what, her gentle smile always makes people feel happy.
"Aiglon, are you free tomorrow? If you are free, let's go hunting outside and relax together."
It was obvious that she wanted to relieve herself from some psychological pressure.
And just a moment ago, she was trying her best to defend herself in front of His Majesty the Emperor.
Infected by her smile, Aigron unknowingly straightened his back.
"As long as it's your call, of course I'll be free."