After reading the letter Sophie sent to him under the guise of Maria, Aigron had mixed feelings in his heart.
There is sadness and guilt, but also excitement.
He confirmed that even though he had fled to a foreign country, even though he was married and had children, Sophie, who once loved him deeply, still missed the sweet time between the two of them and was still eager to reunite with him.
She once had everything, and everyone was respectful to her, but she has fallen to this point now, where even her external communications have to be roundabout and cautious. Isn't he the initiator?
No matter from an emotional or moral perspective, he has no way to escape and can only fulfill his past promises.
"I will rescue her, no matter what method I use." He said to Maria with great certainty.
Although there was no basis for this statement, the look that burst out from the young man's eyes at this moment made Maria secretly believe that he might really be able to do it.
Since he could do so many unimaginable things before, it is not impossible to do one more, right?
"Okay, so besides waiting quietly, do you have any other options?" So she asked again.
This question made Aigron's originally high momentum suddenly become discouraged.
Yes, it is easier said than done.
No matter how much his grandfather, the old emperor, hated Sophie, Sophie was his legal daughter-in-law. There was no such thing as divorce in the Catholic Habsburg family, so this was an unchangeable relationship.
This means that no matter what benefits he gives, the old emperor cannot "give" Sophie to him. He can't afford to lose face even if he thinks about it.
Risking sending someone to kidnap him? This is impossible.
First of all, Sophie has such a distinguished status and lives in seclusion in the palace. It is impossible to abduct her and transport her across a long distance between the two countries. Even if it was possible, how could such information be hidden?
past?
When the time comes, he who breaks the rules will not have to face the wrath of Austria alone.
Yes, the situation looks so desperate. It seems that no matter how we go, there is a sign in front of us saying "This road is closed".
However, in the midst of despair, there seems to be a glimmer of hope.
Maria's existence creates a subtle possibility of a comeback in a desperate situation with almost no room for maneuver.
Aigron thought carefully, then raised his head and looked at Maria.
Like, it's so similar that it can't even be called "like", but a complete replica.
Not only his appearance, but also his arrogant and arrogant aura.
Of course, there are still some differences if you look carefully. Sophie is the princess of the empire, so her arrogance is effusive and more straightforward. If she hates someone, she will show it without mercy; while Maria's arrogance is
She is more sinister, and she is more inclined to be harsh and yin and yang, which may be due to her lack of status.
However, this subtle difference is actually not easy to distinguish. As long as it is slightly disguised, no one will feel abnormal.
If Sophie were replaced with Maria, then the outside world would not notice any problems, and naturally the reputation of the Habsburg royal family would not be damaged.
Everything seems perfect - but there is only one important link that needs to be resolved, and that is whether Maria herself is willing?
When the two met before, Aigron had already considered Li Daitao's plan, and even hinted it to Maria, but Maria rejected it fiercely. It was obvious that Sophie's current situation was so bad that even her
If she couldn't bear it herself, how could she be willing to let herself jump into that fire pit and endure the suffering for her sister?
How should he think of ways to get her to agree to this plan? Aigron fell into thinking.
Maria obviously did not expect that this young man was actually thinking of ways to deal with her at this moment. She just felt that the eyes of the other person looking directly at her flickered, as if he had some evil intentions.
"Hey?! Why are you staring at me like that?" she asked sharply, "What are you planning?"
"No, Your Highness." Aigron shook his head quickly, and then put on a harmless smile, "You are Sophie's dearest sister. I am too late to treat you warmly, so how could you be malicious? I just saw it.
You just thought of her...and you couldn't help yourself."
"Humph, this is not your own fault." Maria's face finally looked a little better, and then she changed the topic, "Sophie is not only worried about her own problems now, but also about her and your daughter.
Now that child will grow up slowly, can't you bear to watch her pearls fall into dust? With her status, she should have been treated like a princess, but now she is thrown into the countryside like a wild child to look after her, don't you care?
?"
"Of course not." Aigron shook his head quickly, "Don't worry, I'm already working on this matter. As long as I do it properly, I can ask my grandfather to return her directly to me in a few years.
, when the time comes, I will let her get the courtesy and title she deserves. I will never allow my and Sophie’s children to live in this world in a shady way..."
Aegron's words were so categorical, not because he was trying to deceive Maria. In fact, in his opinion, Kristel's problem was indeed much easier to solve than Sophie's problem.
Although Crystal was said to have "noble blood", the news of her birth was kept strictly confidential, and the royal family erased all traces of her existence. Therefore, to the old emperor, this great-granddaughter never existed - since there has never been one
If it existed before, no one's face would be involved. As long as the price is right, it is possible to trade her secretly - it's just a matter of price.
Now that he holds such a powerful country in his hands and has various economic and diplomatic bargaining chips, it will definitely not be too difficult to exchange for a child that "never existed".
After getting his assurance again, Maria was relieved.
She solemnly warned Aiglon for the last time, "Your Majesty, now you are going to become the king of a country. You have great power in your hands. No one can do anything to you, even if you throw away all the remaining conscience and say nothing.
The promises you have made several times are treated as if they have not been made, and no one can punish you. Even if you break your promise, I can't do anything about it. However, at this moment when you are so proud, please don't forget how much guilt and guilt my sister has endured for you.
Pain, how eagerly she hopes you will rescue her, how deeply she loves you, even if you have hurt her so much, she has never forgotten this love... If you really still remember this, if you still
If you have some conscience left, I implore you to do it."
After saying this final warning, she should have finished her work for her sister.
At this time, Maria's original tense expression and the pressure that came with it gradually dissipated, and Aigron, who was temporarily freed from the condemnation of his conscience, finally relaxed for the time being.
"Your Highness, you have been in Paris for a while, are you having a good time?" In order to lighten the atmosphere, Aigron asked with a smile.
"I'm pretty happy... This city is indeed well-deserved, both in good and bad ways." Maria replied, "I have visited a lot of places, and I have gained a lot of experience."
As a princess, if Maria came here in an official capacity, she would naturally be subject to various restrictions and there would be very few places she could go; but now that she had come here in disguise, she would not be subject to any restrictions and could naturally do whatever she wanted.
Visit this city that she has longed for.
During this time, she was like an ordinary tourist, wandering around with curiosity, leaving her footprints in everything from high-end galleries, salons and art museums to smoky cabaret theaters and casinos.
Her native Bavaria does not have such a lively city, nor does it have the attraction to lead the culture and fashion of the entire Europe. For her who likes glitz and excitement, this city is more relevant to her than any other place.
Only after experiencing everything here personally can she understand why so many foreign celebrities and nobles would rather abandon their homes and careers to settle here.
The more they got along and the more they liked this city, the more secretly she hated Teresa in her heart - because, in her opinion, this city should have belonged to her and was special.
Lessa stole everything she had.
Because of this, she became more and more resentful.
Her hostility towards Teresa came not only from what happened to her sister, but also from this stolen anger.
So after seeing Teresa secretly frustrated because of Agnes's recent limelight, not only did she not feel the slightest sympathy in her heart, she actually laughed at her embarrassment inwardly.
"It's an honor for Paris to be liked by you." Aigron wanted to please Maria, so he said it nicely, "Although you have hidden your identity now and can't leave your name here, it is indeed a pity.
But on the other hand, this also gives you considerable convenience, allowing you to play as much as you want."
"Hey haha..." Maria suddenly covered her mouth again, and then snickered.
Seeing Maria's appearance, Aigron suddenly had a bad premonition in his heart.
"What's wrong? Did I say something wrong, Your Highness?" he asked quickly.
"Nothing, Your Majesty, I just remembered that we had a nice trip in Milan -" Maria replied.
Having said that, Aigron also recalled that time, he secretly met Maria in Milan. After the two exchanged information, he took the initiative to invite Maria to travel to this famous city with a long history. The two of them walked together on the canals of Milan.
We went boating on the river and visited the famous Milan Cathedral together.
If it weren't for Bianca's assassination, this should have been a pleasant trip. Unfortunately, because of this incident, the original trip had to end without any problems. After he was seriously injured in the assassination, luckily it was Maria who sent him there.
His mother did him a big favor.
"Yes, of course I remember it." Aigron nodded, "That was indeed an unforgettable experience..."
Maria also knew that it was indeed a nightmare that Aiglon did not want to touch, so she did not dwell too much on the past, but changed the topic, "For me, it was a pity that I didn't have a good time last time - but
, now we have a chance to make up for our regrets. Since we are in Paris now, you can be regarded as the owner here, so how about you treat me like a host and take me around again? "
Originally this was just a small request, but Aigron agreed without even thinking about it.
However, things have changed now, and Aigron has other concerns.
"I am happy to do this, Your Highness, but it is a pity that I am different from the past after all. If I appear in front of people, I am afraid that I will be noticed immediately, and you will not be able to enjoy the fun of entertainment..."
"Hahahaha..." Aigron did not expect that Maria sneered again, and then looked at him mockingly, "Your Majesty the King of Rome, you place too much value on your recognition. If others know that you are the emperor, of course they will.
The influence is great, but if you stand like this, who will know your emperor? You can just walk up to a passerby and say to him, 'Hey, friend, you know? I am from the empire.
The emperor is your king' - do you think they will be so frightened that they immediately kneel down on one knee, or will they laugh at you for being a daydreaming fool?"
Maria's sarcastic remarks, although a bit harsh, seemed to have no problem with her logic.
Although Aigron returned to Paris under the spotlight, he only appeared in public a few times, and then he paraded around for several months. Ordinary people in Paris probably didn't know him at all——
Today's era is not like the 21st century with all-pervasive television media where celebrities can't escape.
If Aiglon hadn't shown off his driving in a big way, others would have thought he was a handsome young man, maybe a noble son - but that was all.
Who would believe that His Majesty the Emperor is right in front of them?
After thinking about this, Aigron suddenly became enlightened.
After finally retaking his capital, it was impossible to say that he didn't have the idea of "enjoying it to the fullest". If he really followed what Maria said, could he get what he wanted?
etc!
It was only then that Aigron realized belatedly that Maria had invited him to travel incognito with her.
"Why do you think so?"
he asked slightly hesitantly.
"Don't you want to take a good look at your capital? This is your city." Maria asked. "Your Majesty, just answer me, are you willing or not? If you shake your head, then I will take it as a sign.