Eagle’s Glory

"I am also very grateful to Her Royal Highness Theresa for her help."

"Very good." Prime Minister Metternich also nodded with satisfaction when he saw the young man talking like this.

Then, he seemed to sigh with emotion, "Your Highness, I'm not optimistic enough to think that you will really be grateful to me, but I believe you are enough to recognize the reality and find your own interests. You can treat this as a deal— You can exchange whatever the Empire gives you. I will not force you to act in the interests of the Austrian Empire whole-heartedly, but in the end you will find that it is in your interest to cooperate with me, and you will have a suitable position in the imperial family, and This position allows you to develop your talents."

"Is Theresa the prize?" Agron asked rhetorically.

"Isn't it?" His Excellency the Prime Minister asked back, "and it is a prize that most people can't ask for, at least a non-royal family like me is not qualified to count on it - so in my opinion, you should thank God for it. "

"Okay, I thank God for his favor." Aegron nodded, and then changed the conversation, "But Teresa may not thank you for your treatment."

Prime Minister Metternich responded with a contemptuous smile.

"Who cares what she thinks? Does it matter?" He pointed at the room, "Let me tell you the truth, just a dozen years ago, in this room, your Majesty and I Decided to send your mother to France, and then you will exist - today is just a repeat, and the Habsburgs have done it countless times before and will do it countless times before, unremarkable."

Looking at Metternich's slightly mocking look, Aigron had a strange feeling.

It's not that what he said was wrong, in fact, all his words were right, but logically speaking, with his gloomy and indifferent character, he wouldn't say such mean things in front of him, even if he thought so.

It can be seen that his mood is definitely not as good as it seems on the surface, so he can't control his emotions.

"Have you quarreled with her father?" He suddenly had a flash of light.

Metternich froze for a moment, then nodded coldly, "You are indeed sharp, Your Highness. That's right, that's true."

Then, he added with some dissatisfaction, "He is too accommodating to Teresa, she is just a daughter!"

From the Prime Minister's words, Aigron probably understood what happened before.

It seems that when the two met, Metternich pressured Archduke Karl to ask Teresa to quickly submit to His Majesty's will, but the Archduke was determined not to force his daughter to agree, so the two sides were deadlocked.

"Some people have different views on their children than others, so there is no way to force it." Aegron said with a feigned regret.

"It's a pity, Your Highness. For the sake of profit, some things must be forced." Prime Minister Metternich replied coldly, "This is something that Your Majesty has already decided. This is impossible and intolerable - and you, I am a bit harsher, Your Highness, your future is also closely related to this."

Before Aegron could reply, His Excellency the Prime Minister continued, "Young man, I can see that you are an absolute realist, just like me when I was young. You don't respect your mother, don't Respect Your Majesty, not even God, you respect only yourself. That's fine, there's nothing wrong with that, aspiring people should do - but it also means trusting you can be very hard, just as I'm not satisfied Just like being a court jester, you are equally unsatisfied, and you will want to climb up whenever you have the chance, because I will do the same..."

Prime Minister Metternich's remarks made Aegron a little confused. Was this his appreciation or his vigilance?

Maybe both.

He didn't say a word, just listened quietly.

"Because I will save others by myself, I know that there are only two choices, either give enough conditions, or give nothing at all, the middle way will only make you ridiculed and cast aside - so Teresa is my sincerity, if If you have lost this sincerity, then nothing will be given to you, because you have been proven to have no sincerity in allegiance to Austria." Prime Minister Metternich stared at the young man and said word by word, "I want That's all I said, Your Highness, please don't continue to perfunctory us with an attitude that has nothing to do with you. You can hide it from me. The essence of the question is whether you are willing to be sincere. If you don't, you can do it now. Say it, and I promise I won't bother you again, and no one will bother you anymore."

"You mean I have to agree." Aegron was not intimidated by the Prime Minister, but replied calmly.

"Smart people should speak directly." Prime Minister Metternich frowned slightly, "His Royal Highness, don't think I'm despising you, on the contrary, I respect you, so I didn't insult us with a bunch of boring words. Two. If you are willing, I will have many opportunities in the future to teach you experience in this way, so that you can slowly grow into a person who can solve problems for the royal family, a person who plays an important role in the empire. This is what I can do The best thing for you."

"Your respect is really unbearable." Aegron smiled slightly.

He could see that Prime Minister Metternich was in a very bad mood now because his plan was blocked, and what he said later was very straightforward and acerbic according to the court's standards.

But he knew that at this moment, he especially couldn't ruin the relationship between the two.

No matter how much dissatisfaction he has accumulated, now is not the time to screw everything up in a hurry. The opportunity he has finally accumulated must not be easily given up.

"Then what do you want me to do?" he asked calmly.

"It's the same for me to change Archduke Karl's mind, or to change Teresa's mind," Prime Minister Metternich replied immediately, "and as soon as possible."

"Can I get everything you guarantee for this?" Aegron asked rhetorically, seemingly uneasy.

"Okay." Metternich's tense face finally relaxed, "I'm not training you right now, Your Highness? You're already in class."

The dialogue between two people is very different from the way they usually get along with other people. Maybe this is the more real side of each other. Aegron thought.

In fact, getting along with Metternich in the most realistic and utilitarian manner like this made him feel pretty good. If he was flattering to Metternich every day, it would be really nauseating.

However, His Excellency the Prime Minister never imagined that, in fact, the buttons for all this have always been in his hands.

It's not hard to change Teresa's mind, and he can control the rhythm of it.

As long as his plan is really realized, he will no longer need to look at the old man's face in the future. Instead, he will have to see how he has a headache.

"I'm very impressed with this lesson, Your Excellency." He bowed slightly to the old man, "What exactly do you plan for me? Go ahead, I'm very willing to work hard for the bright future you promised. "

"This is like a smart person." Prime Minister Metternich finally laughed.

Then he became serious again, "Tomorrow Archduke Karl will come to you and take you to official events, you remember to be on time - I need you to behave better so that he can identify with you more. Remember, you The more actively involved here, the more things it can offer you.”

"I will do my best." Aegron nodded respectfully, "I know what it is for my own good."

Metternich patted his shoulder lightly, as if to encourage him and signal that he could retire.

"Well then, Your Highness, I sincerely wish you all the best and a happy end to an unforgettable history."

Aegron saluted again, and then exited the room.

===============================================

As expected by the Prime Minister, Aigron received a notice the next morning to see Archduke Karl.

Unlike when he first met, he wore a military uniform and medals, but today the Grand Duke is only wearing a plain old military uniform.

As soon as they met, the Archduke looked at him again from beginning to end.

"Good morning, Your Highness." Aigron saluted him respectfully.

"Good morning." The Grand Duke replied dryly, then turned around, "Come with me."

So the two walked out of the room side by side, followed by Archduke Karl's entourage.

Archduke Karl was not very tall, and when he walked side by side, Aigron had clearly surpassed his size, but even so, he still felt a little uncomfortable around this battle-hardened star.

"His Royal Highness, what activities are you planning to take me to?" Aegron asked cautiously as he walked.

"I'm going to take you to the sanatorium for disabled soldiers." Archduke Karl answered him bluntly without being rude. "Although I have already withdrawn from the commanding ranks, but every year I find time to condolence to them, I think this is what I should do."

...This answer surprised Aegron, and almost stopped.

Soldiers are maimed because of wars, and the only ones who have fought with Austria over the years seem to be...

"Are you afraid?" Archduke Karl glanced at him, "Yes, the reason why those people inside are disabled is the masterpiece of your father and the French army."

"I'm not afraid, just a little surprised." Aigron shook his head, "Why did you take me there?"

"Then what do you think I am for?" Archduke Karl asked impatiently. "To get the Austrians to forgive and accept a Napoleon, it is only right from the beginning. If even the person who lost a leg is toasting Napoleon's son to celebrate, what else is there to say?"

... Aigron was speechless for a moment.

It seems so.

If even the group of people who experienced the most misery back then didn't care about their existence, then the others would be enough to keep their mouths shut, even if they wanted to say something sour, they could stop it.

So it seemed like a wonderful step if he wanted to get himself accepted by the Austrians—though he never cared about it.

"Don't be afraid. Soldiers are obedient to their duty to fight for the country. Being disabled or dying in war can only be said to be bad luck. The same is true for the French. There is nothing to resent, and I will not let them hate you. It's rude." Perhaps thinking that Aegron had some scruples, the Archduke comforted him.

Then, he sighed, "However, if your father didn't use so much military force, many fewer people would die in the end."

"Thank you." Aegron had no interest in arguing about historical issues, and he sincerely thanked the Archduke. "While they don't necessarily want to hear my name, I'll try to make them happy."

"You don't need to thank me, it was Teresa's idea." The Grand Duke sighed, seemingly helpless to his daughter, "If Teresa hadn't asked for it, why would I have done so much?"