Eagle’s Glory

"Your Highness, His Majesty the Emperor invites you to dinner."

After finishing speaking, the attendant exited the room respectfully, leaving the two people looking at each other.

Although he is the grandson of His Majesty the Emperor, Aegron does not have the opportunity to have dinner with His Majesty the Emperor every day. The sudden order came at this time, which does not seem to be a good omen.

"It seems that His Royal Highness has persuaded His Majesty, and his determination is greater than expected." A moment later, Earl Dietrichstein whispered.

"Yes, so it's still too late for you to repent, I can understand." Aigron nodded.

"Since I promised you, I won't go back on my word. However, Your Highness, there is only so much I can do to help you. I hope you can understand me." The earl sighed.

Then, he stood up again, "Okay, I won't disturb you anymore, you should take a good rest first, and see His Majesty later."

After the count left, Aigron picked up the book again and looked out the window.

The room was silent again, except for the ticking of the chime clock and the increasingly slanting sunlight outside the window, reminding people of the passage of time.

When the night began to fall on the earth, Aigron finally walked out of his room and followed the attendant to the dining room.

Although it was night now, the restaurant was illuminated by the brilliant light brought by the chandelier on the ceiling, and a group of attendants in uniforms shuttled through it, showing the extraordinary style of the royal family.

When Aigron walked into the restaurant, His Majesty the Emperor had already arrived and sat on the main seat. So he walked up to His Majesty the Emperor and saluted him respectfully.

Although he ruled over a vast empire, the passage of time inevitably left traces on Emperor Franz I. His majesty's hair was already gray, and no amount of majesty could conceal his aging and decadent aura.

But even so, he still has enough energy to effectively rule the empire.

Because today was not a formal occasion, he didn't wear fancy clothes, but a military uniform as casual clothes, and he didn't wear any medals. 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 Aigron up and down, and then nodded happily.

"Frantz, every time I see you, I wonder if you can be more handsome, and I am not disappointed every time."

The sudden compliment made Egron a little at a loss. He didn't quite understand what His Majesty meant, but he had to express his gratitude first.

"Thank you for your compliment, and I will try my best not to disappoint you in the future."

"Sit down, please. It's really pleasant to have a young man by your side during dinner." His Majesty the Emperor smiled.

Egron obeyed His Majesty's will, found a seat and sat down.

This is a long dining table. His Majesty the Emperor sits at the main seat, while the Empress sits opposite him. Aegron is next to His Majesty the Emperor, and opposite him are the second prince, Grand Duke Karl, and Princess Sophie.

Because of his poor health, Crown Prince Ferdinand often suffered from epileptic seizures, so he has not been married until now, nor has he participated in His Majesty's dinner, eating alone in his bedroom.

After he took his seat, Princess Sophie looked at him, then smiled and blinked.

"Good evening, Franz..."

"Good evening, Your Highness." Aigron also greeted her.

The two smiled at each other, then looked away.

As His Majesty began to dine, the dinner officially began.

Because tonight is not a grand palace banquet, but just a dinner among royal family members, so the meal is not considered luxurious.

The cold dish is white sausage, supplemented with mushroom cream soup, and the staple food is sirloin cut into small pieces.

It is served with a sauce made of cod and caper buds, and there are many small desserts on the side.

During the meal, the members of the royal family are the closest to each other in a day, and it is also the time when they least need to put on airs, so they talk a lot with each other, and even His Majesty the Emperor, who is always serious and difficult to approach, seems approachable up.

"Frantz." After taking a few bites, His Majesty looked at the boy, "I heard that you rejected Metternich's proposal? Can you tell me your reason?"

"I don't know how His Royal Highness relayed my words to you, but I have already told His Royal Highness the specific reason... It's very simple, I don't want to be a soldier, Your Majesty." Egron replied as calmly as possible, "This is purely It's a matter of interest, it's not that I'm trying to be against him on purpose."

"But in life, not everything will be satisfactory, even as an emperor." His Majesty spread his hands, "No, I should say, this is especially true for an emperor."

His Majesty's tone was very kind, just like an ordinary grandfather educating his grandson.

But in this kindness, there is an unquestionable authority. At least in this court, no one can defy his will.

Aigron took a deep breath, slowly calming down his sudden heartbeat.

"Your Majesty, this is not just my occasional willfulness. I made this decision after careful consideration. Although it is ridiculous to think carefully at my age, I ask you to listen to my reasons."

"Oh?" His Majesty the Emperor was very interested, so he nodded, "Let's talk."

"My father was a man who brought countless nightmares to the European continent. Because of his greed, countless young people died in foreign lands from Lisbon to Moscow, and they would never see their family members who missed them. I can still feel it to this day." Aigron continued in an affectionate tone full of guilt, "Because I know the nightmares he created, I feel that I can't stare at the guns that create innocent souls... I don't want to be with you. Like him, he exchanged his blood for his reputation, and those shiny uniforms can't impress 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 many times in his heart, his words were so sincere that he almost believed them.

However, he definitely didn't think so. He was fed up with this kind of secluded life and only wanted to regain his freedom. In order to achieve this goal, he didn't mind burning the whole world.

Under his influence, the people around the dining table fell silent.

His Majesty the Emperor listened to Aigron's confession in astonishment, and was a little moved for a while.

Metternich's words and his grandson's words were lingering in his mind, and he weighed them all and found it reasonable.

"Look, we have raised Franz to be a monk! This compassion is really touching." After a while, he smiled awkwardly and eased the atmosphere at the table, "Frantz, I don't want to interfere with your wishes, but as your grandfather, I have the obligation to plan for your future..."

"His Majesty!"

At this moment, Princess Sophie suddenly spoke.

His Majesty the Emperor looked at his daughter-in-law in surprise. "Sophie, what's wrong?"

"I think Franz's words make sense." Sophie bravely raised her head and looked at His Majesty the Emperor, "Frantz doesn't have to live like Napoleon, I don't think he is suitable to be an officer either, you just didn't Is he handsome? How can such a child withstand the harsh torture of the army? Since he prefers pens to swords, as elders, we should satisfy his wishes, right? He likes a quiet life Just let him continue like this, maybe one day he can become a Napoleon in the poetry world, and maybe leave more immortal poems for your Schönbrunn Palace... Wouldn't that be great?"

Aigron did not expect that Princess Sophie just said she would help him, but she did what she said, and it was so fast.

Saying some pleasant 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 took good care of herself.

"Sophie, you Bavarians have always loved poetry and music more than guns..." Her husband, Archduke Karl, next to her, made a joke with a smile, trying to smooth things over for everyone.

But Princess Sophie didn't appreciate it, her eyes rolled slightly, and she gave her husband a stern look.

Under this stern gaze, Grand Duke Karl immediately took a mouthful of soup and gagged his mouth.

The second prince, Archduke Karl, has always been gentle and even weak, so he respects and fears his wife Sophie who has a strong personality. In 1848 in history, he had a chance to inherit the Austrian throne, but because of Sophie's insistence, he gave up. The throne, ceding the throne to their son, who would later become Emperor Franz Joseph.

With the male members of the Habsburgs declining day by day, Princess Sophie, with her strong will, firmly controlled the court, even known as "the only man in the Habsburg court".

Only then did Aigron realize the momentum.

"Your Majesty, what Sophie said is also reasonable. We should not only train Franz, but also refer to his personal opinions. Otherwise, it will only make him fall into depression and pain at a young age, which is not good for everyone. Not good." Her Majesty Queen Caroline couldn't help but speak after seeing her younger sister (who is also the daughter-in-law in name) defending Egron so actively.

The queen, who is only 34 years old this year, is the fourth wife of His Majesty the Emperor. She and His Majesty are 24 years older. When she is with the aging Emperor, she is more like a father and daughter than a husband and wife. .

When the two get along, it is more like a father-daughter model. His Majesty the Emperor treats his new wife with a gentle and tolerant attitude, but they don't communicate much with each other. On the contrary, she and his younger sister, Princess Sophie, get along better. Some.

His Majesty the Emperor did not expect that the trivial matter he originally wanted to settle at the dinner table suddenly turned into a dispute among members of the royal family, and his wife and daughter-in-law unanimously supported the grandson's opinion.

Maybe it would be better to let Napoleon's son say goodbye to guns for good?

Metternich's suggestion was still lingering in his mind, and he was a little undecided all of a sudden.

Just as he was thinking about it, the dinner came to an end, and the attendants brought the fruit after the meal, and His Majesty the Emperor decided to take a look at it for the time being.

In this way, as His Majesty got up and left the table, the people at the dinner left the restaurant with a feeling of joy or depression.

Aigron is the lucky one.

In any case, relying on the help of Princess Sophie, he finally escaped the trouble for the time being.

However, this is only temporary.

If you don't get rid of this life of relying on others as soon as possible, then you will still be at the mercy of others, and if you can escape today, you can't escape tomorrow.

"Eggron~"

He suddenly heard the greeting in his ear, and turned to see Princess Sophie next to him.

After she left the restaurant, she changed her name again.

In any case, her gentle smile always makes people feel comfortable.

"Aigron, are you free tomorrow? If you are free, let's go hunting outside and relax."

Obviously, she wanted to relieve herself a little psychological pressure.

And just a moment ago, she was trying her best to defend herself in front of His Majesty the Emperor.

Affected by her smile, Aigron straightened up unknowingly.

"As long as it is your call, of course I am free."