Independent world line, the story continues from Extra 6
March 1839
The earth, which had been suffering in the winter nights for several months, finally ushered in the breeze of early spring, and everything began to revive. Green grass sprouted its stems and leaves from the melting snow, bringing the breath of spring to the world.
In this warm and cold season, under the order of the Queen Mother Regent, the original members of the palace came to Baden, a small town located on the outskirts of Vienna.
The town of Baden is a famous hot spring resort, which was first recorded in the ancient Roman era. Since the 18th century, Europe has gradually emerged from the age of ignorance, and the hot spring treatments favored by the ancient Romans have also been fully favored in Europe. Baden, with its thermal springs, became increasingly important under the Habsburgs.
Starting in 1793, under the active care of the then Emperor Franz II, a large number of hot spring facilities were built in this town. After decades of development, this town has developed to a considerable scale, including not only bathing and hot spring facilities, but also hotels, theaters, parks and villas, and has become a leisure resort for the empire's upper class.
Before Her Majesty Sophie came to power, she liked coming here very much. After she became the Queen Mother Regent of the Empire, she specially allocated funds to build a large-scale villa in this hot spring town as a resting place for herself during her tours.
Since 1837, Her Majesty the Empress Dowager has been in power for nearly two years. The empire has also overcome the stormy waves and ushered in a new era of calm. Almost everyone has become accustomed to her frequent whims, so no one is surprised. , in this spring she will specially bring the palace members here to rest.
[Because there is a similar hot spring resort in Germany called Baden-Baden, this hot spring resort is generally called Austrian Baden. 】
As a member of the court, Duke Lechstadt also naturally accompanied him. He was highly favored by the Empress Dowager. Almost every event in the palace, Her Majesty the Empress Dowager would allow him to attend - and why was she so favored? The Duke, and almost everyone, tacitly agreed.
Just at the end of last year, Duke Lechstadt married Princess Christina from the Savoy royal family. They were newlyweds at this time. However, after receiving the order from Her Majesty the Queen Mother, he agreed without any hesitation. After announcing the call, he came here with his wife.
After several hours of driving, the majestic carriage convoy starting from the palace arrived at the small town of Baden, and then, according to prior arrangements, came to live in various parts of the villa.
The Duke and Duchess also got off the carriage and came to the suite prepared for them.
The furnishings of the villa are of course not comparable to those of the palace, but they are comfortable enough. The servants put down their luggage, and the Duke and Duchess came to the bedroom to rest.
The Duke is 28 years old this year, in his prime. And because he is deeply trusted by the Empress Dowager and begins to participate in national affairs, his handsome appearance has become more majestic and he looks extraordinary.
Her Royal Highness the Princess is much younger than him and has a petite figure. However, because she has been married for several months, she has a bit more of a young woman's style in her movements.
The marriage of this couple was, to be honest, just an accident.
Last year, the Savoy royal family where the princess belonged recklessly launched a war against the Austrian Empire and suffered a tragic defeat. It was forced to cede territory and pay compensation. Even she herself was married to Vienna as part of the "compensation", and she The person she married was the Duke of Lechstadt who led the Austrian army to defeat his country.
So even though they are married, there is still an insurmountable gap between them.
In addition to these political barriers, there is also an even more unspeakable barrier that distorts the relationship between husband and wife...
"Christina, how do you feel?" The Duke asked his wife gently after sitting down on the sofa.
"I'm fine." The princess replied softly, "I'm just a little tired."
"Well, then have a good rest." The Duke nodded, and then he didn't know what to say.
Their conversation was brief and then fell into silence.
The princess has been depressed since the two got married, and the Duke was quite polite to her because he could understand the princess's mood and did not deliberately embarrass her.
Under normal circumstances, time will smooth out the edges between the couple, allowing them to forget the conflicts between family and country, and warmth will replace hatred, allowing them to become a happy family - after all, many political The marriage finally had a happy outcome.
However, the hardships that the Duchess of Lechstadt has to face are destined to be more than just armed conflicts that have become a thing of the past.
As soon as the Duke and Duchess settled down, a female maid knocked on the door of their suite, and was led to the couple by a servant.
When she saw this female attendant, although Princess Christina's expression remained unchanged, her eyes flashed with light mixed with hatred and resentment.
Her hatred and resentment were of course not directed at the female attendant, but at the master behind the female officer, that vicious and shameless slut.
Every time a female attendant comes over, it means that her husband wants to be called by that woman, leave him, go to her side, and hang out with her.
How shameless is it for someone who clearly has the honor of being an empress dowager to behave in such a filthy manner...
The Duke also guessed what was going to happen, so he glanced at Princess Christina apologetically, and then prepared to follow the female officer away.
However, to the couple's surprise, the invitation was not intended for the Duke.
"Duchess, Her Majesty the Queen Mother, please come over." The female attendant said politely.
The couple looked at each other in surprise. No one knew what the Queen Mother had in mind.
"Can I take her to meet His Majesty?" After a moment, the Duke asked.
The female officer did not answer, but looked at the Duke with a humble smile, obviously rejecting the proposal.
"I think..." The Duke wanted to say something else.
"Okay, please take me there." Princess Christina suddenly interrupted her husband and stood up.
She was not willing to show weakness to Her Majesty the Queen Mother.
So, the female officer took her wife out of the suite, and then after passing through the short corridor, they came to the spacious suite of Her Majesty the Queen Mother.
This room has a wide view, with wide windows looking out over the valley in the distance, while a roaring fire in the fireplace dispels the chill of early spring.
At this time, Her Majesty the Queen Mother was standing by the window, wearing a rich dress, looking at the Duchess with a half-smile.
"Good afternoon, Christina."
The warmth of the temperature could not dispel the chill in Christina's heart. Every time she saw this beautiful woman, she could not help but feel disgust and hatred in her heart.
She carefully hid her disgust in her heart, and then calmly saluted Her Majesty the Queen Mother. "Good afternoon, Her Majesty the Queen Mother."
"I called you here because I have good news to tell you." Her Majesty the Queen Mother went directly to the topic. "In recognition of Duke Lechstadt's contribution to the empire, I plan to give this completed villa to you. Give it to him, so - this place will be your property soon."
This sudden 'goodwill' made Princess Christina a little confused.
What does she mean? Did she expect herself to be grateful to her for this small favor?
No, absolutely impossible.
She just wanted to win over her husband and keep him tied to her.
When she thought of this, Princess Christina couldn't help feeling a wave of hatred, so much so that she didn't even say the thanks she deserved on the scene, but just stood there in silence.
Her Majesty the Queen Mother was not angry because of her disrespect, she just smiled gently, as if she was looking at a canary in a cage.
Then she spoke again.
"The hot springs and scenery here are very good. You can stay here for a long time and enjoy it. This is very good for your body."
Originally, this was just a polite comment, but Princess Christina suddenly felt that something was wrong.
Why is this woman suddenly so attentive to him?
"Thank you for your kindness, I will try to enjoy it." She thanked her coldly at first, and then changed the subject. "However, as a wife, I should stay with my husband forever and not stay in the countryside."
Her Majesty the Queen Mother's smile suddenly became a little sarcastic, and then she sighed softly.
"Dear Christina, haven't I made it clear enough? You - lately - can - stay here permanently."
The most terrifying suspicion suddenly came true. Princess Christina felt a chill in her heart, and even her feet were a little unsteady.
What mistake did you make? To the point of being quarantined for a long time?
She asked herself, she was sure she had done nothing wrong.
If there was anything wrong, it was that she had the misfortune to meet this vicious woman. Even witches and witches could not compare with her.
"Then I reject your offer!" she replied loudly.
Although she herself knew that there was no point in disobeying Her Majesty the Queen Mother's will, the pride and anger in her heart at this moment made her speak out anyway.
"Unfortunately, this is an unquestionable opinion." Her Majesty the Queen Mother's smile slowly disappeared, and then she replied calmly.
Then, she seemed to start threatening the princess again, "Christina, don't you think I've been polite enough to you? I think you'd better be more sensible, lest in the end everyone can't be polite."
You're polite... She actually has the nerve to be polite... The anger that had been accumulated for a long time rushed into her heart, and Princess Christina could no longer control herself.
"Are you polite to me? You have only brought me one disaster after another! You have shamed my family, you have made my motherland suffer, and you even want to take away my husband!"
The princess seemed to have given up, and looked at Her Majesty the Queen Mother with extremely resentful eyes, her whole body trembling with anger, "How can there be such a vicious and shameless woman like you in the world? I pray to God every day, let the Almighty The Lord will give you the punishment you deserve, let you be blown to pieces by thunder, and burned to ashes by fire. I believe there will be a day, and I am waiting for that day!"
Perhaps because she was too emotional, she began to cry as she spoke. In the end, she was sobbing so hard that she was speechless and could only stare at Her Majesty the Queen Mother with a look of deep hatred.
Most people would be horrified if they looked at this look for a while, because it is filled with hatred that makes them want to tear each other into pieces with their own hands.
She was obviously just a petite little woman, but because of her bitter hatred, she seemed so powerful that she even dared to scold the empress dowager, the most powerful regent in the empire.
Her Majesty the Queen Mother, who was usually domineering, seemed a little shocked. She seemed not to have thought that this usually taciturn Princess would dare to speak to her like this.
All the attendants and female officers nearby were shocked by this scene. They looked at each other in panic, and no one dared to say another word, for fear that they would become victims of Her Majesty the Queen Mother's thunderous wrath later.
However, to everyone's expectation, after Her Majesty the Queen Mother recovered from the shock, she did not get furious. Instead, she seemed to understand something and looked at Princess Christina with a playful look.
After a moment, she smiled slightly.
"Madam, you are right. It is true that I have hurt you deeply, but why do you have so much resentment towards me? Because of the war? This war was not started by me, but because of you. My family, what’s the point of complaining after losing the war? No, this is nothing—”
When she said this, Queen Mother Sophie narrowed her eyes, and then continued, "So, you care about your husband, and you don't want to see him sleeping with someone else again..."
What shameless words! Princess Christina almost fainted in an instant. Since she was a child, no one has dared to say such words in front of her, and she is also the regent queen mother of a country.
"Oh God - look at it!" she couldn't help shouting again.
Then, she categorically denied Her Majesty the Queen Mother's suspicion, "I...I don't care about the Duke at all. If we are not married, what does his life or death have to do with me? But now we have become a couple, Then according to God's will, of course I should cherish him...rather than tolerate your immoral and filthy behavior!"
"Come on, you Italians are always good at attributing all good and bad things to God, and then have fun with peace of mind." Empress Dowager Sophie sneered. "Poor Christina, are you embarrassed to admit it? It's not shameful to like someone. On the contrary, liking someone equally proves that you have some discernment——"
"You're talking nonsense!" Christina categorically denied again. "How could I possibly care about our family's evil enemy!"
"Don't argue with me, little girl." Empress Dowager Sophie remained sarcastic, "Although we are not from the same family, we have all had similar experiences, so I can understand... If you are as basic as me If you don't like what God forced on your husband, then you don't care who he sleeps with - you only care for one reason, you like the gift that fate has given you."
In the imperial court, Her Majesty the Empress Dowager openly said that she did not care about her late husband at all, which was truly deviant and even a bit audacious.
But just because it came from her mouth, it seemed surprisingly reasonable. Maybe everyone was used to her being unscrupulous and doing whatever she wanted.
Faced with such piercing words, Princess Christina wanted to argue, but she seemed unable to argue. In the end, she could only continue to stare at Her Majesty the Queen Mother with hateful eyes.
The affair between the Duke and Her Majesty the Queen Mother was almost an open secret among the upper classes in various countries. After she was forced to marry here, they seemed to have no intention of hiding it and often went out together.
The worst thing was that on the night before her wedding, they were still fooling around shamelessly in the room next to her, and the hateful woman deliberately used all kinds of wild shouts to demonstrate to her.
Theoretically speaking, she should hate this pair of shameless lovers who plunged her into despair. However, after marrying the Duke and enjoying their married life for a period of time, she found that she did not hate her husband so strongly. .
This young man is handsome, personable, and has extremely outstanding talents, and he also has a surname that is remembered by everyone. Although he is not wholeheartedly devoted to her, he can be said to be caring and considerate - she can feel it, The Duke felt some pity for his tragic fate.
Therefore, after getting along for several months, Her Royal Highness the Princess gradually accepted the fate God had arranged for her. She even felt a little sad for her husband every time she saw his melancholy expression about something.
Now that the hatred for the Duke has been eliminated, the Empress Dowager Sophie will naturally gain double her hatred. In her opinion, if Her Majesty the Empress Dowager had not shamelessly seduced her husband, her life would definitely have gotten out of the quagmire of disaster. .
This hatred is doubly accumulated with every tryst they have. If given the chance, she will definitely pierce the vicious heart with a knife or any other convenient weapon to eliminate harm in the world. .
"What? You have no words? It seems that I was right." Looking at Her Royal Highness the Princess's speechless but hateful eyes, Her Majesty the Queen Mother sneered and asked, "Poor little girl, this is not Your fault is nothing to be ashamed of, but you should face the reality. He and I are already together. I just need to find a legal wife for him, so I came to you. If you don't care about this marriage, then you don’t need to care who he is with; and if you are satisfied with the marriage, then you should thank me and pay me some price for it."
Princess Christina was so angry that her eyes darkened and she almost fainted.
"Shameless!" She could only scold weakly, and this scolding not only did not cause any harm to Her Majesty the Queen Mother, but actually made her feel a certain kind of fun.
"Since you don't want to hear it so much, let me tell you something you don't want to hear even more..." Queen Mother Sophie walked to her side, then leaned over slightly, leaned into her ear, and then confided to her softly, " I am pregnant."
The incomparable anger caused a large amount of blood to rush from the heart to Princess Christina's head in an instant, making her a little dizzy.
She wanted to slap this hateful woman with her hand, but Queen Mother Sophie seemed to be prepared. After saying this, she immediately stepped back. At her gesture, two female attendants immediately left. He came over, put his hand on Her Royal Highness's shoulders, and helped the poor princess "calm down".
Her Royal Highness the Princess was unable to resist and could only stare at Her Majesty the Queen Mother with extremely resentful eyes. The flames in her eyes seemed to be able to burn the other party to ashes.
Her Majesty the Queen Mother was also looking at her, her eyes were cold and playful, and there seemed to be something else inexplicable.
Besides being angry, Her Royal Highness suddenly thought of something else.
Why did Her Majesty the Queen Mother just say that she would stay here for a long time?
She was trying to deceive others.
Everything is connected in series. Why did the Queen Mother bring herself to this hot spring town for "recuperation"? She not only wanted to torture herself mentally, but also had another ulterior purpose - she must have She will declare to the outside world that her illegitimate child is the child of the Duke and herself, so she must not let outsiders see that she is not pregnant.
So... her plan was to make this illegitimate child the legitimate child of the duke and herself, and let the bastard inherit everything from him.
"So you want to use me as a prop to deceive the world?" She opened her eyes and asked the other party loudly.
"Smart." Her Majesty the Queen Mother nodded approvingly, "It seems you are not as ignorant of the world as you appear."
Although the anger in Her Royal Highness's eyes was enough to burn a person's soul, she was completely unaware of it and didn't take it to heart at all.
She looked at Her Royal Highness the Princess and continued.
"Poor little girl, stop cursing and struggling. This is something I have already decided. No matter how much you protest and object, it is meaningless, except to make yourself more embarrassed."
Then, she calmly spread her hands and said, "Of course, if you like, you can hate me, I don't care -"
Then, she lifted her skirt slightly and gave a thoughtful farewell ceremony to Princess Christina.
"Well, I wish you a pleasant stay here."
The Duchess continued to scold Her Majesty the Queen Mother, but the female attendant ignored her struggle and scolding and took her out of the room. Soon, Her Majesty the Queen Mother was the only one left in this spacious suite.
Her Majesty the Queen Mother quietly looked at the scenery outside the window. It was not until a long time later that a sigh came from behind her.
"There is no need for you to adopt such a ruthless attitude towards her. She is pitiful enough after all."
Her Majesty the Queen Mother turned her head and showed a charming smile.
"Do you feel sorry for your wife?"
Then she grabbed her sweetheart's hand.
"No matter what, we still owe her a debt. I think we should be more gentle to her." The Duke replied softly, and then he also grabbed the hand of Her Majesty the Queen Mother.
"With what we have done, so what if we are gentle to her? She will definitely hate it." Her Majesty the Queen Mother threw herself into the Duke's arms, and then closed her eyes with satisfaction, "However, if we must If there is hatred, then let her only hate me...I will be stricter and you go and treat her better. In this case, at least she will recognize that she is your wife."
After enjoying the tenderness for a long time, she opened her eyes again, and then looked at her beloved provocatively.
"Okay, let's leave her alone, we are the only ones here...Aiglon, the ice and snow outside are melting, let us melt together too!"
Then, she hugged the young man desperately, and under the firelight of the fireplace, the shadows and hums of the two people merged together.
