As expected, my head works much better after a good night’s sleep.
“Empress, how do you feel?”
“I’m fine.”
The problem is that it’s not as if I faint because I want to. It’s not just that my body is weak—the external factors are even greater.
“How about changing your ladies-in-waiting this time?”
“Your Majesty?”
Joseph is going to replace the maids Sophie planted?
“Wouldn’t it be better to have ladies-in-waiting who are more agreeable to you?”
“I’m fine.”
Besides, most of the maids are only doing what they’re told anyway.
Esterházy is strict, but she hasn’t long until retirement. To grasp the power structure of the court, I have to meet people and clash with them myself.
“I’d have to leave my room to find out….”
Because going out is such a hassle.
“Still, the Empress Dowager has been of great help.”
One of the reasons Archduchess Sophie had been unable to restrict my movements was the presence of the Empress Dowager.
Though she was close to Sophie like a sister, it is a universal truth that nieces appear more lovable and adorable than younger sisters.
“But… are you truly alright?”
Joseph brought the issue I had been trying to avoid back around.
“It’s because I keep fainting, isn’t it?”
Joseph nodded, but there was nothing I could tell him.
Do they have CT scans here, or MRIs?
There must be some problem causing it, but still.
“Don’t ladies often collapse as well?”
It wasn’t a wrong thing to say; there were indeed quite a few noblewomen fainting at balls.
There were even newspaper articles about it becoming a social issue.
“Elderly people may not know, but young ladies and I wear tightly laced corsets all day long.”
It could be an issue caused by blood suddenly circulating properly. Or perhaps….
I pointed to the lamp hanging on the wall.
“Gas could have leaked and caused me to faint. Besides, I had just come out of a bath, hadn’t I? If an environment with no ventilation met with gas leaking from the gas lamp while I was already slightly dizzy, wouldn’t the possibility be high that I was the first to faint?”
In fact, the first thing the doctor did upon arriving was ventilate the room.
Hadn’t he said it was to draw the bad air outside?
“Are you saying people faint because of gas?”
“If one is unlucky, one could even die. I am never alone, but there are subjects who come to Vienna and live by themselves.”
Joseph muttered something about gas, apologized to me, and went outside.
From the way he muttered words like winter and coal, it seemed something had occurred to him.
Anyway, I diverted his attention.
“Your Majesty, what are your plans for today?”
There was nothing special on the schedule, so she was asking if I would be staying in my room.
“I see a swing in the garden.”
“I shall help you prepare to go out.”
Saying so, Esterházy showed me a dress different from the usual.
“This is the dress I showed you before. As your strength has weakened due to the gas, for the sake of Your Majesty’s health, it would be best to wear a dress that does not burden the body in this way for the time being.”
Oh, so I don’t have to wear a corset today.
She is hiding the pregnancy from the other maids until the very end.
“According to him, it is an artistic dress recently fashionable in England. It is a modified form of Renaissance-era dress, made comfortable to wear even in modern times, so you will not feel out of fashion.”
Then I just need to change clothes and go ride the swing!
“Before that.”
…What is she going to say now?
When Esterházy signaled to a maid with her eyes, letter paper and a quill were placed on the desk.
“You must send letters to Queen Victoria of England, Empress Eugénie of France, Queen Elisabeth of Prussia, and Empress Alexandra of Russia.”
Me?
“Among the empresses and queens of Europe, exchanging letters is an important means of communication that goes beyond simple greetings, maintaining close diplomatic relations and sharing personal friendship.”
…But why me?
“Isn’t politics the domain of men?”
For two months, what I had constantly heard from Sophie was that politics was the exclusive domain of men and that I shouldn’t meddle in Joseph’s affairs. That was why I had spoken indirectly just now as well.
Esterházy continued in a gentle but firm tone.
“Of course, it may be men’s role to attend cabinet meetings, discuss treaties, and declare war. However, what Your Majesty is to do is not such rigid politics.”
She lightly brushed the letter paper on the desk with her fingertips.
“In the world of empresses and queens, there is their own language and bond. True diplomacy is hidden between the lines of asking after children, sharing impressions of new dresses, and conveying small court gossip.
If Queen Victoria were to write to Your Majesty, ‘These days our Edward is struggling with his Greek studies,’ would Your Majesty read it merely as a prince’s tantrum?”
Of course not.
“It would mean England is interested in the succession to the Greek throne.”
Esterházy showed a satisfied smile.
“That is correct, Your Majesty. If Empress Eugénie sends a letter saying, ‘The winter in Paris is unusually cold,’ what would that mean?”
France, huh….
“Does it mean the discontent of the Parisian populace is severe?”
“That is the correct answer, Your Majesty.”
After teaching me the etiquette of holding the pen, she explained my role.
“From the tip of Your Majesty’s pen, Austria’s dignity is revealed, and a single word of greeting can soften the prickly relationship with Prussia. This is an important role that only Her Majesty the Empress can perform, and must perform.”
I gazed at the letter paper, lost in thought.
What should I write? I’d have to have met them to know.
「Dear, Queen Victoria.」
“Your Majesty, the intention to write to Queen Victoria in English is a good choice. However.”
She removed the paper in front of me and placed a clean new sheet.
“Considering it is your first official correspondence, you must write in French. And the recipient is the same for all. You must write, ‘To the Madame, my Sister and Cousin (Madame, ma Sœur et Cousine).’”
Why am I their sister and cousin?
I’ve gained the world’s strongest sisterhood without even knowing it.
“Chief lady-in-waiting.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Don’t just stand over there; come a little closer.
When I said nothing, she sent the maids outside.
“What is the matter?”
“…I need a French teacher.”
I know English, German, and Russian, but I don’t know French.
Esterházy thought deeply, but it seemed she could not recall a situation in which I had needed to use French until now.
“I naturally assumed you knew….”
“Wasn’t the one originally meant for this position Duchess Helene, my sister?”
I don’t even have memories of receiving the education to become an empress.
I only have memories of running away to my father Maximilian’s room during lessons.
“I shall teach you.”
For the Empress of the Empire to not know French is a shameful thing.
She first pronounced and explained the meanings of the words to be used in the letter.
“Madame, ma Sœur et Cousine. Madame means My Lady….”
I finished writing in French, filled with all manner of flowery language, announcing my marriage and enthronement as empress, expressing respect for the counterpart monarch and wishing for friendly relations between the two nations.
“I have to do this three more times?”
“No. If there is an unmarried male ruler, you must send it to his mother or his siblings.”
Expression management, expression management.
“So how many more letters must I write?”
“That was a lie. You only need to write to the ones I just mentioned. The rest are beneath Your Majesty’s station, so you needn’t write to them until they write to you first. Should someone raise an issue over this, you may answer as follows.
In the case of Sardinia-Piedmont, they are an enemy nation, so it is correct not to send one. In the case of Bavaria, your mother, Duchess Ludovika, will have already sent one.”
That is a relief, at least.
I need to finish quickly and go ride the swing.
***
London, Buckingham Palace.
Victoria received two letters and smiled faintly.
“Interesting.”
“What is it?”
Albert asked Victoria, who was holding the letters.
“One is from Archduchess Sophie, and one is from Empress Elisabeth.”
It meant power was clashing within Austria.
“If it were you, you would side with the Empress, would you not?”
“Why do you think so?”
“Because Archduchess Sophie stands in opposition to us.”
A simple calculation.
“I wonder which side was responsible for Austria pulling back its troops.”
To England, Austria’s actions were a difficult-to-understand mystery.
Abandoning on its own, without any political explanation, an important military pressure that could have decided the war’s outcome was an unprecedented diplomatically unusual event.
“What political power could the Empress possibly have to do that? Obviously it was Sophie, that woman, pulling the strings.”
The judgment that the Empress could not possibly move an army and that the real power broker Sophie’s influence was definitely behind it was extremely commonsensical.
Victoria rang the bell and received paper and a pen from an attendant.
“Well, I must send a reply, in any case.”
*
Meanwhile, Eugénie completely ignored both letters.
Emperor Napoleon III wished to help Italian unification, weaken Austria, and make Italy an ally.
Conversely, as a devout Catholic and a political conservative, one of her greatest concerns was the safety of the Papal States.
‘I fought with the Emperor again today.’
The clash between Napoleon and Eugénie, since the Papal States had to be swallowed for complete unification.
But officially, she was the Empress of France.
Replying to Sophie could be seen as supporting the status quo, and could clash with her husband’s policy of intervening in the Italian issue.
Maintaining silent disregard for Sisi’s letter was an act stemming from a desire to see Austria weakened rather than stabilized.
She judged that taking either side did not align with France’s strategic interests.
*
Russia in Saint Petersburg kept exact tabs on Sisi’s actions.
“There’s no way that woman Sophie pulled back the troops. The answer can only be the Empress.”
Nicholas knew too well how Sophie controlled Joseph like a son.
‘Franz, that young Emperor has finally come to his senses. He nearly became an ungrateful wretch, but thanks to the Empress, he kept his honor at the last moment. He has a wise wife.’
“Send a letter to the Empress expressing our utmost gratitude.”
Nicholas felt grateful to the Empress who had disbanded the troops when they had been on the verge of collision.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
***
Hmm, only two replies came.
Russia and England.
England’s felt official and neutral, while Russia’s felt thankful and expressed a wish to meet and talk sometime.
“Hmm, the Queen of Prussia is your aunt; I wonder why you did not send one to her.”
My aunt is there too?
What in the world does my family do?
“…Empress, she is your godmother, is she not?”
What?
“And your names are the same, are they not?”
What?
I searched my old memories, but I have no such recollection.
“I knew that.”
“Did you know that the corners of your mouth droop whenever you lie?”
Really?
I unconsciously touched the corners of my mouth, and a smile spread across Joseph’s lips.
“As I thought, you didn’t know.”
I quickly changed the subject.
“What are you going to do now?”
By pulling back the troops, Joseph rebelled against Sophie.
“It is nothing for you to worry about.”
Anyone could see from a map how important a region the Danube is.
A river stretching from Moldavia to Bavaria, one Austria can never give up.
“Joseph.”
Joseph, who gave it up, would suffer losses.
“Blame it on me.”
Since all I need is freedom of movement anyway.
Joseph’s hand overlapped on top of mine.
“The Empress’s responsibility is the Emperor’s responsibility.”
“Then is the Archduchess Sophie’s responsibility also the Emperor’s responsibility?”
“Sisi, Mother has always made the right judgments.”
“If we are isolated from Russia, who will become our ally?”
“England is merely blocking Russia’s southward expansion together with France, as their common enemy.”
So England and France will help us?
“Russia is dividing us through the Slavic peoples. If we possessed the Danube, we might be able to block them there.”
“Joseph, England and France helped Greek independence. They are helping Italian unification too. And we are a multi-ethnic empire. The Slavs are loyal to you.”
“Sisi, must we have this conversation?”
Only then did Joseph’s tired expression become visible.
Ah.
I grabbed a pillow from the bed.
“Sisi? What are you doing?”
I moved to another room and flipped him off.
“Sleep with Archduchess Sophie, Your Majesty.”
Rotten bastard.
“You tell me to fulfill my duties as Empress, yet in politics you only listen to Mother.”
Hmph, does he think I’m doing this because I simply like Hungary? All the empire’s subjects know it is not Austria but Hungary that oppresses minorities; does he really not know why the Slavs are loyal to him?
I’m annoyed.