「France: Catholic Forces and Emperor Clash; Sardinia’s Demands Rejected.」
I held Princess Metternich’s letter to the candle flame.
As if none of it had ever happened, we pushed the Italian front forward in an instant.
Who knew the difference in a commander’s ability could produce such different results?
So it really was true that an army’s greatest enemy was an incompetent officer.
“If we win, Milan will likely remain as it is.”
When I had a chance to be alone with Esterhazy, I asked him in passing.
“That is highly likely.”
“I don’t particularly want to go to Milan.”
Jesus, who embraces even places that hate him with love, isn’t my type.
I’m an empress, not a saint.
Besides, while Milan brought in a tidy sum in tax revenue, rebellions broke out at the drop of a hat, and the cost of maintaining the garrison was no joke either.
Would Sardinia end up siding with Prussia later and take Lombardy anyway?
Bismarck wouldn’t hand over all of Italy, after all.
I don’t know.
There was only one important thing: Bosnia had to be left out.
I had no intention of being shot in Sarajevo in the future.
But… looking at the map, it wouldn’t be pretty.
Remove Lombardy on the Italian side and Bosnia on the Balkan side too?
Then the empire’s lower half would be too pinched in, and the territory wouldn’t look impressive at all. But if we kept it, Bosnia wasn’t exactly a nutritious piece of land either.
To include, or not to include—that is the question.
For now, that was a matter for later. I should discuss it with Josef after he failed at Greater Germany.
“The Swiss account?”
“It has been opened as Your Majesty requested.”
Later, I should give Ludwig some money so he can build a castle.
I couldn’t let my family end up under those Prussian bastards.
And if I took care of Maximilian a little too….
Thinking of Maximilian suddenly reminded me.
“I’d like to know how things have been in Milan lately.”
Venice had quieted down after I visited once, but Milan was quieter than I had expected.
I thought there would be at least one rebellion during wartime, but it was actually quiet.
Was it because they had already deserted to Sardinia?
“They hold His Imperial Highness Archduke Maximilian in affection.”
Well, he was a liberal, after all.
With good-natured, art-loving Maximilian governing them, of course they would be quiet. Italians preferred romantic aristocrats to ignorant soldiers.
Just as I had been loved in Venice.
Esterhazy glanced at me.
“I will submit a plan for a tour of Milan.”
I shook my head slightly.
“No, never mind.”
I had not yet forgotten the commotion that had taken place at La Scala.
“It would be better to visit Venice with His Majesty the Emperor next time.”
If we didn’t lose Lombardy, would Maximilian have no reason to go to Mexico?
It would be better to let him live happily there.
Knock, knock.
Just then, from beyond the office door came a cheerful knock and a voice.
“Mama!”
“Sophie.”
And as soon as the door opened, I saw little squirming creatures.
“Gisela, Rudolf.”
Sophie, being the eldest after all, was holding tightly to the hands of Rudolf and Gisela, who had only just begun to waddle as they walked in.
“Uwa, ma!”
Rudolf, who still couldn’t speak properly, beamed the moment he saw me and stretched out his arms.
So cute—
Behind them, the nannies hovered anxiously, terrified that the children might fall.
I had to play with them a lot while they were young.
***
Before Josef could even rejoice at the news of victory, he immediately rushed to Prague.
‘Your Majesty, they say the pains have begun.’
At first he had not intended to go, but after hearing Marshal Hess’s advice, he headed for Prague.
In any case, all they could gain from this war was money.
France would not want Austria to expand its influence further in Italy.
“Your Majesty, please calm yourself.”
Grünne spoke calmly as he watched Josef sitting across from him, his leg bouncing restlessly.
The scenery outside the window was flying past, but to Josef, it felt slower than a snail’s crawl.
“Her Majesty the Empress is the mother of three children.”
It was a rough but certain comfort: she had already done it three times, so she would be safe this time as well.
But Josef rubbed his dry face and corrected Grünne’s words.
“Twice. Gisela and Rudolf were twins.”
Grünne shut his mouth.
In truth, what did it matter whether the number of births was one or two?
The only thing that mattered was that she was once again crossing the line between life and death.
With anxious eyes, Josef stared out the blurred train window.
The empire, and Sisi.
That was the entirety of the world possessed by this rigid emperor.
Late that night, upon arriving in Prague, Josef immediately looked for a carriage.
“We’ll proceed by carriage at once.”
“Your Majesty, perhaps you should stay at nearby lodgings for the night—”
“Chief Aide-de-Camp.”
“I will prepare it immediately.”
‘He still hasn’t forgiven me.’
After taking a carriage directly from Prague Station to Prague Castle, Josef was struck by an ominous premonition at the sight of the place, far too quiet.
“Your Majesty?”
‘Has something gone wrong? The child? Or Sisi?’
Forgetting his dignity, Josef hurried across the corridor and ran to the door of the bedchamber where Sisi was staying.
His eyes met Skoda’s as the doctor came out after finishing his work, and Josef asked him,
“The empress?”
“Her Majesty is perfectly well.”
“Then has something happened to the child?”
Skoda answered with a puzzled expression.
“Pardon? He is healthy….”
“Then why is it so quiet?”
“Ah, the others are likely attending Mass in the chapel. His Majesty Ferdinand personally gave the order. He said a thanksgiving Mass must be offered to celebrate the birth of the archduke.”
“Uncle did?”
Josef let out a hollow laugh from sheer relief.
It seemed that, with the news of his niece-in-law’s childbirth arriving as well, he had excitedly led the palace attendants off to the chapel.
Thanks to that, the castle had been as quiet as the grave.
‘I feel as though ten years have been shaved off my life.’
Josef stroked his chest in relief and carefully opened the tightly closed bedchamber door.
The ladies-in-waiting, flustered by the emperor’s sudden visit, hurriedly sank into court curtsies.
“What is all this commotion?”
Sisi’s voice came from beyond the canopy, and Josef, reassured, drew it aside.
“…Sisi.”
There sat the empress, drinking beer.
“Joscha…? Why are you….”
‘Aren’t you supposed to be in Vienna right now?’
***
“Beer?”
Josef’s cracked voice reached my ears.
I wiped the foam from the corner of my mouth with the back of my hand and answered calmly.
“I was thirsty. The doctors said there’s nothing like dark beer to help a mother recover her strength after childbirth.”
Josef stared at me blankly, then gave a loud, awkward cough and hurriedly straightened his rumpled uniform.
“I see… Since you have the strength to drink beer, it seems it wasn’t anything serious.”
After standing there with such a stupid look on his face, now he was trying to recover the dignity of an emperor.
When I tugged on Josef’s hand, he was pulled along without resistance.
“Why are you sweating so much?”
I asked as I wiped the beads of sweat on his forehead with a handkerchief I had received from a maid.
He answered shamelessly.
“It’s hot indoors.”
“Why are your hands shaking so much?”
“I must still be feeling the vibrations from riding the train too long.”
“Why are your eyes red, then?”
“Dust got in them.”
I burst into a small laugh.
Pretending to be strong until the very end.
I brought his trembling hand to my cheek and whispered,
“Let’s say that’s what it is.”
“I’m telling you, that’s what it is.”
The more I looked at him, the funnier he became.
Perhaps he had remembered our promise to speak informally to each other, because the way his speech gradually shifted felt like an awkward synchronization process.
“So, what about the war?”
At my question, Josef finally regained the air of an emperor.
“We won. France refused to enter the war, and Sardinia tucked its tail between its legs. A perfect victory.”
“News of victory and the birth of a son on top of it—double happiness.”
Josef had been happy when Rudolf was born too, but this time the meaning was different.
In this era of high infant mortality, having only a single heir was the empire’s greatest source of anxiety. But now a second archduke had been born.
“What do you think of naming the child Ferdinand?”
“I like it. In the hope that he grows into a kind man like Uncle. It will also be a gift to the Bohemians.”
Josef nodded, then approached the cradle.
A red little newborn lay asleep, breathing softly.
He carefully lifted the child into his arms. More carefully than he had with Rudolf.
“My son, on the day you were born, the whole empire whispered your name. Ferdinand.”
“What do you mean, we only just named him. How could the whole empire have whispered Ferdinand’s name?”
Josef carefully laid the child back down in the cradle and answered,
“You and I.”
Wow, how brazen.
He came closer to me and carefully called my name.
“Sisi.”
“Yes?”
He seemed about to say something, then kept hesitating.
When would that chronic illness of his be cured?
As I continued sipping my beer and waiting, he finally opened his mouth.
“What if we stop having children now?”
Did I hear that wrong?
“Joscha.”
“We have Rudolf, and now Ferdinand as well. We have two sturdy sons to lead the empire. With this, you have fulfilled your duty.”
Josef looked straight into my eyes and spoke firmly.
“I love my children, but I do not want more children badly enough to risk losing you. What I want is not the mother of my children, but my wife, Sisi.”
Ah, my hand won’t unclench.
“It sounds somehow unfamiliar to hear such words from the mouth of the person who always emphasized the emperor’s duty so much. You forgot to speak informally again, too.”
I set the beer glass I was holding down on the bedside table.
Then I spread my hand in front of Josef as he looked at me.
My duty was over?
I met Josef’s gaze, slowly folded my fingers one by one, and whispered,
“Hungary, Galicia, Venice, Dalmatia—”
Josef’s gaze followed the movement of my fingers as if he were bewitched.
“Croatia, Tyrol, and Transylvania.”
Seven.
I opened my clenched hand and lightly waved seven fingers before his eyes.
“What does that mean?”
Can’t you tell just by looking? He was only asking even though he knew.
“I’m saying we should have seven more. There should be at least one archduke for each crown.”