Chapter 4

The Empire's Bonaparte - Chapter 4 (4/200)

Chapter 4: The Crown Prince (3)

I hid my discontented expression and looked at a boy.

A boy who was four years younger than me and on an equal footing with me.

Sitting alone with the Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria-Hungary, I felt... quite uneasy.

Rudolf cannot become emperor. He died young after a love escape and suicide, though there are also suspicions of murder. Regardless, he met an untimely end at a young age.

While the painful deaths of people like Napoleon III or the mass murderer in Congo to the north are self-inflicted, Rudolf, the Crown Prince, is not. If there is any fault, it is that the adults around him were collectively insane.

His father, the emperor, had no interest in the family, and his grandmother trained him almost abusively from the age of seven. His mother, who ignored her son and traveled frequently, even favored only her youngest daughter.

Rudolf had three siblings: the eldest, Sophie, died young, and the only one he could rely on was his older sister, Gisela, who was two years older. Even then, his mother, Sisi, showed no affection and married Gisela off at the young age of fifteen. She even said she would support her youngest daughter if she wanted to marry a chimney sweep, showing one-sided favoritism.

In this situation, not being twisted would be a miracle.

'If Rudolf were to ascend the throne, it wouldn't be bad. In the original history, he was a pro-French figure. The problem is that I would be fortunate if I am not deposed before he ascends or commits suicide.'

We exchanged formal conversations, but my mind was incredibly complex.

How can I return from Vienna with the maximum benefit?

Just one victory, just one war, but it's difficult. There's no time, the people around me are incompetent, and the opponent is Prussia at its peak.

It's very idealistic. Like the doomed Napoleon III who brought about his own diplomatic isolation.

***

Vienna, Austria-Hungary.

The Emperor of Austria-Hungary, Franz Joseph, nodded as he received a report.

"The Crown Prince Eugen, Rudolf, and Gisela seem to have grown quite close."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Franz Joseph was not a good father objectively.

He paid little attention to family matters, which were dominated by his strong-willed mother, and even had affairs to avoid his wife Sisi's hysteria caused by the stress of her marriage.

While he left the education of the Crown Prince to his mother, he did not lack love for his children.

"Crown Prince Eugen is known as a young genius, an inventor, and enjoys much support and popularity both domestically and internationally."

In terms of appearance and personality, he was a prince the French could not help but love.

As Napoleon III's popularity plummeted, Eugen's popularity in Vienna soared. If Eugen were to reach adulthood, the French might hope for Napoleon III to quickly abdicate.

However, it is questionable whether Napoleon III could even survive until Eugen is around twenty.

"I hope Rudolf receives good stimulation. He is four years younger than you, right?"

"He is two years older than Princess Gisela and four years younger than Crown Prince Rudolf."

"Hmm..."

Franz Joseph could not like Napoleon III, the man who sent his brother to his death.

However, he was pleased with his son, who came here following his conscience, despite not informing his father and taking responsibility for the incident.

'How could such a son come from such a father?'

The emperor was not a good father to the Crown Prince and was well aware of it.

However, as a father, it is natural to hope that the Crown Prince, who will inherit the empire, and the most promising next-generation monarch, the Crown Prince of France, will have a positive influence—whether it be competitiveness or something else.

His thoughts turned to Prussia.

The humiliation of being unable to do anything as Prussian troops approached Vienna. Wilhelm I even demanded a victory parade in Vienna. Although there was much opposition within Prussia, Franz Joseph, upon hearing this, was so enraged that he nearly collapsed.

At this moment, Austrian envoys are in contact with Russia to prepare for revenge against Prussia. Although the Russian military agrees, the political sphere, wary of Britain and France, does not, so progress is slow.

'...There's no harm in keeping the possibility open.'

In any case, seeing such a Crown Prince after the emperor who had caused so many problems for Austria made him feel different.

'It's still too early.'

The Emperor of Habsburg clenched his fist unconsciously.

***

The stay in Vienna did not yield significant results.

If there was any achievement, it was confirming that Austria's hatred for Prussia still exists. However, this was already known information, so it's hard to say it was a gain.

I should consider the improvement of my image in Habsburg as a result. After all, I didn't lose anything. As they say, there's no such thing as a free lunch. Even if it's not free, I tried to get something at a low price, so I should accept whatever I get.

Still, Crown Prince Rudolf showed me considerable intimacy until the end. If he becomes emperor, it might be useful, but until then, it's not much of a card. Franz Joseph lived until World War I... It really won't help, damn it. Why is everything I've gathered just a bunch of bad checks?

'If I can shake the Triple Alliance...'

Lost in thought, I fell asleep.

***

Well, it seems I made one miscalculation.

I'll just call him Rudolf.

This Rudolf has been writing letters like a madman since I met him.

Even though he is a Crown Prince, I can't ignore his letters, so I read them and replied. In the process, I learned some rather personal matters.

It seems he is venting all his stress by writing letters to me, even the most trivial details.

Given his life, it's understandable. His mother, after the eldest sister died at the age of two, fell into depression and lost interest in raising her children. The Archduchess Sophie, who actually raised Rudolf, was a clearly failing grandmother.

From the age of seven, he was subjected to military-style living, with alarm sounds being gunshots, walking in the snow, being doused with cold water, and being left in remote places to find his way back. It's hard to distinguish between home education and child abuse. Without a trace of parental love, it would be a miracle if he didn't develop a mental illness.

Well, since I am also a Crown Prince, and Rudolf is a Crown Prince, he is at least an equal and a potential friend. More importantly, how many people can he confide in without reservation?

'But it's not normal to tell all this to a foreign Crown Prince.'

I pondered what to reply to this letter. Does writing letters to me mean he doesn't yearn for his grandmother during that time...? It sounds convincing.

To my friend Eugen,

"Thank you for the last letter, but..."

To be honest, I don't know what his last letter was about. I do reply to each letter I receive, but it doesn't seem to be a response to the last letter I received, no matter how I calculate the time difference.

This adds to my suspicion that writing letters to me is not his own will or that the act of writing itself is the purpose.

I wanted to send a letter filled with serious barking and see what the reply would be, and if the other party wasn't a Crown Prince, I would have really sent it.

About 90% of the letter content is about how his instructors treat him, how indifferent his mother is, and what he talked about with his sister Gisela, with little response to my letters.

That was the most important part.

The possibility of an alliance between Austria-Hungary and the French Empire. Further, a triangular alliance between the French Empire, Austria-Hungary, and the Russian Empire.

The possibility of the de facto Triple Alliance collapsing.

Austria-Hungary is willing to abandon the Balkans to seek revenge on Prussia, and the Russian Empire wants the Balkans but is wary of Britain and France, making it difficult to accept it outright due to concerns about a second Crimean War.

If we, France, declare that we will not interfere whether Russia takes the Balkans or not, it might be possible. The problem is that I am not yet the emperor.

Therefore, I tried to subtly gauge the possibility of a secret alliance with Austria-Hungary through Rudolf, but it seems he didn't catch the hidden meaning. I can't just come out and say it either.

At that moment, I noticed a smudged word. I was reading while ignoring parts that didn't seem important, but this caught my eye.

'Is it... luck?'

I looked at the smudged word. The letter paper was slightly damaged.

"...Gisela's birthday was yesterday, but since neither my mother nor my father was there, we celebrated it just the two of us. She said to thank you, and it would have been better if we could have met in person..."