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

After saying that, the attendant respectfully withdrew from the room, leaving the two men looking at each other.

Although he is the grandson of His Majesty the Emperor, Aglon does not have the opportunity to have dinner with His Majesty the Emperor every day, and the sudden arrival of this order at this time does not seem to bode well.

"It seems that His Royal Highness has already moved His Majesty, and his determination is even greater than he imagined." A moment later, Count Dietrich Stein whispered.

"Yes, so it's too late for you to regret now, I can understand that." Agron nodded.

"Since I promised you, I won't regret it, but Your Highness, there is only so much I can do to help you, I hope you can understand." The Count sighed.

Then, he stood up again, "Okay, I won't disturb you, you can rest first, and then meet Your Majesty later." ”

After the Count had left, Aiglon picked up the book again and looked out the window.

Silence returned to the room, except for the ticking of the chiming clock and the increasingly slanting sunlight outside the window, reminding people of the passage of time.

As night began to fall on the land, Agron finally walked out of his room and followed the squire into the dining room.

Although it is already night, the dining room is illuminated by the brilliant lights of the chandeliers on the ceiling, and a group of uniformed attendants shuttle through it, showing the extraordinary royal style.

When Aiglon walked into the dining room, His Majesty the Emperor had already arrived, seated on the throne. So he went up to His Majesty the Emperor and saluted him respectfully.

Although he ruled a vast empire, the passage of time inevitably left a mark on Emperor Franz I, whose hair had turned gray, and no amount of majesty could hide the air of old age and decay.

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

Because today is not a formal occasion, he is not dressed in a fancy dress, but only wears a military uniform as a casual attire, and does not wear a medal, but the simple and simple dress makes him look more energetic than when he dresses up.

His Majesty the Emperor seemed to be in a good mood today, and looked up and down at Aiglon for a moment, then nodded rather happily.

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

The sudden compliment left Agron a little confused, he didn't quite understand what His Majesty the Emperor meant, but he had to express his gratitude first.

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

"Please sit down, it's nice to have a young man by your side for dinner." His Majesty the Emperor smiled.

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

It was a long table, with His Majesty the Emperor sitting on the throne and the Empress sitting opposite him, Aiglon next to His Majesty the Emperor, and opposite him the Second Prince, Grand Duke Karl and Princess Sophie.

Crown Prince Ferdinand, because of his poor health and frequent seizures, did not marry until now, nor did he participate in His Majesty's dinner, and ate alone in his bedroom.

After he was seated, Princess Sophie looked at him, then smiled and blinked.

"Good evening, Franz ......"

"Good evening, Your Highness." Aiglon greeted her as well.

The two men looked at each other and smiled, then looked away.

As His Majesty the Emperor began to eat, dinner officially began.

Because tonight was not a grand court banquet, but a dinner between members of the royal family, the meal was not luxurious.

The cold cuts are white sausages served with mushroom cream soup, and the main dish is sliced sirloin, served with a sauce made with cod and caper buds, and a number of small desserts.

Dining was the closest time of the day for the members of the royal family, and it was usually the time when they least needed to serve a shelf, so they talked to each other a lot, and even His Majesty the Emperor, who was always so serious that it was difficult to approach, became approachable.

"Franz." After eating a few bites, His Majesty the Emperor looked at the young man, "I heard that you rejected Metternich's proposal?" Can you tell me your reasoning? ”

"I don't know how His Royal Highness relayed my words to you, but I have already told His Royal Highness the exact reason...... Quite simply, I don't want to be a soldier, Your Majesty. "It's a matter of pure interest, not that I'm trying to turn against him. ”

"But in life, not everything will be satisfactory, even as an emperor." His Majesty the Emperor spread his hands, "No, I should say, even more so as an Emperor. ”

His Majesty the Emperor's tone was very kind, just as an ordinary grandfather educated his grandson.

But within this kindness lies unquestionable authority, and at least in this court, no one can disobey its will.

Agron took a secret breath, letting his rapidly accelerating heartbeat slowly calm down.

"Your Majesty, this is not just my occasional willfulness, I have made this decision after careful consideration. While it's ludicrous for my age, I ask you to hear my reasoning. ”

"Oh?" His Majesty the Emperor was amused, so he nodded, "Say it." ”

"My father was a man who brought countless nightmares to the European continent, because of his greed, from Lisbon to Moscow, countless young people have died in a foreign land, never to see and miss their families, and I can feel this tragedy even today." "Because I know the nightmares he caused, I don't feel like I can stare at the guns that create the souls...... I don't want to be like him, to trade blood for my fame, and those shiny uniforms can't move me, I just want to live here as an ordinary person, live quietly, and pray for those warriors who died in vain. ”

Because he had rehearsed it many times in his heart, his words were so sincere that he almost believed them.

However, he did not think so, he had had enough of this secluded life, and only thought of reclaiming his freedom, and in order to achieve this, he did not mind burning the whole world at all.

Under his infection, the people at the table fell silent.

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

Metternich's words and his grandson's words were in the back of his mind, and he weighed them and felt that they all made sense.

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

"Your Majesty!"

At this moment, Princess Sophie suddenly spoke.

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

"I think Franz's words make a lot of sense." Sophie bravely raised her head and looked at His Majesty the Emperor, "Franz doesn't have to live like Napoleon, I don't think he's fit to be an officer, didn't you just say that he was handsome?" How can such a child withstand the harsh torture of the army? Since he is more fond of pens than swords, then as elders, we should be more satisfied with his wishes, right? He likes a quiet life, so let him continue like this, and maybe one day he will become a Napoleon of poetry and leave more immortal poems for your Schönbrunn Palace...... Wouldn't that be nice? ”

Aiglon didn't expect that Princess Sophie had just said that she would help him, and she would actually do what she said, and so quickly.

Saying some nice words of comfort in private is completely different from the pressure that needs to be faced to argue with His Majesty the Emperor in person, and from this point of view, she really takes care of herself.

"Sophie, you Bavarians have always loved poetry and music more than guns...... "Her husband, Archduke Karl, laughed and joked, trying to make a round for everyone.

Princess Sophie, however, did not appreciate it, and her eyes rolled slightly, leaving her husband with a stern glance.

Under this stern gaze, Archduke Karl suddenly scooped a mouthful of soup and gagged his mouth.

The second prince, Archduke Karl, had always been mild-mannered, even a little weak, so he respected and feared his strong wife Sophie, who had a chance to inherit the Austrian throne in 1848, but because of Sophie's insistence, he gave up the throne and gave it to their son, who later became Emperor Franz-Joseph.

In the case of the decline of the male members of the Habsburgs, Princess Sophie controlled the court with her hard will, and even claimed to be "the only man in the Habsburg court".

It was only then that Agron saw the momentum.

"Your Majesty, Sophie is right, we should not only cultivate Franz, but also refer to his personal opinion. Otherwise, it will only make him fall into depression and pain at a young age, which is not good for everyone. Seeing her sister (who is also her titular daughter-in-law) defending Aglon so actively, Her Majesty Queen Caroline couldn't help but speak.

The Empress, who is only 34 years old this year, is the fourth wife of His Majesty the Emperor, and she is 24 years older than His Majesty the Emperor.

When the two get along, they are more like a father and daughter, and His Majesty the Emperor treats his new wife with a gentle and tolerant attitude, but they don't communicate much with each other, and she talks more with her sister Princess Sophie.

His Majesty did not expect that what he had intended to settle at the dinner table would suddenly turn into a dispute between members of the royal family, and that his wife and daughter-in-law unanimously supported the grandson's opinion.

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

Metternich's suggestion was still in his mind, and he suddenly weighed it a little.

While he was considering, the dinner was also coming to an end, and the attendants brought the fruit after the meal, and His Majesty the Emperor decided to observe it for the time being.

In this way, as His Majesty the Emperor got up and left the table, the people at dinner left the dining room with either happy or depressed feelings.

Aiglon was the one who rejoiced.

Regardless, with the help of Princess Sophie, he finally escaped trouble for the time being.

However, this is only temporary.

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

"Aiglon~"

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

She changed her name after she left the restaurant.

No matter what, her gentle smile will always make people feel good.

"Aiglon, are you free tomorrow? If we have time, let's go hunting together. ”

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

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

Infected by her smile, Aiglon unconsciously straightened his back.

"As long as it's your call, of course I'm free."