In the middle of the night, under the cover of Emperor Franz-Joseph's specially arranged personnel, the carriage carrying the Trévilles quietly came to the outskirts of Schönbrunn Palace, and then the couple changed to a carriage and returned to the palace, ending their secret visit and successfully completing the purpose of the couple's trip.

Yes, their visit was a great success, Charlotte saw Her Royal Highness the eldest princess for the last time, and managed to put off the deadline for her family to pay off their arrears until a few years later. Essentially, by the time they returned to Schönbrunn Palace, their visit had come to a successful conclusion.

On the surface, of course, their visit will continue for some more time.

Since being intimidated by the Charles, Emperor Franz-Joseph has been busy discussing with his ministers how to deal with the impending crisis in Europe, so he has not come forward to receive the Charles, but he has done enough etiquette to keep the Charles in the court.

Due to Charlotte's lack of energy and the need to recuperate as a pregnant woman, she usually rests in her room, while Charles passes the time by attending court banquets.

To Charles' disappointment, he had been in the court banquets for several times, but had never been able to find any trace of Princess Elizabeth—he had been looking for another opportunity to meet and talk with her since that ball, but he had never been able to get the chance.

He knocked on the side of others, and others couldn't give much information other than telling him that the princess had been with the emperor, so he had to suppress his depression and pass the time by chatting with others during the palace banquet.

But. Since the last time he made the big news at the dance, no young lady or lady had come to talk to him. He was also informed, and only talked to the French embassy staff and Austrian officials.

The same was true for him at this banquet. Charles and several young Austrian and French diplomats talked about what they had seen at the British World's Fair, and in order to raise his value, he deliberately described the spectacle of the Crystal Palace and the courtesy of the Queen and his wife, and the diplomats were fascinated by them.

Just as he was talking energetically, he suddenly noticed that the young men's eyes had become a little strange, and a strange noise came from behind him.

He immediately turned his head to look behind him, only to see a woman standing not far behind him, looking at him.

The woman looked very young. He is tall and has a high nose bridge, and his thin eyebrows are obliquely long, making him look cold and impersonal. She wore a dark black dress, and her curly dark brown hair hung down from her temples and hung down at the sides, just covering her collarbone. She had a wine glass in her right hand, apparently just walked over.

After Charles spotted her, she lifted the glass in her hand. He shook Charr gently.

This person is looking for me? Am I reading it wrong?

Charles looked back to see if he was wrong, but everyone looked at him strangely.

"I don't know her." Charles immediately said subconsciously.

Everyone's eyes were even more strange.

"Well, I'm sorry. I'm out of company. In order to prevent their thoughts from becoming more and more unbearable, Charles simply chose to leave.

Charles picked up his glass and walked over to the young lady.

"If I'm not mistaken. Miss, are you calling me? ”

"You understand correctly. Sir," the voice was crisp. But quiet, without much enthusiasm. "I'm really looking for you."

Then, she turned and left, "Please come with me, it's not convenient to talk here." ”

Charles didn't know why, but he followed her anyway.

She led Charles to a corner where no one was paying attention, and sat down gently. "Sir, I'm sorry to come to you in this way, but I beg your understanding that I can't find a better way right now."

"I guess there's something you want to tell me?"

"That's right." She nodded, "And I promise it's a topic of interest to you." ”

"What topic?" Charles gradually recovered from his surprise, sat up straight, and looked at the other man with his head up. "I don't guarantee that I'll be interested in your topic."

When trading, it is necessary to make every effort to devalue the counterparty's trades, and Charles is accustomed to adopting such an attitude.

The other party did not answer immediately, but looked at him for a long time.

Just as Charles was a little impatient, she suddenly chuckled.

"Have you always been in this pretentious way of dealing with others? Haha, it's so fun, no wonder people say that the French are all roosters...... It's so similar! ”

Not! Charles almost spit out the wine in his mouth, all these years, he has been able to talk and laugh with the emperor and queen, where has he been ridiculed like this?

"Did you call me here just to say something like this and humiliate me? Miss, if that's the case, you're too bored. He barely managed to maintain his composure, "I think that as a guest of your emperor, I deserve the most basic respect." ”

"One thing I must point out is that being powerful does not necessarily mean that you will be respected, sir." The lady looked at Charles with a very indifferent expression, "If a man gains power by staging a coup d'état and wielding a butcher's knife at the people, then he does not deserve the respect of the people." ”

"I didn't do it to gain respect, miss." Charles replied with an equally cold look, "Actually, I don't think it matters what people think of me, what matters is that I'm on the path I want to take. ”

"You are indeed on a very dangerous path, and perhaps one day you will plunge the whole of Europe into terror." She still looked dissatisfied and contemptuous, "As far as I can see, you have already caused great harm to the peace of Europe, and the newspapers say that you came suddenly to win over our country to deal with the Russians. ”

"Today's newspapers dare to say anything for the sake of sales, and anyone dares to slander!" Charles shrugged his shoulders and looked disgruntled. "I beg you not to look at the world according to the assumptions of the newspapers, miss. I have come for peace and friendship between my country and your country. That's right. What's your name, please? ”

"My name is Angela and my full name is Fenathia Angela von Trym." The young lady replied rather coldly. Acquiesced in Charles' efforts to divert the subject. "But I guess it doesn't matter to you."

Then, she muttered slightly, "First of all, let me go into detail, I am a court lady who serves Her Majesty the Queen Mother, and my father is a diplomat. Well...... In fact, we were all present at the ball where you were honored and shown. Then saw your performance. ”

"And then?" Charles ignored the other party's hidden ridicule and asked directly.

"Although I have been serving by Her Majesty the Queen Mother and staying in this court, I still have some brains. I know you're a big man, and I think the newspapers are telling you -- you're here to deal with the Russians. She lowered her voice slightly, "And my father has been dealing with Russians a lot lately...... He didn't tell me anything about work, but I could find some clues. And you...... Would you like to know or not? ”

She has news of the Russians? Charles's heart sank, and the previous anger had been thrown out of the clouds.

"I want to know. Miss, please tell me. ”

"I knew you would say that." The woman smiled with a successful plan, "The Russians have been admonishing our Ministry of Foreign Affairs now, asking them not to listen to your demagoguery. Join the anti-Russian front. ”

"It's not a surprise to me." Charles replied quietly. "The Russians would have been worried about me, but they would have been wrong."

"Who knows, but they are now going to put our country on the same side as them. Together they will deter you—" she deliberately lengthened her voice, "and they intend to encourage us to join us in the war against the Turks. And tell us if we have the desire to expand our influence elsewhere. They can provide the necessary support, so, on the whole, these conditions are tempting, and our Majesty is hesitant, after all, the Russians have been our benefactors lately. ”

"What?" Charles was taken aback.

Not only for the actions of the Russians, but even more for the actions of this person.

It is normal for the Russians to want to win over the Austrians now, but this is a state secret without question, and she told me such a state secret without care?

"That's pretty much the case, so you see, it's not like we're out of options." She spread her hands, "His Majesty the Emperor is obviously still hesitating, whether to support your side or support that. You may need other efforts to impress him. In addition, Chancellor Schwarzenberg's idea is to ask you to withdraw your support for the Kingdom of Sardinia in exchange for our neutrality. ”

"I see, thank you." Charles groaned for a long time, then nodded.

To tell the truth, he was not worried that Franz-Josephli would be unconscious, not because he was "well versed in history", but because the pressure on him from England and France was too great for him to dare to stand with the Russians against the two countries, and he had this self-confidence - of course, the pace after that was to be changed, and not to push the Austrians too hard.

His brain was racing at high speed, and the look in his eyes on the woman had changed a little. "Okay, thank you, huh...... Miss von Steemrei, I am very grateful for your help and I hope to do everything I can to repay you. ”

"Of course I'm looking for you in return," said Charles, though she mispronounced her name, but the young lady didn't care, "I don't tell you this to make friends with you, but to get some help from you." ”

"Tell me, then, what do you want in return?" Charles unconsciously straightened up again.

To be honest, he was also very curious in his heart, what would this young lady, who was born noble at first sight, sell the country for-- yes, these things she told herself were already in the category of betraying the country.

Is it to pay off gambling debts? Or for lovers? A lot of reverie suddenly flashed through his mind.

"Actually, what I want is very simple......" Because of some excitement, the young lady's voice trembled a little, "I like French literature very much, to be honest, I may have read more French novels than you or most French people, I have several authors who I like very much, I would like to ask you...... Could you please find their signatures and manuscripts for me as a collection. ”

"Uh......?" Charles grew more and more stunned.

Just for this, a person would actually go to sell the country?

"I stay in the palace on weekdays, and I don't know a few French, so I can't miss an opportunity to find such an opportunity." "All right, Monsieur de Treville," she replied eloquently. I have given you this news, and you must repay me, and I will have the manuscripts of the late Monsieur de Balzac and Monsieur Hugo, who is still in Belgium, and you must bring me it, um...... Stendhal's too. ”

She kept saying the name, and Charles kept nodding, anyway, there are a lot of these things in France, even if they are rare, they can be bought for a little money. To be honest, he still can't figure out how someone would betray the country for this, he can only say that his personal worldview is different.

"By the way, I also want the manuscript of the author who wrote "The Commoner Queen", the author I don't know the name, you have to investigate it for me." After a moment of silence, she suddenly thought of another.

"The Commoner Queen?" Charles looked up in confusion, his voice changing slightly.

"Well, it's a novel, it's about Madame du Barry, and it's interesting. Especially the lady's confrontation with the Duke of Choiseul and the Duke of Orleans, and the passage in which she mocks these two nobles with superficial deference, is so amusing that I have reviewed it many times! The woman was obviously already a little excited, and then she looked at Charles rather confused, "By the way, you know who Madame Dubarry is, right?" ”

"I think I know." Charles's face was still a little strange.

"Well, that's it, you shouldn't know the name of this author, he wrote novels under several pseudonyms, but it has been silent for the past few years, and I think since you are powerful in France, then you can help me find him, get the manuscript, and enrich my collection." She went on to give her instructions, "I believe you should be able to do this. ”

"I can." Charles nodded.

Because...... It was written in his early years, and he had a manuscript or something.

"You're not lying to me, are you?" Seeing Charles's crisp look, she was suspicious.

"Since I promised you, I can do it." Charles looked at the other party solemnly, "I have done many bad things, and even killed people, but I promise you, I have always been good at talking, and I will never break my promises as long as I have made them. ”

His words were contagious, so Angela believed them right away.

"Great, thank you, I've finally found the right person!" Instead, she thanked Charles, completely unaware that Charles had earned the deal, "As a bonus, I can do one more thing for you, is there anything you want to give to the princess?" I can help you ......" (To be continued.) )

PS: Anyway, tomorrow is April Fool's Day......