Chapter 416: The Flower of Vienna
Joseph walked through the meticulously kept courtyard. The villa's door was pushed open from within, and a young girl, holding up her long white dress, darted out. In her haste, her golden, slightly curled hair swayed and rippled like waves behind her.
The girl kept her head lowered, clearly nervous, and almost collided with Clauzel.
"Please forgive me," she said, "I truly didn't mean to."
She hurriedly curtsied and apologized to the captain of the guards. After receiving his forgiveness, she cautiously scanned the crowd. Suddenly recalling something, she quickly straightened her posture, and, adopting a very even pace, approached the handsome young man in the sapphire blue coat, performing a curtsy with impeccable court etiquette:
"It's, it's an honor to have you here, Your Most Esteemed Crown Prince." Her French wasn't very fluent and carried a German accent. After a slight pause, as if collecting herself, she added, "Ah, I am Camelia Herminie Delvaux. It's an honor for you to come..."
Only then did Joseph truly see the girl's face. She was perhaps sixteen or seventeen, with delicately curved features and skin as fair and soft as a baby's. Her large, violet eyes were filled with nervousness and unease. Paired with her slightly parted cherry lips, as if she wished to say more, she evoked an irresistible urge to protect her.
Joseph was accustomed to seeing all kinds of beauties in Versailles, yet Camelia's exquisite appearance still surprised him, leaving him momentarily stunned.
"Ahem," he coughed lightly to cover his embarrassment. He nodded a greeting to the girl and then inquired, "I've come to visit Madame Delvaux. Is her health improving?"
Camelia's expression immediately clouded over upon hearing this. She whispered:
In the sun-facing bedroom on the villa's second floor, an elderly woman with a head full of silver hair lay in bed, her eyes closed, her breathing so faint it was almost imperceptible.
As Joseph entered the room, a maid from the Delvaux household quickly approached the bed and leaned down to whisper a few words into the old woman's ear.
The wrinkled eyelids slowly parted. The old woman painstakingly turned her head, a mumbled sound escaping her throat:
"Is it... the Crown... Prince?"
"Yes, Madame."
The old woman immediately opened her eyes with effort, her frail, withered arm gripping the maid as she struggled to sit up, a stream of cloudy tears threatening to spill from her eyes:
"Her Majesty the Queen... she... still remembers... me..."
Joseph quickly stepped forward to support her. "Please, lie back down. My mother longed to visit you, but she simply couldn't leave Paris, so she sent me to convey her sincerest blessings."
Sobbing, Madame Delvaux suddenly burst into tears. "I, I also... dearly... miss... Her Majesty the Queen..."
After a period of weeping, she looked at Joseph and struggled again, trying to bow:
"You see... I... truly am... old... and muddled. Your esteemed... Crown... Prince..."
"You needn't bother with formalities; please take care of yourself." Joseph helped her lean back against the pillows, but realized that the old woman was so exhausted from the recent exertion that she could no longer keep her eyes open.
He turned to Camelia:
"What did the doctor say?"
The girl whispered, "Dr. Richter just bled Grandmother this morning and said if there's no improvement, she might need emetic treatment this afternoon."
A wave of exasperation washed over Joseph's face. The old woman was already in such a critical state, and the quack doctor still wanted to bleed her...
'Forget it,' Joseph thought. 'In this era, even President Washington couldn't escape the prevailing medical ignorance of bloodletting, let alone an ordinary noblewoman in Vienna.'
Madame Delvaux rested for a while. Then, smiling, she began to reminisce about Queen Mary's childhood. Joseph couldn't bear to interrupt the old woman's cherished memories, so he sat by the bedside, listening quietly.
Around noon, Dr. Richter arrived. After examining the old woman, he nervously glanced at the clearly distinguished young man nearby, then whispered to Camelia:
"Alas... Madame Delvaux's condition... she won't be needing emetic treatment anymore. What she needs is a priest. May God have mercy on her soul."
After the doctor left, Camelia could no longer hold back her tears. Madame Delvaux, however, smiled and comforted her:
"Grandmother... is fine. Oh, it's good... I won't need that... accursed... emetic. Go and invite... Father Koch... to come."
As if suddenly remembering something, she looked at the French Crown Prince and tried to sit up again.
Joseph had no choice but to help her lie back down on the bed:
"Is there something you wish to tell me?"
The old woman nodded weakly:
"Your Highness... there's a demon... named... Walter. He..."
Through Madame Delvaux's fragmented account, Joseph finally pieced together the story. This Baron Walter had, while in Spain, imprisoned and assaulted numerous women, resulting in the deaths of two. This enraged Minister Campos, and seven years ago, out of desperation, Walter had fled to Tuscany to seek refuge with his cousin, Ludovica. He had subsequently accompanied her to Austria.
In Vienna, Walter continued to dally with women until he encountered Camelia at a ball. He immediately became obsessed with her beauty and vowed to marry her.
After Madame Delvaux learned of his deplorable character, she vehemently rejected the marriage proposal. Subsequently, he subjected them to incessant harassment.
Throughout the past year, Camelia had been so terrified that she barely dared to leave the house. Fortunately, Madame Delvaux still held some standing, so Walter had not yet dared to simply abduct her.
"Once I... go to... God," Madame Delvaux continued with difficulty, "that... scoundrel... will no longer... have any restraints."
Joseph frowned involuntarily. He had already inquired about the Delvaux family's circumstances: they had few relatives in Vienna. After the old woman's death, a young girl like Camelia would likely fall prey to Walter's clutches.
Madame Delvaux motioned for her granddaughter to come closer and took her hand. Then, very carefully, she tugged at Joseph's sleeve, placed her granddaughter's small hand into his, and pleaded:
"Crown Prince... Your Highness... I beg you... for Her Majesty the Queen's sake, you must take... Camelia away from Vienna, and keep her away from... that demon!"
Joseph looked at the old woman's pale face. He immediately clasped Camelia's slender, cold hand more firmly and nodded, saying:
"Please rest assured. I promise no one will dare to harm your granddaughter. She will live well in Paris."
"I am truly... too grateful, Your Highness. May God... bless you." Madame Delvaux said, weeping again, yet her expression was one of immense relief.
Soon after, the old woman wearily fell asleep.
After comforting Camelia, Joseph promised to visit the old woman again tomorrow. Only then did he leave the estate.
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