Chapter 422: Fate and Future
Upon hearing this, Joseph II, standing nearby, immediately let out anxious grunts.
Leopold II quickly leaned in to listen, then turned to Thugut and asked, "His Majesty wants to know, did the French mention the sovereignty of Wallonia?"
"Archbishop Talleyrand stated that sovereignty still belongs to the King of the Southern Netherlands," Thugut replied.
"What about Ghent province?" Leopold II pressed.
Ghent, bordering the Atlantic Ocean to the south, controls the mouth of the Rhine River, making its strategic position exceptionally vital.
"Ghent is not included in the special trade zone," Thugut added, "Nor is Bruges."
Bruges is another coastal province, right next to Ghent.
Leopold II breathed a sigh of relief. If that were the case, the so-called "special trade zone" would be entirely inland, encompassing only the provinces of Mons and Namur, and a portion of southern Liège. Its area would be only slightly larger than Luxembourg.
As long as they held onto the coastal provinces, along with Antwerp, they could firmly control the mouth of the Rhine River. In that scenario, the greatest interests of the Southern Netherlands would not be lost.
In reality, the mouth of the Rhine River, which Leopold valued most, was nothing more than a hot potato to Joseph.
The Rhine River was the commercial artery of the German region. If France controlled its mouth, it would gain an immense trade advantage in Germany, even able to push Britain out entirely. Should that happen, the British would undoubtedly go to war to expel France from the region.
Historically, one of the core reasons Britain actively instigated the Anti-French Coalition was France's occupation of the entire Southern Netherlands.
Furthermore, if the British harbored any ill intentions towards Wallonia, they would first have to cross the Austrian-controlled coastal provinces, which would, in turn, serve as a barrier for France.
Therefore, it was most fitting to leave the coastal provinces to Austria.
What Joseph truly cared about were Wallonia's coal resources and its large French-speaking population. Moreover, once the Walloon Special Trade Zone was established, it could be connected to Luxembourg. When railway lines were completed, the combined coal and iron resources of both regions would become another powerful engine for France's Industrial Revolution.
As for sovereignty, that was merely an empty title.
Thanks to his previous efforts, the Walloon Chamber of Commerce was now largely staffed by those Joseph had promoted, with its president even being a Frenchman. And the former Military Materiel Preparatory Committee had already seized control of every aspect of trade.
If the Chamber of Commerce managed the administration—a common model in France—then it would essentially mean Joseph controlled the region.
At the same time, no Austrian troops would be stationed in Wallonia; the Walloon Police would be the sole enforcement agency there.
Seemingly, this would be an "undefended" trade zone, but the combat effectiveness of the police had immense room for fluctuation.
'Haven't they heard of the Paris Police Academy? The Walloon Police just need a bit of training. Don't blame me when they make your regular army cry.'
Joseph II remained silent for a long time, also convinced that this was a surefire deal. He nodded with difficulty, squeezing out a single word from his throat:
"Agreed."
...
While Joseph was busy signing the "Special Vienna Accord" with Leopold II, Madame Delvaux's funeral had concluded its series of rites, and the burial ceremony had officially taken place.
By the time Joseph hurried from Schönbrunn Palace to the cemetery, all the funeral guests had departed. Only a newly erected tomb stood in isolation, its gravestone carved with Madame Delvaux's name and a small inscription: 'She was once held in the thoughts of the most beautiful Queen in this world.'
Camelia still stood rooted before the gravestone, her head bowed, reluctant to leave for a long time.
Joseph approached, patting her back gently, and said softly:
"The deceased has passed on, and you will have a new home. Her Majesty the Queen awaits you at Versailles."
The girl slowly turned her head, then slowly curtsied, her voice thick with emotion:
"I am deeply grateful for your and Her Majesty the Queen's kindness. May God bless you and His Majesty."
Joseph nodded, then continued:
"I will be returning to Paris the day after tomorrow. Will you depart with me, according to Madame Delvaux's wishes?"
Camelia glanced at her grandmother's gravestone, then nodded, her eyes welling up with tears:
"Yes, Your Royal Highness... Paris is now the only place I can go..."
As they spoke, Schönbrunn Palace officials, led by Eman, approached and bowed to Joseph, saying:
"Illustrious Crown Prince, His Imperial Majesty invites you to attend tonight's ball."
With a treaty of such immense significance to Austria having been signed, a celebration was naturally in order.
Joseph could only offer the girl a few more words of comfort, leaving two servants to attend to her, before he hurried back to Schönbrunn Palace for political engagements.
The following afternoon, Camelia finally ate her first meal in nearly two days. Afterwards, she wiped away the tear stains from her eyes, preparing to leave and bid farewell to her only friend.
The servants Joseph had assigned to her immediately began preparing a carriage. Madame Delvaux's household staff had all been dismissed, leaving only Camelia's personal maid, so these tasks for going out fell to them.
In a modest villa on Leierston Street, Monsieur Basel warmly served Camelia a cup of hot cocoa:
"Drink some. It has plenty of sugar; it will soothe your spirit."
Seeing the girl silently pick up the cup, he carefully asked:
"So, what are your plans for the future? If..."
He steeled himself, wanting to say, 'If you would allow it, I could take you away from Vienna, anywhere at all, and I would care for you for the rest of my life.'
Though he was Camelia's music teacher, he was also deeply enamored with her. Thus, when everyone else avoided her out of fear of Baron Walter, he remained steadfast in his protection of her.
Now that Madame Delvaux was gone, he was the only one left in the world who could protect the poor girl. He couldn't confront Walter, but he could take her away. For her sake, he was willing to abandon his comfortable life and spend the rest of his days as a fugitive.
However, before he could voice his thoughts, he heard the girl whisper, "Grandmother wrote to Her Majesty the Queen of France. The French Crown Prince will take me to Paris."
She looked up at Basel. "I'm scared. It's a distant and unfamiliar place, and I don't know what kind of fate awaits me there. Tell me, should I go?"
Basel's heart clenched. He immediately wanted to say, 'No, don't go,' but then he froze.
'The French Crown Prince?'
He slowly lowered his head. If Camelia could go to Versailles, it would be a thousand times better than constantly hiding from Baron Walter with him.
'That's the life she deserves.'
In just two seconds, his gaze hardened. For her, this was an even greater opportunity.
He recalled Camelia mentioning her grandmother's connection to the French Queen, meaning she would have many opportunities to interact with the future King of France!
Although, given her background, it was impossible for her to become the Crown Princess, even a slight connection to the Crown Prince could bring about a monumental change in her destiny.
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