Chapter 423: How Will I Live Without You?
"Camelia," Bazel gripped the girl's shoulders tightly, his gaze fixed on her exquisitely beautiful violet eyes, his tone grave. "You must go to Paris! Not only must you go, but you should also find every possible way to approach the Crown Prince."
Camelia was clearly startled, her voice nervous. "Wh-why? And there's no way I could ever meet the Crown Prince..."
"Please trust your teacher!" Bazel's expression was incredibly serious, as if he were giving her a final lesson. "You only need to find a way to stay by the French Queen's side. Becoming her lady-in-waiting might be difficult, but a maid should be achievable—you are very familiar with Vienna's court etiquette, and Her Majesty the Queen will surely like you.
"The Crown Prince certainly visits the Queen often, so you will frequently encounter him. You must first learn his habits and preferences, starting with simple greetings, and try to converse with him more.
"You are so beautiful; no one would refuse to speak with you."
Camelia stared blankly at Bazel, who was both her mentor and a friend. "What are you saying? This is completely unimaginable..."
Bazel, however, did not hesitate. "You must use your advantages. I mean, even at Versailles, you are the most striking among all the girls!
"You need to captivate the Crown Prince. You should be more proactive... no, no, more importantly, you must strike the right balance, so he doesn't find you overly forward. Make it feel natural. Oh, I know this is difficult, and you have no similar experience, but you can consult the noblewomen at Versailles; they are quite skilled at this. Of course, you'll need to offer them some favors; don't be afraid to spend money..."
The music teacher grew more agitated as he spoke. "Once those techniques take effect—once your relationship with the Crown Prince becomes 'harmonious,' you must seize the opportunity—to become his mistress!"
"No, you can!" Bazel declared loudly. "This is an opportunity many people only dream of, a destiny bestowed upon you by God.
"Believe me! You must do this!"
The girl nervously dropped her cocoa cup onto the table and retreated repeatedly. She had always trusted her teacher; following his guidance had never led her astray, but at this moment, she didn't know whether she should listen to him.
"I... I came to bid you farewell." She suddenly remembered her purpose for coming, backing away until she reached the door, feeling for the doorknob behind her. Only then did she continue, "I will write to you. You will always be my most trusted friend. May God bless you. Now, I think I must go."
With that, she forcefully pulled open the door and fled Bazel's villa without a backward glance.
Bazel reached out for her retreating figure, but then his hand trembled and drew back. His eyes were red-rimmed, and he murmured softly, "Will we meet again, my Camelia... Oh, no, it's better if we don't.
"I hope you live happily in Paris. I hope you find happiness! You must find happiness!
"But how am I to live without you in my world..."
He saw the girl seem to look back in his direction before getting into the carriage and immediately waved to her. "Go, Camelia, go to His Highness the Crown Prince. It's alright, smile, yes! Smile!"
Camelia got into the carriage, her mind in a whirl. Monsieur Bazel had actually said it was her destiny, the destiny to become that man's mistress...
The handsome face of the French Crown Prince flashed in her mind, and she shivered slightly, her cheeks flushing. It was true, as her teacher said, how many girls dreamed of gaining his favor? Should she really do that?
But her teacher had never lied to her, and his decisions for her had never been wrong...
By the time she returned home, lost in thought, it was almost dusk.
From a distance, she saw the manor gates wide open—they should have been empty—and anxiously said to the French servant, Eric, "Monsieur Eric, it seems someone has arrived at the house?"
The carriage stopped at a distance, and Eric dismounted alone to check on the manor. Moments later, several men in Palace Guard uniforms pushed him out, shouting something loudly.
Camelia faintly heard words like "fraud" and "seizure"...
In a luxurious villa southwest of Vienna, Baron Walter was embracing a heavily made-up woman, raising his wine glass triumphantly to the others across from him. "That old hag finally kicked the bucket. Hahaha, God, you finally remembered to take her. And now I can finally get my hands on that adorable little nightingale."
On the sofa, a slightly corpulent young nobleman was groping the woman beside him, deliberately teasing, "Fred, I bet Mademoiselle Camelia will still refuse you, just like before, haha."
The other nobles also smiled.
Walter forcefully pushed away the woman clinging to him, disdainful. "I've already had Judge Meyer and Marquis Werhorn arrange everything. This time, she absolutely won't be able to refuse me."
"We'll see," he patted the cushion beside him, triumphant. "In half a month at most, or even next week, you'll see my little sweet treat sitting right here."
The other nobles began joining in the uproar, even cracking a few crude jokes, congratulating Walter on getting his wish.
"Hmm, I'll have to take her to that 'gathering' at the end of the month." Walter stroked his chin with a lecherous grin. "Those guys from Barkhaus are definitely going to be drooling with envy, haha."
While Walter was boasting to his cronies, Joseph was in his second-floor room at Meiquan Palace, frowning as he looked at Eric, his servant. "You mean the Palace Guard sealed the Delvaux family's manor?"
Eric nodded. "Yes, Your Highness. They said Madame Delvaux was involved in a fraud case during her lifetime, and in addition to the manor, about twenty hectares of property in the northern suburbs of Vienna have also been seized."
The jurisdiction of law enforcement was very ambiguous at the time; the army was a crucial enforcement body, while the police typically only handled cases involving commoners. The fact that the Palace Guard was used indicated that this fraud case was very serious.
Camelia, who had been comforted by a maid and had calmed down somewhat, began to wipe away tears again at the news.
Joseph's expression darkened. He knew that his mother would give her wet nurse a sum of money every year, at least four or five thousand livres. Over the past decade or so, that money alone would have been enough for the Delvaux family to buy the manor and those properties; there was no need for her to engage in any fraud.
Eric continued, "Oh, and Your Highness, those Palace Guard officers also said that a Baron Walter knew about relevant evidence."
Joseph immediately understood when he heard Walter's name.
'It's that fellow causing trouble, as expected!'
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