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Chapter 928: Stealing Mom's Lines

"Wait," Madame Adélaïde stammered, her eyes widening in disbelief. "Perhaps I misheard you. Did you just say... Queen?"

"Yes, Queen," Joseph confirmed once more. "I can guarantee it. You will be the Queen of Modena, crowned by the Pope himself."

"But... how is that even possible?"

Joseph gestured for her to continue walking as he explained.

"As you know, His Majesty Ercole III has no male heir. If you marry him, you will naturally take over Modena after his passing. As for the coronation, the Pope will proactively suggest it to you."

Madame Adélaïde held her hands mid-air, her voice filled with surprise. "I recall Ercole III has a daughter, and her son is already an adult. Ercole III might intend to leave the position of Duke to that young man."

"No, he won't," Joseph said with absolute certainty. "Even if France agreed, the other member states of the Mediterranean Security Organization would fiercely oppose it."

Madame Adélaïde understood instantly.

Ercole III's daughter had married the son of Empress Maria Theresa of Austria. Their children bore the name Habsburg!

Although Madame Adélaïde resided in the Palace of Versailles, she was far more than a noblewoman who only knew how to dance and knit.

On the contrary, she was very well-versed in politics.

During the period of Louis XV's terminal illness, she had briefly presided over the affairs of the French state.

This was one of the primary reasons Joseph had decided to send her to Modena—she possessed the capability to command respect and manage the situation.

"I believe His Majesty Ercole III understands this point himself," Joseph continued. "For him, marrying you and receiving the full support of France in the final years of his life—allowing Modena to reach unprecedented heights of prosperity while he enjoys the peak of his life—is the best possible outcome."

Madame Adélaïde's heart began to thrum with excitement.

She was a capable woman who had never been content to simply grow old and die within the walls of Versailles. At the same time, she truly yearned for the marital affection she had never experienced.

By going to Modena, all of this could be realized.

'Yes,' she nodded silently to herself. 'My life should conclude with the title of Queen!'

She looked at the Crown Prince and offered a deeply grateful smile. "Oh, dear Joseph, you are truly too thoughtful. I shall follow your arrangements in everything."

Half a month later.

A French special envoy for the marriage alliance arrived in Modena, officially conveying the French Royal Family's approval regarding the marriage between Ercole III and Madame Adélaïde.

In truth, the Duke of Modena had already learned of this news through the Chappe optical signal towers more than ten days prior, and he had been overjoyed even then.

One had to remember that Madame Adélaïde had been a legendary beauty who charmed all of Europe in her youth. This was why she had been the subject of rumors involving multiple European monarchs. As the crown prince of a small state in his younger days, Ercole III hadn't even dared to harbor such ambitions.

Even the late King Charles III of Spain had remained infatuated with her until his final breath.

Now, although she was older, her elegance and poise remained undiminished.

Ercole III felt as though he was finally fulfilling a dream from his youth. At the very least, he had bested the King of Spain in this regard.

Furthermore, he knew that Madame Adélaïde had accumulated a very substantial dowry.

Thus, Ercole III signed the marriage alliance agreement with the French envoy that very day and officially dispatched his own ambassadors to the Palace of Versailles to formally propose marriage.

***

On the day following the World Expo's warm-up ball, Queen Mary sent someone to summon Joseph to her tea room to sample the season's desserts.

Inside the Petit Trianon, after Joseph had sampled every sweet on the table, he wiped the crumbs from his lips with a napkin and smiled at his mother.

"I suspect you have something you wish to discuss with me?"

"Ah, indeed I do." Queen Mary, who had been worrying about how to open the conversation, seized the opening Joseph provided. "I was thinking... our country and Austria have been at war for quite some time now..."

"Yes, the war was started by Vienna without provocation, and it has caused significant harm to our nation," Joseph said, cutting in smoothly. "They must pay an adequate price for it, such as ceding territories in Northern Italy."

"However..."

Joseph immediately finished her thought. "However, the war should also come to an end. Continuing to fight serves neither side's interests. Moreover, Vienna was deceived by the British. If they are willing to correct their mistakes, I believe there is no need to drive them to total ruin."

Queen Mary blinked her deep blue eyes, feeling as though her son had stolen all her lines. She sat there stunned for a moment, not knowing what else to say.

Joseph popped a piece of strawberry pudding into his mother's mouth and continued.

"You see, His Majesty Leopold II once fought alongside me against the Prussians. His Majesty Franz II is also my cousin. I wouldn't let things become too embarrassing for him, would I?"

Queen Mary chewed the dessert, nodding repeatedly.

Joseph then picked up a chocolate macaron and fed it to her.

"I will do my best to persuade the ministers to allow Vienna to maintain its basic dignity. You can rest easy."

Queen Mary swallowed the food quickly and looked at her son with a trace of concern. "My dear, you now bear the heavy responsibility of the Regency of France. You cannot merely consider your ties with Vienna and ignore our country's losses. The compensation we deserve must be claimed."

"I understand. Rest assured, I will ensure this war ends with dignity," Joseph said as he continued to feed his mother sweets. He looked around. "Where is that violinist from last time? I would like to hear him play."

Nearby, the Countess of Debeninac gestured toward the door. "Monsieur La Chapelle, the Crown Prince requests your presence."

And so, over an hour later, Queen Mary watched her son leave the Petit Trianon and let out a soft sigh of relief. She felt she had successfully fulfilled Count Mercy's request.

She wasn't trying to harm French interests; she knew Austria had to compensate France. She simply didn't want her old friends to end up in too miserable a state.

What she failed to notice, however, was that while Joseph had seemingly said a lot, he hadn't actually made a single concrete promise.

The following morning, as expected, the Austrian Special Envoy, Count Mercy-Argenteau, requested an audience with Joseph.

He had received a reply from Queen Mary the day before and knew that the French Crown Prince would likely show some leniency, so he felt a bit more at ease.

After a formal exchange of pleasantries, Count Mercy spoke respectfully to Joseph, who sat across from him.

"Your Highness, the Thugut cabinet, which committed those grave errors, has already stepped down. On behalf of Count Kaunitz, I wish to speak with you privately regarding the matter of a ceasefire."