CHAPTER 584: CHAPTER 575 FRANZ JOSEPH: I FEEL SOMEWHAT GREEN

The words Empress Augusta spoke to Elizabeth made Princess Elizabeth, still filled with dreams of love, silently worry about her future life as an empress.

After all, Elizabeth is only seventeen now, and making a girl of seventeen experience the bitterness that should only be tasted at twenty-seven or thirty-seven is truly too cruel!

"If it really is as you say, then I’m afraid I can only pray for God’s salvation!" Elizabeth, slightly dispirited, forced a bitter smile that did not belong to her age as she spoke to Empress Augusta.

Seeing the atmosphere gradually becoming melancholic, Empress Augusta couldn’t help but feel some regret. She realized she had painted too grim a future for Elizabeth, frightening the innocent girl before her.

However, Augusta was equally reluctant to deceive the girl in front of her.

If Elizabeth continued to maintain her naive personality at the Habsburg Court, she would inevitably pay the price for her innocence.

The Habsburg was unlike the Tuileries Palace, and Franz Joseph was not Jerome Bonaparte.

In order to restore a bit of hope for the future in the girl before her, Augusta had to hypocritically say to Elizabeth, "Alright! Elizabeth, don’t worry about your future anymore! I was just speaking casually earlier. Your fiancé is handsome and charming (Jerome Bonaparte: wooden face), morally upright (Jerome Bonaparte: apart from honesty, he can’t do anything), he is surely someone who loves you very much!"

"Just like you and His Majesty?" Elizabeth asked Empress Augusta with a hint of expectation in her eyes.

"Yes!" Empress Augusta nodded, gently stroking Elizabeth’s hair.

Feeling the long-lost maternal love from Augusta, Elizabeth leaned on Augusta’s shoulder naturally and asked with a tone still tinged with childishness, "Your Majesty, can I be as happy as you?"

"You can! You certainly can!" Empress Augusta still deceived the girl in front of her, "You are like an angel! Anyone who sees you will like you involuntarily!"

"Including His Majesty?" Elizabeth impulsively said, regretting her own rashness a little afterward.

"You’d have to ask him!" Augusta chuckled, not angered by Elizabeth’s question and playfully asked Jerome Bonaparte, "Qianqian, she’s asking you a question?"

In some ways, during her pregnancy, Empress Augusta transferred the love for her unborn child onto Elizabeth ahead of time.

Hearing "Qianqian" made Jerome Bonaparte subconsciously think of Zhao Ling’Er, the ethereal character from a past-life fantasy film, and both Qianqians were full of spirituality.

It’s just that her destiny was more tumultuous than the other Qianqian.

"Who wouldn’t like an angel like Princess Elizabeth!" Jerome Bonaparte also genuinely complimented.

"Did you hear that!" Empress Augusta comforted Princess Elizabeth, "You are so adorable! You will surely receive kindness from everyone!"

"Your Majesty... May I?" Elizabeth asked Empress Augusta, fluttering her lashes as she summoned the courage to speak.

Augusta and Jerome Bonaparte were surprised, not understanding what the mischievous Princess Elizabeth wanted to do.

"Qianqian, what do you want to do?" Empress Augusta inquired of Elizabeth.

Elizabeth leaned toward Empress Augusta’s ear and whispered quietly.

Augusta’s mouth also curved into a smile, and her expression began to change intriguingly.

"Of course, you can!" Empress Augusta nodded and replied to Elizabeth.

"What’s going on between you two?" Jerome Bonaparte protested, "After all, I’m part of it, could you respect my wishes?"

"Your Majesty, are you seriously going to refuse a young girl’s request?" Empress Augusta teased with a tone of glee.

Having been with Jerome Bonaparte for two years, Augusta was all too familiar with her husband. As long as it didn’t involve political matters, he would try his best to meet all conditions.

Even if it seemed difficult to achieve!

"While that’s true..." Jerome Bonaparte rubbed his nose, "But I, as part of it, also need to know what’s going on!"

"Actually, it’s nothing much! It’s just that Qianqian wants to invite you to dance!" Empress Augusta said to Jerome Bonaparte.

"Just a dance!" Jerome Bonaparte, not having reacted yet, first sighed with relief, then took a sharp breath and said, "Are you guys playing a bit too much?"

This Elizabeth here is his "good brother" Franz Joseph’s fiancée. Although she hasn’t married in, her status is established.

Openly inviting someone’s fiancée to dance is like putting a green hat on his good brother.

(Later, Jerome Bonaparte realized he was overthinking it.)

"Your Majesty, are you going to refuse?" Elizabeth showed a pitiful expression as she spoke to Jerome Bonaparte.

"This... Actually..." Jerome Bonaparte stammered, unable to speak.

Honestly, he wasn’t afraid of making trouble. Let alone inviting a good brother’s fiancée to dance, even if he were to wear a green hat, Jerome Bonaparte believed Franz Joseph would continue to align with France under the ministers’ persuasion.

However, is it really necessary to do such an exhilarating thing in the Tuileries Palace?

"Princess Elizabeth, are you sure you want to do this?" Jerome Bonaparte asked Elizabeth with a solemn expression, "I can bear the consequences of this matter, can you?"

"I..." Elizabeth couldn’t help but feel hesitant.

"Your Majesty, why don’t you just invite Qianqian!" Empress Augusta immediately proposed a solution.

Jerome Bonaparte rolled his eyes, unable to understand why Augusta was helping an outsider trap her husband.

Was it out of pity for Elizabeth’s situation? Or because of overflowing maternal instincts?

"Alright then!" Jerome Bonaparte said, shrugging.

Subsequently, Jerome Bonaparte and Elizabeth discussed their respective departure times.

The time gradually approached around 9:10, with less than 20 minutes until the banquet ended and the ball began.

"Then I’ll be leaving first!" Jerome Bonaparte said to Augusta and Elizabeth, who were still in the room, and then turned to leave the room.

The room was left with only Augusta and Elizabeth.

"Thank you, Your Majesty the Empress!" Elizabeth whispered to Empress Augusta.

"Qianqian, remember, if you are ever bullied in Vienna, come to Paris!" Empress Augusta said to Elizabeth, "The doors of the Tuileries Palace are always open for you!"

"Your Majesty the Empress, you are really..." Elizabeth whispered, sobbing intermittently, "better to me than my own mother!"

"Qianqian, we share the same fate and encounters! In you, I see the former me!" Augusta said with emotion, then changed the subject: "Actually, there is another girl in the Tuileries Palace as adorably foolish as you!"

"Who is she?" Elizabeth asked curiously.

"Her name is Veronia!" Augusta replied to Elizabeth, "However, she is not at the Tuileries Palace now, but in Crimea!"

"Crimea!" Elizabeth slightly recoiled, "I remember there is a war going on there!"

"Indeed!" Augusta nodded and responded to Elizabeth, "She is working there as a volunteer nurse in the war zone!"

"She is truly brave!" Elizabeth couldn’t help but admire the unseen Veronia.

"Actually, she’s quite timid!" Augusta continued, "If it weren’t for His Majesty the Emperor’s request, she definitely wouldn’t have gone."

"Does His Majesty hate her?" Elizabeth asked Augusta.

"No!" Augusta shook her head and replied to Elizabeth, "On the contrary, His Majesty quite likes her!"

"Then why would His Majesty..." Elizabeth was puzzled.

Augusta explained the reason to Elizabeth, causing Elizabeth to subconsciously compare Franz Joseph to Jerome Bonaparte.

In every aspect, Jerome Bonaparte outshines her fiancé.

The only thing he lacks is lineage, but neither Elizabeth nor Augusta are people who care about lineage.

"She truly is fortunate!" Elizabeth murmured to herself.

"Alright! Qianqian, it’s getting late! You should go downstairs and join the ball!" Augusta gently pushed Elizabeth, who was leaning on her shoulder, and reminded her.

"Your Majesty the Empress, I’ll be off then!" Elizabeth responded to Augusta, then gracefully curtsied.

"Go on! Have fun!" Augusta waved her hand and responded to Elizabeth.

After leaving the room, Elizabeth went downstairs to the ballroom, which had not yet begun.

When Elizabeth came to stand in front of Franz Joseph, the ball officially commenced.

The court orchestra played "Invitation to the Dance," composed by the late musical master Carl Maria von Weber.

To the graceful music, Franz Joseph took Elizabeth’s hand and began to dance.

At this moment, Elizabeth’s mind was still replaying Augusta’s words, causing her to frequently err during the dance.

"Elizabeth, what on earth is the matter with you?" Franz Joseph furrowed his brow and asked quietly.