"Will that person you mentioned really come?" Lucius asked.
"I don't know," Severus replied expressionlessly.
At that moment, they were beneath the tree he had marked. There was no one around but the three of them, let alone any ambush.
There were not many animals in the forests of France; they had almost been hunted to extinction by humans. Even the calls of songbirds were nearly impossible to hear in the woods.
"We..."
Just as Severus was about to suggest leaving, they heard the footsteps of two people.
Before long, two men emerged from behind the bushes. One was William; the other was dressed like a scholar. He appeared to be in his thirties, with regular features and a fairly short stature.
"Are you Mr. Smith?" the stranger asked, staring at the handsome Lucius Malfoy.
"No." Lucius pointed his cane at Severus. "He is Mr. Smith."
The stranger turned his gaze toward Severus.
"Pleased to meet you, Smith." The man took the initiative to extend a hand to Severus. "I'm Robert Stewart. You may call me Robert."
"Or Viscount Castlereagh," William added from the side. "He is a friend of the 'Member of Parliament.' He is now the Secretary of State for Education and is currently inspecting France's school reforms."
Severus did not touch that hand of friendship. Lucius leaned close and whispered in his ear, "He was the head of the British delegation at the Congress of Vienna. Later, Wellington replaced him."
Severus scrutinized the man again.
The Congress of Vienna was the resolution signed nine days before Waterloo ended, concerning the shape of Europe after the Napoleonic Wars. Put another way, it redrew the map of Europe. This was what Napoleon meant by a complete Marengo. If he had lost at Marengo, France would have had to cede