Rhine City.
Holding the report on Ferdinand's assassination attempt, Ernst was greatly excited. This report had been sent directly from Sarajevo to East Africa, arriving even a little earlier than the news reached Vienna.
Before Ferdinand had set out for the Sarajevo region, the East African Intelligence Department had already begun operating. Even the Black Hand organization's plan was under its control.
In other words, if East Africa had wanted to prevent this from happening, it could have stopped Ferdinand's assassination attempt through any number of channels—for instance, by notifying the Habsburg Royal Family in advance, or directly eliminating the Black Hand organization members carrying out the mission.
Of course, since the East African government had done nothing, that also showed from another angle that Ferdinand's assassination attempt benefited East Africa. Thus, East Africa had chosen to stand by with folded arms.
If Crown Prince Rudolf had gone wandering to Sarajevo with nothing better to do, Ernst might perhaps have lent a hand for the sake of brotherly affection. As for Ferdinand, Franz's nephew, Ernst could only say that they were not close.
Besides hoping that a full-scale war would break out in Europe, East Africa could not very well reveal the information directly to Habsburg. Doing so would amount to admitting that East Africa was conducting espionage within the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which could easily make the Austro-Hungarian Empire feel uncomfortable.
However, Ernst's attitude toward Ferdinand was not the same as that of his wife, Queen Karina. Karina was still quite saddened by the misfortune that had befallen her uncle's son.
"Poor little Franz. Ernst, how is he now?" Karina asked sadly.
Archduke Ferdinand was Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the Archduke Ferdinand who had been assassinated. That was why Karina called her cousin that, since her own father was also Archduke