"Father-in-law, how had things been going with the navy lately? Had you run into any trouble?" Ernst asked after taking a sip of tea.
As usual, Archduke Ferdinand and Princess Charlotte had come to First Town to visit their daughter and grandson.
Karina was the model of a virtuous wife and loving mother. She had inherited all of Empress Dowager Sophie's strengths and kept the household in impeccable order. Of course, Empress Dowager Sophie was better known for her vicious mother-in-law and daughter-in-law conflict with Princess Sisi.
In truth, Empress Dowager Sophie's forcefulness had much to do with her family circumstances. Franz had inherited his throne from his uncle, Ferdinand I, and had ascended it amid unrest.
Thus, Empress Dowager Sophie's involvement in politics had partly stemmed from ambition and partly from necessity. Ambition was not necessarily a bad thing; under normal circumstances, every mother hoped her son would amount to something. That was why she had been exceptionally strict with Franz. As for necessity, Franz had been too young when he took the throne, so he had needed Empress Dowager Sophie to help keep the political situation stable.
After all, she had been called "the only man in the court" by her contemporaries. That alone showed the extent of Empress Dowager Sophie's political skill and capability.
Karina had no such worries. East Africa was essentially Ernst's personal domain, and the Hechingen Royal Family's relationships were uncomplicated. Previously, there had only been Ernst and Constantin. Therefore, Karina had none of the vexing troubles of mother-in-law and daughter-in-law disputes. All she needed to do was peacefully serve as Ernst's capable wife.
Empress Dowager Sophie had seemed so formidable largely because her husband and son both had rather gentle temperaments. Once Franz grew older, things improved considerably.
Of course, Franz himself was