Sugar-Coated Cannonballs

"Are you going to Le Havre?"

"Oysters, grilled sea bass, smoked sausage, and apple tart,

"Please give my regards to someone there,

"He used to be my friend.

"Ask him to prepare a feast for me,

"Crab, flounder, tripe stew, and rice pudding,

"Beer without onions or garlic,

"So he can go on being my friend."

In the Internet age, a language exam in a certain great eastern nation included the following question: What emotions did Grand Duke Wessen express in the lyrics of "The Friend in Le Havre," which he had written while vacationing in Le Havre?

A student from Weissenburg City answered: "The lyrics express Grand Duke Wessen's disgust at onions and garlic being added to beer."

The teacher marked the answer wrong. The student complained online, sparking an international controversy. It was eventually settled when descendants of the Weissen Family publicly released part of Maria's diary for the first time, proving that the student had been right.

It was just that Frederick and Maria were so refined that they hadn't shown their feelings while visiting Philip Dafranche's home. As a result, the story only survived as an amusing anecdote in Weissenburg City.

Frederick and Maria enjoyed a leisurely stay in Le Havre. They went to the theater now and then, fished by the sea, and even attended the founding ceremony of the city's first football club as honored guests, with Frederick serving as its honorary head coach.

During that time, troops from the Kingdom of Angland boarded their ships and headed straight for the Kingdom of Tarraco. Their public explanation was that they were joining the Wesen Army to fight the heretics.

"You're still taking it easy?" Frederick asked when he saw Armand still here. "Charles across the sea is clearly coming after you."

Armand picked