Tyrol, the imperial palace.
One piece of good news after another came in, making Louis Philippe blush with excitement. For a moment, he felt that if he could successfully restore his throne, then perhaps offering the Austrians a few benefits would not be out of the question.
For example, the Central American colonies, Texas, or Algeria.
As for Alsace and Lorraine, those were not out of the question either, so long as the price was right.
Because if he could not restore his throne, then the House of Orléans was bound to split apart.
Duke of Aumale commanded an army of more than a hundred thousand by land and sea in Algeria. It was nearly impossible that he would submit to his nephew. After all, the Count of Paris was only a child, with neither troops nor funds to make his uncle bow to him.
Likewise, the Count of Paris could not possibly allow such a force to exist within his country, ready to overthrow him at any moment.
Even in the best-case scenario, if Duke of Aumale were truly willing to surrender his power, the Count of Paris still could not control Algeria from across the ocean—not yet, at least.
Before long, however, Louis Philippe received some unpleasant news. The duchess he had been preparing to reward had reportedly been seen entering Archduke Franz's residence several times, and some people had even discovered a secret passage beneath their respective quarters.
Of course, no one knew when the tunnel had been dug, who had dug it, or how.
The two were only a year apart in age, and both were figures of great interest. Whether it was the prince who had led troops to aid his compatriots or the saint who had saved her country in its hour of peril,