William IV was an extremely awkward man. Although he detested the Constitutionalists, he always put on a relatively friendly front—even when the Constitutionalists had fallen on hard times and everyone was kicking them while they were down.
Although Eduard Simson and Gabriel Riesser had been hounded and driven out by every faction along the way like stray dogs, they believed that after meeting him, the Prussian king, William IV, would treat them as honored guests.
After all, no king could resist the temptation of a crown. At least, that was how they saw it.
"Your Majesty, we are unanimous in believing that only the House of Hohenzollern can lead Germany toward a glorious future, and that only you can lead us out of darkness. Therefore, the German National Assembly has decided to bestow upon you the title of Emperor of the German Empire."
When he finished speaking, Eduard Simson and Gabriel Riesser carefully took an exquisite crown from a small wooden box.
Eduard Simson was certain that William IV would gladly accept the crown, but the king's reaction was far calmer than he had expected. Still, the slight trembling in the king's arms convinced Simson that he was right.
So it's true. No king can resist the temptation of a crown.
That was what Eduard Simson thought, while beneath the table, William IV's fists clenched so tightly they creaked.
William IV didn't want this crown from the stinking gutter in the slightest. He wasn't a fool; he knew it was a dog collar meant to chain him to the Constitutionalists.
And he took it as an insult. He wanted nothing more than to have the two men before him hacked to pieces on the spot, then toss their bodies to the Austrians to curry favor.
But William IV's reason told