December 25, 1849—Christmas Day.
As one of the most important traditional holidays in the West, it had always been valued by governments and royal families everywhere. Franz had rare enough cause to give himself a day off.
Though calling it a day off merely meant moving his workplace from Hofburg Palace to Schönbrunn Palace.
This grand festival was also an enormous demon-revealing mirror. Take the Christmas petitions Franz had received, for instance.
"We hope working hours can be a little longer, rest periods a little shorter, and wages a little lower. Then the world will become a little better.
"We hereby petition for the abolition of Sundays, minimum-wage limits, and maximum-hour limits. We want a working environment where we can put all our talents to use and compete fairly.
"May Your Majesty burn forever like the fire of the sun."
Signed: Austrian Empire Workers' Progress Association.
Franz scratched his head. Hadn't all the Austrian Empire's labor unions already accepted incorporation? And why did these words sound so strange?
Olga leaned over from the side and said, "Austrians are so strange. They oppose the death penalty so fiercely—wouldn't it be enough if they simply didn't commit crimes?"
Franz took the letter. It was a joint petition from the professors of the University of Vienna's School of Political Science and Law. Franz merely smiled after reading it and said nothing.
"It roughly means that the Austrian Empire's laws are too harsh, causing criminals to prefer continuing their crimes rather than reforming.
"For example, under Austrian Empire law, if a rapist cannot obtain the woman's forgiveness, he will be sentenced to over twenty years of penal labor. In serious cases, he may be sentenced to exile.
"If the victim dies, the sentence is death.
"If he obtains the woman's forgiveness and is willing