The air froze in an instant—along with the smile on Louis Napoleon's face.
For a moment, Napoleon III even suspected that this little brat was deliberately trying to screw him over. With France's current strength, let alone fighting Russia, it would already be impressive if they could hold on to their own little patch of land.
The Ottoman Empire was in much the same position as France. In several Near Eastern wars, the Ottomans had suffered grievous losses. If the British had not been desperately propping them up from behind, it would not have been surprising if they had already lost even Constantinople by now.
Fortunately, there was no one around. More precisely, these were words only the two of them could hear. Otherwise, even if Murad V was only a child, no one could pretend nothing had happened. It would inevitably be interpreted as a sign of the Ottoman Empire's strategic leanings.
But no matter what, he absolutely could not answer this life-or-death question incorrectly. Louis Napoleon rapidly ran through the possibilities in his mind. He could not reveal hostility toward Russia—that would be courting death.
Yet he could not appear weak, either, or he might lose a potential ally.
The Ottomans and Russians were unquestionably mortal enemies, but Murad V was far too young. Louis Napoleon had no way of knowing whether this was a test, or simply the uninhibited words of a child.
"Your Majesty the Sultan, do you know what the Seine River and the Maritsa River have in common?"
Without waiting for Murad V's answer, Louis Napoleon pointed to the river, whose surface had already frozen over.
"Though their surfaces are now sealed by ice, beneath that ice their waters still flow. They await only the coming of spring to make the earth flourish once