My Italy

"Why aren't you eating?" Thalia asked curiously.

Actually, Franz was still too young to eat much. Besides, this woman was clearly a noblewoman, so why did she have such terrible table manners?

Rather than unladylike, she was downright ravenous.

Franz was a little curious about Thalia's true identity, but he figured she wouldn't mean him any harm. Sophie had surely investigated her, after all, so he answered offhandedly.

"I'm fattening you up before I eat you."

In his heart, Francis II was an "Italian."

He was born in Florence, in the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, and spent his childhood and youth there.

His father was an exceptionally enlightened and benevolent monarch. As soon as he took the throne, he abolished every form of torture and capital punishment, introduced a system of alternative service, lowered taxes, and encouraged commerce and industry. In doing so, he won the Tuscan people's devotion.

That may have been the time in Francis II's life when he was most loved by his people. As the future heir to the grand duchy, wherever he went, he was greeted with their warmth.

Later, his uncle Joseph II faced fierce opposition from the nobility over his radical reforms and eventually died of depression.

Francis II's father was forced to accept the throne of the Holy Roman Empire. When the family arrived in Vienna, they found themselves in a treacherous political climate where anyone could be an enemy and no one could be trusted completely.

Two years after Francis II's father ascended the throne, he died suddenly. Francis II had no choice but to take the crown himself. Then he encountered Napoleon, the bane of his existence.

One calamity followed another, and Francis II was forced to dissolve the Holy Roman Empire. Yet he was never crowned Emperor of the Austrian Empire.

Perhaps only Italy, only Tuscany, was a pure, untainted place in Francis II's heart.

And Francis II's daughter was the Duchess of Parma: Marie Louise, the woman he had married off to Napoleon.

Francis II always felt he owed his daughter, so he turned a blind eye to Marie Louise's chaotic private life.

This time, Marie Louise had sent someone to request that Austria build a railway to Parma. It certainly hadn't been her idea.

Perhaps it was one of Marie Louise's lovers. Perhaps the Duchy of Parma's tax revenues could no longer cover her expenses.

As for the rulers of the other states in Central Italy, they were all related to Francis II himself, making it difficult to refuse them outright.

From the perspective of the family's interests, Austria had been expanding its influence in Italy for centuries, fighting France over it for a hundred years and sacrificing countless soldiers and immeasurable sums of money.

Ignoring the requests of the Central Italian states could easily drive them into the arms of France, Sardinia, or even the House of Bourbon of the Two Sicilies.

Francis II could not accept that under any circumstances. But Central Italy had nothing besides gangsters and vagrants. Its commerce and industry were backward, and its agriculture could not feed its own people. It was a wretched piece of land.

The mountains of Central Italy were both an obstacle to railway construction and a quagmire for anyone trying to rule the region.

Opponents and rebels could simply flee into the mountains. Even if an army of a hundred thousand were sent to hunt them down, it would return empty-handed.

Although the Congress of Vienna had recognized Central Italy as within the Austrian Empire's sphere of influence,

Britain, France, Russia, and Prussia would never stand idly by if the Austrian Empire showed any intention of annexing the region.

Had he been the Francis II of old, he would certainly have ignored the Central Italian states' requests and simply given up.

But ever since the Austrian Empire had joined the German Customs Union, the entire country had been thriving, giving Francis II a little more confidence.

So he decided to build a railway only as far as Parma. The other states would not be allowed to build railways directly to Austria, but they could reach Austria through Parma.

At the same time, he would open three ports and allow the Central Italian states to trade freely with Austria, charging only a token tariff.

That way, Austria would give Britain and France no pretext to intervene, while also avoiding getting bogged down in the region.

Metternich and Count Kolowrat breathed a long sigh of relief when they saw the emperor's decree. They had been afraid he might let his temper get the better of him and push the entire country to the brink of war.

They had also feared he might fall back into his old habits, refuse to get involved at all, and lose the chance to gain a foothold in Central Italy.

"Your Majesty is wise," Metternich said first.

"A perfect plan," Count Kolowrat added.

Francis II was also very pleased with his plan and nodded repeatedly.

Just then, Friedrich List spoke up.

"Your Majesty, Austria has no need to spend its own money."

"What do you mean?" Metternich shot back. He felt that this down-at-the-heels Württemberger was getting more and more brazen, always contradicting him lately.

Friedrich List turned to Francis II and explained.

"I mean that we can lend money to the Central Italian states, taking their tariffs and some of their governing powers as collateral. From what I know, the rulers of the Central Italian states are nothing like you, Your Majesty. They lack the art and ability to govern. We can use this opportunity—"

Count Kolowrat immediately saw where he was going.

"You mean we send our people to take over the powers of the Central Italian states?"

"We would merely exercise those powers on their behalf. Once they had repaid their debts, we would return the powers to them. It would simply be more efficient for the Austrian Empire to rule them directly in the meantime."

Friedrich List truly was considering only the economic benefits, but to Count Kolowrat and Metternich, it was unquestionably a grand conspiracy.

Across Europe, it was common for merchants to demand that princes and nobles put up tariffs or tax-collection privileges as collateral.

"That's an excellent idea. We could also send military advisers to train their armies. Then we wouldn't have to send our own troops into Central Italy to put down rebellions anymore," Count Latour added.

After all, no matter how powerful Austria's army was, it would always be fighting on foreign soil in Central Italy. Bandit suppression was no quick undertaking; it required maintaining order over a long period.

Training the locals to serve in the army would solve that problem. Austria could also take the opportunity to bring the states' armies under its control, thereby effectively ruling Central Italy.

"Any better suggestions?" Francis II asked.

"None." Friedrich List's proposal was the most advantageous course of action for the Austrian Empire at that moment.

"Very well, then. Metternich, you and Mr. List will represent our country in negotiations with the ambassadors of the Central Italian states. You must see this through. The future well-being of a million people in Central Italy depends on it."

"I, Metternich, will not fail in my duty." Metternich bowed with great elegance.

After the meeting before the throne ended, Francis II stroked the head of his grandson, who had been eavesdropping behind him, and said, "My Italy has returned."