London
Ever since the Russian Empire's decline, France and Austria had been the British people's greatest enemies. Though Franz had already been very restrained, Austria's continued growth and strengthening still led the British to regard it as a formidable foe.
No one knew when it had begun, but the Vienna Government's every move had come under the British' watchful eye. Austria was getting a taste of the treatment Germany would receive in advance.
If the French had not been sharing the pressure, the British would already have formed an anti-Austrian alliance. This was, after all, what they did best.
The seemingly insignificant redrawing of borders made the London Government sense danger. In their view, it was a sign that France and Austria had joined hands.
A Franco-Austrian alliance—such an outcome was far too terrifying. Looking across the whole world, other than Britain, there was no second power qualified to make France and Austria join forces.
Late at night, Downing Street was brightly lit. Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli had convened an emergency meeting overnight. It was not that he could not keep his composure, but that the situation had already reached the brink of losing control.
Over the past few years, they had been exceedingly cautious toward France and Austria. Even when suppressing them, they had not dared go too far, fearing that pressure would drive the two countries together.
Prime Minister Benjamin opened a top-secret document left behind by his predecessor. It contained nothing but speculation, without any substantive evidence.
Yet its contents were too frightening. Former Prime Minister John Russell believed that France and Austria had a secret pact, and that the two sides might even have already formed an alliance.
The basis for this judgment was Austria's tacit acceptance of the French annexation of the Kingdom of Sardinia.