"Three invitations, three refusals" might work in Europe—but there was no need to refuse three times. One refusal was enough to send everything crashing down.
Now that the regency was already in his hands, Franz had no reason to make trouble for himself. He promptly accepted the power, giving Archduke Louis no chance to change his mind.
Right after that, Franz changed the subject.
"Everyone, the rebellion in Vienna has been suppressed, but other parts of Austria may soon erupt into chaos. To prevent the Empire from collapsing, we must take more decisive action!"
Everyone's expression changed. Their relief at having survived the crisis vanished. How terrifying would it be if the Empire collapsed?
As Austria's great nobles, their interests were bound up with the country. If the Empire fell apart, everything they owned would vanish into thin air.
"Franz, surely things aren't that bad?" Archduke John asked with concern.
"They are. Ever since the February Revolution in Paris, all of Europe has gone mad. Revolutions are brewing in many regions, Austria included.
"The Empire's bureaucrats have grown rotten. Just look at the Vienna rebellion. The police could have dealt with it, but it ended in a human tragedy, with more than ten thousand Austrians losing their lives—including hundreds of nobles!
"If we can't take more decisive measures now, what happened to the Orleans Dynasty today will happen to us tomorrow. And things may turn out even worse!" Franz warned.
Would this be enough to frighten them? Obviously not. Just because these archdukes weren't especially capable didn't mean they were easy to fool. That was nonsense.
Franz had brought up these points because they had just lived through the Vienna Revolution, and their nerves had yet to recover. They were bound to take a pessimistic view of things.
At a time like this, he exaggerated the situation and took advantage of the information gap to give them the false impression that the Austrian people were dissatisfied with the current political system and the distribution of wealth—and that if they didn't reform, the people would rebel. No, they already had.
"Franz, can you tell us what's happening outside?" Archduke Louis asked.
It was clear that even he had been shaken by Franz's news. They weren't afraid of the people of Vienna rebelling alone, but if people in other regions followed suit, that would be terrifying.
After a moment's thought, Franz said solemnly, "Well, after the February Revolution in Paris, revolutionaries across Europe were emboldened. The major cities are all seething beneath the surface. Everyone knows that much.
"After the Vienna Revolution broke out on March 7, revolutionary fervor surged in Austria. We managed to suppress the rebellion, but the masterminds behind it escaped.
"What we should be wary of is that the Vienna Revolution involved not only revolutionaries, but also capitalists, nobles, and city government officials.
"Looking at the social classes involved, it included workers, peasants, townspeople, the middle class, the bourgeoisie, and the nobility. That's an alarmingly broad base.
"If it hadn't erupted so suddenly, and if the rebels hadn't been so divided among themselves, the Vienna Revolution would have succeeded too!"
Everyone was dumbfounded. Even nobles had taken part in the revolution. That meant the Vienna Government was losing its very foundations.
Archduke John hurriedly asked, "Franz, are you sure nobles were involved in the rebellion? Were they individuals, or...?"
Franz gave a bitter smile. "So far, eighty-three nobles have been confirmed as participants. The number who haven't been uncovered may be even higher.
"The reason they joined the rebellion was simple: they were dissatisfied with the government's inaction during the economic crisis—or, to put it another way, they hadn't made money from hoarding!"
"Those bastards! Don't they know what they're doing? If the Empire falls, do they think they'll still enjoy a good life?" Archduke Louis said angrily.
The others chimed in, sharing his indignation. This was like smashing their own rice bowls. Without the Austrian Empire, could nobles like them possibly keep their current status?
Franz explained, "I'm afraid this problem stems from our system. It makes them feel untouchable. Even if they fail, we can't possibly kill them all.
"If they succeed, they can become part of the new government's ruling circle just the same. As for noble honor—if they still cared about that, they wouldn't have joined the rebellion!"
No one spoke. They now realized that Franz's move would likely harm the interests of the noble class. With their own rights at stake, no one was willing to give ground.
The only one whose expression remained unchanged was Archduke Franz Karl. He seemed to have been sitting on the sidelines the whole time, as if none of this had anything to do with him. Now he spoke.
"Franz, what do you intend to do?"
Everyone's expressions shifted slightly, but no one said anything. Until they knew what Franz was aiming for, there was no need to come out against him.
"Everyone who took part in the rebellion must be punished without exception. The ringleaders will be sent to the gallows, and everyone else will be sentenced according to the severity of their crimes.
"The titles of the nobles who took part in the rebellion will be revoked, and all their property confiscated. The Nobility Council can decide on the specific measures for dealing with the rest!"
Franz stated his intentions without hesitation. He wasn't afraid of opposition. Three-digit numbers of nobles had died in the Vienna rebellion. If the rebels weren't punished severely, the victims' relatives and friends wouldn't accept it either.
For nobles, the most severe punishment wasn't execution. It was having their titles revoked and their estates confiscated—a punishment that could wipe out a family's honor in a single stroke.
The archdukes exchanged glances. At last, Archduke Louis spoke. "Franz, this involves too many people. Could we let them keep their titles?"
Franz shook his head. "If we go easy on them this time, the next rebellion will involve far more people.
"And what are we supposed to tell the families of the dead? According to our preliminary figures, more than a dozen noble families may have been left without a single heir!"
Everyone's expressions changed. For a noble family to be left without an heir was an absolutely dreadful consequence. If noble families had been wiped out, the nature of the whole affair had changed.
During the Holy Roman Empire, if the Emperor tried to confiscate nobles' estates, everyone would unite in opposition. But things were different now, in the Austrian era.
The great nobles within the country weren't powerful enough to form a coalition of rival princes that even the Emperor couldn't control. That was why Franz dared to play this hand.
Some others might even be implicated. If any member of a noble family had taken part in the rebellion, the whole family could suffer, because there was no way to make a clear distinction.
Of course, the clever could still escape punishment. If they proved their worth before the purge was complete, Franz might show mercy.
Before you continue