The Austrian Empire was like a frail, sickly old man who gorged himself recklessly and might breathe his last at any moment. Franz's concessions to the French were based on this as well.
Following the principle of raking grass to flush out rabbits, if the French government decided to take a hard line, Austria could still tear off a piece of the Kingdom of Sardinia.
How large that piece was did not matter. What mattered was proving to the outside world, politically, that the Austrian Empire was still a great power with formidable strength—enough to deter the restless Prussians.
As for whether this would make the French stronger, Franz was remarkably unbothered. What did that have to do with him?
If France grew stronger, it would be the United Kingdom and Russia who should worry. Surely the French would not be stupid enough to attack Austria?
Don't be ridiculous. After Napoleon's baptism by fire, every European nation's vigilance toward France was at S-rank.
Before breaking free of diplomatic isolation, any military action by the French could invite a joint crackdown from the other nations.
Metternich said calmly, "If the French lose their nerve, there is no need for us to destroy the Kingdom of Sardinia. Leaving them in place as a buffer between Austria and France would also be a good choice.
"The most troublesome factor is the United Kingdom. Although the London government has promised that it is willing to mediate the Austro-Sardinian War, our embassy in London has sent word that British financial groups are conducting secret loan negotiations with the Kingdom of Sardinia.
"Together with the three million pounds the Kingdom of Sardinia borrowed from the British some time ago, we have reason to believe that the British are standing on the enemy's side in this war."