The Flower of Vienna

Joseph walked through the very tidy Courtyard and saw the Villa gate being pushed open from the inside. A girl carrying a long white dress ran out, her long, slightly wavy golden hair swaying and undulating behind her in her haste.

The girl kept her head down nervously, so much so that she almost bumped into Kexer.

"Please forgive me, I really didn't mean to."

She hurriedly curtsied to the Guard Captain, and after receiving his forgiveness, she cautiously glanced into the crowd. Suddenly remembering something, she straightened her back and, with very even steps, approached the handsome young man in the Gem coat, curtsying with impeccable Court Etiquette.

"It's a great honor to have you here, Your Highness the Crown Prince." Her French wasn't very fluent and had a slight German Style accent. After a pause, as if realizing what she was saying, she continued, "Ah, I am Camellia Elmini Delvaux. It's an honor to have you here..."

Joseph then saw the girl's face. She was about Louis XVI years old, with a beautiful face and delicate, fair skin like a baby's. Her large, Roland eyes were filled with tension and unease, and her slightly parted cherry lips, as if she wanted to say something more, made one want to protect her.

Joseph, who was used to seeing all kinds of beautiful women in the Versailles Palace, was still surprised by Camellia's appearance and was slightly taken aback.

"Ahem," he quickly covered his embarrassment with a dry cough, nodded to the girl in return, and then asked, "I've come to visit Madame Delvaux. Is she feeling better?"

Camellia's expression immediately darkened upon hearing this, and she whispered:

"Grandma... she's not doing too well. Oh, please come in."

In the sunny Bedroom on the second floor of the Villa, an elderly woman with a full head of silver hair lay on the bed, her eyes closed, her breathing so light that it was almost imperceptible.

After Joseph entered the room, a maid from the Delvaux family hurried to the bedside and whispered a few words in the old lady's ear.

The wrinkled eyelids slowly opened, and the old man struggled to turn his head, uttering a muffled sound:

"Is it... Your Crown Prince... the Crown Prince?"

"Yes, madam."

The old lady immediately forced her eyes open, her withered arm grabbing the maid, struggling to sit up, a tear about to well up in her eye:

"Her Majesty the Queen... she... still thinks of... me..."

Joseph quickly stepped forward to help her up. "Please lie down. Your mother very much wanted to visit you, but she was unable to leave Paris, so she asked me to convey her sincerest blessings to you."

"Waaah..." Madame Delvaux suddenly burst into tears, "I... I also... miss... Her Majesty the Queen so much..."

After crying for a while, she looked at Joseph and struggled to bow again:

"You see... I... am... really... senile. Your Highness... Crown Prince..."

"You don't need to be so polite, take care of yourself." Joseph helped her lean against the pillows, but found that the old lady was so tired from the ordeal that she could barely keep her eyes open.

He turned to look at Camellia:

"What did the doctor say?"

The girl whispered, "Dr. Richter just bled Grandma this morning and said that if there's no improvement, she might need to induce vomiting this afternoon."

Joseph's face darkened instantly. The old woman was already in such a state, and this quack doctor still wanted to bleed her...

Well, even President Washington couldn't escape the "blood loss debuff" in this era, let alone an ordinary old Nobility in Vienna.

After resting for a while, Madame Delvaux smiled and began to recount some stories from Queen Mary's childhood. Joseph, not wanting to interrupt the old woman's fond memories, sat quietly by the bedside and listened.

Around noon, Dr. Richter arrived. After examining the old woman, he glanced nervously at the obviously distinguished young man beside her, then whispered to Camellia:

"Alas... Madame Delvaux's condition... she probably doesn't need emetics anymore; what she needs is a priest. May God have mercy on her."

After the doctor left, Camellia could no longer hold back her tears, but Madame Delvaux smiled and comforted her:

"Grandma... is fine. Oh, no need for that... damned... vomiting... it's much better. Go and fetch... Father Koch... come here."

She seemed to suddenly remember something, looked at the Crown Prince of France, and was about to get up again.

Joseph had no choice but to help her lie back down on the bed.

Is there something you want to tell me?

The old lady nodded weakly.

"Your Highness... there is a Devil named... Walter... He..."

Through Madame Delvaux's fragmented account, Joseph finally understood what had happened. Baron Walter had imprisoned and raped many women in Spain, resulting in the deaths of two of them, which angered the powerful minister Campos. Seven years ago, he had no choice but to flee to Tuscany to seek refuge with his cousin Ludovica. Later, he followed her to Austria.

Walter continued his womanizing ways in Vienna until he met Camellia at a ball. He immediately fell for her beauty and declared that he would marry her.

After hearing about the man's terrible character, Madame Delvaux resolutely refused the marriage proposal and was subsequently subjected to his constant harassment.

Camellia was so frightened that she hardly dared to leave the house that year. Fortunately, Madame Delvaux still had some reputation, so Walter didn't dare to come and take her away.

"When I... go to see... God," Madame Delvaux continued with difficulty, "That... bastard... will no longer... have any scruples."

Joseph frowned. He had already inquired about the Delvaux family; they had no relatives in Vienna. After the old lady's death, Camellia, a young girl, would most likely be unable to escape Walter's clutches.

Madame Delvaux gestured for her granddaughter to come closer, took her hand, and then carefully pulled on Joseph's sleeve, placing her granddaughter's small hand in his, pleadingly saying:

"Your Crown Prince... Crown Prince... I beg you... for Her Majesty the Queen's sake, you must take... Camellia away from Vienna, away from... that Devil!"

Joseph looked at the old woman's pale face, immediately grasped Camellia's slender, cold hand, and nodded:

"Please rest assured, I guarantee no one will dare harm your granddaughter. She will live a good life in Paris."

"Thank you so much, Your Highness. May God bless you." Madame Delvaux said, crying again, but her expression seemed relieved.

Soon, the old man fell asleep from exhaustion.

After comforting Camellia, Joseph promised to visit the old lady again the next day before leaving the Manor.