Fate and the Future

Upon hearing this, Joseph II immediately made anxious "uh-uh" sounds.

Leopold II quickly bent down to listen, then said to Tugut, "His Majesty asks whether the France have mentioned the sovereignty of Wallonia?"

"Archbishop Talleyrand said sovereignty still belongs to the King the Southern Netherlands."

"And what about Ghent Province?" Leopold II asked again.

Ghent the Atlantic Ocean and controls the Rhine River estuary, making its strategic location extremely important.

"Ghent is not included in the special trade zone," Tugut added, "Nor is Bruges included either."

Bruges is another coastal province adjacent to Ghent.

Leopold II breathed a sigh of relief. In that case, the so-called "special trade zone" would be entirely inland, encompassing only the provinces of Mons and Namur, and a portion of the South Liège. Its area would be only slightly larger than Luxembourg.

As long as the coastal provinces are in hand, along with Antwerp, the Rhine River can be firmly controlled, and the greatest interests of the Southern Netherlands will not be lost.

He looked at Joseph II and nodded, saying, "Your Majesty, I believe this condition is acceptable."

In reality, the Rhine River estuary, which he valued most, was just a hot potato for Joseph.

The Rhine River is the main commercial artery of the German Territories. If France controls the mouth of the Rhine River, it will gain a huge trade advantage in the Germany region, and may even be able to squeeze United Kingdom out of the area. At that time, the United Kingdom will certainly not hesitate to start a national war to drive France out of the region.

Historically, one of the core factors that led United Kingdom to actively instigate the Anti-French Alliance was France's occupation of the entire Southern Netherlands.

Furthermore, if the United Kingdom wanted to make any ill intentions toward Wallonia, they would first have to cross the Austria- controlled coastal provinces, which ironically became a barrier for France.

Therefore, it is most appropriate to leave the coastal provinces to Austria.

Joseph was only interested in the Wallonia's coal resources and its large French population. Moreover, once the Wallonia Special Trade Zone was established, it would connect with Luxembourg. When the railway was completed, the combined Coal and Iron resources of the two regions would become another powerful engine for the France Industrial Revolution.

As for sovereignty, that's just an empty title.

Through previous efforts, the Wallonia Chamber of Commerce is now largely comprised of people promoted by Joseph, with the president even being France. Meanwhile, the original Military Supplies Preparatory Committee has long since gained control over every aspect of the trade.

If the Chamber of Commerce manages the administration—a common practice in France —then it's tantamount to Joseph controlling the place.

At the same time, there are no longer Austrian Army stationed in Wallonia, and the Walloon Police are the only violent institution there.

This area may appear to be an "undefended" trading zone, but the Police's combat effectiveness is highly variable.

Never heard of the Paris Police Academy? The Walloon Police should be sent there for training first. Don't blame me if they end up beating your regular troops to a pulp.

Joseph II remained silent for a long time, also believing it to be a sure-fire deal, so he nodded with difficulty, managing to squeeze out a single word:

"Agree."

While Joseph was busy signing the Vienna Special Agreement with Leopold II, Madame Delvaux's funeral had completed a series of ceremonies and the formal burial was held.

When Joseph arrived at the cemetery from the Schönbrunn Palace, all the funeral guests had already left, leaving only a newly built tomb standing alone. The tombstone bore the name of Madame Delvaux, along with a line of smaller text: She was remembered by Her Majesty the Queen in the world.

Camellia remained standing in front of the tombstone, head bowed, unwilling to leave for a long time.

Joseph stepped forward, patted her on the back, and whispered:

"The deceased is gone, and you will have a new home. Her Majesty the Queen awaits you at the Versailles Palace."

The girl slowly turned her head, then slowly curtsied, and choked out:

"Thank you so much for your and Her Majesty the Queen's care. May God bless you and Her Majesty."

Joseph nodded, and then said:

"I'm returning to Paris the day after tomorrow. Would you like to come with me, as Madame Delvaux wishes?"

Camellia glanced at her grandmother's tombstone, tears welling in her eyes, and nodded.

"Yes, Your Highness... Paris is the only place I can go..."

As they were talking, Court Official from the Schönbrunn Palace, led by Eman, approached and bowed to Joseph, saying:

"Your Highness, the Crown Prince, His Majesty the Emperor invites you to tonight's ball."

The signing of a treaty with significant implications for Austria is certainly something to celebrate.

Joseph could only offer a few more words of comfort to the girl, leaving two Servant to take care of her, while he hurried back to the Schönbrunn Palace to attend political and social events.

The following afternoon, Camellia finally ate her first meal in nearly two days, then wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes and prepared to go out to say goodbye to her only friend.

Joseph's Servant, who had been sent to look after her, immediately began preparing the Carriage —all the Delvaux Servant had been dismissed, leaving only Camellia's personal maid, who was responsible for these outings.

In a mid-range Villa on Lairston Street, Mr. Basel warmly served Camellia hot Cocoa:

"Have some; it's got lots of sugar in it, it'll soothe your soul."

Seeing the girl silently pick up the cup, he cautiously asked again:

"So, what are your plans for the future? What if...?"

He mustered his Courage and tried to say, "If you'd like, I can take you away from Vienna, anywhere you want, and then I'll take care of you for the rest of my life."

Although he was Camellia's Music Teacher, he was also deeply infatuated with her. So while others avoided her out of fear of Baron Walter, he remained steadfast in protecting her.

Now that Madame Delvaux is gone, he is the only one left in the world who can protect this poor girl. He can't defeat Walter, but he can take her away. For her, he is willing to give up his comfortable life and spend the rest of his life on the run.

However, before he could speak, the girl whispered, "Grandma wrote a letter to Her Majesty the Queen of France, and the Crown Prince of France will take me to Paris."

She looked up at Basel: "I'm scared. It's a faraway and unfamiliar place, and I don't know what fate awaits me. What do you think? Should I go?"

Basel's heart tightened, and he immediately wanted to say "No, don't go," but he froze.

The Crown Prince of France?

He slowly lowered his head. If Camellia could go to the Versailles Palace, it would be a thousand times better than her following him around, hiding from Baron Walter.

That's the life she deserves.

It only took him two seconds for his eyes to harden, which, for her, was an opportunity.

He had heard Camellia mention her grandmother's relationship with the Queen of France, meaning she had many opportunities to meet the future King of France!

Although with her background, it was impossible for her to become the Crown Princess Consort, as long as she could get even the slightest connection with the Crown Prince, it would change her fate dramatically.