Chapter 13: Chapter 12: Archduchess Elisabeth Marie of Austria

Berlin International University, German Empire

“Brother, who’s she?”

The twin sister of Crown Prince Justinian, Archduchess Elisabeth Marie of Austria, is currently with him and Lin in one of the private royal parlors inside the university.

Archduchess Elisabeth Marie has just returned to the university after she went home to Austria to visit her parents. She was shocked after learning that her brother the crown prince is hanging out together with a foreign girl. She was afraid that the frequent meetings between her brother and the girl would spark a scandal the likes of what just happened to the German crown prince.

My brother was lucky that he is still a bachelor, Archduchess Elisabeth Marie thought. If her brother has a fiancée already, then this would become a big trouble. But aside from that, the Archduchess is glad and satisfied that his cold and calculating brother has a friend and it is a girl to boot, even though she came from the far east and commoner.

Elisabeth’s mindset becomes more open and less discriminating against non-nobles and foreigners due to what her brother taught her when they were still young. She can still remember the stories and tales her brother tells her when they were still young, even though she didn’t know where on earth did her brother knows those tales.

After growing up together with Justinian for a few years, Archduchess Elisabeth Marie become accustomed and more accommodating to foreign ideas, cultures, and people. And now that there is a foreign girl that is also a friend of his twin brother, she was curious and interested to be also a friend with her.

But first, she must know what kind of relationship her brother and the foreign girl were in.

“She’s Lin, a friend that I meet a few months ago. By the way, how are mother and father? Are they well?”

Justinian tried to end and divert the topic immediately, he knows that his sister would be very interested in Lin. He was afraid that Lin may feel uncomfortable with the questions and tactlessness of his twin sister. He knows what is running inside his twin sister’s mind right now and he wants to defuse and slow the pace to not make Lin uncomfortable.

Archduchess Elisabeth Marie knowing that her approach may make Lin uncomfortable slows down her pace of talking and change to a more slow and easy tone so that Lin won’t feel scared and uncomfortable.

“Hi Lin. I’m Elisabeth Marie, Justinian’s twin sister… thank you for being his friend,” Archduchess Elisabeth Marie smilingly said and then look at Justinian. “They’re fine brother. They hope to meet you next month and they said you can bring Lin together.”

“Nice to meet you, your highness. It’s my honor to be his friend.”

“Hey Elisabeth. Don’t bully Lin.”

While Lin was bowing nervously her head to Archduchess Elisabeth Marie, Justinian tries to stop Elisabeth from making Lin nervous. Elisabeth tries to stop Lin from bowing when she talks to her. She really wants to talk with Lin about what it is like in the far east and how she met her brother.

Count Karl enters the parlor and whispers to Justinian.

“Your Highness… Princess Charlotte is standing outside the parlor. There is something she wants to talk to you about.”

“Charlotte? Why is she here?”

“I also don’t know Your highness… but her expression is serious so it is hard to reject her request. It seems it is an urgent business with Your Highness.”

“Tell her. That I will go out after a moment. I just need to tell Lin and my sister that I have a serious business to take care of.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Justinian stands up which is seen by both girls. They sense that Justinian seems to leave for something.

“Girls it seems that I have some business that I need to attend to. If I may can I leave first? I promise that I will make up to you both after this.”

Justinian wants to add some words before he leaves but she is interrupted by a voice from the door of the parlor.

“You don’t need to leave Your Highness. I’ll just join you in your little meeting here.”

Princess Charlotte approaches the table where the three of them are present. Then she sits at one of the empty seats at the table and smiles at them. The atmosphere inside the parlor becomes tense and awkward.

“What do you want Charlotte?”

It is Elisabeth who first breaks the ice. She hates Charlotte for a long time. It is when they’re still young and they were both present in a noble gathering near the university.

In noble gatherings, the noble women have a hierarchy and power based on their noble family’s reputation and status. That’s why circles are formed with a noble of higher rank or stature who serves as the leader of the group. And in order to increase your circle and influence in the noble gatherings, you must defeat or humiliate the other women through noble etiquettes and sharp words who have equal standing with you.

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And during one noble gathering, Princess Charlotte fight in this war of words with Archduchess Elisabeth Marie and used her as a stepping stone to increase her influence with other noble women present.

Archduchess Elisabeth Marie wouldn’t forget this humiliation. She wants to make Princess Charlotte pay tenfold for what she experienced. So when she met the French Princess now, her anger and grudge arose. Her hostility towards her manifested and was visible in her facial expression.

All people present in the parlor – Justinian, Lin, and Princess Charlotte, can see the hostile expression of Archduchess Elisabeth Marie. The atmosphere has become tenser and suffocating.

“I just want to talk with Justinian regarding our relationship.”

“What are you talking about!?”

“What!”

“…”

This statement becomes a bombshell to all people present. Justinian didn’t expect such a statement comes from Charlotte. Both Lin and Elisabeth were stunned by what just she had said. The relationship between Justinian and Charlotte is still not clear for them and now the French Princess just drops a shocking statement. Justinian wants to immediately clear the misunderstanding but Charlotte is the first to speak.

“Don’t misunderstand our relationship in something romantic or any. I mean the alliance that I offered him during the last conversation we had.” Charlotte said.

“Justinian… what do you think? Would you accept my offer?” Charlotte added.

All of their attention are now on Justinian. Would he accept the offer or not?

I hope he would accept it…

I don’t trust any words that this witch had said… brother doesn’t trust her…

Justinian…

The three girls had different thoughts inside their heads. But all of this would be up to Justinian on what he would decide now.

Justinian had already deliberated and think this for the past few days. He also received some information regarding Princess Charlotte and how large her influence was in the social and political spheres.

He was amazed at how an eighteen years old princess had already amassed a large influence not only in the French court but in entire Europe. She has her earn a personal army of about 30,000 men stationed somewhere in Northern Africa. It may be the French Emperor who had given her permission and the rights to raise her own personal troops but she was the only one who maintain and give salaries to all men under her command.

She also has a lot of land and estates around the world. Her influence on the political fields is also outstanding, she had a lot of loyal ministers and persons in power following her, if only she is not been born a woman then she might even have had a chance to become the next emperor.

But even though she is a woman, her two brothers are still threatened by her influence and connections in the French court and politics. The French throne had become volatile already due to the two princes fighting for the throne and with her gaining power and influence, it become more volatile.

But what was amazing is that just a year ago, the two Prince factions didn’t treat the Princess faction as a competitor for the throne anymore. The amazing political maneuvering and negotiation on how Princess Charlotte made a deal with the two factions. Justinian was curious and also wary of how the Princess was able to pull that off.

But right now, a more urgent thing is needed to be taken care of is to defeat the Ottomans. It doesn’t matter how cunning and calculative the French princess is, he really needs her help. Even political support from the French would be useful to his future plans of swallowing the Ottoman Empire. Losing Egypt is not a very large loss if you can control the entire Middle East and the Suez Canal is still needed to be constructed, and at the time he would have any power to contend with and control the Sinai Peninsula.

Whether he would accept the deal Princess Charlotte was offering to him. All the girls in the parlor are tense on what would be his decision, even Princess Charlotte is nervous because having a transmigrator ally who had power and position would help in achieving her goals. Archduchess Elisabeth Marie doesn’t want his brother to make any connections to what she considers a witch. Lin was just silent and kept her thoughts to herself.

“Yes… I would accept your offer of alliance Princess Charlotte. But I think it is better to be a secret right now and all our actions should be done discreetly so our opponents would not know.”

“Yaaaay… I know that you would accept my deal.”

Princess Charlotte’s smile can reach her ears on how wide her smile is. She is very happy that Crown Prince Justinian accepted her offer, this would be one step closer to her goals. She knows that joining side with Austria would make the Ottomans directly hostile to her, but she is now gambling on her entire destiny and future. Everything she had achieved is now riding to the success of Austria in the upcoming war.

“But Princess Charlotte, why chose us Austrians?”

“I’ll tell you why someday… on the time when we are alone… only the two of us in private… he he he.”

Princess Charlotte smiled knowing that what she had said would cause a misunderstanding to the people present especially to Archduchess Elisabeth Marie who really hates her to the core. Princess Charlotte really enjoys teasing and bullying Archduchess Elisabeth Marie and seeing her ugly expression makes her enjoy bullying her more. She immediately stands up and leaves the parlor, it is up to Crown Prince Justinian to clear up the misunderstanding.

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