Eagle's Glory

Letizia quickly noticed that there was a letter in his brother's hand.

"Joseph, what happened? Who sent you the letter?" She asked in the Italian she knew best.

"You won't believe it if you tell me," Cardinal Joseph Fish replied with a wry smile, "is it sent by an Austrian princess?"

Letizia froze for a moment.

"Luisa?" She asked in disbelief, then shook her head in denial, "Impossible, we have already cut off all contact with her, and she will not want to have any communication with me."

Although Princess Luisa used to be her daughter-in-law, since the fall of the empire, Luisa has reorganized the family separately, and the two sides have long since broken up. Letizia does not believe that Luisa may take the initiative to contact her.

However, if it wasn't for Luisa, others seemed even less likely.

"You guessed right, it's not a letter from Princess Luisa, but...Princess Teresa." Cardinal Joseph Fish still had a strange expression, "That's right, it's the eldest daughter of Grand Duke Karl."

"God!" Letizia and Miss Bancy exclaimed at the same time, and then looked at each other.

Although Letizia lives in seclusion, she is not completely isolated from outside information. At least she has been paying attention to what happened to her grandson——

She clearly remembered that Her Royal Highness the princess was once designated as her granddaughter-in-law by the Austrian court.

When she heard the news, she didn't feel disgusted, on the contrary, she was a little relieved, because it also meant that her grandson, who was worried about her, would finally have someone to rely on in Austria, but who would have imagined that so many accidents would happen next Woolen cloth!

"She...what is she writing to me for? Is it to reprimand our family?" Letizia came back to her senses, and then smiled bitterly, "Oh, we are really sorry for this little girl..."

The grandson left without saying goodbye, and the marriage naturally ended without a problem. The Princess Teresa was naturally in a storm of public opinion and was under great pressure.

Putting herself in the same situation, Letizia could also imagine Princess Teresa's mood at the moment—perhaps full of resentment and annoyance?

poor child.

"No, Letizia, it's not what you think." The cardinal shook his head, then handed the letter in his hand to his sister with a strange expression. "This is her letter, you should read it first."

Letizia accepted the letter in astonishment.

The paper of the envelope is very particular, and there is the emblem of the double-headed eagle of the Habsburg family on it. After pulling out the letter paper, a fresh fragrance also diffused in the room.

Then, the beautiful handwriting on the letter paper also directly caught the eyes of the old woman—it was written in Italian for her reading convenience.

"Dear Your Majesty the Empress Dowager:

Although I have never met your face, I have heard about your benevolence for a long time, and I have always admired your efforts in maintaining the family and children. I have regarded you as a role model countless times in my heart, and I hope to be like you , to use my own efforts to maintain a family that belongs to me, and help my husband continue the glorious history of a great family.

Presumably you have also heard about the piles and piles surrounding me and His Highness, so I don't have to endure the pain anymore, and continue to tell you what happened to me and the pain I had to go through...

I have to admit that Your Highness has put me in a very difficult situation. If I don’t want to maintain this marriage contract that I have sworn to keep, then that’s fine; but I don’t want to break my vow, so this is also It means I need to fight against the court and even my own parents.

I am not afraid of facing pressure. My own vows are enough for me to draw enough strength, but I am afraid that my efforts will be in vain in the end. The promised happiness has also come to naught...

Originally, we should figure out how to deal with the matter of our juniors by ourselves, and we shouldn't bother you in front of you, but now the situation has deteriorated, and it is really difficult for me to deal with it alone in silence, so I hope to meet you face to face, Tell you my pain, my worries, and my resolutions.

I would be very grateful if you would grant me the grace of meeting you.

May God bless you with a long and healthy life and watch over us forever!

Always faithful to you, Theresa von Habsburg. "

Although the old man's nerves were dull, Letizia was still moved by the abundant emotion in the letter.

"This girl! It's really..." She shook her head lightly, not knowing how to describe it.

How can I be considered an empress dowager right now?Just a reclusive old woman.

A girl from the Habsburg family, with such a low profile in front of her, really didn't know what to say.

"She is indeed a very polite and affectionate girl." Cardinal Joseph Fish nodded, "If it wasn't for your grandson, she would never have said such words to you."

"Yeah, yeah..." Letizia sighed, "This is really a crime! How did that little bastard do such a thing!"

"Then do you still see her?" the cardinal asked again, "The person who delivered the letter told me that Her Royal Highness is waiting outside our door in Venice Square."

"What?" Letizia was a little surprised, and then immediately nodded and agreed, "See you! Of course we will see you, we can't do any more crimes."

"Okay." The cardinal nodded, then turned around and walked out without eating breakfast, "I'll bring His Highness here."

After the cardinal left, Letizia looked at the breakfast on the table and realized that she had lost her appetite.

Miss Banci, the painter, watched all this. Although she didn't see what was said in the letter, she probably guessed pretty well after seeing the interaction between the siblings.

"Did Princess Teresa come to see you?" she asked in a low voice.

"Yes, she's here." Letizia nodded in confusion.

"What's her attitude towards that disturbed marriage?" the painter asked cautiously.

"In the letter, she said she wanted to stick to the engagement," Letizia replied.

"This is really..." Miss Bancy was a little shocked, "It's come to this point, she still wants to fulfill the engagement?"

Letizia could only smile wryly.

"Poor child, we are sorry for her."

Not long after their conversation, the cardinal returned, and this time behind him was a girl in a silk wide-brimmed hat and a skirt.

After walking in front of the old lady, she took off her hat, showed her face, and saluted Letizia in an elegant and respectful manner.

"It's an honor to meet you, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager."

After she took off her hat, Letizia had been watching her all the time, and couldn't help being distracted by the girl's beauty and youthful vigor.

What a beautiful little girl!

But if you look closely, you can still see the look of sadness between her eyebrows, obviously she has been in a bad mood recently.

As for the reason for the bad mood, it is estimated that the whole of Europe knows it.

Thinking of this, Letizia couldn't help feeling guilty.

"There is no need to be so respectful to me, Your Highness, I am no longer an empress dowager." She said as she walked forward and hugged Teresa's white and thin shoulders, "Son, we owe you so much More... trust me, if I had had the opportunity to be there, it wouldn't be the way it is now."

Seeing the concern and guilt in the old man's eyes, Teresa couldn't bear it any longer. Her eyes were red with tears appearing, and then she hugged the old woman.

"Sorry, Your Majesty, I lost my composure in front of you...can you allow me to hug you for a while?"

"It's okay, you also need to vent your anger." Letizia shook her head, then continued to hug the girl tightly.

In this warm embrace, Teresa finally had a place to vent the grievances and sorrows accumulated in her heart, and her tears couldn't stop flowing.

She finally found a place where she could cry without worrying about breaking her parents' hearts.

As she vented her emotions, she cried louder and louder, and everyone in the room couldn't bear it after hearing it.

After a while, Teresa finally collected her emotions, then raised her head and looked at His Highness's grandmother with bloodshot eyes.

The old lady looked dignified and kind, almost exactly as she imagined, and the veil on the other's chest was already wet a lot.

"Sorry, Your Majesty, I ran over suddenly and caused you trouble." She apologized softly.

"It's okay, what is this compared to my grandson's harm to you?" Letizia shook her head.

Then, she sighed again, "I thought you would cut off relations with him, but I didn't expect to receive this letter from you...Son, do you really want to continue?"

"Since I have already agreed to the engagement, of course I must continue to perform it." Teresa replied solemnly, "Actually, what I am wronged is not His Highness's departure, and why, why can't I get engaged before leaving...I... ...I can wait!"

As soon as she said this, she almost cried again, and finally managed to control herself. "Your Majesty, has your Highness come to look for you?"

"Not yet." Letizia shook her head. "Teresa, I didn't lie to you. If I ever find me, I will tell you."

Looking into the eyes of the old man, Teresa believed it too.

Unfortunately, it seems that His Highness is still on the sidelines and has not dared to contact his grandmother in Rome.

She knew that waiting in Austria was a waste of time, so she went to Rome to see His Royal Highness's grandmother.

Even if she didn't learn of His Highness's whereabouts from here, at least she could get the favor and approval of the elders of the family, so that this marriage contract could be fulfilled again.

However, she believed that His Highness would definitely come to contact her. As long as she had a good relationship with Empress Dowager Letizia, she would be able to get news from her.

Judging from the situation when the two of them met, it shouldn't be difficult.

While Teresa was meditating, Letizia also stroked Teresa's hair, and the more she looked at it, the happier she became.

"What a good girl..." she muttered to herself, "How could anyone be willing to abandon such luck!"

Then, she asked again, "Did you cross that boundary when you got along with each other before?"

Because her words were a little cryptic, Teresa didn't understand, and it took a while for her to react.

"Not yet..." She shook her head shyly. "However, His Highness has already taken the initiative to kiss me, and promised me that he would create a happy future with me, and it turned out..."

"It turns out that he said so many sweet words, and turned around and refused to admit it!" Letizia frowned and looked at Teresa indignantly, "You little bastard! If I can see him, I will beat him with a cane. Break his legs!"

"Your Highness also has her own plans..." Teresa quickly said good things for His Highness.

"No matter what plans he has, he can't take you as a victim for no reason!" The more Letizia said, the more angry she became, "It's his honor to be with you. Does he still dare to deny it? If he If I dare not admit it, I will deny him! At least now I am the oldest member of the Bonaparte family, and I will not allow him to do such a thing!"

Although she has been the empress dowager for more than ten years, Letizia is essentially an ordinary Italian old lady with a small landowner. Her life experience, her thinking mode, and even her values ​​have not been able to be substituted into the "French Empress Dowager's level.

This may be her luck, at least in the most glorious era of the empire, she still maintained the virtues and simplicity of an Italian mother, as well as her love for children and relatives, and was not corroded by the boundless power and honor.

Teresa was pleased to find that her goal was achieved when they met each other.

What a loving and kind grandma... She hugged the old woman again full of emotion.　　

34. Audience

While Teresa was meeting with Letizia, Aiglon on the outskirts of Rome was also thinking about how to meet her grandmother.

Unlike Teresa, he certainly didn't dare to walk directly to his grandmother's residence, so he first found a hotel on the outskirts of Rome and stayed under a pseudonym.

After staying, he began to inquire about the news and wait and see the direction of the wind, and soon he found that the atmosphere in Rome was not tense. Apparently, the administrators of the Papal State had not received the news that the King of Rome had come to Rome.

Although the news of "the king of Rome escaped from Vienna" caused a sensation in the city of Rome, after a few months, it quickly returned to calm.

But even so, Aigron still didn't dare to take it lightly. He knew that her grandmother's identity was too special. After he was free, the grandmother's side would definitely attract the attention of the outside world.

In addition, the Bonaparte Palace where the Empress Dowager Letizia lives is right next to Piazza Venezia in the center of Rome. It would be too eye-catching for him to walk past, so he cut off the idea of ​​visiting directly.

Therefore, he could only choose to pass the news to his grandmother first, and then choose an opportunity for the two to meet.

Naturally, there was only one candidate for the person who delivered the news - Chanel.

Although Chanel ran out of Vienna with him, the Austrian authorities have not announced the details of his escape, so at least Chanel has not appeared in people's field of vision for now-that means, even if Chanel swaggers Appearing in the city of Rome, it will not attract attention.

Moreover, she is a young girl, so she will not be particularly suspicious accordingly. Even if there is an accident, Aigron believes that she will keep her mouth shut and will never reveal her secret.

So, after settling down, Aigron assigned the task to Chanel.

As for himself, he was lurking in the hotel with the other people who came with him first, and decided what to do next when Chanel came back.

Of course, Chanel felt honored and excited to meet Her Majesty the Empress Dowager, and accepted the task with great joy.

"Your Majesty, I'll go first. Take care here, I'll be back soon." Chanel said goodbye to Aigron.

"Well, I'm waiting for your good news." Aigron smiled and waved to Chanel, wishing her all the best, "By the way, when you see my grandmother, don't be too respectful and reserved, just try to be as calm as possible , otherwise I'm afraid she'll be a little uncomfortable, she's never been very fond of putting on airs."

Chanel did not quite agree with his opinion, "No matter how easy-going your Majesty the Empress Dowager is, she is your grandmother, the oldest member of the Bonaparte family, and I should show her due respect... "

"Okay..." Aigron spread his hands helplessly, "It's up to you to deal with it, but remember to tell her that I need her and my uncle's help very much, and ask them to treat me for the sake of blood. This beleaguered grandson lends a helping hand."

This is not just casual talk, in fact, he really hopes to get the help of the two old people.

Although Letizia doesn't put on airs, after all, she really was the empress dowager and received a large gift from her son, so she accumulated quite a lot of wealth—and, after the fall of the empire, although she came to Rome She has lived a life of seclusion, but she is quite business-minded, and has made many smart investments with the wealth she has accumulated, which has added a lot of value to the wealth, so Letizia must now have a huge sum of money wealth.

Although Aigron has dug up a treasure, for him who is going to do a big business, the more money the better, especially if he wants to build an army, the cost of funds is simply astronomical-this is also It means that his thirst for money is almost endless.

Now that he has already received a sponsorship from Aunt Otangs, Aigron naturally wants to get a bigger investment from grandma.

Aigron is the heir to the royal family of Bonaparte, that is, the grandson of Letizia. Even though the empire has now perished, he believes that his position in his grandmother's heart is absolutely extraordinary.

Back then, Letizia received so many blessings from Napoleon, but now that she is in trouble, wouldn't it be justifiable to ask her grandma for some money to tide over the difficulties?

In addition to money, he has more important goals that need to be accomplished with the help of his grandmother-he came to Rome this time to open up relationships within the Holy See, and the first step requires a trustworthy and well-connected intermediary.

Letizia and her younger brother, Cardinal Joseph Fish, happened to be the perfect candidates.

Although Napoleon and the Pope fell out, Letizia was still recognized by the church because of her piety and goodwill to the church, otherwise the church would not take her back in Rome. Among the top church leaders today, there are many People have also been favored by her back then; as for Cardinal Fish, he has more contacts in the church. With their help, it is of course much easier for Aigron to contact the top of the church.

After contacting the person, Aigron took out the letter of Father Faria, and then used jewelry and money to open the way. He believed that he would definitely open the door of the Vatican—although he still has no way to openly go in.

All these plans now fall on Chanel, and Aigron can only hope that she will fulfill her mission and contact her grandmother as soon as possible.

At this time, Chanel also embarked on the road to the city of Rome with the excitement of a heavy responsibility.

What an honor to be able to meet the former Empress Dowager?If she could get a few words of encouragement from her, it would be an unforgettable honor in her life.

The beautiful or dilapidated buildings in the city of Rome passed by the car window, but she didn't realize it, and she was only thinking about the next meeting.