After providing emergency treatment to the Empress, Karl and his group carefully moved her to a nearby inn that had been arranged in advance.
No matter how quickly the treatment was administered, once the Empress’s elderly body lost its balance due to shock and blood loss, it could collapse at any moment.
Even if only for the sake of stabilizing her emotions, it was necessary to find a comfortable place nearby for her to lie down and rest properly.
“Phew…
huff, it’s here.
Huff, I heard Her Majesty the Empress of the Austro-Hungarian Empire is here…!”
Not long after they arrived at the inn, Swiss police arrived in a huffing and puffing swarm.
In Switzerland, which had always been known for its excellent public security, it was impossible for an attack on the street—such a major commotion—not to attract attention.
It would have been strange if the police had remained completely unaware.
Furthermore, upon learning that this involved the Empress of the Empire, it was no exaggeration that any Swiss official would come rushing over, terrified and out of breath.
From the perspective of a small country like Switzerland, how terrifying would it be to incur the displeasure of a Central European empire whose national power was dozens or even hundreds of times their own?
“Her Majesty needs quiet rest.
Please maintain silence.”
Karl stepped forward and spoke in a serious tone that belied his age.
The Swiss police immediately fell silent.
Seeing this young man dressed in exquisite clothing, carrying himself with a natural noble air, and followed by burly men who were clearly Guards, none of them dared to act rashly.
“Excuse me…
might I ask which noble family you are from, young sir?”
“This is the great-grandson of His Majesty Emperor Franz Joseph I of the Austrian Empire, His Imperial Highness Archduke Karl von Habsburg.”
Rita, the maid who had been trembling with fear on the speeding train just moments ago, now stepped forward elegantly and spoke in a clear voice.
Actually, Karl quite liked this kind of scene.
Someone announced his identity before he even had to open his mouth.
As expected of a maid from a noble family, she had great presence at critical moments, which was refreshing to see.
And the reaction of the Swiss police was exactly as he intended.
“Wh-what?!
I see!
My apologies, Your Highness!”
Their eyes widened instantly, shock flashing across their faces, followed by an instinctive snap to attention and a salute.
As expected, the brand of the Imperial Family was very effective.
It was truly satisfying.
Karl realized he might actually enjoy the natural authority that came with his status.
“Her Majesty my Great-Grandmother is resting and is no longer in mortal danger.
You may all leave at ease.”
“I-is that so?
That is truly a relief!” The officers clearly breathed a sigh of relief.
Karl graciously reassured the Swiss police who had rushed over. Follow the newest chapters on g.com.
Although the Empress herself had previously stated she didn’t need police involvement, a slight oversight in such matters could implicate the innocent.
When a whale merely breathes, the nearby shrimp are tossed about by the current.
Karl understood their concerns and explicitly told them that his men would take full responsibility for the Empress’s safety, so they need not worry further.
Of course, he didn’t forget to hand over the assassin, Luigi Lucheni, who was tied up like a zongzi.
“This man is now in the hands of your country’s judicial authorities.”
A fellow like this, even in prison, was likely destined for special treatment.
Lucheni already felt that reality was hell, which was why he sought death; for him, being sent to a prison that was even more like hell would likely be even harder to endure.
“Uh, Your Highness, his limbs…
they seem to be twisted in rather unnatural directions…”
“He resisted too violently.
My Guards were forced to do what was necessary to subdue him,” Karl explained without blinking.
“I-I see…
Understood.” The officer wiped his sweat and stopped questioning.
Only then did the Swiss police finally leave in peace.
After all, a wayward Empress was a headache wherever she went; now that her imperial relative had taken over, it couldn’t be better.
Just in case, Karl confirmed once more that two doctors were on standby before gently pushing the door open to check on the Empress’s condition.
Empress Elisabeth had already changed into a clean nightgown and was leaning against the headboard.
Her face was still pale, but her eyes had regained their usual aloofness and indifference.
“Why did you save me?”
She was indeed an unpredictable woman.
Logically, shouldn’t she have first asked what happened, or at least said “thank you”?
Or, she could have suddenly asked: “How did you know I would suffer such a fate, to the point of bringing doctors in advance?”
Karl had originally prepared several explanations in his mind, but faced with this completely unexpected question, he was momentarily stunned.
“Uh, Great-Grandmother, I…”
“Don’t call me Great-Grandmother.”
The Empress glared at him fiercely and turned her head back toward the window.
Honestly, being so sharp in such a strange way.
Sighing, Karl took a step back.
He had saved her for the stability of the Empire, the peace of the family, and to please the Old Emperor; who would have thought he’d be asked “Why did you save me.”
Continuing to tangle with this woman would only make him more tired.
In the future, whether she went traveling and got stabbed somewhere or not, he didn’t want to care anymore.
As long as he could tell the Emperor, “I saved the Empress,” his goal would be achieved.
“You should have just left me alone…”
Lying on the bed, the Empress gazed at the hazy scenery of Lake Geneva outside the window, whispering like a female lead immersed in her own tragedy.
“Stop being so dramatic,” Karl finally couldn’t help but blurt out.
“What?!”
She turned her head, staring at him with a fierce gaze as if she wanted to swallow him whole.
Karl hadn’t wanted to have anything more to do with the Empress, but he really couldn’t hold it back.
He admitted that the Empress’s life was indeed difficult, and court life was no different from a cage to her.
But was she the only one in the world who suffered?
Everyone had their own stories and hardships.
Perhaps she hadn’t sat on the Empress’s throne by choice, but at this point, wasn’t she indulging too much in self-pity?
“Are you the only one who feels pain?
In this damn era, plenty of people live difficult lives.
And the reality we will face in the future will only be more cruel than hell.”
Even if Europe seemed peaceful at the moment, there were no small number of ordinary people struggling through poverty, disease, and oppression in this era.
Take the assassin Luigi Lucheni, for example; he was abandoned by his mother at birth, and his father had fled long ago without a trace.
He grew up in an orphanage and was later sent to foster families.
Even orphanages and foster families in the twenty-first century were often riddled with problems, let alone in this era lacking oversight.
His life, obviously, could not have been easy.
Ultimately, Luigi Lucheni could never find a footing in the world and could only wander around working odd jobs, marginalized by society.
In this era of rapid industrialization and widening wealth gaps, people full of resentment like him were not uncommon.
What about the Empress?
Granted, her married life was indeed oppressive, but she had an Emperor by her side who always gave her love bordering on indulgence.
Even if Crown Prince Rudolf’s early death was heartbreaking, she still had other children living.
As long as she was willing, there were mountains of people willing to care for her and empathize with her, yet she indulged in her own melancholy and wandering like a stubborn madwoman.
How could Karl not feel irritated?
Furthermore, as time passed, all of Europe would eventually be swallowed by the flames of a world war that would sweep everything away.
At that time, ordinary people wouldn’t even have room to resist; they could only be consumed by the fires of war.
In such a destined-to-be-difficult era, for her, as one of the symbols of the Empire, to only care about her own self-pity seemed truly ridiculous and pathetic to Karl.
More importantly, she was the Empress of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, one of the people who should most care about the safety of the Empire and the welfare of its subjects.
Under the Empire’s rule, the lives and expectations of so many ethnic groups were maintained.
“The dead aren’t coming back anyway, so you should be a bit better to the living and stop tormenting them.
Either that, or stay in Vienna and don’t come out.
I really don’t understand how you can cause trouble for everyone everywhere and yet still claim that only you have it the hardest.”
Did you think I would indulge you in every way like the Old Emperor?
Absolutely not.
Karl gave the Empress a cold, sneering look, said no more, and turned to leave the room.