Chapter 50
Chapter 50
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Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 050
Chapter Title: The Polish Crisis
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As I rose from my sickbed, the Hofburg Palace erupted into chaos.
"...Franz! A-are you okay? I was really so scared about what might happen to you..."
"Brother! Ah... I'm so relieved. I thought the worst had happened!"
From what I heard, I'd collapsed at my desk and then lain motionless for three straight days and nights, burning with fever.
Apparently, Theresia hadn't left my side for even a moment during that time. All I could feel was deep regret.
No... but was the situation really that dire?
I'd woken up feeling so refreshed after the happiest sleep of my life that it only made me feel guiltier.
"But it's truly miraculous. How did your fever just vanish like that?"
"It must have been divine intervention. Thank you, thank you so much."
Theresia clasped my hand and bowed her head toward the heavens repeatedly, murmuring her gratitude.
Then, suddenly, she burrowed into my arms and burst into sobs.
"Franz... you idiot! Do you know how worried I was? I really, really thought you were going to die..."
"I'm sorry, Theresia. I must have pushed myself too hard. I'm fine now, so don't cry, okay?"
"You weren't fine! Your fever wouldn't break for three whole days... Do you know how much I prayed?"
"I know, I know. So stop crying. I promise I won't make you sad like this ever again."
I gently soothed Theresia, who clung to the hem of my clothes even as she wept.
"Really? You promise? From now on, you have to sleep at least seven full hours every day, no overworking. Got it?"
"Got it, got it. Unless it's absolutely unavoidable, I'll make sure to get my sleep while I work."
Only then did Theresia wipe away her tears with a faint smile.
As I comforted her and rose to stretch lightly, my whole body cracked and popped.
"Ugh... I must have been lying there for ages."
Theresia immediately began gently massaging my arms and back with a worried look.
"Does it hurt a lot? Don't move too suddenly. Here, drink some water first."
"Ah, thanks."
As I quenched my thirst, she promptly brought over some soup and spooned it into my mouth.
"Here, ahh~."
"...Theresia, there are still people around."
"A sick person shouldn't talk so much. Hurry up! If you're embarrassed, then don't get sick."
Since this was all my fault, what could I say? I had no choice but to obey.
My younger brother Karl covered his mouth to stifle a laugh as he watched me eat bread from her hand, while Theresia steadfastly kept spooning until I'd emptied the bowl.
-I'm telling you, she's going to eat you up.
Her words from my dream echoed in my mind like a hallucination.
No way, I thought, as I finished the soup and stretched briefly. A servant cautiously poked his head in from outside the door.
"Your Highness Franz Stefan, His Majesty is waiting for you."
Oh no, after Theresia, now it was my father-in-law's turn.
"I'll come too."
Theresia responded reflexively, but the servant shook his head awkwardly.
"I'm sorry, but His Imperial Majesty wishes to speak with Your Highness Franz alone."
"Franz is still a patient, so I'm worried..."
I could already guess what was coming, but I couldn't drag Theresia along.
I stroked her head and said,
"I'll be right back. Don't worry."
"Okay... Then I'll wait here, so come back quick. If Dad drags it out, just tell him I'm waiting."
"Sure, sure."
My body felt heavy as I stepped outside, but my steps were incredibly light.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "You're banned from overworking from now on."
"Yes, sir."
The Emperor wasted no time, saying exactly what I'd expected.
"Lately, you've been working like a man possessed, and I was worried sick. And look, this happened. You're lucky you recovered—if things had gone wrong, what would you have done?"
"I'm sorry. I'll make sure to take better care of my health from now on."
"Sigh... Fine. You must have heard that Theresia never left your side once while you were out. She even moved her bed into your room because she was afraid something might happen in the night."
That explained the extra bed in the corner—she'd brought it right into my room.
She could've left me to the servants, but I could imagine her state of mind, so the Emperor must not have stopped her.
"I've promised Theresia it won't happen again."
"Of course. If it does, you'll die by my hand before hers. What father would forgive a man who makes his daughter cry? I don't care how well you work."
"Absolutely. I'd deserve it if I did it again."
Still, I was just recovering, so I tried to look as pitiful as possible. The Emperor shook his head and sighed.
"Alright, you must be exhausted, so let's drop it. Anyway, all the urgent matters are handled, so until your brother's engagement ceremony, do nothing but rest."
"Doing absolutely nothing would be harder. I'll just handle a bit of business. Of course, I'll be in bed the moment night falls..."
"Well... If you stopped entirely, things would pile up, so I suppose it's unavoidable. Just don't overdo it for a while—watch what you eat, too. Understood?"
"Yes. I won't cause worry for Theresia or Your Majesty again. Speaking of which, Theresia's waiting in the room..."
It wasn't an excuse—I hadn't eaten a proper meal in three days, just a bowl of soup, so even talking was tiring.
If he wanted me to rest, let me go rest.
Right on cue, my stomach let out a thunderous growl.
What? Why are you laughing?
A man needs to eat to live.
From now on, I'll pour everything into living fully—for myself, and for everyone watching me.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Time flew by, and two full cycles of the four seasons swept through the Hofburg's inner courtyard.
Thus, 1731 arrived after two years.
Europe passed its days in relative peace, free of major incidents.
Karl and Wilhelmina's engagement had gone off without a hitch, grandly celebrated. I slept a solid seven hours every day and handled my work as before.
No massive events had rocked Europe or the Empire, so nothing changed drastically.
That said, I'd become even more deeply involved in imperial affairs, performing my Privy Council duties more smoothly and solidifying my position as the next in line.
If anyone had changed more dramatically, though, it was Theresia.
She blamed herself for my collapse, thinking it happened because she was too young and unreliable. She threw herself into her studies even harder than before.
Not just theory—she went out into the field and listened broadly to those active in practical roles.
In the German-speaking world, a woman stepping forward like that usually drew criticism, but things were different now.
No one in the court was unaware of my insane workload, so her actions were seen as proper support for her husband-to-be.
And I owed it all to my dear—and beloved—father-in-law.
He'd fretted so much over my health back then, but lately he seemed to have selective amnesia. He kept pushing me to effectively run the Privy Council meetings in his stead.
"The frequency of minor clashes along the Ottoman border is steadily increasing. So far, they've been localized disputes, but if they escalate, they could turn into a major conflict."
Two years ago, I'd only answered questions from my seat at the end of the table. Now, the councilors' eyes naturally turned to me.
The Emperor lounged behind a massive screen, half-reclining, chuckling as he watched it all.
"Europe's situation is stable for now, but we should avoid all-out war with the Ottomans. They don't want it either."
"Caution is wise, of course. But if we're too lenient, tensions in the border regions could worsen. We can't even trust the Ottomans' control over their own provinces right now."
The councilors voiced their opinions promptly, as the Ottomans were the Holy Roman Empire's traditional foe.
They all had valid points, but for me, the answer was already set.
To properly stabilize Belgrade, the Wallachian Principality, and northern Bosnia—territories taken from the Ottomans—we'd need to clash with them at least once more.
But considering how, in my past life, we'd lost them all back to the Ottomans after a defeat, we had to proceed with utmost care.
We absolutely could not repeat the shameful history of the Ottomans' last victory over a major European power—and that power being the Habsburgs.
So, to truly turn the Ottomans into Europe's sick man, we needed more time to build the ward to lock them away in.
At my signal, Eugene—who'd been briefed beforehand—raised his hand to summarize.
"Our army is undergoing rapid reorganization and will only grow stronger with time. If we leave them be, the gap will widen, so for now, keeping diplomatic channels open seems best."
In other words, time was on our side, so no need to stir up trouble now.
Eugene's word was law on military matters, so the councilors nodded in unison, exchanging glances.
Any objections? None, so on to the next.
"Next year, my brother Karl Alexander and the Brandenburg princess Wilhelmina will formally marry. His Majesty wishes for Karl and Princess Wilhelmina to reside in Vienna. We'll need official preparations, but any diplomatic issues?"
"None at present. Your Highness Franz has already handled most of it."
"Haha! Indeed. With Your Highness so active, us old folks' burdens have lightened considerably."
Look at these guys.
At first, they said the young pup should learn from them. Now it was all, "Ugh, too much hassle—you carry us."
Especially our father-in-law, still lounging behind the screen. Two years ago, he'd nagged me to sleep properly. Did he think "properly" meant exactly seven hours?
"Hahaha... No, no. It's because you're all here that this inadequate me can push on."
Still, having work flow like this was a kind of happiness.
It meant the court and Privy Council's trust in me was total.
Of course, the day I become Emperor, the Privy Council gets six days a week, fifty-two hours fixed. No exceptions.
"Hmm, no objections? Then this meeting's adjourned."
"Your Majesty, for the next one, if you set the agenda, I'll prepare the materials."
"Haha... Yes. Hopefully I'll be feeling better by then."
Leaving our father-in-law—who fake-coughed while prepping for a hunt—I returned to the garden where my angel awaited, for some peace of mind.
Theresia, reading in the garden, spotted me and waved happily.
"Meeting over?"
"Yeah. I'll rest a bit, then check on the business reports."
"Did you run the meeting for Dad again today?"
"He wasn't feeling well."
"So, where's that unwell gentleman now?"
"...The hunting grounds?"
Thud. Her book snapped shut, and her eyebrows shot up.
At fourteen, her face still held some childish innocence, but her thinking and actions had matured astonishingly.
"So, he's dumped state affairs on his prospective son-in-law and gone off to play?"
"It's not dumping... He's probably showing everyone I'm naturally acting in his stead, to smooth the succession later."
What? I'd been griping about him moments ago—why was I defending him now?
"He's using that as an excuse to offload work and rest himself! No way. Franz, next time he pulls the 'not feeling well' card, you say you're sick too. I'll back you up—say you twisted your back riding, or sprained your ankle catching me from falling."
"Uh... Is that okay?"
"Of course! What father-in-law makes his not-yet-son-in-law proxy his duties? It's too much. I'll shield you for a while, so rest easy. Got it?"
If you're going that far, I'll gladly accept, my lady.
Ah, finally—a nap and leisurely coffee with Theresia.
As I leaned back in my chair with joy, a servant approached from afar, face stiff as stone.
Ah... Please no. From his expression, another handoff coming? Ugh, sudden leg pain!
"Your Highness, you must come at once. His Majesty summons you urgently."
"What? Wasn't he hunting? Sorry, but tell him I twisted my ankle catching Theresia—"
"Urgent news from Saxony. Elector Friedrich August, also King of Poland, has taken a sharp turn for the worse."
"I'm going."
In one second, my leg was cured. I shot up from my seat.
Thought I'd rest a little—yeah, my life's never calm.
The massive typhoon I'd prepared for since opening my eyes in this era finally rose from the heart of distant Poland.