Chapter 423: How Can I Live Without You?
"Camellia," Bazel firmly gripped the girl's shoulders, staring intently into her stunning violet eyes with a serious tone, "You must go to Paris! Not only that, but you should do everything you can to get close to the Prince."
Camellia was visibly shocked, nervously stammering, "W-why? And how could I ever get close to the Prince…"
"Trust your teacher!" Bazel spoke as if giving her one final lesson, his expression extremely earnest. "You just need to find a way to stay by the Queen of France's side. Becoming her lady-in-waiting might be difficult, but you could certainly become a maid—you're very familiar with Viennese court etiquette, and Her Majesty will definitely like you.
"The Prince will surely visit the Queen often, and that way, you'll have the chance to see him regularly. You need to learn about his habits and preferences, start with simple greetings, and try to talk to him more.
"You're so beautiful—no one would refuse to talk to you."
Camellia stared blankly at Bazel, who was both her teacher and friend. "What are you saying? This is unimaginable…"
But Bazel was unwavering, "You need to use your advantages. I mean, even in Versailles, you'll be the most captivating girl among them all!
"You have to make the Prince fall for you. You need to be proactive… no, no, more importantly, you must be subtle. Don't let him think you're being too forward; it should all seem very natural. Oh, I know this is difficult, and you don't have any experience in this, but you can ask the ladies at Versailles for advice—they're very skilled in this. Of course, you'll need to offer them something in return, be willing to spend some money…"
The music teacher became more and more animated as he spoke, "Once those skills start working—when your relationship with the Prince becomes very 'close'—you must seize the opportunity to become his mistress!"
Camellia reacted as if stung by a bee, forcefully breaking free from Bazel's hands. Her face flushed as red as the sunset, and she shook her head vigorously while staring at the ground. "Please, stop… This—this isn't right! I can't…"
"No, you can!" Bazel insisted loudly. "This is the chance many people dream of, a destiny given to you by God.
"Believe me! You have to do this!"
Panicked, Camellia placed her cup of cocoa on the table, backing away repeatedly. She had always trusted her teacher, following his guidance without fail, but at this moment, she wasn't sure if she should listen to him.
"I… I came to say goodbye." She suddenly remembered the purpose of her visit and retreated to the door, her hand fumbling for the doorknob. Only then did she continue, "I'll write to you. You'll always be my most trusted friend. May God bless you. Now, I think I should go."
With those words, she pulled open the door and fled Bazel's villa without looking back.
Bazel reached out towards her retreating figure but then withdrew his trembling hand. His eyes turned red as he muttered softly, "Will we meet again? My Camellia… Oh, no, perhaps it's better if we don't.
"I hope you'll find happiness in Paris. I hope you'll be happy! You must be happy!
"But how am I supposed to live in a world without you…"
He noticed that as she boarded the carriage, it seemed as though she looked back towards him. Immediately, he waved his hand and called out, "Go, Camellia, go with the Prince. It's alright, smile! Yes, smile!"
Camellia got into the carriage, her mind in turmoil. Mr. Bazel had said that it was her destiny, to become that man's mistress…
Her thoughts suddenly flashed to the Prince of France's handsome face, and she shivered slightly, her cheeks blushing. Indeed, as her teacher had said, how many girls dreamed of winning his favor? But should she really do that?
Yet, her teacher had never lied to her, and the decisions he had made for her had never been wrong…
When she returned home lost in thought, it was nearly dusk.
From a distance, she saw that the gates of the estate were open—though no one should have been there—and she anxiously told the French servant, "Mr. Eric, it seems someone is at the house?"
The carriage stopped at a distance, and Eric got out alone to investigate the situation at the estate. Moments later, several men in royal guard uniforms pushed him out, shouting loudly.
Camellia could only make out words like "fraud" and "seizure" from their distant yells...
In a luxurious villa southwest of Vienna, Baron Walter was holding a heavily made-up woman, raising his glass triumphantly toward the others. "That old hag finally died. Haha, thank God, He finally remembered to take her. And now, I can finally have that sweet little nightingale."
On the sofa, a slightly overweight young nobleman was busy with the woman beside him and teased, "Fred, I bet Miss Camellia will still refuse you, just like before, haha."
The other nobles chuckled.
Walter pushed away the woman clinging to him and scoffed, "I've already arranged everything with Judge Meyer and Marquis Wilhona. This time, she won't be able to refuse me."
"We'll see," he said, patting the cushion beside him smugly. "At most, within half a month, maybe even by next week, you'll see my little treat sitting right here."
The other nobles joined in the teasing, making a few lewd jokes and congratulating Walter on getting what he wanted.
"Hmm, I'll have to take her to that party at the end of the month," Walter said, rubbing his chin with a lascivious grin. "Those Backhaus guys will be drooling with envy, haha."
While Walter was bragging to his cronies, Joseph was in his room on the second floor of Schönbrunn Palace, frowning as he listened to the servant Eric. "You're saying the royal guards have seized the Delvaux estate?"
Eric nodded. "Yes, Your Highness. They claimed that Madame Delvaux was involved in a fraud case, so not only the estate but also the three hectares of land in the northern suburbs of Vienna have been seized."
In this era, the boundaries of law enforcement were quite vague; the military played a significant role in law enforcement, while the police mainly dealt with civilian cases. The fact that the royal guards were involved suggested that this fraud case was extremely serious.
At the side, Camellia, who had been comforted by the maids and had calmed down, immediately began crying again upon hearing the news.
Joseph's expression darkened. He knew that every year, his mother sent a sum of money to her nurse, at least four or five thousand livres. Over the years, that money alone would have been enough for the Delvaux family to purchase the estate and that land; there was no need for her to commit any fraud.
Eric continued, "Oh, and Your Highness, the royal guards also mentioned that a Baron Walter has evidence related to the case."
Upon hearing the name Walter, Joseph immediately understood what was going on.
"So, it's that guy causing trouble!"
(End of Chapter)
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