Faced with Jerome Bonaparte's inquiry, Richard Metternich fell into a brief silence.
From an emotional standpoint, Richard Metternich still hoped that after the war, the Russian Empire would restore relations with the Austrian Empire.
Because what the Austrian Empire needed was not a Russian Empire that was in constant hostility, but a weakened one that maintained friendly relations with the Austrian Empire.
However, from a rational perspective, this idea was indeed too naive.
Not to mention Austria's siding with England and France during the Crimean War was seen as betrayal by two generations of Tsars, even if the Russian Empire was willing to restore relations for various reasons, the Austrian Empire also had to seriously consider the opinion of the French Empire.
After all, the French Empire's initial investment in the Austrian Empire had already reached several hundred million francs.
