Berlin International University, German Empire

“I met two. One is a Canadian and one is a Filipino.”

“How did you meet them?”

“I didn’t meet John Campbell, the Canadian, but he sent me a secret letter. I don’t know how he sent it but he was able to, even if all the letters are checked by the French authorities before I can read them. While Gregorio Francisco, the Filipino one, is now in Paris, France. I met him when he is arrested for being part of a secret revolutionary group for the independence of the colony of Spanish Philippines in Paris. But after the interrogation, he unintentionally spilled yo mama so fat to the French interrogators. Just remembering that makes me laugh so much again.”

Charlotte laughs while talking about how he met the other two people who are also transmigrators. Justin sighed with relief knowing that those two are not from Germany or Ottoman Empire, or any European countries, and the two men’s respective home countries are far away so the two might not affect too much. But still, he didn’t let his guard down, especially to the person in front of him who had the power to affect his plans on a grander scale.

“By the way, Justinian Austria is stuck in a difficult situation, now right?”

“It is not at the level where we can’t handle it on our own.”

“Ehhh… but even if you can gather a million men after breaking the army limitation imposed on Austria, it is still not enough to even defeat the Ottomans and if the Germans and Sardinians would join, Austria even might last a month.”

Both are poking each other with words to have the initiative in the conversation.

“But I’m sure that even without an alliance, your country would not allow the Germans to become stronger than it is right now. Even the British and the Russians would act if that would happen.”

Justinian knows that the Princess is trying to force him to make a disadvantageous agreement, he would not let the princess have her way. He knows that the French and British would intervene if the Germans and the Ottomans would join forces to divide Austria even though he didn’t have a deal with the Princess.

“You already know this Princess. Instead, what do you want? What is your other purpose of meeting with me other than confirming I’m a transmigrator?”

 “Ehhh… I just want to meet you. The only transmigrator that I know that has the most powerful position, soon to be Emperor of the Great Empire of Austria.”

“The expression on your face shows that you’re not telling the truth. Let’s end this charade and let’s go directly to the point and purpose of you meeting me here, you interrupting my studies.”

Oh… Sorry for disrupting your date boy. Okay okay, I’ll tell you now.”

Charlotte wants to continue teasing Justinian but she stops when he acts to stand up and leave.

“I want to make a deal with you. When the Ottomans will declare war on you, I’ll send my loyal men and tens of thousands of colonial troops to fight in the war under your command. I’ll personally fund the troops that I will send and I’ll even supply you with a lot of weapons, artilleries, rations, and ammunitions. In exchange, give Egypt to me personally, not under the French Empire but my territory.”

“Are you overestimating yourself Charlotte? Do you think I would believe that you can provide everything that you just said? Even if the Emperor dotes on you the most, you are just his third child. You know that men hold the reins and power in this era, this is not the same world that we had in our past lives. Your two older brothers would also be alarmed if you act that would threaten their influence and power in the French court.”

Justinian can’t believe what just Princess Charlotte had said. She was just a princess in the era of men and patriarchy, women didn’t even have rights in democratic countries like the United States, it would be much more in conservative countries like Monarchy countries. And the number of men she promised to send is in tens of thousands, he can’t just believe the absurdity. It is already absurd if the Princess has hundreds of men under her command and not by the French army, sending tens of thousands even if it is just colonial troops is not just a simple thing, it needs the approval of the powerful men in the country, not just his father the emperor.

When Justinian questioned Charlotte’s capacity and words, her expression turns to disgust and disappointment. She feels that Justinian is underestimating her skills and intelligence. Everything that she said to Justinian is true and she can make it happen, she didn’t waste her time being just a flower vase in the French court.

For the past few years, she built connections and friendships with people who had power in the French court and government. She also invested in a lot of offshore investments, especially in the United States and also in her home country France. She even gains some control in some French colonial divisions in North Africa, the power she accumulated over the past few years is already on par with her two older brothers who are vying for the French throne.

She was an ambitious woman, if Justinian just wants to preserve and save Austria from destruction then she wants to be the ruler of France and make it the strongest country in the world, more than Germany or Great Britain. So she wants to make a deal with the persons who are the same as her, transmigrators, those who know the snippets in the future.

This is not the first time she was underestimated by others. Aside from Justinian, the two other transmigrators she knows also underestimate her, her brothers, and other people in the French court. But she had proven them wrong, she shows to them that she can be on par or exceed them, and she would also do the same to Justinian, to prove him wrong.

“I think it would be better to talk next time. I’m disappointed with you Justinian. I thought you are different from other men for having a close eastern friend who is a girl. But you are just the same as others. I’m disappointed.”

Charlotte smiled bitterly and she stand up.

“See you next time when you already realized and know how wrong you are.”

She left the stunned Justinian and walk towards her subordinates near the park. Justinian was regretting this because he realized that he insulted the princess by underestimating her. He wants to make amends but he thinks that the time was not right for it would be insincere towards her. He can only watch her walk away and promise to himself that next time he won’t underestimate anyone even if it is a woman, young or old.

“Your highness, how did you meet that woman? Why didn’t you tell me that you know her?”

Count Karl immediately run toward Crown Prince Justinian. He was worried and surprised at how the Crown Prince and the French Princess seemed to know each other already. They talked for a very long time and it seems their relationship is more than just regular acquaintances. This worried him as it seems the Crown Prince he was serving has a lot of things he was not informed.

“Gather every information and movement that you can have regarding Princess Charlotte. Contact Austria and the imperial palace if it needs to be.”

Instead of answering Count Karl, Justinian only ordered the Count to conduct an investigation and information gathering regarding the Princess. The Count has a lot of questions that he wants to ask and clarify but he can only just follow the orders of the Crown Prince.

But he was not the only person who wants to ask the Crown Prince.

Away from the Crown Prince, Lin was able to witness the entire time when the Crown Prince and the French Princess talked. She didn’t hear them but she can see the expression of the two, she was stunned to see that Justinian can make a surprised and dazed expression. She can also see that the two of them create a unique atmosphere together, the two of them are like in their own world and no one can approach and join it.

She feels hurt and jealous of the way Justinian treats the French Princess. She knows that she didn’t have the right to be for she and Justinian live in a different world. She is just a commoner while Justinian was a royalty, Princess Charlotte is suitable for Justinian as they both are royalty.

She can only keep her emotions to herself and hope that Justinian would not sense her sadness. She wants to distance herself from him so that her feelings for him would blossom. She knows that was already a blessing that Justinian had befriended her without any prejudice and discrimination.