"Miss Charlotte Hill, I've heard of your name very early. I thought we would meet in formal occasions in Berlin or London. Now this way... is beyond my expectations."

The speakers were the current mother of the German Second Empire, Empress Augusta Victoria, and she and her daughter Princess Louise, the eldest daughter-in-law, Crown Princess Cecilia, and Charlotte Hill sat under a large white parasol. The delicate small round table was filled with fragrant refreshments, but the atmosphere was not as relaxed as ordinary morning tea.

Because it was the first time we met, Charlotte returned to her cramped posture when she first arrived in Brandenburg, and Queen Victoria's cold expression and rigid and rigid tone also added to her restraint.

In order to help Charlotte get rid of this embarrassing situation, Louise smiled and said, "Mother, Miss Hill and I have known each other for more than five years. She is a person who is very shy. Only after getting to know each other will you slowly discover all kinds of excellent qualities in her."

Cecilia also said, "Yes, after getting along for a few days, even I have fallen in love with this British girl!"

The queen slowly picked up the teacup: "Well, if it is not likable, how could it be that our usual steady Johen is so reckless?"

Charlotte looked up at Queen Victoria in surprise, and her eyes suddenly showed a grievance. After taking a break from Elizabeth Women's College, she lost contact with the outside world. She could neither receive letters from Xia Shu nor contact him. Day after day, she gradually had the idea of ​​leaving fate in the torment of loneliness. If Xia Shu came later, she might accept Serena Willington's proposal. Once the road was done, she could only bury this unforgettable love in her heart, without doing anything that violated her marriage vow.

"As far as I know, Joheng made quite careful arrangements this time, and it seemed very risky, but in fact..." Louise was interrupted by her mother before she finished speaking.

"Some questions are presumptuous, but I think it's very necessary for us to figure it out. For example, Miss Hill, do you like the country of Germany?"

In the face of the queen's direct question, Charlotte could not avoid it. She spoke in a soft voice in German: "Germany is a country with a long history (calculated from the Holy Roman Empire, that is, the First German Empire, its history is indeed very long). It is very beautiful, people are diligent and creative, and it has a world-class military tradition... I really love Joheng, so I will also really love his country."

Whether the queen was satisfied with such an answer, she did not express anything. She continued to ask unceremoniously: "So what about your parents and your family? What do they think of Germany?"

Because you can communicate with Natsuki without any obstacles in English, Charlotte's self-taught German is still in the stage where he can understand but cannot express it as he pleases. The more words he speaks, the more omissions and bumps he will inevitably be avoided. Fortunately, with the help of Natsuki and others, she prepared for various questions that the queen might ask in advance, so basically the German queen can understand what she wants to express: "The Hill family is a naval family, and the duty of the soldiers is to defend their own country. In my memory, the elders highly praised the fighting spirit of Prussia. I heard that in the early years, the cooperation and exchanges between the two navies were very close, and both sides learned a lot from each other."

"But they don't like Germany now, don't they?" the queen asked relentlessly.

Charlotte's answer was still clever: "It's not that they don't like Germany, they just don't want to see the two European powers compete in too fierce ways, and they don't want to be enemies on the battlefield with their former friends."

The queen's face did not continue to be cold, but there was no obvious easing. She calmly held the teacup and looked at Charlotte calmly: "If there is a war between the two countries, will you...will persuade Johen to avoid the dispute for your own country and family?"

Although the question was used in a relatively tactful manner, the spearhead was pointed at a sensitive direction, which was Charlotte's real motivation for coming to Xia Shu.

Charlotte once again showed a look of surprise and grievance. For a 17-year-old girl like her who grew up in a generous environment, setbacks, humiliation and grievances are very unfamiliar words. When they hit, tears did not burst out from their eyes.

Although she knew that she would make her mother unhappy when she spoke to Charlotte at this time, Louise still spoke: "I really hope that the terrible war will never come, otherwise, there will be great pain on either side of the choice."

The queen said tit-for-tat: "War or not is not something we can decide, and even His Majesty the Emperor and all the German people cannot decide! We can only pray and respond well. What do you think, Miss Hill?"

Charlotte picked up the teacup and sipped the fragrant tea with the right temperature, and the waves in his heart calmed down much.

"Yes, Your Highness, we can only pray and prepare." She said, "I do not want Johen to go to the front line, because I have seen the pitiful life of war widows, and I am afraid to be one of them, but if you ask me which side I support in the war that may break out in Britain and Germany, I can only tell you truthfully: I do not support the war, nor do I support either side of the war."

The queen calmly picked up the tea cup, drank tea and thought calmly, and the content in her eyes gradually changed a little.

At the same time, in the mountains and forests outside Brandenburg, the men had a short rest during the hunting journey. The German Emperor William II, the Crown Prince William, Prince Oscar and Xia Shu sat under the tree and talked in a man's way.

"You did something amazing." William II told Natsuki, "not only snatched away the British girl, but also the heart of the British girl. From the perspective of a father, I should praise you and support you. However, I am the ruler of this country and the emperor of the German people. I must put the interests of this country first. Do you understand what I mean?"

Before Natsuki could speak, Oscar interrupted, "Trojan War, Johen, you are Paris (Prince Troy)."

Because he was not sure what this eccentric guy wanted to express, Xia Shu turned to look at Oscar, and saw that he was playing with a green apple in his hand, blinking at Xia Shudan with a smile.

Crown Prince William continued: "We are countless times stronger than the Trojans, but the British do not have the absolute advantage of the Greek coalition in front of us. Even if there is a modern Trojan war, we are not afraid."

William II expressed confidently: "If there were only Germany and Britain in the arena, we would definitely be the final winner."

Immediately afterwards, the aggressive ruler judged with a rare calm eye: "Although our great naval construction has caused dissatisfaction among the British, the most important threat to Germany is not at sea, and the British government will never start a war with us for a woman who does not even have the title of nobility, but this will further deteriorate their political relations with us. Johen?"

"I understand what you mean." Natsuki replied in a humble and arrogant manner, "Forgive me for not discussing with you in advance, but now that is the case, if we return Charlotte to them under pressure from the UK, the concept of the strong that I believe in will be shattered, and the confidence of the army and the people will probably be affected!"

Crown Prince William echoed: "If that were the case, the British would definitely treat us as softies. If there were disputes on other issues in the future, they would also use this method to suppress us."

"That's right." Oscar wiped his green apple, ate it crisply with a bite.

"Okay!" said William II. "Yesterday, I received a handwritten letter from my cousin George, the Crown Prince of England. He said he admired your courage, but this incident had caused a very bad impact in the UK. The people asked to investigate the truth of the incident and bring the kidnappers to justice. If they knew that this matter was related to the members of the German royal family, the voices against Germany would further affect the decisions of the British Parliament. Therefore, he suggested that we settle the matter in a decent way, and then he would personally speak for you, and strive to get the Hill family to betroth Charlotte to you."

Crown Prince William immediately raised an objection: "Even if the outcome of the matter is as he said, the Hohenzollern family will suffer great humiliation. Do we need the tolerant and assistance of the British crown prince to marry an ordinary British aristocratic family?"

At this time, Natsuki was still calm. He thought about it and said to William II: "This letter itself is a contempt for the German royal family."

"Oh?" William II was puzzled.

"First of all, he used the word 'kidnapping', which was on the surface to quote folk opinions, but in fact it was his personal idea: our behavior was rude kidnapping! In the self-righteous understanding of the Anglo-Saxons, the Germans only do rude things!"

"Secondly, I took Charlotte from Hill Manor. The nature of this incident was originally just a private act. Without conclusive evidence or public opinion, he directly identified the incident as a national contradiction. This is a signal: British officials are deliberately guiding public opinion to make them hostile to Germany, thereby achieving certain purposes that are not worthy of being outsiders!"

After listening to Xia Shu's analysis, the German Emperor frowned.

Crown Prince William continued to stand on the stance of helping Natsuki speak: "At this point, we must never send Charlotte Hill back to England. After all, her personal wish is to stay with our Joheng for life. My opinion is: Whether the British press us through public opinion or diplomatic forms, the imperial officials neither admit nor deny it, and we do not have to hide Joheng and Miss Hill. This is a victory of Germany and once again proves the unparalleled charm of the Hohenzollern family."

When the German Emperor had basically had an idea in his mind, Oscar added: "Let the whole world know this tortuous and touching love story! In this way, they no longer feel that the Germans are just cruel and indifferent military machines. In the pursuit of love, our persistence and romance are not inferior to any nation."
Chapter completed!