LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 382
“Of course, all the citizens of Russia are my children. But look at France. The French people, crushed under the yoke of the Commune, have seen their entire previous cabinet purged, and millions have died because of the Commune. Society was in chaos but has only just begun to stabilize, and I am asking to become their mother to maintain unity among the French and this newfound stability. I will ask the people of Russia: if you simply leave this matter to the Rome Treaty Headquarters while ignoring the desperate cries of the French, can you really feel pride as their mother?”
I don’t think so.
Think about it. If your mother has laid everything out and asked for your help, how would it look if you refuse her?
Especially since France is currently in a position to demand sympathy.
It means we should cut them some slack.
“The French need a focal point for stability more than anything else. If I were to become their mother, that wouldn’t be too bad, right? Now, I will ask this mother to her children; would you prefer that this mother ignore the desperate cries of those in need, or would you like me to remain a proud mother?”
Alright, that’s enough for now.
Aren’t you curious about how they will react going forward?
Let’s just wait a bit.
—
National Duma of the Russian Republic
“Has the protest quieted down a bit?”
“Things have improved a little, but will this hold out?”
Honestly, it might be okay for a short time, but hmm.
“We’ll manage one way or another.”
“To be frank, our citizens are just like spoiled children.”
“Is it permissible to say such things about the citizens?”
That sounded like a blatant disregard for the people.
But there’s a reason why the members are saying things like this.
“But we are the ones who raised those citizens. We ought to speak plainly.”
Yeah. Those childish individuals have now grown into the members of the National Duma.
“That’s true.”
It’s true, after all. Aren’t they all masters of whining?
This nation of Russia, once rugged and masculine, has long since transformed into an image reminiscent of a land of saints, with citizens of all ages yearning for their mother’s arms. It has literally become a country of mama’s boys.
Naturally, France’s audacity to try and snatch away such a mother would not be viewed positively at all.
“But honestly, I’m not really happy about it.”
“Right? How dare they!”
This was enough to infuriate the Duma members as well.
How dare they pull such nonsense?
This was clearly something they had been eyeing for some time.
“Shouldn’t we formally protest this?”
“Wouldn’t that be a slap in the face to our Mother Tsar?”
True. What a mess that would create.
It would be more appropriate to overlook it at a reasonable level.
Of course, that doesn’t mean the Duma completely agrees with it.
It’s simply that they would only superficially agree while internally tearing France apart like crumbles of bread.
“Damn it!”
“For now, the citizens have quieted down, so let’s observe for a while.”
After all, evaluating the results indicates this isn’t entirely bad.
It literally means France is coming under Russian influence.
Perhaps such a thing is only natural.
“If those Frenchmen are really that foolish, what can we do?”
“We cannot allow them to torment our mother.”
In the end, the citizens seemed to believe it would all turn out fine.
The real problem would be what kind of repercussions this could have.
After all, they desperately needed a king, or rather, a mother, so they forced her to ascend the throne.
And our proud Anastasia was an individual with many fans around the world.
What does this mean?
It means many kingless nations are watching this situation closely.
Especially the independent states of North Africa were in this regard.
Though Algeria and Morocco were aligned with France and Spain, countries like Libya and Egypt shared similar sentiments.
Until recently, Egypt had a monarchy, but due to their utter ineptitude, the military ousted the king with the tacit consent of the Rome Treaty.
Above all, in Libya, Russian developments had practically exploited their oil, and as Russian interests grew, they became nothing more than a land of fingers eagerly sucking on straws.
Moreover, they were merely a partner nation of the Rome Treaty. They received support, but they did not benefit from the privileges of being a full member state.
There was bound to be dissatisfaction in Libya.
To make matters worse, they had to establish a new military while facing very different circumstances compared to other member nations with the Russian Army stationed.
If they had a bit more oil, they could at least get their nation in order; however, the entire territory was so devastated that they couldn’t even utilize their oil.
“Will requesting a queen make them share oil shares with us?”
“Are we just going to sell our country?”
“Basically, that would just turn into the Kingdom of Libya.”
Thus, Libya and Egypt had taken on strange initiatives to gain proper status amidst the Rome Treaty for their oil shares, alongside other nations involved.
“No, no. Still, we are not even part of the Rome Treaty, are we?”
“Israel already unofficially hails them as a Messiah, you know?”
“No, it hasn’t even been a century since we ended our monarchy. And suggesting a white emperor doesn’t sit right with me.”
“That’s going too far.”
While there had been a slight discussion in Balhae, it soon fell through.
—
She rose to become the French queen, quelling the opposition of the Russian citizens.
Why must I wear this dress?
Interestingly, the coronation ceremony for this French queen attracted the attendance of Queen Elizabeth II of Britain and leaders from various countries, all fussing over the event.
“You were going on a trip, but now you’ve become a queen.”
“I never imagined it would turn out like this.”
In the government office of Vichy, Alisa gazed at me with a bittersweet smile, as if unable to console me.
Seeing her with that look, as if she was a mother looking at a rebellious daughter, was oddly uncomfortable for me.
I really didn’t foresee this would happen.
I would have to apologize repeatedly to the Duma members.
Thinking of how much they must have struggled back home because of me made me feel a bit sorry.
No, honestly, this whole situation is not my fault; it’s that damned de Gaulle.
That cursed bastard.
He and La Roche surely conspired to make a fool out of me.
The whole Rome Treaty was bewildered, wondering why on earth I ended up being crowned queen of France after visiting.
I couldn’t help but mutter how ridiculous it was.
“Everyone seems to see me as quite a troublemaker.”
Let me clarify, I am not a troublemaker.
It’s just that I was forced to wear a crown because of La Roche and de Gaulle.
“Well, that isn’t how we see it, but it’s true that everywhere you go, trouble follows.”
Even Prime Minister Alisa seems to be having a tough time with this situation, making it all the more absurd.
Yeah. I admit that trouble does seem to follow me wherever I go.
“Honestly, it isn’t like I’m causing trouble on purpose.”
I find myself genuinely feeling wronged here.
Well, as for terrorism… I might have ventured into dangerous zones, I admit. But frankly, that’s all just part of the Middle East’s game.
However, that’s a separate issue.
This time I merely walked in saying, “I’m here to relax—crown me if you will.” What else was I supposed to do?
It’s not like I was caught up in the tantalizing wonders of the French version of the Palace of Anastasia or the Province of Gaul.
That would have been slightly tempting, but I thought, there’s no way I’d actually end up becoming a queen. That was the thought.
—
“But here’s the problem.”
“What problem are you referring to?”
Every time I hear that “problem” word, my blood boils. It must mean that somehow, Alisa is hinting that this issue reached all the way back to Russia.
Every time I hear such statements, one disaster after another seems to break out.
I don’t want that to happen. The fact that I ended up in France was already enough of a mess.
Still, I decided to listen for the time being.
Could it be that ignoring this will determine my fate? That would be incredibly frustrating.
“Libya and Egypt are apparently offering to hand over their crowns as well.”
“Seriously? They’re offering their crowns? Ha ha ha.”
That is utterly ridiculous. Are they really offering their crowns? Nah, that just can’t be true.
“Clearly, conditions must be attached.”
What else would be the reason behind such an unexpected offer?
They must have caught wind of France taking Burgundy.
Indeed, it looks like, since the Tsar loves crowns, they want to offer crowns with benefits. That sort of deal.
Regrettably, I have no intention of accepting that.
It’s just a sour mood for me. Honestly, what do these folks want by offering crowns?
I can feel the tension creeping in.
“Libya is demanding oil shares, while Egypt wants a little more from the Suez.”
Oh, I see. I knew this would happen.
In an instant, I felt headache come on.
These bastards are belittling the Tsar right now.
But that’s one thing. They can extract a little something while being a partner nation? Just being associated with the Rome Treaty means even a country in miserable territory can scrape by livably.
“Since they’re already sucking up to us as partner nations, what more can they want?”
They are already getting a taste of benefits just by being partners. What is this even about?
Being a partner nation doesn’t simply mean that you’re friends with us. There’s much more to it.
Whether the formal colonies or regions, they receive nonstop assistance.
If Libya is pleading for us to return the oil we exploited, maybe we ought to have considered that from the start!
“Seems like the situation is rather dire. Certainly, the Rome Treaty has stationed advisers to ensure Libya and Egypt get by comfortably, but…”
That’s where the scent begins to stink.
“Are they skimming off the top somewhere?”
That seems almost certain—much like what happened with Afghanistan.
In the original history, the corruption was rampant in the government, and the money that America sent was stashed into their own pockets until they ultimately fell victim to the Taliban.
Could it be that these guys will do the same and squander what the Rome Treaty sends, wasting it on their internal luxuries?
They were given funds for nation-building, not to squander it on this!
“Yes. It seems so.”
What the heck! No way. Libya and Egypt crossed a line.
Even if they offer me a crown, I wouldn’t accept it.
Both Libya and Egypt have no connection to me, and their goals are too apparent, which seems downright dirty.
“Hmm, that’s truly unfortunate.”
“Do you think I enjoy the title of king? What? You want to make me a queen of Libya as a trade for oil shares? Does that even make sense? Not happening!”
They’re treating me like a joke.
Are they really going to offer crowns to increase oil shares? People will think I’m crazy about that crown.
Regrettably, that’s not the case for me at all.
“But if there’s some real under-the-table dealings happening, shouldn’t the ‘Rome Treaty Organization’ handle that?”
“Well, that’s valid.”
It’s a reasonable argument.
Those damned scumbags can’t just get any slack after having been given a bit of leeway.
“Let’s note what Libya is requesting in terms of oil shares and Egypt regarding the Suez.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“I’ll initially reject their offer and bring it up to the Rome Treaty Organization. Also, let’s dispatch the Okhrana.”
For now, we’ll need to see how things play out with Libya and Egypt.
Considering the ongoing civil strife in Libya, the leadership there seems to lack a central authority.
With Algeria already absorbed by France, it’s not a concern, but this matter remains troubling.
We should keep a close watch since they probably have something in mind.
“Isn’t it overreacting to respond so sensitively? Wouldn’t that only incite resentment towards the Rome Treaty?”
Resentment? Who would feel that?
Let’s be blunt: what would happen if they suddenly severed ties with the Rome Treaty?
Could Egypt retake the Suez? Would Libya dare to stand up against us as we attempt to claim all its oil?
And there’s no immediate prospect for deploying soldiers or anything of that sort.
“Of course, we are merely observing conditions.”
Naturally, I don’t intend to send troops at random or anything.
Now that the Rome Treaty has linked Europe together, any military deployment still requires backing from the Rome Treaty Headquarters.
During a time of peace, there’s no reason to wage war with Libya and Egypt.
We should simply monitor how things evolve and understand just why they think it wise to present crowns while aiming for oil shares.
—
“What should we do now?”
“What’s the issue?”
“Now that you’re a queen, will you use the Palace of Versailles?”
“Palace of Versailles? Is that even rebuilt yet?”