Life of Being a Crown Prince in France

Alexandra picked up the pen, quietly glanced at the Crown Prince, and then quickly began to write on the paper:

[When the moonlight flows over the dome of the Winter Palace like a silver glaze,

I dip into the mist of the Neva River to blend an indigo tide—

If you ask why my colored pens always wander southwest,

It’s because an unfinished painting in my dreams lies there.]

[Your amber eyes refract the morning dew of the Seine,

I disperse twelve colors of ripples on the canvas;

The trembling palette outlines the boundary of dawn and dusk,

Beautiful irises awaken on the silk…]

She wrote out the sonnet, revised countless times, in elegant Roman script, and then handed it to Joseph with anticipation: “Your Highness, since I can’t bring anything into France, this is the only thing I could think of to give you.”

Joseph softly recited the slightly awkward verses, a joyful smile appearing on his face. Who knew this little girl would have such sentiment…

He finished reading the entire poem, looked up at Alexandra, and sincerely said, “This is truly the best gift I’ve ever received. Thank you. I really like it.”

He immediately felt a bit embarrassed and rubbed his brow, “Oh, please forgive me, I seem to have forgotten to prepare a gift for you…”

The little princess instantly shook her head seriously, “No, Your Highness, you’ve already given me a gift long ago, one that is unforgettable for a lifetime.”

“Ah? Really? What did I give?”

Alexandra nodded, “The Eden Amusement Park. You know, when I first came to Paris, I couldn’t believe there was something so fascinating in the world.

“When I sat on the carousel, I felt as if I were in paradise.

“Don’t laugh at me, I rode it a dozen times that day.

“I thought then, whoever invented all this must be an emissary from Jesus sent to the earth.

“Later, when I discovered it was your creation, and when I met you, I fell deeply in love with you…”

Joseph gazed at her sparkling eyes and the earnest expression as she spoke of love, feeling as if he were watching an anime girl come to life…

Silence lingered in the carriage for a moment, and Alexandra seemed a bit shy under his gaze, quickly changing the topic, “So, Your Highness, what have you been busy with recently?”

Joseph, amused by her attempt to act mature, casually replied, “Hmm, inspections, meetings, managing internal affairs, making industrial development plans—quite mundane. I’m so glad you’re here; I finally get a break these days.”

The little girl seemed genuinely interested, “Industrial development plans? Isn’t that something for factory owners to worry about?”

“Yes, if you let them do as they please, the industry in France would go through chaotic cycles of investment, bankruptcy, another attempt, and another failure. Only when someone lucky stumbles upon the right market need can there be some degree of development.

“The government’s role is to guide them as much as possible, to help them avoid pitfalls. That’s what a development plan is.”

Alexandra’s eyes sparkled, nodding vigorously, “That sounds truly remarkable. No wonder France has developed so quickly these years.”

She eagerly asked, “Your Highness, is there anything I can do to assist you?”

“You?” Joseph paused for a moment, then smiled, “Your willingness moves me greatly. If you truly wish to help, perhaps you could start by learning. Like Mr. Lagrange, who has started teaching again at the Palace of Versailles this year…”

He suddenly felt it was a bit like his own past experiences.

The little princess nodded earnestly, “Of course, Your Highness, I will study diligently. Also, in my spare time, I could help organize some public activities, just like the Queen did in the past…”

The carriage soon returned to the Palace of Versailles.

Then came the never-changing balls and banquets, which lasted until ten in the evening, when Alexandra finally completed all her tasks for the day and returned to her room after bidding farewell to the Crown Prince—just opposite the Crown Prince’s Bedroom Palace. They couldn’t live together until the official marriage.

This was also Joseph’s intention, remembering Alexandra’s tragic fate of dying during childbirth at a young age in history. He wanted to avoid a similar tragedy, believing postponing the wedding was the most effective way.

Back in her room, the Russian Princess recalled all the day’s events, her gaze passing over the two maids preparing her toiletries, causing her to frown slightly.

There was clearly something wrong with them, but without concrete evidence, they could simply claim they were nervous or insist “The Crown Princess just didn’t hear us.”

But as her personal maids with divided loyalties, they were bound to bring disaster in the future.

Growing up in the politically ruthless Russian court, Alexandra had been exposed to these matters from a young age and was not unfamiliar with handling them.

She calmed herself, searching her memory for information on these two—the Ambassador to France had already compiled profiles of important figures at the Palace of Versailles before she came to France.

With nothing else to do on the journey, she had memorized these profiles.

Soon, she remembered their identities—Anna and Clarisse, the Crown Prince’s second-class maids.

Fortunately, being the Crown Prince’s maids, Count Stroganov had specifically gathered information about them.

Alexandra first changed out of her elaborate gown, then dragged a chair to the center of the room and sat down, addressing the busy maids, “Anna, Clarisse, please come over for a moment.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

The two were uneasy, knowing they were guilty of something as they stood before Alexandra.

The little princess tried to mimic Grandma Tsarina’s authoritative demeanor, letting the maids stand for a few minutes before speaking sternly:

“Anna Erica de Garno. Clarice Jean de…”

She couldn’t recall the rest, given that there were hundreds of names to remember at the Palace of Versailles, so she feigned disdain and glossed over it:

“Anna, your father is Viscount Carno, your uncle serves as a clerk at the Paris Market, and you have two younger brothers.

“Clarisse, your mother and aunt work as maids for the Countess of Provence, a sister works at the Baron Breti Mansion, and a cousin is in…”

Though uncertain of her intentions, the two maids grew visibly more tense upon hearing these details.

Alexandra spoke with an icy tone, “I expect you to remember, as your mistress, if I’m unhappy, I assure you that you and those I mentioned will suffer even more.”

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