Empire Rising: Spain - Chapter 118 - 106: Engagement and Return to the Homeland

Chapter 118: Chapter 106: Engagement and Return to the Homeland

Two days after Carlo arrived in Vienna, no one informed him when the ball would be held.

However, Carlo was not anxious, after all, the Habsburg family was the host, and everything was to be arranged by them.

Among European aristocrats, men generally marry later. If they can find a suitable marriage partner who aligns with their political interests, that’s good; if not, marriage can often be delayed until after the age of 30.

After all, being free to find their lovers before marriage allows male nobles not to worry about marriage, unless they have a specific purpose.

For female nobles, however, marriage typically happens before the age of 20. If a woman reaches 20 without a specific engagement, she is usually ridiculed by other nobles.

That’s why the average marriage age for European male nobles is over 25, while for female nobles, it is under 20, or even under 18.

A woman over 25 is considered a leftover, and unless she has superior attributes, she isn’t desired.

Finally, on the third day after arriving in Vienna, Carlo met his betrothed, the Grand Duchess Sophie, the eldest daughter of Franz Joseph I.

As the Emperor’s eldest daughter, Grand Duchess Sophie received relatively strict noble education. Carlo’s first impression of her was that she had a beautiful face and a gentle and refined demeanor.

Unlike the bold and fiery European girls he had in mind, Carlo actually preferred this kind of quiet personality.

The invited Austrian nobles also knew who the two main characters of this ball were and tactfully did not steal the spotlight.

Of course, this was also due to their self-awareness. Among all the nobles attending the ball, Grand Duchess Sophie and Carlo were well-matched; if this union were ruined, even Franz Joseph I would not spare them.

During the interaction at the ball, Carlo gradually came into contact with and understood the personality of Grand Duchess Sophie, and she indeed was the type he liked.

Although not to the extent of love at first sight, if Grand Duchess Sophie were to become his Queen in the future, Carlo would be very willing.

On Sophie’s side, Franz Joseph I and Princess Sisi were also inquiring about her attitude and feelings towards Carlo.

Due to previous strict noble education, Grand Duchess Sophie had not interacted with many boys and was still relatively reserved in matters of interacting with the opposite sex.

However, Franz Joseph I and Princess Sisi could clearly sense that Grand Duchess Sophie did not reject Carlo; in fact, she had a certain fondness for him.

Since they both had mutual affection for each other, the marriage was swiftly and straightforwardly confirmed.

Yes, it was that quick. For an era of European aristocratic marriages, not much groundwork and waiting were required.

Basically, as long as both parties had mutual affection, coupled with the political interests of both families being aligned, the marriage was easily confirmed.

Franz Joseph I also formally began talks with Carlo, with the purpose of discussing the wedding date of Carlo and Grand Duchess Sophie and the cooperation matters between both Royal Families thereafter.

Considering that Grand Duchess Sophie was only 16, Carlo suggested placing the wedding a year later, by which time he would also be 20.

Franz Joseph I nodded in agreement, as a year was sufficient for the Austro-Hungarian Empire to prepare, considering they had to prepare the dowry.

Although there is no concept of a dowry in the West, a marriage between two Royal Families certainly requires corresponding gifts to display the Royal status and abundant wealth.

As his eldest daughter, Franz Joseph I attached great importance to the wedding of Grand Duchess Sophie. Although this marriage had certain political needs, Franz Joseph I only agreed after determining that Carlo’s character met the requirements.

However, before the actual wedding, another ceremony was to be held in Vienna, which was the engagement ceremony of Carlo and Grand Duchess Sophie.

In the European aristocratic marriage process, the engagement ceremony is to be held at the woman’s home. Considering the difficulty of travel between Spain and Austria, and the tight timing, the engagement ceremony was scheduled to be held a few days later.

Yes, it was that swift.

And Carlo’s task these days was to properly interact with Grand Duchess Sophie, trying to cultivate some feelings as much as possible.

After the engagement ceremony held a few days later, Grand Duchess Sophie would officially become Carlo’s fiancée and the future Queen of the Kingdom of Spain.

The engagement ceremony was not very large, and most of the participants were just nobles from Austria and Hungary.

In the presence of numerous nobles and journalists, Carlo and Archduchess Sophie officially concluded their engagement and became a betrothed couple.

Holding Archduchess Sophie’s hand, Carlo was quite satisfied with this marriage. This trip to Vienna could be considered perfect; Austria-Hungary could provide assistance to Spain for a long time in the future, which was exactly what Carlo was eager to see.

After spending a few days in Vienna cultivating feelings with Archduchess Sophie, Carlo embarked on the journey back to Madrid.

As for negotiating with the Austro-Hungarian Empire Government on matters of industrial technological assistance and loans, that was a matter for the Spanish Government to worry about.

Carlo, being the King of Spain, naturally could not personally negotiate with the Austro-Hungarian Empire Government for loans. Anyway, the royal families of the two countries had already concluded an engagement, so naturally, the governments could not prevent the two nations from drawing closer.

In the future, it is certain that Austria-Hungary and Spain will conclude an alliance, as there are no conflicts of interest between the two countries. If they could leverage the relationship with Austria-Hungary to join the fast track of the Triple Alliance, it would be very beneficial for the future of Spain.

At least Spain wouldn’t have to worry about the threat from England and France in its colonial expansion in Africa, as Germany and Russia still held significant influence.

Furthermore, if Italy could also be brought into the Triple Alliance, with Germany, Austria-Hungary, Russia, and Italy as the four major powers plus Spain as the strongest nation below the major powers, even England and France would have to consider the consequences of offending these five countries.

However, such things are more likely just wishful thinking. First, there are intense conflicts between Austria-Hungary and Russia; England and France will certainly try by all means to provoke conflicts between Austria-Hungary and Russia to fundamentally undermine the establishment of the Triple Alliance.

Moreover, besides the conflict between Austria and Russia, there are also conflicts between Italy and Austria-Hungary. Italy, in seeking expansion on the European Continent, actually only has three directions.

The first direction is westward, to recover areas like Savoy and Nice, ceded to France. But this is quite difficult, as they face France, which was once the hegemony of Europe.

The second direction is expansion northeastward. However, northeast of Italy is Austria and the Austro-Hungarian Empire’s seacoast, and naturally, Austria-Hungary is unwilling to make concessions.

The third direction is the Balkan Region across the Adriatic Sea. But Slovenia and Croatia to the north are under Austro-Hungarian control, and Serbia is also within Austria-Hungary’s sphere of influence, so expansion would inevitably offend Austria-Hungary.

This is also why, during World War I, Italy eventually chose to join the side of England and France, abandoning its alliance with Germany and Austria-Hungary.

If in an alliance with Austria-Hungary, Italy could only expand towards France on the European Continent. The combat performance of the Italian army has already determined that they cannot defeat the French straightforwardly, and the gains from staying in the German-Austrian Alliance would absolutely be the least.

On the other hand, it’s worth saying that the course of world history has already changed to some extent, so the outcome of the First World War, which won’t break out for more than 40 years, will also certainly change.

Spain will certainly play a more important role in World War I and may even have the ability to change the final outcome of the war.

Even the Spain that has undergone decades of reform and development could have a certain influence on the European situation, let alone the current Spain.

If the German-Austrian-Italian-Spanish four-power alliance could be formed, it might not be impossible to resist the combined forces of England, France, and Russia.

After all, in World War I, the real major force was only France. Russia had domestic problems halfway through the war, and because the UK homeland was very secure, they always held the idea of letting Germany and France wear each other out.

If World War I could indeed lead to the formation of the German-Austrian-Italian-Spanish four-power alliance, France, under siege from these four countries, is destined to not hold out for long.

Instead of hoping for the British army to defeat the Germans, it’s better to hope that France, facing all four, can still secure victory. Although it’s not possible to completely defeat England and France, changing the historical trajectory of World War I is still feasible.

Coming into this world, Carlo never thought of following historical developments. Although having an unaltered historic line would give himself more foresight about the future, sometimes, changes in the historical line can bring more benefits.

For example, the current alliance with Austria-Hungary can make the subsequent development of Spain smoother. Although Austria-Hungary’s industry is not as large as that of England, France, or Germany, its overall economic scale and industrial strength still surpass Russia.

By laying the groundwork on the African Continent in advance, even if Spain cannot restore the powerful influence of the Sun Never Sets Empire era, it can still become a colonizing power comparable to France.

In such a chaotic situation, the partitioning of Africa by various countries may not proceed as it did historically. As long as it benefits Spain, Carlo doesn’t mind making Europe a bit more chaotic, so that Spain can fish in troubled waters and gain more benefits.

From a future perspective, these European powers are undoubtedly strong, but internally, each has its own problems.

This era itself is about competing among flawed countries. The country that wins may not be perfect but only seems less defective compared to others.

With the various countries constantly making moves, Spain might very well achieve a revival. Even if it cannot become a world superepower, it will definitely become one of the top three global superpowers in future, sitting firmly on the Iberian Peninsula, watching the European disputes.