Make France Great Again-Chapter 897 - 888: The Aggrieved Queen
"I thought it was something major, but it turned out to be such a trivial matter!"
Queen Isabella’s nonchalant attitude made the Minister of Foreign Affairs feel an unprecedented sense of humiliation.
He and his Ministry of Foreign Affairs worked diligently every day to improve the diplomatic environment of the Kingdom of Spain, to prevent the Carlos Faction from colluding with external forces and making a comeback.
Now, as the French Empire has extended an olive branch symbolizing reconciliation, Queen Isabella not only did not pay attention but also referred to it dismissively as a trivial matter.
This essentially negates all the efforts made by their Ministry of Foreign Affairs in one stroke.
Seeing Queen Isabella’s indifference, the Minister of Foreign Affairs decided to take a risky approach, stepping forward to bow to Queen Isabella.
Surprised by his action, Queen Isabella looked on as the Minister of Foreign Affairs solemnly said, "Your Majesty, please allow me to resign from the position of Minister of Foreign Affairs!"
Queen Isabella’s face turned grim, and Enrique Puig Morto, sitting beside her, also swallowed nervously seeing this.
Isabella only shows her monarchical demeanor when she is angry.
After a while, Queen Isabella spoke with a slightly displeased tone to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, "Minister Wilder, are you threatening me?"
"I dare not!" Minister Wilder Pugot responded neither arrogantly nor submissively to Isabella, "I merely think that Your Majesty no longer needs me, so please allow me to resign from the post of Minister of Foreign Affairs!"
"You cannot leave!" Isabella replied firmly to Wilder, "If you leave, who will take over Spain’s diplomacy?"
"Your Majesty, I think Spain no longer needs diplomacy!" Wilder Pugot spoke eloquently.
After hearing Wilder Pugot’s statement, Queen Isabella was first taken aback, then asked in confusion, "Wilder Pugot, what do you mean by this? Why do you say our Kingdom of Spain no longer needs diplomacy?"
"Because, Your Majesty, when you are unwilling to even acknowledge the French Empire, I doubt any country in the world would matter to you!" Wilder elaborated to Queen Isabella with a veiled criticism, "In that case, why would the Kingdom of Spain need something like diplomacy?
We can simply shut the door and live our own lives."
"Wilder Pugot, are you insulting me?" Isabella pointed at Wilder in rage.
"No!" Wilder adamantly denied it, "I am simply stating the facts!"
"You!" Queen Isabella gritted her teeth, pointing at Wilder Pugot, unable to speak further. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖
At that moment, she wanted nothing more than to order Wilder to be taken down, but reason told her she couldn’t do so.
Not to mention that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs requires a professional diplomatic bureaucrat like Wilder Pugot, but even if it didn’t, Wilder Pugot’s identity as a member of the "Liberal Alliance" also made Isabella hesitant.
Isabella was only able to win against the rebellious Prince Carlos back then thanks to not just the support of England, France, Russia, and Austria but also because of Wilder Pugot’s backing from the "Liberal Alliance" members and some warlords.
Without the collective efforts of these three parties, Isabella’s throne wouldn’t have been secure.
Although the "Liberal Alliance" is now split into radical Republicans and relatively conservative constitutional monarchists, it remains a massive organization.
Unless absolutely necessary, Isabella is not willing to act against members of the "Liberal Alliance."
Two months ago, the Prime Minister was overthrown because he couldn’t meet the political ideals of the "Liberal Alliance."
This led to a situation where, during the vacancy of the Prime Minister, Isabella had to handle everything by herself.
Not everyone in this world is as power-loving as Jerome Bonaparte.
Instead of power, Queen Isabella loves money and handsome men more.
These two things can only be hers when she holds power.
After all, no one likes a powerless, overweight Maus tank.
"Your Majesty, please allow me to resign from the position of Minister of Foreign Affairs!" Wilder Pugot bowed again to Isabella.
"I do not permit it!" Isabella responded firmly to Wilder Pugot, then with a slightly sincere expression, continued, "Minister Wilder, the Kingdom of Spain cannot afford to lose such a competent Minister of Foreign Affairs as yourself!"
"Your Majesty, then please read the letter again!" Wilder Pugot made his request to Isabella.
Reluctantly, Isabella complied with Wilder Pugot’s request and read it again, clearly more seriously this time than the last.
"I have finished reading the letter!" Queen Isabella raised her head again, speaking solemnly to Wilder Pugot, "Do you wish to ally with the French Empire to jointly pressure the Kingdom of Morocco?"
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Wilder Pugot nodded in response to Queen Isabella, "This time, the goal is not to apply pressure, but through the pressure, to restore our relations with France to their previous state.
Your Majesty, we have not engaged in official dialogue with France for nearly 8 years!
This breakthrough is favorable for our relations with the French Empire to reach a new level!"
"But... the Duke of Monpensier..." Queen Isabella showed a hesitant expression.
Wilder Pugot understood that Isabella’s hesitation was simply because her sister was the wife of the Duke of Monpensier, and her own ability to solidify her throne was also significantly related to the Orleans Kingdom.
Presently, the ruling family in France is no longer the Orleans Clan, but their archenemy, the Bonaparte Clan.
Back in the day, the Bonaparte family almost usurped her father’s throne.
The relationship between the Bonaparte Clan and them cannot be described as harmonious; it can only be said to be inimical.
Isabella naturally did not hold a favorable attitude toward the French Empire.
"Your Majesty, the Orleans Clan is no longer the rulers of France; now the Bonaparte Clan is the ruler of all of France!" Wilder Pugot gently reminded, "Moreover, the current French Empire has defeated the once-mighty Russian Empire, becoming one of the leading powers in Europe.
If our Kingdom of Spain does not alter its diplomatic stance towards the French Empire, the French Empire might..."
Wilder Pugot stopped mid-sentence, and Isabella hurriedly asked Wilder Pugot, "Might do what?"
"Your Majesty, the heirs of the Carlos Faction are in Paris!" Wilder Pugot said matter-of-factly to Queen Isabella, "And the relation between those Carlos individuals and the Gaul Church is extraordinary; the Bishop of the Gaul Church often visits the Tuileries Palace..."
Queen Isabella instantly understood Wilder Pugot’s meaning; her throne was initially gained through the power of France.
If those Carlos individuals also received the strong support of France, then her throne might not be stable.
The Kingdom of Spain now is not the same as the one that quelled the Carlos faction; over these sixteen years, the conflicts accumulated in the Kingdom of Spain have been enough to make the country nearly unmanageable.
Warlords, Republicans, and Constitutionalists vie against each other in Spain, while the Carlos faction is secretly building their counterattacking forces.
The French Empire doesn’t even need to give much support; just an indication to certain forces would naturally spark opposition to Queen Isabella’s reign.
Because Isabella’s ruling foundation does not lie with the people under her rule in Spain but with a handful of Constitutionalists and warlords, whose power is insufficient to suppress all of Spain.
The stability in Spain is solely due to some powerful factions not openly rebelling.
Concerning her own throne, Isabella instantly revealed a vulnerable side, and in her panic, she hysterically asked Wilder Pugot what she should do.
Wilder Pugot remained calm, expressing that the urgent priority should be to abandon the Orleans family and then amend relations with the French Empire.
Only with the support of the French Empire could the Kingdom of Spain maintain stability.
"If that’s the case, then let’s proceed as you suggest!" Queen Isabella immediately decided.
"Yes!" Wild Engot bowed again to Queen Isabella.
"Minister Wilder, do you have anything else to report to me?" Queen Isabella asked Wild Engot again.
Wild Engot shook his head, indicating to Queen Isabella that he had nothing else to report.
"Then you may leave! Now, I don’t want to see your face anymore!" Isabella pointed at Wild Engot and said.
Wild Engot smiled slightly, then left Isabella’s room.
Only Queen Isabella and her lover Enrique Puig Morto remained in the room. Enrique carefully asked Queen Isabella if she was willing to continue what they hadn’t finished earlier.
Queen Isabella shook her head at Enrique, "Let’s call it a day!"
With that, Queen Isabella got up from the sofa, and Enrique quickly asked, "Your Majesty, where are you going?"
Queen Isabella paused, turned to respond briefly to Enrique: "I’m going to the study!"
...
Having reached the study from the living room, Isabella sat by the desk, then took out a sheet of paper and a quill pen from the drawer. She planned to personally write a letter to her sister and brother-in-law in London.
When the letter reaches the hands of her brother-in-law, the Duke of Monpensier, it would mark the beginning of severing ties between the Orleans Clan and the Kingdom of Spain.
