Empire Rising: Spain

Chapter 74: Chapter 73: Urged to Marry

Carlo felt quite good about returning to Italy once again.

Italy wasn’t riddled with so much scheming and maneuvering; his relations with his brothers were also very stable, much better than the disastrous situation in Spain.

After returning to the room where he had stayed before going to Spain, Carlo experienced a brief moment of tranquility.

The fatigue of the journey made Carlo very weary, so he decided to enjoy a pleasant evening and reunite with his father and brothers the next day.

This time, two maids followed Carlo to Italy.

After all, they were Italians, and this time their purpose was also to bring their families to Spain since nobody knew when they would return to Italy again.

Carlo had many maids, but Anna and Alice were not ordinary maids.

They were only responsible for Carlo’s daily living while also helping him with some personal affairs, resembling more Carlo’s lovers.

Even though Carlo couldn’t give them a formal title, he could still provide them and their families with a prosperous life.

In the future, if Carlo has more lovers, they would receive the same treatment. After all, Carlo wasn’t someone who forgets emotions easily, and money was something he could acquire without much effort.

After being served by the maids and having a restful sleep with a pleasant evening, Carlo paid a visit to his father, Vittorio Emanuele II, early the next morning.

Although he went to Spain for less than a year, Carlo felt that his father, Vittorio Emanuele II, had changed a lot.

It seemed normal. Emanuele II was born in 1820 and is just 50 years old this year, already stepping into old age during this era.

Furthermore, unifying Italy had relaxed him, so a change in his state was expected.

If Carlo remembered correctly, it seemed that historical King Emanuele didn’t live past 60 years old. If it were similar to history, there might only be a few years left.

“Father, how come after more than a year of not seeing you, you seem to have aged quite a bit?” said Carlo immediately inquiring about his father’s health to strengthen their bond.

“I am already 50 years old, Carlo.” Emanuele II stepped forward and affectionately tapped Carlo on the head, smiling as he said, “Thank God, my child is still in good health.

Have you not been wronged in Spain? If you can’t hold on anymore, remember to send a telegram to Loren, and I will send the navy to bring you back.”

Carlo nodded; Emanuele II’s concern for him was apparent.

Though Carlo had transmigrated, he not only did not disrespect Emanuele II, his adoptive father, but also respected and acknowledged him considerably.

No matter the King’s reputation in Italy, to Carlo, he was at least a competent father, a single parent doing his utmost to give his children all the love.

“I am doing well in Spain, Father,” Carlo said with a smile, “The Carlos Faction’s rebellion has been pacified, the Cuban revolt has ended, and Spain will usher in a peaceful era.

With the help of Duke Prim and Duke Serrano, I am safe in Spain, so you don’t need to worry about me.”

Upon hearing Carlo’s words, Emanuele II seriously looked at his son before nodding heavily, with a proud smile on his face, he said, “Good, Carlo.

But I still want to say, we will always be family, and I am always your father, Carlo.

Leave the affairs to those officials to discuss this time. I will have Giovanni try to assist you as much as possible. You should stay at the Royal Palace during this period. You haven’t met Rosa yet, right?”

Rosa was Emanuele II’s second wife, who had always been beside Emanuele II as a mistress before.

This illustrates how normal it was for European nobles during this era to have mistresses; this was not a stain among nobles but could even become a topic of discussion.

Nobles without mistresses might be suspected of being unfit, especially since Queens like Isabel had an unknown number of lovers.

However, nobles have an understanding; mistresses mostly hold a low status, and even someone like Rosa, who becomes Queen, their offspring won’t inherit the throne.

Queen Rosa had a daughter, Victoria, and a son, Emanuele, but only Emanuele received the title of Earl of Fontanafredda.

The sons born to the original wife, Adelaide, all held Duke titles, and the only Earl was posthumously barely granted a Duke title due to premature death.

This shows Emanuele’s attitude towards legitimate and illegitimate children and the importance European nobles place on bloodlines.

Even if Carlo and all his brothers encountered accidents, the Italian throne would not fall to Emanuele born to Rosa.

Carlo held no objections to Emanuele marrying Rosa, as whether a mistress or a Queen, it didn’t harm Carlo’s interests in any way.

Seeing Carlo nod in agreement, Emanuele II smiled again and said, “You are nearly 20 years old now; it’s time to look for a suitable marriage.

Carlo, I believe you realize that a suitable wife not only can manage your Royal Palace well but also bring many benefits to the nation’s development.

Unfortunately, Adelaide is no longer here, otherwise she surely could have chosen a beautiful Queen for you.”

Such matters of arranging marriage should generally be handled by the mother, often organizing a large banquet, inviting potential marriage partners, and seeking the girl of their favor at the event.

But because Carlo’s mother, Queen Adelaide, passed away too early, these marriage arrangements could only rely on Carlo or the Spanish Government.

Although Rosa was also Italy’s Queen, she was not Carlo’s mother, and being a Queen in a commoner-noble marriage, her organized banquet may not invite the royal families of major powers.

Nobles held these in great regard; Carlo’s marriage partner ideally should be a princess from major power countries, able to provide Carlo substantial effective assistance.

The next best option would be princesses from European kingdoms, as at least noble bloodlines are recognized by other European countries, with no issues with heritage.

His own marriage dilemma was indeed weighing heavily on Carlo’s mind.

With Carlo’s looks, wealth, and his status as King of Spain, finding a girl he likes was not a problem.

But Spain’s demands for a Queen required more than Carlo’s personal favor; she must possess noble blood and her country must aid Spain.

This truly narrowed down the options, making it challenging to find a suitable Queen candidate within the limited scope.

Currently, the most suitable options were the royal families of the United Kingdom or Germany. The United Kingdom was the strongest naval power, Germany the most powerful army power, both providing sufficient help to Spain.

However, thinking of Queen Victoria’s renowned hemophilia troubled Carlo. If bad luck caused the hemophilia to pass down to the Spanish Royal Family through the marriage alliance, it would be terrible.

Hemophilia was one of the main reasons for familial extinction among European royal families, and even in future generations, there was no appropriate solution for hemophilia.

The Spanish Royal Family already had Carlo as the sole heir; if due to marriage with the British Royal Family the next generation inherited hemophilia, the reign of the Savoy Dynasty in Spain could be counted down to its end.