novelSusiti Chapter 117. Louisa's Test
Chapter 117. Louisa's Test
Chapter 117. Louisa's Test
After the dinner, Nikita Panin and Sergei went to the wide balcony.
"Duke, are you going to deal with William?" Panin asked.
"Isn't this what you wanted me to do?" Sergei retorted.
He was told that Prince Jonathan had a grudge against MP Elias, and that MP Elias was able to overpower Prince Jonathan because he had the support of the British ambassador, William.
Therefore, it is obvious that if he wants to win over Prince Jonathan, he must help him deal with Elias, which means he must deal with William.
"You two seem to have a good relationship, Jonathan and the Count," Sergei said, looking at Panin.
"I haven't been able to win him over, but we do have some contact on a regular basis, so he came to me to inquire about your abilities," Panin said frankly.
"This shows they don't believe I can help them solve their problem," Sergei chuckled.
Panin nodded: "That's how it was originally, but I told him about your activities in Russia, including your reputation as a 'senator assassin,' and now he's taking it seriously. So if you ask him for help, he'll definitely do his best."
Sergei chuckled: "A congressman killer, what a bluff."
However, he did not expect that Panin would help him like this.
Panin chuckled, "I hope the parliamentarian assassin can do just as well in Sweden."
Sergei smiled but said nothing.
Panin took a sip of red wine and reminded him again, "The Queen is paying close attention to you, which is your advantage. If nothing unexpected happens, she will invite you to dance at tonight's ball. This is your opportunity."
"If I can reach an agreement with the Queen, will it make you, Earl, trust me a little more?" Sergei asked.
Panin smiled and left: "If you two reach an agreement, Duke, I'd like to invite you to my place tonight."
Sergei's smile froze.
tonight.
I'm going to your place.
guest?
This sounds like—
The ball started soon after.
Russian court balls, besides their native dances, often incorporated elements learned from European royalty and nobility. For the flamboyant duke, who frequented various balls in his early years, the balls hosted by the Swedish royal family posed no challenge whatsoever.
After the opening dance, the King and Queen entered, accompanied by other members of the royal family and nobles. This was followed by the exchange of dance partners and a free dance.
King Adolf invited his long-lost younger sister Johanna to be his dance partner.
"Let's use this dance to rekindle our family bonds," Adolf said, extending his hand to Johanna.
"How about a reward of 10 plus this dance, my king brother?" Johanna smiled and extended her hand.
"Sister, you've only just arrived in Sweden and you're already asking for such an exorbitant amount. I'm afraid your dancing will go out of shape, just like your figure."
"As long as money is not an issue, my figure will be as graceful as a dance."
Queen Louise came before Sergei.
"Your Majesty." Sergei rose.
"Won't the handsome Duke invite me to dance?" Louisa asked with a charming smile.
Today, the Queen wore a dark green satin gown, with a silver belt that accentuated her incredibly slender waist. Her hair was tied up, and the diamond hairpins shone brightly in the candlelight.
What's even more striking is that beautiful face with a touch of makeup and the magnificent figure beneath her swan-like neck.
"Would it be an honor to invite the most beautiful woman, Your Majesty, to dance?" Sergei invited.
Louisa reached out her hand.
The two came to the center of the stage and began to dance.
"The Duke dances very well."
Louisa found that Sergei could keep up with her rhythm accurately, and dancing with him was very comfortable and pleasant. Neither of them needed to worry about the other making mistakes, just like two old friends who had a perfect understanding of each other.
"The Queen's dance is absolutely captivating," Sergei praised.
Louisa smiled and said, "I wonder what the Duke's impressions of the local customs and culture have been since his arrival in Sweden?"
Sergei knew that the test had begun.
"I haven't really explored Sweden yet, but from what I've seen, I've noticed that almost all of the Swedish people's jobs are related to agriculture."
Louisa's smile remained unchanged.
"If it's not related to planting, then what should it be related to? It's the foundation of a country's stability."
Sergei shook his head and said, "Agriculture and planting are essential conditions for a country's stability, and Sweden, from the beginning of the century, had 140..."
The population had grown from tens of millions to nearly two million, and the growth trend remains strong, demonstrating that agriculture is indeed the most important sector.
He did not rush to refute Louisa, but instead affirmed her.
This clearly piqued Louisa's interest, and she looked at Sergei expectantly.
"But simply developing agriculture will not achieve the goal of becoming a strong nation. At present, Sweden attaches great importance to military strength, after all, it has powerful neighbors such as France and Russia, but in reality, this path has limitations."
"Oh? What are the limitations?"
"Agriculture and planting can provide food for the army, and while ensuring that the people have enough to eat and wear can increase population growth and provide manpower for the army, this will only exacerbate Sweden's potential crisis," Sergei said eloquently.
"Putting aside my position as the Russian ambassador, would France or Russia allow their neighbor to become powerful?"
"If one day France or Russia discovers that Sweden is becoming powerful and posed a threat, will they allow it to continue to grow?"
"At that time, Russia or France might seize the opportunity to launch an attack, leading to a second Great Northern War," or perhaps—
France and Russia jointly attacked and annexed Sweden.
Louisa's dance moves faltered, but Sergei reacted quickly, gripping her hand tightly to prevent her from falling.
Louisa's smile faded considerably: "You mean Sweden shouldn't become powerful?"
She knew that Sweden was struggling to survive, but she didn't expect Sergei to be so blunt in exposing it.
Sergei's thought was that since he was going to talk about it, he should teach the queen a lesson.
He explained with a smile.
"Every country should do its utmost to become strong. Sweden, surrounded by powerful nations, should be even stronger, but there are many paths to becoming strong."
Louisa looked at him with her beautiful eyes: "I would like to hear the Duke's opinion."
"I wouldn't call it a brilliant insight. Since Sweden is surrounded by powerful nations, directly strengthening its military power would only embolden the enemy's intention to attack. However, if we make adjustments to the economy or social structure, we might discover something new."
"For example?"
"Isn't Sweden interested in cooperating with Russia's newly established national bank? As far as I know, the Swedish National Bank will officially start printing banknotes this year, with the newly established Swedish Engraving and Printing Bureau in charge of production."
Louisa's eyes narrowed: "How do you know all this?"
These are all top secrets of Sweden. Issuing banknotes is of paramount importance, and the fact that the banknotes are produced by the Swedish Engraving and Printing Bureau is an even greater secret.
Sergei remained calm and composed: "The Queen couldn't possibly be unaware that before I came to Sweden, I was the deputy chairman of the Russian Secret Committee."
Louisa scrutinized him, and her next words were like a sword of judgment pressed against Sergei's neck.
"Do you believe I'd arrest you right now on espionage charges?!"