Chapter 98, The Unpopular Throne

Out of respect for the approaching Christmas season, the Vienna Government did not rush to seek trouble with the Polish Government. Even the news of Poland's diplomatic notes was suppressed, and the Foreign Ministry simply conveyed Franz's threat.

It's a European tradition not to stir up trouble during Christmas, and Vienna was as lively as ever this holiday. Franz held the customary court banquet.

The good times are always fleeting. Right after Christmas, Franz received some bad news—Otto I of Greece had died.

Compared to the original timeline where he was deposed in 1862, Otto I on this timeline was quite fortunate. With the strong rise of Austria, he, being a pro-Austrian, naturally wouldn't be deposed for aligning himself with the wrong side in diplomacy.

The troublesome thing was that Otto I, who came from the Wittelsbach Dynasty, had no children, and his brothers were unwilling to convert to Orthodoxy, leaving the position of the Greek crown prince perennially vacant.