Catherine and the Black Emperor

040. Pistol

In February, Ekaterina waited anxiously in her room.

The door opened, and Sergei led Johanna in.

"Mother!"

Ekaterina rushed over to hug her mother, while Johanna looked at the luxurious suite and couldn't help but sigh.

"This room is wonderful, this is a real palace. I am so happy for you, my daughter, now I can leave in peace."

"Mother, why did you do that? If it weren't for the Empress's mercy, we would both be imprisoned in the fortress and tortured! No one can get you out of here safely, not even Frederick!"

Faced with Ekaterina's questioning, Johanna stepped aside.

"You've forgotten your homeland so quickly, like throwing away an old jacket and tossing Prussia to the back of your mind. I knew when I came here that I would have to go back someday. I can't stay here!"

Ekaterina was utterly frustrated: "You're always like this, always thinking only of yourself."

Johanna looked at her: "When I embarked on this journey without hesitation, who was I thinking of? Was I supposed to endure the cold, adversity, and humiliation?"

Ekaterina remained silent.

She knew her mother had always wanted to shine in the palace; she always believed herself to be young, still beautiful, and still in her prime.

"Your dreams will lead you to the execution ground! Go, Mother!" Ekaterina roared.

Johanna closed her eyes, and a few seconds later she opened them and walked outside.

When they reached the door, Ekaterina could no longer contain her emotions and rushed over to hug her tightly.

"Mother! Mother! Forgive me! Forgive your daughter!"

Johanna burst into tears: "Daughter, you should forgive me. When I thought I was going to be hung on the rack, the only thing I could think of was that I was sorry to you."

"Mother, I love you."

"I love you too, Fig."

Johanna stroked her daughter's cheek, a doting smile on her face, before turning and leaving.

As she watched her mother walk away, Ekaterina suddenly realized that this might be the last time her mother would touch her cheek, and the last time she would see her mother.

Sergei remained silent throughout, and he left with Johanna.

In the room, Ekaterina finally broke down, collapsing onto the bed and sobbing uncontrollably.

"Mother! Mother!"

A carriage was waiting in the square in front of the Winter Palace.

Sergei and Johanna walked out of the palace without saying a word.

"Duke, please forgive me for not telling her, but you have provided tremendous help to both of us in this matter. Her position as Grand Duchess cannot be affected in any further way," Johanna said.

Sergei nodded: "You did the right thing. I had no intention of telling the princess either."

"Actually, if I weren't so ambitious, Figg would still be staying in the small German principality. I would be happy to see you two together. You are the most outstanding talent I have ever met. The rumors in the court about your womanizing are just jealousy and slander."

Sergei smiled but remained silent.

As Johanna boarded the carriage, he handed her a bag of rubles to ensure her expenses for the trip, which delighted Johanna, and she expressed her gratitude once again.

"You don't need to express your gratitude. I don't care about such things, just as I don't care whether you and the prince are truly in love. What I hope is that you and Betskoy will both be helpful to the princess in the future, or at the very least, not a burden," Sergei solemnly reminded her.

Johanna was surprised by this unexpected bonus: "You mean, I'll get to see Betskoy again?"

Sergei remained noncommittal: "Who knows? I hope God will forgive you."

3 month.

Sergei went to the Sitney market and found the blacksmith Victor.

"How long will it take to make this?"

Sergei took out a blueprint from his pocket, and Victor was immediately captivated by its intricate design after just one glance.

"Such exquisite textures, such intricate details, perfect, absolutely perfect!"

The old man's eyes shone, as if in his eyes, this design drawing was more precious than gold and jewels.

"Each component requires a considerable amount of time. I believe that with such strict requirements for detail, even the slightest mistake will affect its use. Hmm... a month. The first time will take longer, but it will get shorter and shorter afterward!" Victor estimated.

"Then let's get started." Sergei handed him a bag of rubles.

"Your Highness, I won't take your money," Victor waved his hand in refusal.

Sergei placed the money on the table beside him.

"Take this. It's for you and Vera to live on for the next month, and for the materials used in the crafting. Don't skimp on the quality; use the best."

"I will do my best!"

Victor finally nodded and accepted the money.

Sergei left the blacksmith's shop.

A month is not a short time, but it was much shorter than he had expected.

Victor was the best blacksmith in Sitney, so he wasn't worried that the other party couldn't make it. Otherwise, there would be very few people in the entire St. Petersburg who could make it. But it seems that he still underestimated the other party's skills.

Sergei arrived at the Winter Palace.

Hofmahl, who was already a court painter, found him and whispered a secret to him.

"The Queen has just decreed that the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess's wedding will be held on July 1st, and will be a public event."

Sergei was taken aback, but quickly understood Elizabeth's intention.

This young Russian dynasty had never held a public royal wedding before, and Elizabeth's actions were undoubtedly intended to let the Russian people and the world feel the grandeur and power of Russia.

"That's great!"

After weighing the pros and cons, Sergei said this.

Personally, he didn't want to see Catherine marry Peter, but he had to admit that he was attracted by the charm Catherine exuded.

From a rational perspective, such a grand wedding would have spread Catherine's name throughout Europe and deeply ingrained it in the hearts of every Russian citizen, which would have greatly helped Catherine launch a coup d'état later on, given Peter's absurd actions.

This could help Catherine quickly win popular support and complete her rule over Russia.

"Sergei!"

No sooner had Hofmal left than Sergei encountered Naryshkin, who waved to him enthusiastically.

"What's making you so happy?"

"A wedding! The Grand Duke's wedding! The Queen has sent me to welcome the artists from France, and I hear there are countless wedding plans covering everything!"

In the days that followed, from spring to early summer, letters from Versailles Palace described in detail the French royal wedding, which became a model for the Russian royal family.

The weighty design drawings were brought to St. Petersburg, along with velvet, fine silk, gold-threaded ribbons, and a large workforce: LeTV employees, tailors, chefs, carpenters...

Along the melting ice and snow of the Baltic coast and the Neva River basin, large cargo ships are moored.

Elizabeth issued a decree that ministers received a year's salary in advance, and all nobles were required to purchase six-horse carriages.

The Winter Palace was abuzz with excitement and joy, but strangely, the newlyweds, Catherine and Peter, were left out in the cold, with no one telling them about the ins and outs of marriage.

Neither the court officials nor the servants had any.

Ulyana, Gemma, and Matrena's status among the servants is now vastly different from what it used to be. They haven't said anything, and the other servants certainly don't dare to.

But soon a servant, eager to make a name for himself, started spouting nonsense in front of Peter.

"The husband is the master, and the wife must obey him without question! Without the husband's permission, the wife is not allowed to speak. If he disobeys, beat him hard, smash his head in!"

Besides Catherine and Peter, there was another person who was completely isolated from joy.

He was in the suburbs, holding a pistol, aiming at a fleeing figure in the distance.

"Snapped!"

The servant's head was smashed open.