Rise of Empires: Spain

"Carlo, where are you?" A shout from atop the luxurious palace interrupted Carlo's thoughts, pulling his soul back to the real world. “I’m here, Father,” Carlo replied quickly. "Thank God, my child, are you feeling better?" Just a few minutes later, the voice came from afar and approached, and the owner of the voice was already behind Carlo. Carlo turned slightly, still somewhat incredulous. The middle-aged man in front of her, who looked luxurious, was actually her own biological father, the famous current ruler of the House of Savoy and the first king to unify Italy, Vittorio Emanuele II. “I’m feeling much better now. The medicine the doctor gave me is very effective.” Carlo nodded honestly, but in his heart he was thinking about how to talk to this father he didn’t know very well. King Vittorio Emanuele II paid no heed to Carlo's complicated thoughts. Instead, he affectionately patted Carlo's head and said earnestly, "It's alright, child. Although Adone is gone, you still have us, don't you?" Edone was the third son of Vittorio Emanuele II, and was granted the title of Duke of Monferrato at birth. In Carlo's memory, this older brother was very good to him, and their relationship was far better than that of his two older brothers. Unfortunately, when Carlo's soul came into this world, Duke Edonne of Montferrato was already terminally ill and soon passed away. Because of the extremely poor medical standards of that era, the cause of Aidon's death was never found. The fact that even a prince could die so mysteriously instilled a sense of fear in Carlo about the real world. For an ordinary person who has experienced advanced technology and society, personally experiencing the technology and life of 160 years ago is truly a torment. Even though Carlo was Vittorio Emanuele II's most beloved son and a prince of the newly established Kingdom of Italy, it couldn't dispel this terrible feeling. Seeing that Carlo remained silent, Vittorio Emanuele II patted Carlo's head again, forced a smile, and said, "It will be alright, everything will be alright, child." I will not allow anything to take you away from me, not even God. Adelheid and I will protect you; you will be alright, I promise you. For Vittorio Emanuele II, known for his devotion to God, such a promise was clearly heartfelt and sincere. Carlo was naturally aware of Vittorio Emanuele II's reputation, and he felt no aversion towards this adoptive father who cared so much about him. “I’m much better, Father. Thank you for your concern, I’m fine now,” Carlo said. "That's good, child. May God bless you, and I will be with you." Vittorio Emanuele II affectionately patted Carlo's head again, then gestured to the maid beside him to help Carlo back to his room. Although Vittorio Emanuele II had six sons (only counting those born to Queen Adelheide), only two of them did not die young, making him a man with many children but few blessings. Apart from Prince Odone, who died young at nearly 20 years old, the other three children who died young all died unexpectedly in infancy. Although the arrival of Carlo meant that Vittorio Emanuele II lost one less son, the repeated loss of sons in his middle age made him cherish family ties all the more. Carlo, now the youngest son, is the most favored by Vittorio Emanuele II. He was born the noble Duke of Chablay, whose property includes a large amount of land, several castles and manors, and hundreds of servants who are always ready to serve Carlo. While Vittorio Emanuele II was lost in thought, Carlo was already being helped into the room by two maids. Looking at the two maids, one pure and beautiful on the left and the other alluring on the right, Carlo swallowed the words he was about to say. Although monogamy is prevalent in the West, mistresses were not an unfamiliar concept to nobles of high status. Especially for the highest echelons of the nobility, if Carlo were so willing, the line of girls wanting to become his mistress could stretch from Florence, the capital of Italy, to Turin, a city in the northwest. At least on this point, Carlo is willing to admit that the world 160 years ago still had some fun. Of course, having mistresses was a tacitly understood pleasure among nobles, and it was generally not made public. For top nobles, maids are certainly a safer choice than mistresses, and their loyalty is also trustworthy. Especially for some nobles in their youth, maids were more suitable for early education and were the first choice for most European nobles to educate their offspring. The two maids serving Carlo were chosen by Vittorio Emanuele II as his mentors, combining the characteristics of innocence and allure, and both were very beautiful. At first, Carlo was enjoying the massage, but the pleasure in his lower body quickly brought him back to his senses. Turning his head, he saw that the seemingly innocent and cute Anna had already slipped her hand inside Carlo's pants, subtly teasing him. "Alright, Anna." Carlo patted Anna's head, and seeing Anna's small eyes blinking as she looked up, he finally smiled: "Not there yet." "Okay." Anna nodded with a hint of disappointment and removed her hand from where she was. "I want to be alone for a while." After enjoying the skilled massage from the two maids, Carlo finally relaxed a little and gave the order to the two women. Soon, the two maids left the room, leaving Carlo alone, lying in the room lost in thought. Carlo reluctantly accepted being transported to this era. At least being a nobleman offered many ways to enjoy life, much better than the arduous life he endured in later generations. The problem is that although monarchies are still the mainstream system worldwide, they can only last for a few decades. When World War I and World War II broke out one after another, they dealt a heavy blow to monarchies around the world, and monarchical states almost disappeared from people's sight. Apart from Britain, a monarchy whose monarchical power is almost nonexistent, people in later generations have very little understanding of monarchical countries, and can't even think of many other monarchical countries that still exist. Carlo's Kingdom of Italy did not become a republic until after World War II, but during Mussolini's rule, the power and status of the Italian monarchy were already precarious, and its abolition was just a matter of Mussolini's word. Although it's unclear how he time-traveled, having started a new life with such a high starting point, Carlo naturally harbors even greater ambitions. In order to take control of his own destiny, Carlo has a new plan.