Count Rhinefeels, though he had already suspected it, still felt his heartbeat quicken when the British confirmed it in person.
He probed softly:
"Are you saying that your country intends to confront France...?"
Lord Grenville nodded.
"How confident are you in victory?"
"There is no possibility of defeat."
...
Vienna.
Schonbrunn Palace.
Franz II gripped his cane tightly, looked at the Foreign Minister, and asked:
"How confident are you in victory?"
Count Rhinefeels replied with composure: "Your Majesty, England and its allies will all join the war."
England's allies include Prussia, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Hanover, which is already in a personal union with England—together, these nations form an extremely formidable force.
"The British fleet will blockade all French ports immediately. The French navy is only half the size of England's, which means France will instantly lose all maritime trade."
