Catherine and the Black Emperor

021. You are the genius.

Gemma went into Sophia's room.

"Your Highness, Professor Adordurov, the Russian language teacher, has arrived."

"Please come in."

"Good afternoon, Your Highness."

"Good afternoon, Professor. I've been learning declension, and it's not difficult."

"You are very clever. Today we will practice the way of speaking in the court. His Majesty requires that we speak only Russian, but he means proper Russian."

"No problem!" Sofia readily agreed.

She was a keen learner and had been teaching herself Russian before she arrived. She was also very interested in science. When Sergei told her that learning would help her please the Empress, her enthusiasm for learning grew even stronger.

But not everyone is passionate about learning.

In Elizabeth's office, Peter's teacher, Professor Stalling, was utterly dejected.

"The Grand Duke was always restless and had difficulty concentrating on anything."

This Saxon from the Royal Academy of Sciences in St. Petersburg had completely lost the confidence and excitement he had felt when he first heard he would be teaching the Grand Duke.

Elizabeth ordered Sergei, "Bring me Frederica's study records."

Sergei went to another desk to search.

Elizabeth looked at the secret record that Shuvalov had brought over, which detailed Stalin's teaching of Peter.

Using maps and illustrated books, as well as coins and medals borrowed from art museums, they explained Russian history to Peter; they used huge folio atlases to explain the geographical features of Russia; they used diplomatic letters and news articles from foreign newspapers, along with a globe, to explain to Peter…

"Professor, this is not your fault. I understand that you have worked very hard, but you bear a great responsibility. Your soon-to-be-doubled salary will bless you to continue to fight for the growth of the Grand Duke."

Professor Stalin left the room with mixed feelings.

This was perhaps the only consolation he could find when he couldn't shirk his responsibility.

Sergei showed Sofia's study records to Elizabeth.

She struggled with her studies, but had made considerable progress; the princess requested an extension of her study time; she would get up in the middle of the night, carrying her textbook and candle, walking barefoot on the cold stone floor, reciting Russian words…

"The prescribed curriculum cannot meet the princess's needs. She and the Grand Duke come from completely different worlds, yet they both came from Germany, didn't they?"

Elizabeth was pleased and delighted by Sophia's studiousness, but at the same time felt an incomprehensible distress over Peter's neglect of his duties.

"Keep a close eye on the princess and the princess's wife." Elizabeth put down her notes.

"Yes," Sergei replied.

After finishing his morning shift and changing shifts with his colleagues, Sergei went to Sofia and invited her and her mother to go to the Royal Theatre to watch Peter's violin performance.

"Your Highness, thank you for persuading the Grand Duke," Sophia said sincerely.

She pleaded with Sergei to intercede with the Grand Duke for her permission to watch the play together, and Sergei not only did so, but also secured the Grand Duke's participation in the performance.

After Sergei, Sofia, and the others took their seats, Naryshkin sat down next to him and asked in a low voice, puzzled.

Naryshkin asked, puzzled, "I don't know why you're doing this? Are you trying to please the Grand Duke or the Princess?"

Sergei looked at Peter as he stepped onto the platform: "To curry favor with the Queen."

Naryshkin paused for two seconds, then suddenly understood: "I admire you so much! Sergei, you're a genius!"

"No, you are the genius," Sergei replied.

Naryshkin seemed not to hear him.

Sergei asked the Grand Duke to play for the princess. The Grand Duke wouldn't be happy, but the Empress would be delighted. If the Empress was happy, the Grand Duke would be happy too.

Sergei, you're really something!

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but whisper, "Sergei, next time you have a chance to shine, could you take me with you? We're brothers!"

Sergei smiled slightly: "No problem, brother."

Peter began to play, and the violin music was melodious. The overall feeling was quite good, and one could hear Peter's mastery of the instrument. However, the style of the pieces was very varied.

To be precise, it was Peter's feeling.

Johanna whispered to her daughter, "He's weird!"

Sophia looked at Peter on the stage: "He's not strange, he's the Grand Duke, Mother."

When the performance ended, everyone applauded enthusiastically.

Peter put down his violin: "Would you like to see a play?"

Sophia whispered to Johanna, "Mother, the Grand Duke performed for me personally, and even added a play."

"That would be best." Johanna was always looking to discourage her daughter.

The play was very well performed, frequently drawing cheers from the audience, with everyone's attention drawn to the dramatic plot.

Johanna said sincerely, "I love it here, we have to stay."

Sofia looked intently at the stage: "Mother, it's because I like it here that we want to stay."

However, they soon discovered that the Grand Duke had not yet appeared.

"Isn't the Grand Duke participating in the performance? Where is he?" Sophia asked, puzzled.

Backstage, after finishing his performance and leaving the stage, Peter ordered the actors to perform a play before quickly leaving everyone behind.

It wasn't until lunchtime that Sofia finally saw Peter arrive late from the kennel.

At the dining table, besides Peter (the Grand Duke) and Sofia, there were also Naryshkin and Peter (the older brother).

Sofia didn't care about Peter's (Grand Duke's) escape, but her proactive and enthusiastic conversations only earned her perfunctory responses from Peter, and often he even had Naryshkin answer for him.

In the kitchen, while another servant was being called away, Gemma took out a small glass bottle from her pocket and sprinkled the powder on the orange dessert.

She carried the tray to everyone and served the desserts to each person.

Peter (the Grand Duke) looked at the orange dessert in front of Sophia and said to the maid Gemma, "I want some too, bring me more!"

"My lord, I can share the food with you."

As she spoke, Sophia placed her dessert in front of Peter (the Grand Duke), and Gemma quickly went to take the dessert from the table.

"Your Highness, I'll bring you some more right away."

Peter (the Grand Duke) raised his hand to stop her: "Don't move, this one is mine! I don't like sharing with others. Get another one for the princess!"

When Gemma saw Peter (the Grand Duke) about to eat the dessert, her hand holding the plate trembled slightly uncontrollably.

"Your Highness, your dogs are fighting each other, and it's very dangerous!" The servant in charge of the kennels suddenly entered.

"What's going on? You guys aren't paying attention at all!"

Upon hearing that his hunting dog was in trouble, Peter (the Grand Duke) angrily put down his dessert, called Naryshkin, and headed straight for the kennel.

After Peter (the older brother) finished his dessert, he noticed that Naryshkin's was mostly eaten, so he turned his attention to Peter's (the Grand Duke's) perfectly intact dessert.

He handed the orange dessert to Sophia, and then took Peter's (the Grand Duke's) portion and placed it in front of himself.

"Princess, let's begin our meal!"