Kobutsel turned his head and glanced at the young diplomat, his tone clearly displeased: "Do you know what you're saying?"
Metternich gestured for him not to get angry, and continued: "If we accept Lord Hawkesburg's plan, Russia will gain all Polish territory west of the Bug River, as well as parts of the Balkan Peninsula excluding Thrace and Macedonia. They may even invade Constantinople."
Count Stadion's brow furrowed tightly: "God, that would be a disaster."
"Exactly." A sly smile flashed across Metternich's eyes, "Not only for us—England, the Ottoman Empire, the Two Sicilies, and even France—all will realize it's a huge 'Eastern Orthodox disaster.'
"At that point, without any prompting from us, they would have to seek our help to drive out the Russians—most likely led by the British, who excel at these things.
"The Russians can never withstand the onslaught from so many countries, and we can, by taking advantage of the war, formally occupy Serbia."
