"Your Majesty?"
Empress Augusta looked at Jero Bonaparte, who had hurried in, with a face of confusion, and then shifted her gaze to Vilnius behind him.
At this mont, Vilnius, like a chick eting an eagle, timidly released Jero Bonaparte’s arm.
Jero Bonaparte’s gaze had never left the two ladies sitting next to Augusta since he entered the room.
The identities of these two ladies were too special, one being Jero Bonaparte’s long-uncontacted lover, Marchioness Aile, and the other being his "good friend" Eugenie.
All three of them had relations with Jero Bonaparte, and now they could "sit together peacefully," which was sowhat beyond Jero Bonaparte’s expectations.
However, when Jero Bonaparte turned his gaze to the surroundings, centered on these three, he also noticed the pretty-faced, voluptuous Madam Valleski, a plain-looking lady favored by Mornay, and the daughter of Governor Ossman, Valentina Osman. Apart from these three, Jero Bonaparte hardly recognized the rest, only having t so of them once.
Looking at the hall full of couples, Jero Bonaparte couldn’t help but show a bitter smile.
Mokar was right, he really shouldn’t disturb them at this ti.
"Your Majesty, what on earth happened?" Augusta inquired calmly from Jero Bonaparte.
"Nothing!" Jero Bonaparte said without any hesitation, feeling that such matters were best not discussed openly.
Empress Augusta naturally saw that Jero Bonaparte was hiding sothing unsaid, and being understanding, she imdiately said to him, "Well then, Your Majesty, I wonder if you would like to join us?"
"I..." Jero Bonaparte was about to refuse when he noticed the resentful expression of Marchioness Aile and the sharp gaze of Lady Eugenie, and swallowed his refusal, nodding instead and saying, "Of course, I would be delighted to chat with you angels!"
"Then co over!" Augusta extended her alabaster arm towards Jero Bonaparte, her white court dress making her appear like an elf stepping out from a painting.
Beside her, the Marchioness and Eugenie, dressed in deep black and pale yellow gowns, resembled two thorny roses.
Jero Bonaparte had no choice but to enter the room, with Vilnius following closely behind.
The maidservant responsible for serving the ladies hastily brought a chair for Jero Bonaparte, placing one neatly between Empress Augusta and Eugenie, and the other between Madam Valleski and Madam Moreni.
At this point, Jero Bonaparte could only sit helplessly on the chair closer to Augusta, while Vilnius sat between the two ladies.
Once Jero Bonaparte sat down, the conversation resud, and the air seed thick with the tension of a looming conflict.
Jero Bonaparte, caught in the middle, could only bear it, pretending to be busy by occasionally sipping his coffee.
Under Augusta’s guidance, the ladies began to discuss literature and Ancient Greek philosophy.
These topics posed no problem for the well-educated aristocrats, but for Eugenie, they were akin to listening to a cryptic scripture.
This blatant exclusion made Eugenie feel a profound sense of humiliation, and several tis she wanted to leave imdiately.
However, Eugenie knew that the court was no place for her caprices, and she could only remain silent.
Just then, a voice reached Eugenie’s ear, "Hmm! Here you go!"
A peeled apple was placed before Eugenie, handed to her by none other than Jero Bonaparte.
"Thank you!" Eugenie looked gratefully at Jero Bonaparte, whose gesture effectively drew all "firepower" towards him.
It was important to know that sitting beside the Emperor was his legitimate wife, Augusta, who initiated the "isolation" of Eugenie.
Sure enough, when Jero Bonaparte spoke these words, everyone’s gaze instinctively turned to him.
"Please carry on! Carry on!" Jero Bonaparte casually waved his hand, adding, "After all, I don’t understand anything you’re discussing!"
Every lady present had a keen and discerning mind, and Jero Bonaparte, educated within the Royal Family, couldn’t possibly be ignorant of such topics. Everything he did was rely to divert attention away from Eugenie.
For a mont, the noblewon present were actually a bit envious of Lady Eugenie.
Being able to have the most powerful man in all of France willingly co to her rescue was indeed an honor.
With a mindset of admiring strength, the noblewon secretly wished they could replace Eugenie’s ecological niche.
Under Jero Bonaparte’s forceful intervention, Augusta had to give Jero Bonaparte so face.
The topic shifted from the original philosophy to ordinary gossip news, allowing Eugenie to reintegrate.
Jero Bonaparte inwardly breathed a sigh of relief, as in these tis, one could easily face a crisis without so responsibility.
As ti passed, the sun had set beyond the mountain, and the room grew increasingly dark. Seeing this, the maid imdiately lit the chandelier candles. Under the candlelight, Augusta conversed more energetically, and after Jero Bonaparte’s intervention, he hadn’t spoken another word, simply repeating the simple acts of peeling apples and handing them to those beside him and drinking coffee.
First Augusta, then the Marchioness Aile, then Vilnius, Jero Bonaparte tried to provide every convenience he could for the four of them. As for the others, Jero Bonaparte paid them no mind.
Even though he had noticed Valerovsky and Valentina Osman throwing flirtatious glances and attempting to seduce him several tis!
Ti flew by quickly, and soon it was seven in the evening. The afternoon tea gathering, lasting nearly 4 to 5 hours, finally ended.
Just when Jero Bonaparte thought everything was over, Eugenie unexpectedly shattered his last bit of complacency, rising and standing shoulder to shoulder with Jero Bonaparte. She tiptoed, lightly kissed Jero Bonaparte’s lips, and then said, "Thank you very much, Your Majesty!"
After that, Eugenie left the room without looking back! Jero Bonaparte could only endure the noblewon’s aningful glances alone, licking his lips dryly and saying, "A particularly atmospheric farewell style!"
"Then, Your Majesty, goodbye!" Following that, the Marchioness Aile also approached Jero Bonaparte and kissed him again. Unlike Eugenie’s light peck, this was a lingering wet kiss, and Jero Bonaparte could even feel the Marchioness Aile’s unbridled motion in his mouth.
At that mont, Jero Bonaparte unexpectedly found it hard to part, but when he thought of his legitimate wife beside him, he could only separate from the Marchioness.
The Marchioness, with the corners of her mouth still glistening with saliva, also left, and Empress Augusta’s face turned slightly unsightly.
"Your Majesty!" Madam Valleski walked up to Jero Bonaparte with a smile, and Jero Bonaparte instinctively took a small step back.
Then, Madam Valleski half-jokingly asked Jero Bonaparte if he would have a farewell kiss.
Jero Bonaparte decisively refused, then perfunctorily pecked lightly on Madam Valleski’s arm.
Madam Valleski showed a hint of disappointnt, then curtsied to Empress Augusta before leaving.
Next, whether it was Madam Moreni or Valentina Osman, Jero Bonaparte followed the usual practice and kissed the back of their hands.
Afterward, they too curtsied to Augusta before leaving.
When it was Vilnius’s turn, Jero Bonaparte simply gave the little girl a gentle kiss on the forehead and then lightly flicked her forehead.
Once only Jero Bonaparte and Augusta were left in the room, Augusta asked, "Your Majesty, what is it you wish to discuss with ?"
"It’s like this!" Seeing Augusta not dwelling on previous events, Jero Bonaparte straightforwardly said to Augusta: "Do you know of the Oberndorf Royal Arsenal?"
"The Oberndorf Royal Arsenal?" Augusta pondered carefully for a mont before promptly replying, "Are you talking about the arsenal my grandfather established?"
The Oberndorf Royal Arsenal, a factory founded by King Frederick I of Wurttemberg, was a factory specialized in developing weapons for Prussia.
"That’s right! Can you persuade my uncle, your father, to transfer the arsenal to ?" Jero Bonaparte inquired of Empress Augusta, "I’m willing to pay ten... no, a million francs for it!"
"A million francs!!" Empress Augusta showed a surprised expression, knowing the arsenal’s value was not even worth fifty thousand.
Knowing her husband well, Augusta instantly realized the arsenal might have sothing extraordinary: "Does the arsenal have sothing you want?"
"How should I say this?" Jero Bonaparte scratched his head and said to Augusta, "I currently need a group of skilled workers familiar with the Dreiser Needle Gun, and Oberndorf happens to fulfill this need!!"
Looking at Jero Bonaparte, who wore a serious expression, Augusta nodded and said, "If you truly need it, I can personally return to Wurttemberg to negotiate with my father!"
Reviews
All reviews (0)