"Alright! Marguerite, my friend! I’ve co to you this ti in hopes that you will contribute your strength for France!" Jero Bonaparte paused, then said sincerely to Marguerite.
"Your Majesty, what do you need my help with?" Marguerite straightforwardly asked Jero Bonaparte.
"It’s like this..."
Jero Bonaparte candidly shared the entire situation of him bringing Crown Prince Leopold over and how Crown Prince Leopold was infatuated with her.
"Your Majesty, are you hoping that I can socialize with that crown prince?" Marguerite asked Jero Bonaparte seriously.
"Yes!" Jero Bonaparte nodded and said, "We are currently signing an agreent with Belgium, and Crown Prince Leopold’s stance will be a crucial part in the implentation of this agreent.
Therefore, I purposely ca here in my personal capacity to ask you to consider this sowhat special thod to achieve cooperation between the two nations!"
"Your Majesty, is this agreent truly important for us?" Marguerite asked Jero Bonaparte again.
Jero Bonaparte hesitated for a mont, then nodded and responded to Marguerite, "Marguerite, this agreent is indeed extrely important for the future of France!"
"Alright then!" Marguerite showed a gentle smile at the corner of her mouth and nodded to Jero Bonaparte, saying, "Your Majesty, I agree to your terms!"
"I thank you on behalf of France for your contribution!" Jero Bonaparte said to Marguerite with a slight guilt in his heart.
"However, Your Majesty! You also need to agree to a condition of mine!" Marguerite changed the subject and said to Jero Bonaparte.
"What condition! As long as it is within my power, I will fulfill it!" Feeling guilty, Jero Bonaparte wanted to make it up to Marguerite.
"It’s very simple!" Marguerite playfully stuck out her tongue and then responded to Jero Bonaparte, "I hope Your Majesty can take a day to spend my twentieth birthday with !"
"Twenty years old!" Jero Bonaparte showed a surprised expression and asked in astonishnt, "You’re only twenty?"
"That’s correct!" Marguerite nodded as a matter of course, saying, "And this year is also my first year on stage!"
"Alright! I promise you!" Jero Bonaparte replied to Marguerite, "I will give you a special birthday gift on your birthday!
By the way, when is your birthday?"
"The day after tomorrow is my birthday!" Marguerite replied to Jero Bonaparte.
"Alright!" Jero Bonaparte nodded and said to Marguerite.
Subsequently, Marguerite requested Jero Bonaparte to co to her rented apartnt alone on her birthday, and Jero Bonaparte also agreed to Marguerite.
After Jero Bonaparte finished discussing the terms with Marguerite, Marguerite imdiately asked him, "Your Majesty, when will you introduce to him?"
"After all the plays have ended, I will find a reason to bring him over! Then you can get to know each other!" Jero Bonaparte said to Marguerite.
"You better hurry up! The play is about to end!" Marguerite pointed to the only grandfather clock in the corner backstage and reminded Jero Bonaparte.
Jero Bonaparte turned his head to look at the ti on the grandfather clock; there were less than 20 minutes left before the end of the third play.
"I must go! Marguerite!" said Jero Bonaparte, then turned and left.
Once Jero Bonaparte left the lounge, he saw the opera house manager who had been waiting at the lounge door all along.
At this mont, Jero Bonaparte imdiately understood why only he and Marguerite were in the lounge, as everyone else was directly stopped by the manager.
"You did well!" Jero Bonaparte patted the manager’s shoulder and encouraged him.
"Your Majesty, this is what I should do!" The manager responded with a fawning expression to Jero Bonaparte.
"I will bring soone over later! During this ti, I do not allow Marguerite to see anyone, understood?" Jero Bonaparte replied sternly to the manager.
"I... I understand!" the manager stamred in response to Jero Bonaparte.
Afterward, Jero Bonaparte returned to the box.
Entering the box, he found Crown Prince Leopold and Ludwig I idly drinking tea, clearly showing no interest in the third play.
"Your Majesty!" The presence of Jero Bonaparte sparked the spirits of Crown Prince Leopold and Ludwig I.
"There was a sudden urgent matter that required my attention!" Jero Bonaparte casually said, then deliberately feigned confusion and asked why Crown Prince Leopold and Ludwig I looked so listless.
Leopold and Ludwig I expressed that the third play was sowhat aesthetically tiring.
"Why weren’t you aesthetically tired during the last play!" Jero Bonaparte asked jokingly, "After all, ’Roo and Juliet’ is a story from hundreds of years ago!"
"It’s different!" Leopold shook his head and replied to Jero Bonaparte.
"Yes! It’s different!" Ludwig I also agreed.
"By the way, just now the manager invited to go backstage to et the leading lady of the last play, but I refused!" Jero Bonaparte said nonchalantly to Leopold and Ludwig I.
"Your Majesty, you refused too hastily!" Ludwig I responded to Jero Bonaparte with a look of disappointnt.
"I think it’s nothing," Jero Bonaparte shrugged and replied to Ludwig I, then turned to Crown Prince Leopold, "Leopold, if you want, I can tell the manager to let you et her!"
"This... this isn’t good!" Leopold replied to Jero Bonaparte.
"What’s not good about it!" Jero Bonaparte responded with a carefree deanor, "The Opera House regards them as cash cows, isn’t it just to serve us!
If we don’t patronize them, no matter how good the opera is, no one will watch it!
Mr. Ludwig (since Ludwig I does not have the title of King, he is addressed as Mr.), do you think I’m right?"
"Your Majesty, you are absolutely right!" Ludwig I nodded decisively, "If those actors didn’t have us dignitaries to support them, how could they earn so much money!"
"Alright then!" Although Crown Prince Leopold still had so desire to et Marguerite, he agreed to Jero Bonaparte’s request to make the introduction, "Would this cause you any trouble?"
"Of course not! What trouble could an Opera House cause!" Jero Bonaparte shook his head and replied to Crown Prince Leopold.
Thus, after the third play ended, Crown Prince Leopold went backstage to "make friends" with Marie Margaret Monroe under the manager’s lead.
Jero Bonaparte and Ludwig I quietly watched Leopold’s gradually receding figure, then exchanged smiles.
...
Upon returning to the Tuileries Palace, Jero Bonaparte saw the Belgian Minister of Agriculture and Comrce, Philip, in the hall. Philip imdiately asked Jero Bonaparte where Crown Prince Leopold was!
"Leopold probably won’t be back tonight!" Jero Bonaparte smiled faintly, then instructed Mokar to prepare a suitable room for Minister Philip to stay in.
That evening, Jero Bonaparte discussed the events at the Opera House with Empress Augusta.
"Aren’t you worried that Leopold will see through your actions?" Empress Augusta asked Jero Bonaparte, concerned that Leopold might make an irrational choice upon discovering Jero Bonaparte’s actions.
"So what if he sees through it!" Jero Bonaparte replied fearlessly to Empress Augusta, "Could the Kingdom of Belgium possibly overturn the world! At worst, we’ll just go our separate ways, and moreover, Holland’s brother-in-law is already coveting the Kingdom of Belgium!
If necessary, let the Kingdom of the Netherlands deal with the Kingdom of Belgium.
After all, the relationship between them and the Orleans Clan is still ambiguous!
By taking them down, it would also be cutting off a tentacle that the Orleans Clan is extending towards France! (In fact, when Jero Bonaparte said this, he was sowhat joking.)"
"As long as you are confident!" Empress Augusta nodded to Jero Bonaparte, "By the way, Vilnius said she received another letter from Cavour!"
"Cavour!" Jero Bonaparte imdiately perked up, "How is Cavour persuading Vilnius in the letter this ti!"
"He still encourages Vilnius not to give up on the dream of Italian unification!" Empress Augusta replied nonchalantly.
"That Cavour guy is really stubborn!" Jero Bonaparte couldn’t help but sigh.
"Yes, indeed!" Empress Augusta also sighed, and then impulsively said, "Why don’t you just give them a hand!"
"Help? How should I help?" Jero Bonaparte sighed, "The situation on the Apennine Peninsula involves a significant portion of Europe, so there’s no possibility of a nonviolent solution!
If we choose a violent solution, then we will face a hostile Austrian Empire, a hostile Pope State, and a hostile New Italy!
This offers no benefit to us at all!"
"That’s true!" Empress Augusta nodded and replied to Jero Bonaparte.
Subsequently, Empress Augusta asked Jero Bonaparte when he would depart for Poland.
Jero Bonaparte told Augusta he would set off for Vienna in late September, and then travel from Vienna to Warsaw.
Reviews
All reviews (0)