He Became Napoleon’S Genius Son [EN]: Chapter 14

(13) Beauharnais Captivates Napoleon

Originally, in the original history, Napoleon was a so-called ‘womanizer.’

He falls in love easily, forgets easily, and desires again easily.

But that was only after he became a powerful figure and experienced numerous women.

Above all, it’s the story after being [betrayed] by Josephine.

As of now, he is almost a virgin with no particular lover.

With a flushed face, Napoleon stood blankly, unable to say anything.

The ‘friend’ next to him even nudged his side to snap him out of it.

At that moment, Eugene calmly stepped forward.

“It’s okay, Mother. This officer saved us.”

“An officer? Oh my.”

“He’s a lieutenant. You can tell by his rank insignia.”

On the other hand, Napoleon couldn’t even utter a proper word.

“I, I, Napoleone Bu, Buonaparte, at your service, Ma, Madam.”

Rather, Josephine, who hadn’t even properly groomed herself and rushed over in a hurry after the children disappeared, seemed more composed.

Sweating profusely, he stutters with a bright red face.

No matter how much one tries to interpret it favorably, there’s only one conclusion.

That is, he has almost no resistance to women.

Especially in front of beautiful women, he’s even more of a greenhorn.

Josephine, a woman who has already met quite a few young men like this, smiled brightly.

“Is that so? Hmm. I’m Marie Joseph Rose La Pagerie.”

“La, La Pagerie, then your, hu, husband’s last name, is, is that it?”

“Husband? Ah, my ex-husband has a different last name. Beauharnais. Humph.”

Eugene interjected like lightning.

“She’s divorced.”

Josephine and Napoleon blinked and looked back at Eugene.

A 27-year-old woman and a 21-year-old young man.

Neither is prepared, nor are they jaded by experience.

However, Eugene’s reflexive remark made them both awkward for a moment.

So, Josephine is single.

Josephine, twirling her hair slightly, and Napoleon, blushing again and at a loss, fell silent.

An awkward silence enveloped the three of them.

Just then, Hoche barely arrived, panting and shouting.

“Oh, the back alleys of Marseille are really complicated! Am I late? Huh? Who’s this friend?”

Napoleon’s eyes widened.

He’s tall.

He seems quite handsome.

A surge of anger arose momentarily.

Still young, inexperienced, and flustered, Napoleon is intelligent.

Could it be that this ‘divorced’ woman, who clearly has children, is his lover?

It’s a slight misunderstanding, but not entirely.

Napoleon looked up at Hoche, who was much taller than him, and hardened his expression.

“A soldier?”

Hoche looked back at Eugene.

Eugene simply shrugged and smiled.

Judging that he wasn’t a hostile presence, Hoche smiled and replied.

“That’s right. Well, I might be considered AWOL [Absent Without Leave] and kicked out by now. Are you an officer?”

“Yes. Lieutenant Buonaparte of the La Fère Regiment of the garrison of Auxonne. I saved this young lady here.”

“Wow, a high-ranking officer. Sergeant Hoche of the Royal Guard. Thank you for saving our Hortense.”

At that moment, Napoleon’s eyebrows twitched.

“Our Hortense, what’s your relationship with the lady?”

If he really is Josephine’s lover, what should he do?

Should he challenge him to a duel right away?

But when you think about it, wasn’t today the first time Napoleon saw Josephine?

All sorts of fantasies flashed through Napoleon’s mind in an instant.

Suddenly, Hortense, who had been rolling her eyes until then, blurted out.

“Mom, are you divorced? Brother?”

In that instant, Eugene responded to Hortense, who was truly oblivious but had good timing.

“The divorce proceedings were underway. By now, the court has probably approved it.”

“Then who is Mom going to marry?”

“Well, that’s something Mother will decide on her own.”

Eugene glanced back at Napoleon and Hoche and said.

“Let’s go back to Paris first.”

They’re going to Paris.

On the other hand, Napoleon cannot go to Paris.

There’s a reason why Napoleon came to Marseille at this time.

Napoleon was flustered and hesitated about what to say.

He clearly has a crush, but he doesn’t know what to do.

It was then.

“There he is! That soldier hit me!”

From afar, soldiers who appeared to be National Guardsmen were running towards them.

At the forefront was, of course, Philippe.

To break through this awkward situation, Napoleon rolled up his sleeves and stepped forward.

Momentarily, Hoche also stood next to him.

Hoche, as if understanding everything, winked and asked.

“Ha, is it our turn to step in? What do you say, Lieutenant?”

“Yes. Madame Beauharnais is watching. Let’s have a go!”

“Great. Let’s knock them down in one go!”

Seeing the two men uniting in a strange place, Eugene shook his head.

The National Guard is, at the very least, armed with spears.

It might be interesting if two heroes of the era died in Marseille resisting the National Guard.

But that would be troublesome.

In an instant, Eugene threw the silver coin pouch he had in his pocket.

-Clang!

The guards stopped at the sight of the pouch, which contained at least 100 livres [French currency].

Conversely, Napoleon was also surprised and turned his head.

There, Eugene, still a young boy, stood with a cold sneer.

“Let’s stop here, National Guardsmen. If you don’t want to die, take the money and get lost.”

This time, Napoleon felt his heart pounding in a different sense.

The son of that dazzling beauty.

The boy is by no means ordinary.

It was the moment Eugene and Napoleon first met.

***

Every meeting is an opportunity, a crisis, and also destiny.

“What is this brat saying! Should I kill you right now? Huh!”

Right now, Eugene feels like his brain is shutting down.

It’s not because of these foolish guardsmen.

It’s because of today’s unexpected encounter.

Nelson, Napoleon, Josephine.

At the end of the 18th century, those who made history are together in this city, on this street, at this moment.

Of course, being reborn as Josephine’s son in this era is already a historical moment.

Still, it’s definitely the ‘destiny’ he’s been waiting for.

He can’t stop his heart from racing.

The problem is that Eugene has encountered [destiny] completely unprepared.

Barely taking a deep breath, Eugene coldly retorted to the guardsmen.

“Do you want to die for violating military law under General Lafayette?”

The soldiers, including Philippe, stopped in surprise.

“Wh, what are you talking about?”

“Ho, how dare you invoke General Lafayette? This bastard?”

“Wh, where did you dare! The hero of the revolution, General Lafayette!”

Eugene scoffed.

“That hero’s confidant is my father. You may not have heard of him, but it’s Alexandre de Beauharnais.”

It’s a slight exaggeration, but it’s not wrong.

The National Guard is basically an army organized by Lafayette.

And what kind of people would Lafayette call as officers?

Of course, those he employed during the American Revolutionary War.

Alexandre would certainly be one of them.

But unexpectedly, the National Guardsmen looked at each other with surprised faces.

“I, I’ve heard of him. A noble member of the Estates-General who first joined the National Convention!”

“I heard he made some achievements in the American Revolutionary War.”

“Is he also in charge of the National Guard? So, he’s a soldier.”

It seems that Alexandre has gained quite a reputation in the meantime.

“Then, won’t you please step back? Here are General Beauharnais’s wife and children. Well, our mother is in the final stages of a divorce lawsuit, though.”

Eugene pointed to Josephine and Hortense as if introducing them, smiling cynically.

A powerful figure.

The era of revolution is a time of upheaval, and that’s why power is most important.

No matter how much money you have, how high your reputation is, or how skilled you are, you can die with just a flick of power.

Already in Paris, nobles are being torn apart, stabbed to death, and dying while fleeing.

Even if it’s not as much as during the Reign of Terror, people are dying.

For a mere private in the National Guard to be on the wrong side of a powerful figure?

It’s truly a crisis of being annihilated.

-Flippity-flap!

Philippe was the fastest.

In an instant, the other guardsmen also began to flee in a hurry.

Of course, seeing them quickly grabbing the 100-livre silver coin pouch, they seem to be in their right minds.

Perhaps this is a scene unfolding throughout France.

But from behind Eugene, Hoche grumbled.

“Ah, Eugene. Do you have a grudge against me? Why are you stepping in when I’m about to show off in front of Madame Rose?”

“What are you going to do after knocking those guys down? We won’t be able to get out of Marseille.”

“Hmm, maybe? Well.”

But with a face that didn’t care at all, Hoche smiled.

“Then we’ll just knock them all down and leave! Don’t underestimate us too much, Eugene.”

Momentarily, Eugene realized again.

He had forgotten another hero who would navigate the history of this era.

Perhaps he had forgotten because he had been keeping him too close.

The hero of the Republic, Hoche.

At that moment, Napoleon, who was slightly shorter, looked up at Hoche, a much taller soldier, and said.

“Yes. Since the Royal Guard the sergeant was returning to has been disbanded. You’ll probably have to be assigned to the local army or the National Guard.”

Of course, it was expected.

In any case, after the storming of the Bastille, the king lost control over the army.

Now the king is a figure similar to a head of government who rules by the constitution.

Even that will soon be lost.

Hoche also expected it and simply shrugged, asking back.

“Then why is the lieutenant in Marseille? Auxonne is way up north, isn’t it? Did you desert?”

“I received a long vacation. I’m planning to go home.”

“Home? Come to think of it, your accent sounds a bit local.”

At that moment, Napoleon jutted out his chin and said proudly.

“Corsica, that’s my home. I’m going to spread the flames of revolution to my homeland.”

This is why Napoleon is in Marseille in January 1790.

Corsica, that is, the French name for Corsica.

Napoleon’s home island.

Here, as soon as the revolution broke out, Napoleon rushed to seek independence.

Of course, it will end in failure.

That’s why Napoleon became the Emperor of France, not the King of Corsica.

Eugene stared at Napoleon and smiled.

He wouldn’t go even if he told him not to.

“If you go to Corsica, don’t try too hard and come to Paris.”

“What?”

“Mr. [Pasquale] Paoli has already taken control of that place anyway. But, Mr. Paoli will hate your family. You may think differently, though.”

Pasquale Paoli.

A contemporary Corsican independence activist and a comrade of Napoleon’s father.

Of course, Napoleon’s father, Charles, surrendered to France.

How would Charles’s son appear in Paoli’s eyes?

To use a Korean analogy, he would be seen as the son of Lee Wan-yong [a figure known for collaborating with Japan during the Korean annexation].

Napoleon himself won’t know until he meets him directly.

Napoleon frowned and asked back.

“You’ve known my name since earlier. Who are you? It’s strange to just see you as General Beauharnais’s son.”

Eugene thought of a suitable excuse and smiled again.

“Eugene de Beauharnais, a page of the King, an enemy of the revolution. But, I’m also a boy who knows that the revolution will change the world.”

A page of the king, an enemy of the revolution, but one who knows the revolution.

Napoleon’s eyes widened at the truly strange introduction.

In that instant, Eugene didn’t miss the opportunity.

“France will become a much bigger stage. Don’t forget my words.”

It doesn’t matter whether Josephine ends up with Napoleon or not.

Eugene decided.

He will at least leave a deep impression on Napoleon.

Seeing that they met like this, it’s clear that it’s not a destiny to be avoided even if he tries.

Then it’s better to form a bond first.

Napoleon stared intently at Eugene.

There is a record in history.

Napoleon’s gaze always seemed to pierce through people’s hearts, making them feel uneasy.

But Eugene didn’t avoid it.

Momentarily, Napoleon opened his mouth again.

“If I come back, I will definitely come to find you. Also.”

With that intense gaze, Napoleon stared at Josephine.

“Madam, I hope to see you again. Definitely.”

Eugene felt like his breath was stopping.

A 27-year-old woman and a 21-year-old young man.

Neither is prepared, nor are they as jaded as when they met in the original history.

In fact, Josephine and Napoleon originally have their first meeting 5 years later.

Conversely, Eugene was not at all prepared for this meeting either.

Is it good for Josephine to marry Napoleon like in the original history?

Wouldn’t it be better if they didn’t meet at all and lived different lives?

It’s a question he’s repeated countless times since realizing his past life.

Still, he was putting it off because there would be no chance to meet Napoleon yet.

But in this unexpected situation, they met too quickly.

At that moment, Josephine also moved.

-Swish.

She reached out her hand.

Without realizing it, instinctively.

At the same time, Napoleon fervently kissed the back of Josephine’s hand.

A hand kiss.

A common etiquette in this era.

But everyone in this place realized that it wasn’t just that.

Except for the little child Hortense, who was tilting her head.

-Flippity-flap!

As if he had done something wrong, Napoleon turned around and ran away.

He ran so fast that it was difficult to recognize his back.

Momentarily, Hoche chuckled and teased Josephine.

“Wow, Rose. Another young man has fallen for you?”

“Don’t tease me, Hoche. What would I do with such a country bumpkin?”

“Why? It means your charm is still overflowing. Hahaha!”

Momentarily, Josephine, fanning her slightly reddened face, looked back at her son.

“He’s a person with a sharp impression. Isn’t he, Eugene?”

Certainly, Napoleon is still skinny because he hasn’t eaten well yet.

But ‘sharpness’ probably doesn’t mean that, but the gaze that pierced Josephine’s heart.

Eugene chuckled and said casually.

“It would be good for Mom to remember him too. That person will definitely come to Paris.”

At that time, Eugene will also have to decide.

Whether to let Napoleon marry Josephine.

And whether to float Eugene’s fate together in the whirlwind called Napoleon.

It was then.

“Hey! We haven’t finished talking about work yet!”

From the port side, Antoine and Nicolas were running towards them.

They had forgotten the two of them, having experienced such amazing things.

They are about to embark on the grand task of establishing the trading company [Beauharnais].

Eugene smiled.

“Yes. Let’s work!”

Until he confronts the storm of fate, Eugene still has a lot to do.

***

So, where did Napoleon go?

“Hey, Napoleone. What are you doing? The ship is late. I have to return from here soon too.”

“Brienne, did you see her? That woman!”

“I saw her well from the side. You’ve fallen for a mother with children. Hey, should I take you to Stuttgart with me? There are many blonde beauties there. Virgins too.”

His friend, Louis Antoine de Brienne, scoffed.

‘Napoleone’ has been his close friend since their days at the military academy.

You could say they are very close.

He was so worried in the midst of the revolution that he came to meet him while working at the Holy Roman Empire’s diplomatic mission in Stuttgart.

But he doesn’t understand at all when he displays such passion.

She was definitely a beauty, but isn’t she a divorcee?

She’s also a mother with two children.

Right now, he has taken a long vacation from the army to liberate Corsica and has rushed all the way to Marseille, hasn’t he?

This is a kind of gamble for Napoleon.

A time of decision to fulfill his long-held dream, a desire to liberate his homeland.

But to be so infatuated with a beauty with children, the cold-hearted Brienne found it difficult to understand.

Even in the original history, Brienne never understood his ‘friend’ Napoleon.