He Became Napoleon’S Genius Son [EN]: Chapter 312

(312) The Bloody Engagement Ceremony Unfolds in Revolution Square

Today, a beauty unwillingly adorned with finery gazes into a mirror.

“You look truly beautiful, Princess.”

An extravagant dress, dazzling makeup, and bejeweled ornaments.

Marie Therese, looking at her reflection, was freshly reminded that her face was frozen.

And that she wanted nothing more than to escape this place.

“Why must I be here?”

“Princess, it’s all been decided. The Queen has permitted it, the Consul has ordered it. And above all, so has Eugene.”

“Where is Eugene?”

Suddenly, Marie Therese glared at her lady-in-waiting, Emilie de Beauharnais.

“Why does he only send letters and avoid me? Without even seeing me?”

Emilie wore a troubled expression.

March 3, 1802, a season nearing the bloom of spring.

Marie’s engagement ceremony was being forced ahead.

Naturally, Marie searched for Eugene, intending to beg him to stop it by any means possible.

However, she could only receive Damas’s report that Eugene had left Paris on a top-secret mission somewhere.

In any case, even his closest aide, Hippolyte, had vanished from Parisian society.

Instead, she only received a letter imploring her to follow Napoleon’s orders.

Having been shocked and mechanically obedient, she was now finally venting her anger.

“Eugene will come to the engagement ceremony today.”

“What? Now? After I’ve begged him so much to stop it?”

“It’s not the wedding yet, Princess.”

Emilie, having made up her mind, looked around the bridal chamber in the Tuileries Palace and spoke softly.

“Just bear with it a little longer. Then, the situation will surely turn around.”

At that moment, Marie’s eyes flared as she grabbed Emilie.

Emilie was Eugene’s cousin.

It was clear that Eugene had given her special instructions or that she suspected something.

“You know something, don’t you, Emilie?”

“I don’t know anything. I only know that Rochejacquelein is working on this matter.”

“He hasn’t given up!”

Marie cried out in elation.

“Eugene hasn’t abandoned me!”

But Emilie was horrified and quickly looked around.

Fortunately, only maids and servants influenced by the Beauharnais cartel were present.

Quickly ordering them to keep their mouths shut, Emilie returned and sighed deeply.

“Well, shouldn’t you be going now?”

Marie reluctantly followed Emilie, moving her feet.

Leaving the Tuileries Palace and heading north, they arrived at the former Place Louis XV, now known as Revolution Square.

There, they could see countless people gathering and carriages arriving.

A line of six carriages arrived one after another and stopped.

Carriages that had traveled from Spain to Paris for this day.

Soldiers stood at strict attention for just one of those carriages.

Marie frowned as she watched the portly man step out of the carriage.

“That pig is the one I have to have an engagement ceremony with today?”

“You absolutely mustn’t say that to his face.”

“I know.”

Just then, a girl who spotted Marie rushed in.

-Pitter-patter!

Marie was startled and blinked as she looked at the girl.

“Hortense?”

“Sister, run away.”

“What?”

Hortense urgently conveyed words that would startle the surrounding guards.

“No matter how much I think about it, this is absurd. I’ve been holding back because Mom approves, but there’s no way you can marry such an ugly man! I wouldn’t have anything to say even if they shot my brother right now!”

After a moment of surprise, Marie turned to the side.

The Consular Guard soldiers escorting Marie, the protagonist of today’s event, were each averting their gaze.

The Consul’s adopted daughter was encouraging another adopted son’s lover to run away.

Naturally, they seemed to be pretending not to hear because it was awkward.

“So, if I run away before the wedding, you won’t be angry?”

“Of course not. You’ll be dragged off to Madrid after the engagement, right? I’ll somehow get you out of there!”

“How are you going to do that?”

Hortense, with a very serious face, brought up something incredible.

“I’m seeing Desaix these days. I can mobilize the Paris Garrison that Desaix commands. I’ll somehow help you escape!”

Marie burst into laughter without realizing it.

Of course, if that were to happen, Desaix, Junot, and even Eugene would all be dismissed from their positions.

A national dispute between Spain and France might even break out.

But at least Hortense’s kindness was so warm that it brought tears to her eyes.

Quietly taking Hortense’s hand, Marie whispered.

“Thank you, but I’ll take care of it myself.”

At least Marie had one person on her side in this square.

***

Marie’s unwelcome sister-in-law grumbled, wearing a tiara.

“Why do I have to come all the way here, Your Grace, Duke of Asturias?”

Carlota Joaquina de Borbón.

This woman, wearing a dress with gaudy but unsophisticated decorations, was none other than the Crown Princess [of Portugal].

She was the wife of João, the heir to the Portuguese throne.

However, she had rushed all the way to Paris because of her younger brother, Fernando, the heir to the Spanish throne, Duke of Asturias.

Fernando, who had even summoned his sister who had married into the Portuguese royal family, frowned and retorted.

“Your Royal Highness, Crown Princess of Portugal, please help me since it’s your younger brother’s wedding, isn’t it?”

“Isn’t it just an engagement ceremony? Besides, the bride should come to the groom’s house. Since when has the groom come to where the bride is?”

“That’s all because of that damn Godoy.”

Fernando forced a smile as he deliberately walked across the square with an air of dignity.

“If I can overthrow that Duke of Alcudia bastard, I’ll do anything. I’d even lick the feet of the former princess of France.”

They could see those waiting on the platform far away in the square.

First, the Spanish special envoy, including Duke Manuel Godoy de Alcudia, waiting for the Crown Prince.

Next, Napoleon and other high-ranking officials of the French Consulate government waiting for them.

But the most important party was separate.

Marie Therese, walking elegantly from the Tuileries Palace with her entourage.

Suddenly, Maria Luisa, Duchess of Parma and the second daughter among the surviving members of the Bourbon royal family, clicked her tongue.

“Poor thing. That girl will be dragged into our royal family and be mistreated by our mother, won’t she?”

“Duchess of Parma, you shouldn’t be talking about such things here carelessly. There might be someone who understands Spanish, you know?”

“Your Royal Highness, Crown Princess, you wouldn’t know since you’re in Lisbon, but Mother’s irritability is increasing day by day. I think it’s because she thinks Godoy might be ousted at any moment.”

Fernando scoffed at the words of his second sister, Luisa.

“It’s troublesome if he’s just ousted, Sister. If it’s just a change of powerful subjects, there’s no reason for me to go through all this trouble. The king with real power must drive out the powerful subject.”

If it ended with just ousting Godoy, Godoy’s cousin would simply take his place.

But unlike his father, Carlos IV, Fernando had no intention of becoming a puppet king.

However, he still lacked power, so he needed an opportunity to gain strength.

The marriage with Marie Therese, the former princess of France, was a good opportunity for Fernando.

Godoy planned to promote the recovery of Tuscany as his achievement, but the newly acquired Tuscany was the Crown Princess’s dowry.

Therefore, the Crown Prince, Fernando, would gain succession rights.

It meant that Fernando could quickly establish a power base with the economic power of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, which was a small but independent country.

Fernando planned to start from here.

The work of regaining control of Spain.

Suddenly, Fernando looked back at his two younger brothers whom he had forcibly brought along.

“When that time comes, I’ll be able to provide appropriate titles for our Carlos and Francisco as well.”

“Yes, Brother.”

“Oh, I need to pee.”

Carlos was 14 years old, and Francisco was only 8 years old.

Nevertheless, Fernando had brought all these royal heirs with him.

Because Godoy had conveyed intelligence that France was lukewarm about the marriage.

“Endure it here! Even if there’s a fight, pretend you don’t know and stand still. We have to show those French people that our ‘Borbón’ royal family is united in wanting Princess Marie Therese!”

Borbón was the Spanish term for the Bourbon family.

Even though France was in a revolutionary state that had ousted the Bourbon royal family, it was also true that the royalists were still a powerful faction.

Besides, Spain was giving France a great gift, wasn’t it?

So, if they showed that the Bourbon clan was united in wanting the princess, they would surely be persuaded.

Fernando approached Godoy, the mastermind behind this strange scheme that was half old-fashioned royal logic and half new-era revolutionary logic.

“You’ve worked hard, Your Grace, Duke of Asturias. Welcome to Paris.”

“I’m attending without even resting. Is that the princess, Duke of Alcudia?”

“Yes? Ah, she’s coming into ‘La Révolution’ Square, as you can see.”

Only then did Godoy discover Marie Therese and smile broadly.

“Indeed, isn’t she a beauty?”

As he looked at Marie Therese’s face, now closer, and her figure revealed by her dress, Fernando swallowed hard.

Indeed, her beauty, which could not be found in Spain, was dazzling.

Fernando licked his lips with the desire to drag her to the bedroom right away.

“I want to consummate our marriage tonight. Sss!”

“Oh dear, that would be difficult. Please bear with it a little longer. Once it’s over, we’ll be leaving for Madrid right away.”

“Is the carriage prepared with six horses? It’ll be a carriage where you can’t see inside from the outside, right?”

Godoy smiled slyly and replied.

“Of course. It’ll be sturdy enough that you won’t know what’s happening inside. Heh heh.”

Of course, not only lecherous men were present at this place.

The two women who had been sick of seeing Godoy playing around with their mother, the Crown Princess of Portugal and the Duchess of Parma, frowned.

Moreover, the Crown Princess of Portugal was higher in rank than Godoy or Fernando.

Waving her hand, Carlota stepped forward.

“Listening to such filthy talk makes my ears rot. Let’s go. To meet the rebel leaders of France.”

In any case, she had to help her brother properly acquire the Spanish throne.

That was the way of life that Carlota had adhered to throughout her life, even in the original history.

***

There were planners watching that scene from the platform in the square.

“Wow, even the Crown Princess of Portugal has come, this is a double celebration diplomatically. Hahaha!”

As Talleyrand watched with a satisfied face and applauded, Hippolyte asked from the back of the line.

“You didn’t say anything to Talleyrand?”

“Not if Fouché didn’t tell him.”

“Then, conversely, what if nothing happens during the ceremony?”

Hippolyte licked his lips as he looked at Marie Therese in the square.

“I’m worried that the Princess might be dragged straight to Madrid.”

Marie Therese was walking elegantly and calmly.

However, Eugene was not the only one who had seen Marie since she was very young.

Hippolyte had already noticed that Marie was trembling.

On the other hand, Eugene, hidden among the ministers of the Consulate government and only watching the square, shook his head firmly.

“No, that will never happen, Hippolyte. Trust my gut.”

Of course, what Eugene was seeing was something else.

[Caudal, Influx of Gunpowder]

The warning in silver letters was clear.

Today, Caudal will definitely make a move.

It’s just that Eugene had already warned the Consular Guard, the Paris Police Department, and the National Guard.

That a terrorist incident would definitely occur.

Suddenly, Consul Napoleon Bonaparte stood at the center of the platform.

“Then, citizens of France. Today, we will hold the engagement ceremony of Mademoiselle Marie Therese of the former royal family and Duke Fernando, heir to the Spanish throne. This engagement ceremony will proceed as an example of civic union!”

At this moment, an engagement ceremony that might be stained with blood began in the Revolution Square, which had been stained with blood in the past.