He Became Napoleon’S Genius Son [EN]: Chapter 153

(153) Napoleon Gets a Daughter in the City of Flowers

Even someone born into a life of jewels finds themselves here.

“Wow, another party today. I’m getting tired of this! Aren’t you, Marie?”

Marie, lost in thought, was startled by Hortense’s words and snapped back to attention.

Right next to her, the 13-year-old Hortense stood with a listless expression.

In fact, Hortense had been attending every party Josephine went to.

As Napoleon’s adopted daughter, it was only natural.

Feeling sorry for not paying enough attention to her, Marie smiled.

“You’ll be attending even more parties in the future. What will you do if you’re already tired of them, Hortense?”

“Why? Isn’t this the last of the parties celebrating the opening of the assembly?”

“It is in Italy. But it will be different when we go to Paris.”

The name of the banquet held in Florence today is: Tuscan Republic Assembly Inauguration Reception.

The satellite republics Napoleon had created had been holding elections one by one and opening their assemblies.

After Lombardy, Liguria, and Veneto, it was now the Tuscan Republic’s turn.

Of course, there had actually been a rebellion in Veneto, but Marie and Hortense didn’t know about that.

However, Marie, who was originally a princess of the Bourbon royal family, knew one thing.

The parties of the powerful never end.

Unless they are ousted from power.

“General Bonaparte will return to Paris in triumph later. You and Madame Bonaparte will also go back then, and that’s when the real party will start, you’ll see.”

“Tch! I don’t like being called Madame Bonaparte. Why does General Bonaparte have to be our mother’s husband?”

“They got married because they loved each other. Besides…”

Marie glanced at Josephine, who was at the center of the party, and winked.

“You’ll have a sibling soon, won’t you?”

Hortense also looked at Josephine and pouted.

Although the dress was designed to be loose-fitting, it couldn’t hide her pregnant belly completely.

Josephine would be giving birth soon.

To Napoleon’s child.

Nevertheless, there was something else Hortense didn’t like.

“I don’t want to be family with those people either.”

Marie followed Hortense’s gaze, looking at the women of the Bonaparte family, and pressed her lips tightly.

Eliza, Caroline, and Pauline.

Along with Laure, a girl from the Fermont family who was close to the Bonaparte family, roamed the banquet hall.

They might not be particularly bad people.

But the women of the Bonaparte family disliked Hortense, Marie, and Josephine.

Even though Eugene had put in a lot of effort, it was still the case.

Because unlike Joseph or Letizia, they didn’t share any common ground.

Besides, Marie had another reason why she couldn’t get closer to those women.

“Me neither, that’s true.”

Marie glanced at Pauline and then quickly looked away.

Not long ago, Marie had returned from Vienna.

For Marie, the trip to Vienna was an opportunity to see her relatives after a long time, but she deliberately didn’t stay long.

Since she had come with the conqueror General Bonaparte, she didn’t know what kind of rumors would spread.

But she didn’t return to Paris either.

Because Eugene hadn’t returned yet.

Also, Marie had been very busy in her own way since returning.

Because Marie had become Josephine’s attendant, as the pregnant woman’s escort.

It was as if the princess of the old royal family had become Josephine’s lady-in-waiting.

Of course, from Marie’s point of view, it was a better opportunity to become closer to Eugene’s mother.

She had been so busy that she had forgotten something, but it came back to her mind today.

From the moment she saw Pauline again.

The image of her giving Eugene a deep kiss at the scene of departure in Milan.

Just then.

“Oh my, sister. Mother is staggering!”

Instantly, Marie began to move quickly.

“Madame Bonaparte, let’s go and rest for now. Come with me.”

Checking the condition of the pregnant Madame Bonaparte.

That was Marie’s most important task right now.

This was how Marie, the former princess who was once the star of the parties in Paris, lived.

***

So, to live like a jewel, you can’t rest for a single moment.

“You were so beautiful, Mother.”

Josephine walked into the room, wearing a dress that accentuated her pregnant belly.

Although pregnant, Josephine still didn’t miss parties.

Especially when ‘banquets’ that Napoleon attended were held.

Outside, Napoleon and Eugene were still busy greeting the influential figures and their wives of Tuscany.

But because she was pregnant, Josephine had come to the lounge inside.

Looking at Marie Therese, who was praising her, Josephine smiled brightly.

“As expected, Rose Bertin’s [a famous French fashion designer] skills are the best. It’s all thanks to Marie.”

“I only introduced you to Bertin. I thought Madame Bertin’s skills would be recognized even in Florence!”

“Right. Did you see? The noble ladies of Florence were intimidated!”

Then, a girl who had entered the lounge earlier to rest spoke.

“Still, she’s just a pregnant woman with a big belly. ‘Sister-in-law,’ do you really have to go to parties at times like this?”

It was Pauline Bonaparte, Napoleon’s younger sister, lying down while wearing a Rose Bertin dress.

She was also Josephine’s sister-in-law now.

Just as Josephine was about to glance at her much younger sister-in-law, Marie stepped forward first.

“Pauline, how can you be so rude to your mother? Apologize.”

“Mother? I wish you wouldn’t act like you’re already married.”

“What did you say?”

Pauline, who had been lying down, suddenly raised herself up and smirked.

“We’re not even engaged to your new ‘nephew,’ are we? I wish you would refrain from acting like everything is over just because you danced once at the Imperial Palace in Vienna. You might end up blocking our ‘nephew’s’ future.”

She seemed to be referring to the victory celebration held in Vienna.

At that time, Eugene had chosen Marie as his partner instead of Pauline.

In fact, in terms of kinship, Pauline was not a suitable partner in the first place, as she was an aunt to Eugene.

Also, Marie, who had Habsburg blood, was a figure of attention in Vienna.

Nevertheless, Pauline seemed quite upset.

Josephine looked at Pauline and parted her lips.

“Pauline.”

Pauline glanced at Josephine and pouted.

“What is it? If you’re going to lecture me, please stop. It’s unsightly.”

“Of course not. When I was young, I used to meet many men like Pauline.”

“Excuse me?”

Josephine smiled brightly at the flustered Pauline and said.

“I’m not in a position to lecture you about such things. However, I want to tell you that life is shorter than you think, and meeting a man you love is a precious thing. It’s even harder to find the best man.”

She was saying this because she had seen Pauline dancing with other men in a fit of anger in Vienna.

Besides, even if that wasn’t the case, Pauline was diligently dating French army officers.

But even though she was pretending to be nonchalant and having a free relationship, Pauline was still only a 16-year-old girl.

She must have some emotional wounds.

Especially if she had seen Eugene, whom she liked, dancing with another girl.

Pauline bit her lip tightly and raised her chin, asking.

“If you say so, I might have to seriously go after your son?”

“Our Eugene seems still young. If you really have to, I won’t stop you.”

“What about the former princess here?”

Josephine looked at Pauline and Marie and smiled mysteriously.

“If I were to choose, I wouldn’t pick either of you.”

Marie’s face turned pale, and Pauline’s eyes widened.

But Josephine had no intention of lying to these two.

It was enough to make up lies to men or the noble ladies at parties.

“One is a princess of the old royal family, so the revolutionaries will hate her. The other is a relative of my husband, and her personality doesn’t suit me well. Wouldn’t it be better for Eugene to choose a political marriage with a noble family or another revolutionary family?”

Just because she was uninterested in politics didn’t mean she was ignorant of political marriages.

Josephine was a salon hostess in Paris.

She certainly knew that neither Marie nor Pauline was a perfect bride for Eugene.

At the same time, Marie and Pauline both knew that fact.

Looking at the two girls who had turned pale, Josephine burst into laughter.

“Puhut! Don’t worry, Eugene isn’t me. He’ll choose as he pleases. He’s always been like that.”

He was always an extraordinary child.

He was also a boy who treated everything like a gamble.

Perhaps he would choose a marriage partner as if he were choosing a card, according to his feelings?

Thinking of her son, whom she had watched since he was a baby, Josephine briefly raised her body.

“Yes, he always has. Yeah.”

Suddenly, her vision blurred, and her stomach hurt, causing Josephine to collapse.

“Mother!”

Amid Marie’s scream, Josephine lost consciousness.

***

A scream shook the old grand ducal palace of Florence.

“Aaaagh!”

It was a palace that had been filled with a splendid celebration party just yesterday evening.

But now, it was filled with the screams of a single woman in labor.

Yet, no one complained.

Even though the party had been abruptly interrupted and everyone had to go home as if they were being chased out.

Because the wife of the most powerful person in Italy was the source of the screams.

Suddenly, hearing the screams, that very powerful person widened his bloodshot eyes and shouted.

“She’ll be alright, right? Surely Josephine won’t have any problems? What do you think, Eugene?”

“The best surgeon is inside. I made sure everything was thoroughly sterilized. Don’t worry.”

“Larrey specializes in amputations! That makes me even more worried!”

Of course, Eugene didn’t have much knowledge about childbirth either.

He was just as anxious, and this childbirth was an event that didn’t exist in the original history.

He could only pace back and forth in front of the lounge, which had been turned into a temporary delivery room, with Napoleon, unsure of what variables might occur.

It was when the two look-alikes were wandering around for a while.

“The midwife and the doctor were also with her, General.”

Larrey, the chief physician of Napoleon’s army, who was soaked with sweat, came out of the delivery room.

“Is she out? How’s the mother? How’s the baby?”

“Please ask one question at a time. The mother is safe. The baby is crying well too.”

“Can I go in!”

Instantly, Larrey blocked Napoleon.

“You can’t. If the germ theory of disease is correct, then soldiers from outside are the most likely to carry germs. Wash, wipe, and prepare thoroughly before you meet her.”

At that moment, the door of the delivery room opened as if to reveal a gap.

-Thud!

Napoleon stared blankly at the gap.

“Josephine.”

Josephine, who seemed completely soaked with sweat, was looking weakly at Napoleon.

But strangely, she looked more beautiful than when she was indulging in pleasure on the bed.

Hugging the baby, Josephine gazed at Napoleon.

“Don’t touch her, just look. It’s a daughter.”

Napoleon, who was staring intently at the baby from a distance, smiled.

“Our daughter, she resembles a rose. Just like you.”

“Pfft, are you thinking of naming her Rose?”

“Well, rather than that.”

Suddenly, Napoleon raised his arms and shouted.

“Didn’t they say this city is the city of flowers? Florence would be good. Florence Bonaparte!”

Ippolito, who was watching the scene, nudged Eugene’s side.

“Is that okay?”

“Naming the child is up to the parents. Of course, I wouldn’t have entrusted the naming to ‘Father’.”

“Come to think of it, General Napoleon gave you that weird nickname too, didn’t he?”

Eugene chuckled and looked at another younger sister who was trembling next to him.

Hortense, Eugene’s younger sister.

The tearful younger sister grabbed Eugene’s hand tightly.

Strangely, he felt a sense of responsibility weighing on his shoulders.

Then Marie approached Eugene’s side and whispered.

“Now, you have two younger siblings. Congratulations.”

May 23, 1796.

Napoleon’s daughter, Eugene’s younger sister, Josephine’s child.

Florence Bonaparte was born.

In the city of flowers, Florence.