He Became Napoleon’S Genius Son [EN]: Chapter 259

(259) The Former Princess Reunites with the Consul’s Son

A young man stood there, seemingly fearless.

“Here’s the financial report for this year, 1799. We have a 21 million franc deficit from the Egyptian expedition, 3.5 million from the Banque d’Italie operations, and 5.2 million from the Boarneh Trading Company’s suspended trade.”

He didn’t even flinch at a sum that could bankrupt a major bank.

Damas, the Cartel’s General Manager, was newly impressed.

He watched his master, who had matured significantly in the two years since they’d last met, appearing far beyond his years.

Eugene, sitting on the 3rd floor of the Banque de Boarneh’s Paris headquarters in Marseille, propped his chin on his hand and asked,

“Why so many deficits?”

“Well, we haven’t received payment for the military supplies delivered to the state. The trade paralysis due to the war with England also contributed. And General Bonaparte still needs to cover the Banque d’Italie deficit.”

“I doubt Father will pay. Actually, I could create a surplus on the books,” Eugene said, shrugging as he thought of the spoils that could cover the cartel’s massive deficit.

“The actual silver and gold coins are still in Constantinople [modern-day Istanbul].”

It was day two of his arrival in Paris.

As soon as Eugene woke up, he was bombarded with troublesome reports.

It was time to check on the cartel’s management, which had been virtually idle because of the war.

The reports from the banks, trading companies, munitions factories, canned goods operations, and chemical research institutes were all problematic.

The fact that a deficit of nearly 30 million francs could even occur was a major issue.

Even the leading bankers in France couldn’t handle that amount at once.

If things continued this way, the scale of the default would be unprecedented in France.

Antoine Damas shrugged and countered, “Then isn’t it the same as not having it, Patron?”

“General Manager Damas, that’s a complete misunderstanding. The Constantinople vault is in our hands, and we’ve set aside money to compensate the French army and the Banque de Boarneh’s share separately. We just couldn’t transport it because of the war.”

“If we transport it by land, it’s almost certain it will be robbed. The new Serbian nobles or bandits would definitely steal it.”

Damas suddenly smiled strangely and suggested, “Instead, reinvest through the newly formed Greek kingdom. The Greek region would be good. Or the island of Cyprus, which France is newly securing.”

It seemed Damas, or the Boarneh Cartel, had been steadily receiving information from the East.

For example, the information that the newly formed Greek kingdom was virtually pro-French, or rather, pro-Eugene.

King Constantine Ypsilantis of Greece, the first king, had participated as an ally of France.

Eugene chuckled and folded his arms. “Albert Fermont was showing interest in Cyprus anyway. The war will end soon; should I hire him as the manager of the Cyprus region?”

“Wasn’t he an army supply officer? Skimming off the top must be his daily routine. Why are you trusting him with this?”

“Anyway, in the Orient, partial embezzlement is considered a commission. Besides, someone with military experience is needed in a dangerous place.”

Eugene’s eyes sparkled as he replied to Damas, who was expressing concern.

“Hassan Tubar will be our Misr [Egypt] agent. I’ll meet him later to finalize the contract terms. I’ll leave the contact to Albert.”

Hassan Tubar was a merchant who had commanded Mamluk [a non-Arab slave soldier] cavalry.

In the past, when Eugene occupied Constantinople, he promised to make Tubar an agent in Egypt.

Damas, contemplating the reliability of the local agent, asked again, “I understand. Since he fought with you in the war, I should trust him. But how are you going to cover this huge deficit? Until now, we’ve been paying public officials and business partners with government bonds, but there’s a limit to that.”

France wasn’t yet experiencing the full effects of the British Industrial Revolution.

Most of the Boarneh Cartel’s production still relied on a factory-based handicraft system.

And the raw materials for weapons, gunpowder, clothing, and military boots all cost money.

The deficit of 29.7 million francs stemmed from these expenses.

“Polley and DuPont will be the most difficult to handle.”

“They’re on the verge of bankruptcy, barely holding on by borrowing from the Recamier Bank.”

“They need money right away, right?”

Eugene lightly lifted his pen.

-Swish, swish, swish.

Damas blinked as he looked at the document Eugene had written.

“What’s this? A request?”

“A request for advance payment of government arrears from the war reparations of the former Austrian Empire, in the name of the Boarneh Cartel.”

“That place is now the Kingdom of Austria. Uh, is this even possible?”

Eugene twisted his lips and replied firmly, “It works. The Directory [the French revolutionary government] is virtually dissolved anyway.”

The final decision-making power of the Directory rested with the Director and the Council of Five Hundred.

But after Eugene arrived in Paris, everything changed.

The authority of the Directory, which existed even formally, collapsed, and Paris was now under the power of the Bonaparte faction.

In this situation, even if legitimate payments were withdrawn from the national treasury, no one could stop it.

Of course, next year’s government might go bankrupt, but that would be covered by the war reparations that Napoleon would bring from Austria.

Napoleon was currently demanding at least 100 million francs.

Damas, who had been staring with wide eyes, nodded. “I understand. Then, I have one question to ask.”

“The cartel’s name? For the time being, keep the name Boarneh Cartel. Changing it to Bonaparte carelessly would be even more troublesome, especially with the upcoming election.”

“We’ve been calling it the Eugene Cartel among ourselves. I understand. But that’s not the question.”

Damas asked again with a cautious face, “Is our princess still the ‘Patronne’?”

‘Patronne’ meaning mistress.

Was Marie still Eugene’s ‘lady of the house’?

That’s what Damas’ question implied.

Eugene answered without the slightest hesitation, “Of course.”

“Then when will you see her?”

“That’s two questions. I won’t answer that.”

The first question was simple, but the second was something Eugene wanted to avoid.

“I have an angry scolding waiting for me in 30 minutes anyway.”

Besides, plenty of people would ask that question anyway.

***

For example, his mother Josephine.

“Eugene Bonaparte! Are you out of your mind? How could you with your aunt!”

Even Josephine’s dog in the distance was glaring at Eugene.

Eugene glanced away, staring at the dog that Napoleon would later kill and become famous for.

Josephine, extremely agitated, looked like she would throw the vase next to her at any moment.

“Mother, I came back after two years, and that’s all you have to say?”

“Is that all? Do you know how much people have been talking about in Paris? Huh? I was even harassed by my mother-in-law! It’s even gossip in the newspapers, not just in social circles!”

“Pauline smuggled herself in in the first place. I didn’t kidnap her.”

Even though he was only telling the truth, Josephine shouted even more furiously.

“Then you should have prevented strange rumors from spreading! A romance between an aunt and a nephew? I can’t even imagine it. You didn’t do something you can’t take responsibility for, did you?”

Usually, when a son returns from the battlefield, it’s common to be happy and throw a party.

But Josephine was only angry.

Of course, there was a reason for this.

First, the fact that Pauline smuggled herself in had spread throughout Parisian society. Letizia blamed Josephine and got angry, and even anonymous gossip articles came out.

But Eugene was dumbfounded. “What is that again? This isn’t the era of the old royal family. I’ve never had a child.”

“Eugene! Don’t joke around and tell me straight. Did you share a bed, or not!”

“Good heavens, did even that rumor spread? That’s completely false.”

However, Josephine looked at Eugene with disbelief.

This was inevitable. Eugene’s father was Alexandre, famous for being a playboy.

The social circles Josephine had lived in were a world where if you played with fire once, you would naturally face the consequences.

But was it really true that a man and a woman smuggled themselves in and didn’t share a bed?

“Then, how far did you go? Petting? Caressing? Maybe right before…?”

Eugene, dumbfounded, finally shouted, “Mother! Do you think I’m some kind of playboy!”

Eugene had once crossed the Atlantic to save his mother.

He fought at the risk of his life and succeeded in saving her.

Josephine was that special to Eugene.

Nevertheless, these rumors were something he couldn’t bear to hear.

Then Hortense, a girl sitting next to him and watching with interest, sparkled her eyes. “Hehe, my brother is too inexperienced for that, Mom.”

“Why are you saying that to your brother?”

“Because he’s afraid of getting caught with Pauline, right? If that’s the case, he’s already been firmly caught by the ‘Princess’ for a long time.”

Hortense, a 16-year-old girl, winked at Eugene suggestively. “But you kissed, right? Brother?”

Eugene stammered, caught off guard. “Wh-what are you talking about as if you know everything? You, you virgin!”

“No, now you have to explain to both of them. I’m telling you to prepare. First, you have to explain to Letizia, right?”

“Call her grandmother. I’m confident I can handle that somehow.”

Just as Eugene, confident about Letizia, was about to reply, Hortense chuckled. “Then, what about the princess?”

At that moment, Josephine frowned at Eugene, who was speechless. “Marie is already here.”

In other words, the princess in question had arrived at Madame Bonaparte’s private residence.

It seemed the maid had informed her while she was talking with Hortense.

Josephine looked pitifully at Eugene, who was trembling like an aspen tree, and left her seat. “You take responsibility and solve it, Eugene.”

Hortense, winking as she left, was even more annoying.

***

It would have been better to be scolded by Josephine.

“How was it? Was it good? Was it delicious?”

In the living room of the Bonaparte residence, the Malmaison mansion, Marie, whom he was seeing for the first time in a long time, was stunningly beautiful.

Now 21 years old, a virgin who could no longer be called a girl exuded dazzling charm.

Was her mother, Marie Antoinette, like this when she was young?

But her face was so cold that the surroundings seemed to freeze.

Besides, the first words she uttered were completely unexpected.

“What? War can’t be good. Military rations are originally tasteless, especially canned goods. I think you need to pay attention to the factory.”

“No, Pauline…”

“Wait, what are you talking about?”

Suddenly, Marie strode closer to Eugene. “How far did you really go?”

The scent tickled the tip of Eugene’s nose.

Somehow, even at this moment, his heart was pounding because of Marie’s beauty.

Or maybe it was just because Eugene had a guilty conscience.

Eugene, a man with a guilty conscience, shouted, avoiding Marie’s eyes, “I didn’t do anything! Where are you reading strange British newspapers and talking about this?”

“Liar.”

“It’s true! Ask Hippolyte! Where did that guy go now?”

Hippolyte hadn’t even entered the living room in the first place.

He wasn’t here, and in fact, Hippolyte had seen Eugene kissing Pauline quite a few times.

But Marie threw terrifying words with a blank face. “I might ask Pauline.”

Eugene widened his eyes.

If Marie really asked Pauline, she would definitely make up things that didn’t happen.

If things continued like this, an irreversible situation might occur.

Originally, in the original history, Marie had a tenacious side; she would kill the revolutionaries, her enemies, to the end.

She couldn’t say she’d had a lot of hardships now.

But what if she thought she’d been betrayed in love?

Eugene hurriedly grabbed Marie’s arm and stopped her. “Pauline is a liar. She doesn’t tell the truth.”

“And you think this will tell me the truth?”

“It’s all lies! Believe me! Marie!”

At that moment, Marie shook off Eugene’s arm and took something out of her chest.

-Click.

Somehow, it was originally big, but it seemed strangely big now.

When you thought about it, it might be a pretty erotic situation.

But from Eugene’s point of view, it was a chilling sight.

A gun.

The muzzle of the black pistol was aimed at Eugene.

Above all, that gun wasn’t a flintlock but a percussion lock developed by the Boarneh Cartel.

If it was fired, it would fire immediately.

“What are you doing?”

“You killed my father with this.”

“Are you trying to get revenge now?”

Sparks flew from Marie’s eyes.

“If I kill the lover who betrayed me and die too, wouldn’t that be fair? Don’t you think so?”

In fact, Eugene was wronged.

Of course, he kissed, or it seemed like his heart was about to cross over, but anyway, he never crossed the line.

But if Marie knew all the facts, she would have already shot him.

Looking at the trembling muzzle, Eugene saw the notification of [Silver Letter] popping up.

[Loaded.]

Eugene gritted his teeth and took a step forward. “Shoot.”

“You! How can you say that?”

“I’m confident I can avoid any other danger. It was the same when I met you. But I can’t avoid this. Shoot, if you want to shoot.”

Marie bit her lip and shouted, “You damn playboy!”

The next moment, a roar echoed through the living room.

-Bang!

The gun hit the floor and made a sound, and Marie ran out.

The season was autumn, and it was already raining in the mansion’s garden.

Eugene stood blankly and then ran like crazy.

He barely caught up with Marie in the middle of the Malmaison mansion’s garden.

“Let go of me!”

“Marie, let’s get married.”

“What?”

Eugene, also soaked in the rain, grabbed Marie’s hand.

“My father will become the Consul [one of the top government officials]. Then, I can ignore everything, like being a princess of the old royal family.”

Marie blinked.

Rainwater poured down her cheeks.

She had always thought about it.

Eugene, who became a general of the Revolutionary Army.

Eugene, who was made to pay for killing her father.

Eugene, who was driven to the battlefield of death because of Marie.

She wanted to catch Eugene, but she couldn’t.

Because it was all Marie’s fault.

Now he was saying he could ignore all of that.

Eugene caught Marie.

“Then, let’s get married. To me.”

In the rain, the young general of the Revolutionary Army and the princess of the old royal family kissed.