He Became Napoleon’S Genius Son [EN]: Chapter 314

(314) All Spanish Throne Successors Died

Terror always brings unexpected damage.

“They’re all dead, Freischütz.”

Savary reported from his private office on the third floor of the Boerne Bank.

He hadn’t yet fully recovered from the injuries sustained at the Lafayette residence, so he was still heavily bandaged.

But, like the dutiful general he was, he had hurried back after the incident.

In fact, since Junot and Fouché were directly implicated in the terror attack, there was no one else available to take charge.

Eugène turned to Savary, the head of the gendarmerie, and asked,

“Not a single survivor?”

“That’s right. All the heirs of the Bourbon royal family are dead. Of course, technically, there are children of the Princess Royal of Portugal.”

“They will have to succeed to the throne of Portugal. I understand.”

Just as he was about to dismiss Savary, Marie, who had been lying on the bed with her eyes closed, suddenly opened her eyes.

“Eugène, people died! Aah!”

Eugène rushed to hug Marie, who screamed as soon as she woke up.

“It’s okay, Marie. I’m here.”

“A bomb exploded. How could this happen? I’m so scared!”

“Calm down, Marie.”

Eugène held Marie tightly and whispered,

“This is war, Marie.”

Marie’s trembling subsided slightly.

Comforting her alone wouldn’t be enough to truly calm Marie.

He needed to make her understand that this explosion wasn’t just a random act of violence.

Eugène calmly said to Marie, who was looking up at him,

“The royalists came all the way to Paris and attacked. The Bourbon princesses and princes were caught in it and died.”

“Is this something that could happen at any time?”

“It will never happen again. We were just too careless this time.”

Suddenly, Eugène gritted his teeth.

“Yeah, I didn’t know they would commit a suicide bombing. Crazy bastards.”

In fact, this incident was partly Eugène’s responsibility.

Eugène knew from history that Cadoudal would cause a bomb terror.

Besides, he was aware that Lafayette had been targeted with a bomb.

So, when a public event was planned, he anticipated Cadoudal’s surprise attack.

But if a terror attack was inevitable, he thought it would be better to let it happen where he could predict it.

He also desperately wanted to prevent Marie’s marriage, which was proceeding rapidly.

So Eugène deliberately created the conditions for the terror attack.

He believed that someone with a keen sense for intrigue and danger could prevent it sufficiently.

That was a misjudgment.

He underestimated the depth of the [grudge] held by the hard-line Chouannerie royalists [Royalist insurgents in Brittany].

Suddenly, Marie looked at Eugène and asked.

“Then, can you be sure it won’t happen again? You’re saying that kind of thing happens all the time in war.”

Eugène had certainly endured such a life so far.

But that wasn’t the real problem.

As a result, three princes, including Fernando, Princess Royal of Portugal Carlota, and Duchess of Parma Luisa, had died.

From the perspective of the Spanish royal family, it was a devastating blow.

However, Eugène smiled wryly as he held Marie in his arms.

“It’s okay. Rest assured and sleep.”

Only after Marie fell asleep, exhausted, did Eugène walk out of the bedroom.

On the way out, two people were waiting in the hallway.

His closest aide, Ippolito, and Rochejacquelein, the head of the Sûreté [French security police].

“Is the princess okay?”

“I wish I could entrust her to psychological counseling. But there’s no such doctor available.”

“This is insane. Suicide bombing. I haven’t seen that even in the Vendée [Region in Western France known for royalist uprisings]. Isn’t that right, Rochejacquelein?”

When Ippolito asked, Rochejacquelein tilted his head.

“That’s right. But if they are the bereaved families of those who were massacred in the early days, it is entirely possible.”

Ippolito, who had once fought in the Vendée, widened his eyes.

“What are you talking about? Bereaved families of the massacre?”

“Didn’t you witness some of it? In the early days of the Vendée War, it was truly a war of annihilation. Not only was an entire village massacred, but their lives and dignity were also mocked.”

“Oh, that’s true.”

Rochejacquelein stated with a grim face.

“It was only after His Excellency the First Consul and the Patron [Eugène] came that it became a normal battle, but before that, it was not. Some of the perpetrators of the massacre are in Florida.”

He was referring to Colonel Turreau, the general who now commanded the garrison in Florida.

It is true that Eugène ended the Vendée War as quickly as possible.

But before that, countless people had died in cruel ways.

The same would have been true of the Chouannerie, a hard-line royalist group that fought in Brittany, not the Vendée.

As a result, a resentful anti-revolutionary faction that would not hesitate to commit suicide bombing was born.

Eugène leaned against the hallway wall and closed his eyes.

At this rate, France is no different from living with a ticking time bomb.

A fundamental solution is needed.

“It seems the time has come to seriously promote the [immigration] policy for the people of Vendée.”

“How? In this situation?”

“Rather, it’s even more possible because of this situation.”

Eugène half-opened his eyes and replied to Ippolito.

“Now the only answer is New France [French colonies in North America].”

It is a measure to send the resentment far away to the New World.

***

An emergency meeting was held in the Lower House of the Tuileries Palace.

“I, Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of France, declare! All of this is an international tragedy and a conspiracy by the royalists to restore the old royal family!”

Napoleon usually entrusts the presiding of the parliament to the Speaker or the Minister of the Interior.

He uses the so-called separation of powers constitutional principle as an excuse, but everyone knows that it is because he hates deferring to the parliamentarians.

But today, the First Consul himself attended the parliament.

The Spanish throne successors are all dead.

It was not a war, but a disaster that occurred while celebrating the engagement ceremony held in Paris.

In fact, there were casualties among French celebrities in this disaster, but that was barely mentioned.

Because it was such an overwhelming event.

“We also express our condolences for the tragedy that has befallen the Spanish Bourbon royal family.”

When Napoleon bowed his head in silence, the five hundred parliamentarians bowed their heads in unison.

Even Lucien could not sneer this time.

But the time of silence is not eternal, and the parliamentarians must discuss countermeasures.

“Then, what will happen to the marriage, diplomacy, and territory?”

“Isn’t Spain putting the blame on us?”

“Perhaps a war? Or do we have to give up territory?”

Just as prominent parliamentarians such as Lamel, Willot, and Desglantine were chattering anxiously.

“Take responsibility, France!”

Suddenly, a man burst into the parliament and shouted.

“The home country has lost the successor to the king! Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal of Portugal has also passed away. All of this is the responsibility of the French authorities for neglecting the event expenses!”

It was Duke Godoy de Alcudia, the commander-in-chief of Spain.

Godoy was trembling, his face pale.

Perhaps it is because he must shift the responsibility for this incident to France in order to survive.

However, even Napoleon, who is usually thick-skinned, could not respond this time and hesitated.

Talleyrand could not stand it any longer and hurriedly stepped forward with his cane.

“So, what are you proposing?”

“Blood money must be compensated with territory. Of course, you must hand over not only Tuscany but also the territory you took away in the previous Battle of the Pyrenees!”

“What?”

Just as Talleyrand was about to retort in amazement, Godoy shouted.

“If not, our Spain will condemn France internationally!”

At that moment, someone was thrown from the opposite side of the parliament.

-Thud!

A general in military uniform, retired General Malet.

His whole body was covered in blood, suggesting he had been tortured.

Fouché was glaring at Malet with a cold face behind him.

Torture is prohibited under criminal law, but no one pointed that out.

Fouché glared at Malet and said.

“Tell me, Malet. Who planned this conspiracy?”

“Cadoudal, Chouan, Chouannerie royalists.”

“Who brought him into France?”

Suddenly, Malet trembled and pointed at Godoy.

“That, that, that Godoy.”

Godoy jumped up and shouted.

“What a lie! Besides, Cadoudal, I don’t even know who he is!”

“It’s a lie.”

“Yes, a lie… Who is it!”

This time it was Barthélemy, who had originally been a member of the Lower House and had moved to a diplomatic position.

The moment he saw Barthélemy, Godoy’s face turned pale.

Because Barthélemy was the one who directly witnessed Cadoudal in Fontainebleau.

After that, Gendarmerie Commander Junot followed.

When Junot nodded, Barthélemy opened his mouth.

“I am Barthélemy, the ambassador to Spain. I confess. I knew that Cadoudal had colluded with Duke Godoy and entered France. However, I did not know that he would commit terrorism.”

The five hundred French parliamentarians all glared at Godoy.

Godoy was flustered and did not know what to do, chased by their gazes.

Napoleon strode up and approached Barthélemy.

Barthélemy said in a trembling voice as he met Napoleon’s gaze.

“Cadoudal is a British spy who had contact with the Spanish royal family. He advised Duke Godoy on marriage tactics and tried to use those tactics to revive the royalists.”

“And he committed a bomb terror?”

“That’s right. It was a completely unexpected situation.”

Barely avoiding Napoleon’s gaze, Barthélemy mumbled.

“But it is clear that Duke Godoy is responsible for Cadoudal’s entry.”

At that moment, Napoleon shouted, sparks flying in his eyes.

“In this case, Spain will have to take all the responsibility!”

In the end, Godoy simply collapsed into his seat.

It was the moment when his scheme to put the blame on France completely failed.

***

A guillotine was erected in the Place de la Concorde in downtown Paris.

-Clang, clang, clang.

The person being dragged forward was a huge man, Cadoudal.

Even after all the royalist terrorists blew themselves up or died under torture, only Cadoudal had endured.

This is because he had a naturally strong physique.

The citizens of Paris surrounding Cadoudal shouted.

“That kind of guy should not be guillotined but dismembered!”

“As civilized people, we can’t do that.”

“Damn it, the First Consul, General Eugène, and even the old royal princess almost died!”

Suddenly, citizen Antoine Dupan shouted.

“I don’t care about the Bourbons, but the Bonaparte family almost died!”

He was once a man who tried to kill Lavoisier in the name of the revolution.

But now he has become a loyal citizen of the Bonaparte family, who dreams of seeing them become emperors.

Of course, Dupan was not the only one shouting like that.

“Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!”

In the midst of the citizens’ shouts, Paris executioner Charles-Henri Sanson asked.

“Any last words?”

Cadoudal raised his head and laughed.

“Khahahahat! France, curses to those who betrayed the royal family! You will be oppressed by the emperor!”

A man wearing a hat was staring intently at the scene.

The man’s face strangely resembled Napoleon.

Suddenly, behind the man stood a young man who did not resemble Napoleon at all, but strangely resembled him in his aura.

“Now, the monarchy cannot be stopped. Lucien.”

Lucien replied without looking back.

“I know, Freischütz. The road has been paved with the blood of the Bourbons.”

Just as Eugène was about to turn his gaze at those words, the guillotine fell.

-Swoosh, bang!

Cadoudal’s head bounced and rolled on the ground.

Just like the Spanish Bourbon royal family.

It was the day when all of Europe realized that the Bourbon royal family, which had survived the French Revolution, had been tragically destroyed.