He Became Napoleon’S Genius Son [EN]: Chapter 488

(488) Let’s Return to the West

It’s a rare, beautiful day.

“Ahem! A very good morning. Don’t you think so too, Maria?”

Tsarskoye Selo [a former imperial residence near St. Petersburg], a village with a palace where Catherine once enjoyed herself with her lovers.

In one of the palaces, another emperor now rises from bed with his lover.

Maria Walewska, a noblewoman from Poland, blushed as she covered her nakedness with a blanket.

Last night was a passionate one for Maria as well.

However, the fact that she spent it with Napoleon makes Maria even more ashamed.

“If Your Majesty is pleased, then so am I.”

“Hahaha! You are truly kind. If I were unmarried, I might have divorced my wife and married you.”

“I do not harbor the foolish desire to be Your Imperial Majesty’s partner.”

Maria, who was a virtuous noblewoman in her own way, is ashamed of the very fact that she is committing adultery.

She is even more ashamed that she feels pleasure in her relationship with the Emperor.

However, one fact sustains Maria’s heart from collapsing.

That all of this is for the sake of her lost homeland, Poland.

“I only trust that Your Majesty will keep your promise.”

Napoleon turned to Maria, who lowered her eyes as she spoke, and rose from his seat.

From the first time they met, Maria only requested the independence of Poland.

On the other hand, Napoleon only desired Maria’s body.

Napoleon still doesn’t understand why she can be so sacrificial.

“Poland becomes independent, but you don’t gain any benefit from it. It’s a strange thing.”

“Has Your Majesty never wanted Corsica to be independent?”

“I think I did a long time ago. But I am French, and I have lived proudly as the Emperor of France, even if I am defeated and dethroned.”

Napoleon, once a Corsican independence activist, asserted with conviction.

“I am the Emperor of France. This fact does not change.”

Maria stared at the Emperor.

Certainly, Maria does not understand the Emperor either.

Born as the daughter of a Polish independence activist, Maria was educated by Chopin’s father, who would become famous in history.

For Poles, the independence of their country was a natural aspiration, from nobles to commoners.

Does France, the Great Revolution, or the Empire have some power that makes even the independence of the homeland meaningless?

“Then, now that spring has come, it’s time for you to return to your ‘homeland’.”

“I’ll take you to your hometown on the way back. Also, my son will become the Duke of Lublin.”

“Yes? But Lublin is still Russian territory, Your Majesty.”

Then Napoleon approached Maria, smiled strangely, and said.

“The Grand Duke of Warsaw has already betrayed me. The Duchy of Warsaw no longer exists. Furthermore, even if I cannot return the land of the Cossacks, all the territory of Lithuania must be taken by the Poles.”

At that moment, Maria’s heart swelled, and she jumped up.

Alexandre Joseph, a child born from an unblessed relationship.

Of course, she is happy that the child will become a nobleman.

But the words that make Maria’s heart beat at this moment are different.

Warsaw returns to the Poles.

“Your Majesty, then!”

“Yes, the revival of the Kingdom of Poland.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty! All Poles will send loyalty and blessings to Your Majesty!”

At that moment, Napoleon smiled slyly and hugged Maria.

“I have enough of your blessings. Polish lover, will you wish me victory instead of my Empress?”

Before she knew it, Napoleon’s eyes were full of desire.

Perhaps it is not enough to have tormented her all night yesterday.

However, Maria gladly opened her body wide.

“Yes. Gladly. My Emperor.”

To enjoy what may be the last time of love.

***

Now, a large battleship entered the port of St. Petersburg, where the ice had disappeared.

“Hmph, I really can’t get used to the Baltic Sea. It’s spring, but why is the sea like this?”

In front of a man who got off a ship flying the flag of the Kingdom of Sweden, cheerful French was heard.

“You’ll have to get used to it even more in the future, Your Majesty.”

The man turned his gaze and chuckled.

The young man who called him to this distant Russia is visible.

No, when you think about it, he is also a nephew who sent his uncle to distant Sweden.

Above all, since the other party is also a monarch, the level of diplomacy between countries is matched.

King Joseph I of Sweden grabbed the hand of King Eugene of Spain, who came to greet him.

“Oh, Your Majesty the King of Spain has come to greet me in person. I am honored.”

“I am just sorry that I have not been able to greet you sooner, Uncle.”

“I haven’t been able to help at all with the Russian expedition, or rather, the [Tsar Restoration War]. By the way…”

Suddenly, Joseph looked around, frowned, and said in a low voice.

“To marry Julie, who is only 14 years old, to Bernadotte, who is 46 years old… Isn’t that too much?”

Fortunately, Bernadotte does not seem to have come out with him.

The notification that Bernadotte would be appointed as the Grand Duke of Finland could be accepted.

Anyway, Finland was formerly part of the Swedish kingdom, but dividing the Russian Empire was at the discretion of the French Empire.

But it doesn’t make sense to marry the new Grand Duke, Bernadotte, to Joseph’s eldest daughter.

First of all, Julie is still 14 years old and a minor.

“Bernadotte is a very patient man. He will probably wait until she turns 16? In the old dynasty, that age was the marriageable age.”

“That’s not the problem. Besides, in two years, Bernadotte will be almost 50!”

“Or you won’t be able to get the territory of Finland back at all.”

Eugene told Joseph softly but firmly.

“As my uncle said, Sweden has not been able to help in this war at all.”

However, there is another reason why Eugene is pushing ahead with this marriage.

In fact, Julie dies early in the original history [referring to the historical timeline].

The reason she is still alive is probably because Joseph has lived a relatively comfortable life.

Therefore, before Julie dies, it is necessary to proceed with the marriage and have an heir to the Grand Duke of Finland.

Joseph, who does not know this fact, frowned.

“It’s pathetic. Okay. I’ll try to persuade my wife first.”

“You have to persuade your daughter first. Of course, Bernadotte will be visiting Stockholm soon.”

“Do you think that swordmaster will be able to conquer my daughter?”

As Joseph sneered, Eugene chuckled and replied.

“Bernadotte is popular with women, uncle. It’s just that he hasn’t been able to find a woman to fulfill his ambitions until now, so he hasn’t married.”

When you think about it, it’s like using Julie, who is a cousin, as a card for a political marriage.

However, Eugene did not feel any guilt for another reason.

In fact, Bernadotte, who will become the Grand Duke of Finland, is a man who even conquers Désirée Clary in the original history.

It won’t be difficult to win over young Julie Bonaparte.

Anyway, King Joseph, who was enthroned by the French Empire, has no power to refuse.

“Well, okay. You didn’t call me just because of that problem. Still, there must be a reason why you called me, the king of a country, in person?”

As Joseph showed a willing attitude, Eugene brought up the real reason he called Joseph.

“Lend me your fleet.”

“What fleet? Surely, Napoleon, no, is His Imperial Majesty going home by boat?”

“Of course not. My stepfather is naturally returning home by land. With the Grande Armée [the main army of Napoleon].”

Eugene smiled as he looked closely at the battleship Joseph was riding.

“Only the 4th Corps is going by sea.”

He said it very simply, but the 4th Corps is at least 30,000 or more.

Also, going by sea means crossing the rough seas of the Baltic and North Seas.

But the biggest problem is different.

Joseph shouted with an absurd face.

“It’s crazy. What if England blocks it? The Swedish fleet alone can’t stop it.”

“I didn’t say that only the Swedish fleet would move. Russia still has something called the Baltic Fleet. Along with the ships that are no longer needed in the empire that will be dismantled. Ah, there’s also Admiral Ushakov, a famous general.”

“That’s not enough!”

Joseph jumped up and down and stopped Eugene.

“Eugene, you know better, but the British Navy is really powerful. The Swedish fleet can’t resist even a single detachment of the British Navy!”

It’s not a belittling, but an objective assessment.

Joseph, who has lived as a diplomat, knows the power of the British Navy well.

Above all, even the French Imperial Fleet has never actually won.

Nevertheless, Eugene, the killer who killed Nelson, was calm.

“If one more fleet joins, it is possible to break through.”

“Who? The French Atlantic Fleet is now half-destroyed? Are you going to bring even the Mediterranean Fleet here?”

“If I had the time, I would have called the Spanish fleet? It’s Denmark.”

Suddenly, Eugene smiled strangely.

“King Frederick made a promise to respect neutrality when he was Crown Prince. Now, it’s time to get the price.”

Of course, King Frederick would be surprised if he actually heard it.

Anyway, he never promised to send the navy.

However, King Frederick pursued a pro-French policy in the original history until Napoleon completely surrendered.

In particular, now is an era when Nelson’s attack on Copenhagen did not exist, so the Danish fleet is intact.

Joseph frowned as he rolled his head.

“Even so, there is still danger, Eugene.”

But Eugene replied very simply.

“Avoiding danger is the best gamble I can do, Uncle.”

As in all the battlefields so far.

Eugene is the best gambler in Europe.

***

The thoroughbred, Marengo [Napoleon’s famous warhorse], cries.

-Ihihihing!

It is a horse that Eugene acquired during the Egyptian expedition and presented to Napoleon.

It followed him to this Russian expedition and is still active.

Napoleon decided to ride Marengo on the way back.

Suddenly, Napoleon on Marengo looked back at Eugene, who had come to see him off.

“Eugene, are you really not going with me?”

“This is how to stab the carelessness of England, Prussia, and Hungary.”

“I don’t want to lose you in the North Sea. Don’t you like land either?”

Eugene almost smiled bitterly.

It was as if he was saying that it was not a pity to die on land, not at sea.

In fact, Napoleon’s head must be complicated.

When he returns, the time will come to discuss the successor to the empire.

At that time, can Napoleon put Eugene on the list of candidates?

But all of that is after winning.

Instead of arguing, Eugene confidently replied.

“I am originally the son of a mother born in Martinique across the Atlantic, Your Majesty.”

That mother is the mother of Napoleon’s biological son, Charles.

“Okay. Then where is the meeting place?”

Napoleon turned his horse and asked for the last time.

In fact, in the 19th century battlefield, it is not easy for an army marching long distances, even by land and sea, to meet.

Nevertheless, Napoleon asks as if it is nothing.

Until now, in Napoleon’s battlefields and Eugene’s battlefields, long-distance encounters were very natural.

Eugene answered firmly this time as well.

“Leipzig. I’ll see you there.”

March 1810.

Napoleon and the Grande Armée finally left St. Petersburg and began to march.

Towards Leipzig, where the battlefield of fate was waiting in the original history as well.