Chapter 404: Chapter 398: Oberndorf Royal Arsenal
"Your Majesty?"
Empress Augusta looked at Jerome Bonaparte, who had hurried in, with a face of confusion, and then shifted her gaze to Vilnius behind him.
At this moment, Vilnius, like a chick meeting an eagle, timidly released Jerome Bonaparte’s arm.
Jerome Bonaparte’s gaze had never left the two ladies sitting next to Augusta since he entered the room.
The identities of these two ladies were too special, one being Jerome Bonaparte’s long-uncontacted lover, Marchioness Aile, and the other being his "good friend" Eugenie.
All three of them had relations with Jerome Bonaparte, and now they could "sit together peacefully," which was somewhat beyond Jerome Bonaparte’s expectations.
However, when Jerome Bonaparte turned his gaze to the surroundings, centered on these three, he also noticed the pretty-faced, voluptuous Madam Valleski, a plain-looking lady favored by Mornay, and the daughter of Governor Ossman, Valentina Osman. Apart from these three, Jerome Bonaparte hardly recognized the rest, only having met some of them once.
Looking at the hall full of couples, Jerome Bonaparte couldn’t help but show a bitter smile.
Mokar was right, he really shouldn’t disturb them at this time.
"Your Majesty, what on earth happened?" Augusta inquired calmly from Jerome Bonaparte.
"Nothing!" Jerome Bonaparte said without any hesitation, feeling that such matters were best not discussed openly.
Empress Augusta naturally saw that Jerome Bonaparte was hiding something unsaid, and being understanding, she immediately said to him, "Well then, Your Majesty, I wonder if you would like to join us?"
"I..." Jerome Bonaparte was about to refuse when he noticed the resentful expression of Marchioness Aile and the sharp gaze of Lady Eugenie, and swallowed his refusal, nodding instead and saying, "Of course, I would be delighted to chat with you angels!"
"Then come over!" Augusta extended her alabaster arm towards Jerome Bonaparte, her white court dress making her appear like an elf stepping out from a painting.
Beside her, the Marchioness and Eugenie, dressed in deep black and pale yellow gowns, resembled two thorny roses.
Jerome Bonaparte had no choice but to enter the room, with Vilnius following closely behind.
The maidservant responsible for serving the ladies hastily brought a chair for Jerome Bonaparte, placing one neatly between Empress Augusta and Eugenie, and the other between Madam Valleski and Madam Moreni.
At this point, Jerome Bonaparte could only sit helplessly on the chair closer to Augusta, while Vilnius sat between the two ladies.
Once Jerome Bonaparte sat down, the conversation resumed, and the air seemed thick with the tension of a looming conflict.
Jerome Bonaparte, caught in the middle, could only bear it, pretending to be busy by occasionally sipping his coffee.
Under Augusta’s guidance, the ladies began to discuss literature and Ancient Greek philosophy.
These topics posed no problem for the well-educated aristocrats, but for Eugenie, they were akin to listening to a cryptic scripture.
This blatant exclusion made Eugenie feel a profound sense of humiliation, and several times she wanted to leave immediately.
However, Eugenie knew that the court was no place for her caprices, and she could only remain silent.
Just then, a voice reached Eugenie’s ear, "Hmm! Here you go!"
A peeled apple was placed before Eugenie, handed to her by none other than Jerome Bonaparte.
"Thank you!" Eugenie looked gratefully at Jerome Bonaparte, whose gesture effectively drew all "firepower" towards him.
It was important to know that sitting beside the Emperor was his legitimate wife, Augusta, who initiated the "isolation" of Eugenie.
Sure enough, when Jerome Bonaparte spoke these words, everyone’s gaze instinctively turned to him.
"Please carry on! Carry on!" Jerome Bonaparte casually waved his hand, adding, "After all, I don’t understand anything you’re discussing!"
Every lady present had a keen and discerning mind, and Jerome Bonaparte, educated within the Royal Family, couldn’t possibly be ignorant of such topics. Everything he did was merely to divert attention away from Eugenie.
For a moment, the noblewomen present were actually a bit envious of Lady Eugenie.
Being able to have the most powerful man in all of France willingly come to her rescue was indeed an honor.
With a mindset of admiring strength, the noblewomen secretly wished they could replace Eugenie’s ecological niche.
Under Jerome Bonaparte’s forceful intervention, Augusta had to give Jerome Bonaparte some face.
The topic shifted from the original philosophy to ordinary gossip news, allowing Eugenie to reintegrate.
Jerome Bonaparte inwardly breathed a sigh of relief, as in these times, one could easily face a crisis without some responsibility.
As time passed, the sun had set beyond the mountain, and the room grew increasingly dark. Seeing this, the maid immediately lit the chandelier candles. Under the candlelight, Augusta conversed more energetically, and after Jerome Bonaparte’s intervention, he hadn’t spoken another word, simply repeating the simple acts of peeling apples and handing them to those beside him and drinking coffee.
First Augusta, then the Marchioness Aile, then Vilnius, Jerome Bonaparte tried to provide every convenience he could for the four of them. As for the others, Jerome Bonaparte paid them no mind.
Even though he had noticed Valerovsky and Valentina Osman throwing flirtatious glances and attempting to seduce him several times!
Time flew by quickly, and soon it was seven in the evening. The afternoon tea gathering, lasting nearly 4 to 5 hours, finally ended.
Just when Jerome Bonaparte thought everything was over, Eugenie unexpectedly shattered his last bit of complacency, rising and standing shoulder to shoulder with Jerome Bonaparte. She tiptoed, lightly kissed Jerome Bonaparte’s lips, and then said, "Thank you very much, Your Majesty!"
After that, Eugenie left the room without looking back! Jerome Bonaparte could only endure the noblewomen’s meaningful glances alone, licking his lips dryly and saying, "A particularly atmospheric farewell style!"
"Then, Your Majesty, goodbye!" Following that, the Marchioness Aile also approached Jerome Bonaparte and kissed him again. Unlike Eugenie’s light peck, this was a lingering wet kiss, and Jerome Bonaparte could even feel the Marchioness Aile’s unbridled motion in his mouth.
At that moment, Jerome Bonaparte unexpectedly found it hard to part, but when he thought of his legitimate wife beside him, he could only separate from the Marchioness.
The Marchioness, with the corners of her mouth still glistening with saliva, also left, and Empress Augusta’s face turned slightly unsightly.
"Your Majesty!" Madam Valleski walked up to Jerome Bonaparte with a smile, and Jerome Bonaparte instinctively took a small step back.
Then, Madam Valleski half-jokingly asked Jerome Bonaparte if he would have a farewell kiss.
Jerome Bonaparte decisively refused, then perfunctorily pecked lightly on Madam Valleski’s arm.
Madam Valleski showed a hint of disappointment, then curtsied to Empress Augusta before leaving.
Next, whether it was Madam Moreni or Valentina Osman, Jerome Bonaparte followed the usual practice and kissed the back of their hands.
Afterward, they too curtsied to Augusta before leaving.
When it was Vilnius’s turn, Jerome Bonaparte simply gave the little girl a gentle kiss on the forehead and then lightly flicked her forehead.
Once only Jerome Bonaparte and Augusta were left in the room, Augusta asked, "Your Majesty, what is it you wish to discuss with me?"
"It’s like this!" Seeing Augusta not dwelling on previous events, Jerome Bonaparte straightforwardly said to Augusta: "Do you know of the Oberndorf Royal Arsenal?"
"The Oberndorf Royal Arsenal?" Augusta pondered carefully for a moment before promptly replying, "Are you talking about the arsenal my grandfather established?"
The Oberndorf Royal Arsenal, a factory founded by King Frederick I of Wurttemberg, was a factory specialized in developing weapons for Prussia.
"That’s right! Can you persuade my uncle, your father, to transfer the arsenal to me?" Jerome Bonaparte inquired of Empress Augusta, "I’m willing to pay ten... no, a million francs for it!"
"A million francs!!" Empress Augusta showed a surprised expression, knowing the arsenal’s value was not even worth fifty thousand.
Knowing her husband well, Augusta instantly realized the arsenal might have something extraordinary: "Does the arsenal have something you want?"
"How should I say this?" Jerome Bonaparte scratched his head and said to Augusta, "I currently need a group of skilled workers familiar with the Dreiser Needle Gun, and Oberndorf happens to fulfill this need!!"
Looking at Jerome Bonaparte, who wore a serious expression, Augusta nodded and said, "If you truly need it, I can personally return to Wurttemberg to negotiate with my father!"