The banquet lasted nearly an hour before it finally ended. Leaving the banquet, Jerome Bonaparte was personally arranged by Victor Emmanuel II to stay at the Turin Royal Palace.

After Victor Emmanuel II personally escorted Jerome Bonaparte to his room, he asked Jerome Bonaparte with a serious expression how he intended to end this confrontation with dignity.

Jerome Bonaparte replied to Victor Emmanuel II with a calm demeanor, "Victor, you just need to be at ease and wait!

I will ensure both sides end the battle with dignity!"

Since Jerome Bonaparte was unwilling to say more, Victor Emmanuel II did not press further. He offered a last piece of advice, "Jerome, have a good rest!"

After Victor Emmanuel II left, Jerome Bonaparte paced alone in the room.

Although he had just confidently told Victor Emmanuel II to wait for good news, he understood that the key to ending the war was not Albrecht but Franz Joseph.

Without Franz Joseph’s consent, ending the war would be a pipe dream.

However, Jerome Bonaparte believed that Franz Joseph also wished to end the war. During this period, the Austrian Empire had already spent a substantial amount of money.

If the war did not end soon, the finances of the Austrian Empire might become unsustainable.

Moreover, if Franz Joseph wanted a loan of 600 million francs, he would have to follow France’s arrangements.

However, Jerome Bonaparte did not want Franz Joseph to negotiate from afar. He hoped Franz Joseph would come to Milan for discussions, believing that a meeting between the two monarchs would expedite the peaceful development of the Apennine Peninsula.

Therefore, Jerome Bonaparte needed to visit the embassy the next day to relay this request to Vienna.

"Let’s do it this way!!" Jerome Bonaparte stopped pacing, nodded to himself, and then went to the bed, letting himself fall onto it.

A while later, the lights in Jerome Bonaparte’s room went out.

...

Early the next morning, Jerome Bonaparte got up from bed.

As he walked out of the room, he greeted every servant in the Turin Royal Palace he passed in the hallway warmly, until he accidentally collided with a butler. He immediately asked the butler where Victor Emmanuel II was?

The butler, with a slightly embarrassed look, informed Jerome Bonaparte that Victor Emmanuel II wakes up daily at 10 a.m.

As it was only around 7 a.m. at the time, Victor Emmanuel II was still asleep.

Jerome Bonaparte nodded in understanding after hearing the butler’s response.

The butler then asked Jerome Bonaparte if he wanted Victor Emmanuel II to be awakened.

Jerome Bonaparte, who was pondering a reason to leave the Turin Royal Palace, immediately shook his head and responded to the butler, "No need! Let your king have a bit more rest!"

"Understood!" The butler obeyed Jerome Bonaparte’s order and did not wake Victor Emmanuel II.

Jerome Bonaparte further instructed the butler to urgently lead him to the dining room for breakfast.

"Your Majesty, how about I take you to the same restaurant as yesterday for breakfast?" The butler tentatively asked Jerome Bonaparte.

"No! No need!" Jerome Bonaparte shook his head and responded, "I prefer a smaller room!"

"Your Majesty, please follow me!" The butler nodded and led Jerome Bonaparte forward.

Soon, they arrived at the entrance of the dining room, which was noticeably smaller compared to the one from the previous day.

Jerome Bonaparte guessed this dining room was probably used for informal occasions by Victor Emmanuel II.

One of the servants stationed outside the door, seeing Jerome Bonaparte and the butler approaching, seemed like he wanted to say something but ultimately held back.

The servant then opened the door for Jerome Bonaparte once more, just like the day before.

Upon seeing the scene inside the room, both Jerome Bonaparte and the butler paused momentarily, for the room was being overrun by a group of unruly children.

The children, suddenly noticing Jerome Bonaparte at the door, withdrew their antics at lightning speed and sat obediently on their chairs.

Were it not for the messy table, Jerome Bonaparte might have doubted his own eyes.

"Your Majesty, shall we go to another dining room for breakfast?" The butler, with an awkward expression, suggested once more.

"No need!" Jerome Bonaparte shook his head and strode into the dining room.

The unruly children in the dining room froze in fear when they saw Jerome Bonaparte approaching them step by step!

As descendants of the House of Savoy, they were taught from a young age whom they could tease and whom they must not offend!

Jerome was clearly one of those figures who must not be offended.

Thus, Maria Clotilde stood up, bowed to Jerome Bonaparte, and slowly said, "Your Majesty, please forgive our earlier behavior!"

Jerome Bonaparte glanced at Maria Clotilde and gently said to her, "Forgive? You are the hosts of the Turin Royal Palace. If anyone should apologize, it should be me!

It is I who have disturbed you!"

"Your Majesty, it doesn’t matter!" Maria Clotilde blurted out, and by the time she realized her overstep, it was already too late.

"Your Majesty, what I mean is... we both have quite... no, you have fault... no..." Maria Clotilde was somewhat flustered.

Jerome Bonaparte placed a hand on her shoulder, gently patted Maria Clotilde’s shoulder, and kindly said, "I understand what you mean! You don’t need to say anymore!"

Maria Clotilde blushed and nodded at Jerome Bonaparte, saying, "Your Majesty, I’ll be leaving first!"

"Alright!" Jerome Bonaparte nodded, permitting Maria Clotilde to leave,

After speaking, Maria Clotilde glanced at her younger siblings who were still pretending to eat at the table, occasionally sneaking looks at her, and said with a slightly annoyed expression, "Let’s go!"

Under Maria Clotilde’s call, all the unruly children of Victor Emmanuel II’s household finally left.

"Your Majesty, please allow me to clean up!" The butler, seeing the slightly messy table, hurriedly said to Jerome Bonaparte.

With Jerome Bonaparte’s permission, the butler and several servants quickly tidied up the table completely, covering the tidy dining table with a white tablecloth, as if nothing had happened.

"Your Majesty, is there anything you cannot eat?" The servant again inquired to Jerome Bonaparte.

"No!" Jerome Bonaparte shook his head and replied to the servant, "However, the breakfast doesn’t need to be too complicated, preferably simpler!"

"Understood!" The butler responded and quickly went to prepare dinner for Jerome Bonaparte.

About half an hour later, a serving of meat soup and a basket of bread appeared on the dining table.

"Your Majesty, please enjoy at your leisure!" The butler said again to Jerome Bonaparte, retreating to the door and added, "If you need anything, please call me directly!"

"I understand!" Jerome Bonaparte nodded and then lowered his head, sipping the meat soup while chewing the bread.

The entire process took less than 15 minutes to complete.

Satisfied with his meal, Jerome Bonaparte stood up from the table. Upon hearing the noise from Jerome Bonaparte’s room, the butler outside the room quickly pushed open the door, "Your Majesty!"

"I’m full!" Jerome Bonaparte pointed at the basket and responded to the butler, "Take away the remaining items!"

The butler quickly called the servants to clean up the table and then asked Jerome Bonaparte, "Your Majesty, do you have any other commands?"

Without hesitation, Jerome Bonaparte said to the butler, "Get me a carriage!"

"Ah! Alright..." Initially, the butler did not hear clearly but agreed out of habit, only to realize the issue and quickly shook his head, responding to Jerome Bonaparte, "Your Majesty, I cannot grant your request!"

"Hmph!" Jerome Bonaparte’s attitude quickly turned cold, "Is your country planning to imprison me here?"

Upon hearing Jerome Bonaparte’s words, the butler turned pale with fright. Such statements could not be said lightly, as there was a risk of conflict between the French Empire and the Sardinian Kingdom.

"Your Majesty, of course not!" The butler bowed again to Jerome Bonaparte, "We are merely concerned about Your Majesty’s safety!"

"Safety?" Jerome Bonaparte replied coldly once more, "Has your country not yet cleared out all the extremist elements? If that is the case, then I see no need for your country to consider peace talks."

Under Jerome Bonaparte’s threatening words, the butler had no choice but to comply with Jerome Bonaparte’s demand and prepare a carriage for him.

However, before preparing the carriage for Jerome Bonaparte, the butler first hurried to Victor Emmanuel II’s chamber to awaken him and informed him that Jerome Bonaparte was planning to leave the Turin Royal Palace.

"Leave? What on earth does this Jerome Bonaparte want to do!" Victor Emmanuel II was utterly puzzled.

"Your Majesty, should we agree?" the butler asked anxiously.

"Go ahead and prepare it, I’ll be there shortly!"