Make France Great Again-Chapter 789 - 780 Visiting the Expo
"What’s the matter? Is there something wrong with Victoria’s children?" Empress Augusta inquired curiously.
"Nothing special!" Jerome Bonaparte shook his head, dismissing Augusta’s question, then emphasized, "If Victoria proposes a marriage alliance again, just decline it with this reason!"
"Alright! I understand!" Augusta nodded, responding to Jerome Bonaparte.
Since a marriage alliance with the Kingdom of Britain was not permitted, Empress Augusta considered choosing a suitable wife for her son from her own family.
Of course, all of these plans depended on whether Friedrich Bonaparte would be accepted as his father hoped.
If there was indeed a royal family willing to form an alliance with the Bonaparte Clan, Augusta would naturally not choose someone from her own family.
Because it would make her son seem less alluring.
Thus, Jerome Bonaparte and Augusta chatted as they walked and soon arrived at the Tuileries Palace.
After returning to the Tuileries Palace and settling Friedrich and Augusta, Jerome Bonaparte immediately called for Mokar.
"Summon Ossman, the Governor of the Seine Province, and Percy, the Minister of Internal Affairs, to my study!" Jerome Bonaparte instructed Mokar.
Mokar responded immediately and then left Jerome Bonaparte’s study.
About 20 minutes later, a knock on the door sounded, and Jerome Bonaparte looked up and replied, "Come in."
The door slowly opened, and Baron Ossman, the Governor of Seine Province, appeared once again.
"Your Majesty!" Baron Ossman approached Jerome Bonaparte and responded respectfully.
"Sit on the sofa and wait for a moment!" Jerome Bonaparte gestured to the sofa for Baron Ossman and continued to examine his documents.
Baron Ossman had no choice but to follow Jerome Bonaparte’s instructions and sit on the sofa to wait. After nearly another 10 minutes, Minister of Internal Affairs Percy also appeared in the study.
Jerome Bonaparte finally closed his documents and invited Percy to sit down as well.
Then, Jerome Bonaparte introduced the itinerary of the Victoria couple to Percy.
Tomorrow, Jerome Bonaparte planned to take Victoria and Albert to the Century Exposition. After touring the exposition, he wanted the Victoria couple to visit the Paris Veterans Hospital. Therefore, the Paris Century Exposition and the Paris Veterans Hospital would become their key security focus.
Since Jerome Bonaparte did not plan to make a grand visit tomorrow, their protection must shift from overt to covert.
"Percy, the task of the undercover protection is yours! You should know the consequences if anything goes wrong!" Jerome Bonaparte ordered Percy.
"Rest assured, I will strive with all my might to ensure safety! No danger will approach!" Percy promised Jerome’s BMW.
"Ossman, you still remember the task I assigned to you, right?" Jerome Bonaparte turned his gaze to Ossman.
"Your Majesty, of course I remember!" Baron Ossman nodded and couldn’t help bringing up the suggestion Jerome Bonaparte had previously dismissed, "Your Majesty, why don’t we have plainclothes officers disguise as tourists tomorrow? This would better ensure your and Queen Victoria’s safety!"
"No need!" Jerome Bonaparte shook his head and replied to Baron Ossman, "I’m not that disliked by everybody, am I?"
"Your Majesty, in all of Paris... no, all of France, there’s not a single person who isn’t genuinely devoted to you!" Baron Ossman immediately flattered.
"That’s settled, then!" Jerome Bonaparte shrugged slightly, "Tomorrow, do as I say!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Baron Ossman and Percy responded to Jerome Bonaparte in unison.
...
The next morning at 9 o’clock, under the urging of Empress Augusta, a reluctant Jerome Bonaparte, wearing a wig, dressed in plain clothes, and left the Tuileries Palace in an inconspicuous carriage, soon arriving at the Luxembourg Grand Hotel.
Upon entering the Luxembourg Grand Hotel, Jerome Bonaparte immediately found Emile Pereire, who was also at the hotel. Due to Jerome Bonaparte’s impressive disguise, Emile Pereire did not immediately recognize him.
"Who are you?" Emile Pereire asked Jerome Bonaparte with a frown.
"Mr. Emile, how could you not recognize me?" Jerome Bonaparte said with a smile to Emile Pereire.
Upon hearing the familiar voice, Emile Pereire took a closer look at Jerome Bonaparte, finally realizing that the person before him was indeed His Majesty Emperor Jerome Bonaparte.
"Your Majesty!" Emile Pereire quickly bowed and saluted Jerome Bonaparte, "Please pardon my poor eyesight!"
"It’s nothing!" Jerome Bonaparte nodded with satisfaction, "If even you couldn’t recognize me, then my disguise could be considered successful! Come, take me to Prince Albert’s bedroom!"
Emile Pereire quickly acknowledged, "Yes," and under Emile Pereire’s guidance, Jerome Bonaparte soon arrived at a bedroom in the Luxembourg Grand Hotel.
"Albert is inside?" Jerome Bonaparte pointed to the door and asked Emile Pereire.
"That’s right!" Emile Pereire nodded in response.
Then, Jerome Bonaparte gently knocked on the door.
After a moment, a slightly weak voice came from the other side of the room: "Who?"
"Albert, it’s Jerome! Open the door quickly!" Jerome Bonaparte said softly to the door.
"Please wait a moment!" Prince Albert responded, and then the room fell silent again. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮
While Jerome Bonaparte waited at the door, the door next to Albert’s bedroom opened, and Albert Edward, dressed in formal attire, appeared before Jerome Bonaparte.
"Your Majesty!" Albert Edward hastily saluted Jerome Bonaparte.
"Not bad!" Jerome Bonaparte looked at Albert Edward and encouraged him, "You have the demeanor of a monarch!"
Jerome Bonaparte’s praise made Albert Edward smile widely; it had been a long time since he heard such compliments.
Moreover, the person praising him was his second idol!
Indeed, the person Albert Edward admired most was Emperor Napoleon, and the second was Jerome Bonaparte.
"You flatter me!" Albert Edward responded modestly.
With some time before Albert and Queen Victoria were ready, Jerome Bonaparte began conversing with Albert Edward.
To get closer to Albert Edward, Jerome Bonaparte tried to avoid a didactic tone and instead spoke with him in an equal manner.
Through Albert Edward, Jerome Bonaparte learned why Prince Albert did not favor him.
"It’s not your fault!" Jerome Bonaparte looked at Albert Edward with a hint of sympathy, "Of course, your father Albert isn’t wrong either!
He just loves you too much and wants you to succeed!"
"But Your Majesty, my father is making it hard for me to breathe!" Albert Edward couldn’t help but confide, "In his presence, I even feel like my existence in this world is a mistake!
I just want to run away from it all!"
Jerome Bonaparte silently listened to Albert Edward and then patted Albert Edward’s shoulder, about to say something.
At this moment, Prince Albert’s door slowly opened, and Jerome Bonaparte quickly drew his hand back.
Albert Edward also put on a serious expression, leaning against the open door.
"Albert, why don’t you take a rest!" Jerome Bonaparte, seeing Albert’s haggard appearance and Victoria’s radiant face, couldn’t help but mourn silently for Albert for a few seconds.
By the look on Albert’s face, it seemed he suffered a complete defeat last night.
"It’s alright!" Prince Albert shook his head, though his slightly unsteady steps betrayed him.
Jerome Bonaparte had to come forward to support Prince Albert, saying, "You should rest more!"
"But!" Prince Albert indeed wanted to rest a bit.
"No buts!" Jerome Bonaparte replied to Prince Albert.
Under Jerome Bonaparte’s enforcement, Prince Albert was forced to rest, while Queen Victoria stayed in the room to care for Albert.
Victoria and Albert’s children were to be taken out personally by Jerome Bonaparte.
"Isn’t this troublesome!" Prince Albert felt he was imposing too much on Jerome Bonaparte.
"It’s not troublesome at all!" Jerome Bonaparte responded to Prince Albert, "I actually think it’s quite good!"
Then, under Jerome Bonaparte’s guidance, Victoria’s sons and daughters boarded the carriage with him.
Inside the carriage, Jerome Bonaparte told them not to move around and to notify him, the temporary guardian, immediately if they had any questions. He also appointed Princess Victoria and Albert Edward as secondary guardians.
Thus, Jerome Bonaparte and his entourage majestically entered the Century Exposition.
The visitors at the exposition did not recognize the disguised Jerome Bonaparte as their monarch; they only regarded him as a nobleman visiting the Paris Exposition with children.
Once inside the Century Exposition, Jerome Bonaparte and his group visited the Literature Hall, the Philosophy Hall, the Painting Hall, and the Technology Hall in turn. No one in the exhibition pavilions recognized Jerome Bonaparte’s true identity either.
