Make France Great Again-Chapter 822 - 813: The Eerily Strange Atmosphere of Hofburg Palace

Chapter 822: Chapter 813: The Eerily Strange Atmosphere of Hofburg Palace

"Sorry!"

After burping, Elizabeth suddenly realized that she was at the Hofburg Palace and not Bossenhoften Palace, and the person she was facing was a foreign monarch, so she felt a wave of guilt.

Jerome Bonaparte, sitting opposite Elizabeth, shook his head and then lightly stirred the soup in his plate with a spoon, smiling as he said, "At your age, you really should eat more!"

To ease Princess Sisi’s embarrassment, Jerome Bonaparte simply set aside his spoon, picked up the plate, and drank the soup in one gulp, then grabbed the white sausage on another plate and took a bite.

"It’s not something to be ashamed of!" Jerome Bonaparte responded to Elizabeth with a calm expression after swallowing the sausage, "Sometimes, when I’m busy at Tuileries Palace and have to eat, I do just like this!

Following that, Jerome Bonaparte changed his tone and advised, "But now that you are the Empress of Habsburg, it would be better to be a bit more refined!"

"I will be careful!" Elizabeth nodded and replied to Jerome Bonaparte, then cautiously reminded him, "Your Majesty, isn’t your seating posture..."

Just then, Empress Augusta entered the dining hall led by Countess Raphaelt, and both saw Jerome Bonaparte and Elizabeth inside the dining room, along with the section of sausage in Jerome Bonaparte’s hand.

Empress Augusta showed a helpless smile, while Countess Raphaelt looked at Jerome Bonaparte and the piece of sausage in disbelief.

Rafael, accustomed to the elegant dining manners of the Habsburg Court, couldn’t believe her eyes.

She always thought such crude methods only existed in Vienna taverns, never expecting to see them one day in the dining room of Hofburg Palace.

Besides, Jerome Bonaparte’s free and easy posture was more befitting a bandit who had mistakenly entered Hofburg Palace than a monarch.

And Empress Elizabeth, she was actually sitting in the dining hall with Emperor Jerome Bonaparte wearing pajamas.

Oh God!

Countess Raphaelt felt a wave of dizziness, thinking that her court etiquette education for Empress Elizabeth would probably have to continue for a long time.

"Augusta, you’re awake!" Jerome Bonaparte said while stuffing the remaining sausage into his mouth.

"Your Majesty!" Empress Augusta exclaimed with a slight tone of reproach.

"Got it!" Jerome Bonaparte shrugged and straightened his posture, then reached out to invite Augusta, saying, "Sit down!"

Empress Augusta and Countess Raphaelt approached Jerome Bonaparte, and Countess Raphaelt hurriedly paid her respects, saying, "Your Majesty!"

"Madam Raphaelt, have you eaten?" Jerome Bonaparte asked Countess Raphaelt with a dignified expression, which was entirely different from before.

"Your Majesty, I have already eaten!" Countess Raphaelt promptly responded to Jerome Bonaparte.

Jerome Bonaparte nodded slightly, then asked Empress Augusta what she was ready to eat.

"A glass of milk, a piece of bread, and half a sausage!" Empress Augusta said to Jerome Bonaparte.

"Please follow the Empress’s menu!" Jerome Bonaparte commanded Countess Raphaelt.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Countess Raphaelt curtsied to Jerome Bonaparte and then headed towards the kitchen.

After Countess Raphaelt left, Empress Augusta immediately whispered "criticism" about Jerome Bonaparte’s lack of attention to etiquette earlier.

Meanwhile, Jerome Bonaparte displayed an expression of humble acceptance, while winking at Elizabeth.

Jerome Bonaparte hoped Elizabeth would understand his meaning and help him out.

"Sister Augusta, His Majesty Jerome just said he did this to ease the atmosphere!" Elizabeth did not disappoint Jerome Bonaparte’s expectations; she immediately helped Jerome Bonaparte out.

"Really?" Augusta looked at Jerome Bonaparte with a face full of doubt.

Although she was willing to believe Elizabeth’s words, Jerome Bonaparte’s behavior had a precedent.

Back then, Jerome Bonaparte called a bunch of soldiers to Tuileries Palace to eat and drink to maintain the army’s loyalty.

As a result, the entire Tuileries Palace immediately turned into a den of bandits, and soldiers began ignoring their image after a few drinks.

The army’s crude language was also brought to Tuileries Palace, causing Jerome Bonaparte to "suffer greatly."

Over time, Jerome Bonaparte unknowingly developed bad eating habits.

Originally, Empress Augusta wanted to help Jerome Bonaparte correct these, but the trip to the Crimea Peninsula led the emperor further down this path.

Augusta eventually abandoned thoughts of rescue, as long as the emperor didn’t do anything against etiquette in formal occasions.

Now, Elizabeth was saying Jerome Bonaparte did this to ease the atmosphere, Augusta was somewhat reluctant to believe it.

"Indeed!" Jerome Bonaparte quickly followed up, immediately explaining his reasons to Empress Augusta.

"Your Majesty, I’ll trust you this time!" Empress Augusta said with a smile, then she turned her gaze to Elizabeth and said earnestly, "Elizabeth, I think Jerome was right just now, you really can’t keep blindly pursuing your figure!

You should also consider Sophie (the Princess)!"

"Sister Augusta, I won’t do it again!" Elizabeth nodded in response to Empress Augusta.

Soon after, Countess Raphaelt reentered the room, accompanied by a servant carrying a breakfast tray.

"Your Majesty the Empress, your breakfast is ready!" Countess Raphaelt commanded the servant to set the contents of the tray before Augusta, to which Empress Augusta said.

"Thank you for your hard work!" Empress Augusta nodded with a smile, then proceeded to eat slowly and carefully.

After twenty minutes, Empress Augusta put down her knife and fork and said to Countess Raphaelt behind, "I am full!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Countess Raphaelt promptly ordered the servant to clear away all the trays.

Just as Jerome Bonaparte and the others were about to leave the dining room, Count Gneer reappeared to deliver Franz Joseph’s verbal message.

"His Majesty Jerome Bonaparte, His Majesty Franz regrets that he cannot accompany you and Her Majesty Empress Augusta on your tour of Vienna!" Count Gneer paused and then addressed Elizabeth, "So His Majesty hopes, Her Majesty Empress Elizabeth, that you can take over this responsibility!"

"Me?" Elizabeth murmured softly.

"Indeed! Your Majesty the Empress!" Count Gneer nodded in response to Elizabeth.

"I understand!" Empress Elizabeth replied confidently to Count Gneer, then turned to glance at Jerome Bonaparte and Augusta, "Where do you want to go?"

Jerome Bonaparte thought for a moment and tentatively suggested, "How about we go fishing?"

"Fishing?"

Elizabeth recalled three years ago when she was still at Bossenhoften Palace; fishing was one of her favorite activities.

Since becoming Empress of the Austrian Empire, she had hardly touched a fishing rod.

Now that Jerome Bonaparte had brought up fishing, Elizabeth felt a surge of excitement inside.

Empress Augusta couldn’t help but smile slightly; she remembered the last time they went fishing, where Jerome Bonaparte confidently set out to fish but didn’t catch anything all day.

Frustrated and embarrassed, he jumped into the river to catch fish, eventually exerting great effort to catch one.

On the way back to Tuileries Palace, Augusta asked Jerome Bonaparte why he insisted on catching a fish himself.

Jerome Bonaparte immediately said some inexplicable words like "An angler never returns empty-handed."

"Alright!" Empress Augusta nodded and said.

"I’ll go prepare now!" Count Gneer immediately went to prepare the fishing gear.

Then, Elizabeth also temporarily bid farewell to Jerome Bonaparte and Augusta; she needed to change her outfit first.

...

Jerome Bonaparte and Augusta stood in the main hall of Hofburg Palace, waiting for Count Gneer and Elizabeth to arrive.

A little while later, Elizabeth appeared before Jerome Bonaparte, dressed in a tight black dress and wearing a black sun hat, holding a fishing rod in her hand.

Jerome Bonaparte showed a hint of surprise on his face, pointing at Elizabeth’s fishing rod and asking, "Elizabeth, is this your fishing rod?"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Elizabeth nodded in response to Jerome Bonaparte.

"Could I take a look?" Jerome Bonaparte asked Elizabeth.

Being a professional angler, Jerome Bonaparte had some interest in fishing rods.

"Take a look!" Elizabeth handed the fishing rod to Jerome Bonaparte.

Jerome Bonaparte repeatedly admired the fishing rod, showing a look of excitement on his face, "Nice! Really nice!"

Elizabeth displayed a proud expression; Jerome Bonaparte’s praise was certainly a recognition of her.

At this moment, Count Gneer also appeared in front of Jerome Bonaparte, holding two fishing rods, a small box of bait, and a net for storing fish.

"Your Majesty, we can set out!" Count Gneer called out to Jerome Bonaparte.

Jerome Bonaparte returned the fishing rod to Elizabeth, then took the fishing gear in hand.

"You don’t have to follow along!"