Make France Great Again-Chapter 955 - 946: The Assassination Begins
Facing Nightingale’s compliment, Jerome Bonaparte and Empress Augusta both smiled.
After a while, Jerome Bonaparte curiously asked, "By the way! Miss Nightingale, why didn’t I see you among the crowd earlier!
Also, shouldn’t you be working at the nursing school! How did you end up here!"
"Your Majesty, please allow me to answer your questions one by one!" Nightingale politely replied to Jerome Bonaparte.
Jerome Bonaparte showed a hint of awkwardness on his face, then waited silently for Nightingale’s answer.
"Please forgive me for not attending your welcoming ceremony earlier!" Nightingale first apologized to Jerome Bonaparte, then explained, "Earlier, a patient’s condition worsened, so I couldn’t be present!"
"It’s nothing!" Jerome Bonaparte shook his head and responded to Nightingale, "Nightingale, you are truly a responsible nurse!
Everyone in this hospital should learn from you!"
"I’m just fulfilling my own responsibilities!" Nightingale humbly replied to Jerome Bonaparte.
Subsequently, Nightingale told Jerome Bonaparte that she came to help here when the nursing school was not busy.
Nightingale believed it was better to assist at the charitable hospital than to waste time sitting in an office.
For Nightingale’s spirit of selfless dedication, Jerome Bonaparte and Augusta naturally praised her.
Shortly after, Jerome Bonaparte chatted with Nightingale for a while until time no longer permitted him to stay, and then he and Empress Augusta bid farewell to Nightingale and left.
After leaving Nightingale, Jerome Bonaparte made a simple round in the hospital, shaking hands with a small portion of patients lying in beds and offering them encouragement before leaving.
Before leaving the hospital, Jerome Bonaparte took out a Bank of France check worth 100,000 francs and handed it to the director.
"Your Majesty, Her Majesty the Empress has already sponsored us!" The director wanted to refuse Jerome Bonaparte’s donation.
"Augusta’s donation only represents Augusta’s personal act; I represent the Imperial Government in donating to your charitable hospital! Take it!" Jerome Bonaparte said to the charitable hospital director.
The director accepted Jerome Bonaparte’s 100,000 franc check and promised Jerome Bonaparte that he would do his best to heal every patient.
"Hmm!" Jerome Bonaparte nodded, then sincerely said to the director, "My attitude outside the hospital earlier was indeed somewhat rude!
Please don’t take it to heart!"
"Your Majesty, it’s nothing!" The director shook his head and responded to Jerome Bonaparte, "You were right! The hospital is responsible for saving lives; it was indeed my dereliction for calling all doctors and nurses out earlier!"
Then, Jerome Bonaparte and Augusta left in a carriage under the director’s farewell.
While riding in the carriage, Jerome Bonaparte thought of the patients in hospital wards suffering from ailments and subconsciously let out a sigh.
No matter how much money I spend, it’s only rescuing a small portion.
There are still many troubled people in this era.
"What’s wrong?" Sitting beside him, Augusta was puzzled by Jerome Bonaparte’s sigh, so she turned and asked him.
"It’s nothing!" Jerome Bonaparte said in a calm tone, while inwardly mocking himself.
Jerome! Jerome! As the biggest pest of this country, you can still sympathize with those you exploit!
Soon, the carriage stopped at the gate of a welfare institute.
Jerome Bonaparte and Empress Augusta alighted from the carriage again; this welfare institute was run by a church, and the managers were several nuns.
At this moment, they were leading a group of children at the welfare institute’s gate, each holding a bouquet of flowers in their hands.
When Jerome Bonaparte and Augusta reached the gate, the nun hurriedly ordered the children to run over.
A group of children holding flowers rushed towards Jerome Bonaparte and Empress Augusta. Jerome Bonaparte hurriedly responded, "Slow down! Don’t fall!"
Despite Jerome Bonaparte’s reminder, a child still fell to the ground, scattering the bouquet in his hands.
The nun’s face changed accordingly, and nearby children also slowed their pace, subconsciously looking at the fallen child.
The fallen child lay on the ground, enduring pain, trying to get up. Seeing this, Jerome Bonaparte strode to the child’s side, helped him up, then crouched and gently dusted off the child’s dusty clothes while saying in a slightly reprimanding tone, "Didn’t I tell you not to run!"
"But... but..." the child said with a sobbing tone to Jerome Bonaparte.
"Be brave! Don’t cry!" Jerome Bonaparte encouraged while stroking the child’s head.
The child finally stopped sobbing, then squatted on the ground to pick up the flowers.
Jerome Bonaparte also helped the child to gather the flowers, and the fallen flowers on the ground were soon collected by the two of them.
"Your Majesty, here you go!" The child handed the flowers to Jerome Bonaparte and said.
"Thank you!" Jerome Bonaparte politely replied after receiving the flowers, "But you should call me Godfather!"
"Ah?" The child timidly said, "Godfather!"
"Hmm!" Jerome Bonaparte gently patted the child’s head again and then looked around all the children present, saying loudly, "Not only am I his godfather, but I’m also the godfather of all of you, of all the children in France who have lost their parents!
You are all children of France, and also the godchildren of the Empress Augusta and myself!
You must remember, you are not alone!"
As Jerome Bonaparte’s voice fell, the crowd separated by the Imperial Guard clapped once again.
Among the applause, Jerome Bonaparte and Empress Augusta led a group of children into the Welfare Institute.
"Ms. Mary Odense, on behalf of France, I thank you for your dedication to these children!" Jerome Bonaparte sincerely said to the nun in front of him, who was nearly 50 years old. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚
"Your Majesty, this is what I should do! God taught us to..." Maria Odense spoke piously to Jerome Bonaparte, reciting tedious scriptures, which Jerome Bonaparte patiently listened to.
After that, Jerome Bonaparte donated 20,000 francs to the institute under the name of Godfather.
As for why the donations to the Welfare Institute are much less than those to the hospital.
It is naturally because the hospital’s expenses are greater, and 20,000 francs is already the net profit of a small to medium-sized enterprise for a year.
To support a Welfare Institute is more than enough.
"Your Majesty, may God bless you with everlasting health!" Maria Odense said to Jerome Bonaparte as she accepted his donation.
"Thanks for your kind words! Ma’am!" Jerome Bonaparte said with a smile.
Amid the children’s reluctance to part, Jerome Bonaparte and Empress Augusta left the Welfare Institute and headed to another Welfare Institute.
After visiting several Charitable Hospitals and Welfare Institutes in succession, the skies began to darken.
Gazing at the faintly visible stars outside the window, Jerome Bonaparte and Augusta boarded the carriage, "Let’s go! To the Paris Opera House!"
The carriage set off once again for the Paris Opera House, and Augusta, slightly fatigued, whispered to Jerome Bonaparte: "Why don’t we go another time?
We’ve been on the move all day, we’re tired! Those generals accompanying us are equally exhausted!!"
"Augusta, the Paris Opera House has specially reserved a box for us! If we don’t go, wouldn’t it be awkward for them?" Jerome Bonaparte found an excuse to say to Empress Augusta.
After hearing this, Empress Augusta refrained from further comments.
Meanwhile, the carriage gradually drove into the entrance of Leperdier Street, less than 200 meters from the Paris Opera House.
"Look! It’s the tyrant’s carriage!" said the three Piedmontese who were lurking near the Paris Opera House to Orsini.
"I see it!" Orsini gazed at the distant carriage, his expression somewhat complicated, and sighed inwardly, "Everyone, get ready! Once the carriage reaches the designated spot, we’ll act immediately!"
The carriage slowly arrived near the Paris Opera House, preparing to enter the exclusive entrance designated for it.
At this moment, Orsini issued the order to the three Piedmontese beside him, "Do it!"
The three Piedmontese swiftly sprang into action, firing three bullets that precisely hit the spotlights and the gas lamps along the street.
The carriage immediately plunged into temporary darkness, leaving only the tail lantern of the carriage. The Imperial Guard responsible for protecting Jerome Bonaparte instantly shouted, "Assassins! Protect His Majesty and the Empress!"
The surrounding cavalry quickly closed in around Jerome Bonaparte’s carriage, and Jerome Bonaparte also swiftly shielded Augusta beneath him, seeing the situation.
After all, he was the mastermind behind this assassination, and he could not allow Augusta to be placed in danger.
Subsequently, the sound of explosions and bullets striking the steel plates emitted around the carriage, but Jerome Bonaparte and Empress Augusta did not leave the carriage.
Not until a distant voice shouted, "We’ve caught them!" did Jerome Bonaparte release Augusta from his protective embrace.
"It’s all right now!"
