Reincarnated as Napoleon II-Chapter 87: Let’s Make a Deal!

"Cuba?" Don Miguel repeated.

"Yes, the island in the Caribbean," Napoleon II confirmed.

"May I ask why you want it, Your Imperial Majesty?"

"I just want it," Napoleon II said. "The reason is not important. What’s important is how much price Spain would want from it."

"Your Imperial Majesty, I don’t think I am authorized to even discuss such a matter," he said carefully. "Cuba is not merely a colony. It is—"

"A liability," Napoleon II cut in, and added. "An expensive one."

Don Miguel opened his mouth, then closed it again.

Napoleon II leaned back in his chair.

"Spain is bleeding money trying to hold what it can no longer control," he continued. "Your treasury is strained. Your navy is overstretched. And every year, Havana requires more troops, more subsidies, more attention."

"That does not make it disposable," Don Miguel said.

"No," Napoleon II agreed. "It makes it negotiable. See, I’m giving you a way out of that burden. Holding a colony for prestige is not worth it, especially when your country is behind other European powers, for example, my country, France. We are an industrialized state. Electricity in every home of the Parisian people and the French people outside the capital. Steam locomotives that connect every major city. Hundreds of factories producing huge amounts of commodities. Spain on the other hand, is behind. I don’t see your state industrializing."

Don Miguel stiffened at that.

"Okay, I think I’m going to fast here," Napoleon II said. "What does Spain want from France? Because there is a reason you wanted to see me right?"

"I do."

"So, tell us," Napoleon II beckoned.

"What we want from France is a...loan...We realize our situation and we want to industrialize but our treasury is dry due to the attempts of suppressing rebellions across our remaining territories," Don Miguel finished. "The Crown has spent more on soldiers and ships in the last decade than it has on factories in a century."

"So now we are in a situation where we could negotiate. I want something from Spain, you want something from France. So let’s make an agreement here. I am willing to spend 100 million francs to acquire Cuba and..." Napoleon II paused as he had remembered something crucial.

"Anyways, aside from Cuba, what other territories do you have?"

Don Miguel straightened in his chair. He knew better than to dodge it.

"In the Americas," he began, choosing his words, "Spain retains Cuba and Puerto Rico. Those are the last major holdings in the Caribbean."

"And beyond that?" he asked.

"In Asia," Don Miguel continued, "the Philippines."

"And elsewhere?" Napoleon II pressed.

"There are smaller possessions," Don Miguel said. "The Marianas in the Pacific, including Guam. Outposts on the African coast—Fernando Pó and Annobón in the Gulf of Guinea."

Napoleon II leaned forward slightly.

"So," he said, counting on his fingers, "Cuba. Puerto Rico. The Philippines. A scattering of islands and trading posts. That is what remains of the Spanish Empire."

Don Miguel did not contest it.

"Yes," he said. "That is... accurate."

"And of these," Napoleon II said, "which ones cost you the most to hold?"

Don Miguel hesitated. Just long enough.

"Cuba," he admitted. "Then the Philippines."

Napoleon II smiled faintly.

"Of course," he said. "Close colonies drain money quickly. Distant ones, well who knows, it must be expensive to maintain a colony located in Southeast Asia."

In his mind, Napoleon II was jumping in joy after learning that Spain did hold some of the strategic colonies in the world. Guam and Philippines for example would allow him to have a foothold in the region.

Time to adjust.

"I was prepared to offer one hundred million francs for Cuba," Napoleon II said. "That was my opening position."

Charles-Louis looked up.

"But," Napoleon II continued, "having heard the full picture, that offer no longer makes sense."

Don Miguel’s brows tightened. "Your Imperial Majesty—"

"I am revising it upward," Napoleon II said calmly.

That stopped him.

"I will purchase Cuba, the Philippines, and Guam," Napoleon II said and continued. "In exchange, France will pay Spain three hundred million francs. Paid in installments over five years. Guaranteed by the French Treasury."

Silence.

Don Miguel stared at him.

"That is... an extraordinary sum," he said carefully.

"With that money, you can start industrializing your country. What’s more, I will personally ask banks and the industrialists I know to invest in your country. We can also give you a loan with a small interest. What do you think? The deal is so sweet right?"

Don Miguel did not answer at once.

He leaned back slightly, fingers tightening around the brim of his hat. He was no fool. He understood exactly what was being offered—and what was being taken.

"Your Imperial Majesty," he said at last, choosing each word, "three hundred million francs is not a sum Spain can dismiss lightly. But what you are asking for is... the core of what remains of our overseas presence."

Napoleon II nodded. "And I am paying accordingly."

"The Philippines alone," Don Miguel continued, "are a symbol. They have been under the Spanish Crown for centuries."

"They are also three months away by sea," Napoleon II replied. "Defended by ships you cannot replace and governed by men Madrid cannot supervise. Symbols are expensive things to maintain."

Don Miguel pressed his lips together.

"You would strip Spain of her reach beyond the Atlantic," he said.

"No," Napoleon II corrected. "I would allow Spain to survive. Look, the colonies that you have in South America managed to get their independence so easily. What’s stopping Cuba and the Philippines from doing the same? The chance is here right now! If they declare independence and you can’t suppress it, then you have lost a territory where you could have earned from. Do you understand me?"

"I do understand, Your Imperial Majesty."

"Then, I expect a reply from your government tomorrow. We have a telegraph connected between Paris and Madrid, so you can deliver the message quickly," Napoleon II finished. "There is no need for weeks of delay. Madrid will hear this today."

Don Miguel nodded. "I will transmit it at once. But I don’t guarantee anything."

"Good."