Reincarnated as Napoleon II-Chapter 63: An Idea Again

After the meeting with the King of Naples, Napoleon I and II bid him farewell and was escorted out by his entourage from the Apollo Room.

Now that the two of them were alone, Armand was dismissed. Napoleon I spoke.

"So now that your foreign policy is interventionism, you must have a force to back it up," Napoleon I said.

"I know what you mean, Father. I will sign a decree, increasing the funding of the Army and the Navy four times and using those funds to modernize it. I will contact the companies myself and sign those arms deals."

"That’s good to hear. France is now militarizing. It will spook the coalition forces."

"It is not our intention. It’s in our constitution that we protect our country and its constituents. The only way to do that is through the military. They’ll react but that’s the only thing that they can do. React."

"We have kept Europe stable, no wars occurred after the Frankfurt Proposal."

"Thank you for keeping it Father, I appreciate you on that. Now, I’ll take care of everything and find you an island where you can retire peacefully. Though if I need your help, I’ll come to you."

Napoleon II left the Apollo Room and followed the sound of voices down the adjoining corridor.

The formal tension of the meeting faded as he approached the smaller salon overlooking the gardens. The doors were open. Inside, Elisabeth stood near the tall windows with several women gathered around her—wives of foreign envoys, a few French ministers’ spouses, and one or two figures whose presence was political even without title.

Conversation paused briefly when Napoleon II entered.

Elisabeth turned first. Her expression softened, not in ceremony but recognition. "You’re done?"

"For now," Napoleon II said. "I told you I’d be a while."

"You always say that," she replied, but there was no edge to it.

The women inclined their heads. Some curtsied lightly. Others simply acknowledged him with polite restraint. These were not women unfamiliar with power. They were used to rooms like this.

Napoleon II gave a short nod in return and moved to Elisabeth’s side.

"I hope I’m not interrupting," he said.

"Not at all," said Lady Harrington, the British ambassador’s wife. "Her Majesty was explaining how Versailles feels different now."

"Different how?" Napoleon II asked.

"Quieter," Elisabeth answered before anyone else could. "Not less grand. Just... steadier."

Lady Harrington smiled. "That’s a diplomatic answer."

Elisabeth shrugged slightly. "It’s an honest one."

Another woman spoke next, Madame de Rochefort, wife of a senior French minister. "We were discussing how visible you’ve made yourself today, Your Majesty. The speech, the procession, even the reception. People notice these things."

"They should," Napoleon II said. "Visibility creates accountability."

The women exchanged brief glances. Some nodded. Others simply listened.

From near the window, Mrs. Crawford, the American envoy’s wife, spoke. "In my country, leaders are expected to be seen often. Sometimes too often."

Napoleon II allowed a small smile. "I’m not interested in spectacle. But absence creates distance. Distance creates misunderstanding."

Elisabeth looked at him sideways. "You sound like you’re still in a meeting."

"Occupational hazard," he said.

The tension eased. Conversation resumed more freely. They spoke of travel, of the crowds in Paris, of how quickly the coronation had reshaped the city’s mood. Nothing discussed was trivial, but none of it was policy either. These were the conversations that set tone, not direction.

After a few minutes, Elisabeth excused herself from the group and stepped closer to him.

"Did everything go as planned?" she asked quietly.

"It did," Napoleon II said. "And more is coming. Why don’t you join me for a drink?"

"How can I say no to the Emperor of France?"

They left the salon together and followed the flow of guests toward the reception area prepared along the gallery facing the gardens.

The space was long and open, tables arranged in parallel lines so people could move without crowding. Servants stood behind each table, hands folded, replenishing plates as they emptied.

Napoleon II slowed near the first table.

Breads were arranged at the center. Not decorative towers, but carefully selected loaves. Long pains de campagne with dark crusts, smaller round miche loaves baked with wheat and rye, and braided brioche glazed lightly, cut into clean portions. Elisabeth reached first, taking a piece of brioche, tearing it in half rather than cutting it.

Napoleon II chose a slice of pain de campagne, still warm enough to soften the butter spread thinly beside it.

"This," Elisabeth said, holding the bread, "is far better than half the things served at official dinners."

"That’s because it’s meant to be eaten," Napoleon II replied.

They moved to the wine table.

Bottles were uncorked already, labels turned outward. Burgundy from Côte d’Or. Bordeaux from Médoc. A lighter white from the Loire. Napoleon II gestured once, and a servant poured two glasses from a Burgundy bottle.

Elisabeth took hers and examined it briefly before drinking. "This one?"

"Gevrey-Chambertin," Napoleon II said. "Finest wines in France. In this hall, we are showcasing the best food in France..."

The moment he said those words, showcasing, something came to mind. He remembered that there was a time where a country would show off their developments to other countries as a way to show them that they are more advanced than them, and it is also a way for the other countries to show their own progress.

There was a term to it. It was called the International Exposition? Isn’t it how the Eiffel Tower came to be? From an exposition. What if, he could showcase every invention that France had developed with his help in a form of exposition, all parties are invited. It’s good PR for his reign and the Empire.

It was a good idea, but first, the government officials. He already told Armand about it and he’ll get back to him tomorrow. He wondered who he had selected. He hoped that they are the best than their predecessors.