CHAPTER 601: CHAPTER 592 "GENTLEMAN’S AGREEMENT

Jerome Bonaparte understood that his answer would not convince the Prussian Envoy; instead, it would only deepen the envoy’s doubts. But what of it! He was not Prussia’s nanny and had no obligation to provide answers for the Kingdom of Prussia.

If the Prussian Envoy was willing to believe, then it would naturally be a happy ending for everyone.

If the Prussian Envoy was unwilling to believe and even suspected a conspiracy between the Austrian Empire and him, then please let the Kingdom of Prussia lead its army to flatten his Empire directly.

"Your Excellency, I am entering the dance floor!" Jerome Bonaparte said with a trace of pride in his words.

"Your Majesty, sorry to disturb you!" The Prussian Envoy also realized his offense and hurriedly responded to Jerome Bonaparte.

Jerome Bonaparte, who entered the dance floor, saw Madam Valleski in front of him and accompanied her in the dance.

"Madam!" Taking advantage of the gap between two pieces of music, Jerome Bonaparte leaned in close to Madam Valleski’s ear and whispered, "I preferred it when you danced with me last time!"

Having said that, Jerome Bonaparte turned around gracefully and left, leaving Madam Valleski staring blankly at his retreating figure.

This scene between Jerome Bonaparte and Madam Valleski was caught by Princess Mathilde at the edge of the dance floor.

Princess Mathilde, who already had issues with Madam Valleski, whispered to those around her, "That Polish woman (Madam Valleski) is truly shameless!"

The gentlemen and ladies around Princess Mathilde could only nod in agreement with her.

...

The ball was nearing its end around midnight.

Jerome Bonaparte and Prince Albert met once again in a corner of the ballroom.

"Why does everyone insist on having formal conversations during an entertainment event! Whether in Britain or in France!" Prince Albert softly complained to Jerome Bonaparte.

"That’s probably because they don’t actually consider this ball an entertainment activity!" Jerome Bonaparte shrugged and replied to Prince Albert, "The purpose of a ball is, after all, to close the distance between each other!"

"By the way! Has the Prussian Envoy approached you just now?" Prince Albert once again asked Jerome Bonaparte.

Jerome Bonaparte nodded and replied to Prince Albert without any concealment, "He did! He wanted to get information about Austria here!"

"The Prussian Envoy also approached me just now!" Prince Albert responded likewise, "He asked me the same question as you!"

"It seems that the pressure we have exerted on the Kingdom of Prussia is indeed too great!" Jerome Bonaparte said lightly.

"Who wouldn’t say so?" Prince Albert shrugged likewise and said to Jerome Bonaparte, "Speaking of which, Metternich indeed does not disappoint! Just a few words can instill a sense of crisis in a country’s envoy!"

"Mr. Metternich, after all, has been the master of the entire European system for nearly thirty years! His every move inevitably sparks imagination!" Jerome Bonaparte responded.

"Indeed!" Albert agreed with Jerome Bonaparte’s view, then turned the subject to Jerome Bonaparte, "However, the future of the entire Europe is in your France’s hands!"

As soon as Prince Albert finished speaking, a warning bell sounded in Jerome Bonaparte’s mind. He didn’t know whether Albert’s words were said in passing or had been brewing for some time, but undoubtedly, it was a dangerous signal for Jerome Bonaparte.

Jerome Bonaparte responded to Prince Albert unhurriedly, "France has given up its dream of dominating the European Continent! We only wish to have a place on the lands of Europe... Only when all forces in Europe are balanced could peace come!"

A smile appeared on Prince Albert’s face, leaving Jerome Bonaparte uncertain about his internal thoughts.

Nonetheless, Jerome Bonaparte suspected that Prince Albert likely dismissed his rhetoric as mere nonsense.

Prince Albert merely spared his face, choosing not to expose him!

"The Kingdom of Britain hopes the French Empire can honor its commitments!" Prince Albert slowly replied to Jerome Bonaparte.

"Rest assured! Disrupting the European order doesn’t benefit France, and France is willing to maintain order after a complete victory over the Russian Empire!" Jerome Bonaparte responded to Prince Albert.

After Jerome Bonaparte finished saying this, the band also stopped playing.

Jerome Bonaparte walked onto the dance floor and solemnly declared the end.

Foreign envoys took their leave from Jerome Bonaparte, the Victoria couple, and Franz Joseph respectively.

After all the foreign envoys had departed, Jerome Bonaparte and Franz Joseph also bade farewell to the Victoria couple.

Jerome Bonaparte specifically reminded Victoria and Albert to rise early the next day to attend the military review. Afterward, Jerome Bonaparte embraced the Victoria couple, and, bid farewell by them, he left the Louvre on foot with Franz Joseph and Prince Metternich.

[PS: The distance between the Louvre and the Tuileries Palace is very short. During the OTL period, Napoleon III had already connected the Tuileries Palace and the Louvre.

In the current timeline, Jerome Bonaparte only requires enough space for his residence, so he constantly delays the connection between the Tuileries Palace and the Louvre.]

Walking on the moonlit road, Jerome Bonaparte felt a long-lost peace in his heart, as he hadn’t strolled quietly like this for a long time.

"Franz!" Jerome Bonaparte spoke to Franz Joseph.

"What?" Franz Joseph inquired of Jerome Bonaparte.

"Why don’t we make a gentleman’s agreement?" Jerome Bonaparte suggested to Franz Joseph.

"What kind of agreement?" Franz Joseph continued to ask.

"I can guarantee you that as long as the French Empire is governed by me and my descendants, France will never make a move against the Austrian Empire! Can you make me the same promise?" Jerome Bonaparte said to Franz Joseph with a serious expression.

"I can also assure you!" Franz Joseph immediately responded to Jerome Bonaparte, "As long as France does not make a move against the Austrian Empire, the Austrian Empire will similarly not act against the French Empire!"

"Shall we swear on it?"

"Swear on it!"

The hands of Jerome Bonaparte and Franz Joseph pressed together.

After Jerome Bonaparte and Franz Joseph released their hands, Prince Metternich praised, "What a sacred moment! How I wish to eternalize this moment in an oil painting!"

Subsequently, Jerome Bonaparte asked Franz Joseph if he would be willing to leave a portrait at the Tuileries Palace after the military review.

Faced with Jerome Bonaparte’s goodwill, Franz Joseph nodded in agreement without hesitation: "Of course!"

Jerome Bonaparte and Franz Joseph chatted as they walked, quickly arriving at the Tuileries Palace.

...

June 24, 4:45 in the morning.

As the summer dawn barely covered the land, a force of nearly ten thousand soldiers formed a phalanx near the Arc de Triomphe under the orders of France’s Vice Chief of Staff, Nie’er.

At the end of this ten-thousand-strong troop was a contingent of Russian Imperial officers, nearly a hundred in number, who were prisoners captured by the French Army on the Crimea Peninsula.

These Russian officers, dressed uniformly in grey military uniforms, stared blankly around them. When they looked at the Arc de Triomphe, they all revealed a wry smile.

Thirty-nine years ago, the predecessors of the Russian Empire’s army arrived here as victors and held a sacred military review here.

Yet, thirty-nine years later, they, the successors, were to come here as prisoners, subject to the onlookers and jeers of the Parisians.

About two hours later, residents living near the Arc de Triomphe began to gather.

By 8:30 in the morning, a large crowd had gathered around the Arc de Triomphe.

At the same time, the police department under the Ministry of Internal Affairs took action as well. Hundreds of police officers assembled near the Arc de Triomphe and, under the orders of Police Department Director Mopa, joined the military to form a human wall to separate the parade venue from the crowd and prevent anyone from maliciously entering and disrupting the review.

Of course, the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ act of forming a human wall made the Parisians somewhat dissatisfied, as the wall and the parade troops were over twenty meters apart, affecting the viewing experience.

However, overall, such dissatisfaction remained merely verbal complaints and did not cause any substantial conflict.

Residents standing outside the human wall craned their necks, eagerly awaiting the arrival of Jerome Bonaparte and others.

By 9:20 in the morning, after more than four hours of hurried construction (the framework had actually been set up the previous day), the parade platform was finally completed.

Jerome Bonaparte and others would review the French Army from the parade platform, marking the first time the French Empire showcased itself before foreign leaders.

At 10:00 in the morning, with the scorching summer sun baking Paris, Jerome Bonaparte, accompanied by the Victoria couple, Franz Joseph, and others, arrived at the parade venue.