Napoleon in 1812

"I met my father after a long time and we had many conversations that we couldn't have during the years I was away."

"Right, I saw you with the Austrian Emperor. Can you tell me what you talked about?"

"Hohoho, most of them were personal stories. However, my father is still afraid of you."

Whether her anger at him for saying that he would step down from the throne had subsided a little, or whether she realized that Napoleon would not change his mind no matter how much she begged, Marie-Louise naturally changed the subject and began to talk about her father, Franz I, and her homeland Austria.

"Hmm..."

"Isn’t it funny? It's already been 10 years since the war between France and Austria ended, and the emperors of the two empires are tied up in the relationship of father-in-law and son-in-law. During that time, didn't the two countries fully protect their loyalty to each other as allies?"

Although they were married, there was no one in Europe who ignored that Napoleon and Franz I still had a bad relationship.

However, Marie-Louise said the above without hesitation, as if she had no idea of such a nuanced relationship. Was she inexperienced or rather high-level? Napoleon listened to her.

Marie-Louise was explaining in a lengthy way why France and Austria should continue to get along well without breaking this friendly relationship. Napoleon could tell at a glance that she had received a request from her father or the Austrian imperial family.

Rather, the intention was so explicit that even the fact that it was a 'deal' made in the dark felt light... The creativity and ingenuity of the Austrian foreign officials were really admirable.

'Maybe... She expressed dissatisfaction with my arbitrary declaration of stepping down from the emperor's position, and put pressure on me, asking why I didn't consult with her, all to put up a smoke screen to easily bring this up. She knows little about the international situation, but she is very clever when it comes to dealing with relationships between people or fighting for dominance.'

Marie-Louise, whose eyes were shining with sweet dreams of hope, trust, and happiness, looked pure and innocent like the heroine in a novel. She had no knowledge of the cold international diplomacy that did not show any blood or tears.

Napoleon, who smiled bitterly at his wife, still found one unexpected fact: Austria was trying to get closer to France.

As always, the relationship between France and Austria was narrowly maintained by each other's needs.

According to the trend of the times, the two countries exchanged hostility or friendship, keeping each other in check or sometimes cooperating. It was a typical relationship between two European neighbors. However, France's rapid growth and recent series of events had destroyed this balance.

Austria could not even face France in the same weight class, and the returning European situation no longer allowed them to act as a diplomatic balancer.

The Austrian government now realized that the above tightrope diplomacy was meaningless. It judged that the time had come to decide whether to confront France or hold its hand.

'Prussia withdrew from the Union and joined the anti-France camp. The French Imperial Foreign Ministry was outwardly relaxed and took the same high-pressure attitude toward our enemies as before, but in fact, it was wary of further departure from the Union.'

This was because the enemy forces, including Britain, Russia, Sweden, and Prussia, were by no means insignificant, and even Austria was likely to join there. It was a terrible thing just to imagine.

France would have to deal with the worst double-sided front, and Poland, its faithful ally and the most important strategic point, would be completely exposed to a general offensive of hostile powers coming from the north, south, east and west.

If that were to happen, Napoleon and the staff headquarters would seriously think of abandoning Poland, and would urgently discuss the formation of a new defensive front centered on the Confederation of the Rhine, Switzerland, and Italy.

To that extent, Austria would play a key role in the future war.

Austria, the one that should first kneel or hold hands with France, was now signaling that they wanted to come up first and stand on France's side. With Marie-Louise, the pure white Empress.

"Since the time of my great-grandmother (Maria Theresia), France and Austria have been discussing the situation of Europe as a family with blood relatives. Now that the two countries have the highest position as members of the Union representing Europe, shouldn't we cooperate to strengthen our family friendship?"

"...Since when did you start to care about improving relations between France and Austria?"

"Since the moment you declared that you would give up the position of Emperor of the Empire, the only place Charles and I could rely on is the Schdnbrunn Palace. You seem to want to raise Charles strong like a weed in the meadow, but I intend to do everything I can as a mother."

In other words, Marie-Louise was promised some kind of price by the Austrian court as a condition of persuading Napoleon to ally France and Austria.

The price would be a shield to protect her and Charles after the title of the 'Imperial family of the French Empire' disappeared.

How cold-hearted he looked as a husband and father. Reflecting on himself, Napoleon saw the hands of Franz I and Metternich behind her.

And of course, the price of holding these hands was not free. There had to be a huge demand as they knew better than anyone else that their value had jumped significantly before the start of the Great War.

'But Austria is a country worthy to be an ally, even at a great price. Whether intentionally or not, Marie-Louise has done a great job.'

It would not be a mistake to say that she looked admirable while chatting today. Napoleon used to think of the national marriage between France and Austria as one of Nabot's many lies.

But at this moment, he could not help but admit that it was a divine move. The alliance was completed, and the sides were clearly divided. Now it was time to discuss the real strategy.

"I'm looking forward to everything in Paris. I will not forget your help."

Napoleon smiled as he looked at Marie-Louise's puzzled expression.

He was an individual who could be said to be the firm peak of the French Empire and, at this point, the central axis that could move almost all of Europe. Even if they were not necessarily literate, European citizens knew the most prominent person representing this era.

Even if that person was an enemy of their country, they would have gone out into the streets and sneaked a peek at him while trying to hide their anger and sense of defeat. As such, there were many people who envied the important figures who could meet him.

However, some of them never had to hide their anger or sense of defeat. Because Napoleon Bonaparte was the Emperor of their homeland, the French Empire.

He was the God of war and the greatest leader who built the greatest France since Charles the Great and built the 'Frankia hegemony' in Europe.

A carriage carrying Napoleon and his wife arrived outside of the city of Nancy, but there was no room for it to pass. Citizens were calling the Emperor's name while filling the street.

Even the experienced attendants serving the imperial couple struggled because they could not see any gap in the procession of citizens. The sky was darkening.

It was time for the citizens to relieve the fatigue of the hard day by eating warm meals at home with their beloved families, but nevertheless, it seemed that it could not stop the desire of the citizens of Nancy to see the most beloved Emperor in French history.

"Long live the strong, dignified and supreme Emperor Napoleon!"

"Your Majesty, please protect France forever!"

"The Empire is Your Majesty's country! We are Your Majesty's subjects!"

Napoleon had declared that he would step down from the throne after finishing everything. Not a few French worshiped this noble and holy decision, but in fact, there were more people who did not want it.

The spirit of revolution, the idea of equality, republicanism... The individual Napoleon Bonaparte was heavier than all of these.

Along with him, the citizens of France, who shared the era of glory and clearly saw the rise of the Empire, were voluntarily shouting for him to remain their great Emperor. Even Napoleon lost what to say for a while as he looked at this magnificent sight.

"Look carefully, kid. The man in that carriage is the greatest hero of this era, His Majesty the Emperor."

An old man pointed at Napoleon's carriage with an old wrinkled hand. In some parts of Europe, there was a belief that boys who grew up seeing outstanding characters and heroes of the century could be as great as them.

So when an important person or celebrity came, parents and grandparents brought their children or grandchildren to follow them.

"Is he like Hercules and Achilles from Roman and Greek mythology?"

"That's right. No, His Majesty is a greater and holier hero than them."

Hercules and Achilles created personal myths, but Napoleon created a myth for France as a whole.

And that was not enough, so he was now walking on a path that no great leader in history had ever taken. The old man hoped that his grandson would share the fate of that great hero and emperor.

"Wow!..."

The boy's eyes sparkled. The boy, whose heart beat as he heard the stories of Hercules and Achilles, did not hide his excitement that a bigger hero than them existed and that person was right in front of him. The old man smiled as he stroked the boy's head.

"All right. So you should be a great man like His Majesty."

Taking a hero like Napoleon Bonaparte as an example and chasing his footsteps. It was meaningful to many people. There were countless people sharing stories like the old man and the boy on the streets here.

Among the citizens who shouted for the Emperor's lifetime rule, the hearts of those who wanted their children or grandchildren to resemble that great Emperor were also getting warmer steadily even on a chilly winter evening.

"If this continues, it could interfere with the safety of His Majesty the Emperor and Her Majesty the Empress. Instead of moving on the main road, I suggest to take a side road to get to the theater."

"It can't be helped. Let's do that."

Napoleon and his wife, who were scheduled to watch an opera performance in the city of Nancy, decided to follow the advice of Baron Lacenne, who was in charge of security. It was a very inspiring and proud feeling for Napoleon to face the citizens who respected him.

However, it was burdensome to get through the people who filled the streets and squares tightly without any safety measures. Above all, this situation was not predicted at all, so there was a risk of an unexpected accident.

"The citizens of Nancy still want you to rule as the head of the Empire. And it's not only in this city but in other places as well. If even the citizens of Paris wish for your lifetime rule... Are you going to let their hopes down?"

"As the head of state of France, I am responsible for the survival and wealth of the Empire and have a duty to maintain a peaceful and leisurely life for the people. My next goal is to maintain the spirit of revolution, which is the basis of this country, and preserve it for future generations. Unless it violates the former, I will protect the values of the revolution."

Restoring the pure spirit of the revolution was to create a new world for the people while overturning the old system, and to rebuild the value of the ideology that had been tarnished.

It was something that Napoleon had firmly decided on since he first settled in this world, and he planned on undoing the mistakes made by Nabot. France, to which he devoted his life, had never been an empire.

At her husband's resolute attitude, Marie-Louise no longer spoke of this. Meanwhile, the court servants who had previously gone to the opera theater returned.

When he saw them with an uneasy expression, sweating even on a cold day, Napoleon could immediately tell that the situation was not good.

"The situation in front of the theater is worse than here. The people shouting the name of Your Majesty are crowded everywhere, and their number is increasing over time. It seems that it has been leaked that Your Majesty the Emperor and Your Majesty the Empress are watching an opera performance at the theater today."

"What did you say? How on earth did you manage and supervise security so that things that you had to keep absolutely confidential leaked!?"

Security guards and officers bowed their heads in shame at the shouts of Baron Fain, the chief secretary. Napoleon had a puzzled expression on his face.

TL notes

Here's a painting of the Empress Marie-Louise by Robert Lefevre:

And here's a map of the French Empire in 1812 with the cities of Nancy and Strasbourg highlighted: