Reincarnated as Napoleon II-Chapter 177: Dinner with the Guests

The doors to the dining hall were opened shortly after.

Servants moved first, guiding the flow of the room with quiet, practiced motions. The guests followed in order, stepping toward their assigned seats without hesitation.

The long table stretched across the center of the hall, already set in full. A white cloth ran from one end to the other without a crease. Silverware was aligned precisely at each setting, and crystal glasses caught the light from the chandeliers above. Every seat had been placed according to rank, and the distance from the head of the table made that hierarchy clear without explanation.

Napoleon II took his seat first.

Elisabeth settled to his right, composed as always, while Elsa was guided into place beside her. The child adjusted herself in the chair, sitting upright at first, though her eyes moved across the table with quiet curiosity as she took in the scale of it.

The rest of the guests followed.

Ministers, generals, senior officials, and selected businessmen filled the remaining seats. No one spoke loudly. Conversations stayed low, controlled, never drawing attention away from the center of the room.

A servant stepped forward.

The first course was placed.

Potage à la Reine.

The soup was smooth and pale, a mixture of chicken and ground almonds, served warm in shallow bowls. Steam rose gently from the surface as it was set before each guest.

Napoleon II waited a moment before moving.

Then he picked up his spoon.

That was enough.

The rest of the table followed.

The sound of the meal began

. Spoons touched porcelain. Chairs shifted slightly. Servants moved along the edges of the room, already preparing for the next course.

Napoleon II ate at a steady pace, neither slow nor hurried. There was no need to look at the others. The entire table adjusted to him without being told.

Elsa tried to follow.

She lifted her spoon, took a careful sip, then another. At one point she moved too quickly, then slowed down again after glancing toward her father. She didn’t say anything. She just adjusted.

The bowls were cleared.

The second course followed shortly after.

Filet de sole, lightly poached, served with a simple butter sauce and herbs. The portions were clean, arranged with precision on each plate.

Napoleon II cut into the fish without hesitation.

Across the table, others matched his pace. Some slowed slightly. Others paused between bites to avoid finishing too early.

The rhythm held.

The third course came next.

Roasted chicken with root vegetables—carrots, turnips, and potatoes, all cooked evenly. The skin of the chicken was crisp, the meat sliced into uniform portions.

Napoleon II continued at the same controlled pace.

Elsa held her fork more carefully this time. She watched him again before cutting into the food, then took a bite, chewing slower than before.

The fourth course followed.

Braised beef in a reduced sauce, darker and heavier than the previous dishes. Smaller portions, but more filling.

Napoleon II moved through it without change.

The fifth course was placed.

A selection of cheeses—Brie, Comté, and Roquefort—served with fresh bread. Napoleon II broke a piece of bread, took a portion of cheese, and continued without pause.

The others adjusted again.

No one needed instruction.

Finally, dessert was brought in.

Tarte aux pommes.

The slices were evenly cut, still warm when they were placed on the table.

Elsa leaned forward slightly when she saw it, though she stopped herself from reaching too quickly. She waited, watching her father again before taking her first bite.

Napoleon II neared the end of his portion.

He slowed.

Not enough to be obvious, but enough to allow the table to adjust.

His gaze moved briefly across the room.

Some were finishing.

Others were close.

A few still had more left.

He waited just long enough.

Then he finished.

He set his fork down.

Servants moved in at once, clearing plates from the head of the table outward. There was no pause, no check. The moment the Emperor finished, the course ended.

One official had just lifted his fork for another bite.

His plate was taken before he could finish it.

He did not react, as he knew it was a protocol that no one could eat if the monarch already finished their meal.

With that, Napoleon II stood and gathered the attention of everyone by hitting the glasswine.

Conversations stopped.

Chairs shifted as those seated straightened without being told. Servants paused where they stood along the edges of the room, holding their positions. No one moved out of place. No one spoke.

Napoleon II remained standing at the head of the table, one hand resting lightly near his glass.

"This year," he began, "has been a productive one for the Empire."

The words carried cleanly across the hall.

"We have expanded our industrial base. Production has increased across key sectors—steel, machinery, and transport. New infrastructure has been completed and brought into operation. Rail lines have extended further than they did a year ago. Power generation has begun to support those systems directly."

A few of the officials shifted slightly in their seats, not out of discomfort, but attention. They were listening closely now.

Napoleon II continued.

"Trade has strengthened. Internal movement of goods has drastically improved. Delays that once existed between regions have been further reduced. What took a day now takes within a day. In time, it will take less."

He paused briefly, letting the statement settle.

"Our position outside the continent has also changed."

Several of the ministers at the table lifted their gaze slightly at that.

"We have established direct contact with the Qing court," he said. "Negotiations are ongoing. The outcome is not yet decided, but the fact that we are at the table is already a shift in position."

He did not elaborate further.

Those present understood the implication.

Napoleon II’s gaze moved once along the length of the table.

"This did not happen by chance," he said. "It is the result of coordinated effort—civil, military, and industrial. Each sector supports the other. Each dependent on the same direction. That would be all, thank you for attending this Christmas Eve dinner."

As he said that, Charles-Louis entered the room and then approached the Emperor. All eyes were on him but he ignored those inquisitive gazes. Once he neared the Emperor, he whispered and the Emperor’s eyes widened.