Reincarnated as Napoleon II-Chapter 180: The Simple Morning

December 25th, 1835. At the Palace of Versailles. It was early in the morning.

Napoleon II’s eyes fluttered as he

The room was quiet. Curtains drawn. No light yet beyond what filtered faintly through the edges of the fabric. The air inside remained steady as the heating system running through the palace kept the temperature even despite the cold outside pressing against the walls and windows.

Beside him, Elisabeth remained asleep.

Her breathing was steady, her posture unchanged beneath the covers. One arm rested near him, the other drawn slightly inward.

Napoleon II shifted.

The movement was small. Enough to sit up without disturbing her.

The cold did not reach him.

He placed his feet on the floor and stood.

Across the room, a servant had already entered at some point during the early hours. His uniform had been prepared and laid out in order—coat, trousers, boots, all aligned without a crease. A basin had been filled, though unused.

Napoleon II moved past it.

He stepped into the adjoining bath chamber.

The water was already prepared.

Steam rose faintly from the surface. The system feeding the palace had maintained the temperature through the night. He did not wait. He removed his nightwear and stepped under the shower.

Hot water ran immediately.

He stood there without movement at first, letting the heat settle across his shoulders and down his back.

He reached forward, adjusted the flow slightly, then remained under it.

A few minutes passed.

Then he stepped back, shut it off, and reached for a cloth.

He dried himself without pause.

A fresh set of garments had already been placed within reach. He dressed in sequence—shirt, trousers, coat.

By the time he stepped back into the bedroom, Elisabeth had stirred.

Her eyes opened as he moved past.

"You’re up early," she said in a low groggy voice.

"There’s work to do. Did you already forget that a war exist between us and the Austrian Empire?"

"Oh that..." Elisabeth recalled and sighed. "Yeah, I did forget about it momentarily. But I do remember you being confident in this war to the point it didn’t concern me."

Napoleon II chuckled. "Still, we never underestimate our enemy. I will have breakfast in my office. You and the children can eat together."

"I will explain to them why their father couldn’t join breakfast," Elisabeth said, already anticipating what’s about to happen in the dining hall.

"Give them the gifts I prepared for them to sweeten it. That way they won’t miind it," Napoleon II said. "They’ll focus on that instead."

Elisabeth gave a small nod.

"They will."

Napoleon II adjusted his coat once more, checking the fit without looking at himself. Everything sat as it should.

"Don’t let them wait too long before opening it," he added.

"I won’t."

A brief pause settled between them.

Elisabeth watched him for a moment, then spoke again.

"Will you be in the office all morning?"

"Yes."

"And after?"

Napoleon II did not answer immediately.

"Meetings," he said. "Command briefings. Dispatch confirmations."

Elisabeth gave a short breath.

"Of course."

Napoleon II moved toward the door.

"Have them eat," he said. "Keep it normal."

Elisabeth nodded once.

"I will."

He stepped out of the bedroom and into the office where he quickly sat there. He tapped the hand bell and a clang sound sounded in the room.

Immediately after, Beaumont entered.

"Good morning, Your Imperial Majesty? Do you need anything?"

"Yes, I want hashbrown, five pieces of it. I want it toasted on both sides," Napoleon II said. "No oil left on it. Crisp."

Beaumont gave a short nod.

"Yes, Your Imperial Majesty."

"And coffee," Napoleon II added. "Black."

"Yes, Sire."

Beaumont stepped back and left at once, closing the door behind him without sound.

While waiting for his breakfast, Napoleon II checked the files that had piled up from yesterday as he didn’t finish it due to yesterday’s Christmas eve celebration.

And these documents were before the Austrian Empire declared war on them so mostly this is just bureaucratic work.

Tax allocations. Provincial reports. Industrial output summaries. Railway expansion updates.

Napoleon II flipped through the first set.

Production figures from the northern factories. Steel output higher than projected. Coal supply holding steady. Transport delays in one sector, already marked for correction.

He made a note on the margin.

Next file.

Railway progress.

Lines extending outward from the main hubs. Timelines adjusted. Labor reassigned where needed. No major disruption.

He closed it and moved on.

Another document.

Urban planning proposals. Electrical grid expansion tied to the new power infrastructure. Early drafts. Not yet finalized.

He set it aside.

A knock came.

"Enter."

Beaumont returned with the tray.

He placed it on the side table first, then stepped back.

Napoleon II did not look at him.

"You may go."

"Yes, Sire."

The door closed again.

Napoleon II reached for the coffee.

A short sip.

Then he pulled the tray closer without shifting from his seat. He took one piece of hashbrown, checked the surface briefly, then took a bite.

Napoleon II savored it, it was a perfectly cooked hashbrown. Enough for him to last until lunch.

He set it down and returned to the documents.

Another report opened.

Colonial trade figures.

Revenue was stable in the colonies of Algiers, Cuba, and the Philippines. The Northern Frontier of Africa is still on expansion.

Mostly, the job he performed this morning is similar to the days before it. Like checking documents, stamping one if needed, and writing his own reports.

He finished it in just about an hour and when the clock struck eight o’clock in the morning. Napoleon II expected a visitor.

"I hope they don’t get late," he muttered under his breath.

And a minute later, Beaumont came in and announced.

"Your Imperial Majesty, Chief of Staff Charles-Louis and the Minister of Defense, Berthier."

Upon the announcement of their name, two officials entered his office.

"Good morning, Your Imperial Majesty," they intoned together.

"Good morning," Napoleon II said back and gestured to them to take a seat in front of his desk.

The moment they settled, Napoleon II spoke. "Now, let’s discuss about the war that the Austrians declared to us."