Reincarnated as Napoleon II-Chapter 77: Teasing Moment

The fireworks thinned, then stopped.

Smoke drifted across the field in loose sheets, carrying the sharp smell of powder. People lingered, unwilling to leave all at once. Some clapped late. Others talked over each other, replaying colors and shapes with their hands.

Napoleon II and Elisabeth stepped away from the barrier and let the crowd pull them along the paths of the Champ de Mars.

Lanterns lined the walkways. Grass darkened underfoot where hundreds had stood. Vendors were already moving, pushing carts into new positions, calling out before the night cooled completely.

They walked without hurry.

A boy ran past them holding a paper cone, laughing as his sister chased him. Somewhere behind them, a couple argued quietly about directions.

Elisabeth slowed near a small cart. A man stood behind it, sleeves rolled, working a metal handle attached to a shallow drum packed with ice and salt.

"Ice cream," he called. "Vanilla. Lemon."

She looked at Napoleon II. Just once.

"You want one?"

"I want to taste it," Elisabeth said.

"Okay," Napoleon II turned to the vendor. "Two ice creams please."

The vendor nodded and worked faster.

He poured a pale mixture into a small metal mold, set it into the drum, then turned the handle with steady force. Ice and salt shifted inside with a dull crunch. After a minute, he stopped, pried the lid loose, and scooped the frozen mass into two paper cups.

"Careful," he said. "It melts fast."

Napoleon II passed over a few coins. The man thanked him and turned back to his cart.

They stepped aside to clear the path.

Elisabeth held her cup with both hands, studying it as if unsure how to begin. The surface had already softened, edges slipping toward the paper.

She took a small spoonful.

Her eyebrows lifted. She didn’t say anything right away. She took another bite, this time less careful.

"So sweet..."

"Sweet like my kiss?" Napoleon II teased.

Elisabeth stopped walking.

He saw a faint blush coming out from her cheeks again. It was effective.

"That was uncalled for," she said.

Napoleon II raised his cup slightly. "You started it."

"I did not." She glanced down at the ice cream, then back at him. "I was talking about the taste."

"And I was talking about comparison."

She exhaled through her nose, half a laugh she tried to suppress. It didn’t work. She took another bite, faster now, as if to avoid saying anything else.

"It is sweet," she said again, quieter. "But it melts too fast."

"That’s the point," he replied. "You enjoy it before it’s gone."

She gave him a look, sharp and brief. "You keep talking like that and I’m not sharing the next one."

"There won’t be a next one," he said, nodding at her cup. "You’re already winning."

She looked down. The edges had collapsed inward, cream slipping toward the paper seam.

"...You’re right," she said, then ate the rest without ceremony.

They resumed walking. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

The crowd thinned as they moved farther from the center of the field. Lanterns spaced out. Voices softened. The ground grew darker between pools of light. Somewhere behind them, a vendor packed away unsold goods, wood clacking against metal.

Elisabeth wiped her spoon clean against the rim and folded the paper cup in half.

"I didn’t expect tonight to be like this," she said.

"Like what?"

"Simple," she replied. "No ceremony. No schedule. Just walking."

Napoleon II took the empty cup from her and dropped it into a bin along the path.

"Yeah, sometimes I like it. This is kind of like a day off for me. Because tomorrow, it’ll be work again. You know how terrifying work can be, especially as an Emperor of France."

"I know. And I want to help you in any way I can. So how can I help you?"

Napoleon II thought for a moment and then answered.

"You know what, I’m conducting an experiment."

"Experiment?"

"Yes, I really want to know truly which is sweeter. The ice cream or your kiss? Because earlier, I couldn’t finish that comparison."

"Moah..." Elisabeth hit him on his arms.

"So, can I have that kiss?" Napoleon II asked.

She stopped again.

This time, she didn’t turn right away.

Her hand was still half-raised from where she’d tapped his arm. She lowered it slowly, fingers curling into the fabric of her coat instead.

"You really don’t know when to stop," she said.

Napoleon II waited. He didn’t lean in. Didn’t reach for her. He just stood there, hands loose at his sides, watching her decide.

People passed behind them. A pair of soldiers laughed about something trivial. Somewhere farther down the path, a vendor’s cart rattled as it was pulled away.

Elisabeth exhaled.

"Just—" she began, then stopped. She shook her head once, more at herself than at him. "You make everything sound like a challenge."

"I said experiment," he replied. "Challenges have winners."

She finally looked up at him.

"And what if I don’t want to participate?"

"Then the experiment fails," he said. "I’ll accept the result."

That earned him a small, reluctant smile.

She stepped closer.

Not as tentative as before. Still careful, but decided. She reached up, fingers brushing his sleeve, then his chest, as if checking that he was really there.

"Here I go..."

Before he could answer, she leaned in.

The kiss was soft. Longer than the first. Still restrained, but no longer hesitant. Her lips pressed to his, then lingered.

She pulled back on her own terms.

"There," she said, looking away almost immediately. "What’s the conclusion?"

Napoleon II let out a slow breath.

"Your kiss is indeed sweeter," Napoleon II answered. "Well, it’s late in the evening now. We should be heading back to the palace and call it a day."

Elisabeth nodded.

They continued along the path until they reached the meetup point.

At the edge of the grounds, the carriage waited where they had left it. The horses shifted their weight, steam puffing faintly from their nostrils in the cold air. The driver straightened as soon as he saw them approach, hat coming off in one smooth motion.

Napoleon II stopped beside the step.

"Versailles Palace," he said simply.

The driver inclined his head. "As you wish, Your Imperial Majesty."

Napoleon II helped Elisabeth up, his hand steady at her elbow. She stepped inside and settled onto the seat, drawing her coat closer as the night air lingered for a moment longer.

He followed and closed the door himself.