Reincarnated as Napoleon II-Chapter 98: An Unexpected News
Once they finished eating the meal, Napoleon II stood, prompting Sergey to do the same.
"Your Imperial Majesty, it was a delicious dish. Thank you for your hospitality. Though my goals were never achieved, I am still thankful that you have given me an audience."
Napoleon II smiled and nodded.
Sergey was then escorted out of the dining hall, leaving Napoleon II and Elisabeth.
"Russia is on the brink of an armed revolt," Elisabeth murmured.
"We shouldn’t concern ourselves with the affairs of another state," Napoleon II said, looking at her.
"What about the Kingdom of Naples?"
"Naples is an exception, honey," Napoleon II said. "I trust uncle Murat more than a desperate Russian nobility. Did you enjoy your dinner?"
"I did, it’s delicious really," Elisabeth said, chuckling. Then her expression turned neutral.
Napoleon II noticed the shift and asked. "What’s the matter? You looked gloomy."
He sat back to his chair and placed a hand over her shoulder and leaned close to see her face fully.
"You can tell me, I’m your husband."
Elisabeth exhaled. "I have been meaning to tell you this, Napoleon."
"That? Go on," Napoleon II urged.
"That I’m pregnant," Elisabeth revealed as she placed a hand over her belly.
Hearing that, Napoleon II froze.
For a second, the room seemed to go quiet in a way that had nothing to do with sound. His hand stayed on her shoulder, his eyes searching her face as if to confirm she wasn’t joking.
"...Pregnant?" he repeated.
"Yes," she confirmed.
He blinked, then let out a short breath that turned into a quiet laugh.
"You’re serious," he said.
"I wouldn’t joke about this," she replied, though the corner of her mouth twitched.
Napoleon straightened in his chair, then stood, then sat again like he didn’t quite know what to do with himself. He ran a hand through his hair.
"Since when?" he asked.
"This week." 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞
Napoleon stared at her belly, then back at her face.
"You’re... actually pregnant," he said, like he was still catching up.
"Yes," she said patiently.
"I’m going to be a father..." Napoleon II mumbled and then shouted. "I’m going to be a father!"
Napoleon II swept his arms under Elisabeth’s legs and back before she could protest.
"Napoleon—!" she gasped, instinctively gripping his shoulders.
He lifted her cleanly from the chair as if she weighed nothing. The sudden motion drew a surprised laugh from her.
"I’m going to be a father," he repeated, breathless with the words, like saying them again made them more real.
"You’re going to drop me," Elisabeth said, though she was smiling.
"Not a chance," he replied.
He lowered her carefully, but instead of letting go, his hands stayed at her waist. For a moment they just looked at each other, and Napoleon II leaned in for the kiss.
The servants who were present nearby were happy from the news but kept their reactions contained, years of palace discipline holding them in place.
A few smiles slipped through anyway, and they awed at them.
Napoleon II pulled back and knelt down in front of her.
"Napoleon... what are you doing?" she asked.
He didn’t answer right away. He rested his hands lightly at her hips, and then snuggled his right cheek onto her belly.
Seeing that, Elisabeth smiled and caressed his hair with her hands.
"Our baby is forming in this womb of yours. You take care of your health now from this moment forward, I will provide you with everything to make sure our baby is healthy."
Elisabeth was moved by those words and nodded. "Of course."
"Oh I wonder if it’s a boy or a girl," Napoleon II said.
"Would you prefer it to be a boy so that you can have an heir already?" Elisabeth asked softly.
Napoleon II shook his head, his face was rubbing on her belly. "No, be it a boy or a girl, it doesn’t matter to me. They are my baby after all"
He stayed there another second, then pushed himself back to his feet in one smooth motion. The excitement hadn’t left him, it had simply narrowed into focus.
He turned toward the nearest servant.
"You," he said, not harshly. "Fetch the Chief Court Mistress. Montreval. Now."
The servant bowed. "At once, Your Imperial Majesty."
The doors opened and closed in quick succession as the message traveled down the corridor. Napoleon returned his attention to Elisabeth, hands still hovering near her waist like he was afraid she might tip over if he blinked.
"Why are you calling my Chief Court Mistress?"
"I just want a word," Napoleon II said.
Within minutes, the doors opened and Chief Court Mistress Montreval entered.
"Your Imperial Majesty. Your Imperial Majesty," she said, bowing first to Napoleon, then to Elisabeth.
Napoleon gestured her closer.
"Montreval," he said plainly. "The Empress is pregnant. I’m sure you already know about that."
"Her Majesty has already told you, Your Imperial Majesty."
"Yes and from this moment forward, the Empress’s schedule is to be reviewed and reduced," he said. "No prolonged ceremonies. No unnecessary standing engagements. If it looks tiring, it’s removed."
"Yes, sire," Montreval said, already committing it to memory.
"I want the palace physician assigned directly to her," Napoleon continued. "Regular examinations. Diet supervision. Everything."
"Understood."
"And her meals," he added. "I believed our chef could cook perfect meals for a pregnant woman?"
"Yes, Your Imperial Majesty."
Napoleon glanced at Elisabeth, then back to Montreval.
"Coordinate with Beaumont about this. Treat this as your top priority. The baby in her womb right now is the heir of the Empire of France. I don’t want anything to happen to my wife and my future child."
"We will treat this with the highest priority, Your Imperial Majesty," Montreval said without hesitation. "The Empress will not be left unattended. I will personally supervise her schedule and staff rotation."
Napoleon gave a short nod. "Good. That should be all. You are dismissed."
Montreval bowed her head before retreating back to a few steps.
Napoleon II looked at Elisabeth and smiled. "I love you."
"I love you too!"
