Reincarnated as Napoleon

“The truth is…” Napoleon repeated, his voice faltering. He felt the weight of his secret bearing down on him, suffocating his words before they could escape his lips. He gazed into Ciela’s eyes, searching for a glimmer of understanding or acceptance, but all he saw was love and trust.

The lump in his throat grew larger, constricting his breath and paralyzing his resolve. He wanted to tell Ciela the truth, to reveal his identity as a man from the future, but the fear of losing her and everything they had built together held him captive.

Memories of their journey together flooded his mind— their wedding day, the joyous celebrations, the birth of their beautiful twins. How could he risk jeopardizing the happiness they had found in each other’s arms?

His hands trembled with the weight of his decision. Napoleon knew he couldn’t keep his secret hidden forever, yet the timing never seemed right. Doubt gnawed at him, planting seeds of uncertainty that threatened to unravel their bond.

As Napoleon held Ciela’s hand in his trembling grasp, he made a choice. A choice to protect their love, even if it meant living with the burden of his secret. He couldn’t bear the thought of losing her, the woman who had brought light into his life and made him believe in the beauty of a shared future.

With a heavy heart, Napoleon cast his gaze downward, unable to meet Ciela’s loving eyes. His voice, barely above a whisper, found its way through the lump in his throat.

“Never mind, my love,” he finally managed to say. “It’s nothing important. Just a passing thought.”

Ciela studied him with concern, sensing his inner turmoil. She squeezed his hand gently, a gesture of reassurance that brought him a semblance of comfort.

“Are you sure? It seemed serious…” Ciela asked.

He mustered a weak smile, attempting to alleviate her worry. “I promise, my love, it’s truly nothing. Just a fleeting moment of contemplation. You needn’t concern yourself. Here, come here.”

Napoleon pulled her closer, giving her a tight embrace. His arms wrapped around her delicate frame and his chin rested atop the crown of her head, savoring the sweet scent of her hair. 𝑛𝒪𝒱𝓔𝑳𝗇𝓮xt.𝓒𝑂𝔪

“Darling…I can’t…breathe…”

Napoleon loosened his hold on Ciela, realizing the intensity of his embrace. He released a sheepish chuckle, a mix of relief and amusement. “My apologies, my love. Sometimes, I forget my own strength when I’m wrapped up in you.”

Ciela giggled her laughter like music to his ears. She stepped back slightly, looking up at him with a playful glint in her eyes.

“Well, you’ve always had a way of making me feel breathless, Napoleon, but this time it was quite literal.”

He smiled, grateful for her lightheartedness at that moment. It provided a much-needed respite from the weight of his secret. Napoleon reached out, gently brushing a stray strand of hair behind Ciela’s ear. His voice softened, filled with both love and longing.

“You bring so much joy into my life, my darling. I can’t imagine a single day without you by my side.”

“You are being weird right now, Napoleon,” Ciela pouted.

“Do I really?” Napoleon rubbed the back of his neck, his eyes searching Ciela’s face for any sign of understanding. “I suppose I’ve been preoccupied with thoughts lately, my love.”

“Well, I believe it must be your appointment as commander of the Army of Italy, not to mention, your campaign will start in two months,” Ciela said, her expression thoughtful.

“Yeah, it must be because of it,” Napoleon lied and continued. “Darling, can I hug you again?”

Ciela’s brow furrowed slightly, sensing that something else troubled Napoleon beyond his upcoming military campaign. However, she chose not to press further, respecting his need for space and understanding. She nodded, a soft smile gracing her lips.

“Of course, my love. You can always hug me.”

Ciela leaned forward, closing the distance between them. As Napoleon’s arms enveloped her, she rested her head against his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart. She wondered what was plaquing Napoleon’s mind.

“I’m sorry…Ciela,” Napoleon said inwardly. “This is a secret I chose to omit from you…”

One hour later, the couple arrived in Paris, specifically at the motive power depot of their railway company.

Napoleon stepped out of the carriage, offering a hand to help Ciela down. She accepted his hand as she gracefully stepped out of the carriage, her eyes never leaving his face.

They walked hand in hand towards the bustling depot, the clatter of trains, the hissing of steams, the clanking of metals, and the shouts of the workers filling the air. The supervisor, Henri, greeted them with a wave of the hand.

“General Bonaparte, Madame Bonaparte, you graced us with your presence once again. We are honored to have you here,” Henri said with a respectful nod.

Ciela returned the nod with a smile. “Henri, it’s good to see you. How are things progressing?”

Henri’s face lit up as he spoke enthusiastically. “General, our railway operations have expanded. We have finally connected most of our southern regions to the main railway network, and we are making steady progress in extending the lines to the northern regions and eastern regions. Currently, we have 2,000 kilometers of total railway lines. By the end of the century, we might reach 3,000 kilometers.”

“That’s great to hear, don’t you think darling?” Ciela looked up at Napoleon, hoping to include him in the conversation.

“Indeed. Anyways, where is Etienne?” Napoleon asked.

“He’s at his workshop along with Pierre and Jacques. Shall I inform him of your arrival, General?”

“Yes, please,”

Henri nodded and quickly made his way toward the workshop, leaving Napoleon and Ciela alone in the bustling depot.

Napoleon observed the interior of the motive power depot. Especially at the section where parts are being manufactured through the uses of a lathe, mill, and steam press. A series of line shafts overhead converted the power of steam into mechanical energy, driving the various machines that brought life to the depot.

“Ciela, you mentioned in the list about electric motors, right? You have the basic knowledge about its principle and concept, I’m wondering if we can introduce it to make our factories more efficient?”

“I’ll try…my knowledge about electrical motors is purely theoretical. I haven’t even seen one of them in the past,” Ciela said. “But first, in order to build it, you must build an infrastructure to support it. Electricity generation…”

“General Napoleon…” Henri interrupted, having already returned from the workshop. “Etienne is here now.”

Napoleon glanced at the man behind Henri. “Henri!” he called. “Is it done?”

“Yes sir, would you like to see it?” Etienne, who was donned in coveralls filled with grease and dirt, stepped forward with a proud smile on his face.

“Of course,” Napoleon smiled and felt a tug on his sleeves.

“What is it?” Ciela asked curiously.

“I’ll show you later,” Napoleon said as he followed Etienne toward the workshop.

Arriving at the workshop, Etienne picked up a wooden box and opened it to reveal a .357 magnum revolver. Napoleon’s eyes widened in surprise as he looked at the gleaming firearm nestled within the box.

Napoleon picked up the revolver from the box and scanned the elegant design and craftsmanship.

“Etienne, you have done it again,” Napoleon praised. “I will bring this along with me to Italy.”

“Are you sure, General? You haven’t even tested it.”

“I’ll test it in my estate,” Napoleon said. “Just hand me the cartridges that you built along with this revolver.”

“Very well, sir,” Etienne handed Napoleon a small wooden box filled with cartridges.

“Good.”

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