The speeding carriage took less than 10 minutes to reach their destination at the residence of Baron Achille Fuld. In front of this mansion, renowned for its luxury, Jerome Bonaparte once again felt the allure of wealth.
The mansion, surrounded by iron railings on both sides, covered an area almost 10 times that of the Rhine Inn where Jerome Bonaparte resided. Perhaps it was the protection of the divine (or was it money?) that spared this mansion from the two proletarian revolutions in February and June, which instead destroyed the civilian buildings flanking the mansion.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk! It seems the shells of capitalism also know to steer clear of the wealthy!" Jerome Bonaparte couldn’t help but blurt out with malicious amusement.
Mathilde, standing beside Jerome Bonaparte, remained silent and pinched his knuckle with her slender fingers, so that her little brother would remember this lesson.
Jerome Bonaparte rolled his eyes in pain, only then did Mathilde halt her crude action.
The two arrived at the entrance of the mansion, where two guards blocked their path.
"Beautiful lady, may I see your invitation, please?" The guard courteously addressed Mathilde, his gaze continually watching Jerome Bonaparte as if he had seen a ghost.
Jerome Bonaparte could only offer a friendly smile and nod at the guard. After handing over her invitation, Mathilde explained to the guard, "This is my brother Jerome, who just arrived today, so I brought him along on short notice!"
Seeing Mathilde’s invitation, the guard quickly realized that the person resembling the Emperor before him must be Prince Jerome’s son, Jerome Bonaparte, one of the most promising candidates for the President of France.
For such a rising star in Paris, they couldn’t possibly hinder him.
The guard respectfully returned the invitation to Mathilde and cleared a path.
Jerome Bonaparte and Mathilde proceeded through the mansion’s garden to the steps of the mansion.
At this moment, Achille Fuld, the organizer of the banquet, stood on the mansion’s steps waiting for the distinguished guests to arrive.
Due to the dim evening light, Achille Fuld didn’t realize Princess Mathilde was among the guests, so he hadn’t paid them much heed initially.
It was only when Mathilde and Jerome Bonaparte gradually ascended the steps that Achille Fuld recognized Mathilde and the accompanying Jerome Bonaparte, and was instantly petrified.
In France, where remnants of the hierarchy still existed, Achille Fuld’s behavior could certainly be seen as an "insult" to the Bonaparte Clan, especially with Jerome Bonaparte at Mathilde’s side.
Achille Fuld quickly rushed to the front of Jerome Bonaparte and Princess Mathilde, bowing respectfully as he said, "My apologies to the Prince and Princess!"
"Hmm!" Princess Mathilde held her head high, much like a peacock displaying its feathers, with an aloof look as if expressing her discontent without words.
Achille Fuld was also aware that he had displeased the princess with his neglect. Regrettably, he awkwardly crossed his hands and waited aside.
"Sister!" Jerome Bonaparte gently pinched Mathilde’s palm and then extended his hand with a smile to Achille Fuld, saying, "Baron Fuld, thank you very much for inviting us to attend this banquet!"
Achille Fuld immediately grasped Jerome Bonaparte’s hand warmly, saying to him, "Your Highness, thank you for honoring my banquet with your presence! From you, I feel the rebirth of the Emperor in this world, and only the Emperor can lead this nation out of its chaotic dawn!"
Achille Fuld’s excessive enthusiasm temporarily unsettled Jerome Bonaparte. He could only follow Achille Fuld’s words, saying, "By God’s grace! Even in losing the throne, France still has people like you who yearn for and are loyal to the Empire! However, the times are progressing! We cannot fixate solely on the Empire. In this Republic, there are still many elites like you, and together you can also steer this country back on track. Yet, I believe your loyalty will certainly be rewarded!"
Jerome Bonaparte used an official tone to perfunctorily address Achille Fuld. At this stage, he could not openly talk about restoring the Empire, and had to cloak himself with the guise of the Republic.
"Your Highness, look at the current Republic; it’s simply a mess, with a bunch of chaotic individuals gathering to discuss fruitless topics! They are practically tarnishing this beautiful France!" Achille Fuld expressed indignantly to Jerome Bonaparte.
"A Republic must progress! Being a nascent Republic, we should grant it a certain degree of tolerance!" Jerome Bonaparte continued responding in a diplomatic manner.
"I still believe that only re-establishing the Empire can end this chaotic situation!" Although Achille Fuld sensed Jerome Bonaparte’s distancing, he didn’t doubt the Prince’s ambitions to restore the Empire. It’s just that it was their first meeting, but he believed that if he persistently showed goodwill, the Prince would surely accept him.
Suddenly, Mathilde interjected, "Baron Fuld, I assume the banquet is about to begin, correct?"
Achille Fuld checked his pocket watch; indeed, there were less than five minutes until the banquet’s commencement at 11 o’clock.
"Quick! Come in! Come in!"
Under Achille Fuld’s guidance, Jerome Bonaparte and Mathilde entered the splendidly decorated grand salon together.
"Gentlemen! Ladies! Allow me to formally introduce today’s guests, Prince Jerome Bonaparte and Princess Mathilde!" Achille Fuld announced to everyone present.
All eyes were on Jerome Bonaparte and Princess Mathilde.
Despite wearing the same black fitted coat as his uncle, which seemed out of place with the entire banquet’s attire, Jerome Bonaparte still became the focal point of attention. People compared the image of Emperor Napoleon in their minds to Jerome Bonaparte’s image, finding the two remarkably aligned.
During the banquet, several generals who had served under Emperor Napoleon couldn’t help but softly call out, "Your Majesty!"