BXBX NOVEL Chapter 71 Moments Shared
Proxy Connection Failed!
Before his daughter woke up in his arms, he returned her to Ciela, who lovingly cradled Aveline against her chest. The bond between mother and child was undeniable, and it filled Napoleon\'s heart with warmth to witness their connection.
Ciela gently put Aveline back into her crib, ensuring that she was comfortable and safe before stepping away. She turned to Napoleon and took his hand, leading him out of the room.
Napoleon followed willingly, and as they got out of the room, he asked.
"Why did you drag me out?"
"I missed you, Napoleon. You were away for a month. I want to hear your stories. Did something interesting happen?"
Napoleon chuckled, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "Well, I put down a rebellion in Paris. I\'m sure you already know of it but the interesting part is that I got promoted to the Général de Division and was appointed as the General in Chief of the Army of Interior, responsible for protecting France from internal threats."
"And?" Ciela asked, as if eager to hear more.
"And I have been offered the position of Commander of the Army of Italy by the Directory, and I accepted it," Napoleon revealed, his smile widening.
"Oh my, that\'s wonderful news, Napoleon!" Ciela exclaimed, her face radiant with pride and excitement. "Commander of the Army of Italy! You\'ve come so far, my love."
Napoleon chuckled. "It\'s too early to judge my dear. I still have to lead those men to victory first before I can truly celebrate."
"Still, Napoleon, it is a great honor and a testament to your abilities," Ciela said, her voice filled with unwavering belief. "I have no doubt that you will succeed in your endeavors, even if I didn\'t tell you what\'s going to happen in the future. Follow me, Napoleon."
Napoleon followed Ciela towards her office, and there she sat at her desk, motioning for Napoleon to take a seat opposite her. He settled into the chair, curiosity piqued by Ciela\'s mysterious request.
Ciela took a moment to gather her thoughts before speaking. "Napoleon, while you were away, I had the opportunity to return back to my work. I have received news from our engineering department that they have finished building the prototype for the spark gap radios."
Napoleon hummed in interest, leaning forward. "And I\'m assuming that it\'s already delivered here, am I right?"
"That\'s right," Ciela said before flicking her finger, summoning Beaumont and beckoning him forward. Beaumont stepped into the room with a small wooden box cradled in his hands.
Ciela motioned for Beaumont to place the box on the table between her and Napoleon. As he opened it, a meticulously crafted spark gap radio, complete with its intricate circuitry, wires, and antenna was revealed.
"Where is the receiver?" Napoleon asked, noticing the absence of a corresponding device.
Ciela smiled and reached into a drawer of her desk, retrieving a smaller box. She opened it to reveal a matching receiver, identical in craftsmanship to the transmitter.
"Here is the receiver, Napoleon," Ciela said. "With both the transmitter and the receiver, we can establish two-way communication, allowing us to receive messages as well as transmit them. Do you want to try it?"
"Yes," Napoleon agreed and both of them began setting up the transmitter and receiver on separate desks in Ciela\'s office. Beaumont stood by, ready to assist as needed.
Minutes later, Napoleon began tapping his finger on and off rapidly on the telegraph key, producing a meaningful intermittent rhythm.
Ciela watched as the receiver on her desk buzzed to life, capturing the coded signals transmitted by Napoleon.
"It\'s working, darling!" Ciela exclaimed, her eyes filled with wonder and excitement. She listened intently, deciphering the rhythmic patterns of Napoleon\'s taps and translating them into meaningful messages.
"Ahh…I love you too," Ciela replied after deciphering Napoleon\'s coded message of affection.
"Uhm…Madame Bonaparte, how are you knowing what General Bonaparte is tapping on the telegraph key?" Beaumont asked curiously.
Ciela turned to Beaumont with a warm smile. "Ah, Beaumont, it\'s a process of wireless telegraphy, similar to telegraph but without wires. You see, when Napoleon taps on the key, he creates a series of electrical signals that are converted into rapid bursts of energy, creating electromagnetic waves that travel through the air to my receiver. These waves carry distinct patterns, which I can interpret as meaningful messages."
"I see…" Beaumont hummed in fascination.
"Anyways, what do you think, my dear?" Ciela turned to Napoleon. "Should we demonstrate this to the Directoire?"
"It\'s going to need some improvements," Napoleon said and continued. "Like increasing the range of the signal and refining the encoding system for more efficient communication. We should also explore the possibility of miniaturizing the devices, making them more portable and easier to use in the field."
As he said that, Napoleon began planning how he would improve the spark gap radios to increase their range. For example, he could experiment with different antenna designs to enhance the signal strength and transmission range. Or he could implement amplification techniques to boost the power of the signals, allowing for longer-range communication. Additionally, Napoleon considered the possibility of building signal towers or using integrating existing military infrastructure such as the semaphore station.
Good thing that he has four months before he will depart for his new command in Italy. Four months would provide him with ample time to collaborate with the engineers and scientists, fine-tuning the spark gap radios to their full potential.
"Beaumont, please take this spark gap radio away," Napoleon instructed, gesturing towards the transmitter and receiver.
"Understood, sire," Beaumont replied, carefully gathering the spark gap radios and preparing to take them back to where he had taken them.
Alone in their room, Napoleon looked at Ciela with a soft gaze.
"Darling," Napoleon said softly, reaching out to take her hand in his. "Can I rest my head on your lap? I missed the feeling…"
Ciela smiled tenderly and nodded gently, inviting Napoleon to settle himself on the couch across the room. She gracefully sat down, and Napoleon positioned himself with his head resting on her lap.
Napoleon felt his head slightly sink into the softness of Ciela\'s lap, and a sense of tranquility washed over him.
Ciela lovingly ran her fingers through Napoleon\'s dark hair, a soothing gesture that always brought him a sense of calm. As his eyes closed, he let out a contented sigh, allowing himself to fully relax in Ciela\'s touch.
For a while, they sat in peaceful silence, enveloped in the comfort of each other\'s presence. The room was filled with a serene ambiance, illuminated by the soft glow of the afternoon sunlight streaming through the window.
"Ah~! I\'m in heaven," Napoleon muttered as he opened his eyes to see Ciela\'s face. "I can\'t believe I\'m staring at an angel."
Ciela giggled. Her laughter was like music to Napoleon\'s ears, and he couldn\'t help but smile at the sound.
"Oh darling, you are so silly~!" Ciela said affectionately. She leaned down and planted a gentle kiss on Napoleon\'s forehead. "But I am glad that you find comfort in my presence."
Their eyes locked in a tender gaze, and the room seemed to fade away, leaving only the two of them in that intimate moment.
"So, how are our children? Are they behaving well? They are not crying a lot right?"
Ciela\'s smile widened at Napoleon\'s inquiry about their children. "Oh, Napoleon, they are doing splendidly," she replied warmly. "Aveline is growing so fast, and she has the sweetest giggles. As for Francis, he is becoming more curious every day, always reaching out to touch everything within his tiny grasp."
"I cannot wait to spend more time with them. I will make the most out of my free time here in Paris before I head to Italy."
Ciela stroked her hand through Napoleon\'s hair once more, her touch gentle and comforting. She knew that Napoleon\'s campaign in Italy would be successful, and after that, he\'ll be sent to Egypt to undermine the British presence in the region. However, she also knew that it\'ll end in failure as the British Navy dominated the region. Even if Napoleon successfully defeated the British Navy in the siege of Toulon, the British sent more ships to the region, commanded by Horatio Nelson.
Nelson is the most renowned naval commander in the world, and his expertise would prove formidable in the face of Napoleon\'s ambitions in Egypt. If she wants Napoleon to be successful in Egypt, she has to eliminate Nelson.
And at that moment, Ciela decided.