This chapter is updated by nov(e)(l)biin.com
After his intense encounter with Hippolyte, Napoleon wasted no time in making his way back home. With determined strides, he reached the grand Chateau and headed straight for Ciela's bedroom. Pushing the door open, he entered to find Ciela and their two little children gathered inside.
"Oh... Papa is already here," Ciela exclaimed, her voice carrying a mixture of relief and surprise. The children turned their attention to the door, their innocent eyes widening as they laid eyes on their father standing before them.
"Papa!" Aveline exclaimed, her voice filled with a mix of joy and curiosity.
Napoleon ambled forward, a gentle smile spreading across his face. The weariness from his encounter with Hippolyte faded away in the presence of his beloved family. He knelt down before Aveline and Francis, opening his arms wide.
"Come here, my little ones," he said softly, his voice filled with tenderness. "It feels like forever since I last held you both."
Aveline and Francis rushed into their father's embrace, their small bodies fitting snugly against his chest. Napoleon enveloped them in a warm hug, savoring the familiar scent of their hair and the feel of their tiny arms wrapped around him.
"Oh, how I've missed you," Napoleon whispered, his voice filled with a mix of longing and adoration. "I've thought of you every day, my precious ones."
Ciela watched their tender reunion from her bed, a soft smile gracing her lips. Seeing Napoleon with their children filled her heart with warmth.
"Papa, are you staying home with us now?" Aveline asked with Francis leaning forward as if eager to hear his answer.
"Unfortunately, my little ones, not yet. Papa is still in a battle with the enemy, so I will leave in a few days. But don't worry, papa will be safe and will return to you as soon as I can," Napoleon replied.
Aveline and Francis exchanged glances, their expressions reflecting a mixture of understanding and disappointment. They had grown accustomed to their father's absence, but the yearning for his constant presence lingered in their young hearts.
Napoleon gently set Aveline and Francis down, his hands lingering on their shoulders for a moment before releasing them. He stood up, straightening his attire, and turned his attention to the maids who were present in the room.
Napoleon leaned closer, a playful grin on his face. "Well, let's just say I asked him nicely to stay away from you."
Ciela giggled. "Is that so?" she paused for a moment, gathering her thoughts before speaking. "Napoleon...you must be wondering why someone like me falters to a man like him? Sure I could take care of him better than you but..." she trailed off, remembering her dark memories.
"It's okay, you don't have to explain yourself," Napoleon said.
"No, I think you should know, my love," Ciela said. "I told you my occupation in my previous world. I am a Vtuber...an entertainer. In my line of work, I have thousands of fans around the world...but one of those fans stalked me relentlessly. It started innocently enough, with messages and comments, but it quickly escalated into something much more sinister, eventually taking my life. Charles said something that matched one of the stalker's messages to me."
Hearing that, Napoleon confirmed that Ciela was indeed suffering from trauma. But her telling that to him is making him guilty. He hadn't been fair to her, keeping his true identity while she divulged her previous life. He knew at one point, Ciela is going to find by herself, so he might as well confess now. He took a moment to gather his thoughts and prepare himself for the outcome.
"Ciela...I too have a secret to share with you," Napoleon began.
Ciela tilted her head to the side. "What is it, my love?"
"You see, I'm not the Napoleon Bonaparte that you look up to, I'm just someone who shares the same circumstances as you, dying and getting reincarnated in this world."
There, Napoleon closed his eyes, afraid of the reaction that would follow his confession. He waited for Ciela's response, his heart pounding with uncertainty. He opened his left eye slightly, peeking at Ciela through his lashes.
Napoleon continued.
"You see, there was a goddess named Ciel who made a mistake by cutting my life thread prematurely. In exchange for that error, she offered me a second chance—a chance to live another life in a different world. However, she didn't reveal that I would be reincarnated as Napoleon of this universe. What I do know is that Ciel granted me a gift—a special ability to access information. This ability allows me to learn about the technology and concepts of my previous life. From thermodynamics to steam engines, everything I know is essentially a replication of the knowledge I possessed before. Even my military achievements were based on studying and implementing the strategies of the real Napoleon Bonaparte from a specific battle."
Despite telling all that, Ciela remained her beautiful smile on her face as she listened to Napoleon's story.
"I kept it from you because I was afraid. Afraid that revealing the truth would change how you saw me, that it would alter our relationship. I wanted to preserve the love and trust we share, even if it meant hiding this part of myself. It was a lie I was willing to carry alone, but I've come to realize that keeping it from you is not fair to either of us. So that's why..."
"I see...Thank you for telling me this, Napoleon. But you don't have to worry about me changing my impression of you because I already knew."
"You...knew?" Napoleon repeated, his voice breaking. "Since when?"
Ciela simply smiled, recalling the memories of how she found out that the man in front of her is not the Napoleon she studied in history but a different man.