webnovel

Chapter Two: Napoleon?Napoleon!

"Sigh! Strange things happen every year, and now it's my turn. I was just playing a few games at home, and somehow I ended up in this godforsaken place. Who do I even complain to about this?"

A few days later, an 11- or 12-year-old boy was muttering to himself as he pounded the table. His face was full of confusion and frustration—expressions you wouldn't expect to see on a child's face.

Yes, this child was the newly transported Roland.

Roland looked up at the ceiling, his face filled with helplessness, and sighed, "It looks like my soul has been transported here, taking over this kid's body."

Realizing this, Roland was stunned, unable to process it at first.

Roland wasn't unfamiliar with the concept of transmigration. As a seasoned reader, he'd read plenty of novels about people traveling through time. Like many others, Roland had daydreamed about traveling back in time, using his knowledge to outshine the locals, then rising to the top, ruling the world, and living the luxurious life of a conqueror. But Roland never expected that transmigration would actually exist, and, even more improbably, that he would become one of the lucky few. However, his initial excitement soon turned to frustration: "This is crazy! Why do all the other transmigration stories involve people getting cheat-like systems, quickly ascending to power, and becoming invincible, while my case lacks all of that, and I end up in a regular, middle-class family? What a letdown!"

Roland had tried to find a way to leave, but no matter what he did, he couldn't escape or return to the modern world.

As the saying goes, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do." Feeling defeated, Roland's journey from denial to begrudging acceptance and then eventual resignation happened quite quickly. His coarse nerves helped him come to terms with his new reality.

Fortunately, after some subtle probing of his new father, Roland gained a basic understanding of his current environment. He was in 18th-century France during the French Revolution. What excited him even more was his last name, not just his first name. His full name was "Roland-Louis-Bonaparte."

Sharing a last name with "Napoleon Bonaparte." There weren't many people in France with the surname "Bonaparte," so Roland was convinced that his family must have some connection to Napoleon.

This fact was confirmed by his father. His father, Louis Bonaparte, was Napoleon's younger brother. This discovery filled Roland with excitement; he never imagined he'd end up related to Napoleon.

There's an old Chinese saying: "When one person achieves success, even their chickens and dogs ascend." Napoleon's greatness needed no explanation, and Roland thought that perhaps, in the future, he could ride on Napoleon's coattails and maybe even snag a title like "Count" for himself!

The sheer impact of this revelation was overwhelming, and Roland had to pause and collect his thoughts. Suddenly, he had a realization and immediately got up to look for a calendar. He found that the date on the calendar was December 1790, indicating that this was still the French Revolution period. The Bonaparte family hadn't risen to prominence yet, and even Napoleon was just an obscure soldier at this point.

Roland vividly remembered that Napoleon first made his mark during the 1793 Siege of Toulon. He hoped that the Bonaparte family's history wouldn't change because of him; otherwise, he could end up being the "villain" of the family.

As he thought about all this, Roland felt his eyelids growing heavier. Fatigue washed over him, and it wasn't surprising. After all, this wasn't his original body, and he wasn't accustomed to it yet. Moreover, he had just recovered from a serious illness, and it would take some time for him to fully regain his strength.

...

"Oh! My little Roland, what are you muttering about?" Just as Roland was processing everything that had happened, a woman's voice suddenly echoed in his ear, filled with concern. It was his mother, Julia. She was an ordinary woman, not particularly striking, but gentle and caring. Like many other housewives, she toiled day and night, devoting her entire heart to her family. She was doing her best to care for this large household.

"It's nothing; I'm fine, don't worry," Roland replied, forcing a smile as he softly reassured her.

"That's truly wonderful!; I'm just glad you're okay. You don't know how scared I was while you were sick," Julia said, her face filled with relief. She couldn't contain her emotions and pulled Roland into a tight hug.

 "Sorry, Mother, for making you worry," Roland replied, feeling a bit guilty as he was embraced. He could sense the deep motherly love emanating from Julia. She was worried about her son, but she didn't know that her son was now someone else—a stranger in her son's body.

 "Mother, is there something you wanted to tell me? Why did you come over so suddenly?" Roland asked, trying to change the subject to relieve some of the pressure from Julia's emotional embrace. He knew that his mother was very busy and barely had any time to rest, so her visit probably meant she had something important to share.

 "Oh! Right, I almost forgot why I came over. You distracted me!" Julia said, patting her head as she remembered why she'd come to see Roland. She had been so concerned about his health that she nearly forgot her original reason for visiting.

 "Roland, do you remember? Next Saturday is your grandfather's birthday. So he's decided to have the whole family come over to celebrate. Originally, we weren't sure if you'd be able to go, given your condition, but luckily, you're feeling better now," Julia explained, clapping her hands with joy. It was clear that nothing made her happier than Roland's recovery.

 "My grandfather's birthday, and the whole family is going?" Roland listened closely to his mother's words, picking up on a key detail.

 "If the whole family is going, will Uncle Napoleon be there?" Roland asked his mother with excitement. He'd always wanted to meet Napoleon, the historical figure.

 "Of course, he'll be there. I'm surprised you and Uncle Napoleon get along so well," Julia said with a smile, clearly pleased by Roland's enthusiasm.

 (Contextual note: In this setting, the protagonist was born in 1780, allowing him to align with Napoleon's timeline. Napoleon was born in 1769, making him 21 at this point in the story. To fit the plot, his birthdate may be shifted slightly for narrative cohesion.)

Chương tiếp theo