Make France Great Again-Chapter 628 - 619 "Militia Missile

Chapter 628: Chapter 619 "Militia Missile
"Do you live here?"
Looking at the simple room in front of him, Jerome Bonaparte found it hard to associate it with Vilnius.
"Yes, why?" Vilnius responded to Jerome Bonaparte while taking off her nurse’s cap and letting her hair down, "This is already the best room in the entire hospital!"
Jerome Bonaparte carefully scrutinized Vilnius, his mind involuntarily comparing her to the woman he first met a few years ago, "Vilnius, you’ve changed!"
Vilnius was stunned for a few seconds, then asked, "How have I changed?"
"You’ve become more simple and kind-hearted!" Jerome Bonaparte came up to Vilnius, gently flicked her forehead with his finger, "Do you remember when we first met..."
"Please, stop talking!" A hint of shame appeared on Vilnius’s face, a blemish she couldn’t erase in her lifetime.
Jerome Bonaparte didn’t stop because of Vilnius’s request and continued, "Back then, you were like a proud little peacock..."
"I’m begging you, please don’t say any more!" Vilnius pleaded softly.
Seeing that Vilnius was unwilling to look back at the past, Jerome Bonaparte had to stop, "I want to say that you’re even more charming now than you were before! You probably don’t know yet, but over the past month that you’ve been here, your name has been sung throughout France! Many ladies see you as their idol, and many gentlemen want to marry someone like you!"
"Ah! Really?" Victoria gasped in surprise, unaware of what had been happening in France while she was in Constantinople.
"Of course!" Jerome Bonaparte replied to Vilnius with certainty, "The parents you’ve helped on the frontline are all grateful to you! You have already gained a noble reputation!"
Vilnius’s reputation in France, under the promotion of Jerome Bonaparte, had become second only to Empress Augusta.
Of course, there were also a few independent newspapers trying to find flaws in Vilnius to gain attention, but before Jerome Bonaparte could intervene, they were smashed overnight by angry Parisians.
No newspaper dared to "go against the flow."
"Noble?" Vilnius murmured, a trace of disappointment showing in her eyes. It seemed she wasn’t fond of those words.
"What’s wrong? Don’t you like it?" Jerome Bonaparte noticed something was off with Vilnius and quickly asked.
"Your Majesty, I..." Vilnius hesitated for a moment before reorganizing her words and asking, "Is it really worth doing this?"
"What is worth it? Not worth it? Vilnius, you’re confusing me!" Jerome Bonaparte asked puzzledly about Vilnius’s half-finished sentence.
"What I mean is... is this war really worth it?" Vilnius asked with a hint of compassion in her eyes and a slightly trembling voice, "If only we didn’t have to pay these prices, that would be better!"
Vilnius hasn’t become a Holy Mother, has she? Jerome Bonaparte couldn’t help but wonder.
However, he didn’t exactly dislike those with Holy Mother-like attitudes. At least they practiced what they preached.
What he disliked were hypocrites who only talked the talk and retreated behind the scenes when asked to act.
But if Vilnius turned from a Holy Mother into an anti-war person, Jerome Bonaparte would find it somewhat troublesome.
After all, if there were enough anti-war individuals, his fervent theories would be in jeopardy!
"Vilnius, sometimes we have to pay certain prices!" Jerome Bonaparte softly comforted her, "Some wars can’t just be stopped by our will; it depends on both sides’, or even many sides’, attitudes! I wish to pursue peace, but the Russian Empire is set in its ways, so a war is inevitable!"
"I know!" Vilnius nodded. She understood Jerome Bonaparte’s meaning, but still somewhat unwillingly asked, "Can’t countries understand each other?"
"Vilnius, your idea is great! If everyone thought like you, there would be no more wars in this world!" Jerome Bonaparte first affirmed Vilnius’ point and then responded to her: "But you must understand one thing, the relationships between nations are never equal! A powerful nation can support neighboring weaker nations, making them its buffer, just like the French Empire and the Kingdom of Sardinia; it can also bully, or even annex weaker nations, just like the Russian Empire... But regardless of the model, it fundamentally comes down to the strong oppressing the weak! This has been the history of human development for thousands of years, something that has been imprinted in our genes since our ancestors were still apes!"
"Apes? Genes?" Vilnius looked at Jerome Bonaparte curiously, "Weren’t we created by God?"
It was only then that Jerome Bonaparte remembered that Darwin’s ’The Origin of Species’ wouldn’t be published until 1859, and the theory of genetics was even further in the future.
"This is something a friend of mine told me, he said all species in the world evolved! We humans also evolved from apes!" Jerome Bonaparte had no choice but to explain stiffly, unsure whether Darwin had even started writing his work ’The Origin of Species’.
[PS: Darwin began writing ’The Origin of Species’ in 1855, so Darwin hasn’t started writing it yet in this context.]
"Really?" A trace of confusion revealed itself in Vilnius’ eyes.
"Of course it’s true!" Jerome Bonaparte boasted to Vilnius with certainty, "My friend has conducted field research in many countries before coming to this conclusion. In a few years, he will publish his research! By then, you will understand whether what I said is right or not!
Besides, weren’t we talking about war? How did we suddenly switch to other topics? Let’s return to this issue!"
"Your Majesty, you said that wars are unavoidable! Does that mean we have no other way to eliminate wars?" Vilnius replied to Jerome Bonaparte.
"Regrettably, as of now, we have no way to do that!" Jerome Bonaparte shook his head in response.
"Alas!" Vilnius sighed deeply and self-deprecatingly said, "If war itself is a sin, then my career cannot be called ’noble,’ we too are just evil executioners and accomplices! Especially someone like me who came here with other motives in the first place!"
"Vilnius, you shouldn’t say that! Regardless of your motives for coming here, once you arrived and devoted yourself fully to your work, you have already surpassed those who only stand at the high ground and criticize without taking action!" Jerome Bonaparte patiently consoled Vilnius, "You cannot avoid war, but you can help many young people stand up again with your own hands! That is already a very noble thing!"
"But, Your Majesty!" Vilnius said tearfully to Jerome Bonaparte, "Do you know? When I see young people of my age, struggling painfully, wailing in front of me until they stop and die, and I am powerless to help them, that feeling..."
"I know!" Jerome Bonaparte gently embraced Vilnius, feeling her tremble, and began to regret letting her experience these things.
The current state of Vilnius reminded Jerome Bonaparte of PTSD from the future.
PTSD, also known as post-traumatic stress disorder, refers to a psychiatric disorder that occurs after experiencing, witnessing, or being confronted with one or more events involving actual or threatened death, serious injury, or threats to physical integrity, leading to delayed and persistent mental disturbances.
According to future statistics on PTSD incidence, the rate of occurrence is much higher in females than in males.
Therefore, Jerome Bonaparte suspected that Vilnius might have been affected by witnessing the conditions of the veterians, likewise contracting this illness.
"Vilnius, why don’t... you come back with me!" Faced with the choice between fame and Vilnius’ mental and physical well-being, Jerome Bonaparte opted for Vilnius’ departure, not wanting to see a young girl tormented by PTSD: "After the commendation ceremony, return to Paris with me, return to the Tuileries Palace!"
Upon hearing Jerome Bonaparte’s answer, Vilnius felt a warmth in her heart, she lifted her head and resolutely responded to him: "No! Your Majesty, I want to stay here! Until the war is over!"
"No! I’m afraid your mind cannot take it!" Jerome Bonaparte shook his head, it had only been over a month, and Vilnius was already like this.
If the war were more brutal and the number of soldiers transported to Constantinople increased, it would be hard to believe that Vilnius wouldn’t really suffer from PTSD.
"No! Your Majesty, I can handle it!" Vilnius replied decisively to Jerome Bonaparte, "I’m not as fragile as you think!"
"But just now..." Jerome Bonaparte couldn’t help but worry about Vilnius.
"I was just venting to you!" Vilnius playfully stuck out her tongue, "In this hospital, I cannot show any weakness! Only in your presence!"
Looking at the determined Vilnius in front of him, Jerome Bonaparte sighed and said: "Since you insist, I won’t force you! But, take good care of yourself!"
"I will! Your Majesty!" Vilnius slightly raised herself on tiptoe and captured Jerome Bonaparte’s lips with her own, then used her slender hand to grasp Jerome Bonaparte’s volunteer missile: "Love me!"