Chapter 1: My Brother, Napoleon
A naturally timid engineering student found himself transported to France before the grand revolution, only to become the older brother of the future Emperor Napoleon for some inexplicable reason. Now, he faced a crucial decision: would he seize this opportunity to create his own remarkable destiny or merely cling to this lifeline and drift along?
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In recent days, the city of Ajaccio has been shrouded in relentless rain, and it seems like even the sea has been drenched by this endless downpour. The rain, thick and sticky, pours down from the perpetually overcast skies, descending upon the bay. The sea resembles a gray, soft sponge, rising in the bewildering bay.
Despite the continuous rain, the water's surface seems unnaturally calm. There is a subtle, broad undulation in the sea, creating a misty haze that merges with the damp city walls and blends with the mist from the bay. In every direction, it feels like one is breathing water, and the air has become something you can almost taste.
In this misty ambiance, Joseph Bonaparte, the eldest of the Bonaparte family, tall and slender like a bamboo shoot, is walking along the sandy beach with an umbrella. He's heading towards the cliffs that extend into the sea. These cliffs, now colored the same gray-blue as the sea due to the unending rain, reach into the bay. During the dry Mediterranean summers, Joseph and his younger brothers and sisters often come here to fish among the rocks under the cliffs or search for various seashells and oysters. At these times, their short-statured second youngest, Napoleon, would take a book and run to a natural cave in the middle of the cliffs to read.
"But now, with all this rain, that troublesome fellow, has he gone to that cave again?" Joseph mumbles to himself as he heads towards the cliffs.
That troublesome fellow is none other than his younger brother, Napoleon Bonaparte, who is destined to leave a significant mark on the pages of history. But at this moment, the future Emperor who will dominate Europe is just a headache-inducing child.
Among Joseph's seven brothers and sisters, Napoleon is the one who gives him the most trouble. Perhaps it's because he's always been short and subject to ridicule, his personality is somewhat peculiar. Even among his siblings, very few can get along with him. Despite his small stature, Napoleon has a penchant for violence. Whenever he's teased or gets into a conflict for any reason, he prefers to resolve it directly through physical force.
After ensuring Joseph's complete recovery, Bishop Minio asked Charles to bring Joseph back home. They discovered that the familiar, gentle Joseph had returned, but now he was quieter, more introverted, and had developed a passion for reading. He even started teaching himself French.
Joseph's mother, Letizia, was overjoyed by her son's transformation. She believed that her son's recovery and newfound goodness were solely the result of God's grace. She donated for a mass to express her gratitude. Because of this, she wouldn't entertain any negative comments about Joseph. In her eyes, her son had received God's grace, so how could he possibly do anything wrong?
So, Napoleon's "accuse your brother first" tactic no longer worked on Joseph. If Napoleon attempted to shift blame or make accusations against Joseph, Letizia would grab his ear and make him confess his false accusations before the statue of the Virgin Mary.
Wise young Napoleon quickly realized this and had to show respect to his older brother Joseph. However, Joseph had changed in many ways that he didn't like. While Joseph was once easygoing, he had now become remarkably perceptive, often seeing through Napoleon's schemes. Yet, Joseph never exposed them and always refrained from falling into Napoleon's traps. Besides, Joseph had become well-read and knowledgeable, able to provide convincing answers to Napoleon's clever and quirky questions.
Of course, Joseph had acquired some unpleasant habits as well, the most irritating being his tendency to stroke Napoleon's hair while saying, "My foolish little brother, well, the thing is..."
Today, Napoleon has once again gotten himself into trouble. He beat up the neighbor's child, Paul, too severely, causing the boy to faint. (One of Napoleon's fighting strategies was to never hold back; once you started, you had to commit.)
Paul's father, Mr. Giovanni, is a friend of Carlo, and Paul is his only son. When he saw Paul unconscious, Napoleon immediately realized that his father might severely punish him for this, so he swiftly fled before anyone could react.
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