The Venus Gallery connected Neptune Palace and the Hall of Victory. It was clear that many paintings had originally hung on the walls, but they had all been packed up and taken away, leaving behind only bare, empty walls.
After they walked a little farther, music drifted from the brightly lit hall—or rather, the sound of choral singing. Clearly, after listening to the opera, they were still holding a party and continuing their revelry.
When Georgiana entered the hall, she found that people were holding a masked ball. Others had gathered around the buffet table, drinking and singing, including Georgiana's guardian.
Watching the scene before her, Georgiana could not help sighing. Human joys and sorrows were never truly shared. Napoleon trusted very few people. After Ledrell's performance just now, he would only seem strange standing among the crowd. Perhaps only those with particularly strong curiosity would wonder why he looked so troubled.
She did not want to disturb these people's good mood, nor did she wish to join them. After confirming that the vast majority of them were not a problem, Georgiana returned to her quarters. Stumm had been waiting in the sitting room of the suite for a long time.
Rather than sitting on a stool, he had remained standing. When he saw Georgiana appear, he bowed to her as usual.
She looked at the blue-eyed Mamluk. There was almost no trace of Turkish blood left in him, especially since he was dressed in french clothing. Even though he wore a Mamluk sword at his waist, that was not unusual in Napoleon's court. Many officers, even British officers, carried such swords. Just as Napoleon appeared at banquets and balls in military uniform rather than the sumptuous evening dress of the House of Bourbon, he had set a new fashion.