"Mr. Ismail, could you please tell me honestly why you are so eager to meet with me!"
Jerome Bonaparte's overly straightforward opening left Ismail somewhat at a loss.
Ismail had mentally rehearsed many scenarios of their meeting, but he never expected Jerome Bonaparte to open so directly.
If it were an ordinary diplomatic meeting, Jerome Bonaparte would pretend to make small talk before tentatively inquiring about his purpose, and then Ismail would similarly respond tentatively to Jerome Bonaparte.
Both parties would reach a certain level of cooperation through mutual probing, or they would realize they could no longer continue to cooperate and would stop to preserve their friendship.
Who would have thought that Jerome Bonaparte would straightforwardly inquire about Ismail's purpose for arriving at Fontainebleau Palace, leaving Ismail unsure whether to also state his purpose succinctly to Jerome Bonaparte.
