"Oh my god... He really has returned," Barras's lower lip trembled as he read the note handed to him by his secretary.
"This is really a bad sign, an omen if you must say," Moulin added, his voice too quivering from the prospect of Napoleon's arrival in Paris. "According to the report, the reception of Napoleon's return to Toulon was a resounding success. The people hailed him as their savior, and his popularity seems to have only grown stronger."
Barras crumpled the note in his hand, his face pale with apprehension. "We underestimated him. We thought we had quelled the threat by sending him away on an expedition, but it seems we have only fueled the fire of his ambition."
Moulin nodded solemnly, his mind racing with thoughts of the consequences. "The Directory's grip on power is already weak. With Napoleon's return and the backing of the public, our position becomes even more precarious."
