Flowers, Swords and France

Just as the young Duke of Treville followed General La-Morrisier's troops and used guns and artillery to fight their way through the barricades, the colonel of the National Guard deliberately concealed the secret of Don, who served as an officer under him. The fact that my nephew did not go to the battlefield with a gun.

And his cousin happened to be hiding in his house right now - now, even if someone knew about Charles's escape from the battle, no one would dare to come to the Duke of Treville's house to catch the deserter.

Therefore, in the current situation where the whole city is in commotion, Charles can stay leisurely in the Duke of Treville's palace and enjoy the security that is a luxury for many people.

Just as the troops began to bombard the insurgents' fortified area at the core of the Louis-Philippe Hospital, dinner at the Duke's Palace also started on time as usual. Even in such a chaotic moment, the dinner at Duke Treville's residence was still very luxurious, as if there was no influence from the outside world at all.

However, at this moment, there were very few people sitting in the seats - only Duke Treville and Charles.

Under the candlelight, Charles, dressed in casual clothes, picked up the wine glass and took a careful sip of the wine in the glass.

"This wine is really good." After tasting it, he praised softly.

"This is the best batch of gin we brewed in the farm in the south. Is it just 'good'?" Duke Treville sat on the main seat, his expression still as indifferent as usual, but the tone in his voice But it was a little softer, "I'm old. I can't drink strong liquor anymore. You can drink more..."

"Oh, thank you." Ciel nodded. Then he took another sip, "But I still can't drink more. I've been very busy recently. Keeping my head clear is more important than anything else."

"It's good that you know." The Duke nodded slightly.

"boom!"

While the two members of the Treville family were talking, the restaurant was filled with the sound of gunfire coming from outside, but neither of them showed anything different, as if they were unaware of it.

After enjoying dinner for a while. Duke Treville finally asked about the business.

"How is M. Bonaparte doing?"

Of course he didn't mean just to say hello.

"He's not bad," Charles replied in a low voice. "He has General Cavaignac to help him solve his problems. He has paved the way to the presidency. This is a good thing."

"Really?" The Duke's expression remained unchanged and he continued to cut off a piece of quail meat with his knife. "If it were me, I would also be very happy. But..."

There was suddenly a hint of playfulness in his tone.

"But what?" Charles asked quickly.

"Have you ever considered the possibility of the other party cheating on your gambling?"

"Gambling fraud?" Charles didn't react for a moment.

He looked at the Duke curiously. "What does it mean?"

"Do you really think..." Duke Treville looked at Charles slightly displeased. He seemed a little disappointed with his ignorance, "After killing thousands of people with guns, our dear protector, General Cavaignac, still wants to compete fairly with you and run for president?"

Ciel's heart skipped a beat.

"You mean, they might not go according to the scheduled schedule? Just cancel the presidential election?"

The Duke of Treville wiped his lips with a napkin before answering.

"I'm not sure about this yet. I just heard a little bit of this rumor - someone wants to vote through the National Assembly after the chaos is settled. Directly abolish the voting rights of most French people to increase the victory of General Cavaignac. The choice is successful. It seems that it is still in the motion stage..."

Charles was a little disturbed by this sudden news.

That's right, since General Cavaignac and others planned to wipe out the mob in Paris, why would he let these people vote in the presidential election? If these people, and those who sympathize with them, had the right to vote, they would definitely not vote for him, but would choose his competitors? Moreover, although these people are poor, their numbers are very large. In the case of universal suffrage, their choice can determine the final ownership of the president. This is what Louis Bonaparte and his colleagues secretly believe. Looking forward to it.

If General Cavaignac wants to both suppress the mob and win the presidential election at the end of the year, then it seems that "directly abolishing the suffrage rights of all lower-class people" is definitely an excellent shortcut. It is better than killing the mob first and then asking for help. It would be easier for them to enjoy it.

So, if he really succeeds in this matter, it will be a decisive blow to the dreams of Louis Bonaparte and his followers, and of course to the ambitions of Charles.

Faced with this huge threat and blow, Ciel felt a little anxious.

After a while, he managed to calm down.

Established history tells him that this is certainly not the end of the world.

In any case, the historical fact that "Louis Bonaparte was elected President of the Second French Republic in the popular election at the end of 1848" definitely happened. In the original historical line, General Cavaignac and others must have wanted to do the same. However, since Louis Bonaparte still came to power in the popular vote, he must have defeated this conspiracy. This shows that there is a way to solve this matter.

Moreover, it must be resolved as soon as possible so that there are no further consequences.

"Don't be nervous, Charles." Duke Treville's voice was still as cold and calm as ever, "This is just a motion now, and there is still a long way to go before it becomes a reality. And even if you are anxious, It’s useless. The only way to solve the problem is to be calm.”

"I understand." Charles breathed a sigh of relief, then looked up at his cousin, "Then please tell me, who are advocating this motion?"

"Several gentlemen from the Party of Order, Thiers and M. Barrot, have privately asked us, the royal party, to see if we can agree to this proposal." The Duke replied calmly, "I'm quite surprised. They would actually serve General Cavaignac..."

Thiers, so familiar...

When he heard this last name, Charles couldn't help but feel a little moved in his heart. Thanks to two mentors. This person would enjoy a great name in later generations, and he would have a notorious reputation. He was already familiar with this surname before he crossed over. However, twenty years after traveling back in time, I have never had a chance to see him. Unexpectedly, today I would be related to him because of such a thing.

However, Charles had already been mentally prepared for this - Thiers had been a supporter of the Orleans royal family of the July Dynasty over the years, but he was a Bonapartist. It was only a matter of time before the two political groups clashed and contradicted each other. thing. I just didn't expect it to come so quickly.

Well, I really want to meet you!

Ciel recited something silently in his mind.

This worrying news has made him gradually lose his appetite. He just wanted to report the news to Louis Bonaparte and others as soon as possible and discuss countermeasures as soon as possible.

"Young man, think more about everything! Use your brain more and don't wait for others to wake you up!" Duke Treville warned him again. "Don't panic until the end of the matter. What's the point?"

"Thank you for waking up." Ciel thanked him sincerely.

"It's good that you know." The Duke nodded, and then looked at Charles again, with something inexplicable in his eyes, "Are you full? Do you want some more?"

"Oh, no, I'm full." Charles replied quickly.

"Since you are full, then... go and deliver food to Charlotte? She must be hungry already."

"Uh..." Charles was startled, "What is me?"

Although the Duke's demeanor and tone did not change at all. But Charles always felt that he seemed to be smiling maliciously.

"What shouldn't be you?" the Duke replied coldly, "She will be very angry if something like this happens. Only if you persuade her will she cooperate a little bit, right? Besides, of course, the problem is your own fault. You have to figure it out yourself, right?”

"But..." Charles wanted to say something else.

"Okay, don't waste time, go quickly." The Duke interrupted him directly, "My only granddaughter is starving and suffering now. I feel very sad now. Let's get it over with as soon as possible."

Hey, we have been eating for so long just now, and I don’t see any sign that you feel sorry for your granddaughter. Aren’t they all good? Charles protested loudly in his heart, but still lowered his head and obeyed Duke Treville's order.

I didn't expect that the Duke of Treville, who looked so rigid and indifferent, also had the potential to tell cold jokes...

"Charles, it's time to talk to her now." Before Charles left, Duke Treville suddenly whispered.

Ciel nodded slightly.

"Okay, I'll tell her properly."

"Thanks a lot."

……………………

Amidst the constant noise, Charles carried some food, walked along the route in his memory, walked through the stairs and corridors, and came to the door of Charlotte's bedroom. He didn't knock on the door, but opened the door directly with the key.

"Charlotte, I brought you food. Are you hungry now?" He asked directly as soon as he entered the door.

"Woo...Woo...Woo..." Charlotte's answer was vague.

She was sitting on the bed, staring at Ciel who had just entered.

"Your grandpa is worried about you. He just asked me to deliver food to you after he finished eating." Charles closed the door and continued to smile, "so I came over."

"Woo...Woo..."

Charles put the food on the desk in the bedroom, then walked to the bedside, "Oh! I forgot! How can you answer me when you are blocked? Ah ha, sorry, sorry..."

Then, he ignored Charlotte's extremely angry look, reached out his hand, and untied the silk scarf tied around Charlotte's mouth.

While hiding in the Duke of Treville's house, Charlotte, who was worried about Charles' safety and fearful of hateful mobs, also participated in the dangerous urban street fighting. The Duke of Treville instructed Charles to temporarily let Charles Lott "quieted" down, and as a last resort, Charles had no choice but to take action and tie up Charlotte himself.

It was obvious that his joke did not amuse Charlotte at all, and as soon as she could speak, Charlotte cursed loudly.

"Hurry up and untie me! You coward, deserter, bastard! I hate you! You shameless person!"

While scolding, she struggled. Unfortunately, her hands were tied too tightly by Charles before on the bedside, so even though Charlotte struggled hard, she still couldn't break free. He could only continue to scold Ciel.

I knew this would definitely be the result! Ciel sighed inwardly.

Then, he put on a smile again, "Okay, don't be angry, I have no choice but to do this..."

"Don't talk to me!" Charlotte's face was still full of anger, "Go away! You deserter!"

"Charlotte..."

"Go away! I don't want to see you!" Charlotte was still scolding him.

Ciel couldn't help but frown slightly.

"Charlotte, that's enough! Listen to me!"

The two men looked face to face. The distance was only a dozen centimeters, and Ciel seemed to be able to feel Charlotte's heavy breathing due to the violent struggle.

After a rare stern turn in Ciel, the prestige of previous years. Charlotte was stunned for a moment. But soon she came to her senses again, but instead of scolding, she turned her head away, unwilling to look at Ciel.

alright. Now I can finally talk about it properly.

"Charlotte. You are right. I did run away from the National Guard and did not participate in the recent battles." Charles explained to Charlotte calmly, "But there is a reason... …”

Charlotte still looked away and did not answer him.

"The leader of my party, you know, Mr. Louis Bonaparte, has decided to participate in the presidential election at the end of the year. At such a critical moment, I cannot participate in the repression because it will affect his Reputation. Influence his election...Charlotte, it's not that I abandoned your father."

Read the original text in Liu#9@书/吧!

Ciel explained while looking at Charlotte's fair face.

"Charlotte, I also have my own considerations. Think about it..."

Charlotte suddenly turned around, staring at him closely with her blue eyes.

"I'm so disappointed in you."

"What?"

"You left the place where you were supposed to fight, you hid in my house, you evaded your obligations!" Charlotte's eyes were filled with mist, obviously because of Charles's sudden escape. He was very dissatisfied with his performance, "Even my father's unconventional Everyone knows what to do at this time...but you! You are hiding! Because you are afraid of my high density, you actually tied me up at such a critical time! It’s just your selfish interests, you disappoint me so much!”

"Self-interest? You are wrong! The reason why I did this is not only for myself, but also for the entire Treville family, and for you!"

"Bah! That's nonsense!"

"I'm not talking nonsense!" Charles stretched out his hands and put his arms around Charlotte's shoulders. "Look at me! I tell you, everything I have done is not only my personal decision, but also the decision of your father and your father. Your grandfather’s decision! It was them who wanted me to join the Self-Defense Forces, and they were the ones who asked me not to participate in the suppression!”

Just as Charles expected, after hearing the news, Charlotte's eyes widened and she lost consciousness for a moment.

However, Ciel certainly didn't intend to stop there.

"Since decades ago, the Treville brothers have been secretly together," Charles continued to tell Charlotte everything. "They have been secretly cooperating, and they have been like this for decades. Therefore, many of our actions, In fact, it was negotiated secretly, and everything was in the interests of the family. My departure from the Self-Defense Forces today is also the result of everyone’s negotiation..."

Charlotte was still looking at Ciel blankly, she still hadn't recovered from the shock.

"Yes, I just want to tell you that in fact, your grandfather and father are not ragtag royalists. They are not loyal to Henry V, they are only loyal to their own family!" Charles shook Charlotte gently, "What's wrong with this? The Bourbon family should have been put in the garbage dump a long time ago. If the Bonaparte family is of no use to us, they will have to go too. Trash heap! To us, only Treville is important, and that will always be the case! The Royal Bourbon brand is very difficult to use, so they plan to let us use the Bonaparte family's brand. That’s why they made this arrangement, do you understand? This is all our decision, and it all belongs to this family!”

Charlotte seemed to be awakened by Ciel's shaking, and Charlotte looked at Ciel angrily.

"Liar! You must be lying to me! You are lying to me! You shameless bastard, it's not enough for you to be a deserter. You also want to slander the reputation of my father and grandfather!"

"I didn't lie to you!" Charles replied loudly. "If you don't believe me, ask him yourself later!"

Charlotte was speechless for a moment.

Although she still refused to believe it, she actually understood in her heart that since Charles dared to say this to her. Then everything he said should be true.

How could it be?

how so!

In a daze, she seemed to hear something breaking.

God, Grandfather, Royalist, Noble Blood, Sacred Duty, His Majesty's Cause. The Restoration of the Bourbons…

These images that had been constructed in her heart were once so indestructible.

how so!

Under such a huge impact, she could not accept this reality for a while. My thoughts were completely confused.

"You mean, they have been lying to me all this time. They are not loyal ministers of the Bourbon family at all. They are just acting for others to see?" Tears slowly flowed down. But she didn't realize it. "And Charlotte de Treville is one of the poor souls who was deceived by them once and for all?"

Due to the excitement in her heart, her voice trembled, and there was even a hint of crying.

"Yes, that's right." Charles admitted unceremoniously and without mercy, and then added, "Moreover, they plan to continue to deceive. As long as the Royal Bourbon family can continue to use it, They will continue to act..."

"How could...how could..." Charlotte seemed to have completely lost track of his explanation. He kept muttering to himself, "No, no, my grandfather, how could he betray...how could he...?"

"He didn't betray anyone! He was only loyal to the Treville family!" Charles interrupted Charlotte's self-talk, and then shook Charlotte's shoulders vigorously again, "Charlotte, cheer up! Don't you also have the surname Treville? Shouldn't you make wise choices like your grandfather? Charlotte, since we have planned to talk to you today, don't you understand? ? Put aside that meaningless stereotype, wouldn’t it be better to continue the family’s prosperity?”

"No...no...I don't want it." Charlotte shook her head slightly, obviously still in confusion, "No..."

Ciel was not particularly surprised by her reaction and answer. Of course, the New Year that has been built up over the years cannot be completely eliminated in a few words. It would be strange if Charlotte could accept everything calmly after just talking about it.

"We are not asking you to break away from the royal party. Don't worry. You can continue to be an orthodox faction with peace of mind. Maybe this will be useful to us one day." After a forced smile, he continued, "I So I tell you all this to let you understand that there is a reason for everything we do, and we believe that you can understand this reason and agree with us!”

"Yes, you all have a reason. You just hid it from me... you have hid it for a long time..." There were still tears in the corners of Charlotte's eyes, "Well, I have worked hard for so many years... , does it have any meaning? What do you think I am? You... you..."

Of course Charles would not say "Of course I laughed at you secretly", he continued to comfort Charlotte.

"No, you are our relative, or my...my closest friend. How could I laugh at you? You have your own insistence. This matter has nothing to do with right or wrong, just whether it is beneficial or not."

"Profits." Charlotte looked at Ciel with a hint of ridicule and resentment, "Yes, yes, interests, all interests, as long as it is beneficial, you can do anything. I should have known earlier, aren't you all such people? I should have known better!"

"No, it's not just profit." Charles shook his head slightly, then suddenly untied Charlotte's hands tied behind the bed, and then took Charlotte into his arms, "You Don’t you understand? We can no longer take detours or take risks, so... Lolot (e), listen to me and understand what is most important to you! King, or your relatives?”

When she heard "Lolot", Charlotte's body suddenly stiffened. This childhood pet name was suddenly used by Charles, which really surprised Charlotte.

"you……"

After hugging her for a while, Ciel slowly let go of his embrace, holding his shoulders and looking at Charlotte. Look at this girl with tears on her face.

Due to the violent struggle just now, her clothes were messy, and her shoulders were almost exposed from the skirt. The large swaths of fair skin were so shaken that Charles felt a little disturbed.

There is not only one person whose name "Lolot" brings back endless memories!

Forget it, I can't convince you, so just take it to bed first. Such a terrible thought suddenly flashed through his mind.

"Lolot...don't take any ridiculous risks as a king. In my heart, you are more important than any king or emperor. Don't you think so?"

Before Charlotte could answer, he hugged Charlotte into his arms with his right hand, then lowered his head and kissed her. Then his left hand reached to the hem of Charlotte's skirt behind her back, and the slender ribbon slowly Untied by him.

"What are you doing!" Charlotte was finally awakened, and at the same time stretched out her hand, trying to stop Ciel's actions.

However, as soon as she uttered an exclamation, her lips were blocked by Ciel.

After a long time, the lips parted.

"What are you doing!" Charlotte protested to Charles dissatisfied, "What time is it now! Didn't you hear the gunshots outside? Why are you so shameless..."

"Lolot... Lolot..." Charles still didn't stop his left hand, calling softly. "Remember? Remember that summer? Don't worry about the outside world, we have our own things..."

Charlotte slowly stopped resisting under Ciel's "Lolot" calls, and it seemed that all other thoughts in her mind were dispelled.

"Char, don't be like this..." The last bit of reason still made her protest weakly. But how to stop Ciel who has already started to take action?

Of course, Charles couldn't stop there. He ignored Charlotte who was still struggling and gently untied Charlotte's skirt and then her bra. Slowly, Charlotte's clothes were peeled off, and her fair and translucent body was revealed in front of him. Charles gently pushed Charlotte down to lie flat on the bed, and then pushed himself on top...

The feelings of many years and the passion of young people have been mixed together at this moment, making him forget everything. He has forgotten why he came to Charlotte's room. He only wants to kiss the girl in front of him and then become one with her. He let out an unpleasant roar and kept going in and out of Charlotte's body.

"... Um... You... You... Um... Ah... Bad Guy! I... I hate you... Woo..." Charlotte closed her eyes and refused to look at this hateful man again. She complained softly in her mouth, but she didn't seem to be very angry.

The setting sun sprinkled into the room through the window. The two young men and women were entangled together and could no longer be distinguished from each other. Just a few kilometers outside was a bloody battlefield, but the bedroom was full of spring love.

The constant roar and shouting seemed to be accompanying them. They all forgot themselves and devoted themselves to the most primitive activities of mankind.

…………………………

In the study of the Duke's Mansion, Duke Treville was carefully writing his letter.

As he was writing, he suddenly stopped, and a thought flashed through his mind.

It has been so long, did the little guy convince his granddaughter?

The stuff in the wine should be useful, right? Don't waste the good wine.

The Duke, whose hair has long been gray, sighed softly, and then continued to bury his head in writing his documents. (To be continued...)