Flowers, Swords and France

A confidential conversation with Mr. Minister finally made Charles calm down a lot. He put aside his anger towards Mr. Jean-Calvert for the time being and returned to his office. He seemed to be unable to see through the large pile of things. Finished the official document.

After the wall clock next to him chimed six o'clock in the afternoon, he stood up from the table, walked to the door, picked up his hat and cane, walked out of the office, and walked out to the corridor outside.

After walking down the stairs along the corridor, he walked straight towards the door of the ministry. The staff he met along the way gave way to greet him, and he nodded in greeting.

When he arrived at the vestibule, he stepped onto the carriage that was already waiting there and sat down directly.

"Go home." After sitting firmly, he whispered.

"Okay, sir." The coachman agreed, waving his whip and urging the horse forward. The carriage drove slowly towards the Saint-Germain district. The person who drives him is no longer the old servant at home. He has now become Fran's coachman. This carriage is a carriage assigned to him by the government, and the coachman's salary is of course also the responsibility of the government.

However, after more than half a year of running in, this government-owned coachman now knows several places that Charles often goes to, and he is no longer unfamiliar.

Although the distance from the Place des Vosges, where the Ministry of Railways is located, to the Saint-Germain district is not far, since this is the time when the flow of people is the most intensive, the carriage is not very fast, so it still took more than half an hour of running. The carriage just stopped. Driving into the residence of Marquis Treville.

When it was getting dark, Charles returned to his home.

Although it is still this home, half a year has passed. It has completely changed its appearance. If an old visitor comes to visit again, he may not be able to recognize this place for a while:

The silk curtains that were about to be worn out have been replaced by newly purchased curtains embroidered with gold threads. Against the backdrop of the velvet tassels, even the candlelight seemed a little brighter; the long-faded carpets have also been replaced. It disappeared, leaving a thick new carpet on the floor. The living room has just been re-decorated with brocade with yellow and camellia patterns. It is real Persian silk and it is because of Miss Treville's taste. The famous paintings left by Watteau are still hung on the walls, and the teak railings that were originally painted off have been repainted and are now shining faithfully with golden brilliance.

In a word, this family has recovered from the previous embarrassment. A new step towards wealth and prosperity.

However. However, Charles didn't pay attention to his newly decorated living room for long, and walked directly into the restaurant next to him. He was indeed a little hungry.

As he expected, the restaurant was deserted - it had been so long since the usual dinner time, so of course the ladies had finished eating. However, he didn't do it for himself and ordered the servants to serve the dishes again.

After the success of its owner, the restaurant was certainly not forgotten. It has also been nicely renovated. The four walls are hung with Turkish tapestries, and they are also decorated with antique rosewood frames. There was also a pear wood carved wine cabinet in the corner, and of course there were many famous wines placed in it. At this time, the servant took out a bottle from it for Charles, who had just returned, to enjoy.

However, even after enjoying a wealthy life that he had never experienced in the past, Charles still felt that this busy life that said goodbye to the laughter and laughter of the past was not as comfortable as he had imagined in the past. However, is this also a price to pay for realizing your dream? He smiled bitterly in his mind and started eating quickly.

After he finished eating, he left the tableware and leftovers for others to clean up, and then quickly walked up the stairs to the second floor.

The sound of his footsteps was much lower.

Moreover, he did not go to his bedroom, but to another room, and then he knocked softly on the door.

"Sir, is this you?" a question came from inside.

Then the door opened quickly.

Mademoiselle Marie-de-Leolan looked at Charles with a smile. Her blond hair was braided today and coiled around her temples.

"Sir, you are finally back! Come in quickly..."

Ciel carefully looked around, then walked in gently.

However, this was not a tryst between a boy and a girl who had just begun to fall in love, but... an equal meeting between complete alliances of interests. This can be seen from Charles's first question:

"Have you received the message I asked Clement to send to you before?" Charles asked directly as soon as he sat down.

"Well, I have received it," the Marquis nodded and looked at Charles with a smile, "Sir, congratulations! I have long prayed for your grandfather's victory! I heard that in the future, Does the president want to make him a marshal? With such achievements, it is expected to become a reality soon? "

"I'm afraid I need more than just prayers..." Ciel replied meaningfully.

"Oh, I know, but you always have to congratulate first..." Mary was still smiling, but there was already something inexplicable in his eyes.

After a pause, she cleared her throat and her expression became much more serious. "I have followed your instructions and bought a large amount of government bonds in the market. What a coincidence! Not long after I bought it, these government bonds on the market started to rise desperately..."

"This is not a matter of coincidence. The market will always get the news." Charles replied calmly, and then he smiled slightly, "Besides, did I tell you anything? No? This is not your own. behavior?”

"Oh! You're right!" Mary immediately discovered her mistake, and then smiled apologetically at Charles, "You didn't tell me anything. I did all this myself, it was just my luck. That’s all…”

"It's amazing that you can see so clearly and seize the opportunity so well." Charles nodded slightly, "Congratulations, the beautiful Mademoiselle de Leolan..." Then, he immediately emphasized his tone again. . "Don't worry, we still have the old rules, and I can't do without your benefits. The recent situation is not very stable. I suggest you sell everything you eat in these two days, and then you and I will figure out how much we can earn from it." No matter how much it is, you can just tap it from the inside, it’s the same old rules..."

"Thank you, sir!" Mary, who had made a lot of money with Charles, quickly stood up and thanked Charles, cheering as if she was a little girl who had just gotten a new toy.

"It doesn't matter. This is what it should be. As long as you help us seriously, of course I won't treat you badly, you know. I'm not a stingy person..." Charles was still smiling. "Next, please continue to help me, okay?"

"Of course!" Mary replied directly. "It's great to be able to help you!"

Because he already holds a public office. Of course, Charles did not have the energy or the convenience to go to the French Press. It was even more inconvenient for him to openly participate in financial speculation, so he naturally had to find himself a helper who had some brains but was not too ambitious and uncontrollable. After careful consideration and consideration, Miss Marquis, who had worked with him before, She was finally chosen as an assistant by Ciel, allowing her to participate in his speculation. The Marquis immediately hit it off and agreed to Charles' proposal. So, recently. Charles often forwarded the news he received from the government and the Brussels market to Mary, asking her to help operate in the market. Not only did she make a lot of money, but she also got a lot of benefits from it.

After talking about these "business matters", Charles did not say goodbye, but he said nothing more. He looked around at the rococo furniture in the room and the exquisite gold-inlaid wall clock next to it.

"Do you have anything else, sir?" Looking at Charles's hesitant look, Mary felt a little strange, "Just tell me..."

Under the flickering candlelight, her face was changing, and the trace of blush on her fair face was difficult to detect.

Read the original article in Liu#9@书/吧!

Who can guess how much meaning is contained in the short sentence "just ask"?

"Uh..." Charles hesitated for a moment, and finally asked, "How is Fran?"

After hearing that Charles was asking about his sister, Mary's face suddenly became a little dark, and she felt a little angry secretly in her heart.

However, she soon regained her smile.

"Her? It's okay. Don't you meet her often?"

"What I want to ask is not whether she is in good health," a rare hint of embarrassment flashed across Charles' face, "What I want to ask is how is her spirit? Has she encountered any troubles recently..."

"Then why don't you just go and ask her directly?" Mary's face was full of surprise, but deep down she was feeling cramped.

"Ask her and she won't answer..." Charles sighed softly, "It's not that you don't know that she is very indifferent to me now. Although she is polite, she never wants to talk to me. Even if I want to face-to-face What's the point of asking? Don't you stay with her often? Tell me, how is she now?"

After hearing Ciel's answer, Mary suddenly fell silent.

Just when Charles was vaguely worried, she finally spoke again, "She is doing well now. I don't find anything troublesome. Oh, of course, except for that one annoying thing..."

Ciel was silent. Of course he knew what "that troublesome thing" was, but it was completely impossible for him to solve it.

"Oh, I understand." After a moment of silence, he nodded, "Then you can continue with the rest of the work, and help me keep an eye on her. If you encounter any trouble, just come to me."

"Okay." Miss Marquis responded.

Then, she laughed again and looked at Charles, "You really love and protect her..."

"There is no way. She has lost her parents since she was a child. Someone has to take on this responsibility." Charles replied softly.

"Your words may be the source of her troubles."

Mary suddenly said something that was difficult for Charles to understand.

"What?" Charles frowned, not understanding what she said.

"Nothing." Miss Marquis did not answer his question, "Good night, sir." (To be continued...)