Flowers, Swords and France

No matter how smug and high-spirited he is, Charles understands that the world will not run completely according to his will after all, so he silently swallows the bitter consequences of his impulsive mistakes and admits that he is not qualified to say whatever he wants. What. However, at this time, he would never have imagined that even the people around him who he thought would always be around him were already in a state of derailment.

Is this accidental or inevitable? I can’t explain clearly. Maybe every child will involuntarily want to take a peek at the world when they grow up. No matter how gloomy and scary the world is, they can’t help but touch it with their own hands.

On the side of a wide street in Tangtan District, a carriage slowly stopped.

"Here we are, miss." After parking the carriage, the driver respectfully reported back.

"Thank you for your hard work." A soft voice of thanks came from the carriage.

Then, the two girls gently stepped out of the carriage. They were both wearing the popular dresses without bustles. Although they looked a little baggy, they slightly outlined the girl's slender lines. In addition to the decorations on their clothes, they also wore red woolen yarmulkes on their heads, with strands of golden hair hanging from the hat. They looked like the ladies who had just returned from an outing. This is the best time of autumn, everything is so comfortable, the sun is warm and suitable, and the autumn wind carries the faint fragrance of flowers into the air, making people feel slightly sleepy.

However, the expressions of the two girls were not infected with this kind of comfort. As soon as they got off the car, they looked around and made sure there was nothing unusual here before they got off. Their expressions were both curious and wary. It's like this is some kind of extraterrestrial world

"This is it, right? There are quite a few words."

One of the girls looked at the house number on the street, then looked at the surrounding buildings, and finally made a conclusion.

"It should be right here." A girl next to her nodded and confirmed, but there was some hesitation on her face, as if she was worried about something. In the end, she couldn't hold back the uneasiness in her heart. He spoke again to persuade his companions, "Fran, let's go back... It's not good for you to sneak out like this..."

Although it is noon now. However, because this neighborhood was relatively high-end, there were not many pedestrians passing by. This slightly desolate atmosphere gave her a bad feeling.

"What's wrong? I just came out to meet a friend..." Fran smiled slightly. "Okay. Don't worry about anything. Just wait for me outside. I'll be back in a moment." "How can this be done? Let's go together." Seeing that Mary would definitely not be able to persuade her back, she had to settle for the next best thing, "You You came here in my name, so I should always follow you, right?"

That's right, Fran ran out this time in the name of a friend who went to meet the Marquis Marie de Léoland. Mary had been very worried along the way. How could she dare to let her have her own way now?

"Don't be so nervous. It's really nothing..." Fran still seemed a little hesitant, as if she was not willing to let Mary accompany her. "Just wait for me here, both you and the coachman. I will be back soon."

"Even if there is nothing wrong, I will still accompany you." Mary seemed to have made up her mind, so she refused to give in. "I brought you here. If anything happens to you, let Mr. Treville know. If so, he will kill me!"

"It's not that serious..." Fran shook her head gently, "My brother is not that cruel."

It’s just so fierce! Mary sighed inwardly.

Forget it, it's useless to say such things to her anyway. That person never said harsh words in front of her, how could she feel that kind of fear. No matter what, just keep following her to avoid any accidents, Mary thought to herself.

"Anyway, you just can't leave me alone. I must accompany you."

Seeing Mary's persistence, Fran finally had no choice but to agree to the other party's request. After all, she still needed her friend to continue to cover for her in the future.

So, after a brief exchange of opinions, the two girls walked to the door of an apartment together, and then Fran gently knocked on the door.

A middle-aged woman ran over quickly, but when she saw that the visitors turned out to be two girls, she was slightly dazed, obviously confused about the situation.

"Hello, I'm here to see Mr. Ezreal Walter. Does he live with you? It's a lot of words." Seeing the other party's reaction, Fran quickly asked with a smile. "Sorry, I don't have his business card, but can you help pass it on? I hope it won't take up too much of your time."

After she finished speaking, the middle-aged woman finally reacted.

"Well, okay, please wait a moment, I will call you sir." Then, she immediately turned around and ran towards the house, because she was walking very fast and her steps were a little staggering.

"Did we scare her? She seems a little nervous." Fran was a little confused by her reaction.

"Who knows why?" Mary shook her head nonchalantly, "Maybe she thinks we are the kind of illegitimate people..."

Her answer made Fran choke for a moment. That's right, two girls dressed up in gorgeous clothes came to the door looking for someone. It's no wonder if others will have some bad associations...

A feeling of embarrassment suddenly came to her heart, making her face slightly red.

"Ladies, please go in immediately." Not long after, the middle-aged woman came back again.

I don't know if it was because of psychological effects, Fran felt that although she was trying to pretend to be calm, she seemed to be inexplicably excited, which made her feel even more embarrassed.

Now she suddenly felt fortunate that Mary had forced herself to follow her, and hurriedly tightened her hand.

In this way, under the leadership of this middle-aged woman, the two girls came to the reception room.

"Wait a moment, the gentleman will be here soon." After leaving a word of advice. She carefully left the room.

Although it was a reception room, the furnishings inside were very simple, with only a table and a few chairs. Fran felt very bored after a few glances, so she had to sit quietly and wait for the other party to arrive.

The Marquis lady next to her was obviously much more nervous.

"Fran, the person you are going to meet today is a man? When did you meet him?" She asked in a low voice.

She originally thought that the "friend" Fran was talking about was just a girl, until she found out that it was actually a man, which made her already somewhat uneasy mood even more uneasy.

What should I do if something really happens? I will really die! She fell into extreme panic in her heart. She wanted to dissuade Fran again but felt hopeless. For a moment, she didn't know what to do.

At this moment, the door opened again.

"Miss Treville, you are finally here."

With such a greeting. The young man who had visited Fran before, with short light golden hair and calling himself Ezreal Walter, walked in quickly. Perhaps because of home, he didn't dress as formally as the last time he visited today, but just wore a loose coat. Even the amber buttons on the sleeves were not buttoned. Because of this, his smile seemed more sincere and friendly.

After nodding to Fran, he turned his eyes to Mary next to him and nodded again.

"When I heard you were coming with two people, I was surprised. I didn't expect you to be such a beautiful lady..." Fran heard the surprise and doubt hidden in his attentive greeting, so she smiled and pointed at Mary and introduced her implicitly. "This is my female companion. She is also my good friend, Mary. Thanks to her care, I can run here so conveniently." Then she introduced Mary, "Mary, this is Mr. Walter, the person I came to visit this time..." "Oh, Mr. Walter, hello." Mary hurriedly bowed to the other party, "I hope my arrival will not make you feel unhappy." Although the words were polite, she had made it clear that she would stay here with Fran all the time, and she had no intention of retreating. "Oh, of course not." Ezreal, who had understood, smiled and shook his head, "On the contrary, I feel very honored." His smile was very charming, and his manners were well-educated, which made Mary feel a little relieved. However, who does this calm demeanor resemble? Mary was a little dazed for a moment. After the introduction, Fran suddenly asked a question out of the blue.

"Sir, what do you think of the review I wrote in the newspaper last time? I think it is the most attentive one I have written recently..."

Hmm? What does this mean? Ezreal was slightly stunned.

"Mary, this Mr. Walter is also very interested in art reviews. He has been paying attention to my reviews recently and gave me some suggestions a while ago." Before Ezreal could react, Fran smiled and explained to Mary, "Thanks to his advice, I have recently discovered many of my shortcomings."

"Comment? Isn't your comment anonymous? How did he know?" Mary quickly noticed the strangeness and looked at Fran with some suspicion.

"You don't know yet, he is a reporter, a reporter from that newspaper." Fran replied with a smile, as if this was a true story and not a lie she thought of in an instant, "Look, this is really a coincidence!"

"Reporter..." After listening to Fran's explanation, Mary frowned slightly, but didn't ask anything else.

"Yes, I have read your recent comments, and they are very well written." Ezreal obviously reacted and quickly agreed. Then, he quoted Fran's comments and played the role assigned to him by the other party with ease, as if he was really a person who was obsessed with art.

"'Although his painting style is unrestrained and his use of lines is not bound by format, Mr. Courbet's paintings always make people feel the spiritual power contained in them, a kind of passion that is both detached from the world and passionate. Although he is still very young, as long as he can continue to maintain his current aura, we believe that he will be able to become an excellent painter in our country in the future'... Yes, miss. I completely agree with you."

[Gustave Courbet (1819-1877), an outstanding realist painter. Born into a wealthy family since childhood, he was unrestrained. In his youth, he refused the path arranged by his parents and aspired to become a painter. His painting style is also known for its passion and unrestrainedness.

It is worth mentioning that this painter was also a radical liberal in his political leanings. He actively participated in the revolutionary movement in French society in 1848, and also participated in the Paris Commune movement in 1871. He served as a commune member and chairman of the Artists' Union, and was later imprisoned. 】

This person actually read my comments in the newspaper!

Fran was secretly surprised in her heart, although she was a little happy that someone read what she wrote. But while she was happy, she was still a little uneasy - after all, she didn't like the feeling of being spied on in secret.

What a weirdo.

But, at least for now, this weirdo is still useful. So she suppressed this uneasiness. Continued to cooperate.

"So you agree with me? That's great." She still smiled, "Although people now criticize Mr. Courbet's daily behavior, I think his talent should be recognized. of."

"You're right."

Fran found that Mary did not participate in the singing of the two people, but lowered her head and didn't know what she was thinking.

Fran saw that the time was ripe, so she asked cautiously.

"How did you check out the matter I asked you to ask you that day? How is the painter doing now? Tell me quickly. I want to write a review about him recently..."

"That painter? I heard that things are not going well these days." Ezreal sighed softly, "I only found out after checking recently. That's incredible..."

"What's wrong?" Fran asked quickly.

Read the original text in Liu#9@书/吧!

"The painter's family background is quite remarkable... His family was originally from a very prestigious aristocratic family, and they also had a position in the Luxembourg Palace. But recently because of the revolution, it has declined greatly. I also heard that All the elderly people in their family have passed away recently..." Ezreal looked at Fran and said with a smile.

[The Luxembourg Palace was the seat of the French House of Nobles during the dynasty. After the establishment of the Second Republic, the House of Nobles was abolished. 】

Did my grandpa pass away?

Fran's heart suddenly tightened.

However, even though he was her grandfather, she had never seen him since she was a child, so she quickly recovered from her grief. "Is that so? That's really regrettable..." She sighed softly.

It seems that my brother is right, he found his home only after he was defeated.

But even so, there's nothing to blame.

"It's really regrettable." Ezreal seemed to see Fran's mood at this time, so he lowered his voice considerately, "But this is not your responsibility, right? Don't take it to heart."

"Thank you for your investigation. This will make me more confident when I write comments in the future." Fran glanced at Mary secretly, and was relieved after finding that the other party had no response. "If you have anything else to tell me, I'd be even more grateful."

"Don't tell me, after receiving your commission, I also got a painting. I believe you will be very interested in it...after all, you are going to use it to write a review."

"Really? Then please bring it to me." Fran replied quickly.

"Don't worry, I'll get it to you right away." Ezreal Walter nodded with a smile, and then he raised his hand that had been under the table. As if by magic, that hand He also held a small picture frame. But because it was facing up, Fran and Mary couldn't see what the painting was.

With an inexplicable premonition, Fran gently took the frame and turned it over slightly.

Then she froze.

"Flan, what's wrong with you?" Mary next to her was a little strange.

"Oh, it's nothing." Fran immediately came to her senses and shook her head to express that she was fine.

Is this a portrait of my mother? I finally know what she looks like... Fran suddenly felt the tip of her nose sore, and it took a lot of effort for her to stop her tears.

She held the little portrait tightly as if it were worth more than all the famous paintings in her bedroom. This was the first time she saw her mother's face, albeit only for a moment.

The cold brass frame is completely unable to cool down the hot blood. The person in the portrait seems to be able to feel this passion. Smiling quietly. Fran truly felt this bond originating from blood.

Suddenly, a strange question flashed in the girl's mind. A question that I had almost never thought about before.

Why had I never seen a portrait of my mother before? Why isn't there one at home?

Generally speaking, aristocratic homes will definitely have portraits of family members. Why aren’t there portraits at home? At least she has never seen it since she was a child.

It was almost as if my grandfather had deliberately eliminated all traces of his mother in his home over the years. So, where is my brother? What did he think? Will...

As if cold water had been poured on her face, the girl suddenly felt a little chilly all over her body.

No. I must be just overthinking it, it's just crazy thinking. It was too much, she laughed to herself inwardly.

"What a masterpiece..." After putting aside these complicated thoughts, Fran reluctantly commented. "How did you get this portrait?"

"Yes. This is indeed a masterpiece." Ezreal nodded, "As for the way to get it... I can only say that we have our own way."

It seems that he intends to keep it a secret, but even so, he can get such a thing. This trip was satisfying enough. Fran thought to herself. At the same time, hold the frame tightly in your hand.

This was the first time she was able to see her mother's face. Although she could only get a glimpse of it due to some reasons, it was enough to satisfy her.

"Thank you for your help." Thinking of this, Fran quickly stood up and solemnly saluted the other party again, "Although I don't know how sincerity I should repay you, but if you need my help in the future, Just tell me anything. As long as I can do it, I will definitely do it.”

"I believe your promise. After all, you have such a brother..." Ezreal is still smiling, but there seems to be something inexplicable in this smile, "However, as I told you before Like that, I am not helping you for any reward. Being able to see you smile for this is already my biggest reward..."

At the same time, he blinked and focused his gaze on the mezzanine on the back of the frame.

"Hahahaha..." His seemingly serious attitude made Fran even laugh, "You are really funny, but don't worry, I will remember your favor, and I will definitely repay it as long as I have the chance."

As she spoke, she grasped the note in the mezzanine without leaving any trace in her hand.

…………

After leaving the apartment, the two girls breathed a sigh of relief at the same time, as if they had experienced a strange trip.

"Let's go back." Fran said to Mary with a smile.

"Well, go back." Mary gestured to the coachman who was waiting in the distance, and then she couldn't help but say something else.

"Flan, let's never come here again."

"Huh? Why? Isn't Mr. Walter very good?". Fran asked curiously. "I feel that he is very kind to me and you."

"That's how strange it is!" Miss Marquis Leolan shook her head, "Don't you think he entertains us too easily? It's almost like... almost like a high-class person."

"Why can't he be like a gentleman?" Fran replied with a smile.

"...I...that's not what I meant!" Mary was a little anxious, "Fran, you understand what I mean, don't act stupid, aren't you surprised?"

"What's so strange?" Fran was still smiling.

"Everything is strange! How can a little reporter afford to live in a house like this? And have servants to serve him? I don't believe it! Since he is not short of money, why would he go to a newspaper to be a reporter? Sure. There is some unknown secret." Mary frowned slightly. Then he expressed his judgment, "Fran, this person is very weird. You'd better not associate with him in the future, otherwise something might happen. Don't ignore my advice. I'm here." After all, there are more people walking in society than you, so you should at least listen to my advice.”

"Yeah...I know." Fran smiled and nodded, while holding the picture frame in her hand tighter. "Just do as you say. Well, the visit is over now anyway, let's go back now."

After saying that, she turned around and walked slowly towards the carriage.

No, this is too disturbing.

Mary looked at Fran's back and felt increasingly uncomfortable.

If anything happens, Mr. Treville will definitely kill me! she thought painfully.

"Wait for me!" She hurriedly caught up.

Chapter 82: The bond of blood.

Chapter 82: The bond of blood. ,