Flowers, Swords and France

It was already evening, and the glow began to cover the land. For most people in the city, this is about the time when they should go home to rest and reserve energy for tomorrow's work, but for some, this is the time when social life has just begun.

In the Dillion family's mansion, the servants were busy decorating with lights and decorations, trying to erase the last traces of the funeral a month ago.

Although the sudden death of the old earl still left some sadness for the family and made their celebrations implicit and reserved, they wanted to use this method to dilute the bad news a month ago. shadow.

"Matilda, what's wrong? Are you unhappy?"

In the garden of the Earl's Mansion, Julie looked at her sister and asked worriedly.

"Huh? Ah... No, I'm very happy." Matilda, who had been looking up at the clouds in the sky, answered quickly as if she had just been awakened.

Although there was not much evidence on her face to support this statement, Julie accepted her answer for the time being.

"That's good." Julie nodded, "Today is your banquet."

Then, as if she was playing a prank, she laughed a little narrowly, "Don't forget, Mr. Treville is coming too. If you don't cheer up, you will neglect the guests."

"It's okay if you don't have to be so nervous, right? We don't have to please him." Matilda frowned slightly, "Mom and dad are really..."

"It's not about flattering, right? I just hope you can seize a rare marriage partner. After all, they were heartbroken by me. I don't want you to make the same mistake again... Now that you are young, promising and have an outstanding family like him Young people, but it’s rare.” Julie still smiled and replied, “Of course it would be great if you can charm him!”

"You're talking about being fascinated, it's not that easy." An imperceptible blush suddenly appeared on Matilda's face. "I'm so unattractive..."

"Who can say!" Julie interrupted her sister dissatisfied, then stretched out her hands, grabbed Matilda's shoulders, and made her look at her. "My sister is so beautiful. How could it be possible? It’s not lovable! Look at how fair your skin is, how delicate your facial features are, how could anyone not like you if you know him a little bit?

"That's too much..." Matilda felt a little embarrassed. "I'm just a girl with glasses and no sense of humor..."

"It's not too much at all, even if you are wearing a pair of glasses. You look very intellectual and beautiful! Although you haven't learned the lesson of coquettishness yet, you can learn it slowly!" Julie continued. He continued, "Okay. Don't worry so much. It's about to start, let's go..."

Then, she took her sister and left the garden.

………………

When Charles arrived at Earl Dilion's mansion, the banquet was almost about to begin.

When the servants announced his name, the person who came out to greet him was the protagonist of today's banquet, the second daughter of the Dillion family, Matilda.

"Happy birthday, Miss Dillion."

Charles quickly gave his blessing to Matilda, and then handed over his gift.

"Thank you for your visit, sir." Matilda also quickly saluted the other party. But Ciel felt that she seemed to be shrinking, as if she was afraid of something.

After receiving Ciel's gift. Matilda was supposed to be entertaining another guest, but as if something was wrong, she looked at Charles hesitantly and hesitated to speak. For a moment, the two people seemed to be the focus of attention.

"Ah, what's the matter with you?" Charles asked curiously.

"Well... Fran isn't here tonight?" Matilda asked suddenly after hesitating for a long time.

"She couldn't come because she had something to do recently, and she asked me to come and apologize to you." Charles immediately replied, "So I have specially prepared two gifts for you. I hope you don't take it to heart."

"Oh, of course, how could I...how could I be angry with her..." Matilda smiled reluctantly, then looked up at Charles slightly, "Mr. Treville...well...I have A request, I wonder if you can agree to it?”

"Just tell me?" Charles was a little curious.

"Well... wait... when the dance starts, can you dance with me? It seems that among the young people who came today... um... there are not many that are suitable... um, you understand. Matilda finally spoke out intermittently.

"Of course I do, it's my honor." Charles couldn't help laughing, "But, Matilda, what happened to you today? Isn't this unlike you?"

"It's just because I'm a little excited...it's nothing." Matilda lowered her head. "Then, please remember what you promised me just now."

"Okay." Charles nodded again, and then watched her go to greet the new guest.

Because it is a well-known family in the upper class, even though it is only a small banquet, the Earl's Mansion is still full of guests at this time, but most of them are young people. Charles greeted people he knew from time to time, and finally struck up a conversation with Lucien, Matilda's brother-in-law.

Although he had been listening to Lucien talking about the strange things he encountered during his expedition to Italy, Charles occasionally paid attention to Matilda with the corner of his eyes, because her previous performance gave him a very strange feeling.

Under his calm observation, Matilda was politely receiving every guest and occasionally chatting with friends, but in Charles's opinion, she was not excited or happy at this time. She still looked at everyone calmly, wandering outside the entire banquet, as if she was not the protagonist tonight but a spectator in a corner.

For some reason, Charles felt that this was the truly normal Matilda.

In other words, she would become a little abnormal when talking to me? In addition. She also asked me to dance with her... So could it be that she was secretly in love with me?

Charles was suddenly a little moved by this idea-although he had already confirmed his marriage with Charlotte, people would always be happy about it.

Well. When the time comes, be gentle when you reject her, and try not to hurt her heart. With this floating mood, he thought leisurely.

………………

As the music played, Charles fulfilled his promise and danced with Matilda. To Charles's surprise, although he looked a little indifferent and even dull. But Matilda's dance was very light, which could be compared with Lola that day.

"They are really a good match," Julie sat next to him. Looking at the dance of the two young people, she turned her head and looked at Lucien, "My dear, don't you think so?"

"Ah. It's really a good match." Lucien also nodded. "But I heard that Charles seems to have..."

As if he felt that it was not appropriate to say this at this time, Lucien quickly stopped talking and continued to appreciate the dance of the two young people.

At this time, Charles and Matilda could no longer feel what others were saying. They were already immersed in the dance, accompanied by the soft and soothing waltz, as if they were walking in the woods.

With the rhythm of the dance, Matilda's initial shrinking had disappeared without a trace. She danced with Charles casually and relaxedly, and seemed to be enjoying her birthday party.

"You look so beautiful tonight." Charles complimented her at the right time.

"Thank you for your compliment." Matilda also smiled and replied, "You are also very charming tonight. It's really hard for you. It seems that you have to do everything. You are so busy and you still come to me."

"It's my honor. I don't feel troubled at all." Charles replied quickly, "Besides, your father is my boss. Isn't it my duty to please his daughter?"

"Hehe..." Matilda laughed even more deeply, "I didn't expect you to respect my father so much... Obviously we were not together that day..."

At this point, she suddenly stopped talking.

Charles certainly understood why - Matilda pulled her father out of her mistress's bed that day, which was not a good thing to see, and Matilda certainly didn't dare to continue talking about it.

When they thought of this, the two smiled knowingly and stopped talking about this topic.

After the song was over, Charles and Matilda walked to the resting place together.

"Speaking of my father, he seems to admire you very much and often mentions you to me..." After walking for a while, Matilda looked at Charles and gently spread her hands, "So today he kept telling me to treat you well."

"I am very grateful for his cultivation and love for me." Charles answered seriously, as if the person who had been plotting against the Minister was not him. "So I am also happy to accompany you to have fun."

"Really? That's great, they will definitely be very happy to hear this." Matilda smiled again, and there seemed to be deep meaning in her eyes. "But, for them, today's banquet is not just to help me celebrate, they have other plans..."

Charles felt something in his heart, and just as he was about to speak, Matilda continued.

"Yes, they just want to find a suitable marriage partner for me. It's very simple. They are disappointed with my sister, so they hope to let me find a good marriage to help the family..."

Then she looked at Charles, "It seems that you are very popular with them at the moment."

Well, it's true...Charles sighed in his heart

"So what do you think?" He looked at Matilda cautiously. "Don't you object? They decide your future this way..."

Matilda's look back at Charles made him feel that he had asked a stupid question.

"Okay, I'm just asking casually..."

The original text is available at Six # 9 @Books/Bar!

"Although it's not a question of love or not, if it were you, I wouldn't find it unbearable." Matilda suddenly said. Although her face was a little embarrassed, her tone was still very calm. Obviously, she had thought about this question many times. "I'm sorry, I should blush at this time, lower my head and whisper that I love you... But, I... I still can't do it. I can only say that if you really choose me, I will respect you and help you as God taught us. And try to fall in love with you in the future - of course, I can't guarantee this, and I'm sure you won't mind. How about it? Can you accept it?"

After finishing the conversation quickly, Matilda turned away immediately. Obviously, she was not as relaxed and casual as she seemed, but she mustered up the courage to say this.

The girl's extraordinary courage made Charles stunned for a moment and speechless.

After a long time, he also turned his face away in another direction.

"I really appreciate their appreciation of me, but, I'm sorry... I'm already engaged."

Matilda turned her head.

"As expected..." She sighed lightly. But she didn't seem surprised, "Is it the Duchess of de Treville? I seem to have heard some rumors, but I didn't expect it to be true..."

"I'm sorry." Charles still didn't take his eyes off. Obviously, he was still a little embarrassed.

However, Matilda's reaction was completely beyond his expectations.

"Haha, that's great..." Matilda breathed a long sigh of relief, as if relieved. "Now I don't have to worry about how to face you!"

"Huh?" Charles turned his head in surprise.

"Since I knew what my parents meant, I have been worried about how to interact with you. I am afraid that I will make you unhappy and disappoint my parents. Now it is so good!" Matilda's joy seemed to be from the heart. She smiled at Charles, "Mr. Treville, we can finally be friends again."

...Does that mean I was just being sentimental just now?

Charles didn't know what to say for a moment.

Okay. This is actually good.

"It seems that my father will be disappointed again..." Matilda chuckled and took a sip of wine, "But. Recently, I ask you not to tell him about this, otherwise they will find a new target for me immediately, and I will have to worry about another person again - well, at least let me rest for a while?"

"Okay, that's no problem." Charles agreed quickly.

"I knew you were a good friend!" Matilda drank the wine in the glass in one breath, and then suddenly reached out and held Charles' hand, "Come, I just want to show you something!"

Without giving Charles a chance to say anything, she pulled Charles and left the hall in one direction, without paying any attention to the sight of other people in the hall.

"It looks like it went very smoothly, dear." Looking at the backs of the two young people leaving, Julie said to Lucien with a smile.

"Ah, probably." Lucien responded vaguely, wondering in his heart whether the rumor he had heard before was true.

………………

Not long after, Matilda took Charles to a room.

The room was decorated very simply. In addition to a bed covered with white sheets, there were only a few eye-catching bookshelves by the window, which were filled with clearly classified books and documents, and the desk was also filled with various letters.

"Is this your bedroom?" Charles looked at Matilda in surprise.

"Yes, that's right, this is my bedroom." Matilda nodded without hesitation, then took out a silk towel and wiped her glasses, "It's very lonely, right? My sister also said that it's not girly at all, so I didn't dare to bring you here. Well, now that you said that, I don't have to mind this problem..."

"Actually...actually it's not bad." Charles replied with a smile. "This kind of arrangement is very Matilda's style."

"Thank you for saying that, in fact, I can bear it without compliments." Matilda also laughed, "Wait a minute, I'll give you the things right away."

Then, without waiting for Charles to answer, she quickly walked to a bookshelf, and then kept searching, and finally pulled out a folder.

Then, she took the folder and walked back to Charles, "Mr. Treville, this is what I want to give you."

"Well, okay." Charles took the folder and flipped through it casually, and then he quickly understood, "Are these all your grandfather's manuscripts?"

"Yes, these are all the manuscripts left by my grandfather before he died, but I wrote them all down." Matilda nodded, and then her expression suddenly became a little gloomy, "Many of my grandfather's documents were dictated by him and written by me. After he passed away, I selected some documents that I thought were important and collected them together. This is just a part of it. I have classified these discussions into different categories, some talk about domestic politics, some specifically talk about diplomacy. , and some are purely records of opinions on certain people..."

"Oh! That's really good stuff! As an old-generation politician, Count Dillion has his own unique insights on many things. Being able to learn from his wisdom will definitely be very helpful to people like us." Charles was a little surprised, and then he looked through it more carefully, "Well, Matilda, thanks to you."

"I just helped to organize it. The real great thing is my grandfather, isn't it?" Matilda smiled embarrassedly, "Mr. Treville, do you remember what we talked about when we first met?"

"Well..." Charles pondered for a moment, "It seems that we were playing chess at the time, and then talked about the Austrians?"

"Yes, that's it. You said some comments about the Austrians, which are exactly the same as what grandpa said to others before." Matilda nodded, "I was thinking at the time - this young man is so powerful. Ah, it actually coincides with what grandpa thought! "

Then she flipped the manuscript to a certain page, "Look, this is where my grandfather mentioned when he wrote to a friend, 'The poor Austrian Empire has now declined and decayed to an irreparable point. It has become a Zombie, lifeless, without It is hopeless, and no one can revive it. Its current monarch is an idiot, and Franz Joseph, who has high hopes, is just a new sore on this zombie... However, because of this, It will be more valuable to our country...'"

Then, she looked at Charles and said, "So, after I returned from your home, I told my grandfather about your opinion. He was also very surprised and said that you must have a bright future!"

"So that's how it is..." Charles continued to flip through the manuscript with some surprise, and found that not only about the Austrians, the late Earl Dilion's views were very consistent with his in many other places, but also some views It made him feel inspired unexpectedly.

So, after reading for a while, he looked at Matilda seriously and said, "Matilda, if it is convenient, can you lend me these manuscripts to take a look at?"

"If you don't want to, why should I bring you here?" Matilda laughed again, "Of course, sir, you can just take it. Anyway, after grandpa passes away, you can still You are the only one who cares about him. Even dad..."

As if she thought it was not good to talk about her father behind his back, she immediately changed the subject, "Mr. Treville, it's so nice to chat with you now that I don't have to think of ways to please you! It's so hard to find friends who get along with you now. ”

"Me too." Ciel also nodded. (To be continued...)