Flowers, Swords and France

With anger and depression, the young Duke of Treville hurried through his home, his footsteps were so loud that everyone he met along the way was shocked by his anxiety.

Without caring about the feelings of others, the middle-aged man walked to the door of his daughter's room and knocked heavily on the door.

Since returning to her home that night, she rarely went out, and even often stayed in her own room to avoid people.

Because he understood his daughter's mood, the father did not make it difficult for his daughter and let her be in this state. However, this approach has finally come to an end. He has been forced into a corner and must solve the problem.

"Charlotte, are you there? Come out for a moment, I have something to talk to you about."

There was no response from inside.

"Okay, child, I know you are not feeling well, but now things are urgent..." After trying to suppress his anxiety, the father knocked on the door again, "There is something important today - Marshal Treville is visiting our house, you must go with me to see him."

As he spoke, the force of the knock on the door became heavier, and the father's anxious mood was completely transmitted to the room with this rapid knock on the door.

However, there was still no response.

The middle-aged man frowned.

He could no longer tolerate his daughter's willfulness, even if this willfulness had a reason.

"Okay... Charlotte, stop making trouble! Listen, Dad has told you so many times recently, what are you still angry about? Your cousin has not set foot in our house for decades, but today when he came to our house, you avoided him. Is this reasonable? No matter what other considerations you have now, at least. I order you to receive him warmly, do you understand?!"

The father shouted. Still no reaction, just like a heavy punch hitting a soft sponge, no reaction.

Enough...

The little Duke of Treville frowned, and his expression became solemn.

He waved his hand, intending to order the servant to force the door open.

"Bang!" The loud tremors made the whole floor seem to shake.

Finally, the door was finally opened.

The middle-aged man still frowned, first gestured to let the servant stay outside, and then walked in step by step.

Then. He found that Charlotte was lying motionless on the bed, with her head buried deep in the pillow, as if she was sleeping.

But, after such a big commotion, how could she still sleep?

Alas, why is this... The father had to sigh in his heart.

"Child, why don't you answer your father's words? What are you doing?" Because of the pity in his heart, his voice unconsciously became much gentler. "Didn't you hear your father calling you all the time?"

Then. He walked to his daughter and gently stroked her hair. "Hey... you've been doing this lately, it really makes dad feel bad."

Charlotte remained motionless on the bed for a long time. A muffled echo showed that she was still awake.

"I heard it, Dad. Stop yelling so hastily." Because of Charlotte's posture, her original clear voice now became a bit muffled and weird. "Okay, I'm not feeling well right now. Please be considerate and considerate of me..."

"Hey, I'm sorry, I can't understand you today." The middle-aged man smiled bitterly, "You don't know what the old man did to me just now, he almost beat me up! If you don't go today I'm afraid it will be troublesome if you meet her. Don't forget that you will have to marry her sooner or later. If you offend her now, how will you live in the future? "

"Is he here too?" Charlotte asked suddenly.

"Yes, he's here too." The father nodded, "Charlotte, listen to my advice, don't be angry anymore, some mistakes are always made by young people, we sometimes need to be more tolerant... You are all going to get married, why do you still have to be so angry?"

As if touched by something, Charlotte suddenly raised her head and glared at her father.

"Didn't I say it? The engagement is now cancelled! It's gone!" She shouted loudly, "I... I will never marry into their family again!"

Although the little Duke of Treville was stunned by his daughter's sudden outburst, he quickly regained his composure and smiled bitterly.

"Child, I have told you this truth many times, right? At this point, it is no longer something you can cancel. Okay, don't be willful, hurry up and follow me."

The father's words made Charlotte's already gloomy expression even more unhappy.

"Are you going to abandon me too, Dad?" She looked at her father, almost as if questioning, "Can you really bear it?"

Because of her bad mood recently, and she hasn't been carefully groomed as usual, Charlotte now looks much more haggard, with messy golden hair and a horribly pale face. Perhaps because she has cried so many times recently, her eyes are a little swollen, her blue eyes have lost their former luster, and her voice is a little hoarse.

"How can this be called abandonment?" The father frowned in displeasure, "In the beginning, you were obsessed with that boy and shouted that you wanted to marry him? Now that it has come to this, you are accusing your father of forcing you? Charlotte, even if your father has always spoiled you, you should talk to your father and reason, right?"

"Yes, yes... I went crazy..." Charlotte muttered to herself, tears welling up in her eyes again, "Well, now I am sober and intend to make up for my mistakes... Isn't this okay?"

"Of course not, this kind of thing is not a child's nonsense, how can it be cancelled just like that." The father rejected Charlotte's request, and then his tone became a little reproachful. "Come on, kid. You should face reality. Treville shouldn't be so weak."

"Weak... yes. It's really weak." Charlotte smiled bitterly with tears in her eyes. "I know what you mean. Yes, I used my stupidity to build myself an inescapable cage. Now I can't get out of it. I can only muster up the courage to face a lifetime of torture, right?"

"Don't make it so serious..." The middle-aged man hurriedly comforted her. "No matter how you look at it, you have found yourself a husband that everyone envies. I think your friends will envy your vision."

"Yes, everyone envies him for being able to climb to a high position. I was also intoxicated by his ambition and ability... but..." Charlotte's face suddenly became gloomy, "In the end, I didn't see through it. He never loved me at all, and never took me to heart! So. Even if everyone envies me, what's the point?"

"That's too much, child, don't be so pessimistic." The little Duke of Treville patted his daughter's face. "If he really didn't care about you, Charles wouldn't be so anxious recently. I can see that. He wants to beg for your forgiveness and really wants to be with you."

"No. I will never believe this nonsense again. He must be just acting! He has deceived me with this trick for many years. Don't even think about deceiving me now!" Charlotte seemed angry, but in fact, she was heartbroken. "I will never be fooled again! He can deceive whoever he wants, anyway, I don't want to see him again!"

"You are too pessimistic. It's not that bad."

"It's terrible... Everything I paid for was just deception. Everything I imagined turned out to be castles in the air... After experiencing this... After the blow, I... How could I not be heartbroken? "Charlotte's tears finally flowed down, and she almost sobbed as she said the following words, "Now I finally understand that loving someone is equivalent to consuming half of your life, turning yourself into a pathetic servant, and can only be trampled on! I've had enough... Dad, I don't want to experience this kind of pain again, and I don't want to do such stupid things again. "

"But you are still in pain now, child." The little Duke of Treville looked at his daughter with some sorrow, "Will breaking off with their family make you feel better?"

"That's better than continuing to be deceived." Charlotte replied reluctantly.

"Ah..." The father sighed. "No, Charlotte, it's really not possible. You must come with me today to explain things to the old man, and talk to Charles and make peace."

"No...no!" Charlotte immediately answered firmly, "Dad, you know my character, so please don't force me anymore, okay?"

"Are you afraid?" The father asked back, "Are you afraid that after seeing it, you will be soft-hearted and choose to forgive? Don't refute me, I am your father, I know you."

Charlotte was speechless, because what her father said was so right.

"Since you know, why do you still force me? Do you want me to make mistakes again and continue to indulge in the poison of lies?"

"Okay, child, we don't have to have such a meaningless argument anymore." Perhaps because he had made up his mind, the middle-aged man's expression became unquestionable, "If you claim that you can control your own destiny, then you should show the courage to prove it. If you don't even have the courage to refuse others in person, then... what qualifications do you have to ask for freedom in front of me? You are my only daughter, and I am willing to do my best to help you when I can, but... first you have to show that you have the ability to accept help, okay?"

Charlotte was confused by her father's words.

"You mean... as long as I firmly refuse the grandparents in person, you... you will support my decision and stop forcing me, Dad?"

"You must be able to do this first." The little Duke of Treville answered with a stern face.

He did not comment on his daughter's expectations, but he knew in his heart that this was just a deception - at this point, he had no other choice. He couldn't bear the pressure from his father and uncle to cancel the engagement.

Charlotte stared at her father without saying a word.

The original text is available at 6 # 9 @Shu/Bar!

"Okay, let's go, kid." The little Duke of Treville held out his hand. "We've been here long enough, don't let the old man wait."

His hand grabbed Charlotte's arm. Then he gently pulled it.

Just as he was about to use force to pull his daughter out. Charlotte, who had been silent all the time, finally spoke.

"Okay, Dad... Since you said so, then I... Then I will show my determination. You are right, I should face myself."

After saying that, she also stretched out her hand and hugged her father.

Did she really believe this, or was she just giving herself a reason? Looking at his daughter, the middle-aged man suddenly had such a question in his mind.

Maybe. From the beginning, she was waiting for something, although she was not aware of it.

Forget it, it is meaningless to pursue this now.

"Listen, child, I don't care how much resentment you have towards him, but I don't allow you to show any disrespect in front of my uncle, nor do I want you to vent your anger on him. Because he is our elder - this is my right as a father, and I think I have this right." He stared at his daughter solemnly, "No matter what the result is, we should not lose our dignity. Am I right?"

"You are right, I understand." Charlotte nodded gently, "I won't yell at the old man. Don't worry."

"That's good."

The little Duke of Treville, who finally completed the task, breathed a sigh of relief.

Next. It depends on their performance...

"Let's go."

……………………

With the same heavy heart, the father and daughter walked quickly towards the reception room.

When they returned to the reception room. The middle-aged man who originally planned to say a few witty words to ease the situation was suddenly speechless.

Because he found that his father, who had been bedridden at home due to a long illness, also appeared in front of him.

The Duke had not spoken a word. He lay on the bench, looking at the father and daughter with his cold eyes.

His years of accumulated prestige made the middle-aged man panic, and even his breathing became rapid.

"Dad, why are you here too?" The little Duke of Treville asked hurriedly.

He should have been brought here by his younger brother just now. Hey, it's really amazing. He dragged his father here while he was away...

Thinking of this, the middle-aged man glanced at his uncle and found that the old man was standing next to his brother with a serious face. Even Charles stood silently on the other side of the Duke.

It seems that they should have reached some tacit understanding just now. Looking at the relaxed expressions of the two people, the middle-aged man thought in his heart.

This is good, at least he doesn't have to force his daughter himself... The little Duke of Treville sighed in his heart.

"Why did I only know about this today?" The Duke did not answer his son's question, but frowned and questioned his son, "Do you really think I'm dying soon, so you can do whatever you want?"

Although the old man's tone was a little weak due to his serious illness, it sounded like thunder to his son.

"That's not the case, Dad!" The little Duke of Treville quickly defended, "I'm just afraid that you will feel bad after hearing about this... I definitely don't mean to disrespect you!"

"You will only make me die faster." The Duke frowned slightly, "Okay, I don't want to listen to your excuses anymore, it's meaningless now."

Then, he turned his eyes to Charlotte next to his son.

"Charlotte, child... come here." The Duke's tone was much more relaxed, "Come to grandpa, let grandpa take a good look at you."

After hesitating for a moment, Charlotte finally obeyed her grandfather's request, so she let go of her father's hand and walked all the way to her grandfather.

The words that were originally prepared were now completely unspeakable.

Charles, who was standing next to her, had been looking at her eagerly, but she was completely unaware, as if she hadn't seen Charles at all.

Grandpa raised his hand tremblingly, and Charlotte quickly reached out to help him.

"Ah!" Suddenly, she let out a low roar full of anger.

Because her hand was forcibly held by Charles who suddenly came over.

"I won't let you run away again!" (To be continued...)