Flowers, Swords and France

As Charles expected, when Charles returned home with the letter from the ambassador to Austria, Charlotte was overjoyed. "Charles, let me tell you, Emperor Franz really values ​​you! As soon as he heard that you wanted to visit, he immediately agreed."

"The formal invitation hasn't been sent yet, so we can't say that right now." Charles just smiled.

"Now that it's been like this, will they still regret it? The formal invitation will come soon." Charlotte shook her head disapprovingly, "I'll prepare our luggage for the two of us now, so as not to It’s time to set off in a hurry…”

"Leave it to the servants. What you need now is to rest, don't let yourself be too tired." Charles took her hand and looked at her with concern, "Charlotte, I advise you one last time. , let me go alone this time, before it’s too late.”

Although it sounds a bit wrong, his concern is indeed sincere.

Although when I was outside, I always thought, "With my status, it doesn't matter if I fool around outside." But when I saw Charlotte, this thought was quietly replaced by a sense of guilt - many cheating husbands actually They all have this tangled thought.

Yes, he felt sorry for Charlotte, so he secretly determined to compensate for his private infidelity with double tenderness. If she is an experienced wife, she can quickly detect some dangerous clues from her husband's tenderness full of guilt. However, after all, Charlotte comes from a family that has enjoyed all kinds of flattery since she was a child, so For the time being, she could not see the terrible truth hidden behind this courtesy.

"What? You're so shameless all of a sudden?!" Charlotte blushed slightly, seemingly scolding him, but didn't pull her hand away, "I'm pregnant with your child, so all of a sudden you're so precious to me. In your eyes, I can only be used like this, right?"

"Charlotte! Stop losing your temper!" Charles hugged her, so Charlotte's swollen belly gently touched his belly. This was strange, "No matter what, you are My wife. So I will do my best to take care of you and try to live comfortably... Take my advice, it's a long way to Austria."

Under Ciel's sincere gaze, Charlotte wavered slightly. Finally she lowered her gaze.

"Thank you, Charles. However, I still plan to go this time. The eldest princess is seriously ill and dying. If I don't find a way to see her again, I'm afraid I will never have the chance again." Charlotte sighed softly, and then She also hugged his waist, "Also, it's better for me to explain some things to them in person... For my sake, they shouldn't go too far."

Before Charles could say anything else, she suddenly smiled again, "Besides, how many opportunities are there for the Emperor of Habsburg to invite and receive him personally? I can't let go of such an opportunity easily!"

Under Charlotte's smile, Charles found that he couldn't say anything, so he could only continue to hold her gently. "Okay. Well...since you insist so much, I will grant your wish."

After hugging each other for a while, Charlotte pulled away from his embrace slightly. "Okay, stop making trouble, I have to prepare myself to go. You seem to be an easy-going person, and you can be very demanding. I have been with you for so many years before I know your life preferences. If someone else helps you prepare, God knows. Why are you dissatisfied with this journey? By the way, we also need to arrange things at home. We can't leave anyone alone."

"You're right, you really need to make good arrangements. You can be responsible for arranging things at home. There shouldn't be any problems. But... there's something I have to tell you." Charles nodded, and then told his sister Charlotte had heard the arrangements.

When she heard that Ciel actually planned to send Fran to the south to handle important matters, Charlotte's expression turned ugly.

However, after thinking about it, she really couldn't find a better candidate than Fran, and she couldn't find any reason to object - since she had already said that she would put aside all the past grudges. It would not be a good idea to continue to embarrass her now.

"Okay, I agree to this arrangement." After thinking for a moment, she agreed with Charles's approach. "She is my sister-in-law and a member of our family. Of course I trust her."

"That's great, Charlotte." Charles was very happy, so he moved his head slightly towards her face. "Come on, let's celebrate our victory at this stage first!"

"You are so disgusting! How old are you to do this!" Charlotte scolded him with a frown, but closed her eyes instead. "Dad...Dad is coming soon, hurry up!"

Just when the two lips were about to meet, a light cough came from the door of the small living room.

"Ahem, actually even if I come, you can still continue."

After hearing these sudden words, the two young men suddenly changed their colors, and then quickly separated from the hug.

"Dad! Why didn't you say anything even though you were here!" Charlotte yelled at her father, the current Duke of Treville, with an angry look on her face.

As the new Duke of Treville and Charlotte's father, this middle-aged man naturally did not need to go through the communication when he came to Charles's house, so when the couple did not notice, he had already been invited. When I got here, I accidentally saw the intimate show between my son-in-law and my daughter - and then I made a joke without missing any opportunity.

"I see you are so close, how can I say anything?" The middle-aged man smiled narrowly, "You can continue as long as you ignore me."

"If you're embarrassed, please don't say anything at the last moment." Charles looked at the other party calmly, "But you are right, we don't need to pay attention to you first."

"Stop it, Ciel!"

However, when he approached Charlotte again, Charlotte pushed him away, then walked towards his father angrily and handed the letter in her hand to him. "Dad, this is the last time we will help you for free!"

"Don't say it so heartlessly, my good daughter!" The Duke smiled flirtatiously as he took the letter from Charlotte's hand and read it. "Ah, our Ciel is so popular recently!"

"When we have half a million troops, we will always be popular." Charles replied with a smile. "The Austrians originally hated us, but now they want to take advantage of us, so they are happy to be courteous to us."

While talking, the three members of the Treville family walked to the beautifully decorated coffee table, and then each sat on the sofa chairs covered with red velvet.

"Dad. Next, Charles and I will secretly visit the eldest princess, tell her the specific situation of our family, and then ask her to accommodate." Charlotte first told the arrangement of the two of them, "I believe As long as they understand our situation, they should be able to help..."

"So, this matter has turned around?" The middle-aged man quickly understood, "But... is it okay to just visit the eldest princess directly?"

"Of course we can only visit in secret." Charles spread his hands.

"Then...then how can Charlotte go there if she's like this?!" The middle-aged man still didn't seem to accept it. "Charlotte is pregnant now. Traveling back and forth like this is not good for your health..."

"It's not because of you that I'm running back and forth like this!" Upon hearing this, Charlotte shouted out angrily, "It's all because of your nonsense that I had to go to others to beg for mercy, which embarrassed our family. !”

"Charlotte, don't say that... If there is no other way, we don't want to be so shameless and beg for mercy!" The Duke smiled bitterly, "It's easy for dad to say something casually. But it's not easy for us children and grandchildren to implement it. So easy, he turned most of his property into fixed funds, we don't You can move, and then ask us to pay off the debt. God, how can this be so easy to do! It’s not like you don’t know the situation at home now, how can you come up with money so easily? This is a lot of money! I can understand your feelings for the Wang family, but... we always have to face reality..."

What her father said made Charlotte speechless for a moment.

That's right. After all, the Treville family is a step above the Wang family.

"I understand, Dad." Charlotte sighed, "We will handle these things well. Our family will not suffer a big loss."

"As long as you can hold your position!" The middle-aged man also breathed a sigh of relief, "Her Royal Highness the Princess likes you very much. If you go to her to plead for mercy, she should agree. Besides, there is no restoration of the Wang family now. Hope. Even if they get so much money back at once, what's the point? Besides, as the head of the Treville family, you are still from an old family, so she won't listen to your opinions. "

"I hope so." Charlotte nodded confidently.

"Speaking of this, I would like to thank you, Charles." When he said this, the Duke smiled again, "Philip is very satisfied that you found him a position so quickly. He is preparing now, and he will be there soon." It’s time to leave for Tours, he said he would learn from you.”

"Oh? If that's the case, that would be great." Ciel also smiled, looking very pleased. "It will be good for everyone if Philip can do something serious."

According to the previous agreement, Charles used his own operations to find a position as inspector of religious property in the Loire region for his cousin Philippe de Treville. The Loire Province is a very rich place. There were once many castles and monasteries in the area. The church had a lot of assets. During the Revolution and the subsequent era, there were also many disputes over church property. For Philip who was bent on making money, it was indeed a good place. .

It is conceivable that the ambitious Philip must also plan to "do something big" there.

This is a good thing for Ciel. The more actively he acts, the more people he offends and the better it is for him.

"Who says it's not the case!" The Duke also sighed, "Hey...it's my fault too. I was too indulgent towards him before, and as a result, he did nothing but wander around outside. How did I know that he actually owed so much gambling money?" Damn it, this bastard! He’s doing well now. He knows how to do something serious. No matter how good he is, it’s still progress, and I don’t have to worry too much in the future..."

After talking nonstop for a while, he seemed a little thirsty, "I said, can't you get some wine here? I came all the way here and talked so much that my throat was dry..."

"Who asked you to come in without notice! Besides, Charles has so many official duties recently, where can he drink?" Charlotte glanced at him angrily, "I'll make you some coffee, you wait first ”

After saying that, she stood up directly and left the small living room step by step.

Charles saw that she was no longer as light as before, and secretly hoped that his wife would be able to maintain her pre-birth figure after giving birth.

Just when Ciel was still thinking about it. His father-in-law, who had a tired look on his face, suddenly laughed happily again.

"Good son-in-law, let's talk quickly now!"

So he actually wanted to take away Charlotte? Ciel was slightly startled.

"What?" He looked at the other party with some confusion.

"I heard that Mr. Bonaparte is planning to appoint a chief executive to carry out a major overhaul of the city of Paris. Rebuild many neighborhoods?" The Duke looked at Charles with a mysterious face, "Is this happening?"

"That's what happened." After hesitating for a moment, Charles nodded.

"That's right!" The Duke shook his fists excitedly, "Then, in the short term, housing prices in Paris will definitely rise significantly."

Read the original text in Liu#9@书/吧!

"Maybe..." Ciel reluctantly agreed with him.

He already knew what his father-in-law wanted to say.

"So, I'm going to invest all my money in real estate now. I'm going to buy land and a house in Paris. When the time comes... I'll change hands and throw it all away!" The Duke's face was full of excitement. "At that time, I will definitely be able to earn a lot of money. Times!”

Historically, that's true.

What better way to make a living than to buy real estate before a real estate boom hits? Ciel sighed inwardly.

"I admit that what you said makes sense, but... it's not as easy as it seems." Charles looked at the Duke calmly, "Don't forget, even if you make money, there are still people who lose money."

"Char, I'm different from you. You're an important person in the country now. You don't have the energy to do this kind of thing, so you might be negligent. But I'm different. Now I don't have an administrative position, and even the Self-Defense Forces The errand is optional, I have a lot of time to keep an eye on it! As long as I keep an eye on it, no one can take advantage of Treville, and as long as the real estate value continues to rise, we will be sure of this deal! "The Duke still looked excited. "Besides, we still have you here. No matter who Bonaparte chooses to be the person in charge of city construction, he will definitely be on good terms with you, then. Isn't it very easy for us to get news from him? He must first Whichever area is changed, we will buy the land there first... In a few years, we will definitely make a fortune!"

After laughing for a while, he looked at Ciel again, "Of course, good son-in-law. If you help me, I will know how to do it, and there will definitely be no shortage of you!"

Although the Duke was very excited, Charles was not infected by his excitement, but remained calm.

No wonder he was so cautious today. He had to think of a way to get Charlotte away before he even mentioned the idea to him.

Since he can spend a large amount of money to invest in real estate in the near future, it must be a lie if he "can't find the money now to repay his debt to the Wang family". Naturally, Charlotte must not know this, otherwise it may dampen Charlotte's enthusiasm for interceding with the Wang family.

His father-in-law is indeed quite shrewd... Ciel thought as he looked at this middle-aged man with exquisite clothes and a mustache. Because this middle-aged man is well-maintained and well-groomed, he doesn't look too decadent now. Instead, he looks like an energetic young man.

"How about it, Charles? Do you think my idea is good?" The Duke saw that Charles never answered, "Let's do it together! I can invest a lot of money, and you can find a way for us. Together, we can make it happen in a few years. This city squeezes out the juice!”

Does he need to stop his own family from getting rich and please the Wang family? Not required at all.

He doesn't have the same strong values ​​as Charlotte.

"We can't personally participate, otherwise our names will be hated." After pondering for a moment, Charles gave his opinion, "Invest the money into a bank or company as equity, and then let them To control other companies, and then speculate in real estate in the name of these companies, we will not be blamed. "

Duke Treville was overjoyed. Since his son-in-law Charles said this, it actually meant that he agreed with his opinion. As long as he is involved, is this plan still feasible?

In his estimation, if everything goes well, within a few years, he will be able to collect all his future pension funds, and no longer have to worry about having to rely on his son-in-law and daughter - as for what will happen after his death, then forgive me He couldn't be bothered.

"My good son-in-law is still thoughtful!" He smiled with joy on his face, "Go back to my place. I have a lot of good wine there. The two of us can have a good drink!"

"It's not a hurry, we will drink those delicacies sooner or later." Charles replied pointedly.

"What are you talking about? Are you so happy?" At this time, Charlotte walked in slowly, holding coffee.

"It's nothing, I was just telling him about your childhood." The Duke immediately took over the conversation without showing any abnormality. "When you were at home, you were completely different from Charles. Charles was stunned."

Then, he took the coffee directly from Charlotte's plate, "Let's talk about this. She practiced for a long time at home, but no one at home could drink it. She drank it by herself, and poured it out before she finished it. She refused to let us have a taste... Oh, I knew it at that time. My daughter, the more you pamper her, the less you will be taken seriously. Charles, when you have a daughter in the future, don't learn to pamper her like me..."

"Dad!" Charlotte blushed, then opened her eyes wide and glared at her father.

Charles also felt a little embarrassed, so he said nothing.

After Charlotte joined, the three Trevilles chatted about the past for a while, and did not leave until late at night.

The couple sent the Duke to the door, and then watched his carriage disappear from the darkness.

"Can you just shirk the debt for the time being and make him happy?" Looking at her father's back, Charlotte couldn't help but sigh, "That's not the debt of the despicable Jews, it's the debt of our king!"

Isn't it the same for the nobles? Anyway, it's all about blaming others if you can - Charles certainly wouldn't say that to Charlotte.

He just looked at his wife.

In the night, her face was white and attractive, and her still young face exuded an intoxicating charm.

This is a person who insists on herself. She has exhausted all her energy - of course, according to her own ideas and worldview - to maintain the family's wealth and reputation, but she has received very little support. No one is grateful to her, and no one feels the need to be shackled by her. Even her father secretly guards against his daughter, fearing that she will cause trouble for him.

Even if I... Even if I don't, isn't it almost the same?

What a useless and vivid person!

A mixture of pity and guilt quietly surged into his heart, and finally turned into an impulse of implicit love. Driven by this impulse, he suddenly hugged Charlotte, and then hugged Charlotte regardless of anything.

"Charlotte, I will stay with you until the end."

Charlotte was startled at first, then looked up at Charles who was a little excited, and then slowly smiled.

"Going crazy again."(~^~)