Flowers, Swords and France

After the confidential meeting, Emperor Franz-Joseph invited Charles to attend the court ball. Although Charles did not like socializing, he still agreed. However, Charlotte was not there, so he had to choose another partner.

After dancing a few songs, everyone was ready to dance the Mazurka, and Charles asked to dance with Her Royal Highness. Because of his status, this request was quickly approved.

It was her first time to attend such a grand court ball. She was radiant with excitement and joy. She wore a white gauze dress with a rose-colored ribbon on the skirt, which made her look slim and healthy.

"You are really radiant, Your Highness." Charles complimented the princess as soon as the two walked into the dance floor. "I dare say you are the cutest person here today."

"I dare say you missed your wife, sir." The princess replied with a smile.

"Oh, I dare say she is one of the most beautiful here, and she is a perfect match for you." Charles immediately responded with a smile, "But she is about to become a mother, so in terms of cuteness, you are still ahead."

"You make me embarrassed when you say that!" The princess's face flushed slightly, and she was obviously very pleased with his compliment.

At this time, the music began to play, and Charles found that the band was playing Chopin's Mazurka in E major. The rhythm of this dance is very bright, so it requires constant movement between the partners to cooperate, but Charles doesn't care about it. He doesn't care what music is used.

The two people's footsteps moved with the music.

"This is Chopin's music! I like him very much. He is a genius. We often play his music at home." The princess said while dancing.

"I didn't expect you to be so knowledgeable about music."

Charles shook his head slightly, with a teasing meaning.

"Of course I have learned music from someone," the princess replied with a little dissatisfaction while holding his hand and turning it. "Do you think I know nothing?"

In fact, you really know nothing, at least now-Charles answered in his heart.

"No, of course. I would never think so." Charles bowed slightly, "I just didn't expect you to have such a good impression of Chopin."

"Why can't I have a good impression of Chopin?" The princess frowned in confusion.

After a moment, she came back to her senses. "Ah!"

Because of this sudden change, her steps did not keep up with the rhythm. So much so that she almost stepped on Charles's foot. Fortunately, Charles bent down with the help of the tune of the dance and held her waist, so that she didn't fall to the ground.

She figured out what Charles meant-Chopin was a Pole, and like most Poles. He was a Polish independence activist who wanted to resist the division of Poland by Russia, Prussia and Austria.

In 1830, because of the failure of the Polish uprising, Chopin left his hometown Poland and moved to Paris, where he began to make a living by playing, teaching, and composing. He became famous for his musical talent here and became a musician renowned in Europe. In 1837, Chopin refused the position and title of "Chief Pianist of His Majesty the Tsar" given to him by the Russians because of the Polish sense of honor.

Since Chopin is such a person, in the eyes of the Russians, he is just a Polish traitor. It doesn't matter if ordinary people praise him, but with her status, it is not appropriate to praise him publicly - although the courts of these countries use Chopin's dances to decorate banquets, there is still such a tacit understanding.

The princess obviously discovered her mistake, so she seemed a little embarrassed.

She moved her mouth slightly, as if she wanted to say something to save the situation, but in the end she didn't want to say bad things about Chopin, so she simply wanted to change the subject. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I almost stepped on you just now. Thank you!"

"It's okay. We are always happy to serve you." Charles immediately changed the subject and did not continue to entangle.

Although she has become the fiancée of the Austrian Emperor. But she is not ready for her new position. She is essentially a Bavarian. Of course, she does not have the political sensitivity of the Austrian Queen. However, it is precisely because she does not have it that she looks cute.

Chopin is undoubtedly a talented genius. He appeared in an instant, illuminated the world, and then disappeared in an instant. Like the most brilliant fireworks in the sky, brilliant and short. However, although his life ended early, his works have been left in the world, and at least they are still admired now.

As the tune of the music became more and more intense, the rhythm of Charles and the princess's dance steps became faster and faster. Although Charles usually does not like to socialize and has no interest in dances, he has learned swordsmanship since he was a child, so his steps are flexible and powerful, which can lead the rhythm well, allowing the princess, who is still a little awkward, to give full play to her steps.

While dancing, the two chatted, and Charles made some jokes or compliments from time to time, which made the princess very happy and her movements became lighter.

"Are you so attentive to everyone?" The princess looked at him curiously, "Are all French people like this?"

The French are now almost famous for this, and Charles did not intend to defend them.

"I am always kind and enthusiastic to those I like." Charles replied in a low voice, and at the same time held her hand again.

"I like...but this is the first time we meet?" The princess blinked in confusion and walked around to the other side, "Have you heard of me before?"

"I heard about you a year ago, and you are now a famous figure in Europe, Your Highness." Charles first complimented the other person in a timely manner, and then told the truth, "However, the reason why I like you is because I I remembered someone."

"Who?" the princess asked immediately, very curious.

"I have a sister who is a few years older than you." Charles said leisurely while maintaining his dance steps. "She was very innocent and cute when she was a child, and she also listened to my words very much. Yes, very innocent and cute... Yes The kind of child you can’t help but want to care for when you see him.”

He repeated it subconsciously, as if he was remembering something.

"I...I probably understand." The princess blinked, "So how is she doing now?"

"She is no more," Charles answered shortly.

"Huh? I'm sorry...!" The princess thought that Ciel meant that her sister was dead, so she apologized repeatedly, "I shouldn't have asked that..."

"No, I didn't mean that she passed away, I meant that she has grown up and changed." Charles's face darkened, and his tone became much more serious, "She has become completely different from what I used to be. The child in my arms. She did a lot of things. When I first heard about it, I just felt dizzy and couldn’t believe it.”

"You mean she will no longer be so innocent and cute when she grows up," the princess opened her eyes wide. More curious. "Did you do something unacceptable?"

"Yes, that's it." Charles nodded sadly, and unconsciously tightened his hands, "Maybe you can't understand my feelings at all. Our father left us very early, and I brought her up. . I have watched her grow up little by little with me since I was little. I gave her all my love and knowledge as a gift. Do you understand? I regard it as my greatest honor to protect her from the contamination and harm of the world. I allow her to use her talents in the most arbitrary way. I once thought I found true, perfect love in her..."

"Sir, please don't get excited!" The princess felt a little pain and couldn't help but twitch her hands. Of course, she was still curious to hear what this "big bad guy famous in Europe" had to say.

"Sorry. Your Highness, I'm a little excited." Charles smiled bitterly, relaxed his hands slightly, and then continued, "I have asked myself many times what I did wrong to cause such a result, but I didn't get the answer, and sometimes I still doubted it. , that innocent and lovely child I once saw was actually a phantom in my heart. She never existed. It was just a dream I imposed on others... Later, I had no choice but to accept it. In fact, she may not be the sister I thought she was."

Because it evoked the most secret thoughts in his heart, his tone became more and more painful, so that his steps slowly slowed down.

While adjusting her pace to keep up with Ciel's, the princess continued to look up at Ciel, waiting for his narration. "Why do you think so? Judging from your description. She must love you very much?"

"Maybe so, but what's the point? She is no longer the same person as before. Now I can only treat her as an ordinary person, not as my closest and closest person." Charles shook his head. Shaking his head, "I, the me now...I don't even know if her innocence and cuteness at that time were real anymore. When I think that my most precious memories will be fakes mixed with impurities, my most sincere feelings are destroyed. Being betrayed for so long makes me feel unbearable sometimes.”

"You! How can you think so?" The princess was a little anxious, "Sir, you are a big shot and have done many big things, so you must understand human relations very well, right? People will grow up, it's impossible Are you going to keep being naive? One day she will realize that she can't just think according to your given thinking. Besides, even if she has been lying to you, it must be because she loves you very much, so she keeps perfunctory with you. Hobby."

"Perfunctory about my hobbies?" Charles was a little surprised.

"Isn't it like this? You like innocent and lovely angels. This requirement is very high. No one would stay a child forever, and no one would like to live like this forever, right?" The princess smiled slightly, " Maybe one day before, your sister awakened to her own joy. She walked away from all the wonderful things you instilled and maintained, but she found that You don't like her growth, so she can only continue to shrink back and play the child you have always loved - isn't this a great sacrifice? In the final analysis, it is you who have been setting requirements that are difficult for others to meet. To ask others, I'm afraid she must have had a hard time... Ha, it's a good thing I don't have a brother like you, otherwise I would have felt very embarrassed. "

"..." Charles's face had froze, but he was not angry because the princess accused him so, but because the princess's accusation seemed to him to be somewhat reasonable.

In that case, weren't my sister's words before jumping off the building her whine and protest?

You have become such a person, but you ask the people around you to be angels and comfort yourself with pure white love at any time. This may be extremely selfish, right?

Am I such a person?

Read the original text in Liu#9@书/吧!

Maybe it is.

"Sir?" Because he suddenly stopped, the princess couldn't help but ask him.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I just got distracted for a moment." Ciel quickly smiled apologetically, and then continued to hold the princess's hand and dance.

It seems. This princess is indeed quite smart. She is not as ignorant as she thought before. On the contrary, she has a very smart mind, but she just doesn't understand the ways of the world.

After all. What is the need to understand? That's good.

It's a pity...it's a pity that I got the wrong husband.

"I probably understand that you have some regrets because of your sister's growth, and you may have seen the shadow of your past in me - that's why you are so attentive to me!" At this moment, the princess had a look on her face. Got it! ’ looked at Ciel with an expression. "Right?"

"Yes, that's it..." Ciel nodded.

"Then don't think that I will feel honored. On the contrary, I feel scared. If one day I am no longer innocent and cute because of my growth, then you may not take me seriously!" The princess smiled. He stood up, "Are you right?"

After thinking for a moment, Ciel realized that he couldn't answer this question.

His eyes suddenly became blurry, and the tall black-haired princess slowly changed in the shadow, turning into the blonde, blue-eyed, fair-skinned and petite child, who was surrounding him. Singing and dancing, laughing very happily.

"I am...how much I miss that time." He said subconsciously.

"You must have played well with her at that time." The princess immediately asserted, "I can feel your nostalgia."

"Yes, yes, you are right...right."

At this moment, the dance music reached its climax. According to the dance steps, the princess would hold his hand and circle around him. Just when the princess was about to do this, Charles suddenly reached out and hugged her. waist. Then he picked her up in the air and spun her around in a circle - just like when they played games together.

However, he will definitely get different results compared to back then.

when being put down. The princess's face flushed slightly at first, then she raised her head and looked at Ciel with great dissatisfaction.

"You...what are you doing?" she asked loudly.

Ciel's sudden and overly intimate movements, as well as the princess's loud scolding, soon caused the others to stop dancing and look at the pair of dance partners in shock. The scene became subtle and awkward, as if a storm was brewing. Only the band hadn't reacted yet and continued singing dance music, adding a bit of embarrassment to the scene.

"Nothing, Your Highness," Charles shrugged coolly, "I'm just demonstrating to you - my sister and I played like this when we were kids. Since you asked me out of curiosity just now, in the spirit of honesty I think I should demonstrate this principle to you with practical actions..."

However, his heart was by no means as calm as on the surface. In fact, when he found that he had become the focus of all eyes, and even Emperor Franz-Joseph looked over with dissatisfaction, his heart was already turned upside down.

Oh my god, I may have left a big joke for the European diplomatic community. In less than ten days, the whole of Europe will know that I was floating around with the future queen of Austria in my arms! Especially since she was still a child.

Charles, who had already woken up, secretly regretted the stupid things he had done in the heat of the moment. However, in such a terrible situation, one cannot be stupid, and even if one is stupid, one must not show cowardice, but must pretend to be elegant.

Therefore, he did not show any embarrassment or apology at all, and maintained his composure, looking at the princess with an extremely friendly smile, as if he really did not take his rudeness just now as a serious matter.

He knew that by playing this way, these conservative Austrians would regard him as "another shameless Frenchman who thinks he is romantic and does not understand etiquette." But in fact, he didn't care much because he knew that Austrians used Looking at him, this little episode doesn't change that.

Then, he stretched out his hand to the princess again, "Your Highness, please continue to dance this piece with me for the sake of Austria."

The princess's face was uncertain, but in the end, she took her hand again.

With her patience, the dance finally ended.

"God will be grateful for your tolerance." At this time, Charles leaned into her ear and whispered softly. "Just a few minutes ago you gained a most sincere friend, and I thank you on my sister's behalf."

"But I'm not happy about this, sir. You were so rude just now!" The princess still had an angry look on her face.

"I am only polite to people I don't like." Charles shook his head and did not take her accusation to heart, "Your Highness, you infected me with your wisdom and cuteness, not your title and status. So don't worry, as long as you still have these, you will have me Friends. Although you may not need it now, one day you will realize the importance of this kind of friendship - I can order a country, although I cannot do whatever I want. If you have any problems that cannot be solved in the future. , feel free to come to me!”

Then, without caring about the princess's reply or the eyes of others, he picked up the princess's hand, kissed it gently, then turned around and left the dance floor.

"What a monster." Looking at his back as he left with emotion, the princess thought to herself. (~^~)