Flowers, Swords and France

PS. Here’s today’s update, and by the way, I’m going to vote for the “Qidian” 515 Fan Festival. Everyone has 8 votes, and you’ll get Qidian coins for voting. I beg you all for your support and appreciation!

Ciel's suggestion finally broke the awkward silence between the two people.

After the Earl stayed for a moment, he finally nodded and agreed to Ciel's proposal. "Well, if you wish, then I will call her over. I hope you can understand the importance of maintaining friendship between our families...Mr. Treville."

Deep down in his heart, he actually didn't want to break with Charles. Although what the other party said was unpleasant, he also knew that what the other party said was not wrong. Now his family has passed away and can no longer be considered a leader in the political world. He can only maintain his current status with the help of others. He has no capital to fight against the Treville family, which is now so famous.

It is precisely because of this that although he had long known that his daughter Matilda had an affair with this young man, he always pretended not to know and never cared about it. He has long thought of using the Treville family as his new backers.

But he never expected that this would be the person who was attacking his family now. When he was angry, he couldn't help but want to threaten him with his daughter.

Of course, to be fair, he still hoped that this young man would change his mind, so he agreed to the other party's proposal.

"Wait here for a moment, I'll call her." The earl stretched out his hand to signal the other party to continue, then he stood up and left the living room, walked directly upstairs, and walked towards his daughter's room.

He knocked on the door casually, and the door opened quickly, and then Matilda appeared at the door. Her eyes behind the lenses looked at her father calmly.

"Dad, what's wrong?"

"Matilda, we have encountered a big problem." The middle-aged man shrugged, "Dad needs your help."

"What do you need me to do for you?" Matilda asked calmly.

In fact, she knew it in her heart. She had known about Ciel's arrival for a long time, and had guessed that the two people would not be able to reach a consensus, so she had already made preparations.

However, judging from her father's face, she also guessed that the two people must have had a fierce argument just now, and she couldn't help but feel a little uneasy.

"Help me convince Charles not to deal with our family anymore." The middle-aged man looked at his daughter with a look that was half command and half pleading, "You know what I'm talking about."

"He...does he still insist on your resignation?" Matilda asked in a low voice.

"Yes, yes, he hasn't changed his mind at all. It's not like you don't know what kind of person he is." The middle-aged man sighed, then stretched out his right hand to grab his daughter's shoulder, "So Mattie Erda, dad can only rely on you now. For the happiness of our family and your own happiness, try your best to persuade him to change his mind. Haven't you always had a good relationship with him? I can rely on you."

"You...you used me to threaten him?" Matilda was very smart after all. She immediately understood the hidden meaning of her father's words, "If I didn't do it, you would use me to threaten him." Punish him?"

"Matilda, you are not a child anymore, you can understand what I mean." The middle-aged man's face was very calm, "If he insists on going against our family... then as my daughter, you will naturally We should stand on the same footing as our father.”

"You know I like him." Matilda lowered her gaze. "Don't you want your daughter to be happy?"

"But he is a married man now. You shouldn't fall in love with a married man, at least you shouldn't fall in love with a married man who is against us." The middle-aged man frowned and ignored his daughter's words. Defense, "Besides, my child, people can still live without love, and even live well. Your mother and I are a good example."

"I would rather die alone as you and mother are united," Matilda replied in a low voice.

"So in order to make everyone happy, Dad wants your help. Go and convince him to make everything return to the way it was before." The middle-aged man squeezed his daughter's shoulder again, then let go, "Okay, let's go Well, don’t keep our guests waiting.”

After drinking another cup of coffee, Charles, who was slightly impatient, finally waited for the arrival of the father and daughter.

"Matilda, long time no see!" Charles stood up with a smile on his face, then took her hand and kissed her passionately. "Please forgive me. I only came to see you at this time, and...it's still an occasion like this. I really hope I can avoid embarrassment for you."

"I am indeed in a difficult position, sir." Matilda gently withdrew her hand and sat down.

"Charle, Matilda is not the only one who is in trouble now. You have put us all in trouble." Seeing the young man's eager look, the count finally felt a lot more at ease, "You and Mattie We have known each other for such a long time and have...well, a deep friendship with each other. Can you bear to let Matilda be in a dilemma because of your selfish decision? I think you are a gentle person and would not do this? This kind of thing happens.”

"I don't think this kind of thing should involve Matilda, Your Excellency." Charles looked at the middle-aged man with a hint of sullenness, "You shouldn't threaten me with your daughter's happiness. This is not like It’s what a father should do.”

"Not like a father? Yes, I have never been like a father. I condoned your affair and allowed you to do those immoral things freely!" Perhaps angered by Charles' attitude, the earl's tone became serious, "If I fulfilled my father's duties, I should have found a husband for my daughter now! How old is Matilda now?! I have always allowed you to live your life as you wish, but you repay me with this... Sir, since you force me to lay things out clearly, then I will say Let's make it clear. Either I listen to you and our two families will not have any contact from now on, or I listen to me and let everything return to the way it was. You can still live according to your own preferences and do whatever you like...!"

"This is really a responsible father. He actually used his daughter as a bargaining chip to threaten me!" Charles couldn't help but sneered, "Have you forgotten that she has been silently contributing to the family for so many years and helped you and your father maintain this family?"

"None of us is more noble than the other, sir." The middle-aged man hesitated slightly, but still forced himself to answer. Obviously, he didn't intend to change his mind. "Sir, let's make it clear in front of Matilda. Do you still want to do such a meaningless thing, hurt a friend for a dispensable position, and have to leave my daughter?"

Charles was silent for a moment. He pondered slightly, as if he was struggling with something.

"How about it, Charles, have you considered the consequences?" After finding that his threat was effective, the middle-aged man finally smiled slightly. "It's not too late to change your mind now, and I don't want to interfere in the affairs between you young people..."

"I just want to say one thing. You underestimated your daughter, sir." At this moment, Charles also suddenly laughed, "Matilda, you see, everything is just as I expected..."

"What do you mean?" This answer surprised the count, and he quickly turned his head to look at his daughter.

"Ugly, too ugly... Dad, it's really too ugly." Matilda, who had been silent all the time, finally spoke, and her eyes behind the glasses could not show any joy or anger. "In the place where grandpa rests, you actually... you actually said these words, I really can't imagine how sad his spirit in heaven must be..."

"You... what do you mean?!" This sudden development made the middle-aged man a little at a loss. He looked up blankly and scanned the faces of the two young people.

These two people were equally calm and unhurried, as if... they had a tacit understanding in advance.

"Please don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that it's ugly to threaten others with me. When necessary, you use your own daughter or even your own wife as a bargaining chip to threaten others. This is not embarrassing - well, although I am a little sad." Matilda said in a very calm tone, "But you shouldn't be so careless about the situation, and you shouldn't be at a loss. Only when the situation comes to a head, you know to make some futile resistance... Now you threaten me, which only proves that you are extremely weak. You have no way out. Excuse me, it's too ugly for you to do this."

The original text can be read in Liu # 9 @Book/Bar!

The middle-aged man's face turned pale. From his daughter's attitude, he already felt a chill.

"That's right, you have no way out, because in the past forty years of your dissolute and frivolous life, you have made no achievements, no prestige, and even no necessary vision. You think you have a wide range of friends and no one fears or hates you. You think this is being kind to others. No, this is just the consequence of your incompetence. Little do you know that if no one in the world is afraid of you, no one will respect you! You first relied on your father, then on me, and then took everything for granted, living a leisurely and wealthy life... As a result, you have squandered the capital left by your grandfather. When the time came, you looked around in confusion, but found that there was no one who could help you!" Matilda raised her head and looked at her father with a calm and critical attitude, "Now you blame others for being unfavorable to you... Sorry, aren't all these consequences caused by you?"

"Why... are you going to deal with me together with him?!" The count finally came to his senses and shouted at his daughter.

He has always regarded this daughter as his most capable assistant, but... who would have thought that she would dare to disobey her father!

"It's not about dealing with you, because you don't need us to deal with you seriously." Matilda said mercilessly, "Let me tell you clearly, if you dare to use me to threaten Charles, then I will never help you again. Without me... you can't do anything. I know, and you know it too. In addition, you can never stop me from doing what I want to do. No one in the family will listen to you to guard me. I can come and go freely. My sister and brother-in-law will only support me because you have never made them respect you. Now, it's time for you to consider whether to listen to us or to resist to the end? If you listen to us, you will get compensation in the end. Charles will do his best to compensate you according to his promise. I will help you as always in the future. You just lost a position - in your words, a nominal position. What does it matter?"

"…………A daughter can actually say such words!" The count roared, and his self-proclaimed demeanor was gone.

"Did I say something wrong? Our family has fallen in your hands. This is your responsibility. Now you should give it a decent destination. Is there anything better than relying on the Treville family?" Matilda asked back, "Forget it, considering that you have been unwilling to think seriously and never see the situation clearly, I won't tell you so much. Anyway, now even George knows what to do."

"George?" The middle-aged man opened his eyes wide, "He also knows?"

"Yes, I told him a long time ago that he will serve as the adjutant of Marshal Treville in the future expedition. The marshal will be his protector and will personally take care of him and promote him, making him a rising star in the army... and he said he fully respects my decision." Matilda still answered calmly, "I think George is smart and pragmatic, and his achievements will be much better than yours."

The middle-aged man was speechless. He only realized now that his sons and daughters had all betrayed him secretly and no longer took him seriously.

"Actually, I think it's good to lay everything out now, so that there won't be any misunderstandings in the future." At this time, Charles shrugged, "Count, I think you must have understood now? You are a has-been figure, and you are alone. Even your children don't support you, so you don't have any bargaining chips to threaten me. No matter what you do, Matilda will act according to her own wishes without being forced by you. So... in my opinion, you'd better listen to my advice..."

"You... you..." The count's face was completely red, and his neck seemed to be swollen.

"If you don't listen, I won't force you, but I'm afraid you will have a worrying old age." Charles sighed again, "Melissa told me some of the things you did privately, and she also knows where you saved money for yourself privately. If you insist on being my enemy, I'm afraid..."

This sudden heavy blow made the middle-aged man's whole body shake violently. "Melissa, you... you bribed her too?"

"To be precise, she came to me and asked me to bribe her." Charles shook his head, "She couldn't wait to get out of this life, so I had to agree."

"Why...?" Compared with his daughter's betrayal, the middle-aged man seemed to find it more difficult to accept this fact.

"Isn't this normal? You are a big shot who has passed his prime and has gone downhill. Why should she waste her remaining youth on you?" Charles answered calmly, and then he suddenly laughed mischievously, "What's more, you only have five minutes..."

[515 is coming soon, I hope to continue to hit the 515 red envelope list, and on May 15th, the red envelope rain can give back to readers and promote the work. It's also love, I will definitely update it well! 】(~^~)