Flowers, Swords and France

Agnes left suddenly, leaving Charles alone in the corridor, watching her back as she walked away.

Although he still felt pain on his face from time to time, he was not angry, but felt a little amused.

His face was still swollen, and it was obviously inappropriate to go back now, so he had to hide in a room first, and wait until the swelling slowly subsided before coming out to see people again.

He and the marshal had been away for so long, and everyone present today was wondering what extraordinary thing had happened, but when he came back, no one came to ask him, as if nothing had happened.

"Charles, how is Grandpa?" Seeing that he looked a little strange, Charlotte quickly approached him and asked, "Did Agnes have any conflict with him just now?"

"No conflict, although Agnes doesn't like Grandpa, she still maintains the most basic respect for an old man," Charles shook his head, "Grandpa didn't get angry with her, he just asked about the burial place of my father, and planned to...well, send someone to bring his remains back for burial."

"What?" Charlotte's reaction was bigger than Charles expected, "He wants to bring Edgar's remains back? What else did they say?"

Charlotte was directly responsible for Edgar's death, and could even be said to be the main planner, so she was a little sensitive about it, fearing that Agnes would accidentally leak the matter.

"Nothing, just something like that. Aunt Agnes told Grandpa where she buried Edgar." Charles shook his head. "Grandpa is alone now, and he is a little sad. We should be careful with our words and not irritate him anymore."

"Okay, I know." Charlotte understood. "I will take good care of Grandpa."

Then, Charles and Charlotte, the couple, held hands and came to the center of the hall, becoming the focus of everyone's attention.

With the melodious music, they began to lead the dance, and others also paired up to dance.

However, because he was worried, Charles' dance steps were not smooth. Fortunately, with Charlotte's cooperation, he did not reveal any flaws.

"Are you worried about something, Charles?" Charlotte asked next to her husband. "Why are you so restless?"

"I'm thinking about something important, sorry." Of course, Charles was unwilling to say what he was worried about, so he had to perfunctorily pass it over.

"As a minister, you are really conscientious. You can't even relax at such a moment?" Charlotte laughed sarcastically. "Come on, you can't devote all your time to work, can you?"

"I'm sorry, Lolotte." Charles leaned close to her ear and kissed her gently.

Agnes's questioning of him just now did touch him a little, and he felt sorry for his wife again - although this was just hypocrisy at best.

"Don't be silly, everyone is looking at us now!" Charlotte's face turned red and she pushed him away. "Okay, okay, I really can't do anything about you. You can think whatever you want, but even if you are distracted, we have to finish this dance first."

Charles barely restrained his mind and finished the dance with Charlotte.

Perhaps because of the attention of everyone and the intimacy with Charles, Charlotte is now radiant. She was originally very beautiful, and now with some motherly spirit, she looks even more charming.

After the two finished dancing, they stopped dancing and went back to the sofa in the corner of the hall to rest.

"Friends, sometimes when I see you two, I really feel that marriage is not so terrible." Albert suddenly came to them and sat down by himself.

"If that's the case, then get married? Do people like you still need to worry about not having a marriage partner?" Charlotte rolled her eyes at him unhappily, and then poured herself a glass of wine. "Do you need to envy us?"

"Then you are really right, I really don't have a marriage partner now." Albert shrugged, "Hey, it's really hard to find a good woman in this world now..."

"Don't talk nonsense, in fact, you have too high standards, so you look down on others and are only willing to play." Charlotte interrupted his exaggerated sigh with cold words, "Otherwise, with your current status, where can you find someone?"

"Okay, okay, don't talk about this kind of gossip," Albert smiled again, "Now I think I can wait a little longer."

"Wait, wait, wait, how many years do you have to wait?" Charlotte sneered.

"Albert, you are not young anymore, it's time to settle down." Charles also joined in.

"Hey? Why are you all here to blame me? You two are really terrible." Albert laughed, "Okay, let's not talk about this topic anymore, Charlotte, what do you think about that matter?"

"What matter?" Charlotte asked back.

"The Queen's matter? What do you think about it?" Albert asked again.

"What Queen's matter? Can you explain it clearly?" Charlotte was even more confused.

"Why, don't you know?" Albert looked strange. "Something is wrong, the officials in our department have spread the word that His Majesty intends to appoint you as her chief lady-in-waiting after the Queen arrives in Paris and gets married. Don't you know?"

"Me, going to serve as a lady-in-waiting to the future Queen?" Charlotte looked incredulous and reacted almost subconsciously, "Asking me to flatter a Bonaparte's wife? This is simply ridiculous!"

Albert shrugged, with an expression that said, "I knew you would say that."

After being stunned for a moment, Charlotte immediately regained consciousness.

"I've never heard of it. What do you mean?" Charlotte turned to look at Charles, "Charle, are you hiding something from me?"

"Ah, His Majesty did tell me about this. Well... He thinks it is best for the Queen's team of attendants to include some ladies from noble families to add glory to his court." Charles was slightly embarrassed. He explained to her, "You see, he thought of our family first."

This so-called female officer is completely different from a real maid. She does not have to do any work of serving people. In many cases, it's just a palace title, and you don't even need to be with the queen all the time. In the courts of continental Europe, only high-ranking noble families or even royal families are qualified to hold the position.

Like his uncle, Louis Bonaparte liked to establish relations with the old family and take off the country hat from his head. However, because of his family, he has never been favored by the old nobles (even less favored by the old nobles than his uncle), so he has always wanted to expand his influence in the palace, win the favor of the nobles, and establish a system for the queen. A sufficient team of female officials is naturally one of the steps.

In addition, the queen is of noble birth, so she should form a luxurious team of female officials, so that she can be worthy of her status.

"Then why didn't you tell me?" Charlotte asked.

"Well... you were pregnant at the time, and I didn't want to irritate you with this kind of thing." Charles shrugged, "After thinking about it later, I felt that you definitely didn't want to agree, so I simply... well, I politely declined Your Majesty's request. ”

While talking, Charles glanced at Albert secretly and scolded him for not speaking out such a big mouth. Albert also made a face and apologized to him.

He was telling the truth. Charlotte had always looked down on the Bonaparte family. Why did Charles think he bothered his wife with this issue? So he simply declined on behalf of his wife. However, Louis Bonaparte has not given up now. He still wants to use the surname Treville to decorate the palace for his queen - besides, if even his loyal Treville family If no one is willing to release this person, other aristocratic families must have reasons to refuse, and it will become very difficult to form a team of female officials.

"I'm afraid it's not good to refuse His Majesty on this matter. Their family values ​​​​face very much." Charlotte was slightly worried.

"Oh, it doesn't matter. I think it's just a small thing. Even if His Majesty is unhappy, I will not lose his favor." Charles smiled and shook his head, "Okay, don't worry Lolot, let's continue. Let’s have a dance.”

Charlotte did not answer, but lowered her head in deep thought.

Read the original text in Liu#9@书/吧!

"Your Majesty will definitely be very unhappy with you... Charles, there is no need for us to conflict with His Majesty on this matter." After a moment, she suddenly raised her head and said.

The sudden change in her attitude surprised the two friends and they looked at each other.

"Charlotte, what do you mean..." Ciel asked tentatively. "Do you want to agree to this request?"

"Yeah, it doesn't matter if you agree to them. Anyway, I don't really have to flatter Her Majesty the Queen every day." Charlotte smiled slightly, "This way, everyone doesn't have to be embarrassed, and I can also get a nice title for myself. ”

"Oh, no, Charlotte, you really don't have to do this." Charles shook his head repeatedly, "You are my wife, and I will never let you have to do anything for me."

"You are too complacent, Your Majesty the Minister." Charlotte still smiled, "I agree to this, this is for my benefit, and I just take you into consideration by the way."

"Aren't you dissatisfied with His Majesty?" Charles smiled bitterly.

"Of course I'm dissatisfied. I still look down on them now. But even if I look down on them, he is still your Majesty now, and we have to deal with him seriously. What I'm even more dissatisfied about is that you refused directly for me without mentioning anything to me. Yes, and it’s such a big deal! My dear, you’re putting me in this situation! What's your position? If Albert hadn't made a mistake, I wouldn't even know about it now!" Charlotte seemed a little angry, and suddenly she said with a straight face, "Maybe you think it's for my own good, but what about you? Do you think you can make decisions for me? No, that’s not good.”

"I just..." Ciel wanted to defend, but he didn't know how to defend.

"I am willing to make sacrifices for you and listen to your opinions because I love you and am willing to do my best to help you, not because I have to obey you - I am your wife, but not your servant. "Charlotte looked at Charles seriously, "In fact, if I don't tell you, have you forgotten that I am actually the heir in grandpa's will? The family should be headed by me, and the wealth belongs to me? name, and you should have followed my instructions!"

"Also...it doesn't have to be so serious..." Ciel felt greatly embarrassed because he was said so badly in front of his friends. "Okay, Lolot, this is my fault. I apologize to you. I will never hide this kind of thing from you again in the future - and I really have no malice."

"I believe you don't have any ill intentions, but this approach is wrong. You must take precautions." After he begged for mercy, Charlotte's tense expression finally relaxed. "If this happens again next time, I won't do it." I'll show you mercy."

"Okay, okay... I was wrong..." Ciel continued to apologize.

"Then just tell Your Majesty these two days, just say that I am very happy and can't wait to become Her Majesty's lady-in-waiting." Charlotte didn't intend to chase after him. After finishing speaking, she picked up the He took the wine glass and drank a sip of wine for himself.

"Okay..." Ciel sighed, and then poured himself a glass of wine.

Albert remained silent and watched the couple's interaction. By this time, he couldn't help but chuckle, and then poured himself a glass of wine.

"Now you know that getting married is not that wonderful, right?" Charles made a joke to his friend angrily.

"No, because of your appearance, I want to get married even more." Albert laughed, "What a lovely tenderness, I can't help but feel shy for you."

"What nonsense are you two talking about?!" Charlotte drank lightly, then picked up the wine glass, "Come on, let's have a toast."

"Cheers." The three wine glasses clinked together.

"I really didn't expect that you would think about things like this, Charlotte." After drinking the glass of wine, Charles couldn't help but sigh. "It's me...I'm too confused."

"You've always been smart, you just always thought you were smarter than you actually were." Charlotte glared at him, "Okay... Actually, it's normal for you to think so. Even I a year ago, I probably wouldn't. Make that choice.”

"Then why did you change your mind?" Albert asked with interest.

"Because of responsibility... because of the last responsibility." Charlotte closed her eyes slightly, as if recalling something, "The Treville family must thrive in our hands. Since I have abandoned the ideal that I have insisted on for more than twenty years, , betrayed the Wang family... Then I must make the same performance to prove that my choice is right, otherwise... Otherwise, what is the meaning of my life? And I have to consider our child, I have to pave the way for him? , who told him to have a careless father? "

Then, she opened her eyes and glared at Ciel, "What are you looking at me for? Is it weird?"

"No, Lolot..." Charles shook his head, "It's not strange, it's just cute, so cute, really... so cute."

If only it had been like this from the beginning, he thought to himself. (~^~)