Flowers, Swords and France

In Charles's country house, today's carnival and drinking never stopped, and the laughter in the living room continued endlessly. Under the influence of alcohol and beautiful women, almost everyone lost their minds and lost themselves in the drunkenness.

However, Charles did not participate in it. On the balcony, he was leisurely playing cards with his two good friends, Lieutenant Colonel Lucien Leflair and Vicomte Alex de Lautrec.

Due to years of training in the social world and their better brains, Charles and Alex are both very proficient in card skills. Lucien, as an officer from the army, naturally learned from his comrades in his early years. He is also an excellent poker player and his skills are not bad either.

However, perhaps because of his uneasy mood, Lucien didn't play well today and kept losing to the other two people.

"Lucien, what's wrong with you? Are you in a bad mood?" After playing for a while, Charles asked strangely.

"Uh... um..." Lucien hesitated, not knowing how to answer.

But he was really not a person who was good at hiding his emotions, so Ciel quickly saw it.

"Are you worried about your brother-in-law?" He asked with a smile, "Don't worry, my friend, he should be too happy to think of us now."

"That's what makes people worried." Lucien replied with a straight face, "George... George is still a young man. He has never experienced similar temptation before. Wouldn't it be a bit... too much to do this all at once? If he indulges in physical pleasure at such a young age, then...it will probably be very detrimental to his future development and his future family life. Really, I think Albert and the others are too silly. How could...how could this be possible!"

After hearing their friend's complaints, Ciel and Alex looked at each other and smiled.

"I think you don't quite understand your brother-in-law... He is just following the same trajectory as his ancestors. This is how everyone has been going since ancient times. What's wrong with that?" Alec Si shrugged, "As for family life, haven't you seen the family life of Count Diliion's family from his father?"

His rhetorical question made Lucien suddenly speechless. That's right, aren't all aristocratic families like this? What reason is there to stop it? But...he really doesn't like this.

"I also know, I also know that George will have his own life, so I didn't stop him just now, but I think... I think a person with ambition should not indulge himself in wine and sex." Lucien paused for a moment. , "Since we are a group, and a group that pursues certain ideas and wills - we cannot maintain our group in this way, otherwise it will be difficult for us to maintain unity in the future, and it will also be very harmful to your reputation. unfavorable."

Lucien quickly understood what Charles meant. He believed that this young people's group in Charles could not become a group that maintains loyalty through carnival and excessive drinking. It only relies on money and alcohol to maintain unity - once this meeting It destroys the will of the members, and secondly, others can afford the money, so it is difficult to guarantee the loyalty of the members.

"What you said makes sense, Lucien. We are a political group after all. We should have some ideas, rather than just indulge our desires." Charles put the cards on the table and nodded, "It is true that we cannot let us It’s become a playboy club, but you can still relax appropriately.”

"So what is our philosophy?" Alex spread his hands. "Supporting Mr. de Treville to become the most powerful minister in France? I'm afraid this prospect is not exciting."

"It's certainly not exciting to just support me, but if you support me, I can maintain France's position on the European continent-even make it further. And I can also keep the army of the Empire as it should be." Superior position." Charles replied without hesitation, "In today's France. , no one can control the military, political and even economic circles at the same time like me. I can control the entire country's system without any obstacles, so that the forces from all walks of life can come together instead of consuming each other. Only I can make it happen. This country became the most dominant country on the European continent."

"Even more capable of doing this than His Majesty?" Alex laughed again.

"Yes, I think I am more capable than Your Majesty at this point." Charles nodded without hesitation.

Although such words are actually taboo.

Amid the astonished gazes of the two people, he picked up the cards on the table and spread them out one by one, "Look, I'm afraid you won't believe what I'm saying now, but I can tell you that I am serious. of."

"Charles, I think you know what you are talking about, right?" Lucien became a little pale.

"My meaning is very clear. Now I am His Majesty's servant, serving him and myself. But one day, one day in the future, Your Majesty may mess up some things and put our country and army into trouble. When I get into some kind of dangerous situation...then I have to be prepared and stand up to save the situation. To save the country and return it to its rightful place, a large and cross-border group is a necessary tool to facilitate this work." A smile suddenly appeared on Ciel's face, "You didn't ask us to talk. Talking about ideals? Then when I talked about ideals with you, why were you so frightened? "

"Your Majesty will not be happy to hear these words," Alex whispered.

"Yes, he will not be happy, so now I can only tell you, not others." Charles nodded, "In order to prevent us from being easily replaced, we need to build a huge group, as long as If it is huge enough, it will not be easily thrown away - as for this It doesn't actually matter what means are used to attract some people in a group. Even if they come here for money, as long as it can strengthen my group's power, I will accept it with an open mind. I am not a person who cares about reputation. Because my reputation is bad enough."

Before the two of them could react, Charles continued, "Although you two have different personalities, you are different from ordinary people. You have your own way of doing things, and you also have some ambitions to do something great. , and you won’t report my ambitions, so I’ll tell you clearly.”

"Then... what do you want us to do?" Lucien suppressed the surprise and panic in his heart and asked in a low voice.

This sentence alone is enough to prove that he is loyal enough to Ciel.

"What you have to do is very simple. Find some officers you like, and then do your best to win over them, so that they can support me openly or covertly and become a member of the group." Charles immediately replied, "They want to have ideals. Just give them ideals, they want money...I can also give them money, of course I personally hope for the best of both."

"You don't seem to have asked me if I would agree." Viscount Alex de Lautrec's face became a little ugly.

"No doubt you will agree. Will you refuse my request?" Charles asked, and then reminded the other party with his eyes that he still had the evidence of his crime.

"Okay... but don't expect me to do much good." After looking at each other for a moment, Alex was defeated.

"It seems you have understood, right? I want gangsters, the more the better, both good and bad." Ciel laughed, then picked up the cards again, "Here, let's play again."

However, at this moment, the roar of horse hooves was heard in the distance. Charles looked in the direction of the sound, only to find that his sister was returning on horseback.

Ciel suddenly put the cards back, then turned to look at the two of them.

"Go and tell them to stop the fuss inside. It's time to stop... Let them all go back to the hotel with those women. George also let him rest. Even if he is a young man, his body is too indulgent. good."

Then, he walked to the stables and watched Fran jump off the horse.

He couldn't see clearly in the blur, but he found that Fran seemed to be holding a painting in her hand.

"Girl, are you having fun?" he asked casually.

Read the original text in Liu#9@书/吧!

However, Fran didn't answer, she just walked towards him with her head lowered. Her face was very pale, as if she had experienced a fierce quarrel.

"What, are you not happy at the princess's place? Did you have a quarrel?" Charles asked quickly.

"How do you know?" Fran asked in a low voice.

"It's not hard to guess. You don't know anyone else here." Charles shrugged, "I'm a little curious. What did you say that made you so depressed now?"

"I told her that I already knew that she was my real mother." Fran walked next to Charles. "Then I told her about Ezreal, that I shot him and sent him to America..."

"She...she won't understand you, right?" Charles suddenly felt a little dry and didn't know what to say, "So you guys had a quarrel?"

In fact, he also knew that Fran did this with good intentions. She did not need to tell these things and let Ezreal continue to stay in America and suffer - probably, she just couldn't let go of the last bit of pity in her heart, so she did Choose to tell the true reality to the princess—no, to your mother.

One can imagine what kind of will she must have to say these words in front of the princess.

"Understand? I don't think anyone will understand..." Fran smiled bitterly, "Who would understand a woman who shot her brother? She was very angry, very, very angry, and then she sent me to She lost the painting and gave it back to me, and then said she wanted to sever ties with me and pretend that she never had a daughter like me. I... I'm very sad, but I don't blame her. Look at the things I have done. Who are you to blame her?"

Seeing her looking so sad, Charles suddenly felt a little distressed.

"No, I understand, not only understand, but also grateful. Really, thank you for standing by my side." He said very sincerely, "She is angry with you now and wants to cut off contact with you, but I...I He will never abandon you, and neither will grandpa. So you don’t have to be sad. You have not lost anything. Your original relatives are still there, but those unexpected relatives suddenly appear and disappear, which is a big loss for you. What's the loss? Don't worry about it, kid."

"Grandpa also abandoned me. He...he doesn't regard me as a family member. So, sir, except for you, there is no one else around me." As if being urged, Fran suddenly She threw herself into his arms, and then cried, "You are the only one I have!"

When she hugged Charles, the painting in her hand fell to the ground with a clang.

Charles felt some pity in his heart, so he did not push her away, but gently stroked her hair on the back.

Suddenly, there was a sound of footsteps and noise behind him. It turned out that the officers were about to leave here and go to the hotel.

Charles was anxious, and Fran immediately broke away from his arms, just nodded to him affectionately, then picked up the painting and ran away quickly.

"Sir, please remember that you are really the only one left..." (~^~)