[Masterpiece Les Miserables] Paris Sparks

"What do you think of little M. Courfeyrac?" Carton asked in the evening.

Corona raised her head from the drawing paper: "Are you asking my point of view? He is an excellent young man, and he is a rare person among the nobles who does not put on airs. We had a very pleasant talk, but there was only a slight disagreement on one thing. "

"what is it then?"

"We all feel that the marriage contract concluded between noble families does not need to take into account the will of the parties. The difference is that he thinks that the items being sold are not qualified to bargain for himself, and I really want to prove to him that this is not always the case." Ke Lorna said, looking at Caton carefully, "Father, what do you think?"

Every time she said a word, Caton's face became paler. "Do you think I brought you here to sell my daughter?" He asked slowly, "Do you think you are on the same level as that manor?".

"Of course not." Coronne replied at once. She wanted to cuddle up to Caton, but she held back. "But to tell you the truth, father, I am very angry and confused. After the little Mr. Courfeyrac said Before I came out, I didn't think at all—I thought you would never want to marry me off so early. I'm only 14 years old. Why are you so impatient?"

"You're 14," Carton said. "That's not too early for a girl."

"How do you say that? I don't like it when you talk like that, father—if I'm a boy, it's not too early? What's the difference?"

"The difference is that only sons can inherit the title. Not to mention, legally—you are not my biological daughter."

Corona was speechless for a moment. "—but," she said, "but I don't care about titles!"

"This kind of thing is not something you can ignore or care about." Carton smiled wryly, "I didn't care when I was young. Charles also voluntarily gave up his inheritance when he was young. I don't deny that he doesn't have a title. I also live a happy life, but you have also seen that some things cannot be done without privileges. Don't you want to be a painter? You are a girl, Corona. If you are a noble lady, or a noble It would be an anecdote and a good story to become a painter as a wife. If a commoner girl wants to become a painter? It takes your gender to bring you down to nothing."

"And that's unfair." Corona looked up at Caton sitting by the fireplace, her eyes sparkling with fire, "If people judge me based on my identity and gender, that's not fair." Just, incorrect. Then I should fight against this incorrect thing, instead of marrying a nobleman, bowing my head and following their way!"

"Yes, what you said is correct—but the world doesn't operate according to justice." Caton said slowly, "My child, do you think it's useful if you fight against them? No, you're just a Commoner girl, they can trample you down effortlessly. If you want to speak out, no newspaper will print your defense. If you want to show your paintings, no gallery will accept your work. You can fight as hard as you can, yes To them, it’s insignificant and insignificant.”

"You're right. But if everyone thinks this way, this kind of injustice will continue forever. Maybe some commoner girls have a talent for painting, writing, horseback riding, and scientific research, but they are buried all their lives , and the girls of the future will continue to be suppressed and buried like this. Someone must rise up and fight! Why can't it be me?"

"Because, I don't want and can't see such a struggle at the cost of my only child's future."

Corona was silent.

"Besides, this is not the only way for you." Caton persuaded, and he took the initiative to sit over and leaned next to Corona, "You have other ways to achieve the same goal. You can still be a noble lady , or an aristocratic lady to become a painter, let people admit that there are excellent painters among women. Why do you have to choose the difficult road, my child?"

"I didn't choose the hard way, Dad. I just chose the right way. I can't say the truth, but...but I see the injustice in the world, and I see people suffer what they don't deserve. How can I be indifferent to the suffering?"

Carton didn't speak.

"Dad. Don't you agree?" Corona asked, turning her face and leaning over to see his face.

"I agree...I agree." Caton said slowly, his voice seemed to be trembling, and Coronna was horrified to see that his eyes seemed to contain tears, "You see people's suffering, and want to go It's a great thing to help them...but what about my pain? Your own?"

Corona hugged his arm.

"But, father, if you marry me to a nobleman and let me live the life of a noble lady from now on, I will not be happy either!" she begged.

"What do you want to do?" Carton asked her with a sigh. "You can't inherit the title. What are you going to do?"

Corona opened her mouth, then closed it again.

To be honest, she didn't know - of course she knew that she could not inherit the title, but that was after Carton's death.She never thought about this, she felt that Caton could live a long time, and her father would definitely live a long life.She expected to part with Fantine, and also experienced a long separation from the Darnay family, but she never thought about leaving her father, so she couldn't answer the question asked by Caton.Her father would die one day, what would she do after that day——it was unimaginable to her.Even talking about it terrified her, as if the very distant future was not as far away as she thought.

However, she also knew that such an answer could not convince Caton.

"I—" she said, racing her mind, trying to find a solution in her confusion, "I—then I'll be a painter as soon as possible. You see, I'm still a noble lady. Once I become a painter, You can't say that when I no longer have a title on my head, I will be dismissed as a painter? They have recognized my ability and can't deny it. I don't think people are so shameless. You say yes no?"

Carton smiled wryly. "You think too well of people. . . . But how long will it take you?"

"Basil said that at my current level, I can try to publish my works. We previously agreed that, for the sake of safety, we will not start publishing works in two years, but since he said it is possible, then I will work harder and draw more. Some, you can also try. If I can really establish myself as a painter in Paris within two years, you don't want to mention the marriage contract, okay?"

"Well, if you can do it, I will," Carton said, "but you can't never be married."

"Why can't I? Like you, like M. Madeleine, have never been married?"

"We are men, but you are a girl. You deserve a lover, a family, and children of your own."

"Father, if you say that, then I also want to say that girls are also worthy of careers, fame, and their own ideals and the right to pursue them."

"What is your ideal? To be a painter?" Carton asked, looking at his too unusual daughter with concern.

"I figured that maybe being a painter is something, but maybe it's just part of it. I hope I can find that before I get stuck in a marriage."

"And after that?"

Corona didn't answer.But Carton didn't need her to answer, he could hear the answer in his heart.

――After that, I will give everything, maybe even my life, to pursue it.

What if he hadn't made Corona such a girl?If he didn't teach her to read, teach her to paint, let her read, didn't tell her what justice, strength and resistance are, if he taught her to be a gentle and submissive girl with little talent and no opinions, then that's fine. It doesn't matter.His title and money are enough to arrange for her to live comfortably for the rest of her life.

But in that case, her enthusiasm will be annihilated, her intelligence will be covered up, and her talents and talents will not be displayed for the rest of her life.She will lose the excitement when painting, the intoxication when reading and the resentment when witnessing suffering, she will lose the ability to create beauty and the courage to criticize ugliness.Then she lost her soul.Caton now looks at his grown-up daughter, and finds it hard to imagine a weak, obedient, and illiterate Corona.It was just a shell of her.

"How nice would it be if you were a boy?" he sighed.

"I've always thought that too," Corona replied. "You don't know how many times I've thought, how much easier my life would be if I were a boy... That's why I hope that the girls in the future will , to be able to stop embracing this pain.”

The author has something to say: Due to the requirements of the list, there are double updates today.

In the future, if there are no special circumstances, continue to update every other day.

(In fact, I don’t know if there will be special circumstances. The author is too busy to vomit as the year approaches)