The Happy Life of a Duchess

Is the rhythm of the music too slow?

Or is the moonlight slipping in through the window too bright?

Or maybe the gentleman in front of you looks too gentle?

Adele was stunned for a while, and finally reacted after the other party smiled and retreated to the original distance.

"Mingming, Mingming..." She stumbled and added, and the words became smoother and smoother, and she naturally threw the blame on the other party, "Is this your mistake?!"

"Well, it's my fault." His smiling eyes fell on her eyes, the hand holding the wine glass shook slightly, and the red wine inside also swirled a few times.

"Rejecting a lady who doesn't like you always has to 'give' something."

He lowered his eyes again, showing a strange and fragile posture.

This is very rare in Mr. Duval, who is tall and usually mature and stable.

On the one hand, Adele found it novel, and felt that the other party seemed to have interesting aspects that she hadn't been able to dig out. For example, she thought that his character would be a little more rigid at first, and he would deliberately maintain a mature middle-aged gentleman's appearance. However, after getting along with him, she discovered that he had a narrow side, but it was hidden deeply and became more calm. Now it seems that he is not without this "soft" side, from her heart A more "mythical" image has a bit more human touch.

It's like he would worry about his two children, even because he is not very good at taking on the responsibility of the role of mother, sometimes he can't help but show a kind of helplessness and helplessness belonging to "father".

Just like the him in front of him, he would also feel quite distressed when he was actively courted by a young girl——

Eh no, wait, although she seems to be one of them, but it doesn't seem to cause the other party too much confusion?

Another point is that the girl who entangles him is not a good girl, but a vicious woman who can be called "super troublesome".

Thinking of this, Adele suddenly sympathized with him again.

Maybe it's because of this appearance that he still looks very good-looking, and this strange little contrast can just touch a certain part of my heart, but there seems to be no place where he doesn't touch her.

Anyway, he looks good everywhere, everywhere, and Adele felt that this filter not only did not fade away as she got more and more friends with him and met more and more husbands, but became more and more beautiful. Stronger.

She was able to say more firmly than at the beginning that Mr. Duval was indeed a gentleman with courtesy, kindness and integrity, as rumored, a gentleman with a gentleman's demeanor and an excellent man of great charm.

"Well...it's not up to you to decide..." She tried to comfort her, but she didn't want him to suddenly turn around and say something to her with a smile.

"Hey, I'm middle-aged after all... I can't compare to a young, beautiful and attractive young lady who can enjoy every dance to the fullest."

Adele's voice stopped abruptly, and she almost laughed out loud after hearing what he said.

Because she didn't know how to control her expression, she hurriedly covered her smiling face with a fan.

"Okay, okay, this young lady will definitely consider the mood of this middle-aged gentleman, next time..."

"No." Mr. Duval said with a smile, the sourness is over, he didn't really want this, he didn't want her to say what she said later, it was unreasonable, he was not that kind of person .

"I was just wondering, if I'm 'dancing' with this glamorous lady, am I supposed to be better than 'those' young great competitors?"

Adele only felt her mind go blank for a moment.

She heard another cut to the music in the ballroom, a very cheerful variation of Mozart, the last piece of the first half.

She heard the loud voices over there, and it didn't stop because of the change of music and the break near the halftime, but everyone sounded happier.

……

But all of these were not as impressive as the gentleman's stern words just now.

Her thinking was about to engrave the letters of this passage in her mind one by one. She repeated this passage over and over again, with those extremely critical words on her lips, and the tip of her tongue gently Touching it, I wanted to make a little sound, but suddenly I wanted to lose all the ability to talk and laugh.

— lest I might be wrong.

"Hey, this is really not an appropriate occasion to talk."

Mr. Duval saw all the changes in her expression, and he shook his head with a smile.

Looking at a few people coming over there, it seems that the target is the two of them or one of them.

"But I want to say..." Adele spoke suddenly before those people approached enough to hear their voices.

"Yes?" Mr. Duval turned his head and looked patiently.

"This gentleman's age is just right for this lady. He is still full of charm. He is a gentleman with a successful career, outstanding status, and excellent character. Before knowing this gentleman, this lady knew I already have a good impression of him, after getting along with him, there is no doubt..."

"He has already got the lady's favor, so how can he be inferior to any other gentleman? In her heart, he is the best, better than any gentleman in the world. "

Duval was slightly taken aback when he heard this, but then his entire brow and eyes softened.

"Really?" he responded with a smile. "I'm grateful for the honor from the bottom of my heart, and I can't hide—"

"My heart beats like a drum just because I learned of this surprise, or verified this joy."

"This gentleman who thinks he is very stable will always lose his sense of proportion in front of this lady."

"It doesn't matter if it's the sight that can't be moved away, the thought that can't be stopped, the idea that can't be stopped...they are all so real, and every bit of it, whether it's sour or sweet, makes him feel so excited, without any trace of it. Dare to give it up—he paid the price for his innocence with heartache before he even wanted to."

"Mr. Duval, Miss Juraday."

The person next to him had already come over and said hello in advance. Adele originally wanted to answer something, but because she had to hold back, it happened to let her gradually heat up the cheeks that seemed to be burning to dissipate the temperature, so that she could Calm down the little head that was so excited.

Both sides are no longer children, and almost instantly, both Adele and Duval returned to the social state.

They were doing Tai Chi politely to each other, the men talked about more political matters, and the women talked about more relaxed topics, but there was no side where people could relax casually, especially Adele, who was showing off the limelight today, couldn't relax even a little bit. She must ensure that she does not make mistakes, otherwise her success will be severely discounted.

Neither of them finished their conversation, but even after the first dance in the next half, they tacitly did not mention it again.

Let’s just know these things in our hearts. Now that we have understood each other, the rest are naturally more realistic and difficult things that make them feel a little hesitant. Mr. Duval is a very successful person. She believes that he has no Rushing up to propose to her like a kid, he must have his own considerations, and Adele also needs to give herself some time to calm down——

Although she was really happy as hell.

But love has a result, and it is not the same as actually marrying a certain gentleman.

Especially right now she has some other things that must be done, such as completely suppressing a certain Miss Sophie Barry who still wants to struggle, for example, she also needs to find something to do for herself.

After getting some emotional response suddenly, Adele didn't think anxiously as before, but calmed down.

She needs to re-plan her life. Maybe in the future she will not only be the only lady in Duke Juradi's family, but also take on a new identity and a new job, but these are things she hasn't considered carefully before. , but in this era, this is all, and it is something she has to think about even if she doesn't want to think about it.

Maybe she subconsciously knows that what she wants is very difficult. In this era, it is incredible to seek modern equality between men and women, social fairness, reduction of discrimination, and protection of the weak.

What she has always wanted to force herself to think about are those good things. For example, as a princess with good looks and taste, she doesn't have to worry about money and other material things, and she can learn the talents she is interested in at will. Being a "rice bug" can be respected and praised by many people, but at the same time, there are some things that don't exist if she doesn't think and work hard.

For example, maybe every married lady will think about it, what to do if the husband doesn’t love her, what to do if the husband has a lover and an illegitimate child... Basically, women in this era always think about the family, husband and children, Leaving other things aside, Adele has to think about it, and she can't help but think about it.

"don’t worry."

Perhaps sensing some anxiety in her, Duvall whispered to her when the song was over and off the dance floor.

"……Um."

Adele knew that the other party was reassuring her, so she felt much calmer in her heart.

She looked up with a smile:

"Then can I look forward to... a certain gentleman's 'stand out'?"

He was silent for a while, with a look of surprise but in fact there was no surprise in his eyes.

"Do you want to fight again?"

"Of course." She made a surprised look on purpose, and asked, "Could it be that you still want to take advantage of it for nothing?"

"That's right." He nodded with a smile, chuckled with her, and coaxed, "Don't worry."

Adele immediately noticed the slight change in his attitude.

It seems more like adding something else between the atmosphere of the two of them.

But after thinking about it, she finally affirmed that his attitude had indeed changed before and after.

It is different from the state before the beginning, and the way of facing the "difficulties" is also different from the strange and subtle point of "thinking hard" in the middle, although it is indeed a very relaxed and comfortable "figuring it out" now, it seems It's quite similar to the original appearance before, but in terms of his attitude towards her, he should be considered relatively "thorough".

Adele was looking forward to it now.

What would a middle-aged gentleman's pursuit method be like?

She decided to hang him for a while, and let him hurry.

Although she guessed that it was impossible for her to harden her heart, she might "surrender" as soon as she opened her mouth, but it is undeniable that if she can enjoy the favor of such an outstanding gentleman, she will definitely be in a good mood all the time of.

But in the end, you still have to think about it.

It can't be her who takes the initiative.

When it comes to men and women, men have to work hard.

No matter how bad it is, you have to take two more steps forward before you can hold the girl's hand.

Adele's good mood really lasted all night.

She didn't dance much in the second half. After dancing with Mr. Duval and a few gentlemen, she naturally went to the place where the ladies and ladies had a tea talk. Now she is welcome to join no matter which side it is.

Just like men would be more willing to talk to the gentleman who has the most outstanding career and the most limelight at the moment, ladies and ladies are also very willing to talk to the lady who is the most famous and prestigious today, so as to maintain a good relationship, even if it is not a In the circle, you can also say that you and XX are friends who can talk to each other——

Even if bragging and gossip are available for discussion, it may soon evolve into a saying that whoever has not spoken to Adele is an outdated marginal figure in the upper class, but it has not reached this level yet, Adele I also know that I need to do more things to be able to maintain the current good situation.

Miss Sophie Barry was just beaten up this time, and many ladies and ladies don't want to see her make trouble with her name again.

But if she reacts, things may be slightly different again. After all, she was the one who was able to rely on her family relationship and arrangements to make her reputation as the "No. [-] Beauty", although the current statement was "caught" by everyone She got down and took off her beautiful high hat, but it didn't mean she couldn't continue to snatch it back.

To achieve this, Adele must be suppressed, or in other words, she needs to prove herself again, but the first thing to do is to pull Adele, the lady who made her a big fool and is indeed prettier than her. dismount.

However, right now Adele is in a high position, and she is in a low position. If she wants to compete with her, it depends on whether she has the qualifications. Adele needs to do something that is in line with the aesthetics and understanding of the ladies and ladies to consolidate her reputation. The simple thing is to hold some credible balls and salons as soon as possible, so that the wives believe that in addition to her natural good looks, she also has talent, fame, and can dress up and so on.

The Duke's father didn't know all this at first.

He may be able to tell something from Adele's attitude, or guess what is going to happen, but he himself did not expect his daughter to suddenly have the substantive reputation and prestige of "the number one beauty".

Intentionally or unintentionally, in the second half of the chat, it suddenly came out that Mr. Duke loves his only daughter very much. In addition to inheriting from his mother, Adele's dowry is also added to her by his father. At that time, there will be at least one A dowry of 50 francs.

Moreover, it is said that her cousin who will inherit the title property of the Duke's mansion has a good relationship with her, and is very willing to fill in some congratulatory gifts for her cousin. As we all know, the Juradi family not only has this Joy from Paris Duke Rady, and the rest of them are not short of money or titles, so naturally they will not be too stingy.

After thinking back and forth like this, everyone took a breath, full of shock.

As soon as the news came out, it immediately detonated the crowd.

Because it came from the gentlemen first, maybe it was what the Duke said to his friends, maybe he said it clearly when he was drunk, maybe someone else asked it from him.

But in short, this number surprised everyone, and it seems to be highly credible.

All of a sudden, not to mention the gentlemen, even the ladies looked at her in the wrong way.

Who doesn't envy such a wealthy lady? Even the sons of some heirs who can inherit the family property may not be able to inherit a family property of 50 francs. Half of the amount, of course, the son of a top noble rich man can match or even surpass a lot, and it is not uncommon to have a worth of several million or even tens of millions, but—who would think too much money?

Adele could already feel the different looks from the wives on her.

She has never been very high-profile. For example, many wives like exaggerated hair accessories and gold jewelry, but she doesn't like wearing them all over her hands. A golden body will make her uncomfortable.

Her dress has always been comfortable and beautiful as the premise, expensive is for sure, but expensive and extravagant is not necessary.

Perhaps it is precisely because of this low-key that many people have not directly noticed her wealth——

Everyone knew that she was rich, and that her dowry would be very rich, but they did not expect it to be so rich. It was so rich that there were only a few young ladies who could compare with her, so it was uncertain.

Now, everyone knows that she is rich.

Both status and wealth are controlled by her, at least for the gentlemen, they soon realized that marrying such a lady can not only improve their reputation and status, but also get a lot of wealth.

This meaning is very different.

To be honest, everyone is very realistic.

Maybe there were a few gentlemen who wanted to say a few words to Miss Sophie Barry because of the benefits given by the Barry family or their own preferences and some messy sympathy. Or simply can't understand the "women's views" of ladies and ladies.

But under such circumstances it was hard for them to say with confidence that Miss Sophie Barley was better than Miss Adele Juraday.

Everyone knows that the reputation of the first beauty is essentially for marriage and marriage. Miss Sophie Barry wanted this title for the same purpose, but she was rejected by Miss Adele just now, and she became a woman who is more suitable for women. A relatively simple standard "reward title after pure comparison".

It's just that now, if everyone is asked to choose a wife, most of the smart ones will definitely choose Miss Adele.

Not to mention that she has a better personality, higher status, and more outstanding appearance, even this money is hard to refuse.

Adele could feel everyone's extra warmth towards her.

She instantly understood that what the Duke's father revealed to the outside world was to improve her "competitiveness", so that she could have more choices, and let those men deeply realize the benefits of marrying her, so that they could "run for election".

But she already has a favorite candidate, and this move can only——

Well, make it harder for a certain Mr. Smart.

While Adele felt amused, she also had to feel the Duke's father's painstaking efforts for her marriage.

It might have shocked him, but there was no way, who made her fall head over heels for some charming, clever gentleman?

Of course, Adele couldn't publicly promise that she might have more than 50 dowry. The unclear jewels were not included in the calculation, and she might not know all the prices of those jewels.

After all, she has gems packed in boxes, and there are several small boxes. She chooses the gems herself, contacts the gem dealer, and then customizes the style and pattern. Of course, she also buys finished jewelry directly from the gem dealer or goes shopping in jewelry stores. A good thing.

There are also skirts, although the extravagant family arranges tailors almost every month to every week, such as the unfortunate queen who died in the Great Revolution, met with the fashion designer several times a week to arrange her own clothes for the next week, There are nearly [-] skirts a year, one of which is not repeated every two days. Although Adele does not go so frequently, usually a certain amount of skirts are automatically added to her around each season, and then she chooses to arrange the skirts herself——

But if you count the numbers, the skirts from room to room are no joke.

The Duke's father has no other daughters, and it is impossible for her cousin to take away her dresses and skirts and inherit them together. Those skirts with real diamonds and precious stones will all be given to her. She piggybacked on.

At that time, they will all be taken away by her as dowry, and it is impossible to keep them. These will be a large sum. She only gave a few tens of thousands before, but the value is definitely more than that.

Adele is not a luxurious temperament.

She can wear ordinary dresses, and she always arranges them simply at home.

But at the same time, she is also very clear that it is such a habit for everyone now.

If you don't show a luxurious aristocratic life, you can't prove your "strength". Whoever has to be poor will be regarded as poor and then excluded.

Frugality is not a very celebrated virtue these days, and although it is known to be justified, it is a pity that no one actually does it.

In this way, Adele was extraordinarily busy at this ball, almost more lively and popular than the protagonist of the banquet.

She hardly stopped during the whole journey, and she finally breathed a sigh of relief after saying goodbye and getting on the carriage going back.

Mary and Jenny served her tea because they saw that her voice was dying, but fortunately she was not so tired that her voice split, that is, she was a little more tired.

After returning, she took off her jewelry and clothes, washed and bathed briefly, and fell asleep.

Now people don't have such good bathing habits. There are not many people like Adele who bathe almost every day.

Earlier, people's hygiene habits were worse. Bathing was even regarded as a medical method decades ago. Only after a doctor's careful diagnosis can it be confirmed that you can take a bath.

Although it is much better now, not everyone has the conditions and habits to take a bath every day.

Maybe it was a bit surprising at first, but now everyone is used to it.

Adele took a bath every day and there was no accident they were worried about, so it was hard for everyone to say anything, but they were all warned not to spread it casually. Of course, except for Adele's personal maids, not everyone Learn about her private life in varying degrees of detail.

Adele herself pays more attention to privacy. In addition, Mrs. Lude's strict character is still very useful in this respect. She is strict in control, so naturally there are fewer people who talk too much.

When she woke up the next day, the Duke's father, who she thought would sleep past noon again, had already woken up.

"Good morning, Dad."

With a relaxed look, she sat down, ready to enjoy her brunch.

As a result, the Duke's father suddenly put down the tableware in his hand and looked at her. Adele didn't understand, so he sighed and asked:

"Won't you explain to me what happened yesterday?"