With the lazy winter sun, Christmas 1868 finally arrived.

On this warm sunny day, a middle-aged man was still lying high on the bed, sleeping very deeply. He looked very peaceful, and seemed to have enjoyed a good night's sleep.

Everyone who has enjoyed all kinds of entertainment in the world will eventually admit that, in the final analysis, a peaceful sleep is a higher enjoyment in the world.

However, in his daze, he felt as if his face had been swept by something warm and moist, and he felt a slight chill.

"Hmm...... Hmm......" he let out an involuntary grunt.

"Daddy, Daddy!" The childish cry also reached his ears, "Get up quickly! Hurry up! ”

The deep consciousness was slowly awakened, and the middle-aged man opened his eyes in a daze, trying to figure out which daring guy actually dared to disturb his sleep.

However, when his vision became clear, the anger that had risen up in him slowly disappeared.

"Bella ......" he tried to be stern, but the smile on his face couldn't be hidden.

This is his youngest daughter, Isabella, born in 1861, who is only seven years old this year.

Like him and his wife, Isabella had blonde hair, fine and smooth, draped over her shoulders, and her face was handsome and milky, and she was simply beautiful.

"Dad is so lazy, he still refuses to get up at this time!" She shook her father's shoulder softly.

"Ahh The middle-aged man smiled bitterly, knowing that he would never be able to sleep anymore. So he reached out and pinched his daughter's face, and then walked out of bed by himself.

Wait until he's dressed. Isabera took his hand and walked out of the bedroom together.

"Charles!" He had just been stopped as soon as he went out.

His wife Charlotte. He was walking towards the door with a cup of coffee, "I thought you needed to sleep a little longer!" ”

She is already forty years old, and time has inevitably left marks on her face, but these marks have added a bit of mature charm to her. In her hand was the coffee she made for her husband every morning.

"I wanted to sleep again, but I was woken up by this little ghost." Charles smiled wryly and gestured to his little daughter, who was holding his hand.

"Bela! Why is it so nonsense! Charlotte's face changed and she rebuked her daughter.

Seeing her mother's fierce expression, Isabera shrank back a little apprehensively. Then he hid behind his father.

"Hey, don't freak out kids!" Charles hurriedly said good things for her daughter, "She just saw that it was too late and came to call me......"

"You're used to her." Charlotte frowned, "It's not good for kids." ”

"She's the youngest, so it's okay to be used to it......" Charles disagreed.

Then, he pulled his daughter out from behind and pinched her face again, "Okay. Let's go play, baby. ”

"Hmm!" Isabera nodded in response, then turned and ran, and when she ran for a while, she suddenly turned around. Then he yelled at his parents. "Dad, Mom is already old, Bella will marry Dad to take care of you in the future!"

"Bella!" Charlotte was really furious. "Wait and see how I clean you up!"

"Hahahaha!" In front of this kind of fairy tale, her father couldn't help but laugh. "Okay. You go to your brother and sister to play first! ”

He didn't expect that Isabella's expression suddenly sank after hearing this. There was a seriousness on his face that did not belong to this age.

"My brothers and sisters always quarrel and don't like it. It's enough to have a dad! ”

Then, before Charlotte could lose her temper again, she ran and soon made her way around the hallway and disappeared from her parents' sight.

"It's all your fault, you're so used to being a child, you're already lawless!" Charlotte was still a little resentful, glaring at her husband, "If you don't teach it anymore, let's see what she will become in the future!" ”

"Okay, don't be so nervous. It's normal for children to speak without knowing how important they are......" Charles excused his daughter, and then casually took the cup of coffee from the tray in his wife's hand. "Is it okay tonight?"

"Of course there will be no problem! Otherwise, wouldn't it be too dangerous for us to enter the palace together? Charlotte glared at him again, "The guards up and down have been decided, there will never be anyone who is disloyal to us, and those attendants and courtiers will never dare to move around, your name will scare them." ”

"No matter what, we have to be careful and not have any slackness." Charles shrugged his shoulders, "The Queen Mother and Your Majesty are not easy to manipulate, and if you want to control them, you have to open your eyes even when you sleep." ”

"We're already sleeping with our eyes open!" Charlotte was still very serious, "Isn't it your fault after all?" We're all already like this, so why do we have two more masters on our heads! Even if His Majesty can keep it, but she is still a child after all, and she can't do anything, in my opinion, the Queen Mother should have been poisoned a few years ago, so she doesn't have to worry. Anyway, I don't know the situation outside...... Besides, what if you know? We say she's sick, she's sick! ”

"How many times have I said that politics is not about killing alone! Killing is a means, not an end! Killing her, of course, is easy, but what about the aftermath? We'll have to face those Bonapartes alone! Charles frowned, "She's a shield for us, making those Bonapartes' attacks worthless. ”

"Forget it, you're always so reasonable. Alright, let's do as you say......" Charlotte pursed her lips, not wanting to argue with him any more, "Anyway, we have to play the lead role in today's event and let outsiders know who is in charge of the country." ”

"Of course." Without hesitation, Charles replied, "Is there anyone else who is delusional?" Without me there would be no empire, it was created by me and defended by me with my sword! ”

Every empire has an instinctive impulse to flaunt wealth and power, and this impulse is even stronger in the case of the French, who are fond of pomp and luxury. Every celebration of the empire is a noisy event.

Although His Royal Highness does not really like luxury. But he knew that the people liked it, so he was naturally happy to use the grand ceremony to decorate the empire, which was actually in his hands.

He's not talking big.

In 1859. Emperor Napoleon III defeated Austria in Italy, and just a few years earlier, the Prince had decisively defeated Prussia, leaving it with irreversible losses. Two crushing blows to the Germans plunged the German states back into chaos and division, while at the same time giving France the authority of the architect and defender of the European order.

Now the whole continent of Europe is subservient to his feet, and every nation's capital is secretly watching him, trying to figure out the truth in every vague word of the great man. and revise their foreign policy accordingly.

The Prince of Potsdam, the Duke of Kerson, and a whole host of miscellaneous titles were bestowed upon him by the court to commemorate his contribution to the country.

Isn't the authority and title he enjoys just the right thing to do with these merits?

When Charles finished his coffee, Charlotte took the tray and cup back into her hand. "Okay, I'll go and arrange it later, there are a lot of people attending this celebration, if something goes wrong. That's a joke all over Europe! ”

"Thank you for your hard work." Charles kissed his wife on the cheek and watched her leave.

Then, Charles suddenly fell into a subtle dazedness, accustomed to being busy. On the rare day off, he suddenly didn't know what to do.

It was a sunny day with no military affairs and no diplomatic secrets. The weather was so good that it was mesmerizing, but he didn't know what to do.

Have I become a middle-aged man with only that left? Charles smiled bitterly in his heart.

And then. He decided to go to the garden first and take care of the exotic flowers and plants that he and his wife had worked so hard to collect.

However. As soon as he walked out the back door, he noticed a heated argument going on in the garden, and his two sons were glaring angrily.

To be precise, it should be the younger son Lerouche glaring at the eldest son Clovis, and Clovis smiled helplessly.

"What are you arguing about?" Charles was startled, and then walked forward quickly to stop the two sons from arguing.

The two teenagers heard their father's roar and stopped arguing while looking at him.

The eldest son, Clovis, was a handsome and tall boy with fine clothes, always with a gentle smile on his face, and a good temper, which could be called personable. His swordsmanship is also very good, and his grades in school are also very good.

As an heir, he is qualified.

Although Lelouch looked pale and thin, he did not lose his delicate demeanor, and his purple pupils added an unusual charm. At the same time, Lerouche had a better mind than his brother and was recognized as the leader of the younger generation of the Tréville family, and since the age of 12 he has never lost to his father in chess.

Both sons are very good, but lately their relationship has not been so good that Isabera knows that they often quarrel.

"What are you arguing about!" Seeing that the two sons were silent, Charles was slightly anxious, so he shouted at them again.

"Dad, we're just talking about some teenagers." Clovis smiled wryly, "It's not a big deal, you don't need to be angry. ”

Charles didn't answer, just turned his gaze to his youngest son's face.

The majesty of his years of being in charge of state affairs made this stern gaze even more terrifying, and Lerouc's body trembled slightly, but he still maintained a strange firmness.

"I ...... I'm pleading with my brother, begging him, begging him to grant me a request, Daddy. ”

"What request?" Charles was a little confused.

He knew that his eldest son was a gentle-hearted and generous man, and that he loved his younger siblings, and that he would not categorically refuse his brother's request.

"Actually, it's nothing, Daddy......" Clovis tried to play the round again, and then pulled Lerouche back.

"There's no need to hide it now!" LeRouche suddenly shouted, then looked up at his father with a fearless glint in his eyes. "Dad, I'm begging him to give up his engagement to Nanali and give Nanali to me!"

The chill in the air suddenly aggravated a little.

"You...... You told your brother to annul the marriage contract and let me marry Her Majesty to you? Charles' eyes widened.

"Yes." LeRouche trembled slightly. But he still stood up straight.

Charles was silent.

He never imagined that on such a sunny morning. He would have heard such things from his youngest son.

It's ridiculous to the point of being unbelievable, but judging by Leroche's demeanor. He should have heard it right.

"When did it start?" He forcibly suppressed the sudden surge of anger and asked in a low voice.

"It was a long time ago!" LeRoche replied loudly.

"This damn little bastard......" Charles frowned, not knowing if he was cursing LeRoche or Nanali. No! No way! ”

Seeing his father's annoyed look, Lerouc's heart suddenly sank to the bottom.

Although he had predicted that his father would react in this way - because he would not like his plans to be disrupted, he was still in pain when he did show up.

Even if LeRouche didn't like it, he had to admit that his father was a great man, a great man.

Of course. He is also a very complex great man. He is a perfect combination of cunning and trustworthiness, repetition and firmness, severity and gentleness, debauchery and self-discipline, loyalty and betrayal.

He had the stench of debauchery common to Versailles in the time of Louis XV, but he was wise and far-sighted, methodically following his own ideas and showing the whole of Europe the way to the new century.

A newspaper in the United States in one short sentence. He is given a very precise description: he is both the 18th and 20th centuries.

The more he got to know his father, the more he felt that he didn't know his father, and this kind of ignorance. Slowly it turned into fear, and finally into anger—every son who was destined to live in his father's shadow would have some such anger to one greater or lesser extent.

But. If it weren't for one person, his anger could have been suppressed. He would have been content to end his mediocre life with the not-so-honorable title of "Second Son of Charles de Treville", however...... That person exists.

For the love in my heart. He was able to muster the courage to stand before his father, say what he wanted, and beg him to take it back.

He knew that no one would help him, not even his mother, who loved him so much.

Mother was an admirer of her father, perhaps the greatest and most staunch admirer, and it is often said that the Duchess was already infatuated with her father at the beginning of her love, and this statement is completely unmistakable from Lerouche's observations for more than ten years - therefore, although usually mother likes to quarrel with father, as long as father makes up his mind, mother will not disobey him, and he cannot count on his father to help.

So...... can only face his father alone with a firm spirit.

He was not afraid, but there was a faint excitement in his heart that he knew he had to stand up and act like a real man.

And now, he did.

The two fathers and sons stared at each other sharply, and neither of them flinched.

"Lerouche, don't do this!" Perhaps because he felt that the atmosphere was too terrible, Clovis couldn't help but stand up and play a round, "On a day like today, don't talk about this kind of thing." ”

With that, he reached out and grabbed his brother's arm, ready to pull back.

"Don't act like it's none of your business! It's also about your fate, don't you want to raise an objection? Lelouch shook off his brother's hand, and then shouted at him, "No, you didn't do anything, you accepted the arrangement silently, and you didn't dare to express even a word of your opinion!" ”

"Don't ...... like that," a mixture of helplessness and distress flashed across Clovis's face.

"Did I say something wrong? You're just a humble servant and servant of your father, not a real Treville! Lerouche glared at his brother, his purple eyes shining with great anger, "You listen to what your father says, you don't think of disobeying him at all, you're just a wretched creature living in the shadows." You don't like Nanali at all, you just think of her as a fiancée who has to be flattered and put on the shelf, or you are an enemy that you have to be treated with care...... As a result, you plan to marry her, just because your father made such a decision more than ten years ago! ”

"I have no problem with that." Clovis sighed and interrupted him, "Sometimes. We really can't do what we want, and the Treyville family needs me to do it all. And as the eldest son and heir, I have to do all of this. Besides. Nanali is not a completely unacceptable marriage partner. ”

This expression was indeed very similar to his father's, so LeRouche was even more annoyed.

"You can only learn from your father's style, but you can't learn his courage and skill!" He shouted.

Then, as if he was sorry for his attitude towards his brother, he lowered his head, and his tone suddenly became a little pleading, "Brother, I don't want to be your enemy, and I don't want to take anything from you. So...... So I just beg you about it, reject the engagement you don't really care about, push away the person you don't particularly like, and give her to me, I'...... I will consciously live in seclusion and will never cause you any trouble. You see, you've gotten so much, can you just let me do it once? ”

The younger brother's pleading touched Clovis's already undetermined heart.

He hesitated. Then he looked at his father hesitantly.

His father, however, still had no expression on his face, just stared at LeRoche coldly.

"Daddy!" Lerouc's voice was already choked, more like crying. "Hand Nanali to me...... All right? I...... That's all I ask you for! ”

"No, no." What he got was still an ice-solid rejection.

Along with hope sinking to the bottom. It was my father's calm but unquestioning words.

"Judging from your performance just now, I fully feel your feelings. Well, that's good. Everyone comes from their teenage years...... But something. It's time for us to get rid of them when we're teenagers. ”

"Why throw it away! Doesn't my brother love Nanali?! Lelouch asked loudly. I...... That's all I have to ask, and nothing else will cause you any trouble! ”

"It's not a question of love or not, you want to get it yourself, you're so smart." Charles looked at his son calmly, "If you do what you say, I will create a situation - my eldest son's family is in charge, and my youngest son's family has the throne, maybe your generation will be fine, but what about your juniors?" The kinship of blood will fade with time, and history has proven this countless times, so my descendants will fight each other, eager to exterminate the other lineage! I don't mind if it's just a fight, but it's not just one country in the world, and their fight will allow other countries to take advantage of it, and then the Trévilles will be on the edge of the cliff - then, tell me, why should I promise you? ”

This cold rhetorical question made Lerouche suddenly speechless. Because he himself is well versed in history.

The cold principles of history and politics are more convincing than any feelings, and he actually knows in his heart that his father is very reasonable.

But...... His love for Nanali made it impossible for him to give up everything on the basis of these principles.

"No, no, I will never be an enemy of my brother......" he slowly walked up to his father, "or you can simply depose Nanali, you don't have to keep her anyway!" Then, you let us go abroad, and we guarantee incognito and not cause you any trouble. ”

As he spoke, tears fell from the corners of his eyes, and then he knelt at his father's feet and grabbed his feet.

A smile appeared on Charles' face, as if mocking his son's innocence.

Then he turned and wanted to leave.

But his son kept holding on to his feet, making it difficult for him to move.

"Get out of the way."

The foot was still caught.

Charles was really angry.

He didn't expect his second son to be so ignorant.

"Enough...... That's enough! He reached out and pushed the emaciated Lerouche aside, then turned and walked straight away. You...... You haven't been going anywhere lately, I'm going to shut you up! Listen, don't waste my time with your youthful spirit, you'll be ashamed of yourself in a few years! ”

"Dad, don't be angry!" Clovis was in a hurry, and hurriedly followed to persuade his father.

Father and son went away, leaving Lerouche alone by the garden.

"Why...... Why ......"

His heart had sunk into deep despair, and the black mud enveloped him, leaving him breathless.

Why didn't my father and brother be considerate of themselves, he only begged them once in his life!

………………

"Ah, what's wrong with our lovely LeRouc?"

I don't know how long it will be. A cold inquiry pulled LeRouche back into the real world, and a white handkerchief rubbed against the side of his cheek.

LeRouche subconsciously took the handkerchief and wiped his tears. Then I remembered and turned my head back to see who it was.

"Liana?"

Look at the one in the back wearing a gray dress. The girl with long gray-brown hair and dressed like a doll was a little surprised.

The maiden was the daughter of Duchess Carnicht, a great banker, and his half-sister - although his father never openly admitted it, he knew it to be true.

What he didn't understand was why Liana was suddenly very arrogant in that Aunt Lola, and under her words and deeds, Liana was exactly like her, cold and arrogant, and no one paid attention to her except her father.

"I came to visit His Royal Highness the Prince today, and I didn't expect to see you so sad in the garden. So I couldn't help but come and have a look. Liana looked at her brother calmly, "What's wrong?" ”

“…… It's nothing. ”

"Is it nothing to cry like this?" The corners of Liana's mouth suddenly twitched slightly, as if she sneered, "Lerouche, I remember that you don't seem to be such a fragile person?" ”

"......" LeRouche fell silent.

"Did Dad veto your request? He won't marry Nanali to you, will he? Liana asked suddenly.

Lerouc's eyes widened, "...... you?" ”

He wanted to ask how the other party knew, but immediately realized that he had lost his words.

"Oh, you're usually so smart, but you're surprised? You are usually very indifferent to people. But you see the difference in her eyes, I can see it......" Liana still smiled, "how's that?" It's hard to be vetoed by your father, isn't it? ”

Lerouche lowered his gaze. "I'm not going to give up."

"Well, yes, that's right! Sure enough, it's a man. Lerouche, you really have a lot of courage. Liana clapped her hands gently. If you can't get it, just grab it! So have you figured out what to do? ”

"I ...... I didn't think it through. Lerouche replied honestly.

Oh, yes. The shadow cast by his father was terrible, he could suppress the whole of Europe, and naturally he could also suppress his son, and the thought of being his father's enemy made Lerouche feel a little weak in his legs.

"Ah, I was still ambitious just now, and now I have no words? It's useless to just talk big, right? Liana was a little sarcastic.

"What do you know?" Lehouch was a little annoyed, "Is it funny for you to stand next to me and say my cool words?!" ”

"I didn't say anything cold, I want to help you."

"What?" Lerouche shuddered.

"I'm not used to seeing that guy Clovis for a long time, and I'm always putting up a boss in front of me, I really think I'm amazing...... In fact, it's not a good fate to be born a little early. There was some annoyance in Liana's tone, "You must be very upset, right?" That guy is not as good as you, but he can take everything from your father, and he has to snatch Nanali, it's very uncomfortable, right? ”

"I don't care about anything else, he inherits it." LeRoche replied in a low voice.

"What about Nanali? Can you sell it easily? ”

Silent.

This is the only one that can't be said.

"Well, I see what you want. You see, aren't we unanimous now? Liana's smile widened, "That'...... I can help you, how about we kill that guy from Clovis together? Kill him and you'll get everything, don't say anything about Nanali...... There are so many enemies of the Trevier family, as long as you are secretive, no one will be able to find out about you, and then you will be the legitimate heir of the Trevier family, don't say anything about Nanali, power, honor, title, what else do you not have to do? Right? As long as you nod your head......"

The boy only felt that his mind was blank.

"Nope! No way! He shouted without thinking, and glared at Liana, "How could I do such a thing, what do you think of me!?" ”

The stern gaze made Liana stop, but the smile on her face did not fade.

"Oh, don't be afraid, I'm just kidding. Even if you want to do this kind of thing, I won't dare to help you! ”

"Don't make such stupid jokes!"

"So, how about running away with her? Get out of the country. Liana continued to ask. As long as you're still in this country, you won't be able to get what you want. And our poor Majesty the Empress is nothing more than a caged bird. If the two of you escape, won't you be able to regain the happiness of both of you? And no one has anything to lose from it......"

LeRouche was silent.

Although he was sure that this sister had some ulterior motives in secret, her words made some sense to him. If he and Nanali fled abroad, his father would be angry, but he wouldn't be at a loss.

He could see that France was now firmly in his father's hands, and at most it was a little troublesome.

Besides. Although he only has two sons with his mother, he still has sons elsewhere, and he will not be unbearable just because he is missing.

As Liana said, no one really loses anything because of this.

But...... Come to think of it, this is an enemy of my father! He hesitated again.

"Okay, I'm just proposing, it's up to you how to do it. Also, I'm not asking you to make a decision right away, you can think about it slowly. Liana restrained her smile. Reverted to that expressionless appearance, "However, time passes little by little, and this marriage will come sooner or later." I advise you to make a decision before that time...... Lerouche, I admire you more than my own brother. So I want you to be happy more than anyone else......"

She said, looking at LeRoche thoughtfully.

Hum. Sooner or later you'll fall into the palm of my hand, just like that older brother of yours.

You are only the fruit of your obligation. How can it be compared to a masterpiece like mine? Daddy, you will know, I am your only outstanding child...... Others are nothing more than pawns of us......

Neither of them could have imagined that there was someone else in a corner of the garden.

Another unexpected visitor.

…………………………

"Hey, that's really troublesome......" After saying goodbye to his father, Clovis couldn't help but sigh.

He had the impression that his father had rarely lost his temper like that, but it frightened him.

To be honest, Lerouche has long been aware of his feelings for Nanali, but he has never said it, but he didn't expect that his younger brother would find him directly today and ask him to agree to give Nanali to him, and then the two sons went to their father together and begged their father to agree.

Lerouche, what a daring! He couldn't help but think to himself.

To be honest, until now, he still secretly admired Lerouche for his courage when he stood tall in front of his father just now.

Clovis thought that he would never have such courage, for he was a faithful admirer of his father, and had made it his duty all his life to be his reliable heir, and his father's command seemed absolute to him.

Relying on his betrothed to the Empress, the family was about to reign in France in the next generation, and the Tréville-Bonaparte dynasty would become the ruling empire. This was something that my father had already made up his mind, and he would not allow anyone to go against it.

Therefore, now that his father has given the order, even if he is a little unbearable to his younger brother, he is still determined to carry it out.

Only in this way will he be able to shoulder his obligations and become the helmsman of the new generation of the Treville family.

"Mr. Treyville, you seem to be worried about your posture?" His musings were interrupted by a greeting from behind.

Then, he turned to look.

It's beautiful!

It was a blonde girl with a beautiful face and blue eyes as clear as the water of a lake. Her slender figure and white winter dress set off the whole person as if she were an angel.

However, her complexion was excessively white, without much blood, and she looked frail and sickly.

"Alice, what's the matter?"

"You're the one in trouble...... Alice smiled slightly. I just saw something interesting in the garden. ”

"Huh?" Clovis was a little surprised at first, then smiled wryly, "Hey...... You still don't know better. ”

Under the strength of his father and mother, Clovis was of a gentle disposition, and was very kind to each of his siblings, whether they were of the same mother or not—of course, it could not be generalized, and given his father's prodigal personality, he might have unknown siblings somewhere......

This kind of kindness, some brothers and sisters are very happy, and some think that it is a contrived shelf but hold a grudge against him, Alice is the latter. Alice had been frail since she was a child, so his eldest brother often took care of her, which made her feel grateful.

"LeRouche and Liana seem to be very unhappy with you, and want to play tricks on you." Seeing that her brother was still unmoved, Alice continued to agitate.

"It's normal for LeRouche to be angry with me now, after all, ......" Clovis shook his head with a wry smile again, "as for Liana, she has always disliked me. It's normal, it's nothing, don't take it personally. ”

"You just have a good temper, and sooner or later you will suffer!" Alice frowned.

"There are some things that you can't take too seriously." Clovis patted her on the head, "It's family, after all." ”

"What family? Those who are close to us are family, and those who are not close are enemies. If I were you, I would kill them one by one, regardless of any brotherhood. That kind of stuff will just tie you down and have no other use. Alice narrowed her eyes slightly, then smiled sweetly.

"It's enough for dad to have a son to inherit the family business and a daughter to keep him by his side, isn't it?" (To be continued.) )