It's another beautiful early autumn evening.

The sun is nearing the end of its journey today, and the light of the sunset is dyeing the surroundings red.

The sun poured into the dense forest from mid-air, golden threads weaved intricate imprints in mid-air from the gaps between the leaves, and the evening breeze drifted through the forest, carrying the fragrance of moon flowers, reaching the tip of everyone's nose. The countryside around Vienna has a beauty similar to that of France.

Deep in the forest, stands a three-story mansion that is painted yellow on the outside and white between the windows, looking small and delicate, yet very quiet.

However, outside the window was full of life, but inside the mansion was gloomy and oppressive, and everyone had a gloomy face, as if they were going through some kind of mental torture.

In a room deep in the house, the young Treville sat quietly, but Madame looked a little nervous and her eyes wandered, while her husband was much calmer, and kept looking out the window at the countryside.

After a while, Charlotte finally couldn't hold back the uneasiness and sadness in her heart, and she gently grabbed her husband's hand.

"Charles, I'm a little scared. The housekeeper told me just now that she was really in danger, and she might ...... It probably won't last for three months. ”

"Don't worry," Charles took her hand and carefully comforted his wife, "each of us has such a day, at least...... Compared to her relatives, she may be considered lucky to have left so quietly. ”

"Ah...... My God! Charlotte didn't calm down because of Charles's comfort, but glanced at him, "It's all about time." Are you still going to be so them?! Can't just say a few nice words? ”

"Well, I'm sorry. Charlotte ......" Charles smiled, "I was wrong. Forgive me. ”

"Later, after you meet her, for God's sake, for my sake, don't say it so harshly, okay?" Charlotte pleaded with him, "She can't stand this stimulation anymore." ”

"Okay, I'll try."

Not long ago, Charles was with his wife. Let's go to the Vlossdorf Manor on the outskirts of Vienna.

To cover their faces, they deliberately changed their outfits to look like they were playing with a young couple on a tour of the neighborhood — a look that looks pretty similar if you ignore Charlotte's visibly bulging belly.

This estate is the retreat of Her Royal Highness Princess Marie-Theresa of the Bourbon royal family.

She was the first child born to Louis XVI and the Queen after eight years of marriage, and although she was a daughter at the time of her birth, the whole kingdom was in a state of jubilation, because her birth proved that the King and Queen were not problematic. After her. His Majesty did have several more children with the Queen, including two sons and a daughter.

However, the cheers soon faded away, when she was 11 years old. The revolution broke out and her family was interned when she was 13 years old. Her father and mother were guillotined several months apart.

Her first brother was lucky enough to die a month before the Revolution. Her other brother was not so lucky, although he was revered as Louis XVII by the nobles in exile after his death. But he did not fulfill the duties of the throne, and even the title brought him danger, and in 1795 he died, and it is still unclear how he died.

She was the only one who survived, and now she was going to die.

She married Louis Anthony, son of her cousin and father's third brother, Charles, Count of Artois, but the two men did not leave an heir, and it is unclear whose responsibility it was.

After the death of her father's second brother, Louis XVIII, the Count of Artois succeeded to the throne as Charles X, and her husband became the Dauphin. However, Charles X was not a good ruler, and the revolution of 1830 once again crushed the royal family and expelled them from the French soil, and her husband, who had only been king for an hour, was forced to sign the edict of renunciation of the throne and watched as Philippe-Equality's son fulfilled his long-cherished wish and ascended to the throne.

She is an eyewitness to an entire era, and even history itself.

It won't be long before she will be buried in people's memories along with an era.

The Revolution and its first aftermath are finally coming to an end, and the giants of that era have passed or will die, and even the witnesses of the most violent events will be gone.

Whether it was the bitter hatred of the mob, the extreme contempt of the usurper, or the extreme determination to blow up the Panthéon when she returned home, her words and deeds were all in line with Charlotte's special values - no wonder Charlotte regarded her as an idol and was so loyal to the royal and orthodox cause.

So it's not hard to imagine the impact of the news of the eldest princess's dying on Charlotte.

After a while, perhaps thinking that she had just spoken too heavily to her husband, Charlotte grabbed her husband's hand again, "Charles, I'm sorry...... I was just...... I was just too nervous. ”

"Charlotte, don't apologize to me, I can understand you." Charles hugged her very thoughtfully, "I'm talking too much. ”

Charlotte's grandfather just died a few months ago, and now the eldest princess is also dying, and the two worshippers have died one after another, which is too big a blow to her, and Charles's words just now are indeed a little mean, and she said it casually, without taking into account his wife's feelings.

"They are the royal family, I don't know how many favors they gave before, and even how much care our ancestors received?! But few people pay attention to them anymore, and everyone is ungrateful. If I ignore them, then they are so pitiful. Charlotte's tone unconsciously brought some crying, "How can people like us not support the orthodox monarch?" ”

Charles didn't answer her question. He didn't need to answer that question.

Just then, a servant knocked on the door. And walked in.

Charles and Charlotte immediately let go, and the servant pretended not to see anything. The expression was very calm.

"Your Majesty has summoned you two now, please come with me." When he finished speaking, he turned and walked back, showing no curiosity about their identities.

Because the eldest princess married the eldest son of Charles X, and this eldest son did take over the throne after Charles X abdicated, so from the perspective of the orthodox, she is indeed His Majesty. But Charles and Charlotte don't shout like that, Charles is because of political stance, and Charlotte is about feelings - in her heart. Another title is more meaningful.

Soon, they came to the bedroom of Her Royal Highness the eldest princess.

Then they saw an old woman, sitting upright in front of them, and when she saw the young couple, she bowed her head slightly, and motioned for them to come in a dignified manner.

However, she did not have much dignity because of this, and there was not much to see on her thin, wrinkled face. On the contrary, you can see the pain of a person struggling with the disease, even the lips have lost their blood, are dry and pale, and merge with the rest of the skin. Her hair was also dry and gray.

Looking at this appearance, even people who don't understand medicine understand that she really doesn't have many days left.

"Your Highness." Charlotte deliberately suppressed the grief in her heart and walked to the old woman's side. Although she had limited mobility, she bowed respectfully to the other party. "I'm really sorry. I didn't come to see you until now. ”

"It would be nice to be here, Charlotte." The old woman's face was slightly smiling. "Maybe God didn't take me away because of your loyalty."

"I ...... I'm sorry, Your Highness. Charlotte hesitated, but finally bowed her head and apologized, "I...... I didn't fulfill my promise to bring you back to the country......"

A few years ago, Charlotte had traveled to Austria to meet Her Royal Highness the Eldest Princess, and now, a few years have passed, and one after another has changed, as if it were a world away.

"It's okay, good boy, you've worked hard enough, and I have nothing but gratitude to you." The old woman raised her hand slightly and stroked her face, "At least thanks to your efforts, that usurper got his due retribution. I am glad that I can live to hear about his death. ”

Yes, Louis-Philippe, Duke of Orleans, founder of the July dynasty, vile usurper, had already lost his throne in the revolutionary party and ended up in exile in England, where he died last year. The Orthodox people, whether it's Charlotte or the eldest princess, are all happy about it.

"I'm sorry...... I'm sorry......" Charlotte was not relieved by her words of understanding, but just buried her head beside her, muttering to herself. She apologizes not only for not fulfilling her ambitions, but also for her husband, brother, and even her father, and the rest of her family who have betrayed orthodoxy.

Yes, the Tréville family still cherishes the Bourbon family now, and she is the only one left, although the others don't say it, but she knows it.

"Silly boy, what's there to be sorry for!" The old woman shook her head and smiled bitterly. "You are going to be a mother now, and you will experience happiness that I have never had the opportunity to experience, so I ask you to enjoy this happiness as if it were for my sake."

Then, her gaze drifted slightly, and finally moved to Charles, and then looked at Charles steadily.

After a long moment, she nodded softly.

"Monsieur de Treville, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness." Charles nodded faintly.

In order to allow Charlotte to reminisce and avoid embarrassment, Charles did not speak until he was named by the other party, so he had to speak.

"The last time I saw you, you were a baby." The eldest princess stroked Charlotte's back and said to Charles, as if she was recalling something, "I didn't expect that more than 20 years have passed in a flash, and the time is so fast that people are really caught off guard!" ”

Charles was stunned, slightly surprised.

He was born in 1827, and it was true that he was still under the Restoration, but ...... At that time, his grandfather was given a cold shoulder because of his allegiance to Bonaparte, he should not be qualified to be seen by the eldest princess who was still the crown princess at that time?

"It was Philip who brought you here, and we had a good personal relationship at that time. When he asked to see me, he brought you over in private. As if to answer his question, the eldest princess continued. He said that it was his brother's son, even though his brother was a hopeless degenerate who had taken refuge in Bonaparte. Although his nephew is a prodigal merry man, you are innocent, you have Tréville's blood, and you deserve a chance to have a bright future. He was very reasonable and emotional, so I promised Philip that I would take care of you when you grew up. ”

Is there such a thing? Charles was slightly taken aback.

He didn't believe that the eldest princess would lie about such a thing, so it should be true.

Then, for some reason, he had a little more respect for the deceased cousin. Although in order to hide people's eyes. He has always been very cold to his brother's family, but in fact, he has really always considered his family.

"I ...... May I ask what you were going to do with me at that time? Even though he knew it didn't make much sense, Charles couldn't help but ask.

"He's a duke and a cabinet minister, and of course the best path he's chosen for you." Her Royal Highness the Eldest Princess immediately replied, "If you want to join the army, you can enter the Praetorian Cavalry Regiment and then serve in North Africa. Within a few years, he became a regimental commander. If you want to go into politics, he will let his friends help you so that you can rise to the top, if you don't want to do anything...... At least it can make you just mess around. ”

Then. Her Royal Highness the Eldest Princess suddenly laughed, "Of course, none of us thought of it at that time. In a few years the whole dynasty will be over, and none of us can help you according to this agreement. What we didn't expect even more was this. Even without our help, you ended up in this position...... Youngster. You're really amazing, I've heard your name many times over the past few years. ”

That's not a good reputation, right...... Charles smiled bitterly in his heart.

The Duke's plan was ultimately unrealized, the Bourbon dynasty collapsed, then restored, and then collapsed again, and all his plans came to naught, but he achieved his wishes...... Maybe he's at least satisfied with himself before he leaves, right? This strange thought suddenly flashed through Charles's mind.

"Thank you for telling me all this." He bowed to the other again, "I will take care of Charlotte and repay you for your favor." ”

"I didn't give you any favors." The eldest princess shook her head, "I was going to give it to you a few years ago, but you didn't hesitate to refuse. ”

A few years earlier, it was true that the Orthodox faction had wooed Charles and made a proposal to make him prime minister after the Restoration – an undoubted promise that Charles rejected without hesitation as if it were waste paper.

Since the eldest princess mentioned this, Charles couldn't be so polite. "I will still refuse now, please understand."

"I'm not trying to please you, you don't have to." The princess still had a smile on her face, "We are a royal family, and although we are in trouble, we will not be beggars, and we will not ask for a second time after refusing." You have chosen your path, so we are not going to interfere. ”

"I ...... I'm glad you were able to think so. Charles secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"However, I would like to remind you that Bonaparte, though he may win the favor of some people now, will not continue like this. He stood on the crater and played with the fire, and sooner or later the whole earth would erupt, leaving him unsustainable. And you, too close to him, may one day be lit by the same fire. Civilians are impulsive and fickle, and I've seen them capricious. The eldest princess's tone became slightly stern, "I didn't want to tell you this, but you're Charlotte's husband, so I want to remind you for her sake." ”

"I think you have some point." Charles nodded, "Isn't that all Europe like this now?" The people, like water, seem calm and patient, but from time to time they make waves, sometimes even waves, so that every government must tremble and row the ship of power through the waves, trying not to let it overturn. ”

"And beg them to bear with you a little longer?" The eldest princess shook her head, and then said bluntly, "Don't you feel too humble for such a regime?" ”

"It's not humble to cater to the people, after all, all our wealth is created by them—"

"Thank goodness we don't have to say the same thing as you, that's the good thing about monarchy, I can laugh at the mob at will. And you can only say things against your will. Even if you all look down on them, you can only grovel and say pretty things. The princess suddenly sneered. The so-called people. What's going on? They claimed to be rebelling against the nobility, and they took up their swords. As a result, they killed dozens of times more of their own accomplices than they wanted to kill the nobles, and this is the people. ”

"I think you're a little too harsh." Charles hesitated slightly, then glanced at Charlotte.

Charlotte also felt a little nervous at this time, and she turned her head slightly, signaling Charles not to argue with the old man who was about to die.

"Those people cut off the heads of my father, my mother, my aunt, and then you expect me to forgive them? Or maybe they're saying good things? No. Sorry, I can't, I can only tell the truth. They are a swarm of blind flies who take pleasure in hating and killing each other. The princess's tone was very harsh and mean, and it was evident that with her experience, she really couldn't say anything good.

Being watched by her like this, Charles also felt a little uncomfortable.

Although Charlotte looked at her and motioned for him not to be angry with the old man, he couldn't help it.

Yes. He was angry in his heart, not for the people, but for the family.

Why don't you understand?

"But under His Majesty Louis XVI there were many heads that withered because of the poverty brought about by the ills of the dynasty, though they did not fall to the ground without blood. But that doesn't say anything about how noble this result is......" Charles shrugged his shoulders rather irreverently, "I'm not speaking for the mob, ma'am. In fact, I fear the mob as much as you do, after all, I've climbed into a good enough position these days. I just wanted to say. If a ruler cannot maintain his rule, he is essentially derelict in his duties. Since he enjoys a country. He has put unlimited responsibilities on himself, not to mention a kingdom that has been passed down from family to family? Is it impossible for a monarch to enjoy the state while not being obliged, and he renounces the throne when he ascends the throne? Did he think about giving up during his reign? No, or his brothers would have dreamed of becoming kings. In that case, then why did the blood of the crown wail when it stained his body?! So, in that sense, the loss of his country means that he has failed, and he is not a good ruler, and I will not sympathize with the loser. ”

Charles raised his head and looked at Her Royal Highness the Eldest Princess with the same caustic.

"Charles!" Charlotte couldn't help but shout at him.

"You ......" the old woman's face flashed with great anger, and she wanted to scold, but in the end she endured it. Should you be beheaded if you don't qualify? ”

"Some people are lucky not to be cut, but not everyone is so lucky." Charles's tone remained calm. "He lost the country in a moment of bad luck because of his panic and lack of governance, and this bad luck ended up swallowing his life."

"This fallacy ......"

"He himself buried his rule, surrendered his honor, his dynasty, and even his life and that of his family to the mob, and you end up complaining about the mob with this wail! What's the point? Isn't it really meaningful to carry up your own dynasty so that he and you will not suffer such a calamity? Charles directly interrupted her words and looked at the eldest princess with his head held high, "Your Highness, you can't mourn and complain as a king, he can only rule, and then die, either old age or be killed." It's this kind of pitiful wail that you keep talking about, that proves that he is not qualified, and that you are as unqualified as he is!

The people needed idols, but God was dead, and He sank below the earth with the blood of the king. Nowadays no one can rule a country on it, and now we have to shape another shrine and call it 'The People'. Yes, everything we do comes from the people, and we fight to the death for the well-being of the people, and we have to at least make the people think that we are doing it, no matter what the situation is. You rejected such slogans with ancient arrogance, but you do not know that in modern times such slogans are the source of strength! History is gentle enough for you to overthrow Napoleon with the sword of fate, but you still can't remember this, and you squandered the opportunity, but you still remember the lovely old days...... Oh my God, I'm glad you're doomed, or you'll have to make me pay the price of your blood for your pride! ”

Charles unconsciously walked into the eldest princess's seat, and then bowed his head with a little pity, "The truth is so obvious, and you, still clinging to the old stubbornness, refuse to admit this fact...... I'm not angry, I'm sad, Your Highness. (To be continued.) )