As the Winter Behemoth marched southward step by step, the winter wind began to wreak havoc in every corner of the earth, frost began to appear every morning, and the trees that had decorated the city began to wither and wither, and the cold wind was bleak. Pen | fun | pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 ｉｎｆｏ

In the bitter cold of winter, Fran followed André Bezukhov back to France, where she had been absent for more than a month, and while the sea beyond the harbor of Petersburg had not yet been frozen, they left Petersburg by boat, and docked at the port of Calais, where she disembarked with her close friend Marie, and immediately boarded the carriage that had been prepared for her, and then returned to Paris.

Although she had been in the limelight in the social circles of Petersburg for a while, she did not make much of a stir when she returned, and the social circles did not cast much attention on Miss Tréville, who was accustomed to living in seclusion.

But for Charles, it was a great joy.

Although the family of Count Bezukhov had promised him many times that there would be no trouble and that his sister's safety would not be affected, Charles could not help but feel a little worried about her after she left—though he also knew that the worst would be Miss Trevile's expulsion, and that nobles were always privileged in this day and age.

Plus, to be honest, he misses her too.

Upon receiving the exact news that she had returned home, Charles sent for her to be invited, and at the same time invited another group of guests to his home to reward his sister's efforts with the joy of everyone coming together.

Winter nights always come early, only around 5 p.m., the sky is starting to get darker, the temperature is slowly getting colder, and the streets and alleys are starting to become very sparsely populated. And this made it easier for the people gathered by the Charr to come to visit.

Just as it was beginning to fall into complete darkness, the old Marshal Trevier took his granddaughter in a carriage to the Charles' mansion.

As soon as they got out of the car, they were personally received by Charles.

After exchanging pleasantries with Marshal Tréville, Charles immediately walked over to Fran's side.

Because of the very low temperature, she was wrapped in a very thick sea otter skin robe today, and her whole body was a little shrunken, but when she saw Charles, her eyes sparkled, and even the winter night could not dampen the enthusiasm in it.

"Sir...... I am back. Good evening. She wanted to greet him in as calm a tone as possible, but she couldn't contain the joy in her heart.

Under Charles's gaze, her black clothes blended with the night, setting off her snow-white face even fairer, and her golden hair was mostly tucked into her hat, only the ends of her hair loomed. The dark blue pupils turned dark purple because of the effect of the night, which added a bit of mystery, as if he was an elf who had strayed into the world.

It's really grown.

"It's been a hard work, girl." Charles couldn't help but reach out and scratch her face.

"No, I didn't feel hard, I enjoyed it." Fran shook her head seriously, "I'm glad I lived up to your trust. Therefore, I feel entitled to ...... I am entitled to give me more trust in the future. ”

"his mission! It's good that you're back. Charles couldn't help but reach out and wrap his arms around her shoulders, "Still, I want to thank you for proving that you can be my helper." ”

"Great." Fran almost cried tears of joy.

However, at this moment, a "cough" suddenly came from the side, which prevented the brother and sister from further intimacy in public.

Charles glanced at his grandfather, who was silent but clearly dissatisfied, and let go of his hand, then nodded to Fran again. "It's cold outside, let's not waste time here, come, come in with me."

"yes, okay." Fran smiled awkwardly as well, then took Grandpa's hand.

Then, Charles turned and led his grandfather and sister into the main entrance, which was supported by marble columns, and entered the mansion.

"Why are so many people here today?" Fran looked a little strangely to the side, and she noticed that Charles had invited a lot of guests, which was completely different from what she had expected to be alone with her brother for a while.

"Because I specifically called them over, and they want to celebrate your birthday." Charles replied with a smile.

What, today is my birthday?

Fran froze for a moment, then figured it out after a moment.

yes, it's indeed my birthday.

In the past, she would have rejoiced because her grandfather and brother would give her gifts, but now she was not happy about it, because she already knew that this "birthday" might not be hers.

Who knows what month and day when Princess Kadiyan gave birth?

“…… That's ...... for me Not necessarily a day to celebrate. She said with a slight sourness.

"Silly girl!" Charles quickly understood what she was thinking, and then couldn't help but scold her, "It's not who you are, it's what you want to become!" ”

Then he glanced at Marshal Trevill, who was next to him.

"Kid, stop dwelling on those things." The old man also sighed, "After all, the past is in the past, and it is better for us to forget them all, rather than let them still haunt us in the shadows and affect our current life - after all, we can't change the past." ”

"I hope so." Fran lowered her head first, then immediately looked up with a smile on her face, "I'll try to be as happy as I can." ”

At this moment, they also came to the hall together, and immediately became the focus of the audience's attention.

An old man dressed in a military uniform with a white beard but still imposing, a handsome young man in civilian clothes with a medal on his chest, and a young woman with a striking beauty, the three members of the Trevier family walk together as if they were the scene in a portrait.

And beside these three people, huge power and amazing wealth are also accompanied, which gives them an extra layer of dazzling brilliance.

Seeing this situation, how many people can imagine, but five years ago, their family was just living in embarrassment?

The world has changed more dramatically than this.

It is precisely because they also support each other in difficult times, so compared with the ordinary aristocratic families with generations of hairpins, they have a lot of family affection for each other, and that kind of mutual care and love, even if they are already powerful, have not been wiped out.

Seeing this situation, even Charlotte, who has always been proud, secretly had an inexplicable jealousy when she saw them.

She did a good job of hiding this sourness in her heart, and then greeted her with a smile on her face, and first gave Marshal Tréville a hug.

"Grandpa, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, thank you Charlotte." The old man hugged her with a smile, and then attached himself to her ear quite affectionately, "Are you feeling better now?" I'm waiting for you to get me another great-grandson." ”

"You've been out of character since you came." Charlotte grumbled at him, then walked up to Fran and held out her hand.

"Miss Treville, you've had a hard time lately. Happy birthday to you. ”

Charlotte's manners were flawless, but they were not as enthusiastic as she had in the presence of the old man, but so did Fran.

"Thank you." She only thanked her briefly, and then hugged her indifferently.

Soon, all four members of the Tréville family were in the center of the hall, and the gathering of the hosts marked the beginning of the small feast.

Charles was so happy because of the special atmosphere of the day that he lowered his head slightly and leaned into Fran's ear.

"To make you happy, we've got a lot of people in here." Charles said fervently, as if to show off and show off, "Miss Treville deserves the honour she can enjoy." To them, you are a princess, and they all flatter you. ”

"That'...... What about you? Fran asked in a low voice.

"I can't be a princess for me, but I have to take care of it...... Child, or partner? Charles replied with a slight teasingness.

"Oh!" Fran let out a low cry, her face flushing slightly.

Charles looked at his friends and family, as well as his close subordinates, who were now his henchmen, members of his influence, who depended on his support, both politically and financially, and who had to reciprocate with loyalty.

"I'm really happy that you can enjoy it today." Under the watchful eyes of the partymen, Charles smiled, then calmly picked up the glass, and shook it at Fran in mid-air. "Come, folks, let us all wish Miss de Treville a happy birthday!"

"Happy Birthday!" Everyone took up their glasses to bless Miss Trevill, and it was normal for Fran to blush because of the drink.

Then, a large cake was carefully pushed into the hall by the servant.

"Here, cut these cakes for everyone." Charles shook his hands at Fran.

"What?" Fran looked at him with some curiosity.

Charles knew that there was no rule for cutting cakes in this era, so he took the trouble to explain it to Fran.

"This cake should be carefully cut off one by one and given to everyone present, so that everyone can share your joy and good fortune, and let everyone know that you are one of us......"

If the latter sentence had a deep meaning, Fran immediately understood.

She had fulfilled her mission before, and had finally proved to her brother that she was also a person who could carry out his plans to the letter, and was qualified to act as his assistant.

Now, Charles seems to be introducing her to his comrades in this way, officially making her a member of his group.

"Thank you." She closed her eyes slightly.

Charles didn't answer, just spread his hands and pointed to the big cake.

Bathing in the eyes of the people's blessings, Fran began to take out a dinner knife and cut the cake piece by piece, and presented it to everyone present, so that they could share their joy.

Nothing excites her more than this.

She clenched the knife tightly in her hand, as if she were holding her happiness.

People took turns running to her to receive the cake, and she meticulously executed it, each piece cut neatly and about the same size.

Just as she was concentrating on her job of cutting the cake, a young man in a cavalry uniform approached her.

Fran didn't look up, but cut a cake and handed it over.

The young man did not leave after eating the plate cake, and he looked at Fran with a little unease, only feeling that his heart was excited.

"Miss Treville, ...... Remember me? After a few moments, he plucked up the courage to ask.

Fran looked up strangely, and then noticed that the young man looked familiar, as if it were someone she had seen in London......

"Monsieur Bonaparte?" She asked, slightly surprised.

"Yes, it's me!" The young man smiled with relief, "Thank God you remember me!" (To be continued.) )