Charles was completely unaware of his sister's cold gaze. On the contrary, he felt extremely good now. For a long time, although he has been in a place of right and wrong like the palace (or to put it bluntly, a place where desires are rampant), Charles has not indulged in attracting bees and butterflies like his peers. After all, his The main focus was on how to please His Majesty the Emperor. In addition, after getting used to the pretentious masks of the ladies and ladies in the palace, he no longer had any interest in falling in love with them, and would rather keep them away with superficial courtesy. But, even so, to be honest, as a healthy man, sometimes he can't help but have wild imaginations. In the past few years, as he has grown older and has become quite good-looking, many ladies have begun to pay keen attention to him. Although on the surface, he is cautious about flirting with them intentionally or unintentionally. He declined, but the little boy deep inside had begun to wake up. However, because he had no similar experience before, he was not sure how much charm he had. But after seeing how smoothly he flirted with Theresa for the first time, although he was not tempted by it, he became more or less proud. . It seems that I am quite attractive after all He couldn't help but think with a little pride. This look of fantasy made Andrei Cavalcanti even more frightened, fearing that this noble gentleman would really be obsessed with Teresa and bring endless trouble to himself. Just when several people were having their own thoughts, the music in the hall suddenly stopped. The door to the side hall then opened, and the Count of Monte Cristo, wearing a black coat, walked in with a high head. Although his expression was as calm as usual, his eyes were filled with excitement at this time, like a hunter who saw his prey falling into a trap. He walked to the center of the hall, and then calmly glanced around at the guests. Attorney General Villefort and his wife, Baron and Baron Danglars, all fell into his sight. The corner of his mouth curved into a subtle smile, and then he nodded to the guests. "Ladies and gentlemen, I'm really glad that you can honor me and attend my banquet -" the Earl bowed to the guests present in a rather solemn manner, "To be honest, before coming to France, I had been thinking I murmured that I doubted whether I could be accepted by the Parisian social circle. After all, I was just an unknown person. Although I had saved a little fortune due to accidental luck, compared to the rich and prosperous France, this little money was not worth it. What does it matter?" Then, he paused intentionally, and the guests all laughed in agreement. "Unexpectedly, I miscalculated. Since I arrived in Paris, the residents of this great city have received me with the greatest hospitality. They greeted me cordially, congratulated me on my success, laughed heartily for me, and My dear guests, I assure you, I have been all over the world, and I will never find your enthusiasm anywhere else in the world. If there is a place where you can pry open the barriers of race, class, and identity. The difference is that if everyone is happy, then this place must be Paris! If the Tower of Babel can be built somewhere, then this place must be Paris! " "Yes, as long as you have money, everyone here will treat you as a guest. !" A gray-haired celebrity wearing a uniform and a medal took over, "Paris has no race or blood. As long as you have gold bricks, you will definitely be able to build a Tower of Babel! Let's drink to the gold bricks! "Hahahaha!" Everyone present, including the Count of Monte Cristo, was amused by this witticism, and then they picked up the wine glasses in unison. "Cheers to the BRICs!" Although this sentence cannot be said to be a compliment, in people's hearts, there is a strange sense of pride that "hahaha we are so degenerate". Yes, these are the years of depravity. "Some people may laugh at me and say that I just use gold bricks to buy respect, but so what? I have money, I spend money, I am the master of money, if money can buy respect and status, then Why not change it?" After taking a sip of wine, the Count of Monte Cristo put down his glass and continued, "So, in order to thank you for your kind hospitality, I want to give Paris a grand gift in return, one that can be used by you. An unforgettable banquet, I hope I can do it! Cheers!" "Cheers!" The guests raised their glasses again, and the atmosphere became lively. While they were enjoying themselves, the servants pushed the dining carts into the restaurant, and then the banquet officially began. This kind of OrientalSuch banquets can only be found in Arabian fairy tales. Chinese dishes and Japanese porcelain plates are filled with fresh fruits from all over the world, and huge silver basins are filled with huge fish; all kinds of rare birds are served. Their most colorful and dazzling feathers are still retained on their bodies, and all kinds of fine wines are packed in strange-shaped sparkling bottles, which seems to increase the sweetness and purity of the wines. "Friend, we are eating gold, this guy is really rich." While eating, Charles heard someone talking quietly next to him. Indeed, these ingredients and tableware are already very precious, and the effort and money spent to collect them from all over the world will be several times more than the ingredients themselves, so it is definitely not an exaggeration to say that this meal is like eating gold. . Although he knew that the Count of Monte Cristo liked to show off his wealth, Charles was mentally prepared for him to show off his wealth when he came here, but when he actually encountered him, he still couldn't help being surprised. ¡°How crazy does one have to be to spend so much money But think about it, someone who has carefully disguised himself with several identities and came to Paris, how can he not be crazy?¡± I want to see what kind of trick you want to play. Ciel was tasting the delicacies with sarcasm, while his eyes kept wandering around the hall, observing the surrounding situation. He couldn¡¯t find Charlotte. It seemed that Charlotte, who had only been employed for a few days, could only be responsible for some odd jobs now. Fran, who was sitting next to her, had a gloomy expression and seemed to be in a bad mood. This little blond girl ate in silence. She carefully cut the meat into small pieces and put it into her mouth. She moved gently and chewed slowly, which made people feel that this was simply a performance art rather than a meal. Moreover, she also From time to time, he glanced at his brother next to him with worried eyes, making him look even more absent-minded. "Girl, what's wrong with you? You look so worried?" Charles finally noticed something strange about his sister, so he couldn't help but ask Fran again, "Are you feeling unwell?" As he said that, he touched her He touched his sister's forehead. "Well I'm not too hot" Such an intimate gesture in public made Fran's face turn slightly red, but she narrowed her eyes slightly in enjoyment and did not make any symbolic struggle. Logically speaking, families of great aristocrats have always had weak family ties, and there is no affection between brothers and sisters. However, this is a bit different for Ciel. After all, their parents left early, and Fran can be said to have grown up under Ciel's personal care. Yes, the bond between the two people is much deeper than that of ordinary siblings - so Ciel didn't have any scruples and touched his head affectionately in public. "Sir, do you have a sweetheart?" After hesitating for a long time, Fran finally asked boldly. "After all, I heard from many people that there are many ladies who favor you." "Huh? Who said that?" Charles was a little surprised. "My classmates, many people will talk about you in private." Fran replied softly, "For example, Matilda said that some ladies in the palace want you to be their son-in-law¡ª¡ª" " Ohit turns out it's Matilda who is causing trouble for me" Charles responded meaningfully, and then asked, "Then what do you think?" "II" Fran hesitated. I lowered my head. After hesitating for a moment, I finally decided to speak clearly, "I think it's normal! After all, there are not many talented young people with family background like you in the whole of France, Madam It's so normal for them to want you as their son-in-law! It's better to say that they are overestimating their abilities and actually want to give their boring daughters to you" "Oh!" Charles said to his sister? The answer was both surprising and happy. After all, being so complimented by one¡¯s own sister will give a person a sense of accomplishment, right? "So do you have a sweetheart now?" Fran asked again. "Not yet." Ciel thought for a moment and then answered. "That's okay It seems that you haven't been fascinated by those boring people. I really can't imagine you bringing those women home" Fran blinked, and her golden eyelashes followed. It's trembling. "A woman who has skin but an empty mind will definitely not bring you happiness!" Charles was greatly amused by his sister's behavior, and he couldn't help but have the idea of ??continuing to tease her - after all, these are still two brothers and sisters. This is the first time that a similar topic has been discussed. "Then who do you think is the most suitable person to be my sweetheart?" he asked softly. "This" Fran thought awkwardly, as if she had not considered this issue at all. "MatthewIs it like that? Charles asked abruptly, "It seems like you like her quite a bit. If it were her, you would be happy, right?" " "no no! "Unexpected by Charles, Fran reacted fiercely and shook her head suddenly. Then she also felt something was wrong, and lowered her head in a hurry, "II don't hate Matilda. The relationship is pretty good. She is indeed beautiful, smart, and has a very good personality, butdon't you think she is too boring sometimes? It's not good for someone to be too calm. If you are with her in the future, it will be difficult for your life to become romantic. How boring it would be if everything was in order! " Charles frowned. He didn't quite agree with Fran's opinion. Although Matilda looked indifferent and plain in front of most people, and rarely participated in any recreational activities, she looked like an iceberg beauty. But Charles felt that she had the same fiery soul hidden under her appearance. If she fell in love with someone, she would definitely be very passionate. But there is no need to distinguish this from her sister. In essence, she is just the same person. It¡¯s just a joke. ¡°This doesn¡¯t work, that doesn¡¯t work, Matilda doesn¡¯t work, so who do you think is suitable to be your sister-in-law? Charles teased his sister again, "Is it possible that I can't fall in love with someone else?" " "Well, as long asas long as you are willing to search slowly, you will always find itMaybe it is actually easy to find, but you just haven't found it yet? "Flan hesitated again, "Anyway, before you go there, I ask you not to be obsessed with any vulgar powder. That is too terrible. Our Treville family can't be harmed because of your indiscretion. Tainted, right? "It's so strange, why you keep saying these things." Charles was even more confused in his heart, but he still remained calm on the surface. "What you said makes sensebut you should also believe me, your brother has seen everything." How can people who have lived through it be so easily charmed? Don't worry, I have a very high vision" "Maybe, no matter how powerful people are, they will be dazzled sometimes -" Fran shook her head, then looked up at her brother, "So Can you promise me that if you find a woman who is not suitable for you in the future, I can remind you and let you expel her" "In any case, this request is too much. Isn't this interfering with my private life?" She was a little unhappy. "Can you promise me" Seeing that her brother's face was not good, Fran's eyes welled up with tears and she looked at Ciel expectantly, "Sir, you will not abandon me. ,Right? "Sigh. Charles sighed in his heart. Sure enough, he still can't get angry at his sister. That's right, the brother and sister have been dependent on each other since they were young. He is almost half a father, so her future sister-in-law is also half a stepmother. If this If her sister-in-law doesn't like her, it will probably be a huge mental blow to her. So it's normal for her to be nervous. Maybe this is the root cause of her weird behavior recently. When she thinks about it, she looks at her sister Xunran. Looking like he was about to cry, Charles couldn't help but feel a pity in his heart. "Silly boy, how could I leave you alone? "He stretched out his hand to wipe Fran's head again, and gently stroked the smooth blond hair, "Okay, it's up to you, as long as you are happy. " "real? "Seeing that Charles agreed to her, Fran burst into tears and smiled. Regardless of the many people here, she hugged her brother and said, "Thank you, sir! " Charles coaxed her again and finally got her sister back to normal. But he didn't expect that although he just said it casually, Fran would regard it as a formal authorization. From now on, she would consciously expel her. After just seeing her brother chatting and laughing with that flirtatious woman, the girl's heart was filled with a sense of crisis. She was ignorant and felt that she had to eliminate these dangers and not let Special The glory of the Revell family was damaged. After finally coaxing his sister, Charles felt a little tired, so he decided to walk out of the living room to get some air. At this time, he met Mr. Villefort. With a mysterious face, he came directly to Charles, apparently just to chase him out. "Charlie, it turns out that you like Miss Matilda de Dillion?" That nerd? He asked in a low voice. "Young people today are really hard to understand." Although that little girl is quite pretty, she is too unsentimental" "AlsoNot to mention liking it. "Ciel shook his head, then looked back at the other party, "Besides, she is not a nerd. " "So you are really interested in her? The prosecutor-general smiled mysteriously again, "Yes or no?" " "What exactly do you want to say? " Charles frowned impatiently. "In the past, he would have had some respect for the sanctimonious prosecutor general, but now, since the other party's handle is in his own hands, he is too lazy to deal with the other party. "If you If you really want to get close to her, I have some ideas here. The prosecutor did not back down because of Charles's attitude. Instead, he lowered his voice even more and said, "There is a big problem with this girl's parents." " "What's the meaning? "Charlton immediately became interested. "Her father, Viscount de Dilion, is a complete idiot. Although he looks glamorous, he actually doesn't understand anything. People only look at his father's face to look up to him. I respect him greatly. Now that his father has retired, no one can look down on him anymore, but what about him? He feels pretty good about himself. He walks around the market all day long, thinking that everyone will pay for his fault as the palace clerk, so he is very courageous" The prosecutor sneered harshly. " Charles did not refute the other party, he said to Mattie Erda¡¯s father himself didn¡¯t have a good impression. Besides, what the prosecutor said was a fact that everyone knew¡ªexcept that the gentleman himself didn¡¯t know. ¡°What on earth did he do? " Charles asked again. "He is now in a lawsuit and is in a state of distress. It's just because he left the relationship that the outside world didn't know about it. "The chief prosecutor carefully looked to the side to make sure no one heard him, and then whispered to Charles, "There is a wealthy businessman from another province who wants to do a big business, but he doesn't know anyone in the capital, so he needs to find connections. , and then he made a promise to others, saying that he would definitely be able to get the thing done" "But it didn't get done, and he was hated by others? " Charles almost understood the whole story. "Yes, when the wealthy businessman saw that the business could not be done, he hated him for just collecting money and not doing anything, and then sued him in anger. "The prosecutor nodded. "For what reason should we sue him? You can't sue him for accepting bribes, right? " Charles asked back. "Well" the prosecutor protracted meaningfully, "The wealthy businessman gave him a piece of jewelry, and he gave it to his mistress, but the jewelry was originally the property of the Austrian royal family You As you know, our Majesty the Queen Mother¡¯s natal family is Austrian. What do you think she should do if it is revealed? " Charles was stunned for a moment, and then couldn't help laughing. "Pfft haha Was this wealthy businessman on guard against him from the beginning? " "Yeah, but he has to blame himself. "The prosecutor general shrugged, "This matter is in our hands now. I can give you the file at any time. I believe that if it is you, Charles, it will definitely come in handy" "Thank you. " Charles showed a smile. But soon, the smile solidified again. Because he suddenly thought of something else. Attorney General Villefort is using the black information of the upper class to trade privately. This is Is it the first time? Definitely not. So when he made these transactions before, did he turn his own privacy into goods? Thinking about it, he threatened to expose his father It's not true. It¡¯s impossible. When he thought of this, his eyes became cold. " "What's the matter, Ciel? "Prosecutor Villefort didn't expect that he had photographed the horse's leg, and he was a little surprised at how Charles's attitude had changed. "Prosecutor Villefort, I accept your favor, but there are some things I want to make clear. "Char looked at the other party seriously, "If the privacy of our family is also attacked because of you, then you have to bear all the consequences yourself. I am definitely not joking. " "Where have you been, Charles! The prosecutor general was shocked and said, "Don't worry, no one will sue an imperial marshal. Your Majesty will not allow others to do this!" " "It's better not to have one. "Char snorted coldly again, "You check out all the cases related to our family, and I want to take a look! " "OK, alright. " Prosecutor General Villefort nodded with lingering fear. At this time, the living room started to be noisy again. It was obvious that the Count of Monte Cristo had started a new activity. "Let's go back. Charles reached out and patted the prosecutor general on the shoulder.