No matter how ambitious and high-spirited he was, Charles knew that the world would not work exactly according to his will, so he silently swallowed the bitter fruit of his impulsive gaffes, admitting that he was not qualified to say whatever he wanted. However, at this time, he would not have imagined at all, even the people around him who he thought would revolve around him all the time had entered a state of derailment at this time.

Is this an accident or a necessity? It's no longer clear, maybe every child can't help but want to peek into the world when they grow up, no matter how eerie the world is, they can't help but touch it with their own hands.

On the side of a wide street in Tangtan District, a horse-drawn carriage slowly stopped.

"Here we are, miss." After parking the carriage, the coachman respectfully bowed back.

"Thank you, thank you for your hard work." There was a soft thank you from the carriage.

Then the two girls stepped down from the carriage, both wearing dresses with the skirts removed from which were fashionable at the time, and although they looked a little loose, they also slightly outlined the slender lines of the girls. In addition to the ornaments on their clothes, they wore a small red woolen yarke hat on their heads, and strands of golden hair hung down from between the hats, looking like the ladies who had just returned from an outing.

At this time, it is the best time of autumn, all of them are so pleasant, the sun is warm and suitable, and the autumn wind will roll the fragrance of flowers into the air, making people feel a little sleepy.

However, the expressions of these two girls were not infected with this kind of comfort. As soon as they got out of the car, they looked left and right to make sure there was nothing unusual here before leaving. Their expressions were both curious and alert. It's like some kind of extraterrestrial world here

"This is it, right?"

One of the girls looked at the street number and then at the buildings around her, and finally made up her mind.

"It should be here." A girl next to her nodded in confirmation, but her face was a little hesitant, as if she was worried about something. In the end, she still couldn't hold back the uneasiness in her heart. He spoke again and persuaded his companion to get up, "Fran, let's go back...... It's not good for you to sneak out like this......"

Although it's noon. But because this neighborhood is relatively upscale, there are not many pedestrians in the past, and this slightly desolate atmosphere makes her feel a little bad in her heart.

"What's so bad? Just coming out to meet a friend......" Fran smiled slightly. "Alright. Don't worry about anything, just wait for me outside and I'll be back in a moment. ”

"How's that going to work? Let's go together. Mary saw that she would not be able to persuade her back, so she had to retreat, "You came here in my name, so I should always follow me?" ”

That's right, Fran came out this time in the name of a friend who had gone with her to meet Mademoiselle Marie-de-Léoltran. Mary was already very worried along the way, and now she dared to let her do her own thing.

"Don't be so nervous. It's really nothing......" Fran still seemed a little hesitant, as if she didn't want Mary to accompany her. "It's good that you and the coachman are waiting here for me, and I'll be back soon."

"Even if it's nothing, I'm going to stay with you." Mary seemed to have made up her mind, so she refused to back down a single step, "I brought you here, and if any accident happens to Mr. Treville, he will kill me!" ”

"It's not that strict," Fran shook her head slightly...... "My brother isn't that fierce." ”

It's so fierce! Mary sighed inwardly.

Forget it, it's useless to talk to her like this anyway, that person never says anything serious in front of her, how can she feel that kind of fear. Either way, just follow her all the time, so as not to have any accidents, Mary thought to herself.

"Anyway, you just can't leave me behind, I must accompany you."

Seeing that Mary was so persistent, Fran finally had to agree to the other party's request, after all, she still needed her friend to continue to cover for herself in the future.

So, after a brief exchange of opinions, the two girls walked together to the door of an apartment, and Fran knocked softly.

A middle-aged woman quickly ran over, but after seeing that the visitors turned out to be two young girls, she was slightly stunned, obviously not understanding the situation.

"Hello, I'm here to find Mr. Ezreal Walter, may I ask if he lives with you?" Seeing the other party's reaction, Fran hurriedly asked with a smile. "Sorry, I don't have his business card, but can you help me pass it on on my behalf? Hopefully, I won't waste you too much time. ”

After she finished speaking, the middle-aged woman finally reacted.

"Well, okay, just wait a minute, I'll pass on Mr. for you." Then she immediately turned and ran towards the house, for she was walking so fast that she staggered a little.

"Did we scare her? She seemed a little nervous. Fran was a little puzzled by her reaction.

"Who knows why?" Mary shook her head nonchalantly, "Maybe they think we're the kind of people who are not the right people......"

Her answer made Fran choke for a moment. That's right, two girls dressed up in fancy clothes came to the door to find someone, and it's no wonder if others have some bad associations......

An embarrassment suddenly came over her, making her face redden.

"Two young ladies, sir, please come in at once." It didn't take long for the middle-aged woman just now to come back again.

I don't know if it's because of the psychological effect, Fran feels that although she barely pretends to be calm on her face, she seems to be a little inexplicably excited, which makes her feel even more embarrassed.

Now she suddenly felt glad that Mary forcibly followed, and quickly pulled the other party's hand tightly.

In this way, under the leadership of this middle-aged woman, the two girls came to the reception room.

"Wait a minute, gentleman will come over shortly." After leaving a word of advice. She cautiously exited the room.

Although it is a reception room, the furnishings inside are very simple, with only a table and a few chairs. After a few glances, Fran felt bored, so she sat quietly and waited for the other party to arrive.

The Marquise next to her was visibly more nervous.

"Fran, the man you're coming to see today is a man? When did you get acquainted? She asked, lowering her voice.

She originally thought that the "friend" in Fran's mouth was just a girl, but it was only when she found out that it was actually a man, which made her already a little nervous even more uneasy.

What should I do if something happens? It's really going to die! Her heart was in a state of extreme panic, and she tried to dissuade Fran again, but she felt hopeless. I didn't know what to do for a while.

Just then, the door opened again.

"Miss Treville, you're finally here."

With such a greeting. The young man with short pale blonde hair, who had come to visit Fran before, and who called himself Ezreal Walter, walked in briskly. Perhaps because of his home, he was not dressed as formally as he had last visited, but was wearing a coat loosely. Not even the amber buttons on the sleeves were fastened. Because of this, his smile became more sincere and kind.

Nodding to Fran, he turned his gaze to Mary next to him, and then nodded again.

"When I heard that you were two people coming, I was taken aback, I didn't expect it to be such a beautiful young lady......"

Fran heard the surprise and doubt hidden in his greeting, so she smiled and pointed to Mary, and introduced it implicitly.

"This is my female companion. And a good friend of mine, Mary. Thanks to her care, too. I was able to run so easily. ”

Then she introduced Mary, "Mary, this is Mr. Walter, the person I have come to visit......

"Oh, Mr. Walter, hello." Mary hurriedly saluted the other party, "I hope my arrival will not make you unhappy." ”

Although she was polite, she had already made it clear that she would stay with Fran all the time, and she had no intention of backing down.

"Oh, of course not." Ezreal, who had already understood, shook his head with a smile, "On the contrary, I feel very honored. ”

His charming smile and cultured demeanor put Mary at ease.

However, who is this kind of calm and unhurried bearing? Mary was in a trance for a moment.

After the introduction, Fran suddenly asked a clueless question.

"Sir, what do you think of the last comment I wrote in the newspaper? I think it's the most dedicated one I've written lately......"

Well? What does that mean? Ezreal was slightly stunned.

"Marie, this Mr. Walter is also very interested in art criticism, and has been paying attention to the reviews I have written lately, and has given me his opinion several times a while ago." Before Ezreal could react, Fran smiled and explained to Mary, "Thanks to his guidance, I've recently discovered a lot of my shortcomings. ”

"Comment? Aren't your comments anonymous? How does he know? Mary soon became keenly aware of something strange, and looked at Fran with some suspicion.

"You don't know yet, he's a reporter, a reporter from that newspaper." Fran replied with a smile, as if it were the real thing and not a lie that had occurred to her in the moment, "Look, what a coincidence! ”

"Reporter ......" After listening to Fran's explanation, Mary frowned slightly, but did not ask anything more.

"That's right, I've read your recent comments, and they're very well written." Ezreal had apparently reacted and quickly agreed, and then, quoting Fran's comment, reassumed the role that the other had assigned him, as if he were really an art-obsessed person.

"'Although the style of painting is uninhibited and the use of lines is not confined to the format, Mr. Courbet's paintings always make people feel the spiritual power contained in them, a kind of pride that is both detached from the world and unrestrained. Although he is still very young, as long as he can maintain his current aura, in time, we believe that he will be able to become an excellent painter in our country'...... Yes, miss. I completely agree with you. ”

[Refers to Gustave Courbet (1819-1877), an outstanding realist painter.] Born into a wealthy family, he was uninhibited and uninhibited, rejecting the path arranged by his father in his youth and aspiring to become a painter. His style of painting is also known for its enthusiasm and unrestrainedness.

It is worth mentioning that the painter was also a radical liberal in his political tendencies, and was active in the revolutionary movement of French society in 1848, and in 1871 in the Paris Commune. He served as a member of the Commune and president of the Artists' Union, and was later arrested and imprisoned. 】

This person really has to read my comments in the newspaper!

Fran was secretly taken aback, though she was a little happy to see what she had written. But she was happy and a little uneasy - after all, she didn't like the feeling of being spied on.

What a weirdo.

Still, at least for now, the weirdo is still useful. So she also suppressed this uneasiness. continued to cooperate.

"So you agree with me? That's great. She still smiled, "Although there is a lot of criticism about what Mr. Courbet does in his daily life, I think his talent should be recognized." ”

"You're right."

Fran noticed that Mary was not involved in the singing and harmony between the two of them, but kept her head down and didn't know what she was thinking.

Fran saw that the time was ripe, so she asked cautiously.

"What I asked you about that day, how did you find out? How is the painter now? Hurry up and tell me, I wanted to write a comment about him recently......"

"The painter? I've heard that things aren't going well lately. Ezreal sighed softly, "I found out about it recently. That's a big deal......"

"What's wrong?" Fran hurriedly asked.

"That painter's family background is amazing...... His family was originally a well-known aristocratic family, and it also had a place in the Luxembourg Palace. Only recently because of the revolution. It's decaying, and I've heard that the old people in their family have all passed away recently......" Ezreal said with a smile as she looked at Fran.

[The Luxembourg Palace was the seat of the French House of Lords during the dynastic era, and after the establishment of the Second Republic, the House of Lords was abolished. 】

Has my grandfather passed away?

Fran's heart tightened.

However, although she is her maternal grandfather, she has never seen each other since she was a child, so she quickly recovered from her grief, "Is that so?" That's a pity......" she sighed softly.

It seems that my brother is right, it is true that he found his own home after defeat.

But even if this is the case, there is nothing to blame.

"It's really regrettable." Ezreal seemed to see Fran's mood at this time, so he lowered his voice considerately, "But it's not your responsibility, either?" Don't take it personally. ”

"Thank you for your investigation, and I will be more confident in writing reviews in the future." Fran glanced at Mary secretly and was relieved when she found that the other party was unresponsive. "If there's anything else you can tell me, then I'm even more grateful."

"Don't tell me, after receiving your commission, I got a painting that I'm sure you'll be interested in...... After all, you're going to write a review. ”

"Really? Then please bring it to me. Fran replied quickly.

"Don't worry, I'll get it to you right away." Ezreal Walter smiled and nodded, and then he lifted up his hand, which had been under the table, as if by juggling, and held a small picture frame in that hand. It's just that because it's backside up, Fran and Mary can't see what the painting is.

With an inexplicable premonition, Fran gently took the frame, then flipped it slightly.

Then, she froze.

"Fran, what's wrong with you?" There was something strange about Mary next to her.

"Oh, nothing." Fran immediately came to her senses and shook her head to indicate that she was fine.

Is this the portrait of a mother? I finally know what she looks like...... Fran suddenly felt a sour nose, and it took a lot of effort for her to stop the tears.

She held the tiny portrait tightly as if it were worth more than all the famous paintings in her bedroom. It was the first time she had seen her mother's face, though only for a moment.

The cold brass frame is completely unable to cool the hot blood at this time, and the person in the portrait seems to be able to feel this enthusiasm at this time. Smiling quietly. This bond from blood is something that Fran really feels.

Suddenly, a strange question flashed through the girl's mind. A question that was almost never thought of before.

Why have I never seen a portrait of my mother before? Why isn't there one at home?

Generally speaking, there will definitely be portraits of family members in aristocratic houses, why not in the house? At least she had never seen her since she was a child.

It's almost as if grandpa has deliberately annihilated all traces of his mother in his home for many years. So, what about my brother? What did he think? Will......

As if she had been poured cold water on her head, the girl suddenly felt a little chill all over her body.

No, it won't. It must just be that I'm overthinking, it's just cranky. It was too much, she laughed to herself inwardly.

"What a masterpiece......" Fran reluctantly commented, putting aside the confusion of thoughts. How did you get this portrait? ”

"That's right. It's a masterpiece indeed. Ezreal nodded, "As for the way to get there...... All I can say is that we have our own way. ”

It seems that he is going to keep it a secret, but even so, he can get such a thing. The trip was satisfying enough. Fran thought to herself. At the same time, he held the frame tightly in his hand.

It was the first time she had ever seen her mother's face, and although for some reason she could only catch a glimpse of it, it was enough to satisfy her.

"Thank you for your help." Thinking of this, Fran quickly stood up and solemnly saluted the other party again, "Although I don't know what kind of sincerity to repay you, if you need my help in the future, just tell me." As long as I can do it, I will be able to do it. ”

"I believe in this promise of yours. After all, you have a brother like that......" Ezreal still smiled, but there seemed to be something inexplicable in this smile, "But, as I told you before, I'm not here to help you for anything, and to see you smile for this is already my greatest reward......"

At the same time, he blinked and focused his gaze on the mezzanine on the back of the frame.

"Hahahaha......" His seemingly solemn attitude made Fran laugh, "You're really funny, but don't worry, I remember your favor, and I will definitely return it if I have the chance." ”

As she spoke, she grabbed the note in the mezzanine into her palm without a trace.

…………

After leaving the apartment, the two girls breathed a sigh of relief at the same time, as if they had gone on a strange trip.

"Let's go back." Fran said to Mary with a smile.

"Well, let's go back." Mary gestured to the coachman who was standing by in the distance, and then she couldn't help but say something more.

"Fran, let's never come here again."

"Huh? Why? Isn't Mr. Walter nice? Fran asked curiously. I feel like he's very kind to me and to you. ”

"That's how strange it is!" Mademoiselle de Leoland shook her head, "Don't you think he's too comfortable entertaining us?" It's just like ...... It's like a high-class person. ”

"Why can't he just be like a high-class man?" Fran replied with a smile.

“…… I...... That's not what I meant! Mary was a little anxious, "Fran, you know what I mean, don't play stupid, aren't you surprised?" ”

"What's strange?" Fran was still smiling.

"It's strange everywhere! Can a small journalist afford to live in such a house? And servants to serve? I don't believe it! If he is not short of money, why should he go to the newspaper office to become a reporter? There must be some secret that no one knows. Mary frowned slightly, and then said her judgment, "Fran, this man is very strange, you better not associate with him in the future, otherwise something will happen." Don't ignore my advice, I have walked more roads in this society than you after all, and at least you should listen to my advice. ”

"Hmm...... I know. Fran smiled and nodded, holding the frame tighter in her hand. Just do as you say. Okay, anyway, now that the visit is over, let's go back now. ”

With that, she turned around and walked slowly towards the carriage.

No, that's unsettling.

Mary looked at Fran's back, feeling worse and worse.

If something happens, Mr. Tréville will kill me! She thought bitterly.

"Wait for me!" She hurriedly rushed up as well. (To be continued......)