Throughout the day, Charles spent the day at the Count's Court on Monte Cristo, entertaining Albert and André Cavalcanti, until the afternoon, when Charles returned to his home.

When he got home, Charles went to his sister and told her about the Count's dinner party, and then told her about her invitation.

"Huh? Me? Are you sure? Fran was a little surprised, after all, at her current age, it was not yet time to enter the social world, and this was the first time she had heard someone invite her to a dinner in her own home, which was a new experience.

"Of course it's true, why should I lie to you?" Charles replied.

"That'...... So do you think I should go? Fran was a little nervous, "After all...... After all, maybe I'm still young now. ”

"It's just going for a meal, so why worry about it?" Charles couldn't help but smile, "The Count is a magnanimous man, although you are young, as long as you know basic etiquette and respect, then even a small offense can be tolerated by him." So it's up to you whether you go or not, I have no opinion. ”

"Okay, I'll go!" After all, he is still a little child, and he is still a little vanity in nature, and when he saw that Charles did not object, Fran immediately jumped a little and agreed, and was looking forward to what he would look like when he first entered the social world.

The brother and sister were talking and laughing as they came to the dining room, and by this time the old Marquis of Trevil was already seated on the throne.

The old man is often on official business, although he is old, he is still a busy man, and he is often not at home, but even so, the old general's prestige is still big enough, and whenever he is at home, the children are very respectful and dare not make any mistakes.

So, the dinner took place in silence, and there was no sound except the clashing of utensils, as usual.

In particular, today's old man's face was pale, as if he was bothered by something, so the brother and sister didn't dare to talk much.

It was not until the end of the supper and the servants brought small snacks that the old man wiped his face with a napkin.

"Charles, I went to Villefort's house today to see his father." Then, slowly, he said to Charles, "Well, people grow old so fast, and I feel a little pitiful when I see him paralyzed in bed!" If...... If I fall into his share, what's the point of living? ”

The old man's face was ugly, and there was real fear in his words,

The older a person gets, the more afraid he will be of death, but after all, Marshal Trevier broke out of the sea of swords and fires, and after so many battles, he doesn't attach so much importance to life and death, and he is more afraid of being reduced to the living dead like the Marquis of Novatier, which is really worse than death.

"You're fine, don't worry so much." Charles didn't know what to say, so he could only comfort the old man like this.

"Hmph, at this age, what body do you still want? I could go to see God at any time......" The old man shook his head in disgust, and then looked at Charles again, "Novatier is not a man who is greedy for life and afraid of death, but his desire to survive is very strong now, do you know why?" ”

"It's for my granddaughter." Charles lowered his gaze.

"Yes, for the sake of his granddaughter, he can't let it go." The old man sighed gloomily, "When a person reaches this age, what else do they have to run for besides their children and grandchildren?" He is like that, and so am I, but I'm a little bit better than him, and my grandson is at least grown up to be on his own, and he'...... His granddaughter is really a poor child, if he leaves, I'm afraid he will really be helpless. ”

After a pause, the old man sighed again, "So he can't let it go." So he tried his best to find a way to protect her, to leave her his little inheritance. Novatier was a good man, and he had never spoken softly in his life, but for the sake of his granddaughter, he almost pleaded with me! It's so sad to watch. ”

"So you promised him?" Charles asked.

"Yes, I promised him, I will help him bring a notary to make a will." The old marquis nodded, "Even if you want to offend that boy from Villefort, it doesn't matter, just help him fulfill his last wish." ”

"That's good." Charles also smiled, "Grandpa, you have done a good deed. ”

"Good deeds are not so easy to do." The old marquis smiled bitterly, "Charles, I told you before that Villefort was a troublesome man, but now I tell you that his father is actually a troubled man, and the family is next to the abyss. ”

"What do you mean?" Charles was a little curious.

The old man suddenly stopped talking, and his eyes turned to the side, obviously some words were not convenient to say in front of his granddaughter.

Of course, Fran knew what Grandpa meant, she had a small appetite, and she had eaten almost enough, so she stood up silently, saluted Grandpa, and left the restaurant.

It wasn't until Fran left that the old man reopened his mouth. "Do you know why the former Emperor and the present Majesty hold the Marquis of Novatier in such high esteem?"

"I heard that the Marquis was a staunch supporter of the Empire back then, and was very loyal to His Majesty." Charles replied.

"Heh, there are more people loyal to the emperor, what is the value of loyalty alone?" The old man sneered slightly, and then explained to his grandson, "The Marquis of Novatier is so valued, loyalty is only one aspect, and the bigger reason is because of the credit he made in that year of the restoration of the royal family. ”

"What did he do?" Charles immediately focused.

The year of the royal restoration refers to the year between Napoleon's abdication in 1814 and his landing in France from the exile of Elba in 1815 to regain the throne.

"He infiltrated Paris and went on to serve His Majesty the Emperor." The old man replied slowly, "During this year, he contacted the emperor's supporters who were retained by the government, hoping that they would continue to serve His Majesty and help His Majesty create momentum. It can be said that His Majesty was able to return to China so smoothly and restore the country, and he has a great credit. ”

"I see...... That's a real hero. Charles nodded, "But what does this have to do with the darkness...... Is it ......? ”

Charles suddenly understood. "He's also in charge of hoeing?"

"Yes, smart lad." The old man smiled again, "At that time, the emperor abdicated, the hearts of the people were shaken, and many supporters threw themselves into the arms of the Bourbon royal family...... How would these people react to his contact? If they are kept, won't His Majesty's plans be in danger? Novatier was a man of enough courage to deal with these wavering traitors with his absolute ruthlessness, no matter how close his colleagues and friends were, he could do it, he gave too much credit for the crown and too much blood on his hands at the same time, you know? is absolutely ruthless, and would rather kill the wrong one than let it go. ”

"I see......" Charles was stunned for a moment, then dawned on him.

Since the Marquis de Novatier had made such a great contribution, it was not surprising that two generations of emperors valued him, and even if he was paralyzed in bed, His Majesty the Emperor still showed favor.

On the other hand, however, the greater the merit meant that the marquis had more blood in his hands.

If it's the blood of the enemy, it doesn't matter, but what if it's the blood of your own people?

Some of the "traitors" who were eliminated were definitely innocents, and even if they were real traitors, they had many relatives and friends who had not rebelled and continued to serve the Empire.

So, what would these people think of the Marquis de Novatier?

Charles now really understood why his grandfather was reluctant to associate with Novatier and Villefort father and son.

This father and son are really involved in too much darkness.

Suddenly, a thought suddenly flashed through his mind.

Will...... Could it be that the Count of Monte Cristo deliberately approached the Villefort family, not for the purpose of the Attorney General of Villefort, but for his father, for the sake of those old things thirty years ago?

Judging by the Earl's age, he should have been very young thirty years ago, and if his father or friend had been involved and lost their lives, what should he have thought of the father and son?

Think about it again, the Count of Monte Cristo took the initiative to serve the imperial government, if he was just a foreign thief, why did he need to do so?

Although it was just a conjecture, the more Charles thought about it, the more he felt that it was possible, and a little cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

"What's wrong with you?" The old man saw Charles' abnormality and asked Charles.

"I suspect that the Count of Monte Cristo may have something to do with the turmoil of that period." Charles truthfully stated his conjectures, and then explained his reasons to his grandfather one by one.

The Marquis of Treville listened in silence to what Charles had to say, and did not interject, until Charles had finished speaking, and then he pondered for a moment before speaking.

"Your guess is valid, but it's just a guess, and there's no real evidence. However, this speculation is worth verifying. ”

"How do you verify it?" Charles was suddenly a little frustrated, "The Marquis de Novatière has become like that, and perhaps he himself can't remember which traitors he has eliminated." ”

"It's not a big deal." The old marquis shook his head and said that it didn't matter, "You have to know that the Marquis of Novatier is not a murderer, he just kills people for politics, and every time before and after the killing, he will report to the Napoleonic Emperor on the island of Elba, and these reports have been brought back from the island by the emperor, and in the archives of the palace, there may be omissions, but I think there will definitely not be too many things missing." ”

"In the archives of the court?" Charles immediately perked up, "Then this will be easy!" ”

It stands to reason that the palace archives will not be open to ordinary people, but Charles is favored in front of His Majesty the Emperor, and it is for business, so it should not be a problem to ask for a permission from His Majesty the Emperor.

And then he could figure out who Monsieur Novatier had killed in that bloody year.

Maybe he's got the wrong idea, and the Count of Monte Cristo has little to do with the people who were killed, but even so, at least he can learn some history, which is good.

However, since the father has already begun to be investigated, the son should not let it go. Charles suddenly thought.

"Grandpa, since this is already the case, let us simply investigate the cases which the Attorney-General of Villefort was responsible for in 1814-1815, when he was the prosecutor of the Bourbon royal family. He should have offended many people that year. ”

He had thought before that in the year of the restoration of the royal family, the prosecutor of Villefort was in the service of the restoration dynasty and resolutely suppressed the emperor's supporters, so he should have dealt with a lot of people in that year, and since he had decided to investigate his father, Charles felt that he should simply clear him up.

"I'm afraid it's not that easy." The old marquis pondered for a moment, as if he was a little embarrassed, "Charles, at that time he was in Marseille, if we want to know the cases he handled, we have to go to the court in Marseille to read the files, which is quite troublesome. ”

"We have relatives in Marseille?" Charles was a little puzzled, "Can you ask them to help check it out?" ”

"Not that problem." The old man frowned slightly, "Charles, haven't you thought about it, although Villefort is now in Paris, he is still a member of the legal profession after all, and his peers are biased towards peers after all, besides, Paris is always one level higher than other provinces, and the people in the court over there are probably thinking about Villefort......"

"So if we go to Marseille to investigate Villefort's file, someone from the court over there will definitely inform Villefort!" Charles finally understood what Grandpa meant.

"Yes, as soon as we begin to read the files, then Villefort will soon know that we are investigating him in private, which is tantamount to declaring that we are officially enemies of him." The old Marquis whispered to Charles, "Novatier is only a half-dead man lying in bed after all, and there is no risk for us to investigate him, but Villefort is different, and there is a cost to dealing with him." Although I am not afraid of Villefort, Charles, in life, there is one less enemy, if you have to do it, then don't make enemies for yourself. ”

"You're right...... I'm sorry grandpa, I didn't expect that. Charles nodded repeatedly, rebuking himself for being a little reckless.

"You shouldn't be unexpected, Charles, unless you're blinded by intellectual curiosity." The old marquis picked up the wine glass on the table and drank it in one gulp, "During this time, I think you are probably too entangled in the Count of Monte Cristo. Is this gentleman worth your trouble? ”

Sharmon was dumbfounded.

Indeed, the Count of Monte Cristo was not his enemy, at least not yet.

Although he is rich, Charles is not the only one who can get money from him, and it can even be said that he is not short of money now.

Although His Majesty the Emperor ordered him to keep an eye on him, he did not order Charles to open all the Earl's bottoms.

So, at the end of the day, why should I be so obsessed with who the Count is?

Thinking about it, I can only say that he was too curious about the earl.

After this period of travel, Charles developed a strong curiosity about the Count of Monte Cristo.

Every time he gets to know him a little more, he will find that he is more curious.

A person who suddenly appeared, a strange origin, an inexplicable huge amount of money, as well as his strange appearance, his strange words, and his even more strange way of acting, all kinds of factors gave him a strange personal charm.

It's an abyss-like existence, and maybe when it becomes clear where he's coming from, something bad will happen.

But because of this, Charles had to figure it out all the more.

"I've got to find out what he's going to do." After thinking for a long time, Charles looked up at his grandfather. "My gut told me that he didn't come to France for fun, but to do a lot of great things."

"Hey...... My grandson, has he become a police detective? No way, who called you my grandson? Whatever you want to do, I'll help you. Seeing Charles's determination, the old man could only smile and sigh, "Okay, take your time, first check from the Marquis of Novatier's side, Villefort's side will wait for a while, you can observe it again, if the Count of Monte Cristo really has any plans for Villefort, then there will definitely be some omen, and you will find out when the time comes." ”

"Okay, grandpa!" After getting the old man's permission, Charles finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Actually...... In fact, apart from helping to notarize the will, Monsieur Novatier had other things to ask me for. The old man suddenly changed the topic, "I just said, he's an old guy, he's not afraid of death, but he's afraid that his granddaughter won't have a good time after he leaves, so he desperately wants to find support for his granddaughter." ”

"We're helping them now?" Charles replied.

"No, he didn't just mean to help take care of it...... the old man suddenly lengthened his tone, and then looked at Charles.

In his gaze, Charles suddenly felt something.

Then he was embarrassed.

"No...... It can't be that way, right? ”

"yes, that's what it means." The old Marquis broke Charles' last resistance, "He wants to make a marriage contract so that I and him will be in-laws." ”

"Uh...... This ......" Charles was so embarrassed that he didn't know what to say.

"What? Surprised? I don't think it's surprising that what better thing to rely on for a woman these days than marriage? And Charles, it's normal for you to be so good that you're taken by others, right? I can tell you, he's not the only one who has taken a fancy to you......" The old man's face was a little more narrow, and a little proud, "It's a pity that you didn't see the scene at that time, that little girl took the dictionary and showed her grandfather word by word, but when she looked for her, she found that something was wrong, and the little girl was so ashamed that she blushed, and then she didn't dare to throw her grandfather away, but it embarrassed her, and I almost couldn't help laughing......"

"You...... You're not going to say yes, are you? Charles's composure had vanished, and he was a little anxious.

"No, I didn't say yes, I just vaguely coped with it." The old man's smile slowly faded, and then he replied solemnly, "Charles, Valentina is quite beautiful, but how to say it...... I don't think she's my ideal granddaughter-in-law. She's so thin that she looks fragile, and your mother gave me that feeling, and I don't want you to repeat it; In addition, now that Novatier is paralyzed and may see God at any time, how can he help you? Nothing! Besides, although he has a little money, a lot of property has been embezzled by his son, and what can be left to his granddaughter is at most 1.8 million, how can my grandson only deserve this little bit of marriage? I'm going to find the best family for him! So I'm not going to promise them. ”

"Original...... I see......" Charles finally breathed a sigh of relief. "I don't think it's necessary to marry their family."

"If you think so too, then don't flirt with other girls easily." The old man reminded Charles coldly.

"Hmm...... Well?! Charles froze again, "I'...... I didn't have ......"

"Charles, don't lie to your grandfather, okay?" The old marquis laughed narrowly again, "When we mentioned you, although that little girl didn't speak, that kind of expression, that kind of cautious look, could not deceive people, and when his grandfather mentioned the marriage contract, her reaction was more shy than resistant...... So how many times have you teased her in private? Master? I can't see it.,It turns out that you're quite capable.,You learned those tricks quietly.,It seems that you were in a hurry for you before! ”

Being teased by his grandfather made Charles even more embarrassed.

"Grandpa, I haven't seduced anyone, don't ruin her reputation, I'm just ...... I just gave her advice before......" Charles hurriedly explained to him, and by the way, he told him exactly what he had done in the house of Villefort to help the Marquis de Novatier and Valentina.

"So that's the case, no wonder, no wonder! Charles, you're such a clever ghost, you had an idea so quickly. The old man looked at his grandson in amazement, "But, even so, in her eyes, you are also a hero who saved her from fire and water, right?" Gratitude can easily turn into attachment. ”

"I'll take notice." Charles could only bow his head and say embarrassedly.

"You must indeed note that Valentine de Villefort is not qualified to be Madame de Treville," replied the old man with a slight haughtness, "so don't give her such expectations, it is not good for anyone." ”

"......" Charles didn't know how to answer.

At this moment, a servant came over and informed Charles of a guest's visit, and finally relieved Charles.

Charles hurriedly said goodbye to his grandfather, and then immediately went to the reception room to meet the visiting Kong Ze.

"Is there any good news, Mr. Kong Ze."

"Yes, Mr. Treville." Kong Ze bowed slightly with a reserved attitude, "After our unremitting efforts, I have made a major breakthrough discovery. ”

"What discovery?" Sheldon was looking forward to it.

"It has been confirmed that the priest Boussani had previously been active in the vicinity of Marseille and had also helped clear the name of a suspected smuggler." Kong Ze replied in as calm a tone as possible, "That criminal, according to the description in the case file and records, I have drawn a portrait of him, you can take a look. ”

Then, he picked up a piece of paper and handed it to Charles, who took it and looked at it intently.

"I said something before, and now I take it back, and confess to you......" Charles grinned, then reached out and patted the other man on the shoulder intimately.

"Mr. Kong Ze, you are indeed a very good secret police detective."