By the time Charles arrived at the Italian Theatre, it was already nightfall, but the lit theatre was so brightly lit that it was not much different from daytime. Countless actors singing loudly on the stage, he went straight up the side stairs, and then led by the waiter, into one of the boxes.

In the box, Charlotte was dressed as usual, wearing silk gloves in her hands, holding her small gold-cut monoculars, quietly watching the actors on the stage. When she heard the movement at the door, Charlotte, who was watching the play, suddenly turned her head, and then after seeing that it was Charles, she laughed happily.

"Charles, you're here!" She walked over happily, then took his hand and led him back to the stage, "I've been waiting for you for a long time!" ”

Then she proudly pointed directly at the stage of the theater with a binocular.

"It's pretty, isn't it? Today's performance is a new drama, called "Female Adventurer", which is very good-looking! ”

["The Female Adventurer" is a masterpiece of genre comedy by the famous French playwright Guillaume Victor Auger, which was staged in 1848 and was very well received at the time. 】

Charles followed her hand and looked forward. However, as much as he tried to see the actors on the stage, in front of him, there were all kinds of costumes in the boxes everywhere, a piece of jewelry, and the reflection of diamonds everywhere made it impossible for him to see the performances of the people on the stage - however, he didn't care much about these things in the first place, and he had traveled to this world for so many years. I don't know what Lu Dao is for, he still has no feeling for opera.

"Well, it's beautiful." He politely chimed in with Charlotte.

And at this time. Countless bright and dark eyes were focused, as if this were the real stage, and everyone was speculating as to the sacredness of the young man who could be present with Mademoiselle du Duchess of Treville, the darling of the social scene, after all, in the past, this young lady had almost never bestowed the second prize on any suitor.

The convergence of these lines of sight made Charles a little uncomfortable - perhaps this was Charlotte's purpose.

"Are they coming?" In order to get rid of this embarrassment, Charles asked in a low voice.

"Here we are." Charlotte suddenly retracted the smile on her face and frowned slightly. "I wish they hadn't come......"

Then, her hand pointed invisibly.

Following her line of sight, Charles finally spotted a box on the other side. The figure of Mademoiselle de Beauwon.

She was dressed as stylish and expensive as usual, and wore a valuable diamond pendant on her chest.

Then, he noticed that she was also looking at the box, so he smiled at the other side in a friendly way.

"Look at her demeanor. What's the difference with the provincial goblins? Look at me. Even if His Majesty the King had mercifully given them the title of a baron, the family would never have been able to get rid of the earthy smell of Normandy for several lifetimes......" Charlotte looked at the other side with a smile, and mocked Miss de Beauvang on the other side. "Many people think that if you have a title, you will be called a nobleman, and this stupid view is really laughable......"

After a hundred years, the old aristocracy had nothing left to laugh at the nouveau riche, and Mademoiselle de Charlotte de Treville, despite her reluctance, had the patience to entertain the family with hospitality. Because that's part of the whole deal.

Miss de Beauvang is now new to the social scene, but has struggled to enter the most demanding and closed circles. As a famous lady in the social scene. The hospitality of Mademoiselle Duchess de Treville will be the necessary ladder for her to enter these circles. So. When preparing to lend money to Charles, the Baron specifically asked Charlotte to help as much as possible so that his daughter could be as unhindered in the social world as possible.

"You don't have to be so upset." Charles smiled and comforted her, "Anyway, it's not a loss to just stand with her for a while and talk a few words." ”

"Who said there were no losses? I feel like I can't breathe for every extra minute I stand with them! Charlotte retorted with some annoyance, and then she glanced at Charles in disgust, "Also, don't talk so much about yourself, okay?" Isn't all this for you? ”

"It's for us." Charles replied solemnly, correcting her mistake.

"It's good that you know the way."

In front of everyone, Charlotte reached out and pinched Charles's face affectionately. That kind of heartfelt laughter can't be disguised. "Don't worry, I know how to be measured, no matter how disgusting I am, I will smile at them. For the sake of our happiness, even if my hands are covered with mud, I am willing...... Who told me to choose a bastard like you? ”

At this moment, Charles seemed to hear the sighs echoing in the theater, as if people were lamenting the famous flower of another star in the social world.

Fortunately, the sudden knock on the door relieved Charles from his embarrassment. The rising star of the social scene, Miss Lola de Beauwon, walked in together.

As soon as she entered, she nodded calmly to Charlotte, "Thank you for your hospitality." ”

Then she turned to look at Charles, "Don't worry, Mr. Treville, the money you want has been approved, and you can pick it up right away." ”

"Thank you so much." Charles nodded hurriedly in thanks.

"What a beautiful man!" Charlotte sighed with a smile, as if the person who was full of contempt for the Bowang family just now was not her, "Come, let's watch the play together, today's play is very good......"

"Yes, I think so too." Lola replied in a low voice, as if she really cared about what the show was about. Then, the two of them walked to the edge of the box to watch the play, and then received the baptism of sight together. It's a necessary display of the upper class, a society that likes to stand on a high place and be admired and admired, but sees approachability as a bargain.

Charlotte hid all her resentment and hatred for the Beauwan family in her heart, and talked to Lola cordially, discussing the plot of the play, and laughing from time to time, as if she had been friends with Lola for many years.

And Lola, on her side, although her face is still always calm, she can't hide the excitement in her heart. She celebrates her success with a lot of laughter.

The daughter of a Norman dirty guy can reach the top of the social scene like this, and she will always be very excited.

"Even without the help of blood, money got me here." She thought to herself, "Dad, thank you, you are a rare great man in the new era, and I must be like you." ”

Charles stood beside him, interjecting attentively, and occasionally making a few witticisms to liven up the atmosphere, a work that was a bit of a struggle, but he never left the box cold.

Just then, Charles suddenly noticed that someone was greeting him.

He nodded lightly to the other side, then said a word to Charlotte, then turned and left the box, walking that way. There were only two young ladies left in the box.

Although Charlotte still pretended to be happy and kept talking and laughing with Lola, she inevitably became cold.

Mademoiselle de Beauwon, on the other hand, stood in the box and watched the stage quietly, looking expressionless.

The two of them were silent, and the awkward coldness finally inevitably enveloped the entire box.

Charlotte looked at the stage and mentally estimated the time, intending to send the hateful Bowan away when she had completed her mission.

"You must be impatient, right? Mademoiselle de Treville? After a few moments, Lola spoke, "I'm not my brother's stupidity, and I can see that you hate us so much, and that's why you smile at us because you still need us." ”

Charlotte didn't answer.

"It's okay, I'm used to your attitude." Lola continued, only her tone getting colder, "We'll just take what we need." At the very least, you're willing to deal with us on the surface. ”

After a moment of silence, Charlotte looked at Lola hesitantly, and then her smile gradually changed to a sneer. Now that the disguise has been seen through, she is too lazy to disguise.

"My dear friend, if you want to make a name for yourself in the social arena, you must first learn not to tell the truth...... " she replied with a slight mockery. There's nothing more emotionally hurtful than telling the truth. ”

"Really?" Lola was still looking at the stage, "But sometimes I just can't help but say, no way, how can a dirty guy understand the rules of a person like you?" ”

This taunt sent a flash of anger through Charlotte's heart.

Out of the old grudges, Charlotte's hatred for Baron de Beauwon's family is buried deep in her heart, and I am afraid that it will not be relieved for a lifetime, and even if this one is added now, it will not be more.

Suddenly, under this mixture of anger and hatred, Charlotte suddenly thought of an interesting idea.

"My friend, you are now of this age, and I think you know pretty much all the things......" she smiled implicitly, "I warn you that you must make more appearances now and earn your position—for you are still the only daughter of Baron de Beauvan. When you get married and change your surname in a few years, you will have to endure the loneliness, because no one will expect to get a large dowry from you...... Unless Maurice is gone, wouldn't all the De-Beauvin family business have to be his? Good boy, let's see the situation clearly, save more money while you're young, don't waste it too much......"

Then, she didn't say any more, just looked at the stage with a smile on her face.

If you want to continue to be rich and prosperous, "unless Morris is gone." She hinted at the other person implicitly, but it didn't seem to say anything.

With an aria, the performance of the play ended, and everywhere there was a flurry of applause and cheers. (To be continued......)