As night falls, all parts of the city are lit up and ready for their most lively time.

The streets that had been sparse during the day were now filled with pedestrians, and people were seeking pleasure and indulging their day-time desires, and the city was full of commotion like a beehive.

Marshal Treville's house, which had been a little deserted, became lively tonight, with lights everywhere, and from time to time guests came in horse-drawn carriages.

Because Marshal Treville was old and lacked energy, the young master Charles was in charge of entertaining the guests, and he was standing in the vestibule with his sister, welcoming every guest who arrived.

The young man was dressed in a black suit, the golden distribution was carefully combed, and it glittered in the light because of the waxing, and he wore a white shirt and a bow tie around his neck, looking both graceful and calm.

And his sister was even more brilliant tonight.

She was wearing a white dress, her golden hair was draped down, fluttering slightly behind her back, and her white and tender face had a hint of red, which looked as delicate as a slightly ripe apple, and she was as beautiful as a person in a painting.

Because of her young age, Fran basically didn't speak to the guests, but just stood behind her brother shyly, which added to the pure and lovely charm.

Both siblings looked so good that they aroused the heartfelt admiration of every visitor.

It's just that after standing like this for a long time and constantly greeting guests, Charles really felt a little tired, and even Fran, who was a little excited because of the rare bustle at home, felt a little tired.

"There's a lot of people here today......" After Charr had sent off a guest, Fran whispered to her brother, "It's been a long time since we've had so many people in our house, right?" ”

In fact, since she was born, Marshal Treville's mansion has not been so lively.

The daughter-in-law died in childbirth, the son was missing, and there were only three owners left in such a big house, two of whom were still ignorant children, in that case, where was Marshal Tréville still in the mood to hold a banquet at home to entertain others?

So, this is the first time in many years that the marshal has entertained guests at home, does this mean that the family has stepped out of the haze of the past and begun to usher in the era of a new generation?

In order to take care of his sister's emotions, Charles did not show these thoughts, but smiled slightly and patted her head.

"Yes, it's been a long time since it's been so lively, so you have to behave well and don't lose our family's face."

"Of course I will." Fran blushed a little, but nodded solemnly.

Then, she looked up at her brother, "I...... I'll go get you some drinks, you must be thirsty after all the things you've just said. ”

"Ahh Charles smiled even more happily, "Sure enough, I didn't hurt you in vain. ”

"Wait for me, sir." Fran's face turned even redder, and she quickly returned to the mansion with small steps, leaving Charles alone in the vestibule.

Charles continued to entertain the guests, smiling impeccably and speaking polite words to reassure the guests from afar, while he was already thinking about something else.

Originally, Marshal Tréville was only going to hold a small party to receive his brother-in-law who was about to come to Paris so that the old guys could catch up, reminisce about the past, and brag about the exploits of the past, but in the end, more and more people were invited, and finally it turned into a large social gathering.

As this makes Charles a little hard, but Charles also understands the old man's thoughts, after all, people like to be lively when they are old, and after so many years, it should be lively.

In this way, the guests gathered in the mansion one after another, some of them were old friends of Marshal Trevier, all of whom were already old, and they were all brought to the marshal's study to catch up with the marshal, while others were taken to the hall of the mansion to wait for the official start of the banquet.

While Charles was still outside the Spirit, there was a sudden commotion in the vestibule.

Charles walked over to the other side, and immediately saw who was causing the commotion.

It was a middle-aged man in a black coat, his skin was as pale as a ghost who had just returned from the underworld, his steps were unhurried, solemn and reserved.

Wherever he passed, people unconsciously moved out of the way, and then whispered and talked about some gossip about this man.

Although he has only been in Paris for less than a month, the Count of Monte Cristo has become one of the focal points of Parisian social circles.

It stands to reason that there is no shortage of foreign bigwigs who love to spend money in Paris, but his extravagant extravagance has exceeded people's usual thinking of foreign bigwigs, and can almost be described as poor and extravagant.

It didn't take long for him to become one of the inevitable topics of conversation in most social situations, and people were just as speculating about how much money he had and how he got it, just like Charles did at the beginning.

As the Count's first "friend" since his arrival in France, Charles knew no more than anyone else about these two issues, but he had every reason to believe that the Count's horrific way of spending money was not just for the pleasure of luxury, but had a deeper purpose, though he had not yet figured it out.

When he learned that the Treville family was going to hold a large party, the Count also offered to come and cheer for it, and Charles certainly had no reason to refuse, so the Count arrived on time tonight.

With a feeling of indescribable joy or vigilance, Charles walked enthusiastically to the Count's side.

"Thank you for coming, Count."

"It's an honor to see what Paris has to offer." The Count nodded politely to him as well, "I'm glad you gave me such an opportunity, Charles. ”

"You're going too far." Charles couldn't help but laugh, "Now the whole of Paris is talking about you, and there are countless places that want to receive you, and you say that you want to see the customs, but I'm afraid you can't see it!" ”

"At least you can see some people who are not usually easy to meet." The Count replied, "The Attorney-General of Villefort, for example, I have heard that he is not the kind of person who attends other people's banquets lightly. ”

"Why are you interested in him?" Charles asked tentatively, "As far as I know, he's not a person to be comfortable with, he's too serious." ”

"It's because everyone is different that they are all attractive." The Earl lowered his gaze slightly, "I have always been fond of looking at unusual people, such as His Excellency the Attorney General, and I am very interested in what kind of mental state such a person who supports the vast legal apparatus of this country, and it is worth studying. ”

"Ah, do you think of Paris as a great museum, and us as living specimens?" The Count's dodge didn't surprise Charles, he just spread his hands helplessly, "Well, in that case, I'll do my duty as a specimen, and I'll introduce him to you later." ”

The Marquis de Novatier and the Procurator de Villefort will be present today, and Charles knows in his heart that the Count wants to come to the banquet, not really just to see the customs, but to take this opportunity to get to know the Procurator de Villefort's family, but of course he is happy to provide such convenience.

"Thank you, Charles, I've really bothered you this time." Sure enough, the Count's attitude became more gentle, and he smiled at Charles, "I said that I would repay you for your help to me - I have good news for you, I have already subscribed to those Spanish bonds from Baron Tangral, and there is a share of yours in them." ”

"Really? Thank you! You are so generous! Charles was a little surprised, and then immediately thanked the other party.

Previously, Charles told the Earl the inside story of the Spanish bonds underwritten by Baron Tangral, and then the Count said that he wanted to buy these bonds, and said that he would buy a copy for Charles, and the proceeds would be all his.

Either way, the Count had already paid him, so it was only natural that Charles would help him.

"Okay, I'll not bother you with the guests yet, and I'll see you later." The Count nodded at Charles, and walked briskly to the mansion, leaving Charles alone to continue entertaining his guests.

Charles saw the Count leave, and then walked back to the door of the vestibule.

At this moment, the shadow of a wheelchair slowly emerged in the shadows.

The shadows became clearer and clearer, and finally the full image was revealed.

Lying in a wheelchair was an old man with long hair, looking up stiffly ahead, and behind the wheelchair, a girl in a skirt was silently pushing the wheelchair towards the mansion step by step.

This person is pale, almost comparable to the Count of Monte Cristo just now, although he is beautiful, but he looks weak, and he is a little nervous, and seems to be very sensitive to the outside world.

"Valentina!" Charles greeted her with a smile and walked briskly to meet her.

Seeing that Charles was so enthusiastic, the girl also smiled slightly, and the tension that had been haunting her seemed to have subsided a lot.

"Charles." Her smile was shallow, but it seemed genuine. "Good evening."

"Well, good evening." Charles nodded, then walked to the back of the wheelchair, "Good work, I'll push it for you." ”

Valentina was startled at first, then smiled a little deeper.

"Thank you."

She let go of her hand and let Charles help her push the wheelchair, pushing her grandfather, the Marquis de Novatier, into the mansion.

"How are you doing?" Charles asked, pushing his wheelchair.

"Yes, it's much better than before, thanks to you and your grandfather's help......" Valentina lowered her gaze slightly, then looked at Charles gratefully, her voice softened a lot, "My grandfather and I will never forget the kindness of your family." ”

With the help of Marshal Treville, the Marquis de Novatier's will had been drawn up, and he would not leave his property to his sons and grandsons, but was going to donate most of the money to charity after his death, and his granddaughter would take care of it - in disguise to Valentina.

Due to the prestige and power of Marshal Treville, the Attorney General of Villefort had no choice but to acquiesce in this result.

"You don't need to say it so solemnly, it's just a gesture." Charles smiled sheepishly.

"It's a gesture for you, and for us, it's a help from the sky...... It's like the hand of God. Valentina looked solemnly at Charles, "Sometimes...... Sometimes I feel like I'm lucky to be lucky to meet a cousin at the last minute who is willing to help......"

"Anyway, everything is getting better, and that's enough." Charles was a little embarrassed by her gaze, so he had to hang his head and continue to push the wheelchair, although the old man in the wheelchair could not speak, but his eyes were also full of gratitude, and there seemed to be other expectations.

After being reminded by his grandfather, Charles also knew that Valentina might have some other thoughts, so he didn't want to create an ambiguity between the two people, so as not to expand the feelings in each other's hearts, but, even so, the most basic respect still has to be given - Charles does sympathize with this young girl who lost her mother early and was oppressed by her father and stepmother, and he is willing to provide some help to the other party without harming himself.

"What about your father and stepmother?" After a moment of silence, Charles asked.

"They came in another carriage, so ...... I don't know, but it should be coming soon. A dark cloud crossed Valentina's face.

Ah, yes, by this time, the old man and granddaughter, father and stepmother, both sides were almost torn, and their actions were normal, Charles felt that he had asked a stupid question.

The two men were silent for a while, and slowly walked forward.

"The guy you just entertained, what a terrible ghost." After a moment, Valentina said suddenly.

"Why, you know the Count of Monte Cristo?" Charles asked rhetorically.

"He's the Count of Monte Cristo? No wonder the name is so loud......" Valentina was a little stunned, "I've seen him in Italy before. ”

"What?!" Charles was even more surprised, "Is it Italy again?" ”

"What do you mean Italy again?" Valentina gave him a blank look, "I traveled to Italy with my stepmother before, and then I saw this person, and he seems to have talked to my stepmother. ”

"Is that so?" Charles' breathing was a little short, "Valentina, can you tell me more about what happened?" Why did you run into him, and what did you say? ”

"Just say it here?" Valentina was a little cold.

"Ah, yes, too......" Charles also understood at this time, now is really not the time for two people to have a good conversation, "then tell me more about it if you have time, I am really interested in this Count of Monte Cristo." ”

The Count had actually hooked up with the Villefort family before...... Is this another coincidence, or has it been planned for a long time?

"Valentina, you have got what you wanted, but don't let up yet, it's not completely over, after all, you still live with them, and your stepmother still has a lot of opportunities to change everything." After a few more moments, Charles spoke again, "You must pay attention to your safety, report to me at any time, and remember to tell me if there is anything unusual." ”

Now that Valentina has received the inheritance, Charles still wants her to continue to cooperate, so he has to continue to intimidate her.

"yes, I understand." Valentina nodded slightly, "I'll continue to write to you regularly." ”

Speaking of which, Charles felt a little embarrassed again, for for all this time Valentina had been writing regular reports to him, but since nothing major had happened, she kept a diary of many trivial things, and often recorded some personal feelings, almost like correspondence between friends.

To be honest, Charles is not interested in this kind of daily fragmentation, but in order to maintain this dark line, he has to continue with it, after all, the Villefort family is indeed worth monitoring.

While Charles was still embarrassed, he noticed a petite figure standing in the way.

He looked up to see his sister standing in front of the wheelchair in shock, staring blankly at the two people walking side by side, holding a cup in her hand.

"Sir...... It took a moment for Fran to come to her senses from her shock, "What's going on?" Who is this? ”

"Ah, you're just in time." Charles beckoned to his sister, "This is my cousin Valentina I told you about, and she's brought her grandfather here. ”

"Oh...... That's right. Fran then remembered the two grandchildren that Charles had mentioned to her, and then hurriedly bowed slightly to the paralyzed old man. Hello, Grandpa! ”

Then, she looked at Valentina, her eyes a little complicated, "Good evening, cousin." ”

"Well, I haven't seen you in years, so it's normal for me not to recognize me all of a sudden." Valentina didn't feel sorry for Fran's gaffe just now, but looked at her very kindly, and then turned her head to look at Charles, "Ah, this kid has become so beautiful, this child is worthy of being your sister, and she will become a big star in the social world in the future." ”

"I don't really want her to show up in the social world." Charles shrugged his shoulders.

"That's right, the social world is a little messy, and it's better for a good boy not to get into the muddy waters." Valentina agreed, "With such a beautiful appearance and your care, this child is so happy......"

The conversation between the two men made a haze appear on Fran's face, but it quickly disappeared.

She stepped forward and handed the cup to Charles.

"I brought a drink."

"Well, thanks, I'm still pretty thirsty." Charles patted her hair, then picked up the cup and drank it down.

"Ah...... It's so much more comfortable now......" Charles let out a sigh of relief, then looked at Valentina ostentatically, "How's it going?" My sister is cute, right? She's very well-behaved and obedient! ”

"yes, it's really hard to find a child who is so considerate of his family now." Valentina nodded, then looked at Fran, "It's so good-looking, and her personality is so good, it's perfect, you must be happy to get along in the future." ”

"Goo...... In the midst of the two singing and harmonizing, Fran lowered her head and made a sound that seemed to be swallowing saliva in her throat.

Who is going to get along with you in the future......

"Huh? What happened to you? Charles noticed that something was not quite right with his sister.

"Nothing." Fran hurriedly looked up, pretending that nothing had happened, "Grandpa is waiting for you, he thinks the time is almost up." ”

"yes, it's almost time." Charles repeated, then looked at Valentina, "Let's hurry up and get in, don't keep the old people waiting, everyone is waiting for your grandfather." ”

In this way, under Fran's detached gaze, Charles pushed his wheelchair and walked into the mansion accompanied by Valentina.

At this time, the hall was already full of people, and the voices of people were loud, so it was not noisy.

By this time, Marshal Trevill had also come out of the study, surrounded by a group of old friends, and walked up the stairs in the middle of the hall.

The old marshal, who was a high-ranking marshal, had a momentum of not being angry and self-assured, and as soon as he came here, he became the center of attention, and the old man, despite his old age, was still in good spirits, and his steps were steady and powerful, and he walked briskly down the stairs, and then walked directly to the Marquis de Novatier, who was paralyzed in a wheelchair.

The two men stared at each other for a moment, Novatier's gratitude and Treville's emotion in silence.

"My friend, you are no longer able to move, but you are still a warrior." After a moment, the old man patted the other man on the shoulder, and the Marquis de Novatier blinked heavily, the last means of expression he could express.

"We're all old." Looking at the other party's old appearance, the old marshal sighed, "Back then, what a terrifying beast you were!" ”

As he spoke, he also blinked slightly, as if to hide his embarrassing tears.

After a moment, he changed the subject, "Why hasn't your in-laws come yet?" ”

Yes, there was another important guest who did not arrive on time for this banquet, that is, Marquis Saint-Melang, the brother-in-law of Marshal Treville and the Marquis de Novatier, and it was precisely because he was about to come to Paris that Marshal Tréville made a temporary decision to hold a large banquet in Paris to entertain his eldest brother.

However, it had been a long time since the scheduled arrival time, and the marquis and his party had not yet arrived, and the old man could not help but be a little worried.

At this moment, there was a sudden commotion of footsteps outside the mansion, apparently a group of visitors had arrived.

The old marshal and Charles looked at each other, wondering if it could be the Marquis of Saint-Merand's family who had finally arrived.

Before Charles could go out to greet him, a rush of footsteps came to the mansion, apparently someone had broken in without notice.

Such unceremonial things are rare.

What happened? Now Charles really felt that something was wrong.

Soon, he got the answer.

The door of the hall was opened, and an old lady entered, with a shawl on her arm and a hat in her hand, and without waiting for a notice, came in with white hair pressing down on her yellow forehead, her eyes were full of wrinkles carved by age, and her eyes were almost lost under the eyelids that were swollen by excessive sorrow.

Just looking at her face, you can feel a heavy dead air.

"Angela?!" Marshal Tréville immediately recognized the other as his brother-in-law's wife, the Marquise de Saint-Meylan.

"Grandma!" Valentina recognized her immediately, and then ran towards her quickly, "I miss you so much! ”

"Where's your husband?" Marshal Trevil suddenly sensed that something was wrong, and then a chill came out of his heart.

"Oh, Your Excellency,"

This old lady who was reluctant to give up her soul spoke silently.

She said——?" Oh, sir, what a misfortune! I'm going to die, oh yes, I'm going to die! ”

She collapsed on the chair closest to the door and suddenly began to sob. The servants stood at the door, not daring to come in.

"Monsieur Saint-Melan is dead!" Then the old Marquise replied bluntly, with no special expression on her face, as if she had been numbed by the bad news.

"Oh God!" Valentina, who had walked next to her, suddenly heard the bad news and stood there in a daze.

"...... dead?" Marshal Trevil was also extremely shocked, "At what time!" ”

"Not long ago, on the way here." Madame Saint-Meyran added, "We had lunch and set out together in a carriage. Monsieur Saint-Meyran had been feeling unwell for a few days. However, the thought of seeing our dear Valentina, who insisted on setting off despite his illness. Not far from Paris, while resting, he let out a muffled cry of pain, as if a man had been hurt in a dream, and then his head fell sharply. I asked the driver to stop, but it was too late and I arrived in Paris sitting next to a corpse. ”

Although her tone was very flat, everyone present could feel the great sorrow contained in it as long as they could hear her words.

"Oh God......!" Treville was stunned.

He was heartbroken, after all, this was his brother-in-law.

But in addition to the heartache, there is also a fear.

He is also old, and the Grim Reaper inadvertently took away his brother-in-law, won't he take him away at any time?

I don't have long to live, he thought to himself, sadly.

With this bad news, the originally warm atmosphere in the hall suddenly disappeared, and it became cold and embarrassing.

Charles was angry.

In fact, he was very angry.

His grandmother's brother, the Marquis of Saint-Meylan, died on the road?

Before I saw him, he became a ghost of the kingdom of heaven?

What is this called!

Was this an accident, or was it some long-planned event?!

He was indeed very angry, after all, the Marquis of Saint-Merand was also one of his relatives.

This is not someone who can be pinched to death casually.

Although, according to the old lady's description, it appeared that the Marquis of Saint-Merand had died only due to an unexpected illness, Charles could not believe that it was a pure coincidence.

His gaze scanned the hall and finally fell on the Count of Monte Cristo, who was standing beside a group of guests, and seemed a little stunned.

You'd better have nothing to do with it, or you'll pay the price, the young man thought viciously to himself. 8)