"Good evening, Miss Treville."

Hearing this greeting, the two girls who were originally sitting on the sand and talking in a low voice immediately turned their eyes.

When it was Matilda who greeted her, their faces showed surprise on their faces at the same time, and then they hurriedly beckoned her to sit down with them.

Matilda also walked over and sat down with a smile on her face, and she had well hidden her worries from the bottom of her heart.

"Fran, Mary, how are you two doing?" With the most kind expression she could make, Matilda smiled and asked the two old classmates.

"I'm fine." Before Mary could speak, Fran replied.

Her smile was very kind, with a hint of girlish innocence, as if she really didn't know anything about the world. If it weren't for the angry look she had seen from afar, Matilda would have been bewildered by this smile.

"Hmm...... It's not bad. Mary's reply was a little reserved, and she looked at Matilda's gaze with some hesitation, as if she wanted to say something, and then glanced at Fran uneasily.

Seeing the reaction of the two of them like this, Matilda faintly felt that she understood something, and she couldn't help but feel a little more worried.

Clearly, Mary saw Fran's anger at the moment, and had been talking to her just now, trying to soothe her anger - but it was probably not ideal in terms of effect, so she was even more uneasy now.

So, why exactly?

Matilda winked at Mary. But Mary remained the same as if she wanted to say anything, and said nothing more. So she had to look at Fran again, her eyes full of bewilderment.

"Don't you seem happy today?" Because they really care about each other. So Matilda also abandoned those frivolous nonsense and asked Fran directly. "Did you give birth to anything?"

"How? How so? Fran's eyes widened slightly, but she immediately hid it with a light smile. I'm just a little unwell. ”

"Really?" Matilda didn't accept the other party's words, but she didn't know what to say.

In the end, she could only look at each other sincerely.

"Well, maybe I'm overthinking......" She shook her head a little dejectedly, but grabbed Fran's hand anyway. But if there's something upset, be sure to tell me that we're friends. I'm going to help you, and I can do what I can, no matter how troublesome it is, if we figure it out together - didn't you tell me that? Did you hear that. Fran? ”

Under Matilda's eyes full of sincerity. Fran couldn't help but be a little moved, and she lowered her gaze slightly, as if she didn't dare to look at the other party anymore.

"There's no one in this world who can do everything well, right?" After a few moments, she whispered an answer.

"But as long as you have a brain and determination, there is nothing in this world that cannot be done." Matilda still looked at Fran steadfastly, "You have such a capable brother. With our friends, what do we need to be afraid of? ”

Contrary to Matilda's expectations. When she said the second half of the sentence, Fran's face seemed to become even paler, and she lowered her head as if she didn't want to speak anymore.

Did I say something wrong? Matilda was a little surprised.

"Gee, what's going on with you two? It's like it's a drama......" Mary next to her saw that the atmosphere suddenly became solemn, and hurriedly quipped, "Obviously everyone is here to play, what's so sad?" ”

Then, she picked up the wine glass on the table. "Why don't we have a drink first?"

Under her buffer, Matilda also came to her senses, secretly regretting her rudeness. In order to turn around the impulse, she let go of the hand that had been holding Fran, and put on that polite smile again.

"I'm sorry, maybe I've been thinking too much, I've been a little nervous lately......" she kept looking at Fran even though she said that, "I hope the table didn't make you unhappy, Miss Treville." ”

"Oh, of course not." Fran shook her head again, but the smile she had barely put on her face had disappeared without a trace, leaving only confusion and anxiety.

She looked up at the chattering people in the hall, and then subconsciously sighed, "...... Actually, you're not wrong, I've had a lot of worries lately, but I don't know how to say it...... Ah, I really envy them, they can all talk and laugh. ”

"It's not friends who only talk and laugh with people." Mary suddenly interjected, as if she was also a little sullen Yes, "Only those of us who can talk together about troubles are friends." ”

"That being said, at least they're happy, aren't they?" Fran was still looking at the guests. "As long as you can calm your mind, whatever?"

"No one can calm down in this way, they just pretend to be calm. A few playful jokes in the social arena are enough to relieve one's boredom, but few people care about other people these days, and there is nothing about these glimpses of laughter that makes people feel intimate or calm...... Why is this so? Matilda's face showed a wry smile of helplessness, "It's just that this century, this era is too turbulent, nothing is fixed and unchanging, and therefore nothing is worth holding onto." Even those in power are in danger of themselves, fearing that the future will be precarious, so everyone spends money like dirt, seeks pleasure, and drinks today and gets drunk today. ”

"I do think you have a point." After hearing Matilda's answer, Fran's expression became solemn and she nodded slightly. "Matilda, you've always been so profound."

"I just like to sit on the sidelines......"

"Ah, we are not yet twenty years old, should we really talk about what society is? It's better to leave this kind of topic for 10 years! Mary smiled and raised her glass, "If people see us, we'll sneak into the corner and drink." How surprising should this be to them? ”

"No one cares anyway." Fran sighed under his breath, then took a sip from his glass.

What is it about the girl who once seemed to be about to get out of the world that she has become so preoccupied? Looking at the sullen Fran. Matilda could only feel horrified by the astonishing changes that had taken place since Fran's reunion. Unable to get the answer directly from the person in question, the shock quickly turned into worry.

Mr. Treville, your sister has become like this, can you still pretend that nothing has happened? For a moment, Matilda couldn't help but complain about Charles.

"Matilda, I heard that there was some turmoil in your family before, and I was worried about you all the time, but now I see that Qiē has returned to calm. It's just wonderful. As if to find something to say, Fran suddenly spoke, "I thought about it. No matter what the difficulties come in, if you do, you will definitely find a way to get through them, and it turned out to be ......"

Then. She laughed again. "However, you are also right just now, even those in power are now in danger, and they are afraid that the future will be in danger...... Maybe you'll have to worry about us soon......"

Hopefully, you don't know how I solved this problem. Matilda's heart smiled bitterly again.

"Of course, you don't have to worry about this problem, because after this turmoil, our two families have understood the benefits of working together...... We're here to help each other all the time. At least that's what your brother and I think. We've made it clear just now, and we'll all act together in the future. Only in this way can we protect our interests to the greatest extent possible. So......" Matilda looked at Fran earnestly, "as I said earlier, I am your loyal friend, and I will do my best to help you, and there is no need for a polite word between us." ”

Infected by Matilda's sincerity, Fran's lips trembled slightly, as if she were about to burst into tears. She barely picked up her glass, hiding her excitement.

"Luckily, I still have such loyal friends...... If only I could count on you for everything! She muttered to herself, then took another sip of her wine.

At this moment, there was another commotion in the hall, and the already noisy guests became even more noisy, drawing their attention to it.

As far as they could see, everyone gathered around Charles and Charlotte standing in the center, as if waiting for something. Charlotte was smiling and holding Charles' hand, gripping it tightly, like a girl professing her ownership of her favorite toy in front of her friends.

Oh, it looks like the time has come. This thought flashed through their hearts at the same time, but their hearts were a little indescribable.

Just as they had guessed, when the clock was nine o'clock in the evening, Charles, who had been pretending to greet Joseph Bonaparte and the others, recaptured Charlotte according to the scheduled schedule, and then both returned to the center of attention.

Under the gaze of every guest, Charles calmly took a soft breath.

"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your presence at this banquet tonight. I think everyone had heard before they came, and this banquet had other purposes besides inviting everyone to the banquet......" He glanced at the men and women gathered around them, skimming over the faces full of smiles and anticipation, and finally, his gaze fell on Charlotte's face. Looking at the face that looked radiant because of happiness and densely flushed with shyness and anticipation, he couldn't help but be stunned.

What a beautiful man!

"Hmm...... That's right, as everyone knows. After a few moments, he overcame the previous dizziness and cried out in a slightly agitated tone, "I am betrothed to Mademoiselle Charlotte de Treville, and I will do everything I can to make the woman who has given me my favor happy, and we will be united to continue our family, which has carried so much glory, thank you for your witness!" ”

With this shout, the guests, who had been staring at them with bated breath in anticipation, burst into laughter, and then clapped while cheering almost synchronously, and the endless stream of sound converged into an unstoppable torrent, plunging the entire hall into an unprecedented noise.

It's a pity that two such fine young men and women are about to get married, but it's a good match—most of the guests thought.

Seeing that the atmosphere was so warm. Charles, who had always been indifferent, couldn't help but be a little excited by the infection, and he turned his gaze again to look at Charlotte, who had been staring at him.

"In such a blissful moment. Of course, I don't want the two of us to enjoy this kind of fun, but I want to spread the happiness to every guest present......" He also smiled on his face, "I won't say more nonsense, I hope you can have fun in the future!" ”

As soon as he finished speaking, Charles took the mask from the servants next to him, and Charlotte took it too, and the two of them looked at each other and smiled. Then at the same time put on a mask.

The two of them who wore the masks looked a little strange, which caused others to laugh for a while, but quickly. The guests also wore masks. Then Charles gestured, and the band began to play cheerful dance music.

The masquerade party after the cheerful banquet has finally begun.

In the midst of light-hearted and cheerful music. Already wearing masks, guests began to look for dance partners from all around. And in the center of their cluster, Charles and Charlotte, who had just put on their masks, were dancing hand in hand, shining like the sun surrounded by stars in the brilliant candlelight.

However, not everyone is as happy as they are.

Looking at her brother and sister dancing, Fran only felt a pang in her heart, unspeakably uncomfortable. Although I have been mentally prepared for a long time. But when she actually saw this scene, she still felt that she couldn't accept this qiē at all.

All she could feel was a churn in her belly. The liquor I had just drunk felt as if it was burning in my stomach, and it was very uncomfortable.

It's so uncomfortable that I can't stand it anymore.

She stood up suddenly, her face horribly pale.

"Sorry, I'm a little unwell, go get some rest......" Without even a forced smile, she dropped the words and walked to the door.

Looking at her departing figure, Matilda just wanted to stand up and catch up, but her hand was grabbed.

Matilda turned her head, and now Mary shook her head slightly, as if to tell her to leave Fran alone. Matilda sat back down and watched Fran leave the hall in despair.

"Mary, can you sue me now? What's going on here? Matilda sighed, then looked at Miss Marquis, who had not spoken, "What is it that made Miss Treville like this?" You should know something, after all, you spend a lot of time together......"

"Haven't you shown it yet?" Mary also completely lost the smile she had just barely made, and she took another sip of wine, "Today's qiē has made Fran very dissatisfied. ”

"I can see that, but why?" Matilda frowned slightly, "Doesn't she like the marriage partner her brother chose?" ”

"I'm afraid it's more than that...... Mary smiled wryly, "she hates whatever her brother chooses to marry." ”

"What do you mean......" Matilda was a little puzzled at first, then slowly understood something.

Then, her eyes widened. "You don't mean that...... She...... She......? ”

Seeing Matilda's stunned appearance, Mary just shrugged her shoulders slightly, indicating that the other party had guessed correctly.

"Oh my God...... Is that so? Oh, my God! Because of the great impact, Matilda, who had always been calm, couldn't help but speak incoherently, "This is too ...... It's unbelievable! ”

"Is it really unbelievable?" Mary asked calmly.

………………

Matilda fell silent.

If you think about it, it's not completely unimaginable.

The two siblings have been dependent on each other since childhood, and it is not surprising that Fran has an unusual attachment to her brother, let alone ...... He is indeed very good, enough to fascinate young girls who are not deeply involved in the world.

However, even so, this is a taboo that is not tolerated by the world......

So, what the hell is he...... Do you know that exactly? After pondering for a moment, Matilda looked inquiringly at Mary, "How did he respond after all?" ”

"He must know." Mary nodded, her expression unrecognizable, "As for the response...... Isn't that the response today? ”

No wonder his response was so vague and weird, and no wonder she was so depressed just now...... Matilda suddenly realized.

"What a poor child, shouldn't we help her?" While he was pondering, a sentence suddenly came to his ears.

"How can we help? ...... such a thing," Matilda was about to answer, but felt that something was wrong.

No, it wasn't Mary who was speaking, this cold and haughty tone, as if somewhere had heard it...... There's always a sense of familiarity.

She snapped back to her senses, then turned her head to look.

Miss Lola de Beauwon, dressed in a fine dress and in a bun, was staring at her with emotionless eyes.

The long-lost feeling of nausea suddenly hit her heart, so that Matilda didn't know what to do for a while, and Mary next to her also looked horrified.

"Mademoiselle de Del Delion, long time no see." A grim smile appeared on Lola's face, "I was worried about your family before, I'm glad you are still qualified to meet me." ”

Matilda felt a sudden throbbing pain in her heart, as if she had been bitten hard.

"Miss de Beauwon, long time no see." With an admirable composure, she said hello to her "best friend" she hadn't seen in years. (To be continued!)

PS: The Gang of Four is initially formed......

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