Eagle’s Glory

Under the guidance of Emily, Alice came to the reception room again and met Edmond Dantès who had been waiting here for a long time.

At this time, the earl had been dressed up. Although his face was as serious as usual, he could not hide his pride. Coupled with his carefully combed hair, he looked even more energetic.

It seemed that Lady Emily's obedience and ingratiation allowed him to taste the joy of a man and a woman, and also gave his lonely heart at this moment a long-lost warmth.

She could tell at a glance that Edmund was already immersed in this happiness, and really regarded Emily and Eugenie as his own family——

Alice knew that Lady Emily was not a good woman, but she also knew that Emily was smart enough to weigh her current situation, and she also knew that pleasing the Earl was the only way to land safely for the rest of her life, so she would Playing the role of a good lover will give Edmund all the emotional support he needs.

This is enough.

After all, how many people can't even get false love and tenderness in their lives.

As long as you can continue to act out happiness for a lifetime, then it will be a pretty good life...

"Good morning, Mr. Earl, you look very good." After dispelling the distracting thoughts in her heart, Alice gently saluted Edmund.

"Madam, good morning." Edmund greeted her quickly, "I...I feel very good. You really made me see the direction of the road ahead. Emily and I both thank you."

After so many years of lonely life, he finally tasted the warmth between his family, and the longing accumulated over the years poured out to remember these unforgettable days.

Edmund was indeed very grateful to Alice at this time. Without her to pierce the window paper, God knows how long he would have been entangled, and how long he would have delayed this sweet and happy time.

Although this good impression certainly cannot replace his loyalty to His Majesty, as long as it does not violate His Majesty's loyalty, Edmund is very happy to serve this lady - which is exactly what Alice wants.

She originally didn't know so much inside information. After arriving at this mansion, she had an idea through observation and simply broke the window paper, which contributed to the "good deeds" of these two people. Not only did she help her friends, but she also gained the love of both of them. gratitude.

These "gratitudes" can't bring her much actual benefit yet, but she believes that one day in the future, the "deposits" will be withdrawn, and people like the count,

It is certainly possible to do things that many cannot.

"You don't have to be so polite. Since as a friend, I will help you wherever I can." Alice answered the count with a smile on her face, "Are you ready for today?"

"I'm ready!" Edmund puffed up his chest subconsciously, "I can do what you ask."

So, at night, a carriage quietly drove out of the mansion and then came to the street corner not far away.

Sitting in the carriage were naturally Alice and Edmund.

The carriage waited quietly, no one spoke.

In the dark night, another carriage approached them, and then stopped next to it. Edmund took a closer look and found that this carriage had the coat of arms of the Nordlyon family on it - obviously, this was to pick them up. past.

Alice nodded slightly, and then the two of them got off the carriage together, and then boarded the carriage.

After the carriage door opened, Edmund was shocked to find that there was already someone in the carriage.

With the dim light of the lantern, he took a closer look and found that it was Miss Agnes.

After a moment of astonishment, he immediately came to his senses - it was probably best for the two sisters, and Agnes was here to ensure the safety of himself and his sister.

"Good evening, Miss Agnes." After entering the carriage, he greeted the other party in a low voice.

Compared to the energetic Edmund, Agnes had a bit of a complicated mood and just smiled reluctantly at Edmund. "Good evening, Mr. Count."

Agnes is indeed experiencing a mixture of joy and sorrow at this moment. On the one hand, she is happy that the family is about to receive strong help to escape the crisis. On the other hand, she is also sad about the inevitable quarrels and showdowns between her sister and her father. .

But what can be done? Now that things have reached this point, the only thing left to do is to continue.

She looked at her sister with complicated eyes, but found that her sister only had a calm smile on her face, without guilt or flinching.

When did my sister become like this? She couldn't think of an answer.

It's all the fault of Treville and his son for teaching her the wrong way! In the end, she could only blame others with hatred. After all, she was not willing to hate her sister at all.

In the silence of the three people, the carriage started slowly, and this time it went straight into Agnes' home without making any stops on the road.

Then, the three of them entered through the back door, and then walked along the deserted corridor until they entered a secret room on the second floor.

Along the familiar yet unfamiliar corridor, Alice suddenly felt a long-lost sense of joy in her heart.

They kicked me out of the house and pretended I didn't exist, but now they have to treat me like a guest... I didn't kneel down and beg to come back, I kicked open the door and walked in openly.

Although it couldn't be called a "Return of the King" plot like the Bourbon Restoration, she still felt a little proud in her heart at this time.

Maybe from now on, I will never be treated like this again.

While Alice was deep in thought, Agnes knocked gently on the door.

"Dad, the guests are here."

"Let them all come in." The response came quickly from the door.

The voice remained calm and dignified, but there was clearly a hint of nervousness.

——This is easy to understand. After all, it is a bit stressful to receive an envoy sent by the Bonaparte family at home.

Agnes opened the door and brought in her sister and the count.

At this time, the Duke was sitting on his chair, looking at the two of them.

Edmund also took the opportunity to observe the Duke.

Compared with when they met two years ago, the Duke is obviously much older, his hair has become grayer, and his already thin body now looks even less energetic.

And the Duke quickly recognized Edmund.

"The Count of Monte Cristo?" he blurted.

The last time, it was Agnes who brought the count to her home and introduced him to her father using this title.

Originally, the Duke had received thousands of such guests and had no time to remember them, but then news came that Duke Lechstadt had created a group of nobles in Greece, including the Count of Monte Cristo. At this time, he was horrified. He was shocked and remembered the count's appearance.

Now the two men met again, and the Duke immediately guessed that he was the special envoy sent by Duke Leichstadt.

"Earl, we meet again." Then, he showed a dry polite smile on his face, and then said hello to the other party in a solemn voice, "I'm sorry that I face you in this state, but I have a lot of troubles recently. I can’t care less about maintaining my appearance.”

"I can understand your feelings, sir." Edmund bowed politely, but still maintained his dignity, "I am very sorry for everything that has happened."

"Every one of us is very sorry..." The Duke sighed with a wry smile, and then he went directly to the topic, "So, you must have come to me as a messenger, right? What news did you bring me?"

"You are mistaken about that, Your Excellency." Edmund replied calmly, and then raised his head to look at Alice. As a person with full authority, I was just brought here by her to witness——"

"Alice!?" The Duke was stunned for a moment, as if he heard something unbelievable. "How is it possible...her?!"

He couldn't understand that Duke Lechstadt would actually entrust such an important responsibility to his daughter, a mere woman.

To be honest, Edmund couldn't figure this out before, but after seeing the way Lady Alice talked and laughed, he understood.

But now, it was the turn of the Duke himself to "take lessons".

"Father, Mr. Earl did not lie. I was indeed granted full authority by His Majesty." Under her father's gaze, Alice continued calmly.

Then, she took out the autographed letter from her sleeve and handed it to her father respectfully, "Please take a look at it."

The Duke took the letter blankly and read it over.

Although the words in black and white did prove that his daughter did not lie, he was still unable to get over the shock for a while.

Finally, he couldn't help but smile bitterly, "I didn't expect that our King of Rome would be so good at joking!"

After facing the facts, he felt that the King of Rome wanted to play a bad joke on him - after all, his relationship with his daughter had already broken down.

"You can't treat me as a joke, Your Excellency." Alice still looked at her father calmly, "This is a serious matter, and the price Your Majesty has to pay is not a small amount. He will not use this money as a joke. If it weren't for his trust in me and his recognition of my abilities, he would definitely not authorize me. So, father...you don't have to worry that the previous grudges between you and me will affect my future actions. I will stand by Your Majesty. perspective and fulfill my responsibilities seriously, only in this way can I deserve his trust."

Looking at Alice talking freely, the Duke was silent for a moment.

The father has an absolute psychological advantage over his daughter - because he has watched the child grow up, and the Duke is no exception. He does not believe that his daughter is capable of doing such a big thing, but the current daughter has a certain kind of Something that was so elusive to him made him dare not underestimate it easily.

He could sense that at this moment, no matter whether he was yelling or begging, his daughter would not waver.

Besides, his dignity wouldn't allow him to do this.

"Alice...what do you want?" After a moment, he asked dryly.

"I should be asking you this, what do you want? How much do you want?" Alice asked with a smile. "Father, you must know that I went to Switzerland to visit His Majesty before and I have just come back. Although I know that you are in deep financial crisis, I don't know the specific situation... I hope you can make a detailed list to take stock of your situation. Please tell me how much money you need to make up for the loss, and how you plan to repay it in the future. Only in this way can I answer you, how much help can I give you, are you right?"

His daughter's polite but decisive tone made the Duke's heart sting a little more.

Whether as a duke or as a father, he felt that his dignity was being hit.

But what can be done? Now that we have reached this point, it is no longer time to pay attention to dignity——

At this point, he has exhausted all the methods that can be used to reverse the decline, and the possibility of finding help elsewhere has been eliminated, otherwise he would not have panicked and sought help from the Bonaparte family.

He swallowed hard and suppressed the annoyance and pain in his heart, "I won't hide it from you, my family's financial situation is indeed quite bad now. I haven't produced the specific accounts because I can't let others know. But if you If necessary, I will list it as soon as possible.”

"It's okay, I can wait for you." Alice nodded, "But I will only consider lending money if you prepare your accounts and plan as I said."

Such an unaccommodating attitude made my father's heart hurt even more.

His breathing became rapid, "This will take some time, Alice, but I am currently having a headache with some accounts that are about to expire. Alice, I hope to get an early aid first, not too much." More, just-"

"No, it's no, father." Alice shook her head, her tone gentle but firm, "I said, only after I get these can I consider the next issues. I must ensure that your majesty's money is used where it should be used. You Although you are in a pinch, you shouldn't be unable to pay even this amount of money - besides, if you are really in a hurry, you should speed up and provide the accounts as I request, right?"

"Alice...?!" A flash of anger flashed in the Duke's eyes, which seemed to be reproachful.

"Don't look at me like this, father..." Alice shook her head slowly, "You may think that I am seeking personal revenge, but I can assure you that it is absolutely not the case. As long as you do what I say, , I will do the rest for you properly. This is business, and there will be absolutely no grudges involved—"

"Smooth talk! Is this what the bastard from the Treville family taught you? You really match him very well!" The Duke interrupted her impatiently, "Don't you remember how I treated you since you were a child? As a result, How did you repay me? You asked to marry a libertine, the son of my political enemy! And now, you openly come to my house in the name of his wife and trample on my dignity, my good daughter... …”

As if he was out of breath, he stood up tremblingly and shouted almost desperately, "Do you think you will get any good reward for running for the Treville family like this? Oh, I'll tell you. , even after marrying you, he didn’t get rid of his habit of hanging out in clubs, he was always having sex, and he was still disconnected from the women in the past——”

"Dad! Stop talking!" Seeing that the father and daughter were about to fall out, Agnes suddenly rushed to her father and hugged him tightly, finally stopping her father's anger.

After she finished speaking, she looked at her sister with horror, fearing that her sister would explode. "There is no evidence for what Dad said. They are just words of anger. Don't take it to heart..."

But Alice remained unmoved and just looked at her father calmly, "Sir, even if you slander my husband, it can't change the reality. What we are going to talk about has nothing to do with my husband or my marriage. Since you Your incompetence has brought your family to this point, and you should face the judgment of fate. This is what you deserve. In order to preserve your remaining dignity, as your daughter, I can only suggest that you stop doing things that make our children sad. This is embarrassing, now please sit down for me!"

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