In full view of everyone, Maria greeted Teresa with impeccable etiquette.
Although this was a bit unexpected, most of the people present did not feel anything unusual. After all, as a distinguished guest from afar and the princess of Bavaria, it was normal to say hello to Her Majesty the Queen at the ball.
Even Mrs. Mercedes, who was assigned to monitor Maria, didn't feel anything was wrong, so she just stood a few steps behind Maria, preparing to "persuade" Princess Maria away if any unexpected situation occurred.
.
However, for Theresa, who was the first to bear the brunt, the situation was not so wonderful. Although the other person seemed to be smiling, she could feel a malice coming from her heart, which made her feel extremely uncomfortable.
However, facing the other party's new provocation, she had no intention of showing weakness to him, so she looked at him calmly, and then responded calmly, "Thank you for your compliment, you are just as beautiful tonight, Your Highness.
"
This was not against her will. Maria was obviously dressed up carefully tonight. In addition to her dress, she also wore expensive necklaces and earrings, so she looked so graceful and luxurious that it reminded Teresa of that time again.
of Sophie.
But the more they resemble each other, the more naturally it makes her feel unhappy.
"Have you had a comfortable stay recently?" Although she was unhappy, Teresa still asked politely.
"Thank you for your kindness, my stay was very comfortable. I felt at home. I have completely felt the warmth and hospitality of your country." Maria was still smiling, "If there is anything that I am not satisfied with, it is only a little bit..."
"Where?" Teresa asked calmly.
"If you stay here all the time, the range of activities will be a little smaller after all. It may be okay now, but it will definitely become a bit boring if it lasts for a long time." Maria replied, "If you can go out for a walk sometime, see the most beautiful places in France.
Those places would be nice..."
"You are right. It will be boring if you stay in a small place for a long time." Teresa nodded in recognition, "But since you have received an official invitation from our country, if you want to go anywhere in the future, you can only
You just need to apply to the government, Prince Talleyrand will arrange it for you——"
"Thank you then." Maria thanked Teresa again. "I believe that the beautiful scenery in this country is enough to keep me lingering for a long time."
While Teresa responded to the other party hypocritically, she had some doubts in her heart.
It's not because Maria behaves abnormally, but because she is so normal that it seems like there is no hostility at all.
is it possible?
Although she didn't believe it in her heart, Teresa didn't bother to get to the bottom of it. She just wanted to complete the social process as quickly as possible and then get rid of this difficult guest.
"Now that it's the dance, you can choose a partner later and dance together to pass the time." She suggested casually, "Although your noble status may scare away young people, I think there are still many people.
I would be willing to take risks to invite you to dance..."
"That's true, but I've never been good at dancing, so I won't show off my shame." Maria replied with a smile, then picked up the folding fan in her hand and unfolded it casually.
With a soft "pop" sound, she covered half of her face, "I would rather sit aside and enjoy the joyful dance of His Majesty and others..."
Teresa didn't care at all whether she danced or not, so she didn't care about the other party's response, "In that case, it's really a pity, but sitting quietly alone is also kind of fun..."
When she said this, she suddenly had a strange feeling, but she couldn't say why it was strange.
But anyway, since she had been talking to Maria for so long and had completed her "social task", she could end this conversation she didn't like without being rude.
However, Maria seemed to be in high spirits. Instead of resigning, she moved slightly closer to Teresa, and then used her eyes and gestures to comment on the couples dancing on the dance floor.
Teresa didn't pay attention to her words at all. She just responded to them one by one, while her mind was focused on the increasingly intense "uncomfortable feeling".
What is wrong? Teresa herself was wondering.
Her gaze moved slowly, wandering slowly between the brilliant lights and the people around her, and then gradually fell on Maria's hand.
To be precise, it fell on the folding fan in her hand.
This is a milky white ivory folding fan, with several blue gemstones inlaid on the handle, and exquisite patterns drawn on the fan surface using hollow craftsmanship.
In this era, as the European aristocracy accumulated wealth, their demand for exquisite handicrafts also expanded, becoming the main force in the consumption of various high-end luxury goods and jewelry.
For those ladies who like to dress themselves up with all kinds of valuable items, they don't hesitate to spend any amount of money on "fashionable" luxury goods.
The ivory folding fan, as a work of art that is both valuable and filled with the efforts of craftsmen, can also reflect the elegance and charm of women, and has become their favorite, thus capturing their hearts from the beginning.
In particular, the hollow-carved folding fans carefully made by the craftsmen of the Qing Dynasty in the East can be called masterpieces of human art. The ladies of this era often spent huge sums of money to customize various folding fans for them through merchant ships that sailed thousands of miles.
To impress everyone at the dance.
Teresa herself had such things. They were "high-end customized products" that her parents bought from Guangzhou in the Qing Dynasty when she was a child. They were also brought to Aigron by her as a dowry item.
Among them, one of my favorites has gone missing not long ago, and it has not been found until now.
Logically speaking, as a princess, it is not surprising that Maria has such luxury goods. It can even be said to be natural. Theresa will not feel anything wrong - what she really feels is wrong is the fan in the other person's hand.
, it really looks too familiar.
It is exactly the same as the missing folding fan.
If you don't look at it specifically, you may not notice it, but once you look carefully, you will find that the size, the hollow patterns on the fan, and even the position of the pearls and gems are exactly the same.
Is this a coincidence?
It can't be a coincidence. This kind of customized handicraft will not produce two exactly the same things. The raw materials are very limited. Even if the craftsman who made it wants to make one, it will be difficult, right?
At least, Teresa didn't believe there was such a coincidence.
So, in her horror, she came to a conclusion that she herself couldn't believe - this was her own thing.
But if it was his own thing, why did it appear in Maria's hands?
The huge shock and confusion almost caused her thinking to short-circuit for a moment.
Of course, what frightened her was not just a fan - an ivory fan inlaid with pearls, no matter how expensive it was, what did it mean to her as a queen? It was just a casual little toy, even if
It won't hurt if you give it directly to the people around you.
So after being unable to find it for a long time, she didn't pay much attention to it. Anyway, she had other things she could use.
However, this fan represents some disturbing inferences.
"If it was mine, how did she get it?"
This question made Teresa's hair stand on end for a moment.
What was the reason that the things on his dressing table disappeared and ended up in the hands of a Bavarian princess?
Either she bribed the people around her and had her things stolen and then delivered to her; or, even worse, she received this gift from her husband.
Teresa herself found this suspicion very bizarre, but she couldn't help but think about it.
If she received a gift from her husband, where did she receive it? Was it in Bavaria, or did they meet in their dressing room and just give it to her?
Could it be that, in fact, she had come to France a long time ago and secretly met and hung out with His Highness without telling him?
The more Teresa thought about it, the more frightened she felt. For a moment, she was in a state of chaos, and even her breathing became rapid.
She knew that she was probably just imagining things, but there were all sorts of strange signs that made her unable to help but think more about it.
"Your Majesty the Queen, what's wrong with you? Are you feeling uncomfortable?" Maria seemed to have noticed Teresa's confusion at the moment, so she admired her confusion and anxiety with a pleasant smile. "Oh, is it because of the people here?
Too much, the air is mixed, so it’s a bit stuffy? To be honest, I’m also a bit uncomfortable..."
As she spoke, she slightly increased the strength of her hands and fanned herself with a fan.
Of course, fanning was not the purpose, but to make the fan more ostentatious. It kept shaking in front of Teresa and continued to stimulate her already tense nerves.
Teresa was almost unable to control herself at this time. She felt her heartbeat suddenly accelerate, as if blood was rushing straight to her heart.
"You... where did the fan in your hand come from?" She tried hard not to lose her composure, and then asked in a trembling voice.
"Oh, are you asking this?" Maria raised her eyebrows in pretending surprise, and then glanced at it herself, "This was given to me by a very good friend of mine. He said that only I deserve it.
Such a good product... I was very happy after hearing it, so I happily accepted it. What do you think of it?"
"Okay...very good..." Teresa replied through gritted teeth. She didn't know whether she was saying that the fan was good or that she had done a good job.
If Maria had just said it in vain, Teresa would naturally have just laughed it off, thinking that she was maliciously instigating the relationship between her husband and wife; but what she held in her hand was "physical evidence", which revealed the truth almost unmistakably and could not be denied.
Besides your husband, who else dares to blatantly take something from your dressing table? Are you risking your life?
Now the truth came to light. It turned out that she had been kept in the dark and her husband usually remained calm. It turned out that he had been having contact with her in private for a long time.
Not only did they communicate in private, he also tried his best to create all kinds of excuses, even using Talleyrand as a shield. He actually brought her in front of him to humiliate his face and forced himself to smile at her.
...It's simply been extremely bad.
Your Highness, do you care so little about our relationship as a couple? Is there anything I haven't done enough? Why are you always so unsatisfied? Do you want to humiliate me again and again?
She raised her head and glanced at Aigron, who was still dancing and talking and laughing, with aggrieved, resentful and puzzled eyes. At this time, Aigron was completely unaware and had no idea that in one of his negligences, he actually
There was such a big commotion.
The grievances and anger in her heart, as well as the resentment accumulated over the years, rushed directly to her forehead in an instant, making her almost lose her self-control, and she almost shouted without regard for her manners on the spot - only in this way,
Only then could she vent a little bit of the black mud in her heart at the moment.
However, just when she was just a thin piece of paper away from breaking through the emotional critical point, the strict tutoring and etiquette education she received since childhood finally allowed her to control herself a little.
Teresa, the more this happens, the more you can't collapse, you can't lose your composure in front of everyone, you must stand firm... It's like there is a voice in her head constantly warning her.
Teresa could already tell that Maria was deliberately playing with the folding fan in front of her just to stimulate herself and show off her shameless deeds.
Why do you do this? Just to humiliate yourself, to have fun watching yourself lose your temper, and to make everyone laugh at you.
The more she hopes so, the less she can do it.
Yes, no matter how desperate and painful a queen is, she cannot yell and act like a shrew. Not only will this not solve the problem, but it will make her persecutors more successful.
In a trance, Teresa felt as if there was a soft "buzzing" sound in her head, as if some string had been broken.
But she doesn't care about this at all now. She has more things to do than acting like a fool.
She turned her gaze and looked at Maria. At this time, the dull and malicious look in her eyes made Maria, who was already mentally prepared, feel a little frightened.
"Your Highness Maria, thank you for telling me this... I will find out everything." Then Teresa spoke softly, "In addition, I want to tell you that I will never forgive you. You have successfully succeeded.
You have aroused my hatred. This is a great achievement of yours. Please be proud of it."
Theresa was not exaggerating. She had never been so angry since she was a child, and she had never been so hateful as at this moment that she wanted a person to disappear completely.
No matter what you did, I will make you pay the price for your humiliation and disrespect towards me... Just wait.