"...It's easy for you because he's a very nice guy."
Haidee was confused when she heard this, but judging from the behavior of the person opposite, she had already instinctively sensed his kindness.
She vaguely felt that maybe her fate would be completely different in the future, and she would no longer be as lonely and helpless as before.
After comforting Haidee, Edmond Dantès no longer had any nostalgia. For him, his mission here has been completed. Now he should go back as soon as possible to avoid long nights and dreams.
"Please allow me to say goodbye to Mr. Ambassador." He turned to look at von Mayrhofen, "I hope to leave Istanbul as soon as possible."
Von Mayrhofen was not surprised at all by Count Monte Cristo's decision, and he nodded immediately.
"Okay, I will take you to see the ambassador now."
Soon, they left Haidee, who was still ignorant, for the time being, and then walked together to the small garden of the embassy to meet the ambassador.
"Mr. Ambassador, on behalf of my lord, I would like to express my most sincere gratitude to you." As soon as he saw him, Edmond Dantes thanked the other party in the most sincere manner. "Without your help, his idea would not have been possible."
It will never be achieved so easily."
"You're welcome, it's just mutual benefit. We are also grateful for his help." Ambassador von Genz replied calmly, "I had anticipated that you were preparing to leave, so I prepared to send a letter to Prime Minister Metternich.
There is a ship. As a member of our embassy, you can sneak into it with the child. The Turks are very anxious and have demands from us, so they will not embarrass us. I don’t expect you to be hindered."
Seeing that the ambassador had arranged things so well, Edmond Dantès felt even more relieved.
"Okay, everything depends on you." After a moment, he asked hesitantly, "By the way, Mr. Ambassador, I suddenly thought of a question. If His Majesty uses the banner of Grand Duchess Ioannina next, what will happen to the Sultan?
The emperor and his ministers will definitely guess that Haidee’s real buyer is us, so they... will they get angry at you? Will they... cause you any trouble?"
It's really hypocritical to ask if it will cause trouble to me after everything has been done... The ambassador thought to himself.
But this kind of hypocrisy is part of diplomacy, so he is not angry.
"It takes time for news to come back and forth. I think that by the time the Sultan and his ministers know about this, they will no longer care about Ioannina..." The ambassador laughed sarcastically, "With the speed of the Russian advance,
I'm afraid they will threaten Varna within a month, and then approach Adrianople. All they can do at that time is beg the West to intervene quickly, and how dare they do anything to us?"
The ambassador still had something to say. Now that the situation has reached this point, Turkey's territory will inevitably undergo major changes. Instead of doing so, it is better to simply take advantage of the situation to force the exhausted Sultan and his ministers to make further concessions and weaken Turkey.
Since the Duke of Lechstadt cannot get the crown of Greece, he must need a comfort product to feel at ease. Austria cannot give this "comfort product" and does not want to give it, so let the crumbling Turkey give it to him anyway.
Just surviving is a huge blessing.
Edmond Dantès didn't know what the ambassador was thinking, but from the ambassador's calm attitude, he had confirmed that the situation was under control, so he no longer worried too much.
"Since you have already made up your mind, that's the best thing." Edmond Dantès bowed again, "Goodbye, Mr. Ambassador! I wish you all the best in the future."
"Say hello to Princess Teresa for me. I didn't expect this little girl to have such courage. It's a pity... Well, she used her courage outside the motherland!" The ambassador shook his head as he spoke.
He shook his head, seemingly disapproving.
Until now, he still thought that Duke Lechstadt had done this with Princess Theresa's dowry.
But now that the matter was over, he knew that talking more would be useless, so he could only wave his hands to say goodbye.
After bidding farewell to the ambassador, Edmond Dantès returned to the room where he had been, while Haidee was still waiting here timidly.
At the moment, Edmond Dantès is feeling very proud. He knows that his mission is about to be a complete success.
Just because he was in a good mood, he looked at Haidee with particularly soft eyes.
"Little girl, are you ready?" he asked, "I want to take you out of here."
"Where to go?" Haidee asked with some caution and some expectancy.
"Go to your true buyer," Edmond Dantès replied immediately, "to the place where you will be a ruler..."
Haidee blinked, not understanding the second half of his sentence at all, but it didn't matter.
Edmond Dantès stretched out his hand to her. Haidee blinked, then stretched out her hand and took his.
This hand is so thin and slender that people can't help but feel the need to care for it.
She is only a child after all... Edmond Dantès thought to himself.
Fate tortured her and made her lose everything. From now on, everything will be different and she will enjoy a glory she has never had.
At this moment, von Mayrhofen opened the door and informed the Count of Monte Cristo that he could leave, so he resolutely took Haidee's hand and walked out of the room.
=
Ever since he bid farewell to Edmond Dantès, Aigron has been thinking about his mission.
He was not worried about his safety on this trip, because he knew in his heart that according to inertia, Edmond Dantès should easily get Haidee and bring him back.
What he is struggling with is how to position the relationship between Haidee and Edmond Dantès?
In the original work of "The Count of Monte Cristo", this issue does not need to be entangled at all. Haidee is obsessed with her master, and eventually becomes a lifelong love with him, and the two wander around the world together.
But the current environment is completely different. Edmond Dantès came out a few years earlier. In his mind, nothing can replace the weight of his fiancée Mercedes in his heart.
Moreover, Haidee is only ten years old, and she does not understand any emotional issues at all. A gentleman like Edmond Dantès will not have any love for such a young child.
What's more, this time, theoretically, Haidee's buyer is herself...
More importantly, he planned to crown Haidee as the Grand Duchess of Ioannina and regard her as a puppet to rule the Ioannina region. If he really proposed to marry her to Edmond Dantès, the political impact would be too great.
If it’s too big, you have to weigh it carefully.
He thought about this problem for a long time, but he didn't have a clue. Finally, he did what most people do when they have no clue.
Let nature take its course.
Anyway, Haidee fell into his hands, and he can arrange it as he wants. After a few years, when she grows up, it will depend on the situation.
As the days passed, he was anxiously waiting for the results.
And one night, he finally received the report that the Count of Monte Cristo was back.
Aiglon, who was having dinner with Teresa, was immediately ecstatic, so he ordered the count to be brought over, and he wanted to summon him immediately.
As he expected, the Count of Monte Cristo came with a little girl this time.
In the shadow of the candlelight, the two of them came to the dining table together and accepted the inspection of the two highnesses.
The little girl's footsteps were very light, almost silent. She was wearing a white skirt. Because her skin was pale and thin, she was like a floating ghost. She looked at the young man in front of her timidly but full of doubts.
From Edmond Dantès's respectful performance, she smartly realized that the young man in front of her was her real buyer.
Therefore, although this young man looked gentle and had a very friendly attitude, she just stood in fear and did not dare to express her anger for fear of angering the new "master".
At this time, Aiglon also looked at the little girl in front of him who was pale and thin, but could not hide her natural beauty, and then looked at Edmond Dantès.
"Edmund you did a great job!"
After complimenting her, he made a gesture, "Take her to sit down with her, and we will have a meal together."
Of course, Edmond Dantès would not refuse this favor, and he immediately took Haidee to sit at the table.
Haidee was on pins and needles. She couldn't understand what the people present were saying, and she didn't know what to do.
However, looking at the sumptuous meals on the table and smelling the fragrance floating on the food, she almost forgot all her worries and fears, and only the most instinctive desires of human beings were left in her mind.
It's been a long time since she had a good meal.
Aigron and Teresa are both from the royal family and grew up in the palace. The food they eat here can only be described as simple by their standards, but for Haidee, who has just got rid of her status as a slave,
She said that this was a feast that she had not dared to imagine in many years.
"Let's have a meal." Aigron made another gesture, then looked at Haidee with a smile, "Eat more, little girl."
Haidee couldn't understand what Aigron said, but judging from the young man's friendly attitude, she guessed that she could enjoy a good meal.
So, driven by hunger, she no longer had any scruples. She directly grabbed a piece of grilled lamb chops with her hands and stuffed it into her mouth. Then she took a big bite of the butter-coated cake, and then scooped out a piece of it with a spoon.
Spoon pumpkin soup.
This eating behavior made her choke quickly, and she couldn't help coughing, but she kept stuffing things into her mouth while coughing.
This look of devouring food made Aigron and Edmond Dantès laugh a little.
Teresa couldn't bear it and let out a sigh.
"Poor child, she must have suffered so much!"
Then, she stood up and sat next to Haidee, then picked up the tableware and cut the food into small pieces for her, and then started to feed Haidee.
After eating something, Haidee began to wake up, and then she did not dare to act recklessly anymore. She allowed herself to be manipulated by the girl, eating the food bit by bit, and then drank soup to moisten her throat every short period of time. Finally, she finally
No more gaffes.
While they were dining, Aigron and Edmond Dantès started talking.
"It seems like your trip went much smoother than I imagined."
"Yes, Your Majesty. This is all because of Ambassador von Genz's careful cooperation." Edmond Dantès replied, "He thinks that Austria needs your cooperation this time, so he is happy to make it convenient for you. And
He believed that indirect rule in the manner of the Grand Duchess Ioannina might be a result acceptable to both parties."
Aigron also nodded secretly in his heart.
He knew in his heart that Ambassador von Genz, as Metternich's confidant, also hated the empire and made many diplomatic conspiracies against Napoleon. Moreover, he had not shown any goodwill to him over the years.
However, what happened back then is what happened back then, and what is happening now is now. Everyone decides their actions based on their position, and there is no hatred or hatred.
Since he helped this time, I will accept this favor.
Since Haidee didn't know French, the two of them had no worries and got right to the point.
"You have brought her along along the way, so you should know something about her." Aigron asked again, "Do you think she is suitable for our plan?"
"I think she is very suitable." Edmond Dantès replied firmly. "She has a gentle personality, and because she has suffered a lot before, she has very low expectations for the future. She only hopes to meet someone who can
It is enough to be kind to her master... I think that as long as we make good use of it, she can definitely play its due role and will not resist your will."
Aigron was a little dissatisfied with these words. People's hearts are fickle. Low expectations now does not mean low expectations in the future. He did not dare to take it lightly.
But at least for now, everything is very ideal. He can control and manipulate this child as he pleases, and she will never have any objections.
"In that case, let's carry out the original plan." Aigron nodded, and then looked at Haidee, "First of all, we must give her the proper education so that she knows how to communicate with us and respect us.
And it’s best to learn the etiquette knowledge necessary for a Grand Duchess..."
"Leave it to me." Teresa, who had been busy feeding Haidee, suddenly interrupted. "I think I can teach her."
"That would be great, Teresa. I think there is no one more suitable than you, as long as you don't find it annoying." Aigron agreed immediately, "She will be your student from now on."
"I will make her become an outstanding woman, and I think she has this potential." Teresa said enthusiastically, "Of course, first of all, she will respect us and obey your leadership."
As she spoke, she smiled and winked at Haidee.
"Poor child, from now on you will never have to suffer from hunger or cold... We will compensate you."
Haidee was still ignorant. She didn't understand that the three people present were deciding her fate. She didn't know who the person who bought her was and what they wanted to do.
But looking at Teresa's smile, she felt an inexplicable sense of kindness, and the food in her belly also brought her a stable sense of satisfaction at this moment, so she also smiled sweetly,
I'm glad I found a new destination.
Aiglon was also full of satisfaction at this moment. He picked up the wine glass and paid tribute to his favorite.