After nightfall, Paris did not gradually fall into sleep like other places, but began to enjoy its famous evening life. No matter celebrities or ordinary citizens, whether they were good people or prostitutes, they all wandered there.
On the streets, their endless energy was squandered, as if it was borrowed from the devil.
With the gradual popularity of gas street lamps, the lights on the streets are becoming more and more bright. The dots of street lamps and the lights of houses here and there illuminate the originally gloomy streets slightly. In this half-darkness
Under the semi-dark lights, the city transformed from the industrial and cultural capital during the day, and began to reveal its bohemian true colors, like a chaste young woman who suddenly calmly and gently moved under the gaze of everyone.
He lifted up the gauze under his knees.
Duke Nordlyen's residence is now becoming one of the focal points of this extravagant trend. After nightfall, gorgeously decorated carriages continue to gather here from the streets, and gentlemen and nobles dressed in exquisite and luxurious clothes are constantly gathering here.
The entry of a noble lady indicates that there will be a grand event filled with guests.
As the owner of the mansion, the Duke was standing proudly in the center of the living room, welcoming every distinguished guest.
For today's banquet, he had carefully prepared for a long time, making sure to use the most attentive hospitality to make every guest return satisfied.
For Duke Nordlyon, this banquet is not just an ordinary social gathering of the upper class, but also a formal announcement that his family's status has skyrocketed, reaching a height beyond the reach of ordinary famous families.
It is true that such "height" was not achieved by his ability, but so what? Over the years, he has witnessed too many ups and downs in the court of the Royal Bourbon family. He knows that as long as he can become a winner,
No one will care about how you win, they will greet you with a smile and congratulate you on your victory; on the contrary, no matter how noble and upright you are, you can only be thrown into a corner where no one cares about you and moldy, and your family will follow suit.
of decline and decline.
After each guest came in, he would take the initiative to greet him, and then received attentive replies from the guests.
In the past, he had entertained guests many times, but at that time it was just an ordinary social interaction. Although the guests were equally flattering, they did not have much sense of awe towards him. To everyone, the Duke was a lovely old man who was neither capable nor incompetent.
It's harmless; but now, everything is completely different. The eyes looking at him are either full of fear of not wanting to offend him, or full of desire to get something from him - no matter what kind of thing
, in the final analysis it is all because of power.
That's right, the Duke is no longer the courtier who only played a cosmetic role in the past, but a person who has real contact with and holds power. Where does this "power" come from?
Everyone knew it, including the Duke himself.
That is the youngest daughter Agnes who is being held by the Duke at this moment.
Yes, under her father's persistent pleading, Agnes agreed to support her father, so she could only cheer up and follow her father to welcome the guests.
Of course, in the eyes of every guest, Miss Agnes attracted more attention than the Duke himself. Regardless of whether they were men or women, the guests saluted Miss Agnes respectfully, for fear of making her unhappy.
The more respectful she was treated, the more Agnes felt the absurdity of the world - just last year, she had been to the palace and was scolded by the Duchess of Berry. At that time, let alone anyone saying hello to her, even
There were only a few people who were willing to talk to her, either turning a blind eye to her, or even laughing at her secretly.
Just a few months later, the same group of people greeted her with smiles and flattery, as if they had lost their memory.
When I was noble, I was ostracized and laughed at by others; after I fell, I was respected and looked up to by others... How many absurd things are there in the world that just happen with such plausibility?
However, even though she complained about this in her heart, Agnes also knew that today's banquet was of great significance to her father and the family, so she also pretended to have forgotten everything in the past and forced herself to cheer up and smile with the guests.
Welcome.
Just like the strict hierarchy, "selective amnesia" is also part of the rules of the social world and must be tasted.
As the guests arrived one after another, more and more people gathered in the living room. They gathered together in twos and threes and talked to each other with smiles on their faces. Although there was not much sincerity, it was enough to create a pleasant atmosphere.
And just as the atmosphere gradually became warmer, the arrival of a new guest finally cheered up Agnes's originally depressed mood.
Agnes has always had a good impression of Andre Davout, a young man with a straightforward character and full of loyalty.
But what surprised her was that Andre did not come alone tonight, there was a lady with him.
This lady seemed to be about the same age as him and very beautiful, but the two of them didn't look very close, and they didn't look like they were lovers or lovers.
Just when she was full of doubts, Andre and the female companion had already walked up to the Duke.
"Your Excellency, Miss Agnes, I am very honored to have been invited by you. Thank you for your warm hospitality."
"You are too kind, Mr. Davout." Facing the tall and burly Andre, the Duke changed his reserved style in front of others and shook hands with Andre with a smile on his face. "You are welcome to come."
, it is our family’s honor and we hope you will be satisfied with our hospitality.”
Although Andre does not have a high official position, the fact that he is the captain of His Majesty's personal guard is enough to rank him at the top among all distinguished guests. The Duke also knows that he must not neglect such a guest, so he naturally puts on a show
He looked very polite.
Having said this, the Duke also noticed the female companion beside Andre, and then he also had some doubts - because he knew that Andre was still single.
"Is this lady...?" So he asked tentatively.
Because he had to lie blatantly, Andre, who had an upright personality, was quite resistant. But now he had no choice but to tell the lie he had made up, "This lady is my cousin Maria.
She just came to Paris recently. Because she is very interested in the social world, she wants to come with me to see what's new. Please forgive me."
"I see!"
Although Andre's words actually had flaws, who would be bored enough to doubt him? The Duke immediately accepted his words, then nodded and graciously accepted this unexpected guest.
"Ms. Maria, you are very welcome to visit!" So he greeted the new guest warmly.
"Thank you for your warm hospitality, Your Majesty the Duke." Maria saluted and thanked the Duke and his daughter. "As a provincial with little knowledge, it is a rare blessing in my life to have the opportunity to come to your living room. I will
I will always remember everything I saw today..."
"What are you talking about? It is an honor that I could never ask for for a beautiful lady like you to come and grace me." The Duke laughed after hearing Maria's compliment, and then complimented her in turn, "You
He will definitely become the star tonight."
Maria smiled lightly, and then looked at Agnes next to her.
"In front of the famous Miss Agnes, who dares to claim to be a star? No matter what, I am not half as good as Miss Agnes. I am very lucky to be able to quietly admire her grace in the corner. Wait.
When I talk about it to people in my hometown after I go back, they will definitely be envious." Maria replied with a smile.
"You are too polite." Faced with such disgusting compliments, Agnes was greatly embarrassed and had to cut off the other person's words, "Ms. Maria, I am not good at socializing. On the contrary, I always get into trouble with my words.
Fighting and offending others, standing here today is nothing more than a publicity board for my father, and I’m afraid I won’t be able to get you anything to talk about..."
Maria was slightly surprised by Agnes's response.
She stared at Agnes quietly for a moment, then nodded slightly, "You are indeed different from what I imagined... You do seem to be a quiet person."
At this time, a new guest came over. Andrei signaled Maria to end the conversation quickly, so Maria nodded gently to Agnes, then drifted away and entered the spacious living room.
Agnes watched their retreating figures.
"This woman is not simple." At this time, the Duke next to him suddenly said. "Although she deliberately pretended to be humble when she dealt with us just now, her courtesy and response were calm and flawless, and she also spoke correctly.
She has a smooth tone and elegant attitude. She has definitely received a very good education since she was a child. She is not an ordinary girl from another province."
Although the Duke does not have any special talents, after all, he has been in the palace for so many years, and has developed some skills in dealing with people and observing their behavior (otherwise, he would not have been able to gain a foothold in the palace for a long time), so after just a face-to-face meeting,
He was keenly aware of the abnormality of Ms. Maria.
"I also think she's a little strange." Agnes nodded slightly, agreeing with her father's judgment, "She seems to treat us as something interesting... I can't feel anything from her eyes.
Awe.”
After a brief exchange, the father and daughter reached an agreement that this lady must have a great background.
"Dad, what should we do with her?" So Agnes asked.
"What can we do? She was brought here by Mr. Davout. Can I drive her away? Besides, it doesn't look like she is here to cause trouble. In this case, we will pretend not to know anything.
Just treat her as an ordinary guest." The Duke shrugged, "The world is always full of secrets, isn't it? Sometimes we have to be confused to avoid embarrassing others."
In the Duke's view, Andre would never be the kind of person to cause trouble for him. Since he brought people here personally, it means that his family will not be exposed to any risks. Since there is no risk, then why bother to get to the bottom of it?
Woolen cloth?
Although Agnes felt that what her father said was reasonable, a faint uneasiness arose in her heart.
Why did Andre bring her here?
If Andre secretly hooked up with some noble lady and then brought her to see her, this is also a valid reason - but based on Agnes' understanding of Andre, he is definitely not this boring show-off
People, and if Andre really had a sweetheart, the news should have been leaked, and he would not suddenly bring someone out like today.
Why is that?
Andre is a close confidant of His Majesty, could it be...? An idea suddenly appeared in her mind that frightened her.
But she rejected her idea in an instant, not because she believed in His Majesty's moral value, but because she believed that His Majesty would not bring trouble to himself. If there was really any ulterior relationship, he would not let An
Andre brought people over to show off to him.
So what exactly is going on?
Agnes thought about it but had no clue. She was not the type who was good at thinking. At this moment, with so little information, she certainly could not draw any conclusions.
In the end, she decided, like her father, to simply put it all behind her, pretend that she had seen nothing, and not ask anything. Anyway, no matter what happened, as long as their family entertained all guests enthusiastically and equally,
Then there won't be any problems.
So she and her father met the new guests again.
At this time, Maria and Andre blended into the crowd.
Maria walked leisurely with a smile on her face, listening to whispers coming from all directions, and looking at people everywhere with interest.
"You French people really know how to make fun, but we don't have this feeling in Bavaria."
Regarding Maria's comments, Andre could only laugh at it, "Maybe it's because no one dares to be presumptuous in front of you over there. I believe the Bavarians will never lack enthusiasm."
While the two were talking, several single men tried to get closer to Maria. After all, a strange and beautiful woman would always be the center of attention; but Andre did not forget his responsibilities.
Although he didn't directly chase people away with words, he always used his eyes and body language to secretly tell those who came close to restrain themselves.
Perhaps because of fear of Andre, soon no one dared to come and chat with Maria anymore.
Maria was still looking around with a smile on her face, as if all this was a drama prepared for her.
"Excuse me, are you satisfied with the fun now? Madam?" Andre asked.
"That's not enough." Maria replied softly.
Then, she pointed to the center of the living room, "Look, isn't our star rising?"
Andre followed her fingers and found that Miss Agnes was being led by her father to the center.
A girl who doesn't want to be noticed is forced to become the most noticed person. Where will she go?