"In addition to that gentleman, her sister-in-law also arrived...her name is Agnes."
"Agnes...?" Teresa repeated the name.
She had never heard of this name, so it was impossible for her to have any impression of it. Moreover, the real point was not here.
Teresa just felt a little weird - General Treville wanted to follow Aiglon, so he asked his son to come over to serve him. This was completely understandable, but a sister-in-law... why was she joining in the fun?
"Why did you bring your wife and sister here?" Because of her doubts, Teresa immediately asked.
"Miss Agnes is not an ordinary girl. She is as old as your Majesty, and her skills are also very powerful, almost as good as your Majesty... Therefore, it is Mr. Edgar's wife - her biological sister - please ask her I escorted Mr. Edgar all the way here.”
Theresa blinked. Although she was very surprised, she finally understood the situation now.
However, looking at Chanel's expression, new doubts arose in her heart.
"Why do you know so clearly? Have you ever seen it?" Teresa asked again.
"Yes, we have met before." Chanel replied honestly. "Before going to Monte Cristo Island, His Majesty took us to temporarily hide in Switzerland for a period of time to escape... That's when we met."
Then, she roughly told Theresa about the young man's visit to Queen Hortense for help, his subsequent hiding in the farm, his meeting with the Edgars and Agnes, and everything that happened after that.
"It turns out there were so many twists and turns before..." Teresa listened with great concentration, until finally she lowered her eyes slightly to avoid letting others peep into her mood at the moment.
Aigron never told me a word about these experiences... Was it because he felt that these little things were not worth mentioning, or was it because of other reasons?
"Sounds like a quite interesting experience." She reluctantly collected her thoughts, and then smiled slightly, "No wonder Mr. Treville brought her here, it turned out to be such a powerful master... When we were in Vienna, everyone It is said that Her Highness has outstanding talent and is a rare swordsman among her peers. To be able to keep pace with him... It is rare, so rare! I think that her perseverance and talent are far beyond what can be achieved at such a young age. Just like ordinary people."
"I think so too." Shanel nodded in agreement. "Miss Agnes is absolutely worthy of admiration."
"Listening to what you said, I was aroused with endless curiosity. I really want to see with my own eyes how charming she is." Teresa still smiled, and then asked, "So, how is she doing now? where?"
"We have just placed her in a room, not far from here, just go along the corridor." Chanel suggested, "If you want to see her, I can take you to see her now."
"That's no need. I think she was tired from the journey and finally had a chance to rest. I can't disturb her." Teresa shook her head, and then replied meaningfully, "Anyway, I will definitely see you later. When it comes to her, let me keep this curiosity for a little while longer..."
----------------------------------
After bidding farewell to Edgar, Aigron returned to the bedroom along the stairs from the balcony, and at this time he found Theresa sitting at the desk, seemingly deep in thought.
"Teresa, haven't you written the letter yet?" Aigron thought she was still having trouble with the wording of the letter, so he quickly asked her, "Actually, you don't have to think so carefully about every word, just greet her in ordinary words. I guess she also I won’t be harsh on you, after all, you are also a member of the family..."
"I have just finished writing the letter and have given it to the courier for delivery, Your Highness." Teresa suddenly looked at the young man and replied, "I heard that you were talking to the de Treville family just now. Members chatting?”
"Yes, just now the son of Marquis Treville came to join me." Aigron nodded, "Although this Marquis was from an old noble family, he joined the imperial army and fought very bravely, so my father wanted to commend him He, given him this title, is very grateful and has always been loyal to the empire, even now... I owe him a lot of help."
"This is really admirable loyalty, we have to repay it well." Teresa nodded.
Then, she looked at Aigron again, as if asking casually. "It seems like he brought his wife and sister here with him! God, when I just heard the news, I thought he was crazy..."
"Anyone who doesn't know the inside story will think he's crazy." Agron replied with a smile, "However, that Miss Agnes is not ordinary..."
"Yes, she is a swordsman who is equal to you, an idol respected by those arrogant princes and grandsons..." Teresa interrupted Agron, "It's a pity that I didn't hear about this until now. Name and her deeds, otherwise I would have been fascinated long ago..."
Although Teresa's tone was indeed very respectful, Aigron felt something was wrong.
"Have you heard what Chanel said?" he asked tentatively.
"Yes, that's what she told me just now." Teresa smiled slightly, "Your Highness, how could you hide such an interesting person and such interesting deeds? Do you know that I like legends the most? I will never tire of hearing stories like this..."
"I just don't think it's necessary to mention such a trivial matter-" Aigron shrugged. "The two sisters are really interesting people, but I have more important things to do, so we just got to know each other and broke up in a hurry. I just felt that we would never have a chance to meet until I returned to France. But I didn't expect to see her again so soon. Believe me, I was just as surprised as you."
Seeing Aiglon's reply, Theresa's eyes finally softened.
"Then did you think that you would never see me again until you returned to Austria, so you just left me behind?" She asked slightly sarcastically.
"Teresa... let's not settle the past scores. I admit that I can't forgive you..." Aigron laughed awkwardly. "Aren't I already making up for it now?"
"Finally you still know." Teresa also laughed, and the unhappiness just now seemed to have disappeared - of course, there were still some grudges, looming like ghosts.
"Since both of them are queens of famous families, and the Marquis of Treville has made great contributions to you, we have to entertain them well." She changed the subject.
"Yes, that's what I plan to do - I just told Edgar that I will hold a banquet on the balcony tonight for the two of them, just think of it as a blessing for them." Aiglon replied immediately .
"Then can I attend? After hearing your previous stories, I kind of want to get to know them." Teresa asked. "But maybe it's not convenient for me to show up...?"
"What are you talking about? Of course you should be present. They are all our own, so it doesn't matter if you show up." Aigron shook his head, "Rather, they should know you and respect you, because you are me Their fiancée is the person they will surrender to in the future——"
Teresa was a little touched for a moment. His Highness said these words without any hesitation. It seemed that his mind was not shaken at all... Maybe everything was just overthinking.
"Then I will also perform well and try to leave a good impression on them..." She assured Aigron with a smile. "If we can really rebuild the dynasty, they will surely become important court officials. I can't let them underestimate us."
"This is very easy for you." Agron couldn't help laughing. "I can't think of anyone in the world who would look down on you, Teresa."
Soon, it was evening.
Because Aiglon had given instructions before, Chanel and Andre Davout had already started working, arranging tables, chairs and lights on the balcony to prepare for the upcoming dinner.
Except for Father Faria, who was inconvenient, several of his important men were present, and as new guests, Edgar and Agnes naturally became guests of honor at the banquet.
When Agron and Teresa attended together, everyone was already here and everything was ready.
The table was filled with all kinds of dishes and fine wines, and candles were placed around it. The stars in the sky spread above everyone's heads like a picture scroll, and the continuous sound of waves crashing on the beach not far away , as if the cheers of the audience were cheering them on.
Because she was going to appear in front of everyone today, Teresa dressed up in a rare way. She wore the long dress she brought with her and a jeweled flower ornament on her chest. She looked dignified and luxurious. Her appearance was just like the scene at the Schönbrunn Palace. The reappearance of the palace ball - only the small crown presented by His Majesty the Emperor is missing on her head.
Because of such a beautiful and luxurious dress, the girl attracted everyone's attention as soon as she appeared on the stage, and her eyes slowly wandered in front of everyone with the help of the candlelight.
Her eyes did not stay on the people she already knew, but slowly swept over them, until finally, they landed on the two strangers opposite.
One is a young man with blond hair, handsome appearance and gentle smile; while the other... is a young girl.
She was wearing an ordinary skirt, her hair was tied into a bun and placed behind her head. Her beautiful face was very expressive, with a half-smile but not a smile. It could be seen that she was an optimist; and her eyes were bright and very special. He is agile and seems to be able to observe his surroundings carefully.
At this moment, Agnes also looked at Teresa curiously. The two looked at each other with interest for a moment, and then they showed friendly smiles in unison.
"Who is she..." Agnes was a little curious, and then asked Edgar next to her in a low voice. "Why do you look so close to your Majesty?"
"She is Princess Theresa, His Majesty's Austrian fiancée." Edgar tried hard to hide the sourness and annoyance in his heart, and explained to Agnes in a low voice, "Despite the twists and turns that happened before, she insisted on running to His Majesty is here, so His Majesty seems to admit it."
"No wonder!" Agnes suddenly realized, "Let me tell you, how can ordinary people have such magnanimity... We in France don't have such a beautiful princess now."
This is also true. After all, after the bloody storm of the Revolution, the Bourbon royal family was not prosperous. Louis XVI's entire family died. His sister, Princess Elizabeth, was also sent to the guillotine. Only his eldest daughter Marie-Téra survived. Princess Lessa later married her uncle Louis-Antoine de Bourbon, the son of her uncle the Count of Artois, and she is now nearly 40 years old.
Later, the Count of Artois became King Charles X, and Louis-Antoine, as the eldest son, became the Dauphin. The two had nothing after their marriage; after the second son, the Duke of Berry, was killed, only one posthumous son remained.
Therefore, there is currently no princess of the same age in the Bourbon family. Although Agnes's words may sound disrespectful to the royal family, it is also true.
Under everyone's gaze, Aigron and Teresa sat on their seats together.
Then, Aigron spoke first, kicking off the dinner party.
"Because we are all busy lately, we haven't been together for a long time. Today I specially brought everyone together just to relax." He said while smiling at everyone, "Thanks to your efforts, we Everything is going well now, and today...another important person comes to participate in our cause!"
He raised his hand and pointed at Edgar, "Although he is a newcomer, he is by no means a newcomer. Some of you may already know him. Let me introduce it to others - he is Mr. Edgar de Treville, the only son of the Marquis of Treville. Although the Marquis could not come in person due to heavy responsibilities, he dedicated his only son to our cause... This loyalty really touched me. and admiration!”
As soon as he finished speaking, others applauded Edgar.
Although Edgar himself has neither fame nor prestige, the Marquis of Treville is extraordinary in the minds of everyone. His loyalty and his qualifications are impeccable, and he is also one of the leaders of the Bonapartists. , so his only son also received the respect he deserved.
After everyone cheered for Edgar, Agron looked at Agnes again, "Next, please let me introduce another guest, Miss Agnes de Nordrian... We can all see, She is a beautiful girl, but she is not only outstanding in appearance, but also extraordinary in skill. She is one of the very few people of my age who is qualified to fight against me! Yes, she is beautiful and powerful, and she is worthy of the pride of France. Let us celebrate her Let’s have a drink!”
"Cheers!" After Aiglon's introduction, not only the people who knew Agnes were cheering, but also the people who didn't know her were also very interested and looked at Agnes in unison.
Being watched by everyone, Agnes was a little shy, lowering her head and not daring to speak, but of course she was also very happy in her heart. After all, who doesn't like to be complimented and praised? What's more, this praise comes from such an incredible person, which is even more rare.
After taking a sip of wine, Aigron looked at Edmond Dantès. "Edmund! You should already know Agnes."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Edmond Dantès replied in a low voice, "When I went to Paris before, thanks to the help of the lady, I was able to easily contact bankers in the name of the Nordrian family, which was very convenient. I still remember this kindness. In addition... I am half a student of Miss Agnes. She once taught me some swordsmanship, which benefited me a lot. Unfortunately, the time was too short, so I did not I didn’t have time to learn too much, which I regret very much.”
After just recognizing Agnes, he was surprised and very happy, but because of His Majesty's presence, he didn't dare to say hello - because of his previous experience, he had always been full of affection for sisters Alice and Agnes. and respect, so I am very happy to see Agnes join my career.
"Mr. Count of Monte Cristo, if you are willing, I can teach you again when I have the opportunity." Agnes said with a smile.
"Actually... I was once educated by Miss Agnes." At this moment, Andre Davout suddenly spoke with embarrassment, "I once challenged Miss Agnes over my own abilities, and then I was She defeated easily... That's when I realized how weak I was, but it also gave me the confidence to become a stronger person."
After finishing speaking, he looked at Agnes solemnly, "Miss Agnes, I'm sorry that I was embarrassed to mention those past events when we just met... I think you must not remember how you defeated me, because that pair You are just an experience that is not worth mentioning, but I have always remembered it. Unfortunately, I have more important things to do now. After Your Majesty's career is successful, I want to challenge you again. Maybe then I will still fail miserably. But at least I'll do a better job, so that you can remember—"
"You have already made me remember it now." Agnes's eyes lit up, and then she solemnly replied to the other party, "Losing is not terrible. What is terrible is that you are paralyzed because you are afraid of losing face, and let yourself fall into a situation where you have accomplished nothing... You Being able to face failure and muster up the courage to try again is indeed the essence of a swordsman. With this ambition, you will definitely be able to do well in other things! I think having a subordinate like you is also Your Majesty’s good fortune.”
"Thank you!" Andre Davout was so relieved to be so praised by Agnes that he almost shed tears.
Others were also moved by Agnes's words and nodded.
It is indeed an admirable style... Even Theresa, who has always been picky about others, can't help but feel secretly sad about Agnes' performance.
At this moment, Teresa suddenly felt a little lucky.
She was secretly glad that she made that crucial decision right——
If I was drowning in sorrow and pain, if I didn't go to Rome to meet the Queen Mother Letizia and then happened to meet Her Royal Highness, if I didn't agree to continue to stick to the engagement, if I didn't force my parents to make concessions and then go ahead, if I missed a step, even if it was just a step. If it was empty, then it would be impossible for me to reach His Highness in time, and Edgar and Agnes would naturally come on time, so God knows what will happen next...
No, Teresa, are you timid?
She suddenly woke up.
She felt annoyed and even a little ashamed of her momentary hesitation and thankfulness.
This is definitely not what I should think.
The union between you and His Highness is a gift from God and favored by fate. Why should you have any fear?
Agnes is indeed excellent, but I will not be eclipsed either.
In an instant, she regained her composure.
She raised her head, faced Agnes directly, and then greeted her with a sincere smile.
"Miss Agnes, it's a pleasure to meet you. Unfortunately, I only learned about your deeds today, but this does not undermine my respect for you."
