【Undertaking Extra 7】
When the summer sun shone wantonly on the earth, Miss Charlotte de Treville, who was resting in a room in the Palace of Fontainebleau, slowly raised her long eyelashes.
In an instant, her consciousness suddenly focused on the face of the little girl who was only a few centimeters away from her.
This little girl's face is as delicate as a work of art, with soft lines and slender eyebrows. She has the ignorance of a child, but also a little confusion and sadness. Coupled with her silver-white hair, it makes people look fascinated and makes people feel loving.
And this girl was hugging Xia Lu tightly at this moment, apparently using her as a pillow when she fell asleep last night, and spent her first night in this palace with peace of mind.
The fragrance of lilies from the Fontainebleau Garden accompanied by the summer breeze lingers throughout the room, nourishing the heart and mind.
She really looks like an elf, so cute! The more Xia Lu looked at it, the more cute she felt.
She has always been a child who is not afraid of anything. The confused state when she woke up in the morning weakened her self-control and judgment, so she reached out and scratched the other person's face.
The tender and smooth feeling was instantly uploaded from her fingers to her brain, but before Xia Lu could enjoy this touch, Sleeping Beauty slowly opened her eyes.
The blue eyes were like a deep lake, reflecting the summer dew in an instant.
"Xia Lu..." Kristel called out.
"Good morning, Keli!" Xia Lu did not feel embarrassed that she had woken up her companion. Instead, she smiled kindly, and then said hello to the friend she had just made yesterday with great dignity.
Seeing this smile, Kristel seemed to feel the vitality in it, and she laughed happily.
"Good morning."
Then, she felt a little embarrassed, "I'm sorry... I was too rash yesterday and I had to keep you with me."
"It doesn't matter, we are friends." Xia Lu didn't care. "You must be scared when you first come here. As a friend, if I can give you some courage and comfort, then I can't refuse."
Then, she changed the topic again, "Besides, this isn't really a troublesome thing. I have a sister who is much younger than me. She sometimes cries and makes noises. Occasionally I take her to sleep like this~"
"You also have a sister." Kristel was a little surprised.
"Yes, very cute sister!" Xia Lu nodded heavily, as if to show off.
Crystal was envious and a little jealous.
Although I just met the friend in front of me today, it is obvious that she has been cared for and brought up since she was a child. She is accompanied by others and is praised by everyone. Even in the palace, she can move freely and unimpeded. It is... simply... Just like what she dreamed about.
But what about yourself? Until now, I still don’t know why I was born.
A sour feeling suddenly arose in my heart.
But soon Crystal came out of her depression. This child who had been isolated from the world didn't know how to hold grudges. She didn't even know how to do evil to others.
No matter what, Xia Lu is already his friend, and he should be able to share everything she has.
"Okay, we should get up at this time." Xia Lu suddenly remembered something, "You will be summoned later, and we can't keep His Majesty and the others waiting."
Only then did Crystal think of this again.
She felt panic again for no reason.
"Can you stay with me when I see my dad later?"
"Of course! If your Majesty allows it, I will be there to remind you." Xia Lu agreed immediately.
Kristel's hanging heart suddenly relaxed.
She simply believed that no matter what difficulties came next, her friends would be able to help her overcome them.
Soon, with the help of the maid, both children changed their clothes.
Then, the female attendant led them into the garden, and then walked through the paths and corridors to a room.
There were several attendants standing in the corners of the room, but there were only two people in the center of the room, a man and a woman to be precise.
The female officer walked up to them and then bowed respectfully.
The young man waved his hand gently, and the female officer who led the way, as well as the other attendants in the room, quietly left.
Soon, there were only four people left in the room. Crystal raised her head and looked at the man and woman in front of her carefully.
They were all wearing casual clothes, no fancy jewelry, and they all looked very young.
The young man has a handsome face, and his blond hair is neatly combed. Although he looks polite, he always carries an aura of calmness and self-power in his movements. The young woman next to him has an equally beautiful face and a gentle demeanor. But there is also a restrained nobility.
At this time, both of them were looking at Crystal, and their scorching gaze made it difficult for Crystal to breathe for a moment.
Although Crystal was not familiar with the world, she was quite smart. She could see that everyone present was respectful to this young man - which meant that he was the biggest big shot here.
And yesterday she had heard from Xia Lu that her father was the emperor of this country, that is, the biggest big shot.
so……
At this moment, the young man took a step forward and called her name gently.
"Crystal..."
His voice was full of majesty, but also full of guilt. Of course, Kristel couldn't feel that many things, but from the other person's expression, everything was already obvious.
This man who is like a god is his father.
It even coincided with the image of the father she had imagined in her sleep.
Yes, he must be dad, it can't be anyone else! Only such people will be so loved by their mother. Crystal confirmed all this.
Although this was the first time she saw her father, the feelings stemming from her bloodline made her unable to care about anything else.
"Daddy!" She couldn't control herself anymore and shouted excitedly.
Then, tears burst out of her eyes, she walked forward and hugged the other person's feet.
Hearing his daughter's cry, Aigron couldn't bear it anymore. He picked her up and kissed her cheek. In this way, he vented his excitement about the reunion of father and daughter and his guilt towards his daughter.
After being affectionate for a while, he put his daughter down and spoke to her in a choked tone.
"I'm sorry, Crystal... I didn't bring you back to me until now."
These words, as if triggering a switch, suddenly reminded Kristel of her previous life.
In just eight years of life, she was confined to a place with no friends and only her mother who came to visit her from time to time. When she was there, she didn't feel much pain except boredom; but when she left there and experienced After arriving in the outside world, she realized how much she hated that kind of life and how afraid she was of experiencing it again.
Then, tears flowed down uncontrollably again.
"Mom always told me that dad would find me, so I have been waiting for you. I have been waiting for a long time..."
When he heard his daughter mention her mother, Aigron couldn't help but feel a twinge in his heart.
But he didn't know what to say, so he could only keep stroking his daughter's cheeks and hair.
"Yes, I owe you, my daughter. But from now on, no one can despise you or imprison you! You will have everything you deserve...and even more than that. I let you It’s been a long time, but luckily it’s not too late, you are still young, you will grow up with everyone’s attention and admiration, and become the most beautiful princess, and everyone will be amazed by your beauty and talent.”
If others heard these words, they would probably faint with excitement - because they know what this father can do and what he can give, but for Crystal, at this moment, she... There was no such concept at all. She just vaguely knew that her father was the most powerful person in France, but she didn't know exactly what this most powerful man could do, and she didn't care that much.
After meeting her father, the person she cared about most was naturally only one other person.
"Then...can you take me to see my mother again?" she asked softly.
This question immediately made the air in the room freeze.
The young man's face stiffened, and his eyes unconsciously moved to the side.
But a moment later, he was lovingly held in his daughter's arms.
"It will, it will definitely happen, I promise you...and it won't take long."
This sentence immediately made the nervous Crystal relax. Although it was just a sentence, Crystal placed unusual trust in her father.
Since dad said so, he will definitely do it.
So, she had nothing to worry about anymore.
The young man hugged Crystal again, sniffed her silver-white hair, then put her down, held her hand, and brought her to the young woman who was silent next to him.
"Teresa..." He looked at this woman with an expression of embarrassment, shame, and even a little fear.
The woman didn't speak, but nodded slowly.
"This is Her Majesty the Queen." Xia Lu quietly came over and explained in a low voice next to Kristel.
"Your Majesty the Queen..."
This noble term aroused another meaning in Kristel's mind at this moment - she was the one who took away her mother's position.
Since my father is the emperor, my mother should be the queen. This is only natural, right?
Of course, the little girl doesn't know that there are so many complicated things in the world. To her, everything is so simple.
Because of this, she instinctively felt disgusted with the woman in front of her - even though she looked so gentle.
She raised her head and looked at the woman, as if asking why she was the queen.
Xia Lu was so frightened that she pulled her sleeves repeatedly, signaling her to salute quickly.
"That's it, Xia Lu, stop..." The woman sighed softly, and then motioned to Xia Lu to let go, "I can understand her thoughts."
Xia Lu didn't dare to say anything more and quickly retracted her hand.
Then, the woman looked at the little girl in front of her.
"So cute." She commented softly again.
Then she leaned down, hugged Kristel, and then looked at His Majesty the Emperor.
As if asking, "What should I do?"
His Majesty the Emperor looked at the two people blankly, seeming a little at a loss. Then, he nodded apologetically to Queen Theresa, "Theresa, I'm sorry... Christelle just came here today. She must be very nervous, so you don't have to worry about some rude behavior."
"It doesn't matter, as long as Kristel can be happy." Her Majesty the Queen shook her head.
Then, she kissed Crystal's cheek, "Cristel, I'm very happy that you can come back to us. No matter what the previous generation did wrong, you are innocent after all. We should To compensate you for the disasters you have endured, I will try my best to take care of you in the future."
Then, she added in a low voice, "I don't ask you to treat me as your mother, and I can't replace your mother's role, but I will care for you like a friend and make up for your childhood shortcomings. If possible, I hope you Become good friends with...well, your younger brothers and sisters, and they will definitely respect and love you as a sister."
Crystal was confused and didn't know how to answer, but judging from the other party's behavior, she felt a kind of kindness.
So in an instant, her hostility disappeared a lot.
"Okay, Xia Lu, take her to play first...she needs to get familiar with her new home." Teresa did not explain to Clestel, but gave another order to Xia Lu.
Xia Luru was granted amnesty, and she was deeply afraid that if she stayed any longer, Clarstel, who didn't know her sense of proportion, would bump into Her Majesty the Queen again, which would be very bad.
Although Her Majesty the Queen is famous for her good temper, in this kind of matter...don't count on your temper.
So, Xia Lu saluted first, and then quickly left with Crystal.
Crystal looked at her father reluctantly, she was reluctant to say goodbye just after seeing her father, but her father nodded to her gently, hinting that she would meet again later.
Just like that, Crystal left with Xia Lu, leaving only two people in the room.
After the two girls left, the queen looked at the emperor.
"When are you going to make it public?"
"I will make it public after the palace gets used to her presence in a while," Aiglon replied. "If everything goes well, it should be ready in a month or two."
The so-called disclosure - of course means that Aigron publicly acknowledged his daughter's identity.
Yes, he not only planned to take Christel to the Palace of Fontainebleau to raise her well, but he also planned to publicly admit her as his daughter.
In other words, Kristel will become the illegitimate daughter recognized by the emperor, and she will have almost legal royal blood.
Although it is a bit deviant, it is not without precedent in European history - when the Sun King Louis XIV was on the throne, he legalized several illegitimate children he had with his mistresses and allowed them to use them. De Bourbon's surname - such as his illegitimate children with his mistress Madame Maintenon.
One of his illegitimate sons was later named Duke of Mann and became an army commander for a time; and later, he even married one of his illegitimate daughters, Francoise-Marie de Bourbon, to his own nephew Philip II, Duke of Orleans.
For a king who has successfully centralized power and "I am the country", all laws and taboos are just waste paper. No one can stop him from doing what he wants. Anyway, there are many royal jurists to defend him.
Of course, this kind of "legalized illegitimate children" is still far behind compared to real legal heirs. They are destined to have no royal inheritance rights, but they just have a visible identity and will not be unable to gain a foothold in the upper class society.
In this day and age, although there will certainly be some pressure from public opinion, Aigron is ready to withstand these pressures.
But in the final analysis, the French are not too rigid when it comes to such private affairs of the king. On the contrary, they are very accustomed to talking about such romantic affairs.
Teresa had been psychologically prepared for the arrival of Crystal and the "legalization" that would soon follow. Even today, many years later, she still remembers her daughter's appearance.
Although she was unhappy in her heart, she also knew that Princess Sophie was the first person to truly enter His Highness's heart. The child born between them had a different meaning to His Highness. I will definitely make it up to my daughter.
Therefore, she had no intention of stopping His Majesty the Emperor.
But she also has her persistence.
At that time, she had already spoken to His Highness. Although she could accept and tolerate the existence of Crystal by her side, she had absolutely no way to treat her with a mother's attitude, because her maternal love was only No matter what she could do, she could not treat everyone equally with the flesh and blood she could leave to herself and her husband.
Agron agreed to her conditions at that time because he knew that Teresa's willingness to make such a concession was already very valuable, and he could not and was not qualified to ask for more.
"That's fine..." Teresa sighed and put this bad thing in her heart. "As for the identity of her mother, let the boring historians guess - what if they guessed it?" ?”
Aigron was silent for a moment, and then replied, "I believe in the wisdom of future generations. Let them guess if they like? So what if they guessed it? We have left enough legends in our lives, and we are not afraid of one or two more... …I believe that when future generations evaluate me, they won’t use a few words of praise or criticism because of my private life. They care more about what I built and what I left behind.”
"Okay, that's right..." Theresa sighed and said nothing more.
"We will treat her well, but our children will inherit all this." Aigron said suddenly.
"I know." Teresa nodded, "So I am happy to compensate her. I hope she understands our painstaking efforts!"
