The Happy Life of a Duchess

Armand is not a very extroverted person. His natural slightly melancholic temperament and elegant appearance doom him to be not that type of person, but he is also not a very introverted person.

He is not introverted, and has the unique vigor of young people. When he is with his friends, he is also talking and laughing, which makes people feel very energetic.

But in such a short moment, Adele felt that she probably saw a huge emotional change on his face that was almost like a dying struggle.

He was shocked at first, and after the shock, after that unbelievable daze, he suddenly had a sudden understanding.After reacting, he couldn't help showing a little bit of fearful astonishment, but then the slight inappropriate fear quickly dissipated, and turned into a kind of speechless and helpless who didn't know what to do. It soon turned into a more distinct worry, and this kind of doubt turned into a still shocked expression in the end.

Adele was overwhelmed by his unprecedented rich expression changes.

She was also surprised that she could basically understand a series of changes in his expression and the reasons for them.

In the end, he looked at her in shock, with a little temptation.

Like a prisoner waiting to be sentenced to death, he was helplessly expecting a miracle with the last bit of hope in the courtroom.

And Adele...

Adele returned him a faint polite smile.

Thank God.

Apart from her, probably no one else understood his complex emotional changes.

Otherwise, his behavior of not having 300 taels of silver here and there is really not in line with gentlemanly etiquette, and this overreaction will undoubtedly bring trouble to both her and Mr. Duval.

"what happened?"

"Let's go, keep up."

Adele took Morgana and continued to walk forward.

Mr. Armand, who was at the front, was obviously a little disturbed. He was obviously very disturbed by his discovery, and what was even more disturbing was Miss Adele's reaction.

Armand couldn't help wondering secretly in his heart whether something really happened between his respected father and this noble lady.

He didn't know if the two of them had any real intentions, but what he wanted to say, if the two of them were lovers and had really done something, he would have nothing to say—

He doesn't mind his father's emotional life at all, and he thinks it's a very normal thing. He will naturally have his own life when he is an adult. He was surprised by his father's extremely self-denying life like in the past .

However, this does not mean that he can instantly accept that the object of this lover is Princess Juradi.

Although he didn't understand the situation very well, he could tell that Duke Juradi seemed to have a very friendly relationship with his father. As a result, at this time, his own father turned the corner of the other's house and made the Duke's noble family, especially the unmarried The one and only daughter received...

Armand only felt that his eyes were dark, and everything seemed to be not going well.

But for some reason, thinking of Miss Adele's smile, he felt that something was wrong.

Could it be that his father is one of the "guests" of this outstanding and popular lady?

Thinking about it this way, it seems understandable.

It seems that it is not surprising that a person with the status of the princess has several lovers.

She is also a famous and rich noble lady, so naturally many men want to rely on her.

You can imagine your father as such a character——

Armand felt that something was wrong again. The tall and majestic father in his heart didn't seem to be the kind of person who was dazed by beauty, and it didn't seem like such a pious and polite person would be a lady's lover with several men. look.

Armand frowned a little.

He felt as if he was in a dead-end alley, and it was an alley with no right and left, and he couldn't walk in front and back. He was locked in it as soon as he walked in.

He secretly groaned in his heart.

After he was silent for a long time, Mr. Duval had to remind his son, who didn't know where his mind was wandering, to regain his senses and deal with Mr. Duke's reply.

In social occasions, how can one be so distracted that one even ignores the host who is talking to the guests?

Duval was a little speechless in his heart, but it was not easy to reprimand his son in public.

If he knew what Armand was thinking, he might be really rude.

And if Adele knew, she might not be able to straighten up with laughter.

Unexpectedly, Mr. Armand, who looks gentle and gentle, has such an active little theater in his mind——

It's too much to think about, and it perfectly avoids the correct solution.

After being seated, the waiter brought refreshments and fruits to the box one after another.

Then chat with each other, and get in touch with the people in the private rooms next door, and communicate with each other about daily life. Basically, it's time for the show to start.

The seat is also cleverly arranged.

Generally, the seats in a semi-open private room are opened in a fan shape, or they sit around a round tea table, or they are fixed in the front and rear rows.

After Adele took her seat, she realized that she happened to be sitting in a small corner with Mr. Duval.

The Duke's father seemed to be somewhat curious about Armand, asking him questions or considering his work and studies from time to time.

Adele just pretended to be ignorant about this, and the smart Mr. Wise just smiled, as if he didn't understand Mr. Duke's intentions at all.

But in fact, both parties know that although Mr. Duke considers young people everywhere and plans for his daughter's marriage, her own wishes should be the first priority. Adele has reached a consensus with her father on this point. It is not necessary to think that this lucky one will fall on Armand's head.

In fact, Armand does not engage in politics, nor does he have the ability to inherit his father's career.

It's not bad for him to be a stable lawyer, and he can be regarded as a stable little nobleman.

Just like Mr. Bonn Barry, after Mr. Barry Sr. passed away, it was difficult for him to continue his father's renown, and he couldn't climb to the heights he once had in politics.

This is the situation where he has exhausted the existing resources of the Barry family to plan for the future Patriarch of the Barry family, but Mr. Duval obviously has no such intention, and it is impossible to use the power of a family to support Armand in politics.

The background of the Duval family is far behind.

The only thing they have now is this very good, very capable, farsighted Mr. Duval, the chief tax collector, and he knows very well that he is the only successful one in the family.

Armand didn't have such a rich family property inheritance, and he didn't have a prominent aristocratic status and family heritage. Although the Duval family also had a heritage in City C, they were weak compared to the well-known nobles in Paris.

And he himself is not a potential stock. It is not like Mr. Costa is capable of earning military merits by himself. In comparison, this opportunity will not fall on Armand's head.

Although the Duke's father considered him.

Adele is well aware of this.

"It's started, it's started."

Morgana is obviously in a good mood today, and she is very excited and looking forward to it.

Today they sat in an irregular and large arc.

On the center table, there is a bouquet of beautiful bright red roses.

Mr. Duke sits in the center and front of the entire show, closer to the stage.

Mr. Duval was a little behind, as a sign of respect for him.

Adele is on the other side of the Duke's father, slightly behind Mr. Duval, Morgana is a little behind, and Armand is on her opposite side.

The two sides are not symmetrical in the strict sense, but it is more convenient to arrange to talk to each other.

When the music started, everyone was watching attentively.

Adele tasted something wrong when she took the first sip of tea. A little honey was added to it. Many people know about this weird taste. Looking at Mr. Duval on the other side, the other party returned her a gentle smile.

Adele then understood and accepted his thoughtful kindness with a smile.

After a few passages, applause resounded.

Obviously the response was great and Adele thought it was great too.

Everyone watched intently. In their private room, except for a few gentlemen who occasionally talked and discussed things, Morgana and her were discussing the plot in a low voice.

But when the climax of the plot is approaching, everyone doesn't talk much, and no one wants to miss the wonderful plot of the passionate collision between the hero "Beast" and the heroine "Beauty".

"Do you like it?"

Armand turned his head and asked her in a low voice with a smile on his face.

"Of course, I like it very much."

Adele covered her mouth with a handkerchief, nodded yes, and focused on watching the drama without moving her eyes.

He stopped talking, as if he was also concentrating on watching the opera.

On the stage, the plot progresses, and the heroine falls asleep on a gorgeous bed.

The hero and heroine meet in the heroine's dream, and the beast arrives.

The "beast" on the stage shouted and sang to the heroine "beauty" whom he met in his dream:

"Will you marry me?"

Adele didn't blink her eyes, paying close attention to the development of the plot, but suddenly felt a gaze fall on her.

She turned her head slightly, and Mr. Duval was looking at her with extremely serious eyes. A strange feeling suddenly rose in her heart, and the questioning look passed away.

The Beast was calling out to the beauty of his dream asking "Will you marry me" a second time.

His expression was too serious and too serious.

Adele's heart trembled, and thousands of thoughts rushed into her heart.

It seemed that he was afraid that she would not understand, or that he wanted to express it to her more formally. He said to her again silently at a very slow speed that she could definitely understand:

"Will you marry me?"

Adele's eyes widened suddenly, her mind trembled violently, her eyes trembled slightly, and she was a little choked up for a moment, and she almost couldn't control her face and wanted to shed tears.

The background sound is the confession of the beast, as well as the hesitation and struggle of the heroine "beauty", the heart-shattering love that the two protagonists on the stage are constantly rising in that fearful mood——

It is as strong and fiery as this intense emotion that is confined in the box, not preached to outsiders, and only known to myself.

Both of them were undoubtedly distracted, and the sound of the opera next to their ears could no longer affect them.

At this time, they were completely immersed in a world that only the two of them could notice.

It took a long time for Adele to suppress her emotions, calm down the uncontrollable fireworks that exploded uncontrollably in her mind and in front of her eyes, and force her reason to extinguish those passionate flames. The beauty remained in her heart like the fragrant rose, and the sweet taste could not be concealed.

She managed to calm herself down, forced herself to ignore her overly hot face, and smiled at a certain gentleman who was still waiting for an answer, watching her with tender concentration.

Beauty and the Beast, she suddenly felt that this background could not be more suitable.

She believes that this gentleman must have done relevant homework when choosing, knowing that this version of the opera Beauty and the Beast uses Madame Beaumont's version that is closer to the fairy tale world, such a gentle and beautiful confession, It just happened to meet her, a "fake" lady with modern thinking.

However, at this moment, she wanted to answer with the original, more adult and wild words.

"I, would like to sleep with you."

In the first version of the story, the heroine finally answered this way.

She finally chose to be by the side of the beast, until it changed from the beast back to the prince.

And Adele also gave the same answer.

The moment Duval saw the shape of her lips, Duval almost knocked over the teacup in his hand.

His eyes widened, ecstasy mixed with astonishment, and at the same time unspeakable restlessness and anxiety.

The sudden surge of energy and blood made him feel like a kid, unable to control himself.

The "beauty" who had teased him so far had already lowered his head, drank tea as if nothing had happened, and then turned his gaze to the stage below again.

If it weren't for the slight flush on her cheeks, he would have thought that almost everything was an unrealistic fantasy made by a middle-aged man who hadn't had a relationship and private life for a long time.

Duval drank a few glasses of water, and managed to suppress it with a few coughs. Although his mood was still fluctuating violently, he finally controlled himself.

A certain cunning lady then turned her eyes sideways and secretly laughed at him. There was a joy in that smile that he couldn't stop, as if she just bent her eyebrows and eyes, which made him feel his heart softened, and he was involuntarily infected and couldn't help himself. Forbidden land was touched.

It's this kind of slyness, together with her teasing, that makes him feel very cute, so cute that he can't take his eyes off, and if he doesn't look at her, it feels like a part of his heart is empty.

Duval couldn't help showing a genuine and happy smile.

He never expected that he would be so impulsive, and he never imagined that he would have such a side one day.

But he was so—willingly.

The author has something to say:

In the 18th century, which began in 1740, the aristocratic lady Gabriel-Susanne Villeneuve created a 200-page novel "Beauty Beauty" based on her favorite Roman poet Ovid's "Metamorphosis". and the Beast, which was originally written for the entertainment of Salon friends. (It is also said that the prototype of "The Beast Bridegroom" can be traced back to a story called "Cupid and Psyche" in "The Golden Donkey" written by the ancient Roman writer Apuleius.)

Villeneuve's fantastic romance is long.Belle in French is not a name (Belle), but a synonym, meaning beauty.The heroine in the story is the youngest of twelve children of a wealthy businessman. She is outstanding in appearance and is known as "beauty".A batch of goods of a wealthy businessman was shipwrecked, misfortunes never come singly, his house caught fire, his family went bankrupt for a while, all relatives deserted, and the helpless wealthy businessman moved to the countryside with his family.When Meimei was 16 years old, a wealthy businessman went out, and Meimei's five sisters asked her father to bring back jewelry and clothes as gifts. Only Meimei sympathized with her father and only wanted a rose.

On the way home, the rich businessman lost his way in the forest and strayed into the castle, where he was entertained by an invisible servant. Before leaving, the rich businessman plucked a rose from the castle.At this moment, Beast, the owner of the castle, appeared, and as a punishment for stealing roses, Beast imprisoned the rich merchant.The rich businessman begged the beast and told about his misfortune. The beast was moved. He promised to let the rich businessman go, but asked the beauty to be punished instead of his father.

The beauty was sent by the rich merchant to the palace of the beast, where the beauty was decorated with rich clothes and feasted on delicious food. She was surrounded by luxury goods, books, and instrumental music. The only thing that bothered her was that the beast courted her every night.

After nightfall, an unnamed prince and fairy will alternately appear in the dream of the beauty. The prince expresses his heart to her and begs the beauty to liberate him, while the fairy keeps persuading the beauty not to judge people by their appearance.Two months later, the beauty left the castle to go home to visit relatives. Before leaving, the beast told her that if she didn't return to the castle before the appointed time, the beast would die.

Beauty's father and six older brothers all advocated that she should go back to the Beast, but Beauty was very reluctant.The day before the expiration, the fairy appeared again in the dream to persuade the beauty, and the beauty returned to the castle with the help of the magic of the ring, but it was still too late, the castle was no longer prosperous, and the beast did not come to court after dark.Beauty looked around and brought the dying beast back to the castle.After the beast woke up, he asked the beauty again, and this time, the beauty agreed.After waking up, the beauty found that the one lying beside her pillow was no longer a beast, but the prince in her dream.

In the 1750s, the French writer Madame Jeanne-Marie Riprince Beaumont adapted the story. Villeneuve's audience is mainly adults, while Beaumont's is a fairy tale book, and the audience is children. This version is also The most well-known version of the story besides the Disney version.

Beaumont's version of Beauty and the Beast simplifies and sanitizes the story by omitting passages about the view of royal marriages:

The beautiful woman is no longer a hidden blue-blood nobleman, but the youngest daughter among the three sons and three daughters of a wealthy businessman. (The first version is the prince and princess who are well-matched, and the later version is the prince and the daughter of a wealthy businessman)

The beast changed from courtship every night to courtship every night. (The most critical point is that the beast asked every night: "Will you sleep with me?" was changed to "Will you marry me?" The former is primitive sexual desire, the latter is naive fantasy, no matter whether the two forms Which kind, there are people who are obsessed with it, and the letter is passed on.)

After the beast changed back to the human form, he lived a happy life with the beauty, and there was no more evil mother-in-law who killed halfway. (In the first version, after the beast became a prince, his combination with the beauty was opposed by the prince's mother. The prince's mother has outstanding military achievements and is a powerful female character, but the big move released by the in-law's family was firmly caught by the beauty's natal power. Doubly counterattack. The fairy who frequently appears in the beauty's dream is actually the sister of the beauty's mother. The beauty's biological mother was exiled from the fairyland after marrying the beauty's biological father. In order to save the beauty's life, the fairy aunt entrusted the beauty to a wealthy businessman. .The beauty’s biological father is the king of the wealth island country, and he is in the same family as the prince. The story is told here, and the prince and the princess live a happy life.)

In 1771, French writer Marmontier and French composer Gretley collaborated on the opera version of "Beauty and the Beast" "Zemire? et? Azor".

ps: Please understand this "sleep" as a verb (?) of that.

(The above information is from the Internet, partially modified)