[Notre Dame de Paris] Papal Way

Putting aside those prejudices at the beginning, Anna and Ace got along quite happily.To be called "the least stupid woman in France" by Louis XI, Anna's ability is certainly not bad.After realizing that she might have made a mistake in her judgment, Anna quickly changed her attitude towards Ace and extended an olive branch in time.

And Ace's temperament and demeanor, including some careful accommodation and maintenance of her while dancing, made the princess feel very comfortable.If she hadn't known in advance that Ace was from a slum and was a homeless man, she might have thought that he was really an illegitimate child that his father had carefully taught since he was a child, or that he was a down-and-out nobleman who had come into exile from a foreign country.

Both parties have a friendly attitude, and of course it is very pleasant to get along with each other.Anna didn't even mind revealing some information to him: "... Now I think that your words may be right, and maybe I should also order such a pair of high heels... Speaking of which, you know Priest Claude Frollo ?"

"We met on an unpleasant occasion." Ace didn't evade her question this time, with a gentle and alienated smile on his lips, "Jeanna asked me this question just now...why Do you all call him 'Priest'?"

"I have known the priest since I was very young, when he was still a young man." Anna sighed a little enviously, "Although his appearance has not changed much until now...the king doesn't like him very much. , At that time, he was often kicked out with his teacher. But the queen admired him very much, calling him 'the only man of noble character in Paris', and occasionally summoned him, so we all know him."

Ace raised his eyebrows slowly: "Us? Including Charlie?"

"Charlie is the future king of France." Anna replied, her sharp black eyes quickly glanced at him, "The education he has received since he was a child is different from ours. He lives in another place and rarely sees us .But he's a pretty clever boy, and always knows what he wants. I think you understand, what's the point of this ball?"

Ace smiled, but didn't answer.When he saw these guests, he understood what Louis XI meant by holding a ball.Most of these guests were members of the upper class in Paris, with noble status and rich wealth, but they lacked those who had the most say, not even members of the royal family.What's interesting is that the host didn't give much introduction to Ace's identity, and the guests also tacitly kept their distance without asking too much.Holding such a ball is just to show that there is indeed "Ace" in the royal family, not to really introduce him to others as the Duke of Orleans.

Ace's ambiguous life experience has made many nobles realize this, but some people still naively think that Ace will gain some real power and become another strong contender for the throne.After all, Louis XI would hold such a ball just to perfuse the cardinal.And because it has nothing to do with it, the cardinal doesn't care at all whether Ace will gain any real power. He will come here just to take advantage of this opportunity to get more benefits.

"Priest Frollo is a very capable person." Anna turned around briskly, glanced at Jeanne's gleaming skirt beside her, and couldn't help but twitched her lips, "I don't know how they met, However, he managed to convince my brother that Charlie asked his father for a teacher... However, the king seemed to be worried that the priest would teach Charlie some alchemy or something, and rejected this lovely idea."

Ace smiled again: "Do you believe in alchemy?"

There was also a charming smile on Anna's lips: "Since 'angels' may come, how can people deny the existence of alchemy?"

Ace's eyes deepened, and his smile became brighter.Anna is always asking about his relationship with Claude. It seems that he suspects that his "Holy Son" identity was forged with Claude's help... But from this point of view, Claude's preparations are stronger than he imagined. And more.He can make the king trust him, become a popular man supported by the cardinal, make Anna think he is neutral, make the pope ignorant, let Cardinal Sibo relax his guard, and make Cardinal Rovere a confidant ...If he has such ability, the position of pope can certainly be easily captured, but the question is, how can Claude ensure that he becomes pope in just a few years?

The more he gets to know Claude, the more interest Ace has in his heart.He concealed the deep thought in his eyes, lowered his head slightly, and said softly at a volume that could only be heard by Anna: "Whether alchemy exists, I can't prove it, but the arrival of angels..."

The spiritual force rushed into Anna's mind like a bamboo, and the spell fell silently.Ace thoughtfully took the distracted Anna aside from the dance floor, looked back and saw Phoebe who was standing not far away arguing with Lily, and the corners of his lips curled up again.

Seeing Phoebe here was a pleasant surprise... There are some things that he wants to charge some interest for.

-

At such a ball, it is very normal to chat with others and meet new friends. However, because of their guilty conscience, Phoebus and Lily dare not appear in front of Ace in an open manner. Not the man they knew.But before they successfully turned to Ace, Ace took Jeanna to rest; after a while, he took Princess Anna off the dance floor again, where the two were talking and laughing, dancing lightly｜ Fast, without giving others a chance to approach them...

The two princesses became Ace's dance partners one after another, clearly showing some kind of support for him.Jeanna can't explain anything yet, but Anna, as the future princess regent, can explain a lot of things with such a statement.So not long after they stopped, a noble came forward and tried to chat.Ace is like the most dazzling gem, truly stealing everyone's attention.

Madame de Merit Laurel sat down on the chair out of breath, and said with emotion: "After all, I am no longer young now...I think back then, when I was dancing in the court of Charles VI..."

"Charles VI! This old antique... God, when will it be big?" Phoebes tugged on the neckline that made him almost breathless, thinking to himself.Now he just wants to urgently prove whether the so-called "Duke of Orleans" is the one he knows.Whether alive or dead, that handsome face always appeared in front of his eyes. Sometimes he wished to draw out his sword to kill the phantom, and sometimes he was deeply fascinated by his strange arrogance.However, Lily still put on such a lukewarm and suspicious look, which made him miss the enthusiasm that burst out in his heart when he was with Ace.

However, he made a wrong prediction this time, Lily now has no time to care who he has in his heart.Aristocratic marriage, to put it bluntly, isn't that the same thing?She loved Phoebus deeply in the past, so of course she would feel sad and jealous because of his little behavior, and would violate her heart in order to really get him.But that happy illusion didn't last long before Ace appeared before her eyes again.A face that is more dazzling than the brilliance of the sun, and an aura that fascinates deeply like a jewel...

She was joyful and terrified, and she could not help feeling fond of him, but she always suspected that he was a ghost crawling out of hell to avenge her.Because of her informant, he was sent to prison; and because of her informant, he was hanged... On the day of the execution, she didn't dare to visit, but locked herself in the room and prayed desperately to the gods.This is her fault, and she should repent for it, but after paying so much and suffering for so long, why does God punish her in this way and let him appear before her eyes again?

She could not express her fear to Phoebus.What she fears is not that Phoebus will be taken away again, but that this vengeful ghost will drag Phoebus with her into hell.Protected too well by her mother, Lily has always demanded herself with a pure and tough heart, but ever since she witnessed the scene where Phoebus and Ace kissed under the balcony, she seemed to have fallen into a dark abyss. He did that kind of thing by accident...

God will not forgive her, and the innocent sun will testify to it.Now she has the same desire as Phoebus—to prove whether the "Duke of Orleans" who suddenly appeared is the one she killed!

"...I looked at the Duke," the old lady suddenly mentioned Ace when Phoebus and Lily were distracted, "but let me tell you, the current Duke of Orleans doesn't look like a royal family at all." His lineage...he is so handsome, and always makes me feel a little familiar."

Lily's heart was pounding, as if it would jump out of her chest at any moment.She had to interrupt her mother: "But, others say that he looks similar to His Majesty the King."

"It's very similar." A mysterious expression suddenly appeared on the old lady's face, "It's not about his appearance, it's about making people think that he should be the heir of the king when they first saw him... This feeling, I always feel like I've seen it before."

Lily barely showed a smile, and once again set her sights on Ace not far away.Is he really...

Phoebe didn't pay attention to what the old lady was saying, but was distracted with irritability.Not long after, he said: "It's really boring here, I'll go outside for a walk." After speaking, he disappeared from the ball hall in a flash.

At the same time, Ace, who was watched by the lily, raised his head with a feeling.Louis XI came over suddenly, and impatiently drove the nobles away: "What are you all doing here? Is there another unexploited gold mine in my territory?"

The nobles had long been familiar with the king's temper, and they left one after another after tactfully pleading guilty.Louis XI obviously didn't want to see the newly promoted Duke of Orleans make friends with the nobles, and they didn't have to make trouble.

After driving away those who were in the way, Louis XI asked Ace, "What kind of ecstasy|spirit|drug did you give them? Not only Mr. Olivier highly praised your medical skills, but even De Paul Brother Er also thinks that you are a famous doctor that is hard to find in the world, if there is really a way to cure diseases and prolong life in the world, can I only consider asking you for help besides asking Priest Frollo?"

The smile on his lips did not diminish at all, and Ace said lightly: "Haven't you already thought it through?"

"Damn it," murmured the king, "so you can really cure me?"

"God doesn't allow humans to live too long," Ace said inscrutably, "but he has allowed me to have the power to heal diseases. You can also watch the birth of Charlie's son, a gift from me as Metatron. I promise you."

Louis XI looked at Ace sharply, and suddenly changed the subject: "You are different from what I imagined."

This sentence was a bit thoughtless, but Ace knew that he was talking about his own life experience.He shook his head and said, "I never thought that I would complete my descent in such a body. However, God's will is above all else. Maybe he thinks that I need to have a different experience from the Messiah."

Louis XI nodded silently, stood beside him for a while without a word, and said, "What do you need?"

Ace raised his eyebrows slightly, is he going to show himself as compensation for being a "father"?He has heard of Louis XI's stingy reputation.He would never allow any expenditure in his hands that did not meet his actual needs, and it would not be wise to rashly mention money to him.And as a father and husband, he was always generous.No matter how much money flows out of his hands, what he scolds is only the artisans who try to get benefits from him, not the wives and children who actually enjoy the money... However, he never planned to let Louis as a "son" Eleven let go to help.

"I need the full support of the French treasury." He said bluntly, "In the history of the Holy See, there will be one more Pope named Valois."

——The exchange of interests and interests is the criterion of communication between nobles.Only by keeping a certain distance can those suspicious and cunning nobles feel comfortable.There is no doubt that both Ace and Louis XI are qualified nobles.

Sure enough, ambition appeared in the eyes of Louis XI: "Are you sure you can get this position?"

Ace raised his eyebrows slightly: "Who would know except God?"

The two successfully reached a tacit understanding, and they were quite satisfied with each other.How the final steps will be implemented cannot be decided now.

Louis XI was about to turn around and leave when he suddenly remembered something. He patted Ace on the shoulder and said in a low voice, "I heard you like blond officers? There is a gallery that preserves royal treasures. I think you should Go for a walk..."

Ace: "..."

...My father is too cruel and suddenly I feel completely overwhelmed!