[Count of Monte Cristo] Love and hatred

(Extra)

Matilda received a bad news from France.

— Baron Renault was killed in North Africa.

He is Matilda's lover, to be precise, her former lover.

After so many years, she didn't know if he would think of her before he left, but she herself had never forgotten him.

She still remembers the days when they met, knew each other, knew each other, and fell in love in Paris. It was probably the most beautiful time in her life, just like the golden sunshine shining on Lenore's hair under the summer sun in Paris.

But now, she is in the realm of eternal winter, and it seems that all the lives around her are withering.

She spread out her palm, revealing the white "face" in her hand.The cold chess piece didn't seem to absorb any warmth from her hands, and lay alone in her palm.

At that time, she didn't understand the meaning of this chess piece. She thought it represented Renault, whose ancestors were nobles in the time of Charlemagne.

Now that things have happened, she finally understands that this pawn is herself.

She still remembered that in that dark tent back then, Wu Ji asked her to choose a chess piece on the chessboard, and she chose this white "phase" without hesitation, perhaps because it stood alone among a pile of black chess pieces. It seemed too lonely in , or for some other reason, but she couldn't remember, she chose it anyway.

"This is your future destiny." A strange smile appeared on the corner of Wu Ji's mouth, "Keep it, it will remind you and remember your position."

She didn't understand Wu Ji's words, so she continued to ask.Wu Ji gave her three prophecies, "You will inherit a large fortune, reap an unforgettable love, and your children will have royal blood..."

Now these three prophecies have come true, but what is gained is also doomed to be lost.

Inheriting that inheritance meant that she lost her father and brother; she gained an unforgettable love, but lost her lover forever; and her son was the great-grandson of Catherine the Great and the grandson of General Alexei.Although his grandfather was an illegitimate child, it doesn't change the fact that he has royal blood.

Thinking of the excitement when she first heard the prophecy, Matilda only felt ironic.

It all started with that ridiculous ball.Without that ball, perhaps she would be the Baroness Renault active in the Parisian social circle today.

Years ago, after her father died, her sister-in-law pushed her to the Versailles court ball. She thought it would be her chance, but it turned out to be her lifelong nightmare.

It was at that ball that she met Andrei, who was also an envoy of Tsarist Russia.

She had the love of her life at the time, and agreeing to go to the ball was nothing more than vanity, to impress.Unexpectedly, at the ball, Andre fell in love with her at first sight, and launched a crazy pursuit.

Behind Andrei is his noble grandmother, the whole of Tsarist Russia.For the sake of her future, her brother forced her to marry Andre, and he was backed by royal forces.Whether it is Louis XVIII or Count Artois, they are happy to see this marriage come to fruition.

Matilda was unwilling to be a pawn, so she chose to elope with Baron Lenoir.Unexpectedly, the plan was betrayed by her best friend and sister-in-law, which triggered a duel between Andre and Leno.

The unfortunate duel ended with Lenore being wounded.

She suspected that someone had tampered with it, because Leno was one of the best sharpshooters in the club.However, it was useless to say anything. In order to save her reputation, she was forced to marry Major General Andre.

So she became a real chess piece, a chess piece with a background away from home.

In this way, Matilda came to the cold northern country alone, while Leno joined the army after recovering from injury, and later heard that he had gone to North Africa, and they left that sad place by coincidence.

Matilda wanted to die, but her faith saved her.

It took a long time for this Marseilles lady to get used to the severe cold of Petersburg and the life of the Russians.But what is even more cruel is that Tsarist Russia believed in the Orthodox Church, so she could only stay at home and pray.

And her connection with her mother country is also being severed bit by bit.

When she heard the news of her brother's death, Matilda felt less grief than relief.Her sister-in-law had found a successor shortly after her brother's death, a banker named Danglars, and through her father's connections, had secured the new husband a baronial title.

And her best sister in France also passed away, for which she was sad for a long time, and had no contact with France for a long time.

Now that Le Nuo is gone, her heart seems to have died along with it, leaving only a wasteland.

A crystal tear rolled down Matilda's cheek.

There was a flash of cruelty in the corner of her eyes, and then she took out a delicate dagger from the cabinet and came to her husband's bedside.

He is noble, elegant and handsome, but Matilda hates him.How could she not hate him, if it wasn't for him, she wouldn't be forced to go to a foreign country.Leno would not have died if it hadn't been for him.

He took away all her happiness!

However, Matilda didn't do anything after all. She thought of what he had done to her over the years, and thought of their son. She couldn't let him have a father.

When putting down the dagger, Matilda didn't know that Andre, who had his back to her, opened his eyes silently.

......

It was the first time that Matilda drank so much alcohol, and it was strong vodka.

She swung out the gate of the manor, walked around in the woods, and didn't go home until it snowed.

The severe cold made her wake up a little bit, and she finally showed a smile when she looked at her son who was being giggled by the servant in the window.

She stood there for a long time, the black sable down on her body was completely covered in white by the falling snowflakes.She didn't come back to herself until someone gently put on her coat.

"Let's go home, Matilda."

She turned around and it was her husband, Andre.

She didn't know how long he had been out, and there was a lot of snow on him.

After returning to the room, the dancing flames in the fireplace did not make her feel warm, and the surrounding air froze in a tense silence.

She watched in disbelief as Andre took the dagger out of the cabinet, and then her husband opened his chest, "I know you hate me, if this makes you feel better..."

Is he testing her?

Andre's behavior aroused Matilda's resentment, she really picked up the dagger and stabbed it down. Although the stab was not deep, the white flesh on Andre's chest was rolled up, and the bright red blood was gurgling shed.

Perhaps frightened, Mattie cried.

Enduring the pain, Andre took out a letter from his arms tremblingly with bloody hands and handed it to her.

She opened the letter immediately, and it was news from North Africa that Lenaud was not dead, but a young officer named Maximilian Morel rescued him.

Matilda suddenly felt guilty.

"Why didn't you tell me just now?"

"It's worth it, if this injury can ease your hatred for me a little bit." Andre pondered for a while, "Matilda, I love you, I have always felt guilty about what happened back then..."

"Of course you should feel guilty, Leno will never lose to you," Matilda said angrily, "Your people must have tampered with his gun."

"I swear on my family's reputation, I didn't do such a thing," Andre suddenly became excited, "Actually, this problem has troubled me for many years. I have heard of Baron Lenoir's reputation in the club. I thought that the final result was that I died in the duel, then maybe you will still remember me, but..."

"But that's not the result I want." Matilda's green eyes flickered.

"But that duel was not honorable for me to win." Andre lowered his head. "I investigated secretly. That night, someone had an appointment with Baron Lenoir..."

"what?"

"Think about it, how could Louis XVIII allow Russian nobles to die on their own territory?" Andre reminded.

Matilda suddenly felt a whirlwind, and she realized that André was right. Leno had lost to André under pressure, just as she had married him under pressure.They all made choices.

But she quickly came to her senses, found medicinal wine and bandages, and carefully bandaged Andre.

This may be the first time she has looked at her husband's body. It is white but strong, just like the proud Apollo carved by Florentine sculptors... Maybe it is the effect of alcohol, she seems to feel a hot flame burning in her heart.

She noticed that under the skin-to-skin contact, Andre seemed to feel the same way.After dressing the wound, Matilda's hand slid down unconsciously, touching the firm abdominal muscles, and...

Andre can't help leaning in... At first they just kiss, then they do more...

It's their first time in this long.

......

Dawn is approaching, and the night is over.Matilda got up from the bed, pulled the warm fur, walked to the fireplace outside the bedroom, and threw the chess piece into it.

In a part of her, it was also saying goodbye to her past.

The true love she thought gave up on her, but the person she didn't love could give her life for her.

She suddenly didn't understand what the self-pity, self-pity, and self-pity for so many years were for?

Matilda looked at her husband who was sleeping soundly on the bed, she only knew that she would cherish him from now on.

The embers from the fireplace kept the bedroom warm, even a little too hot.

Matilda sighed softly, and then pulled back the heavy brocade curtain.The panes were clouded with frost, and she pushed them open to let the night chill into the bedroom.

The snow stopped, and what embraced her were the stars all over the sky.

Especially the Venus star that once shone in the sky at dusk, now reappeared in the deep sky.

For some reason, she suddenly remembered the Catalan girl who disappeared in Paris many years ago. Will she shine again in the starry sky of Paris like Venus?