[Count of Monte Cristo] Love and hatred

r093

The bells of the monastery ring from beyond the city.

At this time, Mei Tess had already led Haidee to board the ship that was leaving the port.

She was still wearing the wet men's clothes, but the beard she used to pretend to be a man had been washed away by the waves.There was only one oil lamp for light in the cabin, and she looked at Haidee again, and the girl's pale face made her feel a pang of heartache.The last time I saw Haidee, she was a child of four.But Plum Tess would not be mistaken, her face was as beautiful as Vaseriki's, and she carried Ali's heroic spirit, she was the lost Greek princess, she could not be mistaken.

"We're safe now," Plum Tess gently embraced little Haidai into her arms.

Haidee said nothing, but leaned submissively against Plum Tess.She didn't know where the strange woman in front of her would take her, but anyway, it was better than being sold to her enemy Sultan Mahmoud.

In fact, when she was first brought into the capital of Ottoman Turkey by slave traders, she hoped that she would be sold to the Sultan, so that she would have the opportunity to kill her enemies and avenge her father Governor Ali.

But many years of slave life taught her what obedience is, and it also made her gradually hide the proud heart that belongs to Yanina's lion daughter.She also understood that she was no match for the Sultan, and that any of his men could easily take her life.

But she never forgot revenge.She prayed to God every day that those sinners would be punished, and she recited the names of those enemies every night.Until one day, as if her prayers were answered, the old Sultan died.Yet his son became the new Sultan, and her situation did not change, nor did that of Greece.

But now, her fate has ushered in a turning point.Someone bought her from a slave trader and brought her to this beautiful woman.For some reason, the moment Plum Tess knelt down, held her face in her hands, and said she was safe, Haidee felt more reassured than she had ever felt before.

"Where are we going?" asked Haidee curiously.

Actually, Plum Tess didn't have time to think about this question at all.

"We have left the Bosphorus," the captain reminded. "Where are you going? The person who hired me paid enough money, and you can call at any port in the Mediterranean Sea."

Mei Tess knew that the person who hired the boat was Busani, and she didn't believe him, but she had nothing with her when she left the Nemesis, so she had to get on the boat first and make plans after leaving the borders of Turkey.But it now appears that at least that Busani is not as unfeeling as his brother.

The place closest to them in front of them is Greece, which is Haiide's hometown, and Mei Tess also hopes to take Haiide back one day.But not now, Greece is still in war.The protracted war has long exceeded her vague impression of this period of history.

What about France?Mei Tess suddenly remembered that Bess had said that Paris was her destined place, but she knew very well that in the next few years, France would fall into chaos, Charles X would be overthrown, and the newly crowned King of the Orleans Dynasty Louis Philippe did not bring peace and tranquility to France.

Between Greece and France, there is Italy, which has not yet been unified.She had followed Captain Sinbad around the Adriatic Sea for four years, and she knew it well, but this time she would change the route, and she would not let the captain find her.

After thinking for a while, Mei Tess said, "Rome! Let's go to Rome."

After that, perhaps from the wet dress and the cold wind, Plum Tess caught a cold, and during that time she kept little Haidee near her.Although she gradually recovered under the care of the captain, the illness was so violent that it seemed difficult to fully recover in a short time.

Plum Tess knew that Haidee had always had a problem.So she allowed little Haidee to come and see her when she was almost well.After Haiidee handed her a cup of hot water, she was not in a hurry to leave. She stood there all the time, as if she was brewing something.

"Do you have a question for me?" Mei Tess looked at Haidee with encouraging eyes.

"Miss Maisettes, can you tell me what happened in Yanina that year?" Haiidee asked courageously.

Plum Tess sighed slightly.Haidee was still too young at that time to understand why her father was killed overnight and she was turned from a princess to a slave.But sooner or later she has to face it.

After thinking for a few seconds, Plum Tess asked back, "Haidee, what do you remember?"

Out of a protective psychology, Mei Tess hoped that Haidee had forgotten those terrible things, so that she could tell her the cruel truth step by step.But what Plum Tess didn't expect was that Haidee remembered far more things than that.

She remembered the situation when Governor Ali ordered his men to escort her and her mother to the water village in the middle of the lake.At that time, Ali told her that they were just going to escape the summer heat and would pick them up in a few days.However, Xiao Haidai faintly felt that was not the case, because she saw sadness in her mother's expression, as if they would never see each other again after this separation.

So she clung to her father until Ali stroked her hair and told her that the daughter of the Lion of Yannina was to be a brave girl.

Haidee let go at last, and young Selim, father's favourite, carried her into a boat with Vaseriki.But when the boat arrived at the water village in the middle of the lake, Selim did not let her and her mother live in those beautiful houses, but led them into a dark cellar.

Until a maid brought Ali's ring and asked them to go with her.Later they fled to the sea, but a group of Turks chased them.The maid drew the enemy away with a veil, but she and her mother, Vaseriki, were found at last.

They were brought before a Turkish chieftain.

"Kill me!" said Vanessery, "but please don't insult Ali's daughter."

"You don't need to tell me that," said the Turk disdainfully.

"Then who should I tell?" Vanessery asked.

"Go and speak to your new masters," said the Turk, pointing out one man, and that man was the traitor of Yanina, Count de Morcerf from France.

Morcerf didn't dare to take them in. He sold them to two slave traders respectively.Haidee only remembers watching her mother being dragged in the direction of Yanina, and herself being carried by slave traders through Greece to the capital of Turkey, half dead.

"Later I heard a Greek girl who was also sold into slavery say that Governor Ali was dead," Haide said sadly. "At that time I lost my mind and beat her hard until she dared not say such words. But then, when everyone said that, I found that I couldn't stop them all..."

Plum Tess shook Haidee's hand lightly.

Haidee went on, "Because of that, the Armenian slave trader called me a barbaric girl. He said that no one wanted a barbaric girl as a slave, and the useless girl would be killed. I didn't know that at that time. I was afraid of death, so I resisted when he beat me, but my strength was very small, and every time I would only irritate him, which would lead to more severe beatings. Later, he hired a teacher to teach me, and that teacher was very sympathetic to what happened to me. Tell me to live to have hope..."

"He's right," said Mei Tess.

"He taught me several languages, and also taught me how to play the Yueqin. He said that would please my master. Maybe one day he will show kindness and let me go free..."

Plum Tess gently stroked Haidee's hair, "It is not a wise choice to place hope on others, we should rely on our own strength."

"Yes. Although after that, there was hope in my heart again, until one time I saw that slave trader gave my teacher a lot of money, and I was not sure if the teacher said those words from the heart", Haiidee pondered for a while, "After I had finished my studies, the teacher went to teach other girls. And that slave trader boasted more than once that he would sell me to the Sudan. But just yesterday, a group of people broke into the market and took me away. Forcibly took him away, only stuffed him with a small purse, and then I was brought to you."

"Do you remember me, Haidee?" Plum Tess asked tentatively.

Haidee shook her head.

"Think again," Mei Tess blinked, "I was the maid who led the Turks away when you and Valysej were running away."

At that moment, Haiidee's eyes widened, and Mei Tess's words seemed to light up a light, making her dusty memory gradually clear.

"Yes, I remembered, you are my mother's maid..." Haide said excitedly, "I didn't expect to meet you again, my mother sent you here, didn't you?"

"No," Plum Tess shook her head sadly.

"Then she..."

"Vaselic..." Plum Tess hesitated to speak.

"Please tell me, no matter what the result is, I'm fully prepared," Haiidee said resolutely.

"She is now buried with your father, next to a monastery..."

"Where is the person who is most responsible for my father's death?" Haiidee suppressed tears and called out the name of the enemy. "Morcerf, what happened to him?"

"He returned to France with your father's ring, claiming that before his death, Ali had left him a large sum of money for his services," Maisé Tess explained.

"That's the money for selling my mother and me," Haidee said through gritted teeth.

Plum Tess stroked Haidee's hair softly, comfortingly.

"By the way, I remembered. That Morcerf seemed to admire you very much," said Haide suddenly. "Later, my father locked you up, and my mother went to intercede. But Selim said you were a spy. Tell I'm not real, plum Tess."

Mei Tess opened her mouth slightly, she didn't know how to tell Haidee that she was the spy sent by the Duke of Buckingham to Yanina.Yet she heard herself speak the truth, "It's true."

Haiidee's tears burst instantly.Originally, she thought that there were so many doubts and sorrows in her heart, and she finally found someone to talk to, but...

"But I did not betray Ali," Maisettes went on, "I confessed everything to him then, but he chose to trust Morcerf instead of me. When Yanina was besieged, he released me. , gave me that ring, and asked me to swear to protect you. Now, I finally found you..."

"No, please don't say any more, miss." Haidee shook her head. "My head is in a mess. Let me think again."

"You'll have plenty of time to think," Mei Tess reassured.

"Thank you. Good night then, miss," Haidee let out a deep sigh as her arms fell limply to her side.

"good night!"

After that long night Haidee became silent again, and she did not speak a word to Maisette until she disembarked.

Plum Tess began to regret telling Haidee the truth too soon, at least she shouldn't have made Haidee hate her until Haidee really trusted her.But she was afraid, she was afraid that Haiidee would be hurt even more if she said everything when Haiidee began to depend on her.

Speaking of getting to Rome, they had to go overland.Before leaving, the captain left a bag of money, which she knew was also given by Busani.

But that money is not enough to do anything.

Maybe it was because of the wind and cold again, and Plum Tess's wind chill began to attack again.She had to rent a room nearby.

However, when she woke up the next day, she found that Haiidee was gone, and the only money they had left was gone.

Plum Tess hurried out to look for it, but she was very weak now.When she asked all the way and came to an alley, a man followed her in.

Plum Tess could see that he had malicious intentions, and with her usual skills, it would not be a problem to knock him down, but now...

They fought together, and as they struggled she noticed that Haidee had suddenly appeared.The girl picked up the gun that the man dropped and pointed it at him, but she didn't know how to shoot.

But the scene succeeds in mobilizing Mei Tess's power.Before Haiidee succeeded in groping, Mei Tess touched a stone and slammed it on the man's head.

The man groaned and fell to the ground.Plum Tess pushed him away with great effort, sat up from the ground, panting heavily.

At this time, Haiidee still maintained the original posture. Plum Tess thought that Haiidee had not forgiven her, but she suddenly found that Haiidee was not looking at her, but focused on the gun.

A moment later Haidee handed the gun to Mei Tess.

"Taught me..."