Jane Qiao held the piece of landscape agate and sat on the sofa as if frozen.
His dark eyes were as quiet as pools without a source, and a melancholy aura spread through them.
No one knew what he was thinking at the moment.
"My lord, it's getting late, we should go back." As evening approached, his two servants walked to the sofa gently and spoke carefully.
"Ah, is it already dark?" Jian Qiao seemed to wake up from a long dream, with a trance expression on her face.
He looked at the street shrouded in darkness, and then looked at the candle next to him, and then gently put the piece of landscape agate into the box. However, when closing the lid, he stopped everything.
He held the box and didn't move for a long time.
"Sir, it's time to go." The two servants reminded again.
Jane Qiao rubbed her temples and asked wearily, "You guys say, should I punch a hole in it and make it into a pendant?"
He'd been wrestling with this problem all afternoon.
The two footmen, you look at me, I look at you, and choose silence. The owner regards this agate as a treasure, and they dare not come up with random ideas.
Jane Qiao didn't seem to need an answer from the two of them. After a pause, she murmured, "But, after a hole is punched, it's not complete. Will it hurt?"
Whether a stone needs freedom and light, whether it will cry when locked in the dark, whether it will feel pain when a hole is punched, will it make my life incomplete...
These strange questions were clearly beyond the comprehension of the two footmen.
Only people who are naturally romantic can have such absurd associations, but unfortunately they are not, so they both lowered their heads and dared not speak.
Jian Qiao, who was indecisive, held the agate and fell into contemplation again.
At the same time, Lei Zhe, who had returned to the duke's mansion, was standing in the dim corridor, staring at the faceless "Goddess of Water" by the glow of the torches.
"Why did you change her hair to black?" the old duke's tired voice came from the end of the corridor.
Several servants quickly raised their torches and lit the wall lamps one by one.
After a while, Helen stumbled down the stairs and across the corridor, shouting hoarsely: "I have given birth to a little prince! I want to see Charlie! I want to be queen! I am Glory's most honorable woman! You guys! I will eventually witness my glory."
Obviously, she's crazy.
The Duchess chased her into the blurry night, calling out over and over again helplessly: "Come back, Helen, please come back soon! Your child is long gone!"
They once regarded Lei Zhe as a thorn in the flesh, but when they passed by this person, they seemed to be completely invisible to each other. Maybe it's not that he can't see it, but he finally understands that as long as Lei Zhe is willing, he can dominate their life and death.
The old duke looked at the backs of the mother and daughter, there was no sadness or pain in his cloudy eyes, only an endless numbness.
He knew that all of this was caused by his own willful actions. When he deliberately angered Lei Zhe and Mo An's mother, this tragedy was doomed.
"So, why did you change her hair to black?" the old duke asked persistently.
He always knew what the painting meant. In the eyes of others, it is just a dead thing, but in Lei Zhe's heart, it is a living and destined person who will eventually meet him. He even dreamed of each other.
It was his most treasured treasure.
"Why did you paint her blond hair black?" the old duke asked again and again.
It wasn't until it was irreversible that he suddenly realized that he should have paid close attention to this child. He is also of his own blood, and he is so strong, resolute, and brave. He inherited the best qualities of Grande.
He wants to step into the world of this child, and this painting is a door to that world.
Lei Zhe, who stared at the painting for a long time, intently and motionlessly, finally reacted. He retracted his gaze reluctantly, walked towards the depths of the corridor, and said in a low voice as he passed his father, "I don't know either."
Yes, he doesn't know either.
Every time his father asked, he would think hard in his mind, but he could never find the exact answer. Suddenly, one day, he had an inexplicable idea that black hair might be more beautiful than blonde.
And it turns out that this idea is not wrong. After the correction, "Goddess of Mizusawa" is indeed countless times more beautiful than before.
The darkness gradually engulfed Lei Zhe's tall back.
The old duke turned to look back, and said quickly in a pleasing tone: "I think you have changed very well. She looks more mysterious and noble with black hair. You know, your dream will come true one day. She will Come to you and bring you happiness and joy."
---
In addition to worrying about when she can go back, Jane Qiao, who was staying in Grande, had another worry, that is, should she punch a small hole in her treasure and wear it as a necklace.
He would hold the box and think hard for a while every day, which would kill some boring time.
He likes to be on hotel balconies, sitting around doing nothing all day with a cup of coffee. Occasionally, the sun will break through the dark clouds and thick fog, and shine down from the cracks in the sky. Whenever this time, he will reach out and catch a handful of golden sunlight, and then silently feel the rare warmth.
Of course, such good luck is very rare.
It is not uncommon for Razer to ride under his balcony every day.
When he saw Jane Joe, he would always tighten the reins to make the horse hoof to a halt, and then asked loudly, "Do you sell that agate? I really like it! I fell in love with it at first sight!"
"Not for sale." Jian Qiao's answer is always the same.
Lei Zhe stared at him with angry eyes, looking annoyed, but he would continue to ask the same question when the next day came. His love for the piece of agate seemed to grow by the day.
After another period of time, Jane Joe, who had established a firm foothold in Grande and Bolsa, received many invitations one after another. Among them, Prince Andrew's banquet is absolutely not to be rejected.
Even if she knew that going to the Prince's Mansion would cause uncontrollable events, Jane Qiao had to go.
The price of offending the future king is not something he can afford. Once the king gave the order to start the war, the armies of the various lords would assemble to level the city of Desolate.
In the center of power, Jane Joe is just the bottom of the food chain. If he wants to climb up, he must have more troops and weapons, and these all require money.
Where does the money come from? from free trade.
How to achieve free trade? Befriend the king and major lords, and you can achieve free trade.
So, this is a closed loop, in which Jane Qiao has no choice at all. He could only endure the humiliation and move forward step by step.
He arrived at the Prince's Mansion as scheduled.
A servant took him to Prince Andrew, who was lying in the arms of a young man with heavy makeup, a glass of spirits in his left hand, and a bag of hookahs in his right, enjoying the pleasures of tobacco, alcohol and beauty. sensory stimulation.
The people surrounding Prince Andrew were also intoxicated and in a trance. They were laughing, screaming, and writhing like a swarm of dancing maggots. And the rest of the guests were indulging in food, beauty and wine.
It's not so much a celebrity feast as it is an adult's playground.
Jian Qiao, who came closer, immediately frowned.
He smelled the smell of opium, and it was absolutely impossible for him to misidentify this special spice after being immersed in perfume for many years.
So he understood that the hookah in Prince Andre's hand was not stuffed with ordinary shredded tobacco, but a drug that could make people crazy.
Jian Qiao looked around and found that 80 to 90 percent of the people on the scene were smoking hookahs and drinking strong alcohol.
These so-called nobles who do not need to work or feel the pressure of life can only pursue happiness in a morbid way. Their roots have rotted away.
Jane Qiao didn't have to think about what would happen when she was with a group of crazy people who were smoking and drinking.
So he turned away.
However, Prince Andrew had staggered towards him, pulled Jane Joe into his arms, and both fell into the soft chairs.
He laughed and said to everyone: "Look, this is the legendary Earl of Huadu. Is he more beautiful than Huaer?"
Prince Andrew squeezed Jian Qiao's jaw as he spoke, forcing him to raise his face for everyone to watch.
He was wild and confused, and regarded Jane Qiao as an actor, a singer, or a first-class dwarf.
This earl from a remote town, without the protection of a powerful army, is just a little thing that can be played at will.
The guests standing around looked at Jian Qiao wantonly, and then burst into laughter. Others whistled provocatively.
An angry flame suddenly rose in Jian Qiao's heart.
But to make matters worse, the intense anger dyed his pale skin a brilliant crimson. And this kind of beauty made Prince Andre even more reluctant to let go.
He stroked Jian Qiao's cheek lightly and exclaimed, "My dear, your skin is as delicate as cow's milk. You are really a baby!"
Those who surrounded Prince Andrew also showed covetous expressions.
This is a pack of beasts ruled by desire. Prey with noble status will not make them retreat, but will stimulate their urge to tear each other up even more. They love mutilation, pain and despair.
Of course, this disability, pain and despair must happen to others.
Jane Joe struggled hard.
But he was no match for Prince Andrew, who was as strong as a bull, and his reason was completely corrupted by drugs, and he fell into madness.
A pure-blooded count was nothing to him. He just wanted to destroy this beautiful and fragile little thing.
Jane Qiao's shoulders were tightly pressed by Prince Andrew, and the people around him rushed up, imprisoning his limbs with all his hands and feet.
The guests who stood farther saw Jian Qiao's embarrassed and pitiful appearance, and couldn't help but sneered.
They have long been accustomed to such absurd sights.
This is a group of people at the center of power, with powerful armies and inexhaustible wealth, who can build their happiness over the pain of others.
Prince Andrew constantly touched Jian Qiao's cheeks, pressed his fingertips on his thin red lips, and wiped them back and forth.
"My God, you didn't even wear lipstick. Your lips are as delicate as roses. They are so beautiful!" Prince Andrew murmured hoarsely, with a confused look on his face.
Looking at this man's face, which was gradually distorted by desire, Jian Qiao already understood that something terrible would soon happen to him. Even if he shouted for help in a dignified manner, no one would pay attention to him.
These guests will only look at them indifferently, then shake their heads and smile. For them, this is called being unpretentious, and it is also called aristocratic demeanor. After returning, not only would they not sympathize with Jian Qiao's experience, but they would also use his pain and despair as a joke and publicize it to everyone.
It's not Vanity Fair, it's the Colosseum. Everyone who mingles in it will assimilate into a beast unknowingly. People who are unwilling to be beasts will be deprived of their personality and dignity.
The attendant brought a bottle of spirits.
Prince Andrew didn't even want a glass, so he took the bottle and prepared to pour it into Jane Qiao's mouth.
The heavily made-up man who was hugging Prince Andre before grabbed Jian Qiao's hair and said something filthy: "Little bitch, raise your head and drink this bottle of nectar well. I dare Promise, it won't be long before you'll love our game! You'll be clinging to our thighs and begging, and we'll make you drink something special."
The people around understood the deep meaning of this sentence, so they let out more evil laughter.
Jian Qiao's body was already wet with cold sweat, and there was a steady stream of despair and fear in his dark eyes.
In a trance, he seemed to have returned to the previous life.
The feeling of being imprisoned by these people overlapped with the memory of being transported to the river under his mother's arm, which made him have a strong desire to vomit.
He was so sick he was about to faint.
The flames of anger had already been suppressed in the great fear. Without the support of anger, Jian Qiao was so frightened that her whole body went weak.
Prince Andrew hugged his soft body that seemed to have no bones, and laughed even more wildly.
The surrounding guests either looked on indifferently, ignored them, or looked contemptuous. No one tried to walk over and pull Jane Joe out of the endless darkness.
When Prince Andrew squeezed Jian Qiao's chin and poured the spicy spirits into his mouth, a large hand suddenly stretched out from behind and took away the bottle.
"Ladies, you have crossed the line." A low voice full of suffocation and threats made the noisy banquet hall become deadly silent.
Everyone stopped enjoying themselves, including Prince Andrew.
The performers and singers of the music huddled and huddled like rabbits with their tongues plucked out.