I Am Louis XIV

  Chapter 146 from Milady's suggestion

The Louvre was originally a military castle. Of course, it is destined that it will not be surrounded by dense forests like Fontainebleau, so that the enemy can cut down trees to make engineering equipment, even if it has been continuously renovated and even rebuilt, the palace There are not too many green trees and flowers, but it just extends from the depression of the U-shaped building complex, which is known as the Duileries Avenue. This is the only place where all the icy stone and metal can be seen. Madame Lavalier swung back the maid, although this behavior is very dangerous for ordinary ladies, because at this time Paris is not safe despite the security situation. It's a lot better, but there are still a lot of criminals. It is often heard that women and children have been looted. Although the Louvre is the most heavily guarded, no one knows what will happen, and in the dark of dangerous creatures.

Thinking of this, a smile appeared on Mrs. Lavalier's lips. Speaking of danger, there is probably no one more dangerous here than her, although as a female werewolf, she cannot be said to be the most dangerous among the werewolf tribe. Powerful, but in the face of ordinary humans, if she stood upright, she would be much taller than an adult male, not to mention the power contained in her muscular body, even if she didn't need fangs and claws, just a wave, She could knock off the head of a human—and then suddenly, her smile disappeared, maybe that's why the king was so indifferent to herself... In the novels she'd read and heard, no one was strong A beautiful woman who can fight against a well-armed knight at any time...

   "You should go back. Madam." Her maid still followed and said uneasily.

Madame Lavalier knew why she was uneasy. In addition to the threat of the night to mortals, her behavior was quite indecent for the royal family, and this maid, who was not of high birth, if Laval Madame Lière had offended the king and was expelled from the Louvre, and the other ladies would not need their service, and they would be leaving this splendid dream land—"No," said Madame Lavallière: "I'm going to the chapel."

In this era when God and the king rule the earth together, any building will inevitably leave a piece of pure land for the revered God, and the Louvre is of course no exception. The noisy banquet hall was still some distance away. The further they walked, the quieter they became. At the end, there were only the footsteps of a few of them. Madame Lavalier’s ears moved slightly. He went into the confession hall on the pretext of self-repentance.

The confessional hall of the chapel is like a pair of connected wooden rooms. Madame Lavalier carefully let go of the silver cross hanging in front of the door, opened the door and walked in. As soon as she sat down, the opposite side also walked in. one person.

   But Madame Lavalier did not speak at once, until a deep laughter flowed from the dense flower grid.

   "Who is it?" Madame Lavalier asked warily.

   "Ah, madam," said the other, "I thought you knew who I was." It was a woman's voice, and of course it couldn't be a priest who came to hear the confession.

"I heard your footsteps when I was in the courtyard," but Madame Lavalier could leave in the middle, and so could others, as long as they were not noticed - so she didn't take it to heart, but On their way to the chapel, the footsteps kept following them. That was wrong. When they arrived at the church, the footsteps moved from outside the church door to the vicinity of the confessional hall.

   "What a great ability," the other party said with emotion: "Why can't it be used by our majesty?"

   Hearing this sentence, the fluff behind Madame Lavalier's ears stood up: "Who are you?"

"You should ask me, who is my Majesty?" The pane suddenly opened with a snap, and the other party turned his head with a smile and looked at Madame Lavalier—that was Madame Milady, who had only met a few times, Lava Madame Liel doesn't know much about her, but it is said that she is also one of the king's lovers, but she is not recognized. In addition, she seems to be quite valued and trusted by the king.

"Madame Lavalier," said Milady, "don't be nervous, ma'am, don't show your fangs, don't stretch your claws at me, I should be the same person as your majesty - so I have the same as you. worry."

   "I don't understand what you mean." Madame Lavalier said: "Are you really loyal to Your Majesty, His Majesty Louis XIV."

"Look, you're all English," said Milady, "and I'm French." She pressed her hands in the air, and then, like some kind of magic, maybe magic, Lavalier Madame's nervousness suddenly calmed down. She sat up again and looked at Milady. She had vaguely heard that Milady's previous reputation was really bad, and the Count of D'Artagnan also claimed that she had been a liar and a liar. Prisoners, but as long as they have the favor of the king, even if the **** and naked charges are placed in front of them, the people in the court will turn a blind eye and hear them.

"I saw you suddenly leave the hall before, and then heard you sigh." Milady said: "But let me say, madam, you are recognized by the royal family. Among the noble girls, you are the king. The queen mother, the queen and the duchess are qualified to walk in front of you, what else is there to worry about? Look at me," Milady said: "I even have only one title of Viscountess, and I can hardly get into the Louvre. Floating Palace, I can't come to such an important banquet without the king speaking, and later, I have to go home in the dark and cold wind, and you, you have a suite near the king, you know How many people envy you?"

   "Including you too?"

   "There is no doubt about that." Milady spread his hands.

"But if you are a wise man," said Madame Lavalier, "you can see that the king has little love for me." She also looked at Milady, who, although the confession room was dark, As a werewolf, she can see even a speck of dust in the dark. Even compared to the day, Milady's face is distorted in the werewolf's eyes, but these distortions do not affect what she has. Charm, seriously, if it wasn't for the king's insistence, and the lady's reputation is so disreputable, it's unknown who the title of first royal lady would fall on.

   "Poor lady," said Milady, "that's because you made a mistake."

"mistake?"

"I have also made such a mistake." Milady said seriously: "Actually, I met His Majesty the King long before Dunkirk, but at that time we could only say that we met by chance. I don't have many impressions, although I have never forgotten him since then. I chased him to Dunkirk, but at that time, he already had the Duke of Colonna, Marie Mancini, Oh, we should call her Mary Colonna now."

If Milady's humble gesture to Madame Lavalier aroused her pity and gave her a vague sense of being superior to Milady, then what she is now inducing is Lava Madame Lière's curiosity and jealousy were gone. "So," sure enough, Madame Lavalier asked eagerly, "How did you do it?" She was a little afraid of Marie Mancini. In addition to Mary being a witch, she is also a Mancini, and Mancini's attitude toward werewolves is as mortal to wild cats and dogs, with disgust and contempt.

   "You have to observe carefully," Milady sighed, "before you ask for favor from our majesty, shouldn't you let him feel your love?"

   "I..." Madame Lavalier said hesitantly, "I love him."

   "The way is wrong!" Milady said firmly: "If you love someone, you will never let him worry about your love, and you should even get rid of his worries, right?"

"certainly."

"That's right, then," said Milady, "the reason why Marie Mancini was favored by the king was because the Mancini family, as far as I know, did a lot for the king - in Paris. When, when they were at Dunkirk, when they were at Calais...it is not very clear, but it is said that they had many good craftsmen, good doctors and warriors."

  Wizard, Madame Lavalier said in her heart.

   "If you ask me how I got the king's love, all I can say is, ma'am, our king is actually a sullen person..."

   "It's humility and constancy," Madame Lavalier corrected immediately, "although people at this time did not esteem these two virtues as they say."

   "… Indeed, ma'am, I was the one who made a blunder."

   "...No no no, it should be me... I shouldn't accuse you so much..."

Milady coughed softly, and now she finally understood the pain of the king: "Then, let's go back to the previous things, ma'am, I love your majesty, and I can't bear to let him be tortured, no matter what. That's why I came to you."

   "Would you like to point me?"

   "Pointing is not enough, ma'am, please don't doubt, we have a common enemy."

   "You mean..."

   "Marie Mancini."

Silence, "...I don't like Miss Mancini, or the current Duchess of Colonna, but she's far away in Italy or Calais, and it's hard for her to hurt us again, and you've said it before, her The family is one of the king's arms."

"It is not a question of whether we wish to regard her as an enemy," said Milady, "but, Madame, she and we are already enemies—Madame Lavalier, do you think there is something about the children of the werewolf as well. It must be a werewolf thing, who is going to remind the king?"

   Milady heard a low gasp that suppressed her anger as she wished. "...The king will always know," she said.

"But maybe if she doesn't say, you and the king can have a child, even if he is a werewolf, ma'am, he will be the king's son, the blood relative of the future king, you will no longer have to worry about being expelled and betrayed, At that time, even if you are a werewolf, your descendants will be able to hang the title of Mr. after the surname, and your son will have the title of duke and fief."

   "My people can also serve the king and build meritorious deeds."

   "Yes, but it's different, you know it well, otherwise you wouldn't be depressed all the time, you know what you've lost."

   "But what can I do?"

"As you said, our majesty is a humble and steadfast person, no matter how beautiful the empty outer bag is, it is difficult for his eyes to stop forever. This country is what he loves and desires the most... madam , Mary Mancini was also rejected by the king at first, but why did His Majesty agree to her again? Because she and her family have shown their value, and for this value, the king is willing to give She's a child."

"child!"

"Yes, child! The king's firstborn son." Milady's voice became softer, but the meaning in it became heavier, "The king has reached an agreement with the Colonna family, intending to support this child as the future king of Naples. ."

   "God!"

"How wonderful," said Milady, "I can swear to you, ma'am, that I am willing to court you, all from the heart, not yours, or the king's enemies behind me—when I was little I just broke my body, Madam, I can't have any more children, Madam Marie Mancini is more of a threat to you than I am... I think it's because you are a threat to her, that's why she started first to be strong."

   "I will go and confirm your words," said Madame Lavalier. "If this is the case, you will be rewarded by me."

   "No, let's bring this reward to our Majesty. Our Majesty is a fair person. As long as you are willing to pay, there is nothing you can get."

   After saying that, Milady's little snow-white hand came in through the window, Madame Lavalier shook it lightly, and the hand withdrew.

   Madame Lavalier shuddered, and Milady's hand was cold and slippery, reminding her of snakes.

  ———

   Milady hurriedly left the chapel and met Varo Vesalius.

   "Is it still a good day and auspicious day today," Milady said timidly: "First a werewolf, and then a wizard."

"You are a wizard yourself," said Vesalius, the physician, after reminding him that he had been through so many things before, and then spent many months in the moor and hills of Lorraine in order to obtain the king's forgiveness , Fengfan sleeps in the rough, and is in danger. Even if he is a wizard, he will inevitably look haggard and skinny. Now he looks like a wizard in people's imagination. "What did you say to Madame Lavalier?"

Milady looked at him amusingly for a while: "I really don't know what kind of guy you are, but don't rely on the king's trust in you to do whatever you want, I won't allow it," her eyes became sharp: "One servant and two masters is not a good thing!"

   "Mary was just a... child."

"No, she is now a woman, a mother, and I know what a woman and a mother can do. And, Mr Vesalius," said Milady, "even a baby, if he threatens King, you should suffocate him in the cradle too."

   "I will not betray the king again," Vesalius said, "but did you do so with the permission of the king?"

"My good majesty has always been too kind," said Milady, "and I have only given Madame Lavalier a warning, or a reminder that if there is anything that troubles your little master, perhaps It's just that she might have one more competitor."

   (end of this chapter)