1986: My Happy Life in Provence

Chapter 468 The City That Never Sleeps

The media reception, orchestrated by Ronan, Zoe, and Princess Stephanie, turned into a tribute to Princess Grace.

Many people followed Zoe's example and pinned white roses to their chests—these flowers were ordered by the princess to complete the set.

Since Princess Grace's death, Prince Nié III has rarely appeared in public except for essential occasions.

But he was very active in activities related to the late princess.

Princess Stephanie sent her most trusted bodyguard to deliver a message to her father.

Even if His Highness the Prince doesn't come in person, he will definitely send someone to check on the situation.

In the morning, she was criticized for not respecting her deceased mother enough, but in the evening, a memorial event was held for her mother. Moreover, May is the month Princess Grace passed away. Everything makes sense.

I believe that after hearing this news, my father, who has been very displeased with me lately, will definitely change his attitude.

Everyone who came today is a shrewd and worldly person.

Although they didn't know why the banquet suddenly had a theme tonight, and that the theme was Princess Grace, they quickly followed suit and steered the conversation toward the princess, just as the princess had hoped.

Almost everyone present wore white roses and talked about similar topics, but their treatment varied greatly.

The princess's mood improved slightly with the appearance of Ronan and Zoe, and she gradually became more 'enthusiastic', finally integrating into the media banquet that evening. However, no matter who she was talking to, Zoe was always by her side, as if she were an accessory.

The princess's perception of Zoe as "different" may have been unintentional; she simply felt that the two were destined to be together.

It's also possible that it was a deliberate expression of gratitude.
But who cares?

"In short, tonight's mission has been more than accomplished, hasn't it?"

Ronan wiped the sweat from his forehead, shook ten carrots and his wrists, and continued playing the next song.

"After tonight, Zoe will definitely be the most eye-catching guest at the Monaco Grand Prix!" Ronan thought with great joy.

His main role tonight is to serve as background music; he's not in the spotlight.

The real focus was on Zoe, who was accompanying Princess Stephanie.

Zoe's gains are Ronan's gains.

Zoe's success is Ronan's success.

They no longer distinguish between you and me!

Ronan is already extremely satisfied with the current situation and no longer asks for anything more.

The piano music in the Golden Hall grew increasingly passionate; clearly, the player's fingers flew with their emotions, wandering to some unknown, breathtaking place.

Just as Ronan was completely absorbed in playing the piano, the bodyguard who had delivered the message to the princess ran back and whispered something in Princess Stephanie's ear as she was discussing with others who would win the F1 race the next day.

The princess's expression visibly brightened with excitement.

She whispered to the bodyguard for a while, then pursed her lips tightly, as if she couldn't hold back her laughter.

After that, the princess's mood suddenly improved.

Her hearty laughter caught up with the rousing piano music, and together they wandered to that delightful place.

Half an hour later, two strangers entered the Golden Hall and went straight to Princess Stephanie.

One of them held an elaborately carved tray covered with red brocade, the contents of which were unknown.

"Princess, His Highness the Prince has a few words for me to convey," said the person whose hands were empty.

He didn't lower his voice intentionally; all the guests around him could hear him clearly.

A barely perceptible gasp of cold air was heard, followed by the noise of several seats being moved frantically.

Everyone looked nervously towards the entrance and exit of the hall.

Prince?

Prince Nie III?

The princess sat up straight, nodded slightly, and raised her chin expectantly, signaling the person to continue.

"The prince said he hadn't heard those long-forgotten melodies in a long time, which reminded him of the days when he first met the princess. He really liked your arrangements this time."

The guests suddenly looked around.

Prince Nie III has arrived?

Otherwise, how could we hear those melodies?!

Ines, the "know-it-all of Southern France," calmly explained the facts to those around her:
"The Prince hasn't attended any banquets since Princess Grace's passing, so he probably wasn't there, but I guess he was next door."

Everyone followed Ines's gaze to an ordinary wall in the Golden Hall.

Ines' voice rang out again:

"I heard that there is a hidden prayer room there, where the prince locks himself whenever he misses the princess."

"As expected, nothing escapes your eyes," someone exclaimed.

After today, Inés's status as the 'media queen' of southern France is now firmly established.

No one dared to ignore this lean, capable professional woman and the Michelin magazine group behind her anymore.

The prince's message made Princess Stephanie extremely happy.

If they didn't come, that's fine.

Today's guests are all media people; the prince's words will surely appear in various newspapers and magazines tomorrow.

Princess Stephanie happily tiptoed.

Let the world see.

The Monaco royal family isn't just about Princess Caroline and Prince Albert; it also includes me, Stephanie!
I also try very hard to please my father!
"What else did Father say?" the princess asked clearly, proactively providing the media with more material. She then pointed to the tray, "What's this? Did Father bring it for me too?"

Keep going, keep going! Give these people a few more compliments!
Prince Nié III's confidant shook his head, opened the cover, and revealed a very ordinary black and white photograph.

His voice clearly reached the ears of everyone present:
"The Prince said that the songs he heard today had almost disappeared from his memory. He thanked the performer for awakening his memory. The person who found these sheet music must have loved the Princess dearly. To express his gratitude, the Prince will give him a gift. The Princess loved photography, and this is a photo she took herself, showing her three favorite children."

Princess Grace had a wide range of interests.

Acting, film, classical music, gardening and floral art, theater, pets, photography. She is a person who loves life very much.

However, according to magazines, media reports, and people who know her, the princess's absolute favorite thing must be her three children.

Princess Grace cherished family life and was a loving and devoted mother who enjoyed taking care of her children herself and didn't want to miss a single moment of their growth.

Princess Stephanie's emotions fluctuated throughout the night, shifting from anxiety to surprise, and then from surprise to joy more than seven or eight times, but she did not experience the most 'appropriate' sadness and grief.

But then, looking at the faded old photographs on the tray, the princess's heart sank:

"She is the best mother."

The atmosphere was very somber in the latter half of the banquet, and Princess Stephanie was visibly visibly saddened.

This makes guests who come with ulterior motives hesitant to be too unrestrained in achieving their goals, and they are even cautious in their social interactions.

However, today is only the first day, and there is still the main competition tomorrow.

There is still time.

After the dinner, Ronan and Zoe, carrying gifts from Prince Nietzsche III, got into Ines's car and returned to the hotel together.

For the past two days, all the guests invited by Michelin Magazine and the staff of Michelin Magazine have been staying at the same hotel.

When they arrived, Ines treated Ronan and Zoe like two 'kids,' carefully explaining the relationships between the characters and the things to be aware of.

On the way back, Ines had already begun to "learn from the experience" of the two children.

What happened today could absolutely not have been a coincidence.

How did you manage to do that?
Ines is undoubtedly Ronan and Zoe's 'benefactor'; without her, the young couple would not have made it to Monaco, and she has provided countless similar acts of assistance.

Moreover, Michelin magazine's push for Ronan and Zoe is not something that can be accomplished overnight; it's a long-term partnership.

From another perspective, Ines is also an absolute confidant when it comes to rosé wine and Stellaco.

For both professional and personal reasons, they shouldn't keep any secrets from her. So, Ronan and Zoe confessed their preparations and the entire plan they had been working on.

This was the first time the young couple had been honest with each other, and after hearing it, the three of them stared at each other with wide eyes.

"Zoe, you're really pushing yourself too hard. You've collected so much material in a month and memorized everything you just said. It's making my head spin."

"No matter how hard I try, can I compare to you? You even learned a skill for this event, you even learned to play the piano. Wasn't that one of your childhood nightmares? It seems you've worked much harder."

"You two have both worked incredibly hard!" Ines tried to control her expression and calm her complex emotions. "With your ambition and drive, you can achieve anything. I'm telling you!"

Ronan and Zoe exchanged a glance and then shut their mouths.

Ines doesn't seem to be in a good mood.
Let's just shut up and rest.

Monaco is a famous city that never sleeps; its nights are like two different worlds from those of Provence.

Ines, lost in thought while looking out the car window, was interrupted by the scene before him every minute or two, making it impossible for him to concentrate.

The Grand Paris Hotel and the Hermitage Hotel were brightly lit, their golden facades gleaming under the lights.

Nightclubs and discos are everywhere along the roadside, with handsome men and beautiful women standing at the entrances.

The area around the Monte Carlo casino is definitely the liveliest.

That's definitely the brightest and most dazzling area in Monaco at night; if you didn't look at the sky, you wouldn't even know it was night.

However, no matter how dazzling the lights or how stunning the scenery outside the window were, they couldn't compare to Ronan and Zoe, who were sharing the car with her.

Ines felt that she was betting not on just two artists, but on the two brightest stars in Provence, stars that shone even brighter than Monaco at night.

As they passed a dimly lit street, Ines saw the reflections of Ronan and Zoe in the car window.

My thoughts became even more chaotic.

Ronan returned to his king-size bed room and nearly collapsed when he saw the swarm of heads inside!
"Why don't you leave yet?"

Theo sprang up in bed with a thud, and said, quite displeased:
"What are you talking about? The children and the elderly have all gone back; we stayed behind on purpose."

Barty ran in from the balcony, waving his arms excitedly:
"They're back, let's get out of here!"

The sound of flushing came from the toilet, and Cornell ran out, pulling up his pants.

"Ronan, come on, let's go to the casino, we're all waiting for you."

Theo smacked his lips and stared at Cornell, saying:

"How much money have you made that you dare to gamble? Have you saved enough to get married? When are you going to change your car? Isn't it time for you to swear you'd marry a city girl?"

Having said that, he grabbed Ronan by the neck with one hand and was about to drag him out:

"Of course we're going for drinks! How can we not experience a 24-hour bar?"

Batistuta changed his outfit in just ten seconds, and it was incredibly stylish:
"Let's go to the dance hall, they have alcohol there too. You can drink if you want, dance if you want, watch if you want—it can satisfy everyone's needs."

The sight that greeted Ronan when he opened the door left him a little bewildered. Upon closer inspection, he realized that quite a few people had indeed left.

But those few 'most hated people' are still here!
Ronan glanced at Cotillard, who was playing cards with Paulette and the other girls:
"What's happening here?"

Didn't I tell you to ask everyone to leave?
Are all your guarantees, made with absolute certainty, false?

Cotillard's face was covered in paper strips, making him look like a mummy from a distance.

It's clear that their poker game has been going on for quite some time; judging by the timeline, it might have started as soon as they separated at the tournament venue.

Codia flipped open the densely packed slips of paper in front of him and answered rapidly:

"Where are you going? Theo and Cornell's shouts really helped you out. The cameraman gave you several close-ups this afternoon. With that foundation, you're very eye-catching even in wide shots. You're easy to spot. Of course we should celebrate something so great! Wait for me a minute. We'll go out after this game, but I suggest we find somewhere to eat first. The restaurants here are open 24 hours. You'll have more energy to party after you eat! Two 2s! Hahaha—I won!"

Lourmarin has no nightlife, and there are only a handful of cities in Provence with nightlife. There are no places where you can find good food and fun activities 24 hours a day.

The group was only spending one night in Monaco, and with such exciting news to be had, it was obvious they wouldn't go to sleep easily. They had to have a blast first.

The only problem is that they can't agree on where to go.

There are so many places to go in Monaco at night, and everyone has different ideas. I tried to persuade one person but couldn't persuade another, and it looked like a fight was about to break out.

Cafu, who was sleeping on the sofa, was awakened by the arguing. He groggily glanced at the people arguing, then at Ronan, and finally closed his eyes again.

"Don't take any chances. No matter where you go, you're definitely going out tonight. Let's book a place quickly. I'm going to sleep a little longer. Remember to wake me up when we go out."

Ronan sat weakly on a corner of the bed, finally accepting the fact that he and Zoe were destined not to sleep alone tonight.

"Where do you want to go?" Ronan asked Zoe.

He's fine with going anywhere, it all depends on Zoe's attitude.

Zoe thought for a moment, then her expression became somewhat eager to try:

"You know what, there's actually a place I'd like to go to."

Ronan, who was sighing, suddenly looked over and a smile returned to his face:
"Really? I also have a place I want to go. Are we going to have the same idea again?"

Princess Grace loved the 'Joy' perfume, largely because she adored roses.

It is said that during her lifetime, the scent of roses could be smelled in every corner of the Monaco Palace.

After the princess passed away, the prince built a rose garden near the aquarium in memory of his late wife. The garden has more than 4000 roses from all over the world, and there is a bronze statue of the princess in the center of the park.

In Monaco, where land is incredibly valuable, the fact that an entire plot of land was set aside to commemorate a person speaks volumes about the Prince's longing for the Princess.

Compared to the Monaco Palace, this rose garden is a more popular destination for people who admire the princess.

Cold, imposing walls would only imprison the princess's soul; free-spirited flowers are more in line with her image.

Although it is late at night, lights are still twinkling in the rose garden.

Occasionally, couples can be seen walking hand in hand along the path.

Everyone who comes here stops for a while in front of Princess Grace's bronze statue to remember this figure who had a profound impact on Monaco.

“She influenced us too.” Zoe looked up at the bronze statue.

Tonight's success is inseparable from the princess in front of me.

Ronan and Zoe shared the same thought: this was the place they should be visiting today—to pay their respects to Princess Grace in a serious and formal manner, without any other purpose.

Ronan placed the white roses he had brought into the sea of ​​white roses below the platform, his expression one of utmost respect and solemnity.
"The princess was a great person, and her influence continues both during her lifetime and after her death."

"Do you think the princess lived a happy life?" Zoe asked Ronan.

Ronan straightened up, stood next to Zoe, and shook his head, saying:
"We hear and see too much information from the writings and words of 'others'. Without personal contact, it is difficult for us to judge the true situation of the princess. The only certainty is that she is a person who loves life very much."

Zoe was somewhat agitated.

After reading a lot of information, her attitude towards the princess was very complicated. Of course, this complexity was positive, but Zoe couldn't help but feel sad at the thought of such an outstanding person leaving this world.

"We want to continue to love the world and love life on behalf of the Princess; this is the only thing we can do for her."

Ronan gently lifted Zoe's head, letting her lean against him. Seeing that Zoe sounded listless, he took the initiative to comfort her:
"Of course, we will continue to love everything around us. My mother once told me that there is a Chinese proverb that says, 'People who love life will have good luck.'"

"What kind of logic is that?" Ronan often blurted out nonsensical things, and Zoe really wanted to see what was going on in his head. "So, where does the princess's good fortune manifest itself?"

That melodramatic Monaco royal family
Ronan shrugged:

"To be remembered by countless people? Even decades later, people will still remember her name and come to her bronze statue to offer her favorite flowers?"

Ronan's whimsical remarks eased Zoe's sadness, and she nestled obediently against his shoulder.
"Hopefully we can have that same luck."

Ronan smiled and patted her on the shoulder:

"Yes, definitely, many people will know us and remember us."

Zoe was amused by Ronan:
"You're just good at making me happy. When will that day come?"

Feeling high before even taking a sip?

We're still a long way off!
Ronan tightened his grip on Zoe's shoulder:

"The final day is hard to say, but a partial victory...maybe tomorrow?"

(End of this chapter)