Writer 1879: Solitary Journey in France

Chapter 346 The Tyrant Makes His Debut!

"La Verne," the owner of this manor, has yet to make an appearance, but the audience has already strongly felt his presence.

Those who can watch the premiere here today are usually quite wealthy, and many come from aristocratic or wealthy families.

For them, the image of "La Verne" is not unfamiliar, and is even quite common—a feudal, conservative, and authoritative head of the household.

This more or less evoked painful memories for some, and made others feel ashamed.

Especially among older viewers, many of whom play the role of "Ravelne" in their own families.

"Well, actually, it's also out of concern..."

These quiet murmurs were quickly drowned out by the captivating storyline on stage, and no one paid any attention to what "La Verne" was complaining about.

The second young master, Antoine, begins to confide in his mother, Madame Madeleine, that he has fallen in love with a girl who is "pure-hearted" and "knows how to enjoy life."

The experienced "Madame Madeleine" quickly guessed that her son had fallen in love with "Fanny" because "she was always an uneducated lower class."

This statement drew nods from many in the audience, while others shook their heads in disagreement.

And Antoine's solution to this problem is naively charming—

Antoine (in a serious tone): "Mom, I'm now preparing to set aside a portion of my savings for Fanny's education."

Mrs. Madeleine (slightly surprised): "What are your plans now?"

Antoine: "I intend to tell my father this."

Mrs. Madeleine (in fear): "Have you forgotten what kind of person your father was!"

Antoine (stubbornly): "I must tell him. I may not necessarily marry her in the future."

Even if she doesn't want to marry me, I will still respect her and help her, but I hope she gets an education now.

I hope my father will allow me to give her half of my education expenses for schooling, and I also want to send her to a 'typewriter school' later.

That way, she can learn a skill to earn a living. That's much better than being a maid in this house!

Lady Madeleine (in a complicated tone): "You're such a child."

A "typewriter school"? That's quite a novel idea!

Only a portion of the audience knew what a "typewriter" was, but almost no one had ever heard of a "typewriter school."

This school actually allows maids like "Fanny" to "master a skill that can make a living"?
Many people were filled with curiosity.

Inside the private room, Alice turned around, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Lionel: "Leon, thank you..."

Lionel smiled and nodded.

Bicycles and typewriters were originally part of my business, so now that I have this opportunity, I should definitely promote them vigorously.

It is believed that with the success of the premiere of "Thunderstorm", "bicycles", "typewriters", and "typewriter schools" will soon become popular in Paris.

We can notify Peugeot to increase production tomorrow.

As the plot unfolds, the character of "Young Master Edward" is gradually revealed through the conversations between "Antoine" and "Madeleine".

Antoine: "Mom, but my brother's been acting strange lately. He's been drinking a lot, has a terrible temper, and goes to church all the time. I don't know what he's doing there."

Mrs. Madeleine (presses in): "How is he?"

Antoine: "He got too drunk the first three days. He grabbed my hand and told me that he hated himself, saying a lot of things I didn't quite understand."

Finally, he suddenly said, "I once loved a woman I should never have loved!"

Mrs. Madeleine (swayed slightly): "Before?"

Antoine: "After saying that, he burst into tears and immediately forced me to leave his room." Madame Madeleine (her voice trembling slightly): "Did he say anything else?"

Antoine: "No, he seemed very lonely. I felt sorry for him. Why hasn't he gotten married yet?"

Madame Madeleine (with a vacant look in her eyes, repeating): "Who knows? Who knows?"

Through Antoine's innocent retelling, the audience is able to glimpse Edward's inner pain, struggle, and even self-destructive tendencies.

The phrase "I loved a woman I should never have loved" further confirms the unacceptable relationship he had with his stepmother.

And Madame Madeleine's reaction to this information—warning, questioning, trembling, empty repetition…

Everything she did revealed to the audience the turmoil in her heart and the deep sense of guilt she felt.

With each additional word Antoine uttered, the audience gained a deeper understanding of the tragic fate of this stepmother and son, and of the root cause of it all—

The hatred for that cold and tyrannical "Lord Laverne" also deepened.

“She’s like a lady I know…” a female audience member whispered to her companion, her voice filled with emotion.

“Look at her attitude toward that medicine… Good heavens, what kind of life does she lead in this house?” another person chimed in.

“But that can’t be a reason for her to... with her stepson!” a man next to him insisted, though his tone wasn’t resolute.

The performance on stage continues.

The brief sunshine brought by Antoine vanished when another figure appeared at the living room doorway.

It was Édouard de La Verne, the eldest son of the family.

In stark contrast to Antoine's radiant presence, Edward was like a shadow, dressed in a dark suit with the collar buttoned up, his brow furrowed with gloom and weariness.

His face was pale, and his eyes were sunken, as if he had been plagued by nightmares for a long time.

When he entered the living room, his gaze inevitably met that of Mrs. Madeleine, and both of them quickly looked away as if they had been burned.

Edward's entrance, though silent, was more impactful than any dialogue.

He deliberately avoided his stepmother, even refusing to stand under the same light as her; his body language was filled with embarrassment, regret, and unspeakable pain…

The audience was completely silent.

They watched the stepmother and son suffer silently in the magnificent living room, and Edward respond to Mrs. Madeleine's harsh and rude attitude.

The frustration and self-abandonment in his tone, and the barely concealed tension he displayed when mentioning his father's impending return, sent a chill down the audience's spine.

This young master was not a born villain; he was more like a soul struggling in the quagmire of emotions and ethics.

Just as the suffocating silence and awkwardness reached their peak, steady and powerful footsteps and respectful greetings from the back of the stage came from behind the stage.

These sounds were like a chilling current, freezing everyone in the living room in their tracks.

The stage lights seemed to subtly change with the footsteps; a few lights dimmed quietly, while others quietly lit up.

The light began to focus on the front door of the living room, foreshadowing the imminent arrival of a very important person.

Such delicate lighting and sound effects were also difficult to achieve in the past.

On stage, Fanny instinctively straightened her back, Antoine's smile vanished, and Edward suddenly turned around, his face drained of color.

Even Madame Madeleine, who was immersed in her own pain, seemed to be pulled by an invisible thread, and her body tensed slightly.

"Lord Laverne" is back.

(End of this chapter)