6、Side Story: Adieu ...
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Summer soon came again. On this day, Raphael brought a violin.
Edith had never seen something so magical before. She widened her eyes as she watched him place a long stick on those thin threads called "strings," and then lovely music ran out of the violin.
With Raphael's music playing, Edith followed Charlene, singing a song about a little angel who brings miracles.
Raphael loved music. He couldn't really explain why he liked it so much, maybe because it was the only thing he was good at.
Sadly, as an heir, he couldn't spend too much time playing the violin. Music was just a topic for salons and balls. To master a conversation about it, there was no need to invest much in studying music itself.
"Sometimes, I wish I could be a giving angel too," Charlene sighed seriously after singing the song. "Always taking from others is not right. Brother, I often feel that what we take from others, will eventually be taken back from us one day."
Edith and Raphael didn't quite understand what Charlene suddenly said.
Charlene's little wish soon came true.
Once, Edith saw a group of boys in the village gathering around a little bird.
The bird looked quite queer, with a snowy white body and a thick circle of feathers around its head, like a wig worn by noble lords. It hopped on the ground, seemingly unable to fly.①
One of the boys pointed at the bird and said, "Pigeon. Aristocrat bird."
Another boy raised the whip in his hand and lashed it on the bird's slender legs, making it hop awkwardly, clearly in pain. He smugly shouted, "Oh dear, we've crippled the aristocrat's legs."
The blokes burst into laughter.
At that moment, Edith remembered what Charlene had said to her before. She immediately rushed forward and yelled at them, "Let it go!"
The biggest boy sneered at her, "Why should we listen to you?"
"Why are you bullying the little pigeon? It has done nothing wrong!" Edith exclaimed, hands on her hips, feeling angry.
"What does a little wench like you know?" the boys replied impatiently, shooing her away.
The boy with the whip pushed Edith hard, causing her to fall to the ground.
Then, a thin voice came from behind, "What if I tell you to let it go?"
"Aya, it's the Countess!"
"Run! Run!"
The boys recognised Charlene de Saint-Clemont and panicked, hastily trying to run away.
"Halt! Did I allow you to leave?" Charlene sternly called out.
"Apologise to Edith," she said firmly.
Of course, these troublemaking boys didn't dare to defy the commands of the little Countess. Reluctantly, they said sorry to Edith.
Charlene ordered them with a long face, "Do it again. Show more respect. Bow."
The boys lined up with a grimace, but had no choice but to bend down in front of Edith, saying aloud all in unison, "We were wrong! We won't do it again!"
After the boys slinked away, Edith was so delighted that she pecked Charlene's cheeks hard on both sides. In Edith's eyes, Charlene was an all-powerful angel. Everyone had to listen to her! Edith felt proud to have such a good friend.
Knowing that she had finally helped someone, Charlene felt a sense of relief.
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Raphael had so much fun playing with the two little sisters all day until evening before he finally went back home. He felt really happy as he remembered all the things they did together. Just then, the footman came up to him and said that his lordship the Count wanted to see him in the study to check his Latin homework.
Raphael's happiness all at once turned into fear. Every time he met his father in the study, he would break out in a cold sweat on his back.
Father would glance at his lack of progress in rhetoric and then look down at him with a disgusted expression. He would address Raphael as "Monsieur" and "vous," making Raphael feel so upset that he wanted to cry.
Father clearly loved Sister a lot. No matter what curious materials Charlene asked for her experiments, Father would find a way to get them for her as soon as possible.
But Raphael didn't even dare to let Father hear him playing the violin. He was afraid that if Father heard how well he played, he would think Raphael hadn't been studying his proper lessons.
Raphael knew that his timid and gloomy nature wouldn't make the grown-up dote on him. However, Father could have shared him some love too, if he wasn't the heir.
Raphael vaguely remembered that he once had an older brother named Andre. Andre was the firstborn in the family and was said to look a lot like him. But they were also different. Andre had a smart and early-maturing mind, a well-mannered demeanor, just like Sister. What's more, he was outgoing and skilled in horse riding and sword fighting, like a true man.
This older brother was truly deserving of being the heir of the family. Unfortunately, he got smallpox around Raphael's age and tragically died.
As Raphael timidly entered the study, he felt his father's gaze fixed on his face, as if lost in thought, but also filled with some tenderness.
He knew that Father was looking at him but seeing the beloved eldest son who died young. Raphael understood that the more he disappointed his father, the further he seemed from resembling that bright older brother, causing his father even more pain.
Sure enough, when the Count's eyes shifted down to the culottes and stockings that Raphael hadn't cleaned up yet, that distant look immediately disappeared.
"Well, looks like you've really grown up, Monsieur de Saint-Clemont!" Father sneered. "I wonder what kind of affair, young master, got you undressed in the open field?"
Raphael looked up at his father blankly. He couldn't understand. Was it such a huge sin to play in the stream with Edith?
Seeing Raphael's reaction, the Count seemed to further confirm that he was beyond redemption. He propped on the desk with one hand and pressed his forehead with the other, not knowing if he was talking to Raphael or himself.
"If Andre were still alive, do you think I would care about you even a little bit?" Father's voice shook, sounding deeply pained.
Raphael felt a wave of relief from the depths of his heart. Yes, Father had finally uttered those words. In truth, Raphael felt the same way. He should have died in Andre's place.
The priest who taught him catechism always told him that God sees everything on Earth and bestows upon each person their rightful fate.
Why was it not him that God took away? Brother was the God's favoured one, while he was worthless. Even if he were gone, would anyone in this world truly care?
"How could you think that way? If you die, I'll cry. Charlene will too." When he accidentally revealed this thought to Edith, she pouted, angry and sad.
Raphael suddenly felt so happy. He really wanted to see Edith shed tears for his death. He couldn't sleep the whole night, lying in bed and keeping thinking about this.
He thought, how blissful it would be to see others cry for himself. But if he were to die, how could he witness it?
Raphael didn't expect that in the end, the one who wept would be himself.
It was around the summer of 1781 when one day Edith suddenly stopped coming to play with him and his sister. Every day, he would push Charlene and stand at the garden gate, craning their necks and looking out, but she didn't show up for several days.
When Edith appeared in front of the two of them again, her eyes were swollen like two peach kernels, dressed in simple black mourning dress.
"I'm leaving tomorrow morning, Charlene, Raphael. Auntie is taking me to Rouen," she told the two of them, rubbing her eyes. Her voice was hoarse.
"Why are you suddenly leaving, Edith? When will you come back?" Charlene anxiously held onto her little friend's hands.
"You're not coming back, are you?" Raphael quickly followed up. It would be years later when he realised that his ominous pessimism had already shown its signs.
"I don't know. My home here is gone. Even if I come back, I might not have a place to stay," Edith replied.
"Oh, poor, poor Edith!" Charlene immediately understood her friend's meaning and hugged her tightly.
The two little girls pressed their cheeks together and cried.
Reluctant to part, they exchanged many intimate words and kissed each other's cheeks again and again.
"Adieu, adieu!" It was not until the sky had completely darkened that Edith finally walked away in the direction of the village, turning to look back at every step.
Throughout it all, she never came over to give him a hug.
It rained heavily that night. Raphael stood by the window crying. With the raindrops on his face, no one could tell that he was shedding tears.
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第6章 Side Story: Adieu
