Descending On France 1780
Chapter 223 - 216 Mrs. Frost demonstrated her capriciousness

Chapter 223: 216 Mrs. Frost demonstrated her capriciousness

Anning bid farewell to Mr. Equality, and there was immediately another visitor in the office.

It was Christina.

However, today she was not in military uniform but was dressed in a formal gown.

Upon seeing her, Anning joked, "It’s been about seven years since I last saw you in a formal gown. Is there any change in your mindset today?"

Christina replied, "No, it’s just that today I must undergo an identity change."

Anning understood, "You’ve come as the daughter of the Tolleson family, right?"

"Yes," Christina hesitated for a moment before continuing resolutely, "I hope you can save my younger brother. You rescued him from the Palais des Tuileries the other night, preventing him from being burned by the people of Paris. I hope you can..."

"That was an accident, Christina," Anning interrupted her, "My life has been full of accidents, many of which were not things I subjectively wanted to do."

Such as the Bastille.

"That night, I wanted to escape from the predicament at the Palais des Tuileries. Your brother just happened to be in my shortest path to the window. I just took him with me by chance. I did not intend to save him before entering the Palais des Tuileries."

Anning hesitated for a moment and finally swallowed back the words "and I had a very bad impression of your brother."

Christina: "Even if it was just an accident, you objectively gave me an opportunity to save him. Otherwise, he would have died in the great fire at the Palais des Tuileries that night or been killed by the furious people.

"In such a situation, I must fulfill my duty as a sister and ask for your help. You are a hero of France and the leader of the Jacobin’s big four. I believe you can save my brother."

Anning pursed her lips, "The leader of the Jacobin’s big four"? It really is like riding on a wall and becoming the wall itself.

Anning noted, "You’re right, I do have enough clout to save your brother."

He paused, then added, "If you are the one asking me, I also have the willingness to do so. After all, we are..."

Anning hesitated, feeling as if saying ’lifetime friends’ somehow deliberately excluded Christina from the option of marriage.

Without using the term dear friends, there didn’t seem to be any appropriate word to use.

In this era, the lexicon lacks words to describe the state between more than friends but less than lovers.

Christina looked expectantly at Anning.

Anning thought for a while and decided, "Would you be interested in retiring from the battlefield?"

According to the customs of this time and space, women must retire upon marriage.

Although very rare, there have been female members of the Royal Palace Knights who found true love and then got married, in which case the female knights retired to become ladies of the house.

After all, in this era, a lady of the house has her own duties, mainly visible in social settings.

A strong and responsible lady of the house can provide very solid and powerful support for her husband.

For example, in real history, Napoleon actually owed part of his rapid rise to Josephine, who hooked the very influential Paul Balas in social settings.

Later, when Balas chose Napoleon as his partner for a coup, this factor was a consideration.

So, if I were to marry Christina, it would mean she would have to retire from her military career.

Facing Anning’s question, Christina’s face flushed red instantly: "What... you... I thought, as a woman who has already served in the military... I thought you would choose someone else..."

Anning: "Vanni has been nagging me so much about this that I’m almost fed up. If we decide to get married, then I will have a reason to come forward and protect your brother."

Christina: "But that would tarnish your record, you are a staunch republican, I always thought you would never get involved with a woman whose brother is the King."

Anning: "Nonsense, just now your expression was clearly filled with expectation."

"I was expecting you to say that I am your combat comrade, after all, I indeed am. Ever since that defeat, we have been comrades, brothers-in-arms."

Christina covered her face with her hands: "Oh my God, I feel my cheeks burning terribly. If you tell me now that you were joking, I can only duel you then. You will have to be a man who duels women!"

To duel a woman, if you win, you’ll be accused of bullying women, if you lose or refuse to fight, you’ll be said to not even be able to defeat a woman.

In any case, it’s shameful for a man.

Anning: "Spare me, I don’t want to ruin my lifetime’s reputation. Since it’s decided, I will find a formal occasion to propose to your father, Mr. Equitable. But for now, I should head to the Parliament, to save your brother.

"But frankly, the impression your brother left on me yesterday was very poor, he’s not smart, and last night he even tried to intimidate me using the King’s authority, he clearly doesn’t know how to adapt to circumstances.

"He should be hanged, otherwise, there will be endless trouble in the future."

Christina hesitated clearly: "This... when I came here, it was because he’s my brother, I felt I should pull him out of trouble no matter what. But now that you’ve said this..."

Anning teased: "How about it, from the perspective of Mrs. Frost, do you think it’s better to have this troublemaker dead sooner?"

Christina bit her lip, turning them white: "Hmm... thinking it over, I don’t have deep feelings for this brother, I barely even met him..."

Anning squinted, looking at the conflicted Christina: "So... do you want me to save him after all? I already rejected your dad, but if you want me to save him, then I will speak in the National Assembly. Although I’m not a member, I think no one would stop me if I want to speak."

Christina: "Are you sure he’ll cause a lot of trouble?"

Anning laughed: "What do you think? That night, my army was outside Palais des Tuileries, Napoleon had cannons aimed at the palace, even then, he arrogantly taunted me ’regret it later for entering Palais des Tuileries today’.

"Your brother, he must really think he’s the King of France, a noble among nobles. The Royalist Party sees him as a banner, filled his head with seductive nonsense, if he doesn’t die, the Royalist will continue to gather around him, you can’t imagine how much trouble it will bring me afterward."

Christina gritted her teeth: "Hmm... then... let’s forget it..."

"Is this Mrs. Frost’s judgment?" Anning asked.

Christina nodded: "Yes. As a sister, I should do my best to save him, no matter how much trouble he brings me in the future. Isn’t that what siblings are for? But... after marrying you, I will no longer be a Tolleson, but the mistress of the Frost Family."

Anning was shocked, can this also be thought of?

No, this is the normal way of thinking in this era, I’ve seen it all before in ’Crusader King’!

Christina nodded again, as if convincing herself: "Yes, just like that! It’s my brother’s fault, if only he had honestly announced his abdication that night. It’s all his own fault!"

Anning looked at Christina, suddenly feeling a new understanding of women’s fickleness and ruthlessness.

Is this, this what women are? Are they realms I never understood in my past life?

Anning suppressed his thoughts, confirming again: "So, not saving your brother, right? No taking it back! I still have 200,000 coalition forces waiting to clean up, I really don’t have the time for this."

Christina took a deep breath, then decisively said: "It’s his fault, you have already prolonged his life, kindness fulfilled."