His Excellency the Count of Grandet

10 minute later.

"...You're murder!" Victor complained, hissing and gasping.When he said this, he was pressing his side, and felt a faint pain coming from there - Charles had left a mark there with his elbow just now, and a large bruise popped out without hesitation.

Charles had already dried his hair and body, and when he heard Victor's words, he just threw the towel aside, walked up to Victor by himself, and looked at him condescendingly. "You should be lucky," he snorted coldly, "If I really wanted to murder you, I would choose a more vulnerable part to attack."

Victor pressed the side of his ribs again and again, feeling that the words were all threats.More vulnerable parts?He knew that Charles was by no means the slender boy on the surface, but he didn't expect to be so cruel!

But, no kidding!If you destroy me, what will happen to your happiness for the rest of your life?

Victor made a famous painting cry in his heart.But since he suffered a small loss just now, he wisely didn't say it.Thinking back now, he felt that Charles must have planned to give him that blow early in the morning; it's just that Charles deliberately picked a time when he was most relaxed...

If he doesn't suffer so much, his lust can't get him away, so what else can he say?Let’s admit it this time and wait for the next time!

As for Ciel, he was squinting at Victor, who was whimpering on purpose.

This guy has a really thick skin, should he be said to be a banker?Obviously he sneaked to someone else's hot spring, but now he looks like he has been greatly wronged...

Yes, he did enjoy a service for nothing.Putting aside Victor's subjective thoughts on this, he does feel comfortable.But the problem is that Victor is not the man and woman he used to call and leave; if he really messed with Victor, there would be far more trouble than comfort.

What Charles hated most in his life was trouble, especially the worthless kind.So he gave Victor a final look, and sat on the reclining chair opposite - although in his mind, the reclining chair really couldn't express the seriousness of what he was going to say next, but there were only reclining chairs in the hot spring resort.And then again, as long as Victor isn't playing dumb, he should be able to understand him.

"Does your previous investment still count?" Charles asked as soon as he opened his mouth.

Victor secretly thought something was wrong when he heard it.It's over, Charles is now awake, ready to distance himself from him!Don't cry or make trouble, talk calmly, this is the type that is difficult to deal with! "Of course." He replied, but he was thinking of countermeasures rapidly in his mind.

"That's fine." Charles raised his chin slightly, "I have to tell you, I never get together with my partner."

"Why?" Victor asked for time.

Charles glanced at him. "If you negotiate a business with someone, you talk about money with him, and he talks about feelings with you, can you still cooperate?" It's not a happy rhythm of play at all!

These words are short, but the attitude is clear enough.Victor believed it deeply, but no matter how deeply he believed it, he must not admit it outright now. "You're talking about ordinary people."

"What do you want to say? You are not an ordinary person?" Charles asked sharply.

"No, what I want to say is that neither of us." Victor replied tactfully, and then threw the question back: "You think, there are times when you don't know the stakes because of feelings—no matter what kind of— ?"

Charles didn't answer for a moment.To be honest, he believed that he had this ability; but he was negotiating with Victor, so he had to be careful. "Maybe you are," he said, neither admitting nor denying, "but I don't need to overcomplicate something that should be easy to solve. Like a partner, it's enough to base the business on a profitable basis. gone."

Victor started to feel a headache.

At first, he thought that he just adopted the wrong strategy at the beginning, he was too aggressive, and Charles didn't like him; but now, Charles must know that he is not that kind of person, but he is still invulnerable - the man he has taken a fancy to , seems to be a love insulator at a young age!

Considering everything in a pragmatic direction, the work efficiency is very high; but at the same time, the emotional card will be extremely difficult to use-just like now, Charles can exclude him from the consideration of the other half by using basic principles!

"Maybe you think it's cumbersome to have another relationship," Victor replied slowly, "but since we are not emotional people, why don't you want to try it? Do you really find it troublesome, or do you think you will lose control of yourself? ?”

Charles had a cold expression on his face, and it was hard for him to control his urge to punch Victor's face full of "Are you afraid of falling in love with me".

In fact, Victor's identity determined that he would never consider it.

He is used to taking the initiative in a relationship, even if it is a one-night stand; not specifically the up and down of the body position, but the control of the whole thing-when to do it, and with whom.This can be seen from his previous lifestyle, he will hold all possibilities in his own hands.

But Victor was different.This person's family property is too much, his status is too high, and he is not on the same side in the first place; for him to control such a person, given the current situation, it is simply a fantasy.

fall in love?He might as well find a noble woman, at least his father will love it!

Friends with benefits?Can someone like Victor simply maintain this kind of relationship?

Charles folded his hands.Nothing can be done, so he really can't let Victor give up on a certain aspect? "Do you just like my type?" He asked with low expectations, "Then you can find someone similar. With your conditions, I believe it will not be difficult at all."

These words are simply red and fruity, "You can find anyone, as long as it's not me"!

That's not what Victor wanted to hear from Ciel. "If it's really as easy as you said, why should I let myself be hit by you?" It's not like he's just idle and looking for a beating for himself!The point is, he wasn't angry at all after being beaten up, and he just hoped to go further next time!

Charles pursed his lips.He really didn't understand why Victor was following him—they had no chance to get along with each other, right?Was it because he was smart enough to get so much of Victor's attention?

"Don't you think," he slowed down, "this situation is only temporary? I believe that there are many people in Paris who meet your conditions, even more so than me - young enough, beautiful enough, and smart enough To talk to you?"

Victor smiled lowly.He had never cared so much about a person before, but Charles said that it might be a moment of passion?That's right, Shire was half right, he just liked Shire's appearance and figure; he really just found it interesting at first, that's all.But after more than half a year, this interest has turned into a longer-term intention.Could it be that he still can't figure out what he wants?

This kind of nonsense made Charles feel inexplicably upset.Or more accurately, a bad feeling that things are protruding, out of control.

At this time, Charles had already thought through all the reasons he could move out.He wanted to talk about his religious beliefs, but now the die-hard Puritans are either royalists with ulterior motives or relatively isolated provincials. It is a joke to talk between them; and then he can only think that he has always been right Victor's intentions are not false, so maybe there is also a man's unique sense of competitiveness at play?What is not good is good?

Thinking of this, Charles suddenly stood up with a bang, and walked to Victor's chair again. "If your smile is negative," he pressed one hand on the back of the chair and the other directly on Victor's chest, with a soft tone, "then I will boldly assume that this is what you want?"

Victor didn't expect Charles to do this suddenly, and blinked uncomfortably.Then he realized that Shire was too close to him—so close that he could smell the after-bath scent, see the collarbone showing at the neckline, and the inner thigh where one leg was lifted; the feel of the skin there. Very good, he just tried it...

"You are testing my concentration." Victor took a deep breath.He stretched out a hand and clasped Charles' waist. "Fortunately, I've always been patient."

Ciel pressed down and continued to shorten the distance between them. "You don't need patience, you can have me." He said softly, almost bewitching.

Victor looked directly into his beautiful maroon eyes, didn't speak for a moment, then smiled again. "Only once?" When he said that, he seemed to be in a good mood, and stretched out his other hand to help Charles straighten his neckline. "Then I'm afraid I can't promise you." After he finished speaking, his hand on Charles' waist slipped off at the right time, and he covered Charles' half-open pajamas by the way, and his movements were very calm.

This development was completely beyond Shire's expectations.He remained motionless, still maintaining the state where the eyes of the two met.This matter has become more and more difficult... He stood up suddenly, with frustration in his voice for the first time: "Why can't you make this matter easier? A pure transactional relationship, huh?"

"In my eyes, it's always been simple," Victor replied slyly. "Troubles and the like, probably vary from person to person?"

This time, Charles gave him a sharp look, as if the previous sigh had never appeared before. "Forget it," he muttered and straightened up. "If there's nothing else, can I ask you to go back to your room now? I'm going to rest."

The eviction order was issued without hesitation, and Victor couldn't help touching his nose.Turning his face is faster than turning a book, and he can't eat hot tofu in a hurry. It seems that he has to prepare some patience. "Of course more than that."

Charles was walking towards the side door, when he heard this, he turned his head. "What else?" Although he was interrupted once by Victor, he still remembered the biggest threat to their faction in recent times—the Earl of Artois.

"Exactly as you thought," Victor shrugged, "I guess you have never forgotten it in the past two months. Seeing Mr. Van Leburg today, don't you have anything to say to me?"

Charles stood still.He did have something to say to Victor, about industrialization; but Victor deliberately reminded him that Mr. Van Leburg was among the four people.

Where is the point?Isn't it just that Mr. van Leburg has hired an Englishman as his housekeeper?

British?British!

"You expected..." Charles was only halfway through the sentence.Isn't it obvious that the two of them agree on this matter!He simply folded his hands, "Tell me, is everything settled, and I just need to go to Britain to join?"

"That's not necessarily true." Victor shrugged, "You know we are separated from them by a strait, and what we hear is not what we see."

Of course, not every invention that has just started in the industrialization era has practical application value.Charles nodded and asked again: "Then?"

"I think you'll know which one works," Victor replied.Then he took out a small book from his close pocket and spread it out on the low table between them. "This is probably the simple relationship you expected."

Charles gave him a suspicious look, then picked up the book.As soon as he opened the cover, his face changed——

A stack of signed and stamped money orders, but no amount written!What the hell kind of simple relationship is this, isn't Victor afraid that he will run away with his money?