Chapter 624: For Love
The plaza in front of Notre Dame Cathedral fell silent.
The ladies who had been vying for the "First Love Token" stood frozen in shock.
Who is this? She's not following the rules at all!
Normally, bidders increased their offers incrementally, starting modestly with one or two thousand francs, gradually building the atmosphere. The bidding would climax in a fierce competition between a few wealthy young women, with one of them eventually losing her composure and shouting an astronomical figure to triumph.
But now, someone had jumped straight to 40,000 francs—an astronomical sum—leaving everyone stunned!
All eyes turned toward the source of the bold bid. Most could only see the lace-trimmed black-and-white dress, but those closer to the front caught a glimpse of the face behind it—so breathtakingly beautiful that it left them momentarily breathless.
Archbishop Beaumont, noticing the awkward silence, desperately signaled to the priest overseeing the bidding.
The priest cleared his throat, made the sign of the cross, and addressed the crowd:
"Oh, the devotion of this young lady has clearly illuminated her in the Lord's radiance. Is there anyone else who wishes to demonstrate their faith and purity before God?"
No one responded.
Several young noblewomen could afford 40,000 francs, but they hesitated.
The bidder's audacious confidence made it clear that she was willing to spend any amount necessary to secure the token. If they countered, she might just raise her bid by another few thousand francs. Would they follow her lead or bow out? Either way, it would be humiliating. Better to feign indifference and let her have it.
What no one knew was that Camellia, the golden-haired, violet-eyed bidder, had no understanding of bidding tactics.
She had heard rumors that the "First Love Token" was incredibly effective. Last year, the young Debray heiress who acquired it received a marriage proposal from the man of her dreams, despite his prior indifference.
Camellia believed the token could make the Crown Prince fall in love with her. So, without realizing this was an auction, she treated it as a simple purchase, basing her bid on the previous year's final price of just over 40,000 francs.
Her directness unintentionally stifled the competition.
The priest overseeing the bidding tried every trick in the book, eloquently encouraging the crowd for another two or three minutes, but still, no one dared to counterbid.
Archbishop Beaumont's heart ached. He had invested significant effort into promoting this Valentine's Day event, hoping to fetch a record-breaking price for the First Love Token. Instead, it sold for 5,000 francs less than the previous year.
The priest could delay no longer and finally announced that Camellia would receive the Lord's blessing.
With a pained expression, Archbishop Beaumont presented the elaborately crafted Love Token. He sprinkled it with holy water, said a prayer, and solemnly handed it to Camellia.
The "First Love Token" was claimed, and the crowd surged toward the cathedral entrance. A dozen priests were stationed there, selling regular Love Tokens. Those who couldn't secure the first token could still buy one with slightly lesser efficacy. Prices ranged from just 5 sous to 7 francs for those blessed by the Archbishop and sprinkled with holy water.
Meanwhile, Camellia, her face glowing with excitement, cradled her token as she searched for a quiet corner inside the cathedral. According to church instructions, all she needed to do was write the Crown Prince's name on the token, and divine intervention would ensure his love!
However, as she slipped away from the crowd into a corridor, two noblewomen approached her. One, wearing a deep pink ball gown, was the same young lady who had bid 7,000 francs earlier.
Both noblewomen glared at Camellia with obvious hostility. She turned on her heel, intending to slip past them, but the pink-gowned woman sneered:
"How laughable! A little nobody from Austria, not even a titled noble, has the audacity to buy the First Love Token at Notre Dame!"
Her voice dripped with scorn as she continued:
"Don't think we don't know your pathetic intentions. You actually believe this token will make the Crown Prince fall in love with you? Keep dreaming!"
Her companion, equally disdainful, chimed in:
"Exactly! Even with that token, His Highness would never look at you. You're nothing but an embarrassment!"
Camellia lowered her head, trembling as she tried to slip away, her eyes glistening with tears.
But the pink-gowned woman, emboldened by Camellia's timid demeanor, stepped in her path and added mockingly:
"40,000 francs—such a fortune for someone like you. What a waste! Let me tell you: only someone of my noble lineage could ever capture His Highness's interest. We don't need silly tokens for that."
The woman's anger stemmed from two things: Camellia's audacious bid, which she felt had humiliated her, and rumors that Camellia aspired to become the Crown Prince's mistress. The thought filled her with jealousy and rage.
"I… you… why are you… saying such things?" Camellia stammered through her tears, her voice barely audible.
The pink-gowned woman smirked and turned to her companion.
"Look at her—playing the poor little victim! She probably uses this act to manipulate the Crown Prince, too."
"Pathetic," the other woman added. "Listen, Austrian peasant, don't you dare write His Highness's name on that token. Do you hear me?"
The two continued their barrage of insults. Among Versailles' aristocracy, it was common to belittle those without noble titles, particularly foreigners like Camellia. Adding to their disdain was Camellia's undeniable beauty and proximity to the Crown Prince.
Overwhelmed, Camellia lowered her head, tears streaming down her face.
"You… you're being too cruel…"
At that moment, a familiar voice echoed down the corridor. Holding a 7-franc Love Token, Perna had been walking past when she recognized the voice.
"Camellia?"
She backtracked, peering into the group of onlookers surrounding Camellia. Spotting the golden curls, her brow furrowed, and she quickly approached.
"His Highness has countless maids like you. You're nothing special, just a delusional little—"
The pink-gowned woman abruptly stopped mid-sentence as a tall woman in a dark green gown stepped between her and Camellia.
"Get out of my way, you—"
The noblewoman froze, her tone shifting nervously when she realized who it was.
"P-Perna?"
Although Perna came from a minor noble family, she was rumored to be the Crown Prince's chief mistress at Versailles—a role she played so well that the Prince even took her with him to the battlefield.
Perna glanced at the tear-streaked Camellia and coldly addressed "Miss Pompous Skirt":
"Miss Heriou, what exactly are you doing here?"
"Miss Perna, I... ahem... I was merely reminding this low-born girl not to harbor unrealistic dreams about the Crown Prince."
Perna noticed the Love Token clutched tightly in Camellia's hands and instantly understood the situation. She had witnessed Camellia's extravagant bid earlier and pieced together most of the story. While Camellia might be her rival in love, Perna couldn't simply stand by and watch her be humiliated.
After all, she was a woman shaped by her experiences in the military camp, someone who had seen far greater conflicts. With unwavering calm, she turned to Miss Heriou and said coldly:
"Is that so? Perhaps I should inform His Highness of your good intentions, letting him know how you publicly insulted one of his maids and demeaned her background. I'm sure he would be most grateful for your kindness, don't you think?"
"No! Please, don't do that!" Heriou's face turned pale, and she began shaking her head frantically. "I didn't mean to—"
Seeing Perna's unyielding expression, Heriou clenched her teeth and lowered her head toward Camellia.
"I apologize for my earlier words. Please forgive me."
Camellia's tears only flowed more freely.
Perna gently patted her back and said to Heriou:
"I trust we won't see anything like this happen again."
As the two noblewomen hurried away in embarrassment, Perna took Camellia by the hand and led her out of the gathering crowd. However, Camellia was still sobbing uncontrollably. With no other option, Perna turned back into the cathedral and found an empty prayer room, pushing the door open.
Focused entirely on comforting Camellia, Perna failed to notice the plainclothes guards standing near the prayer room door.
The guards, however, recognized both Perna and Camellia. Assuming that the Crown Prince had summoned them, they allowed the two women to enter without question.
Inside the prayer room, Perna sat Camellia down on a bench and used her handkerchief to wipe away her tears.
"Don't cry anymore," she said soothingly. "They were just jealous of you. You're far prettier than they are, and you even got the First Love Token.
"Forget about them. Honestly… even I'm a little jealous of you. Jealousy can make people act foolishly…"
Camellia suddenly threw her arms around Perna's slender waist and sobbed, "Th-thank you, Miss Perna. If you hadn't stepped in, I wouldn't have known what to do…"
Then, lowering her head, she added, "But they're not entirely wrong. I come from a humble background and have no business dreaming about His Highness…"
At that moment, a figure lying on the back row of benches in the small prayer room stirred awake, disturbed by their voices.
The person removed the Bible covering his face, rubbed his sleepy eyes, and sat up. It was none other than Joseph.
To be fair, it wasn't entirely his fault—reading the Bible was incredibly soporific, and he'd stayed up late the previous night reviewing reports from the Caribbean. Unsurprisingly, he had dozed off.
Initially intending to ask a priest if the Valentine's Day festivities had concluded, Joseph froze when he recalled hearing the voices of two girls nearby.
Peering over the bench, he saw Perna and Camellia sitting on the front row, their backs partially turned toward him.
"..."
Joseph instinctively raised a hand to greet them but paused when he heard Perna say:
"You shouldn't think that way. Everyone has the right to pursue love, especially someone as beautiful and sweet as you."
Realizing they might think he had been eavesdropping, Joseph slowly lay back down on the bench.
"Thank you for your encouragement," Camellia said, taking a deep breath as if steeling herself. She then extended the Love Token to Perna.
"Miss Perna, I know you like the Crown Prince, too. You're the one who truly deserves to be with him.
"Please take this Love Token. I hope it helps you win the love you wish for."
Perna stared at the expensive Love Token in shock and gently pushed it back.
"I can't accept this—it's far too valuable. Besides, you should hold onto it and follow your heart. I think His Highness wouldn't reject you."
Joseph's jaw dropped. Had he just overheard something he wasn't supposed to?
Camellia seemed equally taken aback. "But, Miss Perna, aren't you upset that I'm competing with you for His Highness?"
"Competing?" Perna sighed. "How could His Highness ever belong to just me?"
She gazed at Camellia with a wry smile.
"You know he can only marry a princess. Even if he has feelings for me, the most I could hope for is to be his mistress…
"His Highness is so perfect, so captivating. Honestly, just being by his side feels like a gift from God. How could I dare wish for more?"
Camellia hesitated for a long moment before timidly asking,
"So… does that mean I could also…"
"That's your right," Perna said, nodding. "If His Highness likes you, then you should stay by his side to bring him joy and comfort.
"Of course, it may not feel entirely fair to you, but love often demands sacrifices.
"You see, in a way, our fates are quite similar. We're both drawn to a perfect soul and willing to give up everything for it."
Perna didn't know why she was sharing such sentiments with Camellia—perhaps because her own feelings had been suppressed for so long, and Camellia seemed to be the one person who truly understood them.
Camellia stood, curtseyed deeply, and said,
"You're incredible. I finally understand why His Highness can't bear to be without you."
Meanwhile, Joseph felt like his brain had short-circuited.
Are all girls this magnanimous in this era?
Back in the East, something like this would lead to palace intrigue spanning dozens of episodes, complete with incense plots and love potions! But these two are just… calmly discussing it?
Wait… hang on. They're talking about me?!
Joseph froze. He often thought of these two as "little girls," but then realized that Perna was already 19, and Camellia would soon turn 18.
And he… he was 17 now. Practically an adult.
Subconsciously, he glanced at his own muscular arm. If something were to happen between us, wouldn't it just be… normal?
For some reason, a new question popped into his mind: If I had to choose between Perna and Camellia, who would I pick?
Both were breathtakingly beautiful, sweet-natured, and utterly devoted to him.
Ah… what a dilemma.
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