The Countdown of Monte Cristo

Villefort gets everything he wanted.

In a single breath, the king rewards Villefort with a prestigious medal, a promise of remembrance, and power in the south. But the cross he kisses is bought with …

The king suspects. Villefort sweats.

As Louis XVIII probes into Villefort’s family ties, the young magistrate walks a knife’s edge. Every answer is a risk. Behind a façade of loyalty, Villefort dista…

A general is dead—and the king smells conspiracy.

Louis XVIII learns that General Quesnel’s mysterious death may not have been suicide after all. As suspicion turns to assassination and Bonapartist c…

Villefort plays a delicate hand—and wins.

As praise from the king threatens to make him a political target, Villefort humbly redirects the spotlight and rescues the very minister he once sought to su…

As news of Napoleon’s landing spreads, King Louis XVIII erupts—not in fear of war, but in fear of ridicule.

At the Tuileries, surrounded by ministers who failed him, the king lashes out in a bitter t…

The king rages against fate—and his own court.

Louis XVIII receives confirmation: the news of Napoleon’s landing came not late, but on time—through the telegraph. The failure wasn’t distance. It was …

The king scrambles to find a stronghold.

As the reality of Napoleon’s return sinks in, Louis XVIII turns from disbelief to desperation—pressing Villefort for solutions and lashing out at his minister…

Napoleon escapes Elba and lands in France—and King Louis XVIII is the last to know.

In this explosive chapter, the monarchy’s illusion of control shatters as Minister Dandré arrives pale and tremblin…

In this episode of The Countdown of Monte Cristo, Villefort makes his most direct appeal yet: Napoleon is preparing to return. The king listens—politely—but assures himself the danger is minimal. Whi…

In this episode of The Countdown of Monte Cristo, Villefort finally delivers his warning: Napoleon has set his plan in motion. The king, suddenly shaken from complacency, demands clarity—and gets it.…

In this episode of The Countdown of Monte Cristo, Villefort finally stands before the king—but not in triumph. His dusty travel clothes and ambitious motives are met with suspicion, flattery, and cou…

In this episode of The Countdown of Monte Cristo, Villefort finally arrives at court—only to find that his greatest threat might not be Napoleon, but his own name. After riding nearly non-stop from M…

In this episode of The Countdown of Monte Cristo, King Louis XVIII clings to classical verse while the world shifts beneath him. As his minister rushes off in search of new intelligence—and Blacas gr…

In this episode of The Countdown of Monte Cristo, King Louis XVIII receives a final round of reassuring lies. With Napoleon already on the march, the king and his ministers indulge in the fantasy tha…

In this episode of The Countdown of Monte Cristo, King Louis XVIII and his ministers convince themselves that Napoleon is not just contained, but collapsing. With talk of skin rashes, insanity, and i…

In this episode of The Countdown of Monte Cristo, we remain in the king’s study as Duke Blacas grows increasingly alarmed—and King Louis XVIII grows increasingly bored. Annotating Horace and tossing …

In this episode of The Countdown of Monte Cristo, the narrative shifts to Paris—to the Tuileries Palace, where King Louis XVIII brushes off warnings of unrest in the south. As Villefort speeds toward…

In this episode of The Countdown of Monte Cristo, the ripples of Edmond Dantès’ arrest reach everyone—from powerless friends to heartless traitors. We see what happens when justice fails in public an…

In this episode of The Countdown of Monte Cristo, Dantès’ fate is sealed. Villefort, weighed down by the flicker of conscience, chooses ambition once and for all. As he rushes to Saint-Méran’s estate…

In this episode of The Countdown of Monte Cristo, Villefort finally feels the weight of his actions—and it nearly breaks him. As Mercédès pleads for answers and is turned away, a deeper silence settl…