Of course this reminds me of that long ago I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again version of the Battle of Hastings:
Narrator: Harold was appealing to his men.
Swishy voice over: Must have been all that campy gear of his.
Whether intended or not, the idea that came to me was that obviously the way to be revenged on the man who stole your fiancee is to steal his son. The notion floats past for a minute or two before the Count says adieu to Albert for what cannot be forever but certainly seems intended as such. This after Albert is all Take me with you! Let me go with you! practically throwing himself into the Count's arms. One waits to see if the Count's No is indeed his refusal to accept exactly the opportunity for revenge mentioned above (it certainly looks like it) and more, whether that refusal is a virtue in him or the reverse (and it certainly looks like the reverse: evidently he intends a more demonic revenge than taking a young boy for whom he has a strong affection away from his enemy, the boy's father. Recalls Dumas' Monte Cristo's Why didn't I tear my heart out when first I decided on revenge? Gankutsu-ou would seem to have done just that.
Though I have more hope now. Characters allowed to feel affection for affectionate characters are rarely allowed to turn into total rat bastards afterwards, not by the Japanese and not that often by us. One attends the next stage of this.
It would seem that Albert is much younger here than in the novel, which explains both his naivete and his likableness. Fifteen is still awfully young to be travelling about alone and to have a fiancee. Shall check that tomorrow: it might just be GW pilot syndrome.
