Calm replaces fury, and silence carries meaning heavier than words. What follows is an act that halts cruelty by embracing its cost.

In this passage of The Count of Monte Cristo, Carlini accepts the brutal outcome without protest, toasting Diavolaccio and sharing a meal as if nothing has changed. When Diavolaccio returns bearing Rita, the truth is revealed in the firelight: she has been stabbed, and Carlini’s empty sheath explains everything. The bandits, stunned, recognize the resolve behind the deed—an end chosen to spare further suffering, understood even among men hardened by violence.

This moment matters because it exposes a grim code beneath the savagery: a recognition of sacrifice that commands respect where mercy has failed.

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The Countdown of Monte Cristo is a daily podcast reading one page at a time from Alexandre Dumas’ classic novel — every day, for four years. Whether you’re starting from the beginning or joining mid-journey, each episode brings you deeper into the story of The Count of Monte Cristo.