At an elite royalist celebration, prosecutor Villefort receives news of Edmond Dantès’ arrest and sees a chance to prove loyalty.

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While Dantès’ ruined wedding leaves loved ones in despair, another celebration unfolds among Marseille’s royalist elite at Villefort’s betrothal feast. Political conversations reveal fierce anti-Napoleonic sentiment and Villefort’s ambition to distance himself from his Bonapartist father. Mid-celebration, an anonymous accusation reaches him: Edmond Dantès is arrested as a suspected Bonapartist courier. Though urged to show mercy, Villefort views the case as both a duty and an opportunity to strengthen his political future.