That protagonist had been present at the battle of Waterloo, but the majority of the action takes place in an Italian duchy where Count Mosca is the prime minister.
In this novel, the protagonist's love interest swears never to see him again, so naturally they decide to meet in the dark every night. That love interest keeps pet birds and communicates with the protagonist through letters printed on book pages, after he kills Marietta Valsera's lover Giletti in self-defense. That protagonist had been present at the battle of Waterloo, but the majority of the action takes place in an Italian duchy where Count Mosca is the prime minister. Mosca's lover is the protagonist's aunt Gina, the duchess of Sanseverina, while the protagonist falls in love with the prison commandant's daughter Clelia Conti. For 10 points, name this novel about Fabrizio del Dongo, a work of Stendhal.
In this novel, the protagonist's love interest swears never to see him again, so naturally they decide to meet in the dark every night.
The {Charterhouse} of {Parma} [or La {Chartreuse} de {Parme}]