Having shown proof that he did not slander Albert’s father, Beauchamp is once again in Albert’s good graces. As such, they go together to the count’s house to ask the count for his advice about the story of the man who betrayed Ali Tepelini.

The count is happy to see the two young men and invites them to join him on his planned journey to the shore in Normandy. Beauchamp, who is still distracted by the story about Fernand, tells the count he prefers to remain in the city. But Albert has no reason to stay in Paris and looks forward to the trip as a distraction from the torment the story has caused him.

The trip is long, and Albert is in Normandy only three days when one of his servants arrives with a letter from his mother, who implores him to return home at once. Albert learns that a second newspaper has printed a story about the same incident of Ali Tepelini’s death, but this story offers more detail. This story reveals the full name of the murderer: Fernand Mondego, Albert’s father’s given name. There is no ambiguity in this second story, no second-guessing who the accused traitor is.

Albert rushes back to Paris to find out from Beauchamp what has happened. Beauchamp recounts the events. Albert’s father was called to testify in his own defense against the accusation that was published in the newspaper story. Fernand brought papers with him that were signed by Ali Tepelini, stipulating that he considered Fernand as an ally. Fernand also exhibited Ali’s ring, which Fernand declares was given to him as a sign of respect. He states that he does not know who would slander him and he declares his innocence. He tells the members of the House that Ali trusted him so much that he put his wife and young daughter in his care before he died.

The men who are judging Fernand tell him to return that evening for their decision. When he does, someone else also appears. It is a veiled woman who reveals her identity as the daughter of Ali Tepelini; it is Haydee. She reveals her version of the story of her father’s death, and she points to Fernand and identifies him as the man who betrayed and murdered Ali Tepelini. Afterward, Haydee states, he sold her mother and herself into slavery.

After Beauchamp describes these events, Albert is forlorn. He begs Beauchamp to find out who his father’s enemy might be. He wants to know who revealed the evidence that was used for the newspaper story. Beauchamp says that he does not know for sure, but he has an idea. While Beauchamp was in Yanina, researching his story, he was told that Danglars was also investigating the same details. Albert and Beauchamp go to Danglars’s house to confront the man.

Danglars tells them that the reason he went to Yanina was to uncover all there was to know about Albert before allowing the young man to marry his daughter. Danglars confesses that he was given a tip concerning where to look. The person who gave him that tip, Danglars tells Albert, was the Count of Monte Cristo. Albert asks if the count knew of the results of Danglars’s investigation. Danglars answers in the affirmative.

Whereas once Albert was ready to duel with Danglars to avenge his father’s public shame, the young man now turns his vengeance on the count. He goes with Beauchamp to the count’s home, but he is told that the count is unavailable. Albert finds out that the count will be attending the opera later that night, so he decides to confront him there. Before going to the opera house, Albert goes home and tells his mother that the count is involved in the downfall of his father.

The count arrives late to the opera. Once his is situated in his private box, Albert faces him and publicly challenges him to a duel. The count accepts, confident that he will kill Albert without any harm to himself.

While the count is at home later that night, inspecting the guns he will use in the duel, Beauchamp arrives with the time and place of the duel. It is scheduled for early the next morning. After Beauchamp leaves, another visitor arrives. This time it is Mercedes. She implores the count not to kill her son. While doing so, she refers to the count by his given name, calling him Edmund, thus revealing that she has known all along his true identity. She wants to know why he is seeking revenge. The count tells her the story of how Fernand was involved in his having been imprisoned. Mercedes knew nothing of this. Fernand, the count tells her, not only took away all those years that he spent in prison, he also took away his father, who died of hunger, and he stole Mercedes from him, the only woman he has ever loved.

Mercedes falls to her knees and asks why the count does not go after Fernand instead of Albert. The count refers to a conviction that he holds to be true that the sins of the father fall onto the son. Mercedes then applies to the young man whom she once knew, the man she has always loved, asking that he not torture her further by killing her only son. In the end, the count cannot bear Mercedes’s misery and promises he will not kill Albert. To save Albert’s life, he tells her, he must sacrifice his own. In other words, he must allow Albert to kill him because he cannot back down from the duel. Albert made the challenge public. If the count backs down from the challenge, he would be disgraced, which to him would be worse than death.