Imperial Crown

Hyde, who was sitting in the box, held a wine glass in his hand and looked down at the entire venue through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows.

The venue uses milky white granite as the base material, and the floors and walls are polished as smooth as a mirror. There are no excessive decorations, making it simple and elegant.

The magic crystal lamp hangs from the ceiling, emitting a soft and bright light.

Large pieces of colorful silk seem to cover the ceiling with a layer of clothing, gently reflecting the light of the magic lamps. Various colors overlap, making the contrast particularly strong and making the colors on each guest more vivid. The whole venue turned into a moving oil painting.

To the north of the venue is a common drama stage, but what is novel is that starting from the middle, a rectangular walkway extends until the center of the venue. It is rounded at the end and there is a podium standing on it.

Undoubtedly, the person standing at the end of the trail will become an eye-catching presence like stars holding the moon.

In addition to the stage, the hall is where guests gather. Dozens of round tables are arranged in an orderly manner. The tablecloths are made of soft black silk, which absorbs excess light and prevents the tone of the entire venue from being frivolous.

"I'm willing to spend money. This set will cost more than 3,000 gold coins at least." Hyde raised his eyebrows, pursed his lips, and said sourly:

"Hey, nouveau riche."

Well built, so what?

It’s all my money!

6000 gold coins.

He gave Raven a total of 6,000 gold coins!

Thinking of this, Hyde felt a little angry again, and he quickly raised his glass and took a sip of wine, trying to suppress it.

As soon as the wine entered his throat, he felt something was wrong. He looked down at the bottle, took another sip, carefully tasted the taste, and said in surprise:

"Isn't it right? It's only been a few months, but Angel Tears has already improved?"

As the son of an earl family, Hyde has top-notch taste and knowledge, and of course he has unique insights into fine wine.

The original Tears of Angels could only be said to be good, but there were always some off-flavors that would please the bad guys. Now that the packaging has been changed, the taste has become pure and clear. In terms of quality alone, it is already as good as the famous wine "Frost Pearl" with 3 gold coins. "Yes."

At this moment, the door of the box opened, and with the sound of footsteps, Raven walked into the room, came directly to sit next to Hyde, and poured himself a glass of wine: "Long wait, Mr. Hyde."

"It won't be too long." Hyde glanced at him:

"Raven, when will you die?"

Raven didn't care about this, he just smiled and took a sip of wine.

After all, Hyde is a member of the earl family, and he has substantial benefits, so he has to let others vent, right?

Seeing his appearance, Hyde felt as if a hammer had hit cotton. His chest felt so aggrieved that he had no choice but to change the subject: "You have made such a big battle this time, can you make back your principal?"

"I don't have the final say on this." Raven said slowly: "However, it's okay to earn a few thousand gold coins casually."

The first half of the sentence was okay, but after hearing the second half, Hyde almost spit out a mouthful of wine:

"Baron Raven, be careful what you say!"

The net income of most baron families in a year is only 800 or 900 gold coins. To say "just a few thousand gold coins" is to make a group of people laugh.

"Of course I know, there's no one else there." Raven said with a smile: "If we really get down there, we'll still have to cry for poverty."

Hyde exhaled from his nose and said helplessly: "Hmph, you talk nonsense to others and ghosts, but you are more noble than me."

"Thank you for the compliment." Raven seemed unable to hear the sarcasm in his words, and asked instead: "How is Men's City doing lately?"

"Why, are you homesick?" Hyde teased, and then said seriously: "It's a bit troublesome, but generally it's still under control, otherwise I wouldn't let your brother back."

"Speaking of which, it didn't cause you any trouble, did it?"

"Of course not." Raven raised his eyebrows slightly: "The relationship between us brothers is as harmonious as you and Mr. Minsk."

He originally wondered why Vesdon could come back, but it turned out that the root cause was Hyde.

"Oh, then I'll be relieved." There was a hint of a scheming smile on Hyde's lips.

Over the past six months, the relationship between Raven and Hyde has undergone subtle changes.

On the one hand, Raven needs to use Hyde to understand the trends of the Slater family; on the other hand, Hyde also needs Raven as a foreign aid to improve his status in the family.

Therefore, the current relationship between the two is probably that of "friends" who use each other.

Raven was silent, his eyes far-reaching, as if he was thinking about something.

Seeing this, Hyde asked: "Why, don't you believe what I say?"

"How could that be possible?" Raven spread his hands and said in a casual tone: "Mr. Hyde has already shown such sincerity, of course Meng'en City is 'peaceful'!"

Hearing the sarcasm in Raven's words, Hyde's pupils suddenly tightened: "You!?"

"Oh oh oh, don't get excited, Mr. Hyde." Raven looked at the hall calmly: "Many people are staring at us. If you are so impatient, you will not be able to fulfill Earl Tyrone's instructions."

Hearing this, Hyde's eyes fell on the hall. As expected, many people were looking here intentionally or unintentionally.

He straightened his collar, returned to his calm posture and took a sip of wine: "What else do you know?"

"It's all just speculation." Raven said lightly.

Hyde asked: "Then tell me your guess."

"Hmm, let me guess." Raven shook the wine glass and said slowly: "Mr. Hyde came without an escort because he wanted to express a message to the outside world."

"Nord Province is still safe, and the Slater family is still strong. Even if there are no protective measures, no one will use violence against you."

"At first glance, it seems to be a clever arrangement."

Hyde looked gloomy: "So, you think this was my father's idea?"

"It should be Earl Tyrone's order." Raven said unhurriedly: "But the specific operation is Mr. Hyde's idea, right?"

When he finished the first half of the sentence, Hyde had already shown a proud smile, but in the second half of the sentence his face suddenly fell: "...how did you know?"

"I said it, it's just a guess." Raven smiled slightly: "Besides, I heard an old proverb."

“The more something is lacking, the more something needs to be revealed.”

Hyde looked at Raven in surprise, and then tasted these words carefully.

"Mr. Hyde, please do as you please. I still have something to do, so I won't keep you company." Raven stood up and said.

At this moment, the originally lively hall suddenly became quiet.

Hyde came back to his senses, pointed at a figure coming out from the background and said:

"Why is she here?"

Looking in the direction he pointed, I saw Nancy walking elegantly into the hall with Jenny's support, and many nobles present saluted her.

For a time, it seemed to become the focus of the venue.

She had that iconic arrogant smile on her face, obviously enjoying the feeling of being surrounded by stars. She didn't sit down at a table in the first row until everyone had finished saluting.

Vesdon stepped forward, apparently wanting to show his courtesy, but Nancy rolled her eyes and made her take three steps back, almost collapsing the table.

"Your younger brother is really brave. He dares to provoke the 'Fire Rose of the Fox Family'." Hyde clicked his tongue and shook his head.

"Who says it isn't?" Raven sighed helplessly: "Ever since she moved into Eagle Castle, Vesdon has been acting like this all day long, like a follower who can't even be driven away."

"Sometimes, ignorance is also a kind of happiness." Hyde let out a long sigh, and then looked back at Raven like a chicken with its neck strangled: "What did you say!?"

"Nancy has moved into Eagle Castle!?"

This reaction shocked Raven: "Is there anything wrong?"

Hyde's eyes widened, and he looked left and right around Raven. Just as he was about to reach out to touch, his palm was suddenly knocked away:

"Mr. Hyde, please respect yourself!"

"I'm not interested in you." Hyde pinched his chin and asked with interest: "She lives in Eagle Castle, and she can live in peace with you. Eagle Castle is still alive. It's really strange."

"As far as I know, this unruly young lady would never even look at a man. Does she like you?"

"Ha! What a good joke!" Raven's mouth twitched stiffly, turned around and left the box.

Looking at Raven pushing the door and leaving, Hyde pursed his lips and glanced at Nancy below.

There must be something going on between these two!

Nancy's appearance was notable enough, but not every guest saw it.

Just like Judra and Mark, they were obviously the closest, but they arrived very late.

Judra's reputation was so bad that he would not have participated in such a social event if it weren't for Angel's order and the expectation of seeing Denise.

When they entered the door, many eyes were focused on them, and then they moved away, talking in small groups in low voices, as if nothing happened.

Judra knew that he was probably talking about his "glorious deeds".

But at this moment, his mood was surprisingly not that bad, because he gradually realized that his "creditor" was just Raven.

Now that you have made a contract with Raven, you don't have to care too much about other people's opinions.

But he didn't want to go and ask for trouble, so he found a remote empty table and sat down, his eyes wandering around, hoping to find Denise.

In contrast, Mark is much more comfortable. He walks among many nobles like a social master. He is favored by Angel and has seen many beauties.

But the moment he saw Nancy, he couldn't move his eyes away.

The fair skin, delicate facial features, and the proud posture immediately aroused his desire to conquer.

Mark held the wine glass and walked elegantly to Nancy: "This beautiful lady, my dear Mark, the youngest son of the Wharton family, I wonder if I would have the honor to meet you?"

There was a 45° smile on the corner of his mouth, with a hint of evil in his elegance, and his handsome face. He had fascinated many girls in the past, and he had the same confidence today.

"Get out." Nancy uttered one syllable without even looking at him.

"What?" Mark was stunned for a moment.

"I said, get out." Nancy's tone was extremely cold: "Are you deaf?"

Jenny knew her young lady’s temper, so she also persuaded her in a low voice: “Mr. Mark, please leave.”

Forget it about a noble lady, how dare a little maid be so rude to me?

This simply doesn’t take the Wharton family seriously!

Mark suppressed his anger and maintained a polite smile: "Let me reiterate that I am the youngest son of the Wharton family and the future baron!"

"Even if you are really a baron, you are not qualified to sit with me." Nancy's voice became colder and colder: "I won't say the same thing for the third time."

Mark really couldn't suppress his anger. He raised the wine glass and was about to smash it to the ground.

Suddenly, a cool breeze blew through the hall, attracting everyone's attention to the door.

Five nobles in gorgeous clothes stood there.

The leader was a middle-aged noble with long red hair. He looked about 30 years old, with a square face and sharp eyes like a long sword.

The black fabric and the dress embellished with gold silk threads were luxurious and elegant. Judging from the floating corners of the clothes that defied common sense, it was actually enchanted.

On the left chest, there was a family emblem with an F-shaped flame.

That was the Fox family's emblem!

Raven walked up to him with a rhythmic pace, saluted and said, "It's an honor to meet you, Mr. Gul'dan."

Gul'dan Fox, a third-level fire knight, the eldest son of the Fox family.

"It's an honor to meet you, Baron Raven." Gul'dan nodded in return and said with a smile, "Thanks to you for taking care of my younger sister during this period."

Raven said modestly, "I dare not. It is the honor of the Griffith family that Miss Nancy can come to the Eagle Territory."

"Yeah." Gul'dan nodded, then walked towards Nancy with a smile: "Oh, my dear sister, I haven't seen you for a long time, I really miss you."

Mark still maintained the posture of holding the wine glass high. Seeing this, cold sweat came down, and he quickly stepped aside, his palms were damp.

But fortunately, no one present had the heart to pay attention to him.

Jenny took two steps back respectfully and bowed, but Nancy sat on the chair motionless.

"Miss Nancy, Mr. Gul'dan is here." Raven frowned and reminded.

"I'm not deaf, I can hear." Nancy said without turning her head.

"Haha, your temper is still so stubborn." Gul'dan seemed to be unconcerned: "I came here, on the one hand, because of Baron Raven's invitation, and on the other hand, I also want to tell you that my father misses you very much and hopes that you can go home as soon as possible."

Nancy nodded without comment: "Yeah."

Before Gul'dan said anything, the nobles who came with him couldn't hold it anymore.

Seeing that the atmosphere was getting more and more tense, Raven didn't want his press conference to be ruined like this, and immediately suggested: "Mr. Gul'dan, I have prepared a box for you upstairs, do you need to rest?"

"I am indeed a little tired after rushing all the way here." Gul'dan said: "Then thank you."

Under the guidance of the maid, Gul'dan and his party walked upstairs.

Just as he sank into the shadow of the stairs, the smile on Gul'dan's face disappeared instantly, and his mouth outlined a word:

Bitch.

A small episode ended, and the hall returned to its bustle.

Raven glanced at Nancy, who was still sitting there, motionless.

The relationship between the two siblings was really strange.

The guests of honor had already arrived, and the press conference was about to begin. Raven had no intention of exploring the gossip, so he turned around and walked backstage.

At this moment, his eyes caught the figure of Judra, who was sitting in the corner drinking quite comfortably. When she saw Raven, she even raised her glass to greet him.

"You don't know how to live or die." Raven cursed in a low voice.

He didn't really think that he could sit back and relax just because he had an agreement with me, did he?

But it was not time to punish him yet.

Raven walked backstage.

Ten minutes later, the venue, which was originally as bright as day, suddenly became dark.

Just as many nobles were stunned, the light came on again, but only one beam focused on the tip of the T-shaped stage, attracting everyone's attention.

Raven, dressed in a black suit, stood there, cleared his throat and said:

"Let me introduce myself. I am Raven, Raven Ota Griffith, the Imperial Baron, and the organizer of this press conference."

"As the lord of the Eagle Territory, I am honored to invite all the guests present."

"First of all, I would like to thank Mr. Guldan of the Fox family and Mr. Hyde of the Slater family. Their arrival has added a lot of glory to this conference."

Two more beams of white light lit up and fell into the two boxes, illuminating the figures of Hyde and Guldan clearly.

Polite applause rang out without even needing anyone to guide them.

Hyde and Guldan raised their glasses to greet each other, with gentle smiles on their faces, as if they were old friends for many years.

As for the real thoughts in their hearts, only the two of them knew.

Raven also thanked several viscounts including John by name, and then bowed and stepped down.

Just when everyone was stunned by this, a faint rose fragrance spread.

A beam of light hit the back of the stage, illuminating Denise in her gorgeous dress.

The light was dazzling, but Denise herself was more eye-catching than the light.

She wore a silver crown on her head, with round gems inlaid on it. Under the light, it looked radiant and colorful, but it did not take away her charm.

Her makeup was exquisite, and her long and thin eyebrows flowed into her temples. She was sharp but confident; her black pearl-like eyes contained an elegant smile.

She wore a simple and elegant white dress with a high neckline designed in the shape of petals. Although it was a bit exaggerated, it could highlight her confident aura like a queen.

Most of the nobles present had heard of Denise's name, and some had even seen her at Donald's funeral.

But her appearance today still gave everyone a "stunning" feeling.

The men swallowed their saliva, and the women had a hint of jealousy in their eyes.

Even Nancy, who was sitting below, pouted her mouth, biting her lips with her tiger teeth, envious and jealous.

Denise was not so beautiful during the rehearsal before!

Stopping, Denise lifted her skirt and saluted: "Gentlemen and ladies, welcome to Eagle Town. I am the host of this press conference, Denise Griffith."

"Before becoming a member of the Griffith family, I was a businessman in Mon'en City, and I often held banquets to entertain nobles from all over the world."

This sentence seemed to have nothing to do with the content of the press conference, which made the nobles present a little confused.

But Denise's next words successfully dispelled their doubts.

"Business dinners inevitably require wine."

"The Insa Empire has 'Red Maple Dew', the Fitun city-states have 'Frosted Pearls', and the Eastwood Province in the south has 'Everlasting Spring'..."

At this point, Denise sighed appropriately: "At banquets, they always proudly introduce the fine wines produced in their hometowns, and then express the same attitude explicitly or implicitly."

"The people of Nord Province are crude and there is not even a decent wine on the table."

This sentence immediately resonated with many nobles present.

Nord Province is located in the northwest of the empire, and its products are relatively scarce. The local nobles are inevitably weak in "soft power".

Being looked down upon openly or secretly in social occasions is not a new thing.

The exchanges between nobles will not tear their faces apart, but the little thoughts and tricks that are poked in the dark are also quite uncomfortable.

Denise's mood turned from low to high: "But from today, this situation will be completely reversed, and our Nord Province can also have its own top-grade wine."

"That's it!"

The light continued to condense, and Denise's figure had disappeared, leaving only a brand-new package of Angel's Tears on the podium.

At the same time, the words "Angel's Tears" were cast on the dark curtain of the stage.

It was the first time for the nobles to see such a scene, and they let out a low exclamation, followed by enthusiastic applause.

The principle of creating this effect is actually very simple, just surround a circle of iron barrels around the light source, and then put a hollow paper on it.

The nobles present who have some understanding of the principles of magic lamps can roughly guess this method.

But guessing is guessing, the strong shock cannot be erased, just like people who are used to watching TV seeing a 3D movie for the first time.

And this also made the four words "Angel's Tears" clearly imprinted in their minds.

"Baron Raven is really smart." Baron Roger, who came with Gul'dan, said with a little surprise: "He can actually play with magic lamps in this way."

Another baron, Florence, nodded: "Excellent idea. Although inviting mages can achieve better results, magic lamps are much more universal and convenient."

"I thought this 'press conference' was just a gimmick, but I didn't expect that there were really some unique things in it."

"It's just a bit arrogant." Gul'dan raised his glass and tasted it: "Angel Tears is good, but to represent the Nord Province...haha."

Of course, the only family that can represent the Nord Province is the Fox family.

Florence thought for a moment and asked, "Then... Sir, do you want me to remind Baron Raven?"

"Hmph, no need." Gul'dan glanced at Hyde's box: "He didn't say anything. If we have any opinions, doesn't it make the Fox family look too petty?"

"In two months, I will naturally let Raven realize his mistake today!"

As she spoke, the lights on the stage changed again, the words Angel's Tears disappeared, and Denise appeared in the light again.

"In addition to Angel's Tears, I will introduce another product today."

"The essence of a hundred flowers, the essence of heaven and earth."

She held a small glass bottle with both hands and placed it on a cotton pillow on the podium:

"Angel's Kiss!"

...