Imperial Crown.

Chapter 35 Temperature Control Array
As a baron, it is proper etiquette to greet his aunt.

Raven stood in the hall of Eagle Castle, watching Denise walk towards him step by step with the help of her maid.

After not seeing her for two months, this mature woman seemed even more charming.

She wore a beige teddy hat on her head, and her long, smooth black hair was draped over her shoulders. Her willow-like eyebrows made her eyes look shrewd and bright, and her plump lips had a faint smile on them, but it could not hide her fatigue from the journey.

She walked lightly, holding up the hem of her skirt with her hands. Her plump figure, bound by a corset, swayed slightly like jelly. Against the backdrop of the lavender dress, she looked like a sunset glow floating in the air.

"Aunt Denise, you're back." Raven smiled and took Denise's hand, kissed it gently, and scratched her palm gently with his little finger.

"Yeah, I'm back." Denise's voice jumped slightly and she pulled her hand out without leaving a trace.

"I haven't seen you for two months. You look even more radiant." Raven said in a voice full of charm, "I have prepared Angel's Tears. Aunt Denise, why don't you have a drink with me, take a rest, and talk about what you have seen and heard during the journey?"

"Thank you for your kindness, but I'm a little tired now." To Raven's surprise, Denise shook her head slightly to reject the suggestion, her tone cold and distant.

She turned her head and ordered, "Angie, go help Butler Gordon move all the things in."

An Qi was the maid who supported Denise. Compared with Fleura last time, she was more pure and elegant. She bowed her head and saluted: "Yes, ma'am."

Denise nodded slightly: "Excuse me."

After saying that, he walked straight across the hall and went upstairs.

Hearing the footsteps, Raven wanted to turn back several times, but finally held back. He was not the kind of man who would stick to someone. He shouted loudly, "Eric!"

The retainer whose name was called stepped forward and saluted: "My Lord Baron."

"Let's go and train those new recruits!" Raven said as he walked away from Eagle Castle.

In the military camp, the three rows of private soldiers were already well-organized and basically able to follow orders. At Eric's command, they were well arranged into three neat squares and stood in the square.

"Tsk..." Looking at the soldiers in front of him, Raven frowned slightly.

Eric asked cautiously, "Baron, is there any problem?"

Raven glanced at his personal soldiers standing alone next to him and said, "His temperament is still... too arrogant."

As an old soldier, Eric understood what he meant immediately. He smiled bitterly and said, "It can't be helped. Your Majesty's soldiers have seen blood, killed people with their own hands, and seen their comrades die. These new recruits can't compare to them no matter how well they are trained."

"And they are town soldiers." Raven sighed, "Let alone killing people, they may not have even seen a pig being killed."

Eric deeply agreed with this: "If it is a matter of life and death now, even if I am not extraordinary, I can lead your personal soldiers to beat these new recruits to a pulp."

Hearing this, Raven thought for a moment, then shook his head and chuckled with self-mockery.

"Sir, what are you doing?" Eric was a little confused.

"I just had an idea." Raven had an elusive smile on his face. "What do you think if I take these new recruits for a walk on the Bloody Highlands?"

Eric's eyes widened: "Your idea is really... crazy!"

Only the word "crazy" can describe Raven's plan. Ever since the failed [War of Conquest] eighty years ago, only the bandits on the Bloody Highlands have rushed down the Bloody Highlands to harass the surrounding areas, and no imperial army has ever dared to counterattack.

"But... this is too risky. We don't have enough transportation capacity to maintain logistics, and we are not familiar with the terrain above..." Eric hurriedly advised.

"I know, that's why I didn't say it right away." Raven chuckled and patted his shoulder: "I'm not a lunatic, do you really think I would do this?"

Eric was speechless because of everything Raven had done: using a trick to subdue him, confronting Denise alone to make her give up her inheritance, publicly slapping Baron Anger in the face, taking back Goldshire, and publicly teaching Nancy Fox a lesson...

These actions seemed crazy to him. If Raven took out a diagnosis saying that he was mentally ill, he would definitely not doubt it, and would even feel a little relieved.

"What I mean is, let these new recruits see blood." Raven said, "Next time I send you pigs, they won't be live pigs, but live pigs. Let them kill them themselves!"

Eric doubted whether this method was reliable, but since they were all eating meat, this step wouldn't matter, so he nodded and said, "Your will will be implemented, sir!"

Raven nodded: "Let's start training!"

The warm-up exercise begins with running ten laps around the military camp.

Looking at the smoke and dust rising around the military camp, Raven's eyes became deep.

Counterattacking Bloody Heights seems to be an unrealistic goal now, but in the long run, it may not be impossible. There is no place around that is more suitable for training new recruits.

There are still too few soldiers now. Once the military strength is expanded again, it will be time for him to aim at the Bloody Heights.

He doesn't like to be beaten passively.

If the enemy can go there, I can go there too.

After having lunch in the military camp, Raven did not stay long. He brought a few personal soldiers to inspect the construction site, mainly to see if there were any gaps that needed to be filled and to boost the morale of the craftsmen.

Every time Raven came here, they worked especially hard - at least that's how it seemed.

After finishing all this, the sky began to darken, and Raven returned to Eagle Castle covered in mud and sweat.

For Raven, every time he returned to the castle was a test of some magnitude.

Although there was a cool breeze outside, Eagle Castle, which had been exposed to the sun all day, was as hot as a steamer. The sweat that had originally dissipated would soon soak him from the inside out.

But today, as soon as he walked into the gate of Eagle Castle, a cool chill hit him in the face, instantly dispelling the lingering heat, making Raven let out a comfortable sigh.

Petty, who had been waiting in the hall, served the daily red wine: "Baron, you are back!"

"Hmm." Raven took the glass that was still covered with mist and drank the Angel's Tears in it. The cold wine and the cool air made him shiver. "Hmm, comfortable... Why is the castle so cool today? Did you take out the ice from the ice cellar?"

Petty shook her head and said happily, "No, it was Madam Denise. She bought the temperature control array from Mon'en City as you instructed. It was installed not long ago, and the core is in the ice cellar."

Raven was stunned for a moment. He didn't ask Denise to buy such things.

She paid for it out of her own pocket but took all the credit for herself, which was clearly a gesture of goodwill, but why did she act so coldly when she came back?

Play hard to get?

Petty was still sharing her joy with Raven: "I heard from Mr. Gordon that a magic circle that can affect the entire castle would cost at least 600 gold coins. Baron, you are so considerate!"

600 gold coins!

Raven's heart was shocked.

He knew that nobles loved to enjoy themselves, but he didn't expect that they would be so extravagant. 600 gold coins were enough to buy two bottles of first-level God-given potions. He would not be willing to spend such money on himself.

I don’t know how long one magic crystal can keep this magic circle running.

Magicians really make money!
For a moment, Raven's desire to become a mage became stronger.

I don't know when the mage potion will arrive. Should I go ask Lux?
"So you like this magic circle very much?" Raven asked with a smile.

"Yeah!" Petty nodded vigorously. "Before, when I was washing clothes and tidying the room, I was sweating all over. Lord Baron, you once...'punished' me for this."

Raven smiled dumbly. That time, Patty's skirt got stuck on her body, and the shape was really attractive.

Patty said happily: "But now it's good. No matter how hard I work, I will feel refreshed, and I don't have to change clothes so often!"

Patty is just a representative of the many maids in the castle, and these servants are not the only ones who benefit from the temperature control array.

Old Gordon, who was sitting in a chair checking the accounts, had a relaxed smile on his face.

He was a rather classical aristocratic butler who always dressed appropriately, even in summer, and he would never unbutton one more button on his collar, even when he was alone.

Often, after just sitting in the chair for a while, my head and hands are covered in sweat, and I need to wipe them constantly to ensure that the documents are not contaminated. The neck, which often rubs against clothes, also develops large red rashes due to the soaking of sweat and the friction of clothes, which are itchy and painful.

But now it was different. The room was as cool as a spring night, allowing him to concentrate on checking the accounts and calculating every expense.

"Humph, how could the Baron have bought it? He doesn't even know when Denise left." Old Gordon muttered in dissatisfaction: "Denise must have deliberately wanted to please the Baron!"

There is no doubt that Lord Raven is a charismatic nobleman. Everything he does is extremely decisive and purposeful, and he has indeed brought unprecedented vitality to the dying Eagle Territory.

Denise was undoubtedly a witness to the resurgence of the Eagle Territory, and her performance also proved that, at least for now, Lord Raven had a sufficient position in her heart. However, he did not expect that Denise would go to such lengths for Raven.

That’s 600 gold coins!
He was really worried that the Baron would not be able to resist the temptation of that woman.

"If there really comes a day like that..." Old Gordon was calculating and thinking, "If there really comes a day like that, I must keep the secret for you, my Lord."

As a retainer of Raven, Eric didn't have so many twists and turns in his mind. He sat in the kitchen, drank a large glass of beer, and let out a long sigh: "It's great! There was not enough ice in the ice cellar before, and I didn't dare to ask the Baron for ice. Now I can finally drink cold beer in the summer!"

He raised his glass high: "Long live the Baron!"

"Yes, the Baron is really amazing." Poirot on the side echoed: "You are still lucky. I am the one who suffers as a cook. Not only is there the sun outside, but the stove is also burning inside. At the end of the day, I sweat more than I urinate!"

"Puff..." Eric suddenly spit out the beer he had just drunk, and said with a smile: "Hey, Poirot, I'm drinking and eating, can you say something nice?"

"Besides, it's not easy for you, but it's easy for me? You only suffer in the summer, but I wear plate armor all year round. In the summer, I feel like I'm in an oven, and in the winter, I'm like a block of ice. Now it's finally okay. I don't have to poop out a puddle of water every day when I get home and take off my armor!"

Poirot looked him up and down. "When are you going home today? I have to shut up the stove."

Eric said, "If you are in a hurry, go ahead and I will help you put out the fire later."

"I'm really surprised. You have a son and a daughter, and you save your annual salary to buy armor for your son. Why don't you even want to go home now?" Poirot asked.

"I don't have a temperature control array at home. It's so hot. My wife wants it every day recently. I'd better stay a little longer and go back after she falls asleep." Eric said fearfully, "A kiss between a middle-aged couple will give you nightmares for several nights!"

Poirot laughed and said jokingly, "If you don't do some things yourself, be careful that others do them for you."

Another mouthful of beer spurted out of Eric's mouth.

However, the one who could most feel the convenience of the temperature control array was Raven.

There is no harm without comparison. When others say that summer is hot, it is because they have always been like this. When Raven says that summer is hot, he has truly enjoyed the advantages of modern air conditioning.

I thought I would never be able to have the same experience in my lifetime, but now I can experience it again.

After taking a bath and changing into a light pajamas with Patty's help, Raven leaned back on the recliner and exclaimed from the bottom of his heart: "This is the life that people should live."

The Elvish language was difficult to understand, and his eyelids began to droop. The room was as hot as a sauna, and the cotton seat of the recliner was soaked with sweat. It was hot and sticky to lean on, which made Raven feel physically and mentally exhausted.

Before this, Raven usually spent five minutes reading the Elvish language, then ten minutes calming himself down, then ten minutes cheering himself up, then another five minutes reading the Elvish language, and so on, repeating the cycle over and over again. It was not efficient at all.

Now it is completely different. In the cool room, he can put on light pajamas and curl up in a chair with a book.

It’s like I was holding a mobile phone, enjoying the air conditioning, and lying at my workstation slacking off in my previous life.

As comfortable as you want.

"It seems that this time she is really prepared to stay for a long time."

This "she" of course refers to Denise.

Thinking of his aunt, Raven's thoughts became a little vague for a moment. He felt that he could not grasp this woman's thoughts.

It was obvious that he would not have to come back after he left, but now that he is back, he has brought so many things with him, and even purchased a valuable temperature control array in his name. It is obvious that he wants to stay here permanently, but he is so cold to me.

why?

Just then, there was a knock on the door. The cold breath made Raven change his previous irritability and asked, "What's the matter?"

A strange voice sounded: "Baron, Madam Denise specially made some snacks and asked me to bring them to you."

"Come in," Raven said.

The door opened and Denise's new personal maid, Angie, walked in. She placed a tray on the desk, bowed and was about to leave.

"Denise didn't say anything?" Raven asked.

"My Lord Baron, my lady said that if you ask, it is to let you think about what you have done." When Angel spoke, there was a trace of panic on her face, obviously afraid that Raven would vent his anger on her.

Raven waved his hand: "Go down."

The door closed quietly, and Raven's eyes fell on a plate, a small silver bowl, and a wooden box.

The silver bowl contained pudding. Holding the bowl in my hand, I felt a cool sensation spread across my palm. It was obvious that the pudding had been chilled beforehand.

Gently scoop up a piece with a spoon, and the pudding will move tremblingly. Put it in your mouth and take a sip, the pudding will melt, and the aroma of milk, eggs and a hint of sweetness will spread, which will lift your spirits.

"It's really not Poirot's work." Raven said with a smile.

After finishing the pudding, Raven took the box in his hand again, opened it gently, and a golden light shone.

It was a brooch and also the emblem of the Griffith family.

The whole body is golden and feels heavy in the hand, obviously made of gold; the eagle that is fighting the dragon flaps its wings and flies high, and the feathers on its wings are clearly visible. The eagle's beak is outlined in silver, clear and sharp, and a crystal clear sapphire is dotted on its eyes.

This is Denise telling Raven that she recognizes Raven's status as the head of the Griffith family, and that Weston will completely give up his desire for the title from now on.

It also conveys another message - Denise is also a member of the Griffith family.

"Hehe..." Playing with the badge in his hand, Raven already understood why Denise was dissatisfied, and he decided to resolve the misunderstanding himself.

Just tonight.

With brisk steps, Raven came to the door of Denise's room and knocked gently: "Denise, it's me, open the door!"

There were slightly flustered footsteps in the room, and then they stopped. Denise's voice followed: "I said, I'm tired today. If you have anything to do, you should wait until tomorrow."

"But I just want to say it today." Raven leaned against the door and whispered close to the crack: "It's been a long time since we two have been alone, right?"

Denise was standing behind the door at the moment. When she heard this, her breath stagnated and she immediately remembered the night two months ago. That night, she and Raven were the only ones in the room. At that time...

Thinking of what happened at that time, a blush crept up her cheeks: "I am your aunt. You and I should not have been in the same room."

"Wouldn't it be better to keep it simple?" Raven's voice continued to seep in from the crack of the door: "I am Raven, and you are Denise; I am a man, and you are a woman."

Denise bit her lip tightly: "But I won't fall for a man like you who doesn't keep his word!"

"You are really angry about that." Raven said with a smile: "Am I such a fool in your eyes?"

"What has been done has been done. It's too late to say anything more." Denise felt angry again, and said unhappily: "I hope you can know that I am also a human being and I also need respect, but you betrayed my trust!"

"...Okay, it's indeed my fault that I didn't discuss this with you in advance, but I won't let my gold coins flow into the hands of others for nothing. Our interests are always the same." Raven's voice was filled with a hint of helplessness.

Denise felt a little soft-hearted, but her tone was still unwilling to relax: "Don't waste your breath, 'Baron'. I'm not the kind of woman who will climb into your bed if you just coax me a few words. I won't fall for it."

"Well, I originally wanted to give you a surprise, but this is the only way now..." There was a rustling sound outside the door, and then a piece of parchment was stuffed in through the crack in the door.

Denise took the parchment and took a look at it in the dim light. The resentment in her heart disappeared immediately. A happy smile appeared on the corner of her mouth, but she quickly restrained it: "Humph, it's just a deed to a shop in Shining Gold Town. What's so rare about it!"

There was only the sound of wind outside the door.

"Raven? Are you still there, Raven?" Denise asked with a frown.

She didn't hear Raven's footsteps leaving just now. Maybe she was too engrossed in looking at the deed and didn't notice it?
A few minutes passed and there was still no sound outside the door. Denise asked again, "Raven?"

Still no sound.

Denise unlocked the door and opened it. Then a figure appeared at the door. It was Raven. He had a successful smile on his face. "You finally opened the door?"

"You...!" Denise was surprised at first, then a hint of helplessness appeared on her lips: "How can you look like a baron?"

"Well, dear Ms. Denise." Raven put his hand on his chest and said, "I wonder if I, Raven, can have the honor of entering to chat with you?"

……

(End of this chapter)