Imperial Crown.

Chapter 385 No (Part )

I will update more chapters to celebrate the 5000 RMB reward from Qidian Dad [God’s Punishment]! ! ! !
……

Eagle Territory, Eagle City.

The first rays of sunlight in the morning came in through the window and shone on Nancy's face.

"Well……"

With her eyelids fluttering slightly, Nancy woke up from her slumber and frowned because of the headache caused by lying in bed for a long time.

Her throat was a little dry, and Nancy reached out to reach the bell hanging on a silk strip at the head of the bed, but she stopped as soon as she reached out.

That's it.

Over the past six months, Nancy's condition has been getting worse.

At the beginning, she was always in and out of consciousness, sometimes waking up three or five times in an hour, and sometimes sleeping for a day or two in a row.

This is very hard for Jenny.

Jenny was worried about others taking care of Nancy, so she kept an eye on her all the time and kept an eye on her until she was almost as tired as a piece of paper.

It was only in recent days that Nancy woke up less and less frequently, and Jenny's burden was finally lightened.

It's just dawn, let Jenny rest for a while.

Thinking of this, Nancy moved her shoulders, looked out the window, and a slight smile appeared at the corners of her mouth.

Raven has conquered the Principality of Eivor.

"Emperor Raven..."

That was the title worthy of Raven, worthy of her husband.

Since the news came, Jenny, Old Gordon, and Denise have all been urging her to tell Raven the truth and let him come back earlier, but Nancy firmly refused.

Raven lay dormant for seven years and fought bloody battles for another year before achieving his current success. Now it’s time for him to enjoy the joy of being a conqueror.

The sun was shining warmly, and Nancy's mind began to feel a little groggy again.

The door opened silently, and a slightly cold breeze blew in.

A leaf-like silhouette appeared in the room, with flying black hair and bloodshot eyes, with a hint of confusion, surprise and sorrow in them.

It's Raven.

"If you're here, stay with me..." Nancy murmured:

"I almost forget you..."

The figure walked to the head of the bed and sat down, with a hint of sweat after a long journey, then held her hand.

Warm and rough.

That was not a dream. The temperature of dreams has never been so gentle.

Nancy woke up in shock, unable to pull her right hand free from Raven's grasp, so she had to use her left hand to gather her hair, trying to make herself look less haggard.

Before she could speak, Raven spoke softly:
"I'm sorry I'm back so late."

Nancy's mouth corners curved downwards, then raised again, without saying a word, just leaning her head in Raven's arms.

The armor was still a little cold, but it made Nancy feel more at ease.

It was the first time in half a year that I closed my eyes so peacefully.

Watching Nancy falling asleep in his arms, Raven pursed his lips tightly.

After Anthony said that, Raven realized the seriousness of the matter. Only if Nancy was seriously injured would everyone in Eagle City keep it a secret from him.

After riding Xiaobai Xingtian back at full speed, he found that the situation was much more serious than he had expected.

Nancy has exhausted the source of her magic power - it is like the soul of a magician. Although Nancy is still alive now, she is like a pile of ashes left after a big tree burns dry. When the embers go out, her life will also come to an end.

For the next few days, Raven stayed in Nancy's room.

She slept more and more deeply, waking up occasionally, but falling into deep sleep again in less than 3 minutes.

"Is there really no way?" Raven asked someone to invite An Nuo.

The God Blood Witch just shook her head: "Unless I can get the 'Golden Tree Saliva'."

Raven never mentioned the subject again.

Until June 6th, 30 days after Raven returned, Nancy's 8th birthday.

That afternoon, Nancy woke up and a worrying redness appeared on her pale and bloodless face.

He actually sat up by his own strength.

"Raven, I want to celebrate my birthday."

Nancy never celebrates her birthday, and given her current condition, even taking a walk is a luxury, let alone celebrating her birthday.

But looking at her face, Raven couldn't say no, so he nodded slightly:

"it is good!"

Mrs. Nancy wanted to celebrate her birthday.

The news quickly spread throughout Eagle City. Servants and maids hung ribbons in every corner of Eagle City, and the kitchen became busy like crazy.

Jenny dresses Nancy.

Old Gordon's lips moved like a toad, and without saying a word he pulled Fiona, who was still a little confused.

A trace of relief and sadness flashed across Denise's eyes.

But the cake wasn't even ready yet and Nancy no longer had the strength to move.

People gathered in Nancy's room, decorated the walls with red and white, and hung young olive branches to represent new life.

Leaning in Raven's arms, Nancy closed her eyes.

She is the least valued daughter of the Fox family.

When she was 12 years old, Montreal seemed to finally remember that he had a daughter and asked Nancy what she wanted as a birthday present.

Nancy said she wanted her family to celebrate her birthday with her.

Just family.

Montreal readily agreed.

But on Nancy's birthday, Montreal seemed to have completely forgotten what he had promised and held a grand cocktail party as he did in previous years.

Nancy, who had just become a magician, started a fire and knocked over the six-layer cake decorated with fondant, causing chaos at the entire cocktail party and bringing great shame to Montreal.

The father and daughter had a big fight because of this.

Montreal cursed Nancy for being the jinx who killed her mother, and Nancy retorted that her mother had long been fed up with Montreal's self-righteousness.

As a result, Nancy stopped celebrating her birthday and didn't go home for six years until the Hand of Death started causing trouble.

Later, before Nancy got married, Montreal suggested that they hold a birthday party for Nancy with only her family present.

But that time, Nancy refused.

Feeling her body getting weaker, Nancy opened her eyes and gave the final instructions of a mistress:

"aunt……"

"Raven is a man who does great things. He doesn't like meaningless social interactions. But even though we may not make friends at cocktail parties and dances, at least we can make fewer enemies."

"The Griffith family has risen too fast, and they have too few friends. You will have to worry about their many interactions."

"...Mr. Gordon."

"You are old, so work less and take care of yourself. Raven is still young and will inevitably act impulsively. He still needs you to help him think carefully."

Old Gordon's throat choked and his eyes suddenly turned red.

He has served the Griffith family all his life and has long been a member of the Griffith family. Raven and Nancy respect him as an elder.

He had originally thought that if Nancy and Raven had a child, he would be responsible for teaching the young master etiquette, but how... how did it turn out like this...

“Jenny…”

"Yeah! I'm here!"

Jenny almost rushed to Nancy and knelt on her knees.

Nancy took her hand and smiled:

"You have suffered a lot during this period."

Jenny tried her best to prevent herself from crying: "It's not hard, not hard at all. It's my greatest honor to be able to take care of the young lady."

"Silly girl, you are still so good at making me happy." Nancy brushed her eyes with her fingers:

"I left you some money."

"Simon is a good man, but his family may not be. You must hold on to the money tightly so that you won't be bullied. Do you understand?"

Jenny nodded vigorously, afraid that she would burst into tears if she opened her mouth.

“Hoo…Hoo…!”

Nancy's body suddenly began to tremble violently, as if the cold winter was pulling at the finest nerves in her limbs and dragging them hard. The severe pain seemed to dismember and tear her apart, and the cold was flowing all the way back to her heart.

It's like being in an ice river, ready to be dragged into eternal darkness by the heavy current at any time.

“Lei, Raven…”

"I'm here, I'm here!" Raven responded quickly, but with a look of confusion.

Nancy was clearly sweating, but her body was getting colder and colder.

She raised her head, trying to see Raven's face again, but a layer of darkness covered her eyes.

He raised his hand tremblingly, and Raven grabbed it and pressed it against his face.

The scorching temperature almost burned Nancy, but she was so reluctant to let go that she gently stroked Raven's face with her fingertips.

Although I was clearly longing for this tenderness, a thorn that had been hidden in my heart until now quietly poked its head out.

This thought made her feel very selfish and willful, but she couldn't suppress it, and she said tremblingly:
"Have you ever...loved me?"

"Don't lie to me anymore..."

Hearing this, Raven's legs suddenly went limp and his heart felt like it was being gripped tightly, making it difficult for him to breathe.

In the past, he always didn’t understand why misunderstandings between people couldn’t be clarified in just one sentence?
It was not until this moment that Raven truly understood the true meaning of the four words "no choice".

Looking at Nancy's delicate face, which was heavily made up but still a little haggard, he understood the real purpose of Nancy's question.

I also understand why Nancy asked me not to lie to her again.

At this moment, Raven felt a suffocating pressure all over his body. His nose couldn't help but feel sore and his facial features were twitching violently, as if a sharp knife had pierced his heart and torn open his chest.

The taste of rust rises up my throat.

But Raven deliberately opened his eyes wide. Even though his eyes were bloodshot, he tried hard not to shed a single tear.
A smile uglier than crying appeared on the corner of his mouth. He looked into Nancy's eyes and said softly:

"no"

Nancy also laughed, "That's good, that's good."

In those beautiful eyes that suddenly brightened, there was relief, attachment, and pain...

More importantly, there is that indissoluble reluctance...

"I'm so tired, I want to take a nap."

She closed her eyes and saw a small house with flames flickering.

At the dining table, her father Montreal invited her to sit down, her eldest brother Guldan held the cake, and her second brother Sanchi put candles on it. Her mother put a silver crown on her head.

Nancy blew out the candle, closed her eyes, and a crystal clear, hot tear slowly slid down from the corner of her eye.

Flaming Rose - Nancy Fox
Made one last wish.

……

In his arms, Nancy's originally soft and light body became stiff and heavy, pressing Raven so hard that he couldn't breathe or even think.

The room was depressingly quiet.

Suddenly, the door opened and the cook came with a plate: "Madam, the cake is already--"

Then she saw Nancy in Raven's arms, and her voice choked.

Raven then stood up, laid Nancy flat, tucked her in, fixed her hair, wiped the tears from her eyes, and stood up to walk out, just as he had done before.

Until the figure disappeared, he never even looked at the cake.

Fiona looked at the swinging door and said with complicated eyes:

"I have come to understand the ruthlessness of the nobles."

Denise walked over to Fiona, held her hand, and her slightly red eyes were filled with clarity and emotion.

She wanted to say that Fiona might be able to see a lot, but she didn't understand anything about feelings.

But when the words came to his lips, they just turned into a sigh:
"It's easy to fool others, but hard to fool yourself."

Fiona's brows furrowed in confusion. Just as she was about to ask a question, she heard a thud.

Old Gordon grabbed his heart and fell straight to the ground!
……

"Master Donald, there are still 8000 pounds of sorghum in the warehouse. It was harvested last year. If it is left there any longer, it will go bad!"

In Eagle City, in Lei Wen's office, Old Gordon was wrapped in a dirty bed sheet, holding a notebook in his hand, mumbling:

"Griffith is no longer what it used to be. The only territory we have left is Eagle Town. If we sell these 8000 pounds of rye, we can get more than 200 silver coins. Don't forget it!"

If you look closely, you can see that old Gordon is naked and not even wearing pants.

As his body swayed, the contracted membrane swung darkly, and turbid yellow liquid hung on the curly pale leg hair, dripping onto the carpet, creating circles of yellow spots.

"I see..." Raven frowned, with a hint of helplessness: "8000 pounds of spelt, I remember."

Old Gordon adjusted his monocle and said, "...I'm sorry, Master Donald. I know I shouldn't bother you, but Master Raven will be here tomorrow and will need a maid. So these 8000 pounds of spelt must be sold."

Raven looked up, saw old Gordon's cloudy eyes, and sighed softly.

Old Gordon had long regarded himself and Nancy as his own children. It is easy to imagine how heavy the blow was for him as he saw his daughter die.

Old Gordon stayed in bed for three days after Nancy's death.

After waking up, I felt like I had lost my soul. Not only was I completely unable to take care of myself, but my speech and actions were also incoherent and my memory was confused.

Time, space and even people's faces are completely confused.

A butler who had seen off three generations of family heads has now become an old child with a bad temper.

Originally, Fiona was taking care of old Gordon, but now everyone in Eagle City was busy preparing for Nancy's funeral. Maybe out of negligence, she let old Gordon run over - and no one dared to stop him.

Never mind, just let him stay here for a while.

Raven lowered his head and continued to deal with the matter at hand.

A foul smell approached, and Raven turned his head sharply, and saw the dull face of old Gordon appear beside him, saying in a coaxing tone:
"I'm writing a funeral post. Can you talk about grits later?"

"Nancy... Madam Nancy!" Old Gordon pointed at Nancy's name on the document, and suddenly tears flowed out: "...Madam, I was wrong, I shouldn't have listened to you, I should have called the master back earlier, I should have..."

Raven stared at him in amazement.

Old Gordon looked at Raven, a smile bloomed on his face and then faded away. He looked around carefully and lowered his voice:
"Master Raven, you shouldn't have come back. Master Donald is crazy!"

As he spoke, he tremblingly took out a handful of gold coins from his pajamas pocket:

"These are the five gold coins I saved over the past few years. Take them and go back to Meng'en City to take shelter first!"

As he said that, he grabbed Raven's wrist and dragged him out.

Bang.

The door opened, and Fiona walked in with dark circles under her eyes. She bowed respectfully to Raven, then walked to Old Gordon.
"Grandpa! Let's go back."

As he said this, he grabbed old Gordon and walked out.

In front of his granddaughter, Old Gordon was quite obedient. He just kept shouting while being dragged: "Master, Master, please be careful..."

boom.

The door was closed, blocking out the sounds from outside.

Raven sighed, lowered his head, and continued to write Nancy's funeral note.

A few days later, the funeral notice was sent out from Eagle City. With the help of the Hippogryph Cavalry, it was delivered to more than 200 noble families in the Nord Province in just a few days.

What surprised many nobles the most was that the funeral note was actually written by Raven himself - beautiful handwriting is easy to imitate, but Raven's ugly handwriting is difficult to replicate.

For a time, the nobles not only lamented the rough fate of the Fox family and felt sorry for Nancy's death in her prime, but also praised Raven for his deep love.

In addition, there is another point in the funeral post that is quite eye-catching.

Nancy died on June 6th, but her funeral was scheduled for October 30th.

A full 3 months.

Even among the nobles, this preparation time is really too long.

Fortunately, the battle in Eivor has been settled, and the horse thieves on Bloody Highlands have been crippled by Nancy, so there is no need to worry about any unexpected events.

Over the next three months, a lot of things changed.

First of all, it’s about Eivor.

The Eagle Army under Raven withdrew to Eagle City in batches. Only the 2nd Legion remained at the Wall of Sighs to guard this pass.

The original 1st Independent Legion continued to be led by Lancha, who was promoted to earl of the palace by the Grand Duke. The independent legion was renamed the 'Poseidon Legion' and guarded the Posa Palace under the leadership of Lancha.

Archbishop Boser, with the help of Archbishop Thomas, retained his position as Archbishop of Ivor Diocese, but 7% of his priests were replaced by Archbishop Thomas's men.

Earl Taeron led his legions to garrison the cliff fortress in the north of Eivor, and Earl Jonah followed him. It is said that he also led the cavalry and caused quite a stir in the Langqing Province of the Insa Empire.

Anthony stayed in the Pasa Palace, nominally to oversee the implementation of the treaty, but in reality he was taking the opportunity to make a fortune.

It is said that he has earned the reputation of a "vampire in human skin".

The situation on the mainland also changed suddenly.

The Continental Congress, chaired by Pope St. Urban, was successfully held.

The impact was so great that even the Elf Empire, which had always been reclusive, sent its own representatives.

Although an armistice agreement was not reached, the situation gradually stabilized with the mediation of the city-states of Fitun and the two kingdoms of Lozeron and Potomiche.

The Insa cavalry, which had been staying outside the province directly under the Keynes Empire, withdrew to the central part of the Brad Province. The two sides entered a confrontation phase and the front line stabilized.

It can be said that a ceasefire has actually been reached, and the next step is for the two sides to bargain.

But all this was overshadowed by Nancy's funeral that followed.

Nancy's funeral was held on time on October 10th.

When the funeral began, the nobles finally understood why it had taken three months to prepare.

This was the most grand funeral they had ever seen.

Silk cloths were hung all over the streets, the ground was covered with tender rose petals, and Nancy's face remained unchanged inside the precious coffin of the Tree of Life.

5000 Eagle Army soldiers accompanied them, the Wind King's troops in the sky led the way, and a 200-member priest group accompanied them to bless them. On both sides of the road, the people of the territory gathered spontaneously to express their gratitude for Nancy's efforts.

It didn't feel like the death of a baroness, but more like the funeral of a princess.

The funeral started in the early morning and there were three masses.

In the morning, the nobles mourned, and in the afternoon, the common people and nuns prayed.

When night falls, the official soul-chasing mass begins.

Archbishop Thomas, dressed in a red robe, stood in front of the coffin and spoke slowly in a steady tone:
“Dear noble lords, knights, ladies and subjects.

Today, we gather here with heavy hearts to bid farewell to Mrs. Nancy.

She is a shining star in this land, the beloved partner of Baron Raven, and a brave and compassionate protector.

Her achievements will surely be remembered by this land.

I had the privilege of witnessing her marriage to Raven.

She became Baron Raven's worthy partner as she had sworn.

Now, although her body has returned to dust, her soul will ascend to heaven and be among the saints!
As the Book of Words says: 'The souls of the righteous are in the hands of God, and pain cannot harm them.'

Mrs. Nancy's life is an example of love and sacrifice.

Let us pray for Mrs. Nancy, and may her soul rest in peace in the glory of heaven.

Let us also pray that God will give Baron Raven and all those who loved her the strength to bear this heavy loss.

May we remember her bravery and kindness and continue to carry out her legacy on this land.

May the light of the Lord shine upon her immortal soul, and may the angels lead her into the eternal kingdom.

May she be blessed with joy in heaven with all the saints until the day we are all together again."

After a moment of silence, Archbishop Thomas raised his right hand, and a ray of light bloomed at his fingertips, as if he had received a ray of light from heaven, and then sprinkled this light on Nancy.

In other provinces, the funeral would have ended there.

And in Nord, there is one last step to complete.

Raven once again led his men to lift the coffin and silently rushed towards the Old Eagle Castle.

Nancy is the lady of the Griffith family and should be buried in the ancestral tomb of the Griffith family.

When they arrived at the gate of Eagle Castle, the army stopped and most people also stopped. Raven and the coffin bearers walked into the long tunnel of the ancestral tomb.

The sound of footsteps echoed between the walls of the tomb. The flames from torches and braziers flickered, burning away the thick spider webs. The rising black smoke made Raven's eyes red.

铿

Nancy's coffin was placed in the designated tomb. Raven waved his hand, dismissed the people who followed him, and stood silently in front of Nancy's coffin.

Protected by the coffin made of the tree of life, Nancy's appearance was no different from when she was alive, as if she had just fallen into a deep sleep.

"..."

After a long while, he walked to the side of the coffin, lowered his head, and suddenly sighed:
"Ugh……"

There was a flash of light in his hand, and a slightly broken sword appeared in his hand. It was the "Hate of Hyperion", the only relic left by Nancy's brother Gul'dan.

Gently opening Nancy's clenched palm, Raven placed the sword in her palm and held it tightly.

I hope that in another world, Nancy won't be alone.

Leaning down and kissing Nancy gently on the forehead, Raven wanted to touch her cheek again, but he retracted his hand, stood up, and silently lifted the coffin lid beside him.

boom.

The coffin lid closed, and Raven looked at the relief of Nancy on it until the torch was about to go out, then he turned around and left.

After leaving the cemetery, Raven suddenly heard a chaotic noise.

……

(End of this chapter)