Imperial Crown.

Chapter 50 There must be something going on between them!

Hyde, sitting in the box, holding a glass of wine in his hand, looked down at the entire venue through the floor-to-ceiling glass window.

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

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

Large pieces of colorful silk seemed to be covering the ceiling with a layer of clothes, gently reflecting the light of the magic lamps. The overlapping of various colors made the contrast particularly strong, making the colors of each guest more vivid, and turning the entire venue into a moving oil painting.

To the north of the venue is a common drama stage nowadays, but what is new is that a rectangular walkway extends from the middle and stops in the center of the venue. The end is built into a circle with a podium on top.

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

In the hall, apart from the stage, there is a place for guests to gather. Dozens of round tables are placed in an orderly manner. The tablecloths are made of soft black silk, which absorbs excess light and makes the tone of the whole venue not frivolous.

"You are willing to spend money. This set will cost at least 3000 gold coins." Hyde raised his eyebrows, pursed his lips, and said sourly:

"Tsk, upstart."

Well built, so what?
This is all my money!
6000 gold coins.

He gave Raven a total of 6000 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 lowered his head to look at the bottle, took another sip, and savored the taste carefully. He was surprised and said:
"No way, it's only been a few months and Angel's Tears has improved?"

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

The original Angel's Tears could only be said to be good, but it always had some unpleasant tastes that were not good for the bad guys. Now that it has been repackaged, the taste has become pure and clear. In terms of quality alone, it is no less than the famous wine "Frost Pearl" that costs 3 gold coins.

At this moment, the door of the box opened. With the sound of footsteps, Raven walked into the room, sat down next to Hyde, and poured himself a glass of wine: "Sorry for the wait, Mr. Hyde."

"Not too long." Hyde glanced at him.
"Raven, when are you going to die?"

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

Hyde is a member of the Earl's family after all. He has gained substantial benefits, so he should at least let him vent a little, right?
Seeing him like this, Hyde felt like a hammer hitting cotton. He felt so depressed that he had to change the subject: "You made such a big fuss this time, can you make back your capital?"

"That's not up to me," Raven said slowly, "but it's not a problem to make a few thousand gold coins."

The first half of the sentence was fine, but when Hyde heard the second half, he almost spit out his wine:
"Baron Raven, please be careful with your words!"

The net income of most baron families is only 8 to 9 gold coins a year. Saying things like "just a few thousand gold coins" is like a collective ridicule.

"Of course I know. There's no one else." Raven said with a smile, "If I really get down there, I'll still cry poor as hard as I can."

Hyde snorted and said helplessly, "Humph, you speak differently to different people. You are more noble than me."

"Thank you for the compliment." Raven seemed not to hear the sarcasm in his words, and asked, "How is Mon'en City doing recently?"

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

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

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

He was originally wondering why Weston was able to come back, and it turned out that the root of the problem was Hyde.

"Oh, then I feel relieved." Hyde said with a smile of success on his face.

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

On the one hand, Raven needs Hyde to understand the movements of the Slater family; on the other hand, Hyde also needs Raven as an external aid to improve his status in the family.

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

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

Seeing this, Hyde asked, "Why, you don't believe me?"

"How could that be?" Raven spread his hands and said casually, "Mr. Hyde has shown such sincerity, of course, the City of Mon'en is 'peaceful'!"

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

"Oh, don't get excited, Mr. Hyde." Raven looked at the hall calmly: "Many people are watching us. If you are so restless, you will not be able to complete the request of Earl Tyrone."

Hearing this, Hyde's gaze fell on the hall, and sure enough, many people were looking at this side intentionally or unintentionally.

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

"It's just speculation," Raven said calmly.

Hyde pressed on: "Then tell me your guess."

"Hmm, let me guess." Raven shook his glass and said slowly, "Mr. Hyde came here without a guard because he wanted to send 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 force against you."

"At first glance, it does seem like a brilliant arrangement."

Hyde's expression darkened slightly: "So, you think this was my father's idea?"

"It should be the order of Earl Tyrone." Raven said slowly, "But the specific operation was your idea, Mr. Hyde, right?"

When he finished the first half of the sentence, Hyde had already revealed a smug smile, but when he said the second half, his face suddenly fell: "...How did you know that?"

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

“The more you lack something, the more you need to show it.”

Hyde looked at Raven in surprise, then savored the words carefully.

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

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

Hyde came back to his senses and pointed at a figure coming out from the backstage and said:
"Why is she here?"

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

For a moment, it became the focus of the venue.

She had her signature haughty smile on her face, and she was obviously enjoying the feeling of being the center of attention. She didn't sit down at a table in the first row until everyone had finished paying their respects.

Weston came forward, apparently wanting to show his courtesy, but Nancy rolled her eyes and he took three steps back, almost breaking a table.

"Your brother is really courageous. He even dares to provoke the 'Fox Family's Fiery Rose'." Hyde clicked his tongue and shook his head.

"Who said it wasn't true?" Raven sighed helplessly, "Since she moved into Eagle Castle, Visdon has been like this all day long, following her around like a tail, and I can't get rid of her."

"Sometimes, ignorance is bliss." Hyde sighed, then turned back and stared at Raven like a chicken with its neck strangled: "What did you say!?"

"Nancy is living in Eagle Castle!?"

This reaction startled Raven: "Is there something wrong?"

Hyde's eyes widened, and he looked around Raven, looking left and right. Just as he was about to reach out to touch him, his palm was suddenly knocked off balance:
"Mr. Hyde, please respect yourself!"

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

"From what I understand, this unruly lady usually won't even look at a man for a second. Is she in love with you?"

"Ha! What a good joke!" Raven's mouth twitched stiffly, and he turned 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 eye-catching enough, but not every guest saw it.

For example, Judra and Mark, they were the closest but arrived very late.

Judra's reputation was too bad, and if it weren't for Angel's order and his expectation of meeting Denise, he would not have participated in such a social event.

When they entered the door, many eyes were focused on them, and then they looked away, talking in groups of three or five in low voices, as if nothing had happened.

Judra knew that they were probably talking about her own "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 I have signed a contract with Raven, I don't have to care too much about other people's opinions.

But he didn't want to go and cause trouble, so he found an empty table in a secluded place and sat down, looking around, hoping to find Denise.

In comparison, Mark was much more at ease, wandering among many nobles like a social expert. Being favored by Ingres, he had met many beauties.

But the moment he saw Nancy, he couldn't take his eyes off her.

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

Mark held the wine glass and walked gracefully to Nancy's side: "My beautiful lady, I am Mark, the youngest son of the Wharton family. I wonder if I can have the honor of meeting you?"

He had a 45-degree smile on his lips, which was elegant with a hint of evil. Combined with his handsome face, he had charmed many girls in the past. Today, he had the same confidence.

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

"What?" Mark was stunned.

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

Jenny knew her young lady’s temper, and she also whispered, “Mr. Mark, please leave.”

It would be fine if she was just a noble lady, but how dare a little maid be so rude to me?
This simply shows that they don't take the Wharton family seriously!

Mark suppressed his anger and maintained a polite smile: "Let me reiterate, 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 couldn't hold back his anger anymore, he raised his 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 were standing there.

Leading the group was a middle-aged noble with long fiery red hair. He looked to be around 30 years old, with a square face and eyes as sharp as a sword.

The dress made of black fabric and embellished with golden threads was luxurious and elegant. Judging from the corners of the dress that were floating against common sense, it seemed that it had been enchanted.

On the left side of his chest was a family crest with an F-shaped flame.

That's the Fox family crest!

Raven walked over with a rhythmic step, bowed and said, "It is an honor to meet you, Mr. Gul'dan."

Gul'dan Fox, a level 3 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: "Thank you for taking care of me during this period."

Raven said modestly, "I dare not. It is an honor for the Griffith family that Miss Nancy can come to 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 was still holding his glass high. Seeing this, he broke out in a cold sweat and quickly stepped aside, his palms wet.

But fortunately, no one present wanted to pay attention to him.

Jenny took two steps back respectfully and bowed, but Nancy sat in her chair motionless.

"Ms. 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 unconcerned. "I came here because of Baron Raven's invitation, and I also wanted to tell you that your father misses you very much and hopes you can come home as soon as possible."

Nancy nodded noncommittally: "Yeah."

Before Gul'dan could say anything, several nobles who came with him began to feel a little impatient.

Seeing the atmosphere becoming increasingly tense, Raven didn't want his press conference to be ruined like this, so he immediately suggested, "Mr. Gul'dan, I have prepared a box for you upstairs. Do you need to go and rest for a while?"

"I am indeed a little tired after traveling all the way here." Gul'dan said, "Thank you very much."

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

As he disappeared into the shadow of the stairs, the smile on Gul'dan's face instantly disappeared, and he uttered a word with his lips:
Bitch.

After this little episode, the hall returned to its lively state.

Raven glanced at Nancy; she was still sitting there, motionless.

The relationship between these two siblings is really strange.

The guests of honor had already arrived and the press conference was about to begin. Raven had no intention of delving into the gossip and turned to walk 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're asking for your own death." Raven cursed in a low voice.

He doesn't really think that he can rest easy just because he has an agreement with me, right?
But now is not the time to fix him.

Raven walked backstage.

Ten minutes later, the conference hall, 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. My name is Raven, Raven Ota Griffith, Baron of the Empire, and the organizer of this press conference."

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

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

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

Even without anyone's guidance, polite applause broke out.

Hyde and Gul'dan raised their glasses to greet each other, with gentle smiles on their faces, as if they were old friends.

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

Raven thanked several viscounts, including John, by name, then bowed and left the stage.

Just as everyone was stunned by this, a faint scent of roses filled the air.

A beam of light shone at 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. It looked glittering under the light without taking away her charm.

Her makeup is delicate, with long and thin eyebrows flowing into her temples, showing her calm confidence amid her sharpness; her pair of black pearl-like eyes contain an elegant smile.

The upper body is a simple and elegant white dress with a towering neckline designed in the shape of petals. Although it is a bit exaggerated, it can 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 there was a hint of jealousy in the women's eyes.

Even Nancy, who was sitting below, pouted and bit her lips lightly with her fangs, feeling both envious and jealous.

Denise wasn’t this pretty during rehearsals!
Denise stopped and lifted her skirt to greet him: "Ladies and gentlemen, 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 merchant in Mon'en City, and I often held banquets to entertain nobles from all over."

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

But Denise's next words successfully dispelled their doubts.

"Business dinners inevitably involve wine."

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

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

"The people of Nord Province are crude and vulgar. They don't even have a decent wine."

This sentence immediately resonated with many nobles present.

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

It is not a new thing to be looked down upon, either openly or covertly, in social situations.

The communication between nobles would not tear each other's faces, but the secret thoughts and tricks could also make people feel uncomfortable.

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

"that's it!"

The light continued to condense, and Denise's figure disappeared, leaving only a newly packaged Angel's Tear 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 that the nobles had seen such a sight, 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 near the light source and place a hollow piece of paper on top.

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

But even though we guessed it, the strong shock could not be erased, just like someone who is used to watching TV seeing a 3D movie for the first time.

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 use magic lamps in such a way."

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

"I originally thought this 'press conference' was just a gimmick, but I didn't expect there to be something really original and creative in it."

"It's just that I'm a bit arrogant." Gul'dan raised his glass and took a sip. "Angel's Tears are good, but to represent the Nord Province... heh."

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 hasn't said anything yet. If we have any objections, wouldn't it make the Fox family look petty?"

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

As he 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'd like to introduce another product today."

"The essence of all flowers, the essence of heaven and earth."

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

"Angel's Kiss!"

……

(End of this chapter)