Imperial Crown.

Chapter 529 Marrying Raven
"oh my god!!!!!!!!!"

"Oh my god!!!!!!!!!"

"What did I just see? Eight! Eight whole gold coin burgers! My livestock, oh no! My Warcraft can't even eat that many in one meal!"

"so horrible!"

Sowin Berenheim screamed and shouted.

As time went by, an hour and a half passed, and Viston Targaryen and Judd Vandoria had actually eaten their eighth gold coin burger! Normally, they couldn't even finish one of these burgers in a meal. They usually ate half and threw the other half away; if they forced themselves to finish it, they wouldn't need to eat anything else for the rest of the day.

Sowin Berenheim was from the old-school aristocracy and was the grandson of the Minister of the Interior, Egihard.

"Sow, I'll fuck you."

Upon hearing someone compare him to livestock, Judd couldn't help but curse.

"Stop talking, boss! Eat up! Viston Targaryen's almost finished his eighth one! You absolutely can't lose to him again!" Sowyn's expression changed, and he urged him hurriedly. Of course, he wasn't afraid of losing; 1000 gold coins was a lot, but to everyone present, it was nothing more than a drop in the ocean. He was mainly afraid of Judd scolding him. Although Judd wasn't a match for Viston, beating them was like beating his own son.

Judd glanced at Viston and saw that the eighth coin burger in his hand was indeed only the size of a palm. He hurriedly began to wolf it down, and in an instant, his face, neck, beard, and hands were covered with all sorts of sauces squeezed out of the burger. Viston next to him was no less impressive, and with their mouths constantly opening and closing and their cheeks chewing, they looked like clowns in makeup.

The crowd around them shouted "Go for it!" in unison. The atmosphere was as intense as a real battle.

Ugh!!!

A vomiting sound, like a dragon's roar, suddenly rang out. Viston almost spat out the entire coin burger in his mouth, but he covered it tightly with his left hand, swallowed it again with bloodshot eyes, tears streaming down his face, and his neck as thick as an ox!

"Disgusting! Sure enough, a lowly beast from the border, even after being educated in the capital for so many years, still cannot get rid of his vulgarity and barbarity."

From a corner on the second floor, a disdainful and insulting voice suddenly rang out. Inside the noisy and bustling Dragon's Breath Tavern, there was a quiet booth that resembled a secluded paradise, surrounded by high-end sofas made of monster hides, where a handsome man and a beautiful woman sat facing each other.

The speaker was one of the boys.

"I actually quite admire him." The young and beautiful girl's expression was cold, but her voice was pleasantly melodious. "At least, I see extraordinary courage and genuine sincerity in him." "Unlike some people, who, despite being peak third-tier, nine-star transcendents, dare not challenge a mere second-tier." "That's true. As long as he doesn't challenge him, he'll always be invincible. That way, he preserves his face and dignity, becoming the only person in the entire Imperial Royal Academy who hasn't lost to a border barbarian." "That's quite a wise tactic."

"Sasha, how could you say that to me! It's so...unladylike!" The young man's face flushed visibly from the woman's words, his toes curling tightly inside his expensive boots, his entire body filled with utter embarrassment. "What's Vesdon?! I just didn't want to lower myself! Back when that little bee first came to the capital, I taught him a lesson right there in King's Square! A mere Vesdon without any title isn't worthy of my attention."

“How dare you call me Sasha? Please call me Melissa Hainholz!” The girl glared at the boy opposite her, displeased. “Jeffrey Gustav’s classmate.” “If I remember correctly, you’re not talking about the time when Raven summoned the Griffith family name and you ran away in a panic, are you?” “Hmph, you still have the nerve to bring that up? You’ve completely disgraced your grandfather.”

Jeffrey's already somewhat effeminate face darkened further. "That time, it was just my carelessness!" "Alright, it's all in the past. Let's not discuss these meaningless things anymore." With that, Jeffrey looked across at Melissa. In the dim light, Melissa wore a dark, star-colored magic dress, her identity as a mage immediately apparent. Ancient and mysterious runes and star patterns were delicately outlined in silver thread on the dress, these runes and star patterns seeming alive, flickering intermittently. This further enhanced Melissa's already bright and three-dimensional features, and her large, wavy eyes, making her even more captivating. The hem of the dress was deliberately cut very short, almost like a miniskirt. She wore lace-up, sexy gray stockings, and small high-heeled shoes adorned with tiny crystals. Despite this, Melissa's attire looked out of place in the Dragonbreath Tavern, appearing rather conservative. What Jeffrey found most irresistible was Melissa's milky-white skin and the arrogant, aloof air emanating from her cold, icy expression. Jeffrey believed that any man who saw Melissa would feel a surge of intense desire to conquer her. Especially since Melissa had a magical rune on her forehead, shimmering and slowly undulating. Jeffrey swallowed hard, a fleeting heat crossing his face, and reached out his slender hand to touch Melissa's beautiful legs.

Melissa is only 23 years old, yet she's already a third-tier, one-star mage—a true magical genius! The entire Imperial Royal Academy has 6-7000 students, but even including instructors, the number of mages is less than 300! This is the most powerful academy in the entire Keynes Empire; those who can study here come from families that can practically buy and afford all sorts of high-level magic-forging potions. Even so, the scarcity of mages speaks volumes about their rarity and value!
This only intensified Jeffrey's desire to conquer!
After just a cursory glance, Jeffrey's lust flared fiercely, wishing he could tear Melissa's dress right there and now, and ravage and torment her milky white body.

"Snapped"

Melissa first pulled her legs back to avoid Jeffrey's groping hands, then stretched out her frost-white wrist and slapped Jeffrey's hand away!

"What do you mean?" A shadow crossed Jeffrey's face. "I've already had my grandfather propose a marriage alliance to your family! You won't sleep with me, you won't even let me kiss you, and now you won't even let me touch you?!" "Melissa Hainholz, I must solemnly remind you, my grandfather Hamilton Gustav is the Prime Minister of the Empire! The most powerful person under the King! There are plenty of people who want to sleep with me! Don't be so ungrateful!" The threat in Jeffrey's words was self-evident.

"hehe"

Melissa's previously icy expression softened slightly with sadness. "Yes! You are the grandson of the Imperial Prime Minister! A descendant of the illustrious Gustav family. One of the most distinguished people in the entire Keynes Empire." "But remember this: Jeffrey Gustav, others may fear you, but that doesn't mean my Hainholz family fears your Gustav family! Until the night of our wedding, no one will lay a finger on my head." "Besides, aren't you curious? The marriage has been over for so long; has your grandfather mentioned it to you? Don't you want to know why?"

"why?"

Jeffrey's long, thin, snake-like eyebrows shot up. Strangely enough, his grandfather had only verbally agreed to the marriage, but in the past six months, his grandfather had never spoken to him about it. Jeffrey hadn't thought much of it at first, assuming his grandfather was worried he was too young, or perhaps wanted him to graduate before getting married. Although he was already 32, in a ducal family, he was still considered a child.

Each ducal family controlled vast territories and resources, enough for them to easily live to be over a hundred years old. It is said that the longest-lived human on record lived to be 201 years old.

So when Jeffrey heard Melissa mention this matter in a veiled way, he frowned and asked curiously.

"It's very simple."

Melissa swirled the pink Angel's Tears in her glass, the mixture of ice and pink wine swirling and tinkling, creating a series of pleasant "jingling" sounds. But the expression on Melissa's face grew increasingly sorrowful, tinged with an indescribable complexity. "Because my grandfather is already planning to marry me off to Raven," she said, taking a deep breath and speaking as calmly as possible to prevent tears from streaming down her face.

In fact, she had cried countless nights, and her eyes were still swollen, but with the powder on, it wasn't very noticeable. Besides, the tavern was dimly lit, making it even harder for outsiders to see. Didn't she notice that Jeffrey, sitting opposite her, hadn't noticed anything amiss? Ever since Raven was made a marquis, her grandfather had given this order, causing Melissa to be almost in agony for the past two weeks. She didn't want to leave the house at all, and it was only because Jeffrey kept insisting there was something interesting to see at the tavern that she reluctantly came.

"What?!?!" Jeffrey exclaimed in disbelief. He jumped up from the sofa with a thud, as if someone had kissed his buttocks with a red-hot iron! The bottles and jars on the small table were immediately overturned and rolled to the ground, making a "thump," "crack," and "crash" sound as they rolled and shattered.

This caused the crowd that had been waiting on the first floor to watch the match between Vesdon and Judd to look up at the second floor.

"What are you doing?!" Melissa snapped angrily. "What's the big deal?!"

"What's all the fuss about???" Jeffrey couldn't believe his ears, his voice barely a whisper as he roared viciously, "Your grandfather's gone mad! Madrasher than that damned little bee! He actually wants you to marry a dead old man?!" "Melissa! Wake up! Didn't you see Raven's filthy, disgusting behavior in the Orc Empire? Disgusting! Repulsive! He's completely disgraced the nobility! This stupid trash, you want to marry him too?" "What on earth is your grandfather thinking?!!" Jeffrey felt like he was going insane. The rage in his chest was like a raging furnace, filling his entire body. He wanted to punch the small table in front of him to pieces—no! He wanted to punch Melissa's grandfather, Gottfried, to pieces! No, no! He wanted to punch that damned little bee, Raven, to pieces even more!
At this moment, Jeffrey was completely disoriented and had no idea where he was. His once delicate and slightly handsome face had become twisted and grotesque, revealing his ugly side.

In fact, coming from a ducal family, he possessed excellent manners; he knew that he must suppress and control his temper at all times and in all places. A person who cannot even control their temper is destined not to live a good life. But he just couldn't control himself! He truly couldn't control himself!

Although he desperately desired Melissa's body, he also genuinely liked and loved her!

Who could accept that their goddess, whom they've admired for years, would turn around and snuggle into the arms of a seventy or eighty-year-old man?! Who?!

In any case, Jeffrey absolutely cannot accept it!

“What my grandfather thinks is none of your business!” “Besides, we have nothing to do with each other!” “Yes, I saw that commemorative crystal!” “Do you think I want to marry that dirty, old, smelly Raven? Do you think I want to, Jeffrey?”

Jeffrey's repeated, increasingly demanding nagging finally enraged Melissa. Moreover, Jeffrey's disrespect for her grandfather was something Melissa absolutely could not tolerate! However, she had known the news for some time and had long since calmed down, still retaining a sliver of reason. Suppressing her grief, she roared, "Do you know how much our family sacrificed for power? So many serfs, subjects, soldiers, and powerful members of our family died! In total, there are over a million of them! It took nine generations of continuous effort to create the now-powerful Duke Hainhotz family! Whenever I didn't want to, Grandpa would patiently tell me this story again and again!" I'm sensible! They want me to be obedient! I don't want to, but what can I do?! I admit, Jeffrey, I have many feelings for you. But having feelings doesn't mean I want to marry you! Because I know that from the moment I was born, I've been a bargaining chip for the Hainholz family. And whenever I think about marrying you not because of love, but because of a marriage of convenience, I feel nauseous! My feelings for you will instantly vanish, come to an abrupt end! I only hate that I'm a girl, not a man, not a muscle-bound man, otherwise I'd want to fuck this world to death! Fuck that bitch of fate to death!

“Elegant?” Melissa’s eyes flashed with blatant sarcasm. “You really think I don’t get tired of pretending to be elegant every day? Hmm? Jeffrey? I wish I could be like you, playing with all sorts of young, handsome male servants every day! Playing with them in different ways! Do you think I don’t know about your little affair with Minion?! Hmm? She’s even come to my face!” As she spoke, a deep disgust flashed in Melissa’s eyes. “Whichever lip she licks, wouldn’t it be tasted by a thousand men and kissed by ten thousand men? When it’s your turn, don’t you find her dirty, smelly, and fishy? Your hypocrisy disgusts me, really, Jeffrey.”

Minnie was the dancer on the first-floor stage who was completely naked and wearing a "mosquito net".

“Now you understand why I admire Viston’s genuine and unpretentious nature, right?” Melissa’s sorrowful expression slowly faded, replaced by a complex, even unusually shy, look. “When Grandpa first told me this, I even thought about dying. But as I learned more and more about Raven, I found myself actually starting to like him. He’s so crazy! He dared to fight bandits on the Bloodstained Highlands with only 100 fresh recruits! Later, he dared to attack Eivor and the Wailing Wall with 10,000 men! And now… he dares to attack the Orc Empire with 40,000 men. Most importantly, he actually accomplished all of these seemingly impossible feats!”

"Actually, do you know, Jeffrey, the real magical genius at the Imperial Academy isn't me, but another girl with fiery red hair. Her name is—Nancy Fox! She's my idol! It's just that she has such a strange temper; she often beats up students and even her teachers, so she was expelled from the academy."

Yet this unruly woman ended up marrying Raven and was willing to die for him.

This makes me very curious; what kind of magic does Raven possess?

"80%"

"So now, my aversion to marrying Raven is only 80%! And even if he were old, dirty, and smelly, I would still kneel before him and serve him as a wife should! I'm glad I didn't cross the moral line and mess around like you. Otherwise, if I had married Raven and wasn't a virgin, I probably wouldn't have survived my wedding night. There are plenty of girls who have tasted the forbidden fruit and were whipped to death on their wedding night, and the perpetrators hardly have to pay any price. But men can mess around before marriage, even sleep with prostitutes and get them pregnant, without any problems. That's the disgusting thing about this messed-up world. After my mother told me this, I suddenly felt that marrying Raven wasn't so bad after all. At least he's not hypocritical!"

No matter how much she said, Melissa was still only a 23-year-old girl. Her rebellious and arrogant temperament was always a constant companion. After saying so much in one breath, Melissa's expression relaxed considerably. She let out a long breath, "Yes, it feels so much better to vent! That's why I came out today—to tell you this. Otherwise, I wouldn't know how to tell you. Jeffrey, thank you for the invitation." Melissa stood up, her two exquisite legs crossed slightly, bending gently, and she returned to being the elegant, noble, aloof, and beautiful magical genius girl.

“Melissa! Think about it again, Raven won’t live much longer.” Jeffrey’s head was buzzing; he was clearly unable to process the complex and overwhelming information contained in Melissa’s words. Looking at Melissa’s beautiful back, he said instinctively.

“Isn’t this exactly why I married Raven?” Melissa turned around, winked her right eye, and said with a sly smile.

"Uh"

Jeffrey was a little confused. "Wait a minute!" "You mean your family is planning to annex Raven's marquessland after he dies?!" "Wait a minute!" "Melissa, are you stupid? Have you forgotten what happened to Nancy?" "Montreal had the same idea as your grandfather, but what happened to him?" "Montreal and Sanchi perished in the fire; Fox Castle was burned to the ground; Gul'dan was beheaded... Even Nancy Fox died young!"

“You don’t need to say anything more.” “My grandfather has made up his mind, and no one can change it.”

After Melissa finished speaking, she turned around and went downstairs again.

As she descended the stairs with her footsteps, the battle between Vesdon and Judd on the first floor came to a close.

Of course, Vesdon won. Judd, who had eaten 10 gold coin burgers, had completely passed out and lay motionless on the ground.

"I won! I ate 11!"

"vomit--"

Before he could finish speaking, Vesdon raised his head and vomited.

Quiet
The entire Dragonbreath Tavern, and indeed the entire world, suddenly fell silent. Vesdon swayed as he straightened up, his expression changing drastically.

……

(End of this chapter)