Imperial Crown.

Chapter 563 Like a Flower, Like a Dream

"Big"

"Your Excellency, Marquis..."

A timid, soft voice hesitated before it rang out. Julia, now 28, stood awkwardly in the study, her porcelain doll-like face etched with embarrassment. When that incident happened, she was very young and didn't understand what it meant. Only over the years, with age and experience, had she truly grasped its significance.

Julia looked incredibly dashing and sharp in her eagle-eye guard uniform. It was a unique design by Raven, a fusion of police and military uniforms from his past life. Wearing it naturally exuded an imposing aura, yet also possessed a unique and alluring quality—a powerful urge to conquer in men. Especially when this uniform was paired with her exceptionally large and terrifyingly voluptuous figure, the resulting desire was enough to make one's blood boil! And yet, this girl had an innocent, baby-faced appearance. She was practically a perfect loli. Lolis are generally associated with flat chests and short stature. For example, Nancy was a standard loli. But Julia was practically a "human beast," with an exaggeratedly large bust, and yet she was also very tall. The clean lines of her military uniform made her legs appear even longer and straighter. In terms of bust size, only her aunt in the entire Eagle City could compare; Lux didn't even make the cut. As for the elven saintess, Daiyunyi, she didn't count. That's a real-life version of the Eight-Foot Lady.

"cough"

Julia wasn't the only one feeling awkward; Raven, sitting on the sofa, also seemed somewhat uncomfortable. His feelings for Julia were purely sexual; to talk about emotions would be hypocritical. Unlike others, Julia had been an orphan since childhood, growing up in the orphanage Raven founded. Logically, she should call Raven "Father," like Heyaz.

I remember when Nancy was still alive, Julia called out "father" and "mother" quite frequently, but since Nancy's unfortunate passing, the little girl has never called Raven "father" again.

The two didn't interact much to begin with, spending most of their time together only during the years they went to the capital to receive the earl's investiture. Although Raven could sense the girl's affection for him, he was more inclined to believe it was a form of "admiration for strength." After all, Julia was too young then to understand anything about love. So Raven could swear to God he never intended to take Julia into his harem. Even if he occasionally had such thoughts, they were merely baseless desires. Unexpectedly, just as he was about to lose control and go berserk while absorbing a seventh-tier magic core, Julia barged in, effectively saving Raven's life. Therefore, over the years, Raven has become increasingly cautious about absorbing magic cores.

Many years have passed since they last met, and Raven, now older, has naturally become more indifferent and detached in his thoughts. Strength and power don't equate to prowess in that area; just like in his past life, many fitness enthusiasts were actually effeminate in private. They looked intimidatingly strong, but were nothing more than empty shells. So, it's true, you can't defy age.

This naturally made their meeting somewhat awkward. However, since Julia was Melove's biological mother, it wouldn't be right for Raven to continue ignoring her like this. So, he took this opportunity to call her up alone.

"How have you been lately?" Raven tried to find a topic that wouldn't create a generation gap.

Julia: ...

Julia pursed her lips. Her feelings for Raven hadn't diminished in the slightest. But after so many years apart, and their only interaction that lacked any real connection or meaningful experience, left her unsure of Raven's attitude. He had never expressed his affection for her as clearly and directly as he had for other women. He always maintained the cold demeanor of a superior and the rigid image of a father. Having grown up in an orphanage, she harbored a deep-seated inferiority complex and understood that her birth and status were unworthy of the Marquis. Her profound loneliness and lack of love also made her always present a strong and aloof facade. She couldn't emulate Lady Lux's gentleness, nor did she despise Lady Denise's allure. Over the years, she had missed her mother, Nancy, the most. But Lady Nancy, born into nobility, possessed an innate capriciousness and willfulness that Julia lacked. This resulted in her own contradictory nature—thinking one thing but saying another. She dared not reveal her true feelings, fearing she would trouble or burden Lord Raven.

“Hmm, it’s fine.” Julia nodded and said softly, twisting the hem of her clothes tightly with her fair hands. Then she suddenly blurted out, “It’s just that Mellove hardly recognizes me anymore.”

"sit down."

Raven didn't reply, but waved for her to sit down. Raven knew a little about the matter, but family matters are truly complicated and tangled.

Julia and Denise originally had a good relationship. When Denise first became Viscount, she appointed many female officials. Therefore, Julia undoubtedly became Denise's key target for cultivation. However, her unexpected pregnancy came too quickly and abruptly, catching everyone off guard. Julia was too young at the time and indeed lacked the ability to care for a child. So Denise took her in. Over the years, little Merovingian has grown up, and Julia has grown up too, increasingly wanting to see her child. But she clearly senses Denise's resistance. Moreover, little Merovingian doesn't recognize her at all. Of course, this is also due to Julia's obsession with cultivation and her desire to constantly improve her strength. When she was young, her thinking was simple; she always felt that as long as she was strong enough, she could stay by Raven's side for a long time, like her mother Nancy. But now she has slowly changed her mind. But even humans have feelings. Denise is clearly unwilling to let go. To this day, Julia cherishes the memory of riding the Wind King with her mother to slay the Insect King; it's practically the most beautiful memory of her life. And there's another crucial reason: if Nancy were still alive, she would never have allowed Denise to treat her like that.

This was precisely what gave Raven a headache. His aunt, Denise, was already 50 years old. If it weren't for her breakthrough to a second-tier mage and years of pampered life, she wouldn't look like a woman in her early 30s. But no matter how young she looked, her age was undeniable. As an elder, Denise's nurturing and devotion to her children was ingrained in her very being. This was evident in how much she spoiled Viston. Now that she was even older, and Viston had cut off all contact with her, it was clear how much Melove held in her heart. Forget Julia; even if Raven asked for Melove, Denise would probably turn on him on the spot. So, the various factors involved were truly as tangled and messy as a bundle of headphone wires—no wonder they say even a wise judge can't settle family disputes!

Raven naturally didn't want to get into trouble. Things were fine as they were; Julia was still young and could have more children. That's why Raven pretended not to hear Julia's words.

"This is the Doumu Potion." Raven took out the last bottle of Doumu Potion he had and placed it on the table. "You've always been focused on cultivation, haven't you? Take it. It can at least help you break through to the third rank quickly!"

"Thank you, sir."

Julia seemed to understand something as well, and with a hint of disappointment, she took the potion in her hand, got up, and left. She didn't even say goodbye to Raven.

As Julia left the study, she suddenly noticed a folded piece of paper stuck to the bottom of the medicine bottle. Startled, she slowly unfolded it, revealing a line of words. The next moment, tears of grievance streamed down her face like pearls. She forced a smile, wiped away her tears, and quickly headed downstairs. She didn't want to stay a single second longer in this Eagle City, a place devoid of her mother and filled with intrigue and backstabbing.

Like a flower, like a dream, our encounter was brief.

……

Snow Maple Ridge, Wallace Hotel.

All the nobles of Snowmaple County were gathered in a large private room, including Doreen. Before, when Raven wasn't around, she could easily stay at Denise's place. Now that Raven was back, to avoid suspicion, she had no choice but to come out with the group.

"Viscount Broca, what exactly do you mean?" Mark was the first to fire a shot. He hadn't dared to utter a word in the meeting hall, but now that they were outside, he was all smiles.

“It doesn’t mean anything,” Broca said calmly. “From the very beginning, I have been clearly on Marquis Raven’s side.”

“You!” Mark turned to look at Doreen, forcibly suppressing the words that were about to come out. He really wanted to ask, back in this very private room, Broca had signed the papers and paid money, did he really think he could disregard all of that and regain Raven's trust?
"Eh~"

Sereva suddenly interrupted, “Everyone has their own ambitions, Mark, why force others?” “Damn it, it’s May and it’s still snowing heavily, it’s the perfect time for hot pot!” “Actually, I was just worried that Marquis Raven would force us to stay for dinner in Eagle City!” He then burst into laughter.

The others joined in the laughter, and the atmosphere visibly relaxed instantly.

After several rounds of drinks and dishes, seeing that everyone had almost finished eating, the 53-year-old Baron Kate suddenly put down his chopsticks, wiped the sweat from his brow, and said, "That Raven guy, a former hoodlum with a very calculating businessman's mind. Although he's seemed more mature these past few years, he's still too green. He doesn't understand the saying 'the taller the tree, the more the wind blows'!"

"Ha," Vessin chuckled contemptuously, one foot propped on the chair, poking his gaping teeth—loose as a prostitute's trousers—with a toothpick. "What does he know! He's just got a crazy streak!" "Think about it, since he took over Eagle Territory, the surprise attack on Bloodstained Highlands, the invasion of Eivor, the expedition to the Orc Empire… hasn't he gotten crazier with each attack?" "Before, he was all bragging about slaying a million orcs. That's how he tricked his way into the Marquis title! Once the Image Crystal appeared, he fell silent. He stopped bragging and shouting." "I heard that half of the Eagle Army he led this time died!" "He's kicked a hornet's nest, hasn't he?" "Gentlemen," "We're all in this together! The Emperor is extremely dissatisfied with him now, and Governor Tyron is delaying the attack due to weather conditions. If we all put pressure on him together…" "This title is within our grasp!" "I'll state my position first; I'll at least get an Earl title to play with."

"Hmph," Broca couldn't help but sneer, "You're just a baron, wanting to be a count?" Even he, a viscount, might not be able to get a count! Vessin wasn't afraid of biting off more than he could chew.

Vessin stroked his chin, staring at Broca with a hostile gaze, but didn't utter a word in rebuttal. In truth, he knew that what he had just said was nothing but boasting.

“But… but I heard that Earl Tyrone is afraid to attack because Raven has a dragon?” Lady Doreen said somewhat timidly. In this situation, even if she had a title, it wouldn’t carry much weight. Despite her fear, she mustered her courage. “I think the Governor is probably just putting on a show to fulfill his duty.” “We don’t need to rush to take sides and oppose Marquis Raven at this time!” “After all… Raven has been good to us before, hasn’t he?” “He single-handedly funded the purchase of the Wisdom Magic Network and created the Skyhawk Platform in our Snowmaple County, making our communication more frequent and our transactions simpler.”

"Shit!"

Mark suddenly roared, "So what if there are dragons? Does he really dare to let them participate in the war? Once Governor Tyron sends troops to attack, can that giant dragon even distinguish friend from foe?" "If Raven really dares to do that, then he is the enemy of the entire empire!" "I think Raven is clearly harboring evil intentions, using our lives as a gamble, which is why the benevolent governor is hesitant to act!" "And let's talk about the Skyhawk Platform!" "Does that thing help us or Raven himself?" "Gentlemen," "If you don't believe me, do the math yourselves. Every year, do we buy more from Raven, or does Raven buy more from us?" "It's only in these past few years, with his wars, that he's had to buy a lot from us! If it weren't for the wars, we'd be struggling to make ends meet just for Angel's Tears!"

The atmosphere suddenly fell silent when this matter was brought up. It had clearly touched a sore spot for everyone.

It has to be said that Raven's creations were truly devastating. From large items like alcohol and perfume to small items like soap and potato chips, everything was of high quality and low price, practically monopolizing the entire market in the Nord province. This forced the nobles to rely solely on their own territories' special products to make a living. If Raven hadn't taken pity on them and given these Snowmaple County nobles a 2% discount, allowing them to sell some of their goods to outsiders, these nobles would have gone bankrupt long ago!
But a 2% discount is barely enough to keep them afloat; it's hardly enough to support their extravagant lifestyle.

In the minds of these people, Raven should at least give them a 5% discount!

And that damned canned brown carp! It's spoiled the palates of these lowly serfs; they won't even eat sawdust bread anymore! They secretly save up to buy that incredibly stinky canned brown carp. Actually, the taste isn't bad, it's just that it smells like stinky socks, which really lowers their status and makes them lose interest in the nobles. Unexpectedly, this has become a boon to the serfs, since they can buy four or five of these for only a dozen copper coins. Moreover, it doesn't spoil easily, and it has practically become a "holy meal" for all the lower-class serfs. It's even highly regarded and popular among the free people.

Seeing that no one refuted him, Mark became even more aggressive. "Long hair and short brains, fine, but you're dreaming big!" "Even if you stripped naked and licked Raven's asshole, you still wouldn't get into his bed!" "He wouldn't even look at you, Mrs. Doreen. I advise you to give up on that idea as soon as possible."

"tsk"

Sereva frowned. "How could you treat Lady Doreen so rudely? Lady Doreen is such a lovely woman." As he spoke, Sereva reached out and groped Doreen's palm.

Doreen gave an awkward smile and reached out to remove Sereva's hand.

But the next moment, Doreen froze. When she pushed away Sereva's hand, she accidentally lifted a small gap in Sereva's clothes and saw a bright silver light.

"Armor?!" "Why would Sereva wear armor?!"

A ridiculous and terrifying thought suddenly sprouted in Doreen's mind. Her face turned pale and she screamed "Ah—!" She fell backward in a panic.

Sereva gave a sinister smile, a cold glint in his eyes, and stood up abruptly. He took out a thin sword about two fingers wide from his ring and, with a "swoosh," tore a half-foot-long bloody gash in Doreen's arm!

"Ahhh!" Madam Doreen burst into a desperate wail and a terrified cry, frantically trying to hide in a corner until she was pressed against the wall and had nowhere left to go. Then she knelt down with a thud. "Please, please, Baron Celeva, don't kill me, don't kill me!"

This shocking turn of events left not only Doreen stunned, but everyone else as well! Including Mark and Kate, the two people closest to the Celeva! No one could have imagined that the Celeva had gone to such lengths!

"Seleva! What are you doing! Stop it!" Viscount Broca hurriedly stood up and shouted sternly!

Ignoring the shouts of the crowd, Celeva walked step by step toward Doreen, who was kneeling on the ground frantically kowtowing and begging for mercy. "For traitors like you who are so stubborn and insist on standing with Raven, there was already a way to get yourself killed!" "Anyway, Raven won't live much longer. You go first, and Raven will be reunited with you in hell in a few days!"

"You!" "You can't kill me!" "My son inherited my husband's title! He's a baron too! Aren't you afraid my son will come after you for revenge?!" Doreen clutched her arm, screaming hoarsely.

"Tsk tsk tsk"

Upon hearing this, Sereva slapped his forehead. "Look at my memory!" "A few days ago, when I came to Snow Maple Territory, I happened to pass by your house and went to Shattered Stone Castle." "Lady Doreen." "You mean... "These three sons?" Sereva threw three round objects out of his ring, which rolled continuously until they arrived in front of Lady Doreen.

Doreen looked down and saw that they were the heads of her three sons!

"Seleva! You!" Lady Doreen immediately shrieked!

However, before she could finish speaking, Sereva's rapier slit pierced her throat! Her head tilted back in an eerie way, and blood gushed onto the ground like a fountain.

"You've gone mad, Sereva!" "You actually killed an imperial nobleman?!" Baron Pwan and Baron Zei exclaimed in unison. Lady Doreen was one thing, but Sereva had even killed Romney's three sons! Keep in mind, Lady Doreen and Romney's eldest son had inherited the title!
"What are you afraid of!" Sereva roared. "I have received definite secret information that the Emperor has sent the Nameless One J to kill Raven!" "Raven won't be able to cause trouble for much longer!" "Do you really think Governor Tyron is afraid of Raven?!" "He's just besieging Snow Maple County to prevent Raven from making a desperate escape!"

"What?" "The Nameless One?" "J? Is that the J who wiped out the Fox family?" "They even sent him! It seems Raven is doomed!"

Upon hearing this news, everyone immediately began to discuss it animatedly.

……

(End of this chapter)