Chapter 197: Some are happy and some are sad
When the dungeon door was opened, a blast of cold air hit my face.
Leaven walked down the stairs and saw Mark, who was leaning against him in the iron cage.
This former aristocratic young master has completely lost his nobility. The clothes on his body have become dirty and shabby. His originally bright red hair has faded a lot, and it sticks to his back like a felt, like a greasy cloak.
Hearing Raven's footsteps, Mark's ears twitched, but his body remained motionless.
In fact, his legs had basically healed, and the reason why he didn't react was because he thought this was a servant who came to deliver food.
But after the footsteps stopped, he didn't hear the sound of the dinner plate falling to the ground, and turned around.
Compared with before, his face was much thinner, and a lot of beard had sprouted out. He couldn't tell that he was only one year older than Raven at all. Instead, he looked like a middle-aged man in his thirties or forties.
Mark's eyes first fell on Raven's feet, his throat twitched, and he slowly began to move upward until he looked into Raven's eyes.
At this moment, the emotion in his originally gloomy eyes changed several times. First it was surprise, then hatred, anger, and finally it turned into fear and humiliation.
"Let me out!" His body was shaking, with tears in his eyes: "Raven, Baron Raven, I know I was wrong, I really know I was wrong, please let me out, let me out!!"
Bang——
Raven grabs the bar The pole shook hard: "Stop acting, Mark."
"You're not scared, you just know that you are going to die!"
Mark's body collapsed: "...Then Just kill me.”
Raven said lightly: "I'm not a lord who can't listen to what others say. If this is your wish, then I can fulfill your wish." Cyan flame.
The firelight illuminated Mark's eyes, making him realize that Raven was not joking.
Indeed, his life was worse than death during these days.
You can't see the sun, and you can't see hope. You can only determine the passage of time through the servants who deliver the meals, and those damn meals are only black bread and wheat porridge. Don't even think about it.
Some time ago, there were green vegetables for decoration, but now there is not even a hint of green left.
Not to mention personal hygiene. The playboy who used to hang out at cocktail parties and dances every day is now smelly, smelly and sticky.
The most terrible thing is that he is the only one detained here, but the servants are repeatedly ordered not to talk to him, so much so that he has even developed the habit of communicating with rats and cockroaches.
If Raven hadn't occasionally sent someone to send him some novels, he might have gone crazy.
But he is still alive after all!
Although life was boring, death frightened him even more, and a strong desire to survive occupied his consciousness.
With a flattering arc at the corner of his mouth, Mark said: "I'm just joking, I'm extremely satisfied with the life here!"
"That's good, it's not in vain that I came here specially. You." As he spoke, the appointment document appeared in Raven's hand: "Look, what is this?"
When he saw the content above, Mark's pupils shrank, and then he broke into a cold sweat.
Raven became the county chief personally appointed by His Majesty the King, and he also served as a baron, which shows that he has gained His Majesty's approval at the political level.
Not to mention that Mark is still here, even if he does escape and accuse Raven, no one will make the decision for him, but he will be dealt with secretly.
Big men can make mistakes, but they never admit them.
Ironically speaking, at this moment Mark suddenly realized that staying in the dungeon turned out to be the safest choice for him.
Then, Raven told how he met Judra in the casino, how he won a large amount of gold coins from him, and also told about the recent situation in the Iron Forge Leader.
During this period, Mark would flatter him from time to time, such as "The Baron is wise and mighty" and so on.
For Mark, knowing that Raven is still paying attention to Judra is good news in itself, because it means that he is still useful to Raven.
Leaven's attitude gave Mark a glimmer of hope: "...Baron, are you going to let me out?"
"Impossible." Raven shook his head: "But I The new castle is being built. When the new castle is completed, it will be transformed into my law "Master Tower."
"If you perform well, then you may be able to have a wider range of activities and have your own room."
Mark froze in place, and then pressed harder. He nodded: "I will behave well!"
After the matter was finished, Raven turned around and was about to leave, when Mark suddenly said:
"Lord Baron, I have a small request."
"From now on, you can have it in my meals. Want to add some meat?”
“That’s right.” A smile appeared on Raven’s lips and he quickly left the dungeon.
The reason why we came to the dungeon today is because Raven knows that Mark has been getting more and more depressed recently, and he might die soon. Raven wants to take this opportunity to give him some motivation to live.
So far, it seems to be working well.
For Raven, imprisoning Mark is just a casual move, which may or may not be useful.
But that’s not the point.
The point is that Raven needs to keep a trump card that can kill Judra.
Be prepared and be safe.
After Raven left, Mark ate the meat he longed for at the next meal. He didn't know when the new castle would be built, but he finally had hope.
Mark is not the only one who feels that life is getting more and more promising.
It is the end of the year. Although the Cairns Empire does not have a New Year tradition, Raven is still used to giving year-end bonuses to retainers and servants at the end of the year, which makes everyone in the castle full of energy and joy.
Baron Raven is going to hold the first cocktail party after taking office as the county commissioner. Old Gordon attaches great importance to this. Not only does he do many things himself, but he also mobilizes everyone who can be used.
Just like Volaf.
After Raven's personal guard commander changed his shift, he was pulled into the warehouse by Old Gordon before he could take off his armor and rest.
"Mr. Gordon, what are you looking for me for?" Volaf yawned: "My daughter is still waiting for me to go back and tell stories."
Old Gordon rolled his eyes at him : “Should you tell stories to your daughter, or should you go to the Crystal Palace and tell stories to women? "
Flav chuckled: "You know this too? Or let's go together and I'll treat you!"
"Get out!" Old Gordon couldn't laugh or cry: "I still want to live for two more years. Yes, and I asked you to come here for a serious matter.”
As he spoke, Old Gordon moved the lid of a large tank next to him, and a fishy smell suddenly hit his face.
There were many slippery, black things inside the tank, some hard and some soft. Volaf looked at his scalp and felt numb: "What is this, the magic ingredient that the Baron wants to use?"
"Sea cucumber, abalone." Old Gordon said: "They are all good things that have been shipped from the sea in a hurry, and are ready to be used on the day of the reception."
"The seaside?" Volaf was stunned for a moment, He has basically no idea about the sea. He only knows that the Nord province is located in the central and western part of the mainland. The four directions of southeast, northwest and northwest have nothing to do with the ocean. It may be tens of thousands of kilometers in the near future: "How much does this... cost?"
"After all, one is probably less than two gold coins." Old Gordon smacked his lips, obviously feeling a little pain: "Don't be stunned, get started."
Looking at the crawling and squirming sea cucumber, Volaf's face twisted: "...not good, can this be eaten raw?" "What are you thinking!" Old Gordon coughed: "You are not the ice. Fighting spirit, freeze all these tanks."
"That's not how ice fighting spirit is used." Volaf scratched his cheek: "And now. On a cold day, if you put it outside, it will freeze overnight."
Old Gordon said: "What if it gets contaminated or attracts wild cats or something like that? If there is a mistake, do it quickly!”
With no choice but to make a humanoid refrigerator, it can be expected that he will have to do this kind of work twice a day.
He was a little unhappy at first, but in the next few days, Volav regained his balance, because he was not the only one who was roped in as a "tool man."
First of all, there is Link. This guy is a flame fighting spirit. He just took his annual leave and was caught by Old Gordon to light a lantern - literally lighting a lantern.
The lantern is a small invention of Baron Raven, and the entire Eagle Castle is very fond of it. It does not consume much material, but it can effectively prevent wind. It is not like the previous braziers and torches that were placed in the yard. When the wind blows, the soot flies everywhere.
The disadvantage is that it is difficult to light. If you fail to do it correctly, you will burn your hand, or the inner wall of the lantern will be blackened. But Link is just right, and he can light it by putting his finger in.
This job is not easy either.
For the sake of grandeur, Old Gordon planned to hang the lanterns directly from the gate of Eagle Fort all the way to the Jinsha River Bridge, and also on the walls of Eagle Fort. There were more than four hundred in total. Link's fingers would cramp after lighting them. .
After finishing the order, Old Gordon nodded: "Well, extraordinary people do things steadily, so that they can have experience next time."
Link said sadly and angrily: "Is there a next time? "
"Yes, today is just a trial performance. We will officially hang it up on the day of the reception." Old Gordon said, and began to blow out the candles in the lantern one by one: "Don't be stunned, come together. ."
Link's eyes turned black and he almost fainted.
Everyone has their own work to do.
Simon rode a yellow flying lightning claw and led a team of scouts to deliver invitations, and was specially told by Old Gordon to say different things to different families.
Poirot temporarily put aside his work in the riverside workshop and discussed with the cook Martha to formulate the menu for the day of the reception, what to use for cold and hot food, how to match the wine, and how to Cook the ingredients purchased by Old Gordon deliciously.
When the menu was drawn up, Eric worked part-time as a hunter and led the soldiers to hunt wild beasts and stockpile ingredients, including but not limited to bears, deer, roe deer, wild boars, etc. The amount of prey they obtained was, Enough to feed a giant dragon.
Petty and Fiona work together. Fiona is responsible for planning the decoration and layout of the castle, while Petty coordinates the specific placement and placement of the servants in the castle. The two will meet from time to time. Exchange opinions, listen to other people's suggestions, and make constant adjustments to make it beautiful.
Phillip began to order his patrols and chamber of commerce to clean up the streets and enforce law and order strictly. They must not cause any trouble to the Baron. In just a few days, the streets of Goldshire became as good as new.
To exaggerate, even the donkeys kept in the backyard of every family have to be painted three times.
Some people are busy and some are taking a break.
Since returning to Eagle Castle, Margaret has been floating around like a butterfly in flowers almost every day, changing into different clothes.
These clothes all have one thing in common, that is, they are close enough to the body.
Her figure is already extremely plump, and coupled with the soft and close-fitting fabric, she trembles when walking on the road, as if she is about to burst out, it is simply walking hormones.
When the men of Eagle Castle meet her, their attention will be sucked away, and they want to hold her in their arms and ravage her wantonly.
Especially because her face is always covered with a veil, people can see the seductive outline of her face and the seductive blush, but they cannot see it clearly, which arouses men even more of curiosity and attention.
Margaret showed off her charm unscrupulously. She enjoyed the gaze of men and indulged in the pleasure of turning all living beings upside down.
In fact, if Raven hadn't asked her to restrain herself, she might have slept with the entire Eagle Castle.
Of course, that's assuming those people don't know who she really is.
On this day, Margaret walked out of the room and leaned against the wall.
She had just taken a shower, with a bit of confusion in her eyes, looking for an opportunity to "catch" a prey.
Footsteps sounded, and Annuo came from a distance.
As soon as she saw her, Margaret felt a little jealous.
She worked hard to obtain this physical body, but Annuo's natural beauty could easily compare to hers.
As long as the two of them appear in one place at the same time, more people's attention will fall on Annuo instead of her.
Moreover, Margaret could not forget the embarrassment she felt when facing Annuo when they first met - this made her jealous but also felt a little inferior.
I wanted to say something harsh, but the fear in her bones made Margaret give up and turned around to walk back to the house.
Unexpectedly, Annuo stopped in front of her: "I have something to ask you."
"It's really rare that Lord Annuo, a divine blood witch, actually comes to me?" Margaret snorted: "Are you trying to persuade me to restrain myself? Unfortunately, you are not my master, and I have no obligation to obey you. "
Annuo shook his head: "No, I want to hire you as the future tutor of the college."
Such a calm attitude made Margaret feel like a punch. Hitting the air, I felt a little depressed and a little ashamed.
In front of her, Annuo was like a high mountain, and how could any high mountain be angry at Tupo's ridicule?
“Why, you and I are not the same people.” Margaret flipped her hair: “And I can see that you don’t agree with my lifestyle. Why hire me to do it? Teacher, aren’t you afraid that your students will be taught badly by me?”
Annuo shook his head: "You are right, you and I are not the same people. I am a divine blood witch, and you grew up little by little."
"The difference in our origins has caused Our situations are different. You will encounter more and greater malice than me, but this also means that you have experienced more setbacks to get to where you are now.”
"If nothing else, most students should have similar backgrounds to you, not me, so you will have better solutions to many of the dilemmas and problems they may face than me."
Told plainly and eloquently, without any personal emotions. Even when it comes to differences in origin, there is no disdain or disdain at all. It is simply telling the facts.
Margaret was silent for a long time. She realized that the gap between herself and Annuo was not just in strength.
"I can promise you." Margaret said calmly: "But, my asking price is not low."
"No problem." Annuo nodded: "When the college is up and running, you will join us. . ”
Annuo really doesn’t care about this, she has no sensitivity to money.
And no matter how high Margaret’s price was, it was Raven who paid for it!
"Ah-cheep!" Raven, who was looking at the bill, sneezed, causing the black cat to glance at him dissatisfied.
Raven rubbed his nose: "Good guy, who is thinking about me?"
Then he turned his attention back to the bill.
During this period of time, the misty iron ore has been used as a source of wealth, and the gold coins on the books have exceeded the one hundred thousand mark. It was not far from the goal of one million, but now it has fallen back below one hundred thousand.
He knew that hosting a cocktail party would be expensive, but he didn't expect it to be so expensive. Now that the bill came up, there were so many things, and it actually cost more than 3,000 gold coins!
“Hope you get your money’s worth!”
Following Simon's footsteps, news of the reception spread throughout Xuefeng County, and the nobles were all speculating on what kind of arrogance the newly appointed county chief would put on.
Finally, the time came to January 1, 1195 in the Guangming Calendar.
The reception was officially held.
……
(End of this chapter)