Raise Joan of Arc to be an empress, then discard her.

Before Simon could figure out what was going on, the crowd suddenly stirred. This time, Simon frowned. The repeated incidents were making him angry. He turned to look in the direction of the commotion, wanting to see what was happening that was causing such a fuss.

Simon then reached out and shielded the crowd behind him, using his body to steady the restless gentlemen and noble ladies while his gaze followed Bowen's.

To his surprise, not only the crowd, but even Bowen and his men retreated in fear toward the Crystal Palace. Some even retreated behind him in terror, standing with the noble ladies and young women. Judging from their nervous appearance, they were like sheep seeing wolves, as if there was something terrifying there that made them want to back away.

Who could it be? What could possibly terrify them? Seeing their fear, even Simon felt a growing unease, but he told himself that there were many guards nearby, so he didn't need to worry.

Simon stared intently at the spot, trying to see exactly what was happening.

The commotion slowly dissipated, and then Simon was stunned, Zane was stunned, Freya was stunned, and even the Iron Earl fell into deep thought.

Because what they saw in the crowd was not an alien, nor a terrifying monster, but a vibrant silver-white robe.

On the long robe, the sword blade, engraved with runes, pierced through the balance pillar, and three wings surrounded the balance from three sides, with the semi-transparent wings at the top hanging in the sky like stars.

Savile Row in the Kingdom of Doctrine was once a street lined with tailors who exclusively served royalty and nobility. The term "tailor-made" originated from Savile Row. Richard VII and Søren O'Brien II were among its clients. Because they catered exclusively to royalty and nobility, and because they chose mostly understated dark fabrics for the royal family, noble suits were also typically in understated dark colors, considered in accordance with aristocratic etiquette.

Thus, this understated color became a symbol of the upper class. Nobles always favored understated dark colors, while only nouveau riche would choose flashy colors. Gradually, colors also acquired specific meanings in clothing. Nobles would favor dark suits, just as the priests wore red robes and the pope wore a red and white striped robe.

However, dark colors are not exclusive to the nobility. After all, anyone can wear a suit. Nouveau riche and even commoners wear dark colors. Even commoners can wear a sophisticated black suit and top hat and blend in with the nobility without being distinguished.

Nowadays, however, clothing colors have long lost their original meaning and become ordinary; the traditions of the past only exist in history.

But there is one color that has belonged to that organization for thousands of years, and it belonged to them even a thousand years ago when that great empire still existed—that is the Judges.

Silver-white has always been the color of judges.

The commotion in the crowd was not because they had seen a rare monster, but because they had seen that holy silver-white robe, just as they had suddenly seen a cardinal or a pope in the crowd. So those wearing dark suits quickly moved aside, allowing the judge in the silver-white robe to appear in the crowd.

Some even cheered. There were only four judges in Birmingham, even rarer than nobles. Everyone wanted to know who he was. But some people realized something was wrong. There were many people in the audience who knew all the judges, but they couldn't recognize him. So some people realized that a new judge had appeared in Birmingham.

But who is he? How come I've never seen him before?

He stood in the crowd, dressed in an immaculate judge's robe with a long sword at his waist, almost blending into the light and shadow.

Simon then noticed that as he passed by the Crystal Palace, Bowen and Bertrand both looked timid and kept backing away. Seeing their expressions, Simon was momentarily stunned and thought it was just his imagination.

But he noticed that every time he moved forward, Bowen and even the crowd would step back a little, while he just walked forward arrogantly, completely ignoring the actions of those around him. Simon was momentarily confused and subconsciously looked at Bowen with his eyes to ask for his opinion.

He received a hoarse reply from Bowen: "He...he has become the judge..."

Despite the most straightforward words, Simon felt as if he had been struck by lightning. For a moment, his mind couldn't process it. He even looked closely at the person in the crowd to make sure it was someone he knew before he reluctantly accepted reality.

But Simon seemed to have discovered something. He kept looking at Aaron, then at Bowen's injuries, then at Aaron again, and then at the timid expressions on their faces as if they were running away with their heads in their hands. He looked forward and then backward, and these pieces of information formed a complete conclusion in his mind. Could it be... that it was him...?

Bowen, of course, would not answer Simon's question; it was a shameful thing he would never publicize. But Simon had already gotten the answer from his timid expression. Simon fell silent, and when he looked up at Aaron again, he looked at him as if he were a stranger.

Aaron, however, didn't even look at them and walked straight ahead. Finally, he came to the black carriage and met the gaze of the Earl of Iron.

Simon stood at a distance, opened his mouth as if to say something, but ultimately he fell silent, because the main characters now were Aaron and his father, and the real negotiators were Aaron and Earl of Iron. There was no room for him to interject.

Some people had already realized that the legendary figure was right beside them, and so close at that. Some people in the crowd gasped in surprise, while others didn't dare to breathe and silently watched the two people gazing at each other in silence.

The two men seemed to be in a standoff, yet not quite, because they both appeared too relaxed. Aaron watched him quietly, while the Earl of Iron leaned against the carriage smoking. After a long while, he raised his head and gave Aaron a deep look, said nothing, patted the carriage, and turned to Freya, who was not far away, saying, "Come on, we should go."

Freya looked at her father, then at Aaron, seemingly confused for a moment. She had so much to say to Aaron that was stuck in her throat, but she couldn't say it. Aaron had changed so much that he felt like a stranger to her, and the environment and atmosphere were very different from what she had imagined. She didn't know what to say to Aaron.

“I…I want to stay in Birmingham a little longer…” Freya tried to plead with her father.

“No…” Earl Iron began, then realized his tone was a bit harsh and quickly softened it. He turned to Aaron and said…

"Is it because of Aaron? Aaron will have plenty of opportunities to come to Lodoren in the future, so you don't need to worry about not being able to see him."

Freya was still a little confused, but after hearing her father's words and looking at Aaron, she finally obediently got into the carriage.

The matter seemed to have ended there, and Aaron turned to leave when Earl Iron suddenly called out to him, "Wait."

Something was thrown at him. Aaron caught it and opened his hand to find it was a set of keys.

“That house is empty; you can stay there. It’s occupied 24 hours a day,” said Earl Iron.

The Earl of Iron tossed him the key to the villa. He knew, of course, that the villa had a butler and maids on standby 24 hours a day so that they could serve them immediately. But the Earl of Iron's gesture of tossing him the key meant that he could stay there indefinitely, even if there was no one named Jagger there.

"No need, my rented apartment still has three months left on its lease." Aaron intended to return the keys.

"up to you."

Count Iron turned and sat back in the carriage. The huge carriage started moving on the street and slowly drove away from the crowd, quickly disappearing from everyone's sight.

Watching the carriage depart, Aaron turned around again. This time, his target was none other than Simon, standing in front of the Crystal Palace.

When the flag bearers saw his solemn gaze, they were almost frightened and wanted to run away. It was the noble demeanor that made them stay where they were. But as Aaron moved forward, they couldn't help but want to retreat until they had nowhere left to retreat and stood at the top of the steps. It was the nobles' perseverance that prevented them from escaping into the Crystal Palace.

Aaron, unaware of their thoughts, wondered if nobles always liked to speak from such high places. He slowly approached Simon and met his gaze. Simon was still feeling conflicted; he didn't know how to interact with this unfamiliar brother-in-law. Should he warmly embrace him, or question him about how he managed it? He also felt that his role was that of a guardian, facing Aaron and protecting the nobles behind him.

"You...and them..." Simon asked hesitantly.

"Me and them...?"

Aaron realized he didn't remember the names of the people at the back, but he didn't care and shrugged: "It's nothing, just a trial."

Bowen and the Knights of the Banner fell silent. It was indeed just a trial... but thinking of how he looked in the Tower of Giants, they felt as if they had experienced a war, in which Aaron was like a demon from hell.

But no one would publicize their embarrassing moments, so they chose to remain silent. However, Simon could still sense the strange atmosphere around them and instinctively felt that something was wrong.

He didn't know what had happened, but seeing Aaron's attitude and the injuries on Bowen and the others, he vaguely guessed what was going on. That's why he was so bewildered. He neither knew nor believed how Aaron had done it, nor did he know what role he should play at this moment.

Aaron broke the silence first: "Is Simon and them friends?"

The voices were intimate, as if nothing had happened—that's probably what a stranger would think, but Simon knew that Aaron had never addressed him so intimately. When Aaron saw him, he would either turn and run away like a mouse seeing a cat, or he would give a perfunctory reply and then find a chance to escape, but he would never address him so intimately.

Something unusual must be going on, but in front of everyone, and being the other party's brother-in-law, Simon couldn't show any discord for the sake of the Jagger family's reputation. Therefore, he could only hastily answer "yes".

Aaron nodded, then suddenly opened his arms: "I successfully passed the trial and became a judge. Shouldn't Brother Simon congratulate me?"

Simon was clearly taken aback, but quickly recovered and opened his arms to hug Aaron. The scene was incredibly heartwarming, showing how affectionate and respectful they were as brothers.

Simon, however, got goosebumps. He knew that Aaron's unusual behavior must be part of a trap, but he was already trapped and could only awkwardly play along with Aaron.

Sure enough, Aaron patted Simon on the shoulder vigorously and said with a smile, "I always remember that Brother Simon thought highly of me. Fortunately, I didn't let Brother Simon down."

"Of course..." Simon's whole body twitched as Aaron slapped him, each slap feeling like he was going to flatten him out, but Simon could only try his best to maintain his posture and keep a smile on his face. After all, they were close "brothers".

"Not only that, my brother Simon not only has high hopes for me, but he is even more confident than I am. He believes that I can definitely become a judge, which encourages me."

Chapter 186 The Birmingham Aristocracy

Aaron continued, refusing to let go of Simon. Simon had no way to explain himself and could only manage an awkward smile, hoping no one would notice anything amiss.

He was indeed overthinking it. The nobles around him only thought they were putting on a show of brotherly affection, and they all showed knowing expressions. Some even clapped along. Hearing the applause around him, Simon felt even more embarrassed.

"No... I didn't do anything..." This was actually the truth, but the people around him thought he was being modest, and the applause grew even louder.

"Not only that, Simon even taught me how to fight, telling me to be ruthless and not hold back when I fight." Aaron finally got to the point, his smile widening.

"I……"

This was a potentially offensive remark, and Simon hesitated noticeably. But faced with Aaron's bright smile and the silent pressure it exerted, he could only say, "I really think it's very promising..."

Before he could finish speaking, he felt a cold gaze from behind him. It was the Fangqi Knights. Simon felt bitter inside. It seemed that this feud was destined to be formed today, but Simon was powerless to do anything about it.

“Let’s go in quickly… This dinner party is for you tonight…” Simon finally couldn’t help but say, forcefully pulling Aaron’s hand away, grabbing his sleeve, and trying to pull Aaron into the Crystal Palace.

Suddenly, he saw the Fangqi Knights looking surprised. Simon thought something had gone wrong again, but then a familiar voice rang in his ears: "When did you become so close?"

By the time people came to their senses, the girl was already standing behind them.

Her figure was reflected on the smooth, mirror-like floor. Looking up from below, the first thing that caught the eye was a layer of extremely delicate gauze spread on the floor. On the gauze was a pair of thin, pointed high heels, and on the high heels was a white evening gown with a slit at the back of her legs, through which her crystal-clear legs were faintly visible.

Her evening gown was as white as a pure galaxy, but what was truly impressive was not the gown itself, but her long, golden hair. Her blonde hair was so dazzling, almost more radiant than jewels, that one might mistake her entire body for gold. It was so bright and captivating that it was impossible to look away.

This is the princess. She attracted everyone's attention as soon as she appeared. People had heard that she would be attending the banquet tonight, but they didn't expect her to make such a sudden appearance.

“You’re acting so intimate, call me sister-in-law,” Helen said to Aaron with a mischievous grin.

"........."

Aaron, who had been handling things with ease just moments before, suddenly fell silent. He released Simon and bowed slightly to the princess: "Your Highness."

"Didn't I tell you to call her sister-in-law? Why aren't you listening to your sister-in-law?" Helena said, feigning authority.

Aaron silently turned his head away, pretending not to hear.

Aaron hadn't expected the princess to suddenly appear here, and neither had the others. For example, a trembling voice rang out from the side: "Your Highness..."

It was the flag-bearing knights, who hurriedly bent their massive bodies and bowed respectfully to the princess in unison, trembling with fear.

The princess maintained her perfect smile, but she completely ignored them, her eyes fixed straight ahead.

When she looked at the knights, she performed only the lowest form of greeting she would give to a lower-ranking nobleman, nodding in acknowledgment before smiling and turning to look at Aaron.

The knights of the square flag all rose as if granted a pardon, and they all tried to be as humble and respectful as possible so as not to leave a bad impression on the princess.

As the nobles bowed down the steps, Helena maintained a perfectly composed smile, just as she would at a ceremony. Then she extended her full arm, allowing Simon to take her arm, and led Aaron into the Crystal Palace.

Throughout the entire process, she barely paid any attention to the flag-bearer knights, leaving them only with a cold, indifferent back view.

Aaron straightened his back and followed. He could feel the envious gazes from behind, and even the hateful looks from before had disappeared, replaced by the knights' silent stares. Together, they walked through the alley of the gatehouse into the gleaming palace.

Although he had heard of Crystal Palace many times, this was Aaron's first time stepping inside.

The Crystal Palace was originally the exhibition hall of the Kingdom of Dok during the first Industrial Exposition. Now it has been decorated very luxuriously. Looking up, you can see huge crystal chandeliers and exquisite reliefs. Countless glass reflects the light, and on the left and right sides are servants wearing white gloves and black and white uniforms, bathed in light. Walking here, you feel like you are walking in an emperor's palace, and the princess is walking right in front of you.

Once inside the Crystal Palace, away from the gaze of outsiders, the princess seemed to transform back into the girl he had first met at the banquet. When Aaron first saw her, she was sitting on the sofa, clapping and singing, drinking and laughing freely, radiating an irresistible charm, like a young girl frolicking in a spring field. Only when faced with her magnificent face and the occasional display of her dignified and imposing demeanor could one recall her identity as a princess.

"I wonder how much longer you would have had to stand outside if I hadn't come out," the princess complained.

"I never expected the princess to be here..."

"What? You didn't know I was here? I saw you guys from far away, and seeing how interesting your place was, how could I not come out?" Helena flashed to his side, put her hands behind her back, and almost circled around him.

"It's a pity someone was spoiling the fun outside, otherwise it would have been even more enjoyable," the princess sighed again.

"The princess doesn't like them?" Aaron asked, puzzled.

“Of course.” The princess curled a finger around the end of her hair. “They were stinking, utterly indecent, and still in their animal form when they broke into the Crystal Palace. Of course I don’t like them.”

Helena maintained a smile on her face, but Aaron felt that Helena had suddenly transformed back into that elegant and noble princess, with a flawless smile but a cold indifference in her eyes that made people feel intimidated.

"You must be wondering why I came out, right?" Before Aaron could think any further, the princess turned around and came to his other side, her breath seeming to touch him.

Aaron didn't really want to know, but faced with the princess's unpredictable smile, he felt he had no choice but to accept it.

"Because I really like you." The princess leaned forward, her eyes alluring.

“Although I am a princess and often don’t have much of a choice, I still prefer to talk to people I like and choose not to talk to people I dislike. Bowen and his family are just lower-ranking nobles in Lodoren. His father, Baron Gardner, could only watch us from afar his whole life. Of course, I can choose not to talk to him.”