After dealing with Meredith's affairs, Arnold deliberately took time to go to Serena's room before dinner.

On the first day of dealing with the Duke's affairs, although he had been mentally prepared before, Arnold still couldn't help but feel quite tired from the energy expended on the huge and complicated affairs.

Arriving at the door of Serena's room, Arnold straightened his collar before reaching out and knocking.

However, for a while, there was no sound of response in the room.

"Serena?" Arnold shouted. He frowned slightly, a little puzzled in his heart.

Could it be that Serena is still sleeping?

He thought it was unlikely, even if he was tired last night, it was almost dark by now, and it didn't make sense that Serena hadn't woken up yet.

So he pushed open the door and walked straight into the room.

There was no figure on the bed, only traces of the scarcity between the sheets and bedding.

Arnold frowned and closed the door.

"Serena?" he shouted tentatively again, wondering if Serena was deliberately hiding to trick him.

However, this is unlikely, and with Serena's temperament, it is unlikely that she would do such a naughty thing.

On the other side of the room, the sound of water slapping could be heard from behind the screen, and Arnold followed the sound.

Behind the screen, there was the bathroom in the room, which was not supposed to be in this position, but Arnold didn't notice it when he walked into the room.

"Serena?" Arnold walked into the bathroom, and sure enough, he saw Serena lying in the bath in the bathroom, enjoying a hot bath.

Serena glanced at Arnold, as if she didn't care that her brother had come in while she was in the shower.

"Do you want to wash together? ”

"It's too much to say that it's not affectionate. Arnold glanced at Alice, who was blushing and waiting for Serena to take a bath, "You go out first." ”

Alice breathed a sigh of relief and quickly got up and prepared to go out.

"Come back. Alice hadn't taken two steps before she was stopped by Serena, "You are here to serve me, you can only listen to my orders, what, do you want to serve my lustful brother?"

Serena's words suddenly put Alice in a dilemma, she didn't know what she should do now, whether to go out, not to go out.

And Arnold's face was a little unbearable, although Serena's personality has always been like this, and she likes to sneer at herself, but today's words are too vicious.

Haven't you been satisfied yesterday?

Arnold suddenly felt a little flustered in his heart, although it seemed that Serena was tired this morning, and there was no reason for a fifteen-year-old girl to have so much physical strength, but as a believer in Astoru, it was not impossible......

"Okay, stay here. Arnold sighed helplessly, waved his hand, and motioned for Alice to return to Serena.

The little maid had no choice but to sit back with her head down.

"You've slept all day, let's go to dinner after taking a shower, today is very important, the big and small nobles of Lionheart Castle are there, you should attend. ”

"It's all my father's old ministers, and I can't be trusted anyway. Serena picked up a handful of water and sprinkled it on her shoulder, "Why don't you just dispose of them?"

"That's not politics, Serena, you can't do that. Arnold sighed again, Serena seemed to prefer to handle things in a simple and crude way, like the one she had done before when she killed Edward and Albert, and although it was a moment of resentment, it was also a headache.

"If it's politics, then we do sometimes have to go against our will, but it's not just politics that we have in our hands now. Serena turned her head sideways and looked at Arnold with her peripheral eyes, "Brother, since you left the Cold Mountain Territory, you have not only been the political Duke of Cold Mountain. ”

Arnold pursed his lips, he understood what Serena was referring to.

From a very young age, Serena was favored by the Demon Lord and one of the Nine Grand Dukes of Hell, and became a follower of Ashtar without Arnold's knowledge. Astalus also seems to have a special affection for Serena, who bestowed upon her outstanding magical qualifications, making her a High Warlock.

Meredith touted Serena's magical talents, but Arnold suspected that the old mage had actually guessed the source of Serena's magical qualifications.

And in return, or rather the price, Serena has been willingly accepting Astarus's instructions, luring her brother Arnold to the path of chaos as well.

Arnold was able to escape from the Cold Mountain Territory and receive help from Lily in Creekwood in exchange for his submission to Yastalus. It's just that Arnold still can't guess what Ashtalus's purpose is, strictly speaking, Arnold is not a believer in Ashtarus, not to mention, he has now become a dependant of Belel, and he doesn't know if this is already in Ashtarus's plan.

The consideration of the Demon Lord is really too difficult to guess.

Retracting his thoughts, Arnold looked at Alice on the side.

Rather than the ethereal thoughts, there was another question for Arnold to wonder about: why did Serena let the little maid stay here.

Serena saw Arnold's gaze, she chuckled, and suddenly reached out and picked Alice's chin.

Suddenly treated so frivolously by her master, Alice was startled and looked at Serena in a daze.

"In the future, let this child serve me, and there will be no other maid to serve me. Serena twisted Alice's drooping hair, "I like this kid a lot, and besides, she's cute, isn't it?"

"Whatever you ......want," Arnold looked at Alice strangely, but he still couldn't see what made Serena so fond of this little maid.

"Hurry up and wash up, it's time for dinner. ”

Arnold didn't want to stay here any longer, the atmosphere in the bathroom was too awkward, if Alice wasn't here, he wouldn't mind Serena's invitation to take a bath just now, but with a maid here, he was still a little inconvenient.

"Aren't you really going to wash together?" asked Selina deliberately again as Arnold turned.

Arnold stopped, turned his face away, and saw the playful smile on Serena's lips, he sighed, shook his head and went out.

"Heh, what a shy brother. Serena smiled and looked at Alice, "Oh—you're shy too." ”

Alice hung her head lower, and her face became very hot, for she had just discovered that she had learned a great secret.

————————————

In Lionheart's restaurant, servants serve food to the long table, and the sumptuous feast is more than even the New Year's dinner. However, everyone sitting at the long table knew very well that this dinner was by no means as glamorous and simple as it seemed on the surface.

Arnold sat in the main seat, with Isabella on his left, the little girl was obviously not used to such occasions, and her legs hidden under the table kept dangling, as if to vent her frustration with her brother and her two World Cup disturbances.

On Arnold's right-hand side is Serena's place, but the owner of this seat has not yet arrived.

Further back, there are Fonner, Titus, and others, and Reilly, as the head of Lionheart, is directing the servants to serve the food. As for the court mage Meredith, probably the nobles of the Cold Mountain Territory don't like or are used to dining with a mage, so this old mage who can speak well does not appear.

In the back row, some distance from Arnold, are the barons who rushed to Lionheart today.

The food on the table was almost laid out, and Reilly clapped his hands and motioned for the servants to come down and not disturb the nobles' conversation.

Arnold picked up his glass and stood up.

When the others saw that the new duke was about to speak, they also quickly put down what they were doing and turned their heads to look at Arnold.

"Ladies and ......gentlemen," Arnold said slowly, in a lengthy tone, as if he was already quite familiar with it.

"Dear my vassals," Arnold greeted Funner and Titus, and then looked at the barons in the back row, "I am glad that you were able to come here when I have just returned to Lionheart Castle to show me your loyalty, and I will not forget your loyalty, and I will reward you with a sufficient reward." ”

The barons couldn't help but smile when they heard this, didn't they come to Lionheart in such a hurry to express their allegiance to the new duke, so as to secure their territory and status? Now that Arnold has said that he will give something in return, it is naturally a good thing.

"Also, although there are no people here at the moment, I have one more thing to announce. Arnold looked at Fonner and Titus, his gaze made the two of them suddenly feel a little uneasy in their hearts, "I will abolish the title of Baron Hottuburg, and take Hotupburg as a direct duke, and Baron Hottuburg will take Lionheart. ”

The barons whispered, this was actually what they expected, William, as the favored heir of the previous Duke Tigerman, once posed a great threat to Arnold, and no matter what way Arnold chose to treat him in the end, he would obviously regard this half-brother as a thorn in his heart. The only question they had been curious about before was what Arnold would do with his brother, whether he would show mercy by offering hospitality or simply cutting down the grass and eradicating the roots.

Now they knew the answer, and they had received another piece of information—the new duke, who was not sick and cowardly, as they had known before, neither of which they had seen from Arnold.

"Forgive me for being too talkative, Lord Duke. One of the barons asked, "Lady Abigaique, and the two young masters, Edward and Albert, what are you going to do?"

"Lady Abigai remained at Fort Lionheart. Arnold glanced at the baron, he was not very impressed with his vassals, and could not remember each one

People, "As for Edward and Albert......"

"They're dead. ”

Serena's voice came suddenly, and everyone followed the sound, only to see this Duchess Miss, who was very mysterious and at the same time had extraordinary charm in people's impressions, wearing a black tulle evening dress, walked up to her brother and took his arm.

Isabella on the other side snorted softly.

Of course, no one noticed the faint and almost inaudible sound, and everyone's eyes were drawn to the incomparably dazzling Serena.

It is true that Serena's beauty is something that no one can't help but be excited about, not to mention the mysterious temperament she carries on her body, which will make men yearn for her even more. However, the nobles at the banquet table were somewhat self-aware, even a few young barons, and understood that this was not the time to think about these things.

"Dead means ......" The other baron's expression was a little stiff, he looked at Serena's cold and arrogant face, and cautiously lowered his head.

"Killed by me. Serena smiled slightly, and lightning jumped between her eyebrows, "Is this the answer?"

"Any objections?" Arnold also looked at the baron, who was stared at by the new duke's indifferent gaze, and the baron quickly shook his head and hurriedly walked down.

Only then did the barons realize that the pressure on Arnold and Serena, the siblings, was far greater than they imagined.

"It doesn't matter if you disagree. Arnold drained the glass in his hand, and the contempt in his eyes was very clear, "Although it is good to say it, and I can tell you clearly, I will not listen to anyone who pleads or avenges the grievances of Brother William. ”

He dropped his glass on the table and reached for Isabella's hair.

"Listen to me, today is my first day back to Lionheart's Castle, but now I'm going to make a will! If I am assassinated by an assassin by some ill-intentioned fellow, or die in a quarrel with the poison in my belly, or if I am simply killed by a thunderbolt, my heir will be my sister! Serena is the first in line of succession, Isabella is the second in line of succession, and beyond that, the Duke of Cold Mountain cannot be inherited by anyone!"