Gospel of Blood

Your Highness?

Upon hearing the title used by Duke Moonshield, the nobles of the Starfall Kingdom were slightly taken aback.

Even Count Stafford couldn’t help but glance at him, reassessing this right-hand man of the Crescent King more favorably.

One had to admit, the Duke’s choice of address for Charlotte was quite clever.

If he directly referred to her as Countess Castell, as per the customs of the Crescent Kingdom, it would suggest support for the Lilac Faction, displeasing the nobles of the Parliamentary Faction.

Conversely, if he called her “Your Majesty the Queen” like the Parliamentary Faction did, it would arouse suspicion and discontent among the Lilac Faction.

But addressing her as “Your Highness” was a subtle move. It didn’t offend either side and showed enough respect for the girl to avoid irritating the “Queen.”

Furthermore, through this simple title, he indicated the Crescent Kingdom’s stance on the Starfall Kingdom’s succession struggle: neutrality.

At least, for now.

Of course, as a significant power bound to be involved in the Starfall Kingdom’s succession, the Crescent Kingdom

wouldn’t remain neutral forever. Their current neutrality seemed more like waiting for both the Lilac Faction and the Parliamentary Faction to make their offers.

“Your Grace, there’s no need for small talk. We’re old friends, let’s not beat around the bush. Did His Majesty Louis have something to convey by sending you to the Starfall Kingdom today?”

Charlotte asked with a smile.

Hearing Charlotte’s words, Duke Moonshield sighed. He nodded and smiled wryly, saying,

“Your Highness, you are still as smart and straightforward as ever.”

Straightening his expression, the Duke continued seriously.

“You are correct. My visit to the Starfall Kingdom is indeed at His Majesty’s command.”

“I originally planned to visit Castell after my trip to the Starfall Kingdom, but since you are already here, that step is unnecessary…”

With this, the Duke’s expression turned serious, and his tone became earnest.

“Your Highness, His Majesty wishes to ask you, since you intend to compete for the throne of the Starfall Kingdom, have you considered how to handle the relationship between the Castell County and the Crescent Kingdom?”

A direct question.

So direct that it surprised the Starfall nobles.

Charlotte’s expression remained unchanged. She nodded and replied.

“Of course. The agreement I made with His Majesty Louis in Lutecia still stands.”

Duke Moonshield shook his head.

“Your Highness, you must know, His Majesty agreed to the contract because you are a vassal of the kingdom. But if you inherit the Starfall throne, it becomes another matter.”

“How can you assure that the agreement will remain valid after you ascend to the throne? Even if you agree, can you persuade the other nobles of the Starfall Kingdom?”

Agreement? What agreement?

The Starfall nobles were puzzled.

The agreement between Charlotte and Louis V was no secret. In fact, after Charlotte left the capital, the Crescent Royal Family had subtly spread word of the future inheritance agreement of Castell, and some attentive individuals had already heard about it.

Among them were some Starfall nobles who paid close attention to Charlotte. They began explaining it to those around them, and soon, everyone wore expressions of realization.

“Oh? So, does His Majesty Louis intend to amend the agreement?”

Charlotte asked.

The Duke paused and replied.

“Rather than amending, it would be more accurate to say… a new agreement needs to be signed.”

“Your Highness, you are also a Crescent subject, so you should understand His Majesty’s firm belief in the territorial integrity of the Crescent Kingdom.”

“The territorial dispute between the Crescent and Starfall has persisted for too long. His Majesty is old and has lost patience.”

“He does not care who inherits the Starfall throne. He cares only about one issue: the status of Castell County and the Roman Duchy.”

At this, Duke Moonshield straightened up, his smile fading.

“Let me put it this way, before I set out, His Majesty stated that whoever agrees to return the Roman Duchy and Castell County upon inheriting the throne will receive the support of the Crescent Kingdom to become the King of Starfall.”

Hearing his words, the nobles in the banquet hall were taken aback, and then erupted in an uproar.

“Roman Duchy? What does that mean?”

“Castell County, maybe, but why the Roman Duchy too?”

“Coveting the Roman Duchy… Is the Crescent Kingdom trying to start a war?”

The commotion mainly came from the Roman nobles within the Parliamentary Faction.

These nobles, though not of the direct line, represented the Roman family’s will. Their titles weren’t high, but they symbolized the legitimate lineage of the Starfall Kingdom.

However, with the decline of the Roman family and the rise of the two separate Lilac families, the Roman nobles’ status had significantly diminished.

Though they showed anger, most nobles in the banquet hall remained unmoved. Some even fell into deep thought, seemingly considering the Duke’s offer carefully.

This was understandable; the Star-Moon War had frightened many Starfall nobles. Faced with the rise of the Crescent Kingdom, many didn’t want another war.

Yes, many nobles didn’t want to give up the Roman Duchy and were pleased with Castell’s addition.

But this depended heavily on the Crescent Kingdom’s attitude.

If the Crescent Kingdom took a firm stance, even threatening war, many nobles would have to reconsider.

Moreover, the Roman Duchy was essentially a royal enclave, not affecting the core interests of most nobles. If peace could be achieved by giving up an enclave, frankly… many nobles wouldn’t oppose it.

Of course, this didn’t include the core members of the Parliamentary Faction.

Many core members of the Parliamentary Faction had Roman blood; selling out the Roman Duchy would touch their bottom line.

For now, everyone’s attention focused on Charlotte.

Clearly, her stance and bargaining power would determine their inclinations and attitudes.

Charlotte smiled slightly and said,

“Duke, you must be joking.”

“Since I have decided to become the Queen of Starfall, it is naturally my responsibility to maintain the territorial integrity of the Starfall Kingdom.”

“As for Castell, if His Majesty Louis is willing, our agreement still stands. But as for the Roman Duchy, which is the ancestral land of the Starfall royal family, I cannot back down.”

Upon hearing this, the Starfall nobles had various expressions.

The Roman family members sighed in relief, most of the parliament nobles appeared thoughtful, while those with a neutral stance furrowed their brows in contemplation.

As for the Lilac faction nobles, they observed coldly, with mocking expressions.

“Hahaha, Countess Castell, you must be joking. The diplomacy of the Starfall Kingdom cannot be decided by a noble from the Crescent Kingdom.”

A rough laugh was heard as Duke West laughed heartily.

After laughing, he looked at Duke Moonshield and said,

“Duke, I know that your words were not just for Countess Castell but also for Lord Aecia.”

“Perhaps it is fate, but Lord Aecia has also said that if the Crescent Kingdom supports him in ascending to the throne, he is willing to exchange the Roman Duchy for lasting peace between the two countries.”

Upon hearing this, the Starfall nobles in the banquet hall exploded.

“Exchange the Roman Duchy for peace?”

“Duke West, are you crazy?! This is treason!”

“Shame! You and Duke Aecia are a disgrace to the Starfall Kingdom!”

The parliament nobles were furious.

Duke West remained expressionless.

“Shame? No, this is pragmatism.”

“The Roman Duchy is merely an enclave of Starfall. To maintain its security, Starfall has stationed a large garrison there for years, which has been a huge burden.”

“Yes, the Roman Duchy is ancestral land, but it is the ancestral land of the Roman family, not the Starfall Kingdom. The Roman family is the Roman family, and the Starfall Kingdom is the Starfall Kingdom.”

“If it weren’t for the Roman family’s invasion back then, the Starfall Kingdom would still be an isolated paradise. If it weren’t for the Roman family provoking a war with the Crescent Kingdom, the Starfall Kingdom wouldn’t have been mired in prolonged conflict.”

“The Roman family and the Roman Duchy are the true sources of calamity for the Starfall Kingdom. Letting them go is the best choice for our kingdom.”

Seeing Duke West’s blatant rhetoric, Count Stafford frowned.

Although Duke West’s words were bold, he had to admit that it reflected the increasingly popular view among the kingdom’s pacifists.

Moreover, with the rise of the Crescent Kingdom, this view was gradually becoming mainstream.

However, even so, some things should not be openly discussed, especially with the Crescent Kingdom’s ambassador present.

Count Stafford shook his head inwardly.

Duke West was too arrogant.

Nobles cared most about appearances.

His remarks would only draw the ire of most Starfall nobles, pushing them towards Her Majesty the Queen.

Of course, for the parliament faction, this was advantageous.

But what puzzled him was that, in his understanding, Duke West was not usually this reckless and foolish.

What exactly was Duke West trying to do?

Count Stafford’s brow furrowed deeply.

He glanced around at the other nobles in the banquet hall.

When he swept his gaze around, he quickly froze.

To his astonishment, even with Duke West’s shocking statements, there was no significant uproar.

Not only that, but apart from the core members of the parliament faction glaring at him, most of the nobles remained silent, not even showing anger.

Count Stafford suddenly realized something was off.

It was the attitudes!

Apart from the core members of the parliament faction, the attitudes of the visiting nobles today seemed subtly wrong!

He had personally invited or visited most of these nobles before going to Castell to fetch Her Majesty, confirming their support for the Queen.

Because of this, as the Speaker, he dared to secretly go to Castell to bring the Queen to Starfall upon Bishop Campbell’s suggestion.

But now, upon his return, not only had the originally supportive knightly order defected, but the attending nobles’ attitudes had also become ambiguous.

And when he recalled the Queen’s message this morning about Bishop Campbell’s betrayal, he finally realized what was happening, and his face paled.

Not good…

They had been outmaneuvered!

Bishop Campbell had urged him to personally welcome the Queen not to show the parliament faction’s sincerity but to pull other nobles over to their side while he was away!

And they had probably succeeded!

Damn it… How did they manage this?

No, now was not the time to think about that. The problem was that this wasn’t just a welcoming banquet anymore, but a plot to challenge Her Majesty.

The Lilac faction nobles… likely never intended to wait for future negotiations!

Realizing this, Count Stafford’s expression changed.

He bit his lip and slammed the table, feigning anger.

“Enough!”

“Duke West, you are merely a duke and do not represent the nobles, nor the Starfall Kingdom!”

“Today’s banquet is a welcoming banquet for Her Majesty. No politics, let us not become a laughing stock to outsiders!”

Seeing the angry Count Stafford, duke West smiled slightly.

“Oh? Speaker, are you… getting anxious?”

“Heh, I know you are in a hurry, but… please don’t be. After all, I haven’t finished speaking.”

Duke West then looked at the nobles in the hall and said loudly.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I know many of you may be angry at my words, but what I want to say is that it is not I or Lord Aecia who are betraying the interests of the Starfall Kingdom.”

“Many think we are vassals of the bloodborne, but I say that is slander, slander by the bloodborne and by the Castell family!”

“Yes, some among the Lilac faction have dealings with the bloodborne, but those are their personal actions. Lord Aecia has always been a noble and just person, hating evil.”

“All the slander against Lord Aecia comes from the bloodborne, from certain unscrupulous members of the parliament trying to tarnish him for power!”

Upon hearing this, the nobles in the banquet hall had various expressions, looking surprised.

“Slander?! Humph! You puppets of the bloodborne, dare you not admit your deeds?”

Marquis Howard said angrily.

Duke West glanced at him, sneered but did not respond.

He took out a parchment from his pocket and threw it into the crowd.

“Colleagues, take a look at this agreement.”

“This is the agreement between the Castell family and the bloodborne. Long before His Majesty Louis’s invalid will, the Castell family had already colluded with the bloodborne of the Starfall Kingdom!”

“Betraying the interests of the Starfall Kingdom? Hmph, we of the Lilac faction admit what we do. We seek to relinquish the Roman Duchy for the kingdom’s future.”

“But some people… aren’t like that! They blatantly traded with the bloodborne, betraying the kingdom’s interests!”

With anger, Duke West pointed at the calm-faced Charlotte on the throne and shouted,

“Everyone!”

“It was never us who had dealings with the bloodborne, but the Castell family! That puppet on the throne!”

“She… has long colluded with the bloodborne!”