Gospel of Blood

Chapter 413: The Starfall Royal Family Conspiracy

Subdued the Nez Clan?

Upon hearing Albrecht’s words, Charlotte was visibly taken aback. However, she quickly realized that Albrecht had recognized Yurst’s identity and was curious about her relationship with the Nez Clan.

This wasn’t something she needed to hide. Even though Albrecht was forced into a contract, he was ultimately her blood servant. Unless he became a God himself, with Charlotte being a “Demigod”, he couldn’t escape her grasp.

After all, myths inherently suppress Legendary beings!

“I haven’t subdued the Nez Clan, but I have signed an alliance with them under my title as the Countess of Castell. Of course, there are forces within the Nez Clan that support me, just like you in the Blood Demon Cult.”

Charlotte said coolly.

An alliance?

Now it was Albrecht’s turn to be stunned.

However, after Charlotte finished speaking, she didn’t elaborate. Despite his curiosity, Albrecht held back out of fear of the True Ancestor.

“Forget your original plan. We have the same goal, and I don’t want any unexpected complications affecting my actions.”

Seeing Albrecht’s conflicted expression, Charlotte spoke. At this point, Albrecht wasn’t thinking about the Faceless Statue anymore. In fact, he just wanted to get away, far from the presence before him.

“I understand. I will leave immediately and not interfere with your plans.”

He said, seizing on Charlotte’s words as an opportunity to escape.

“Wait.”

Charlotte’s command stopped Albrecht in his tracks. She looked him up and down and suddenly smiled.

“Since you’re here, I’m short of subordinates. You can stay and assist me for the next few days.”

Albrecht was deflated instantly.

“What’s the matter, you don’t want to?”

Charlotte’s voice turned cold.

Though her voice wasn’t loud or imposing, it sent a shiver down Albrecht’s spine. He immediately forced a smile and nodded repeatedly.

“Of course I’m willing! It’s an honor to serve you.”

“That’s better.”

Charlotte nodded slightly.

Given Albrecht’s Legendary status, he had only submitted because of her overpowering presence. If she let him go now, she feared he might cause trouble later. It was safer to keep him close and monitor him, plus he could be an additional asset.

Although he wasn’t as strong as a True Ancestor, Albrecht was still a formidable force in Roan City, second only to the likes of Duke Yorok and the suspected Legendary Bloodborne in the cathedral.

“How should I stay by your side?”

Albrecht asked cautiously.

Charlotte glanced at him.

“That’s for you to figure out. Just ensure you’re always available when I need you and don’t interfere with my actions.”

“Can I stay hidden? Only following you from the shadows and appearing when needed?”

Albrecht suggested, afraid Charlotte might think he intended to run away.

“You can. Just as long as you are always ready when I call.”

Charlotte agreed.

Relieved, Albrecht quickly expressed his gratitude and disappeared into the darkness, eager to get away as quickly as possible.

Seeing him leave, Charlotte turned her attention back to the ballroom. Inside, the crowd had grown since she left.

Noticing Yurst among them, she saw him standing next to a young man in ornate noble attire. This young man was Henry, the crown prince of the Starfall Kingdom.

Seeing Charlotte return, Yurst signaled her with his eyes. She acknowledged him and walked over, becoming the center of attention.

“Your Highness, this is Charlotte de Castell, Countess of the North.”

An elderly noble introduced her to Prince Henry.

“Greetings, Your Highness. I am Charlotte de Castell.”

She said, curtseying gracefully.

Prince Henry’s eyes lit up, his somber expression lifting as he warmly greeted her.

“Welcome, Countess Castell. You are as beautiful as the rumors say, even more so.”

“Cough… cough…”

The elderly noble cleared his throat, reminding the Prince of his manners.

Blushing slightly, Henry composed himself and formally welcomed her again. The noble then introduced the other high-ranking nobles to Charlotte, who greeted them in turn.

She noticed that there were surprisingly few high-ranking nobles present, a sign that the rumors about Prince Henry’s legitimacy had taken a toll.

Engaging in conversations with the nobles, Charlotte noticed their interest in the recent conflicts and her involvement. She answered their questions, earning their admiration.

“Crescent Kingdom is flawed in this respect. King Louis V is autocratic and suppresses the nobility, unlike our Starfall Kingdom, which respects noble rights.”

Prince Henry remarked.

Charlotte responded with a polite smile.

“Countess, I’m very interested in the customs of the North. Could we discuss them?”

Henry asked eagerly.

“Of course, Your Highness.”

Charlotte replied with a smile.

Charlotte quickly began introducing Prince Henry to her domain, covering everything from the customs and scenery of Castell to its specialties.

Prince Henry listened with great interest, occasionally asking questions that Charlotte answered one by one, satisfying the curiosity of Henry and the many nobles from Starfall.

Finally, Charlotte steered the conversation toward Castell’s rich mithril resources.

“Mithril… that’s something Starfall Kingdom lacks. Would you be willing to trade with the nobles of Starfall?”

One noble couldn’t help but ask.

Charlotte’s lips curved into a slight smile.

“Of course.”

As a direct vassal of the kingdom, she had the right to dispose of her extraordinary resources as she saw fit. One of her goals in attending the Roman Duchy ceremony was to open up the market for her extraordinary resources and alchemical products in Starfall Kingdom, in exchange for some of Starfall’s extraordinary materials.

Starfall Kingdom, being an island nation, had access to the famous extraordinary fishing grounds of Myria, which yielded a vast amount of sea monsters and numerous alchemical materials every year.

After some exchanges, Charlotte successfully established several trade agreements with a few Starfall nobles. Some nobles even offered to introduce Castell to the noble circles of Starfall Kingdom.

Charlotte was quite satisfied. The more diverse the channels for extraordinary resources, the better.

Unbeknownst to her, the four-hour-long banquet ended, leaving Charlotte with considerable gains and a contented heart.

This banquet had pleasantly surprised her. She had initially thought Prince Henry’s invitation to the ceremony and the banquet might have hidden motives, but it turned out to be just a welcoming party for nobles attending the ceremony.

Though Prince Henry was warm and eager in conversation, expressing goodwill and attempts to build alliances, it was only verbal. At the banquet, there were few nobles of higher status than Charlotte, and none were foolish enough to offend her.

This was the most relaxed noble banquet Charlotte had attended in over a year.

“Prince Henry inviting you to the banquet had no ulterior motives. The clan’s plan is proceeding smoothly. The nobles within the kingdom are already highly suspicious of his origins. Whether or not he passes the recognition ceremony, there will be someone in the council to impeach him on these grounds.”

“That’s why he needs to invite nobles of sufficient status and influence to attend the ceremony as witnesses.”

“Although you’re officially titled as a countess, in the eyes of many nobles, your status is comparable to some dukes. Not to mention, you carry Roman blood. For Prince Henry, inviting you to the ceremony is a very good choice.”

Yurst explained with a smile.

Charlotte nodded slightly and sighed.

“He’s quite good, much better than many nobles I’ve met before. It’s a pity.”

“Heh, you needn’t feel too sorry for him. Although his invitation had no hidden motives, it wasn’t entirely pure either. The royal family might have ideas about a marriage alliance with you. If Prince Henry passes the ceremony, he will likely bring it up.”

Yurst shook his head.

Charlotte frowned.

“But I’ve already declared my celibacy.”

Yurst shook his head.

“A declaration can’t stop the will of the great nobles. Of course, the choice is yours. They can’t force you. I think they’ll try to win you over in various ways.”

Charlotte paused, then shook her head.

“They’d be wasting their efforts.”

After some thought, Yurst continued.

“By the way, Countess Castell, the ceremony starts tomorrow. For your stand-in, we need a bit of your blood to shape it. We need you to provide a small amount. Rest assured, we won’t use it for anything else. If you’re worried, you can accompany me to see Duke Yorok and shape your stand-in on the spot.”

Charlotte’s mouth curved into a mischievous smile.

“There’s no need for that. I have a better solution for the ‘stand-in.’”

…

Roman Palace.

The banquet was over, and the weary Prince Henry returned to his room. He paced anxiously until the door opened, and Duke Conte entered.

Prince Henry’s eyes lit up, and he stepped forward quickly.

“Conte, how is it?”

Duke Conte nodded.

“Everything is ready. Rest assured, tomorrow’s ceremony will go smoothly.”

Prince Henry breathed a sigh of relief. After a moment’s hesitation, he added.

“Conte, it seems Countess Castell genuinely has no intention of finding a spouse. She ignored all my hints during the day.”

Duke Conte sighed.

“She is a saintess recognized by the Holy Court. Given her declaration of celibacy, it must be true.”

“Then… what do we do? Without strong support, the kingdom’s nobles might oppose me, especially considering Castell’s geographical position…”

Prince Henry asked worriedly.

Conte continued.

“Don’t worry, even without a marriage alliance, we have other ways to manage the risk. As for the North… its geographical position indeed poses a threat to Starfall. If we can’t ally with or control it, it might give those secretly plotting a coup an opportunity. That’s why the king has been covertly supporting subversion in the North. However, this is not something we need to consider now. Even a coup is the worst-case scenario.”

“For now, focus on the Ancestral Recognition Ceremony. Once you secure Roman Sword, all rumors will be dispelled. With the artifact in hand, even nobles contemplating rebellion will have to reconsider their strength!”

Prince Henry hesitated.

“Completely capture Roman Sword? Can I really do it?”

“You can. The king has been preparing for this day for a long time. He chose your mother because of her elven blood, which shares origins with Romanus. Moreover, the king used the Roman family’s hidden Contract Book. With it and your unique bloodline, Roman Sword will recognize you as its master. You will become its owner.”

Conte reassured.

Prince Henry was still uncertain.

“But… isn’t my Roman blood insufficient to activate the Contract Book?”

Conte smiled.

“Your Roman blood might be insufficient, but we’ve found a way to activate it. We’ll have fresh blood to activate the Contract Book in time!”

Prince Henry was stunned, then his eyes widened.

“You mean… Countess Castell?!”

Conte nodded slightly.

“Indeed.”

“Though few know, Countess Castell has legitimate Roman blood. Inviting her to the ceremony wasn’t just about a potential marriage. It’s also for her Roman blood.”

“I’ve prepared everything in secret. Tomorrow, at the ceremony, we’ll forge her stand-in. When she attends, we’ll quietly control her and obtain fresh Roman blood.”

“She’s only a Silver Moon, unable to resist the power of the Blazing Sun. We’ll sedate her and stage it as an accidental attack…”

“You’ll use her fresh blood to activate the Contract Book, gaining Roman Sword. Afterward, we can stage a heroic rescue!”

“Even if we don’t win Countess Castell’s heart, you’ll owe her a great debt!”

Conte’s eyes narrowed, a cold smile forming.

“Those nobles entangled with the Bloodborne think you’re just participating in an Ancestral Recognition Ceremony and gaining the sword’s approval. They aim to deny your inheritance rights—how laughable!”

“They don’t know about your special bloodline, the rediscovered Contract Book, or our thorough plan to secure Roman Sword!”

“Tomorrow, they’ll see who the true heir of Starfall is. Tomorrow, they’ll understand the royal family’s depths are beyond their imagination!”

Prince Henry’s expression eased. He bit his lip and said,

“Conte, I’m counting on you. If we succeed, I’ll make you the head of the cabinet when I ascend the throne!”