Blood Holy Scripture: True Ancestor Charlotte de Castel
Chapter 154: -142- Being single is a matter of principle!

Chapter 154: -142- Being single is a matter of principle!

Regarding her oath to the Holy Royal Court, Charlotte knew it was bound to provoke opposition from the lower nobility.

Family matters of a Seigneur were,in a sense, also tantamount to "state affairs," especially those concerning the Seigneur’s lifetime marital status, as it related to the future heir.

A Lord’s family without an heir would bring too much uncertainty and couldn’t provide the vassals with sufficient security.

Especially for a prosperous Count Territory like Castel’s, there were too many covetous eyes, and the extinction of the Lord’s line almost certainly meant a struggle for succession rights.

And in Charlotte’s case, the situation was even more complex.

Not only had she sworn to remain unmarried, but she had also promised to bequeath the estate to the Church upon her "death."

This drove the nobles even crazier...

In the world of Mireya, the interests of the Feudal Nobles and the Divine Authority Lords were different; it was difficult for nobles who relied on marriages and inheritance to strengthen their families and maintain rule to get on the same page as Divine Authority Lords.

One policy was enough to disgust the nobles, which was: if a domain became masterless, the Divine Authority Lords were highly unlikely to grant the land to the nobles but would instead take it under Church management.

Undoubtedly, Charlotte’s promise to dedicate the Count Territory to the Church was bound to trigger an intense reaction from the nobles.

Just look at Baron Shalon’s expression now.

Charlotte was certain that he would soon urge her to take back her oath, at the very least, the promise made to the Church.

"Lord Charlotte, please... reconsider! The conflict between the King and Church Domain is well-known; the New Moon Royal Family would definitely not want to see another rich Church Authority Barony arise within the Kingdom!"

"Your decision... might further exacerbate the conflict between the Kingdom and the Church in the future, and might even bring chaos to Castel!"

"The Castel family has a legacy spanning hundreds of years; even for the sake of the family and the subjects, please reconsider!"

Baron Shalon entreated with a heartfelt plea.

Charlotte unexpectedly glanced at him.

This Transcendent Knight did not warn or advise her from the perspective of noble interests but cleverly used the higher echelon of royalty and the more ethically superior position of the subjects to apply pressure, which was quite cunning.

Even knowing that he might just be using lofty principles as a guise to dissuade her, at least... a noble who could mention the interests of the subjects would not displease Charlotte, a transmigrator.

Nevertheless, Charlotte would not make a promise.

Even if she knew it would provoke a backlash from the nobles, she couldn’t loosen her vow of celibacy and the promise to dedicate her land.

That would give them leverage and harm her relationship with the Church, making her, who was already in an unassailable position, fall into a succession crisis once more...

Not to mention, if she were to break her oath, would she really be expected to bear an heir?

Just thinking of certain possibilities and scenes, Charlotte felt a chill down her spine and involuntarily shuddered.

No!

She absolutely would not!

It was a matter of principle!

"Lord Shalon, I have my own considerations regarding this matter, no need to say more."

Charlotte declared with a determined expression.

"Lord Charlotte!"

Baron Shalon still unwilling to give up.

"Enough! Baron Shalon, do you also wish to decide lifelong matters for your Lord?!"

Charlotte raised her voice, clearly displeased, and directly invoked Majesty Skill.

At her light rebuke, Baron Shalon felt Charlotte’s voice boom in his ears like thunder.

Despite its youthful tone, it carried an unquestionable authority, casting in him a sense of unease and fear that welled up from within.

He immediately bowed his head and knelt on one knee:

"Your servant... dares not..."

Watching the kneeling baron, Charlotte let out a soft sigh, slightly relaxing her Majesty Skill, and said:

"As for the future of the domain, I have my own plans, rest assured... I will not plunge my vassals and subjects into danger."

"Lord Shalon, if there’s nothing else, you may leave."

Charlotte issued the dismissal.

Baron Shalon opened his mouth as if to speak but finally let out a long sigh:

"Your servant... takes his leave."

Having said this, he stood up, bowed, and departed.

Watching Baron Shalon’s figure vanish from her sight, Charlotte also dispersed her Majesty Skill.

Then, she fell into contemplation.

The vow of celibacy was unbreakable—that was a foundational principle.

However, the promise to give the lands to the Church could perhaps be, after some consideration, loosened.

She indeed couldn’t press the Royal Family and lower nobility too hard.

She still needed to maintain control over her domain, and support from the Church would not secure the true loyalty of the nobles.

Not to mention, she had no intention of actually allowing the Church to extend its reach into her territory.

Everything had two sides. Leaning towards the Church would indeed bring its support, but if she relied on the promise of ceding land to the Church to gain that support, she would inevitably face the Church’s infiltration and interference with her domain, eventually becoming a puppet of the Church.

Charlotte had never made her statements too definitive, believing that Baron Shalon was no fool. If he thought carefully about it, he should be able to understand some things.

...

Upon leaving the hall, Baron Shalon felt a great sense of relief.

It was not until he left the manor that he completely broke free from the influence of the Majesty Skill.

At that moment, he realized he was sweating cold sweat and became aware of his loss of composure in the hall.

Damn it!

He, a Transcendent Knight of the first tier of the Starry, had been subdued by a girl of just fourteen or fifteen years old!

Was it magic?

Or some kind of bloodline power?

He couldn’t help but wonder.

Reflecting on the petite figure that had scolded him in the manor, Baron Shalon suddenly gained a new understanding of the future lord.

She... was no longer just a child.

She had her own ideas, her own convictions, and, likewise, she possessed the dignity of a lord.

He suddenly realized that the child who had once been protected by her family would soon come of age.

He didn’t know whether this was good or bad, especially for the noble families in Count Castel’s Domain.

With complex emotions, Baron Shalon returned to his small courtyard.

The friends’ gathering in the courtyard was still going on, and it was clear they were waiting for him to return to glean some news about Castel Manor.

"Lord Shalon, have you presented your advice to Miss Charlotte?"

One merchant asked.

"Yes, I have finished presenting my advice,"

Baron Shalon sighed.

"What was the result?"

Another person quickly followed up.

"There was no result. Lord Charlotte was quite resolute,"

Baron Shalon shook his head.

"It seems... Miss Charlotte’s faith is as fervently unwavering as the rumors suggest... The Church will likely gain a new Divine Authority Domain in the future,"

Someone sighed.

Another person shook his head slightly, scoffing in comment:

"Well, she is still a child after all—impulsive and reckless. Once she returns to her domain, she will probably be opposed by the old noblemen..."

But as soon as he finished speaking, he realized his mistake and hastily apologized and explained to Baron Shalon:

"Ah... Lord Shalon, I didn’t mean you."

Baron Shalon, however, didn’t mind and shook his head:

"You’re not wrong. If Lord Charlotte truly intends to cede land to the Church, our family would definitely object."

"Object? But... with the Church standing behind her, forgive my frankness, even if Lord Shalon, you don’t wish it, there’s nothing you can do,"

Someone shook their head and said.

However, someone else quickly countered:

"That’s not necessarily the case. The Church hasn’t signed a contract with the Castels. Who knows whether they would support her when the time comes? Maybe in the end, she would be sold out by the Church and still have to count their gold tanas for them!"

"Who knows! It’s not like there are no other earls or even dukes around Count Castle Domain!"

"It just goes to show she’s too young, still a child, a pretty vase, a beautiful canary."

The guests in the courtyard were discussing among themselves, evaluating the new owner of the Castels.

Baron Shalon was hesitant to speak.

Remembering the girl he had seen in the hall, he did not think she was as inadequate as the others were saying.

But soon, he was taken aback:

"Wait a second... what did you say? Lord Charlotte has not yet signed a contract with the Church?"

"Yes, there’s no contract signed. The Great Priest hasn’t taken that step yet, probably because contracts with minors are legally unclear, so the Great Priest is perhaps waiting for her to come of age,"

One guest explained.

Baron Shalon’s mind stirred at once, his face showing deep thought.

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