Blood Holy Scripture: True Ancestor Charlotte de Castel
Chapter 50: -46- My heart belongs to someone

Chapter 50: -46- My heart belongs to someone

Regarding the legitimization of Laino’s illegitimate status, although the old Duke had never mentioned it, many nobles from the Bold Duchy, including Charlotte, had speculated about it.

However, legitimizing a bastard was one thing, appointing him as the heir was another.

Even if Tulip Count was again unbearable, he had been the Duchy’s designated heir for over a decade.

Nobles from top to bottom in the Bold Duchy had long assumed that Tulip Count was the future heir and had made a series of plans and preparations accordingly.

But now, the old Duke’s words had completely disrupted everyone’s schemes.

Especially at the end when he mentioned the Castel family.

Although he did not explicitly say so, the implication behind his words seemed to point in a certain direction, causing a subtle change in the expressions of nobles with intentions toward the Castels.

Could it be... that the Castels had already decided to enter into a marriage alliance with the Duke’s family?

At this moment, Charlotte once again became the center of attention.

All nobles understood that even with the support of the Holy Royal Court, a legitimized bastard would have a difficult time taking full control of the Duchy, perhaps even more so than Tulip Count.

Nobles valued lineage.

Under the pressure of Divine Right, the nobles might not openly oppose, but passive loyalty was their specialty.

The best way to destroy a rule was to support it passively, shaking the ruler’s authority from the foundation.

But with the support of the Castel family, it would be different.

As the largest and wealthiest noble family in the Bold Duchy, should the soon-to-be extinct Castels fully lean toward the Duke Mansion, even a change of heir would allow the Bold family to smoothly navigate the turbulent succession.

Thus, the decision-making power for the future direction of the Duchy suddenly landed in Charlotte’s hands, like a game of hot potato.

It seemed that way.

But Charlotte knew it was not so.

The old Duke’s words, while appearing to protect the Castel family, actually pushed Charlotte into the limelight.

As the nominal heiress to the Castel family, Charlotte currently had no inheritance of the title and no control over the territory and lower nobles.

At most, she received a considerable sum of gold tanas from the territory each month.

She hadn’t even received this month’s payment yet.

Under these circumstances, she could not possibly decide the Duchy’s political fate.

If she were to decide, it could only be after successfully assuming her title with the backing of the Duchy Mansion.

Charlotte knew this was a hint from the old Duke.

He was implying that he could help her take full control of the family’s lands.

At the same time, this was preparation for what the old Duke would say next...

His gaze returned to the young lady, remaining on her for a long time without shifting, and everyone’s attention also focused on Charlotte.

The old Duke smiled faintly and continued,

"Miss Charlotte, this is my sincerity."

"Support from the Duke Mansion, as well as... Laino’s legitimized status, he will become a true noble."

"On this foundation, there is also the entire Bold Duchy!"

"Hehe, what do you think? How about the proposal I made earlier?"

"Once you agree, you will not only be Countess Castel but also... the future mistress of Bold!"

At these words, all the nobles stirred.

A marriage proposal!

This was a marriage proposal!

At this moment, the Bold Duke had formally presented a marriage proposal to the Castels!

Upon hearing his father’s words, Laino’s expression turned sour.

He was about to say something but swallowed his words under the old Duke’s cold gaze.

The young male nobles were filled with indignant resentment, their gazes towards Laino brimming with hostility.

The unmarried noble daughters focused their eyes on Charlotte, their looks full of intense envy...

In the strict hierarchy of the Feudal Era, for the vast majority of noblewomen who could not choose their own marriage, nothing was more anticipated than the opportunity to climb the social ladder.

The Castel family might be wealthy, but they were just Earls and Earls under the Duchy at that.

Not to mention an Earl yet to inherit.

But once she became the future Duke’s wife, it meant not only securing her Earl’s title but also becoming the mistress of the Duchy, standing on the stage of the entire New Moon Kingdom!

For the Duchy nobility, that represented a much broader world, stepping into the true high society of the Kingdom and a significant honor!

Under such circumstances, what did being a legitimized bastard matter?

Rather, precisely because of the future Duke’s status as a legitimized bastard, he would rely more on a noble Castel lady to enhance his prestige and suppress other nobles’ challenges to his lineage.

This was good for the Castel lady because it meant more say in the marriage.

Of course, marrying into the future Duke’s line could not be through taking her husband’s name, and the Castel family would inevitably be extinct.

But what of it?

Who cared?

Would they really expect a minor daughter to revive the family?

Sincerity!

Truly very sincere!

From any standpoint, the Bold family had shown tremendous sincerity in this marriage proposal!

Even the most critical nobles could not think of a reason for the Castel girl to refuse...

As for love?

Nobles were very calm.

Political marriages were political marriages, love was love.

If they truly sought love, the parties involved in the marriage could simply turn a blind eye to each other’s private lives after producing an heir.

From this perspective, no noble within the Bold Duchy could offer better marriage conditions than those of the duke’s family.

The young male nobles, having realized all this, had ashen faces filled with regret, as if they had already seen the perfect goddess of their dreams stripped bare and lying on the bed of some filthy bastard...

But Charlotte fell into silence.

Was there sincerity?

There was.

But to her, it was worthless.

Rather, it was even worse than marrying into another family, where at least the power would be in her own hands.

Of course, she only made this comparison as a thought.

A marriage alliance?

She’d rather die.

Charlotte was running out of time.

In less than a year, she would be sixteen.

Once a marriage contract was signed, according to the rules of the Holy Code, the duke could enforce the marriage contract once she came of age a year later, without giving her any chance to delay.

Even just agreeing to a marriage alliance would give the Duke Mansion a reason to interfere with Castel’s affairs.

The reasoning was simple.

The girl had not yet fully taken control of her family, and the Duke could justifiably intervene under the guise of helping her secure control and rid the family of parasites.

Above reproach and faultless.

As for Laino’s personal feelings during the marriage process...

From his recent demeanor, it was evident that under the authority of the Bold Duke, they were meaningless.

Clearly, the old duke had bigger ambitions.

He not only wished for Laino to successfully inherit the duchy and enhance the glory of the family but also to justifiably and completely devour everything the Castel family had!

At the same time, Charlotte also became aware of another layer of the old duke’s intentions.

No, rather... a threat.

Accepting the marriage alliance was to accept the sincerity, to successfully inherit the land and become the mistress of the duchy.

But to reject it would be to slap the face of the Bold family right then and there.

If she did that, it would also mean rejecting the protection of the Bold family; the Duke Mansion would then turn a blind eye to the other nobles’ actions toward Castel.

At that point, it was likely that Castel would become bait to feed the nobles of the duchy, in order to secure their support for Laino’s succession to the duchy.

The young lady’s fate would likely be quite miserable.

And in the carve-up of the Castel family, the one undoubtedly taking the lion’s share would still be the more powerful Duke Mansion.

Nobles stand under the sacred light, receiving the deity’s blessing, cloaked in splendid attire.

But at the same time, they also hide the world’s most barbaric primal darkness beneath their garments.

Accepting the marriage alliance was to receive the blessing.

To refuse was to face the dark.

This was not just a marriage alliance proposal filled with sincerity.

It was also a veiled threat harboring malice!

In this situation, there was no choice for the heir to the Castel family, whose own security was precarious.

However...

Was it really so?

Before the eyes of all, the girl in a white dress flashed a brilliant smile.

That innocent smile, like the spring breeze, swept across the heart of each noble, making everyone who saw it feel uplifted, unable to shift their gaze from her stunning visage.

Charlotte picked up the hem of her dress, leaned slightly forward, and performed an elegant curtsy to the Bold Duke at the forefront, before sweetly saying,

"Duke, I am very grateful for your generous affections..."

Looking at the submissive girl, Bold Duke revealed a satisfied smile.

"But..."

Charlotte’s tone shifted suddenly.

She slowly raised her head, looking past the duke to the Great Priest beside her.

More precisely, she was gazing at the old dean of the Church Hospital, Lawuer, and Black Cat Nisi who was beside Lawuer.

Making eye contact with Charlotte, Black Cat Nisi nodded slightly, giving the young girl a reassuring gaze.

And Lawuer, with a subtle sign from the Great Priest, showed an encouraging smile.

In that moment, the corners of Charlotte’s mouth lifted ever so slightly, her pure blue eyes filled with childish eagerness and a touch of impish mischief.

Her cheeks blushed, seemingly shy and timid, her voice delicate and sweet as she looked at the old priest with an expression of innocent joy,

"But... Charlotte’s heart already belongs to another."

As she spoke, all eyes were strangely drawn to the old priest, who was old enough to be her grandfather.

Lawuer’s face turned dark as he couldn’t help but twitch the corner of his mouth.

The old duke’s smile froze instantly.