CHAPTER 526: SUMMON OF LOUIS V - 2

Charlotte nodded in agreement.

Led by the Royal Knight, Charlotte entered the New Moon Palace, where the interior was even more luxurious; the palace shone brilliantly, embodying the Yonette style of decoration to its utmost expression in every conceivable sense.

The high ceilings of the hall were embellished with dazzling murals and exquisite chandeliers, while opulent fabrics and silks adorned the walls on both sides, depicting the crest of the Royal Family. Every piece of furniture and decor was filled with luxurious and intricate details, their beauty and splendor making them comparable to pieces of art.

Even the windows and curtains were remarkably sumptuous. The curtains were made of fine Far East silk and embroidery, vibrant yet dignified, while the windows were delicately etched glass, reflecting the indoor light and casting a kaleidoscope of colors.

However, what caught the eye the most was the banquet hall; as Charlotte walked through the long corridor towards the drawing room, she passed by it and felt it was quite reminiscent of the Hall of Mirrors in the Versailles Palace of her previous life—both featured large mirrors, both were adorned with beautiful murals and lavish gold decorations, and both showcased large, dazzling crystal chandeliers...

No, to take it a step further, the entire opulence of the New Moon Palace made Charlotte unconsciously think of the Versailles Palace of her previous life.

The luxury was the same, as was the grandeur, the majesty, and the magnificence.

Rather... the whole New Moon Palace was even so vast that it felt somewhat desolate.

This made sense, considering the current state of the Valva Family, where it was uncertain whether even thirty direct members could be gathered.

Such a massive palace could accommodate not just thirty members of the Royal family, but even if all the nobles of Lutecia were to be crammed in, Charlotte thought there would still be plenty of room to spare.

Charlotte also subconsciously compared the New Moon Palace with her own Count Mansion, quickly concluding that such a comparison was demeaning to herself.

The Castel Domain was wealthy.

But no matter its wealth, it couldn’t compare to that of the New Moon Royal Family.

Especially since the current sovereign, who had been subtly strengthening central authority since his accession, and amidst the Star Moon War, as nobles died or were injured, with territories being merged or inherited, today the directly administered domains of the New Moon Royal Family had far surpassed those before the war.

To not dwell on other aspects, some numbers spoke volumes.

As far as Charlotte knew, before the Falling Star, the New Moon Kingdom had over twenty Duke Domains, but now only nine remained, and the Divine Authority Domains had also decreased from five to two.

Although some duchies had expanded their territories post-war, overall, the territories gained by the Royal Family were more substantial.

Throughout the kingdom, some Duchies were even entirely dissolved, leaving numerous fragmented Counts and Barons.

The Central Council had over five hundred noble Lords in attendance, half of whom were likely smaller Lords of this nature.

With more directly administered domains, naturally, the income was higher, not to mention the Royal Family also controlled the kingdom’s Transcendent resources. While far from a monopoly, they still held the largest share.

The ability to construct such a luxuriously magnificent palace, deemed a "wonder," was testament to the opulence of the Valva Family.

Louis V daring to confront the nobility collectively in embracing policies of strengthened central authority was indeed based on the strength of the Royal Family.

Seeing through the surface to grasp the essence, while admiring the splendor and luxury of the New Moon Palace, Charlotte had gained a deeper layer of understanding of the power and wealth of the Royal Family.

Unnoticed, she was led by the Royal Knight into the drawing room of the New Moon Palace.

"Count, please wait here for a moment while His Majesty is attending to his washing up; he will join you shortly."

The Royal Knight spoke respectfully.

Charlotte nodded slightly, with a graceful smile,

"Um, thank you."

Seeing her smile, the young Royal Knight stared slightly stunned, momentarily dazed.

However, he quickly regained composure, his cheeks blushing slightly as he hastily offered a somewhat flustered bow before exiting.

Charlotte withdrew her gaze, touching her soft cheek.

She wondered if it was due to the Blood Divine Power inherently transforming her body, for after merging with the Faceless Divine Statue, her already excessively beautiful visage seemed to have taken on an even more outrageously perfect trend.

The change in her demeanor was notably pronounced, every word and smile seeming even more flawlessly charming.

Shaking her head, Charlotte sat down in the drawing room, where a maid from the Royal House soon respectfully served her tea and snacks.

The tea was Elf Black Tea, which had become popular from the Far East in recent years, and the snacks were traditional cakes from West Yonette.

Charlotte seemed more intrigued by the teaware, which was made of fine porcelain, presumably also an exquisite rarity from the Far East, likely costing a considerable sum.

Her Count Mansion held a set too, though more modest than this set in the Royal Palace banquet hall, valued at over fifty thousand gold tanas.

This set here was certainly more expensive.

Charlotte curiously examined the porcelain, her thoughts adrift in how the Far East of this world seemed to resonate with her: with its tea, porcelain, and silk, much like her homeland in her past life.

She had heard that it was also the land of the Elves but too remote for many to have truly ventured to.

She wondered what kind of Elves they might be.

Did they also have black hair and yellow skin?

While Charlotte was lost in thought, an old voice suddenly sounded from behind her:

"This set of teaware is royal porcelain from the Sun Empire, said to be two hundred years old. West Yonette reportedly possesses only this set, and there’s another sister set supposedly housed in the Coria Royal Family."