"But... but..."

"There are no buts, Lord Howard. This is my bottom line, and I hope that all the nobles of Falling Star can recognize this," Charlotte said calmly.

Seeing his persuasion was futile, Marquis Howard's expression grew even more distressed.

As she watched his troubled look, Charlotte smiled and continued, "Lord Howard, I know what you're worried about. Rest assured, I can tell you frankly that even if the New Moon Kingdom supports Duke Esiah, it doesn't matter. The throne will inevitably be mine."

"As for territorial disputes, heh, even without Castel, there is Romany. I know some nobles want to completely give up continental territories to stay away from the conflicts in Mireya..."

"But everyone must remember, by giving up the lands on the continent, it means being completely isolated from the mainstream world order. With turbulent times approaching, settling in a corner is not a good choice."

"As for the New Moon Kingdom, it is indeed powerful, but not invincible, especially when the Falling Star Kingdom has integrated the strengths of Castel Domain."

After hearing Charlotte's words, Marquis Howard held back his speech.

To be honest, he understood the rationale behind what Charlotte was saying.

Moreover, if possible, many nobles actually did not want to give up the Romany Duchy, and they even supported the integration of Count Castel Domain into Falling Star.

The reason was simple: the former was the ancestral land of the Falling Star Royal Family, and the latter was a significant mithril producer, which could greatly enhance Falling Star Kingdom's Transcendent strength.

But the cruel Star Moon War had indeed terrified the nobles, and the formidable Louis V had become a nightmare for many nobles of Falling Star.

Moreover, Charlotte's succession to the throne was not secure and had not even been officially recognized.

In such circumstances, pushing the New Moon Kingdom towards another contender for the throne seemed like the wrong choice to Howard and other nobles.

It was very possible to end up with neither the throne nor the territory!

But the young Queen seemed to have a master plan for her succession...

Marquis Howard truly found himself at a loss.

If it were anyone else, he would have deemed it sheer arrogance.

But the Falling Star nobles had investigated this young Queen from Castel and knew she was not superficial. At a young age, she had managed to consolidate Castel and possessed significant means.

If she was so confident, there must be some other reason.

But Marquis Howard really couldn't understand how she could be so confident about her succession, especially since even the nobles who staunchly supported her claim did not share such confidence.

He also could not think of any way to swiftly defeat Duke Esiah, who had the support of the Bloodline.

Wait...

Defeat Duke Esiah, backed by the Bloodline?

It seemed as though something clicked for Marquis Howard, and an idea sparked in his mind.

Could it be... the Queen had utilized her influence within the Church and had already secretly gained the support of the Holy Royal Court?

Unable to contain himself, Howard looked at Charlotte once more, and seeing her completely unperturbed and confident demeanor, the more he thought about it, the more he believed he might have stumbled upon the truth.

Indeed.

Only the power of the Holy Royal Court might be capable of defeating the Bloodline.

Not only that, but only the support of such a significant force as the Holy Royal Court could give the Queen the confidence to face the New Moon Kingdom.

Rumors had it that the relationship between the New Moon Kingdom and the Holy Royal Court was not good, perhaps... the Queen had already secured strong support from the Royal Court!

The more Howard thought about it, the more he felt he had uncovered the truth.

Otherwise, it was impossible to explain the Queen's current attitude!

While others might find it difficult to gain strong support from the Holy Royal Court, the Queen was different. She was the Saintess of the Holy Royal Court and had even earned the praise of the Diocesan Grand Priest.

She... must have already reached an agreement with the Holy Royal Court in secret, which explained her confidence!

And as for why the Queen didn't directly reveal these affairs...

It must be because she didn't want to alert the enemy prematurely!

With this in mind, Marquis Howard's expression gradually eased.

And when he looked at Charlotte again, his eyes were filled with renewed respect and excitement:

"Queen, I... understand now. I will convey this to Lord Chairman and help everyone calm down."

"I believe that under your leadership, we will undoubtedly emerge as the final victors!"

Looking at Marquis Howard, who had gone through a series of emotional changes before suddenly getting excited, Charlotte was taken aback.

Truth be told, she did not think her words would immediately persuade him.

She could not directly tell the Falling Star nobles that she had already subjugated the Nais Bloodline, so she had to keep her statements somewhat ambiguous.

And now, Charlotte was still contemplating how to appease the Falling Star nobles without exposing her secrets, but the other party… had already been reassured?

Could it be that they had let their imaginations run wild again?

Charlotte looked bemused.

"Um... well, as long as you understand, that's good. Anyway... proceed with the arrangements for the banquet."

Charlotte said.

After speaking, she took a sheepskin scroll from under the desk and handed it to Marquis Howard:

"In addition, hand this over to Count Stafford, get ready, and deal with it all at tonight's banquet."

It was an imprint of the evidence of crimes committed by the Campbell Grand Priest, and, of course, the related orders issued by Charlotte.

Marquis Howard took it, and as soon as he saw the contents of the scroll, his eyes widened in shock:

"This... this is...!"

"Your Majesty, is this true? Are you sure about this! Must we really do this?"

Charlotte nodded slightly:

"Of course, I allow no betrayal."

Count Howard's expression became even more respectful.

"I understand, I will follow your decree! We will definitely assist you in purging the Fallen Church Power within the Falling Star Kingdom!"

He bowed deeply and respectfully excused himself.

After the departure of Marquis Howard, Charlotte continued to review various documents concerning the current situation of the Falling Star Kingdom sent by Count Stafford within the Red Palace.

In the blink of an eye, afternoon arrived.

Charlotte welcomed a new visitor.

It was Yulster.

"Your Majesty, the True Ancestor, I have delivered the material you had Lord Albrecht transfer to the Elder Council of our clan. Lord Badak and the Great Elder took it very seriously and were greatly shocked by the contents of the documents."

"Furthermore, as per your request, the clan has formally initiated an investigation into the Elf Bloodline, simultaneously cutting off all contact with Moon God Island and launching a lineage probe for Bloodline within the Falling Star region."

Yulster said respectfully.

"Good, report to me immediately if there's anything."

Charlotte nodded and said.

Yulster respectfully acknowledged.

After speaking, he paused, then continued:

"In addition, the Great Elder has asked me to report to you that the clan has resolved the issue with the Lilac Family. Duke Esiah has been 'persuaded' and will attend your banquet tonight and pledge loyalty to you."

Upon hearing this, Charlotte paused slightly.

She showed a hint of surprise and asked curiously:

"'Persuaded' Duke Esiah to pledge loyalty to me? So quickly? How did you... persuade him?"

Yulster had a strange look:

"To use the Great Elder's words, it was 'convincing through reasoning and moving through emotion.'"

Charlotte: ...

"Alright, this matter has been handled efficiently and well, I'm satisfied. Is there anything else?"

She asked.

Yulster nodded:

"There is one more thing, a question from the Elder Council, regarding the Holy Royal Court's power in the Falling Star Kingdom. When shall we uproot it?"

"You know... since Campbell Grand Priest has deep cooperation with the Elf Bloodline of Moon God Island, they must have a significant understanding of our internals."

"If... if we can't eliminate this threat soon, the Holy Royal Court might discover the secret of your return. That would be troublesome!"

Charlotte listened and smiled:

"I'm planning to deal with that. Rest assured, after tonight's banquet, the Falling Star Kingdom will no longer have the eyes of the Church Authority Country."

...

The day passed quickly.

And finally, the time for the evening banquet arrived.