Charlotte was not surprised by the king's summons.
Although she did not attend the central meeting, the Duchy of Castres was actually independent from Borde. As the richest territory of the Duchy of Borde and the royal family's partner in the Castres mithril mine, Louis V was bound to meet her.
Charlotte could probably guess what topic the other party would talk about.
After all, the origin of the Bold-Castell War was tacitly approved by His Majesty the King.
But in the end, it was Charlotte who won.
Charlotte wasn't being pretentious.
She took the royal order from the royal knight with confidence, and then boarded the carriage prepared by the royal knight accompanied by Sebastian.
However, in addition to the royal carriage that came to pick up people, Charlotte also sent another carriage to follow behind.
"Your Excellency, this..."
Looking at the bulging carriage, the royal knight was a little confused.
"This is a gift for your Majesty. It is also a special product of the North. If you are worried, you can check it."
Charlotte smiled.
It is always better to bring some gifts than to go empty-handed when meeting the king. Although Charlotte has no intention of getting too close to the royal family, at least they are not her enemies now.
To put it bluntly, Louis V's acquiescence to Philip's war was actually because she "sided" with the church first, and after her victory, the king did not make things difficult for her.
After hearing what Charlotte said, the leading royal knight bowed and said "sorry", then ordered the other knights to check the vehicle.
After a moment, the knight who was checking the vehicle nodded, and the leading knight of the Royal Family said to Charlotte:
"Your Excellency, there is no problem. We can go now."
"Then let's go."
Charlotte nodded slightly and closed the curtains of the carriage.
The carriage moved slowly, carrying the girl towards the palace.
…
The Crescent Kingdom Palace is located in the center of the royal capital, Lutetia, with the Royal Square directly in front of it, facing the Central Council Hall and Lutetia Cathedral.
As the political center of the Crescent Kingdom, the Crescent Palace is quite magnificent. The main body of the palace is a magnificent palace called the Crescent Palace.
This is a typical Crescent Kingdom building, very similar to the Baroque style that Charlotte knew in her previous life. The entire Crescent Palace is built of huge stones, the walls are inlaid with exquisite sculptures and decorations, and the roof is decorated with spectacular spires and luxurious domes.
The Crescent Palace is not surrounded by walls, but is surrounded by large gardens and lawns. The gardens are decorated with symmetrical flower beds, neatly trimmed shrubs, clusters of flowers and lush greenery. Decorative marble sculptures and corridors can be seen all around.
However, what attracted Charlotte's attention the most was the huge fountain in front of the main entrance of the Crescent Palace, which could be seen from a distance.
This was the largest fountain Charlotte had ever seen. It was probably nearly thirty meters high and almost fifty meters wide, and the sound of the water was like thunder.
In the center of the fountain is a huge marble sculpture depicting Louis V riding a warhorse and leading the Knights of the Crescent Moon to charge in the decisive battle of the Stellar-Moon War...
The sculpture is lifelike, just like Louis V himself. It is said that it was made for Louis V personally by the most skilled half-elf craftsman in the Luna Coast city-state. It can be called a work of art.
No, not just any fountain.
In fact, as far as Charlotte knew, the entire Crescent Palace was rebuilt by Louis V on the ruins of the old palace. It was much larger and more luxurious than the old palace that was burned down by the Falling Star Army during the Star-Moon War.
Although there is no city wall to protect it, fully armed royal knights can be seen everywhere inside and outside the palace.
In Charlotte's perception, these patrolling royal knights were quite powerful. Even the weakest one had stars, most had silver moons, and some even had blazing suns.
Although these knights are "Royal Knights", many of them are actually nobles with other titles, and most of them are direct descendants of the Crescent noble lords, or simply the lords themselves.
For the Crescent Nobles, joining the Royal Knights and becoming a Royal Order Knight is also an honor.
In addition to the patrolling royal knights, Charlotte also vaguely sensed the flow of magic power.
She calmly followed the flow of magic power and soon found magical inscriptions decorated with various patterns on the spire of the palace.
Those are the inscriptions for constructing magic circles, which should be some defensive and warning magic circles.
It is obvious that although the Crescent Palace is no longer surrounded by walls like the old castle-like palace, it also maintains the safety of the palace on another higher level.
Charlotte looked at the palace curiously through the window until the carriage finally stopped in front of the main gate of Crescent Palace.
"Lord Castel, we are here."
The royal knight's respectful voice came from outside the carriage.
Charlotte nodded, then stepped out of the carriage with Sebastian's help.
She looked at the luxurious tall archway of the Crescent Palace, then entered the palace accompanied by the royal knights.
Sebastian was stopped and not allowed to enter.
The king summoned Charlotte, not him, and no one else had the right to enter a place like the palace without the royal order.
"Master, I will wait for you outside the palace. It is also a good opportunity to hand over the gift to His Majesty."
Sebastian said.
Charlotte nodded in acquiescence.
Led by the royal knight, Charlotte entered the Crescent Palace. The interior of the Crescent Palace was even more luxurious, the palace was magnificent, and the Unet-style decoration reached the extreme in every sense.
The ceiling of the hall is high, decorated with gorgeous murals and exquisite chandeliers, and the walls on both sides are hung with gorgeous fabrics and silks, painted with the crescent royal coat of arms; all the furniture and decorations are full of luxury and fine details, so exquisite and gorgeous that they can be called works of art.
Even the windows and curtains are quite luxurious. The curtains are made of fine Far Eastern silk and embroidery, colorful and majestic, and the glass on the windows is exquisitely carved, reflecting the light in the room and casting colorful colors.
However, the most eye-catching thing is the banquet hall. When Charlotte was walking through the corridor to the reception room, she happened to pass by it and felt that it was very similar to the Hall of Mirrors in the Palace of Versailles in her previous life. It was also inlaid with large mirrors, carved with exquisite murals and luxurious gold decorations, and hung with dazzling large crystal chandeliers...
No, or to go to the other way, the luxury of the entire Crescent Palace made Charlotte think of the Palace of Versailles in her previous life.
The same luxury, the same magnificence, the same grandeur, the same grandeur.
Rather... the entire Crescent Moon Palace is so large that it is somewhat deserted.
Come to think of it, with the Valva family's population now dwindling, it's a question whether they can gather thirty members.
Charlotte felt that such a huge palace was more than enough to accommodate not only thirty royal family members, but even all the nobles of Lutetia.
Charlotte also subconsciously compared the Crescent Palace with her own Earl's Mansion, and quickly came to the conclusion that such a comparison was self-humiliating.
The Territory of Castel is rich.
But no matter how rich they are, they cannot compare to the Crescent Royal Family.
Especially the current one, who has been subtly strengthening the centralization of power since he ascended the throne, and the nobles of the Crescent Moon were killed or injured in the Star-Moon War. Through annexation and inheritance, the direct jurisdiction of the Crescent Moon royal family has already exceeded that before the Star-Moon War.
If nothing else, some data can illustrate the problem.
As far as Charlotte knew, before the falling stars, there were more than twenty duchies of various sizes in the Crescent Kingdom, but now there are only nine left. The number of theocratic duchies has also decreased from five to three.
Although the territories of some duchies have expanded compared to before the war, overall, the Crescent Royal Family has gained more territory.
Throughout the kingdom, some duchies were even destroyed outright, leaving only shattered earls and barons.
There are more than 500 noble lords participating in the Central Council, and probably half of them are small and medium-sized lords like this.
With more direct-controlled territories, the income is naturally higher, not to mention that the Crescent Royal Family also dominates the extraordinary resources of the entire kingdom. Although it does not have a monopoly, it still accounts for the majority.
The wealth of the Valva family is evident from the fact that they were able to build such a luxurious and "spectacular" palace.
Louis V dared to challenge the nobles collectively and openly implemented the policy of strengthening centralization, which was based on the strength of the royal family.
Seeing the essence through phenomena and admiring the magnificence and luxury of the Crescent Palace, Charlotte also gained a deeper understanding of the power and wealth of the royal family.
Before she knew it, she was brought to the reception room of the Crescent Palace by the royal knight.
"Your Excellency, please wait here for a moment. His Majesty is washing up and will be here soon."
The Royal Knight said respectfully.
Charlotte nodded slightly and smiled sweetly:
"Yes, thank you."
Seeing her smile, the young royal knight was slightly stunned and suddenly lost his mind.
However, he reacted quickly, his cheeks turned slightly red, and he hurriedly bowed and left in a panic.
Charlotte withdrew her gaze and touched her tender little face.
I don’t know if it’s because the power of blood has the effect of transforming the body. After merging with the faceless statue, her already excessive beauty has become even more excessive.
The change in her temperament is quite remarkable, and every word and smile seems to be more perfect and moving.
Shaking her head, Charlotte sat down in the reception room, and the royal maid quickly and respectfully served her tea.
The tea is the Elven black tea that has become popular from the Far East in recent years, and the snacks are traditional Western Yunaitian pastries.
What Charlotte was more interested in was the tea set. The tea set was made of porcelain and was quite exquisite. It should be a treasure from the Far East and must be worth a lot of money.
She also had a set in her earldom, which was even simpler than the one in the palace banquet hall and was worth more than 50,000 gold tana.
The one in front of you will only be more expensive.
Charlotte looked at the porcelain curiously, thinking that the Far East in this world was really approachable, with tea, porcelain, and silk, it really looked like her hometown in her previous life.
She heard that it was also the kingdom of elves, but it was too far away and few people actually set foot there.
I don’t know what kind of elf it is.
I wonder if he also has black hair and yellow skin
Just as Charlotte was daydreaming and her thoughts were drifting, an old voice suddenly sounded behind her:
"This tea set is the royal porcelain of the Empire of the Sun. It is said to have a history of two hundred years. It is said that there is only this set in the entire West Yunet. There is also a sister set, which seems to be collected by the Coria royal family."
"If Lord Castel likes it, you can take it back later."
Charlotte was startled when she heard the voice behind her.
She stood up quickly and saw King Louis V had walked in at some point.
A legend is indeed a legend.
When her aura was not revealed, Charlotte was completely unaware of the other party's approach!
Of course, this is also because Charlotte did not use the power of blood. If she did not use the power of blood, even if she was considered a "demigod", she would only be a "false god".
"Your Majesty, your Majesty."
Charlotte followed the etiquette she remembered, picked up the hem of her skirt and saluted Louis V.
Today, Louis V was dressed more casually, wearing a loose and gorgeous aristocratic robe, but he still wore a dark blue crescent shawl covered with golden crescent emblems.
He did not look as serious as he did at the Central Council yesterday. Although he was still dignified, his expression was more approachable.
However, some fatigue could still be seen between his eyebrows.
"Don't be shy, take a seat."
Louis V said.
Charlotte bowed and sat down again.
Louis V also sat down on the throne that belonged to the king. He picked up a glass of still wine from the tray of the royal maid, took a sip, and then said gently:
"This should be Lord Castel's first time to come to the Crescent Moon Palace. I wonder what you think of my Crescent Moon Palace?"
Charlotte was stunned. She didn't expect that Louis V's first topic would be this.
Facing the king's expectant gaze, she thought for a moment and then began to praise him according to her true feelings:
"It is luxurious, magnificent, and majestic. It is the most magnificent palace I have ever seen. It perfectly displays the glory of the new moon and can definitely be called the pinnacle of Miriam's court culture..."
“The architectural style and decorative art are breathtaking. Rather than a palace, it is more like a spectacular work of art.”
"It not only reflects the majesty of the royal family, but also the style of the royal family!"
After hearing Charlotte's praise, Louis V laughed out loud and seemed to be quite pleased.
His laughter was like thunder, bold and rough.
After laughing, he continued to ask:
"Anything else?"
This is... Don't want to hear only the advantages? Do you want to hear the disadvantages too
Charlotte's heart moved slightly.
She thought about it and looked hesitant.
Louis V glanced at her and said:
"Don't hesitate, just say whatever you want to say. I just want to hear a comprehensive evaluation without any blame."
Charlotte paused and said:
"Your Majesty, I am offended."
After saying this, she looked serious and said:
“It is majestic and magnificent, but I guess… it must have cost a lot of money to build it.”
"Not only that, the entire palace is too large, far beyond the needs of the royal family..."
As she spoke, Charlotte looked at Louis V. She was somewhat surprised to find that Louis V was not angry at her remarks. On the contrary... the king nodded in agreement.
Noticing Charlotte's gaze, Louis V paused and sighed:
"You are right. Even for the royal family, building such a magnificent palace would cost a lot of money. Even the daily maintenance is a huge expense."
"In a sense, it is indeed too luxurious and too large."
Having said that, Louis V looked at Charlotte again.
The old king smiled and suddenly asked:
"Sir Castel, do you know why I built it so grand, so luxurious and magnificent?"
Charlotte's heart moved slightly and she had some guesses.
However, she did not say it, but shook her head:
"I don't know."
Louis V stopped smiling.
His eyes fell on the map of the Crescent Kingdom in the reception room, and he said calmly:
"Because this palace was not built just for the royal family to live in."