Chapter 7: Advice That Falls on Deaf Ears
Anne Paste is Henry Holovin is fiancée.
Marriage alliances are a necessary means for noble families to form bonds. Emperor Leopold Holovin is grandmother was from the Duke of Bonan's family, though she passed away decades ago. If Leopold Holovin were to die, the connection between the Holovin and Paste families would barely qualify as a distant kinship. Therefore, to maintain the blood alliance between the two families, it was only natural for Leopold Holovin to choose Anne Paste as Henry Holovin is wife.
The engagement between Anne Paste and Henry Holovin was likely arranged before Charlotte was born. But what happened? Henry Holovin was having a grand time in Platinum City, while Anne Paste seemed to have forgotten about her prearranged marriage.
Not only Anne Paste, but even Charlotte's older brother seemed to have forgotten.
Forgetting such an important matter is no good!
So, Charlotte decided to remind them.
"Charlotte, why did you have to bring that up? Now Anne is probably upset, and I have no idea how long it'll take to calm her down..."
Andre trailed behind Charlotte, complaining.
The atmosphere had been heating up, and Andre felt that with a little more effort, he could have deepened his connection with the girl he had been longing for.
But then, Charlotte poured cold water on the situation, and the mood was ruined. Remembering her engagement, Anne Paste is spirits instantly plummeted, and she lost all interest in continuing the conversation with Andre, leaving him in a hurry.
"By the way," Charlotte interrupted Andre's rambling, "have you and Anne done it?"
"What... what are you talking about?" Andre, at twenty-nine, wasn't one to blush at a little risqué talk, but hearing such a question from his younger sister was undeniably awkward, causing him to stammer, "Of course... we haven't..."
His hesitation made it all the more suspicious.
However, Charlotte didn't bother digging deeper.
"Andre, I have to remind you," she said as they walked, "Henry Holovin is extremely petty. If he ever finds out that his bride had already given her chastity to you, he would go mad and fight you to the death."
"I told you, we haven't!"
Andre raised his voice, which only made him sound more guilty.
"Better not have," Charlotte stopped in front of a pair of redwood doors adorned with intricate brass handles. "And it's not just Anne, Andre. You're about to marry Monica soon, aren't you? Uncle Philip isn't known for his patience. If you don't rein yourself in before the wedding, you might find your marriage plans falling through."
Andre's fiancée is Monica Melefield, whose father is Philip Melefield. As their surnames suggest, they are relatives of Charlotte and Andre. Philip Melefield is the brother of Jose Melefield, making Monica Charlotte's cousin and Andre's as well. Andre, at twenty-nine, has remained unmarried, waiting for Monica to grow up.
Noble marriages often offer few choices. First, they must marry within the noble class, and second, they must consider various interests and political relationships. As a result, marriages between close relatives are not uncommon.
Marrying one's cousin is rare in this world, but not unheard of. Take the Holovin royal family, for example. Emperor Leopold Holovin is father, Joseph Holovin, married his own cousin. At the time, Joseph Holovin was competing with his brother for the throne. By marrying his cousin, he gained the support of other royal family members, solidified his position, and eventually ascended to the throne.
"I know, I know," Andre grew even more impatient at the mention of his marriage. He pointed to the door behind Charlotte and said, "You should go see Father now."
Tch, good advice falls on deaf ears.
Charlotte didn't want to waste any more words on her foolish older brother. She turned and knocked on the redwood door.
"Come in."
A deep, resonant voice came from inside.
Charlotte put on a bright, radiant smile and pushed open the redwood door.
Beyond the door was a study adorned with luxurious crystal chandeliers, camphorwood bookshelves, and an obsidian desk. Inside the study sat two men. One had a thick beard, calm eyes, and a reserved demeanor—this was Charlotte's father, Duke of Greenfield, Jose Melefield. The other was older, with graying hair, but tall and muscular—this was Anne Paste is father, Duke of Bonan, Fernandez Paste.
"Father, Duke Bonan."
Charlotte curtsied gracefully, exuding elegance and nobility.
"Charlotte? My, how you've grown! You've become quite the beauty," Fernandez Paste was the first to speak.
"Uncle Paste, you still look as imposing and majestic as ever," Charlotte replied with a smile.
"Hahaha," Fernandez Paste laughed heartily, turning to Jose Melefield. "It's our little Charlotte, still as sweet-talking as ever."
"Haha," Jose Melefield joined in the laughter. "She's all talk, though. In reality, she's quite mischievous. I tried arranging a marriage for her a couple of years ago, but she hid in Platinum City and refused to come back."
"Father," Charlotte walked over to Jose Melefield, hugging his right arm and swaying it gently. "Are you really that eager to marry me off? I even brought you a gift this time. You're breaking my heart."
"Eager to marry you off? You..." Jose wanted to say more, but Charlotte's whining cut him off. He shook his head helplessly and said, "We'll talk about your matters later. I still have some things to discuss with Duke Bonan. Go see your mother first."
"Alright."
Charlotte released her father's arm and gracefully exited the study.
Charlotte had a rough idea of what Jose Melefield and Fernandez Paste needed to discuss.
To the west of the Oran Empire lies the Kanpei Mountain Range, a massive mountain chain that stretches across the entire Eagle Continent. The Duchy of Greenfield and the Duchy of Bonan are both located in the western part of the Oran Empire, bordering the Kanpei Mountains. This means the two duchies bear the responsibility of defending a portion of the empire's western border.
The stretch of border near the Duchy of Greenfield is relatively manageable. To the west of Greenfield lies the Kingdom of Lesare. Although Lesare has clashed with the Oran Empire in the past, it shares a similar civilization, so Greenfield doesn't have to constantly worry about unexpected attacks.
The situation along the Duchy of Bonan's border, however, is far more dire. The western stretch of the Kanpei Mountains near Bonan doesn't belong to any single nation or lord but to a collective. This collective includes humans, dwarves, elves, fairies, werewolves, snake-people, winged-people, hybrids, and more. These diverse races form various tribes, which together make up a vast coalition.
This coalition doesn't have an official name, but the Oran Empire generally refers to it as the "Tribal Alliance."
The Tribal Alliance has a notorious habit—raiding.
The mountainous terrain is unsuitable for large-scale agriculture, and every winter, the tribes often face food shortages. To survive, they resort to raiding, with the Duchy of Bonan being their primary target, followed by the Duchy of Greenfield.
Thus, every year before winter, Duke Bonan visits his neighbor, the Duchy of Greenfield, under the guise of a social call, but in reality, to discuss joint defense strategies against the raiders.
While only a small portion of Greenfield's border adjoins the Tribal Alliance, the tribespeople can move relatively freely across the entire Kanpei Mountain Range. This means they can launch attacks from any point along the western border shared by Greenfield and Bonan.
The two duchies have no choice but to collaborate in building a defensive line to protect against the tribal raiders and minimize losses.
As for taking the offensive?
The two dukes have never entertained such an idea.
The Tribal Alliance may appear loosely organized, lacking a single leader, but when faced with external threats, they unite and act as one. Combined with their control over the natural defenses of the Kanpei Mountains, even the Oran Empire—which has stood for over a thousand years and dominated for at least eight hundred—has been unable to eliminate this troublesome neighbor. For two duchies to attempt it would be futile.
Therefore, actively eliminating the tribespeople is nearly impossible. Strategically, the Duchies of Greenfield and Bonan are resigned to a defensive stance, always on the receiving end of attacks.
________________________________________
If you want more chapters, please consider supporting my page on Patreon. with 30 advanced chapters available on Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/GirlsLove1