If the New Moon Kingdom was resolute, even to the point of threatening war, many nobles would have to weigh their options.

Moreover, since the Romany Duchy was simply an enclave of the royal family and did not touch upon the core interests of most nobles, if peace could be exchanged for an enclave, frankly speaking... many nobles were not opposed to the idea.

Of course, this did not include the core members of the Parliamentary Party.

Among the core members of the Parliamentary party, many possessed Roman bloodlines; betraying the Romany Duchy was akin to crossing their bottom line.

At that moment, everyone's gaze converged on Charlotte.

Clearly, Charlotte's stance and her bargaining chips would also determine their tendencies and attitudes.

Charlotte smiled faintly and said,

"Duke, you jest."

"Since I have decided to become the Falling Star Queen... it is naturally my duty to maintain the territorial integrity of the Falling Star Kingdom."

"Let's not mention Castel for now; if King Louis is willing, my agreement with King Louis still stands, but the Romany Duchy is the ancestral land of the Falling Star Royal Family. I cannot back down."

Upon hearing this, the Falling Star nobles showed varying expressions.

Members of the Roman Royal Family breathed a sigh of relief, most of the Parliamentary Party nobles appeared thoughtful, while those neutral in stance frowned slightly, lost in thought.

As for the nobles of the Lilac Party, they watched with cold eyes, their faces marked by scorn.

"Hahahaha, Count Castel, you truly jest, for the diplomacy of the Falling Star Kingdom is surely not something a New Moon noble can decide."

A hearty laugh erupted, and Duke Wester laughed loudly.

After laughing, he looked at the Moon Guardian Duke and said,

"Duke, I know your words were not only meant for Count Castel but also for Lord Esiah."

"Perhaps it is the will of fate, but Lord Esiah also stated that if the New Moon Kingdom supports his ascension to the throne, he could exchange the Romany Duchy, for a lasting peace between our two nations."

With these words, the banquet hall erupted among the Falling Star nobles.

"Exchange the Romany Duchy for peace?"

"Lord Wester, have you gone mad!? That's treason!"

"You and Duke Esiah are a disgrace to our Falling Star Kingdom!"

the Parliamentary Party nobles shouted angrily.

Duke Wester's expression remained unchanged:

"Disgrace? No, this is pragmatism."

"The Romany Duchy is an enclave of Falling Star, and to maintain its security, Falling Star has had to station a large military presence in Romany for many years, which has been a significant burden."

"Yes, the Romany Duchy is ancestral land, but it is the ancestral land of the Roman family, not of the Falling Star Kingdom. The Roman family is the Roman family, Falling Star Kingdom is the Falling Star Kingdom."

"Had it not been for the Roman family's invasion, my Falling Star Kingdom would still be an isolated haven; had it not been for the Roman family instigating war with the New Moon Kingdom, my Falling Star Kingdom would not have suffered through enduring war wounds."

"The Roman family and the Romany Duchy are the true sources of calamity for my Falling Star Kingdom. Letting go of these is the correct choice for my kingdom."

Count Stafford frowned slightly while watching Duke Wester's audacious speech.

Although Duke Wester's words were impertinent, one had to admit—they echoed the perspective that more and more peace advocates within the kingdom had come to accept recently.

Moreover... with the rise of New Moon, this perspective was gradually becoming mainstream.

However, even so, there were some things that should not be said out in the open, especially now with the envoy from the New Moon Kingdom present.

Thinking this, Count Stafford shook his head silently.

Duke Wester was too arrogant.

Nobles cared most about face.

His remarks would only alienate most of the Falling Star nobles and push them towards the Queen.

Naturally, this was good for the Parliamentary Party.

However, what puzzled him was that, in his understanding, Duke Wester should not be so reckless and foolish.

What exactly was Duke Wester trying to achieve?

Count Stafford's brow furrowed deeply.

Thinking this, he glanced at the other nobles in the banquet hall.

And when his gaze swept around, he quickly froze in shock.

Even with Duke Wester's startling speech, it seemed not to have caused much uproar.

Not only that, aside from the core members of the Parliamentary Party glaring at him furiously, the majority of the nobles simply remained silent and did not even show signs of anger.

Count Stafford suddenly realized that something was quite wrong.

It was the attitude!

Aside from the core members of the Parliamentary Party, the nobles present today... their attitudes seemed off!

These were largely the same nobles whom he had either invited or personally visited before going to Castel to retrieve the Queen, to ensure their support for Her Majesty.

That's precisely why, as the Speaker, he dared to secretly embark on retrieving the Queen from Castel following the suggestion of the Campbell Grand Priest.

But now, upon his return to Falling Star, not only had the previously committed Knight Order turned their coats, even the nobles attending this reception had turned ambiguous again.

And when he recalled the message from the Queen that morning about the betrayal by the Campbell Grand Priest, he finally realized something and his face gradually paled.