Chapter 1948: Territorial Inheritance Rights
“So that’s how it is. I was wondering about this just now. If the Bourbon family really wanted to seize Alicia’s family’s territory, what method would they use?”
The answer is this: through a family alliance. To strengthen the tie, they would have a second son from the family, who had no right to inherit territory, marry Alicia. This would allow him to perfectly inherit her family’s territory and keep it firmly under the Bourbon family’s control.
It was no wonder that although Alicia was an illegitimate daughter and not officially recognized as a princess, the Bourbon family was willing to grant her their surname. It was to ensure that any future children would undoubtedly carry the Bourbon name.
It also explained why she wanted to give her family’s territory to an outsider by marrying Older Brother Jayad. This method was identical to the Bourbon family’s approach; they used the same rule.
This rule was that although women theoretically had inheritance rights, their social status was far inferior to men. Their titles were either nominal or like custodianships, merely adornments.
Furthermore, they had no freedom in marriage and had to obey the arrangements of their liege lord or family, transferring this property to a groom they approved of or using it for a trade-off of interests.
This was very similar to the Eastern practice of wives following their husbands and children inheriting after their husband’s death. When a female noble married a man, her noble status, title, and territory would automatically pass to her husband, unless the husband’s status was already very high and he didn’t need it.
If a male noble died in battle, his noble title would automatically pass to his son, then to his daughter, and finally to his widow or be divided equally.
In this situation, women had no decision-making power in marriage. Their lords would designate their marriages, marrying them to trusted individuals, thus passing on their noble status and territory to their husbands. If they had sons, the inheritance would automatically be transferred to the sons upon reaching adulthood.
This rule, where women possessed inheritance rights but lacked the freedom to decide their own marriages, was a method devised by nobles to maintain the integrity of their territories. It also served the purpose of political alliances.
If they desired some degree of freedom in marriage, it could only be decided in advance by the family before territorial inheritance was finalized.
Just a moment ago, a Count, while trying to win over Jayad, had offered his daughter in marriage, stating that all his Count’s territory would eventually belong to Jayad.
This way, the Count could prevent his territory from being reclaimed or divided by his liege lord after his death and avoid forcing his daughter or wife to marry someone she disliked. After his death, the territory would pass to his daughter, and then automatically to Jayad, bypassing her.
Although his daughter would also change her surname after marrying Jayad, he could at least be certain that Jayad’s strength and character would ensure the proper protection of his descendants and the territory he had painstakingly managed. Introducing excellent bloodlines could also ensure the longevity of his lineage.
This was why I felt that titles and territories did not bestow noble status upon women, but rather served as a dowry, a shackle, and wealth held in trust under a woman’s name, awaiting transfer.
Although history had seen many renowned female nobles who, either through their own formidable strength, mastery of political maneuvering, or sheer luck in not being forced into marriage, had, to some degree, escaped this shackle and even made a name for themselves.
However, these were just a minority of exceptional cases and could not change the reality that most women in noble families were merely tools for marriage alliances.
After realizing this, I immediately thought of a fatal flaw in Alicia’s plan and asked, “Alicia, even if you truly want to marry Older Brother and bring your territory with you, do you think your father would agree to you doing so?”
Alicia’s face instantly turned pale. She had already changed expressions several times, clearly understanding the unreliability of this plan.
Her father was the Emperor, the Emperor of the Bourbon Dynasty, with immense power and complete control over Alicia. How could she possibly get approval to marry an outsider while taking a territory eyed by the Royal Family?
“Perhaps if you become powerful enough, you could gain Father Emperor’s approval to marry me?” Alicia said, pursing her lips.
“It seems you know that’s the case. But the question is, why are you so sure that Older Brother would go to such lengths to gain His Majesty the Emperor’s approval for you?” I asked pointedly.
Alicia became somewhat dejected. She was now trapped in a vicious cycle. To avoid becoming a mere tool for a political marriage, she needed to be married by someone as powerful as Jayad. However, Jayad was completely unfazed by her offer.
Alicia had initially believed that with her goddess-like appearance and a generous dowry, it would be incredibly easy to charm Jayad. Instead, she discovered that this man was impervious to such tactics.
Moreover, I felt her plan was full of wishful thinking and uncertainty. She believed Older Brother Jayad could move the Emperor to agree to the marriage alliance, which I thought was completely impossible.
While top experts were indeed precious and powerful, they were still just individuals. The Iberian Empire was vast, with territories spread across the globe, boasting tens of thousands of strong individuals. If it weren’t for the need to station them in various places to maintain order in the colonies, with the main force in South America, the corrosion here wouldn’t be an issue.
Therefore, a single strong individual might catch the attention of a Duke or even a Prince, but expecting them to sway an Emperor was far too difficult.
“Miss Alicia.” At this moment, Jayad gently spoke. He lightly placed his hand on my shoulder, signaling me to stop talking, and said himself, “Can you tell me, do you truly not want to marry someone from your own kin? Your family’s conditions should be quite good.”
“I don’t like them. They are all just pompous parasites who rely solely on their noble bloodline. I would never be happy marrying them,” Alicia stated.
Judging from her unwillingness to accept her status as an illegitimate daughter, her joining the Royal Knights Corps, and her achieving such strength through training, Alicia was indeed a relatively independent and spirited girl. She would not settle for being a mere ornament and it was understandable that she looked down on wastrels.
“What I said earlier wasn’t the entire reason. Your power has attracted me. By joining with you, I am sure I can gain the Goddess’s approval and become even stronger. At that time, I will also have some leverage to negotiate with Father Emperor,” Alicia added.
So that was it. She had also considered this strategy. Indeed, if she proved herself sufficiently powerful, she might be able to persuade her father to let her go. A strong individual loyal to the family was more valuable than a hired expert.
However, this meant her primary goal was to sleep with Older Brother Jayad, not to marry him.
“Miss Alicia, if you truly wish to escape this fate, I do have a suggestion for you,” I said after a moment of thought.
“What is it?” Alicia asked with surprise and delight.
“It’s very simple. Why don’t you voluntarily return your territory to your Father Emperor?” I said directly.
