Helmut: The Forsaken Child - H.F.C Chapter 231 (Part 2):
Now only Margaret remained in the room.
The elegant and serene face of the lady showed a change. The hidden agitation momentarily took over her expression.
Margaret blinked slowly with an indescribable expression. Her fingertips trembled.
Margaret vividly remembered the scene 15 years ago when she let go of her child. The pendant abandoned with the child.
A pendant given by a mother to her child had her maiden name engraved on it.
The flow of thoughts naturally continued in Margaret’s mind.
It was unbelievable, but…
She couldn’t dismiss the possibility.
The assumption that her first child, abandoned in the Forest of Roots, had returned alive!
If that were true…
Margaret closed her eyes tightly.
*
That night, Helmut was facing Alea again.
She was currently the only person with whom he could share his joy or sorrow.
Though she seemed to anticipate everything, this time, Alea was genuinely surprised.
“So, the Grand Duchess of Renosa is your mother?”
“There’s no doubt.”
“Did your mother… recognize you?”
“I don’t know. She seemed agitated. But isn’t it hard to believe that the child abandoned in the Forest of Roots would return alive?”
“Yeah, you are the first. And to be honest, I don’t know how your mother would react to that fact. It’s a dangerous situation, isn’t it?”
Alea spoke cautiously, as if advising him to be careful. She knew the physiology of nobles well.
The Grand Duchess of Renosa had her first child taken away because he carried the Seed of Darkness.
But did she resist? As the Grand Duchess of Renosa, she would have accepted it due to duty, pressure, or whatever reason.
It probably hasn’t changed even now.
Instead of instilling caution towards his mother, Alea subtly inquired.
“Of course, the temple doesn’t know you carry the Seed of Darkness. But do you plan to reveal it to your mother?”
“…I don’t know.”
Helmut hesitated. But his expression soon turned resolute.
“I must win this tournament.”
Alea, about to point out the danger, paused.
She understood why Helmut was so determined.
Logically, it was right to discourage him. If it was true that the Grand Duchess of Renosa was agitated by Helmut, then he had already strongly made his existence known to her.
Wouldn’t she want to converse with the boy who resembled her deceased first child at least once? His goal could be achieved this way too.
“Or you could approach through Charlotte, the Duchess of Renosa.”
There were smoother ways to go about it.
But what brought Helmut this far wasn’t reason. It was desire and longing.
The longing to find his mother who had cried out for him before their separation drove Helmut.
Alea didn’t fail to understand what Helmut wanted to prove and show his mother.
There are times when one must take some risks for the sake of their life’s goal.
Whether this was a risk worth taking, even Alea didn’t know.
But it was Helmut’s decision to make.
He would undoubtedly attract attention in this swordsmanship tournament, and two high priests were heading to Renosa. Advising him to hide was the logical choice, wasn’t it?
But Alea didn’t stop him. Because she also wished for Helmut’s victory.
It was a trivial reason. Alea placed absolute value on being number one.
If she did something, she must be the best. Alea took that for granted.
“Yes, win.”
Alea answered with a bright smile.
*
The next day, after winning the second round, Charlotte immediately sought out Helmut.
Until then, she hadn’t approached him to stay focused on the tournament.
Charlotte had never explicitly said that Margaret Irene was her mother, but she thought Helmut could guess.
But since Helmut wasn’t talkative, she didn’t think he would tell anyone that she was a Duchess.
“Um, senior. I have something to tell you.”
When Charlotte cautiously approached him in the training ground, Helmut immediately turned to her.
“What is it?”
“Did you… meet her yesterday at the swordsmanship tournament…”
“Are you talking about the Grand Duchess of Renosa?”
“Yes, did you happen to see her before?”
Charlotte was careful. She was indirectly asking if he knew Margaret Irene was the Grand Duchess of Renosa.
There was a difficult barrier of truth between them.
Though his sister, Charlotte wasn’t on his side. He couldn’t trust her easily.
After a brief contemplation, Helmut decided to feign ignorance.
“She was an elegant lady.”
But it meant he didn’t know. It was natural to be suspicious. Helmut had said he had seen Margaret Irene.
But if Charlotte asked where he saw the Grand Duchess of Renosa, he would be at a loss for an answer.
About knowing the name Margaret Irene.
Helmut had learned that Margaret was no longer called by that name.