Helmut: The Forsaken Child - H.F.C Chapter 374 (Part 1):

Asuka spoke to Helmut with a serious expression.
“Helmut, I’d like you to come with me somewhere.”
“Where to?”
“The Imperial Palace. A certain… esteemed person is waiting. My cousin, the Crown Prince.”

Asuka let out a deep sigh. After the recent assassination attempt, many restrictions had been placed on the Crown Prince. The Emperor, deeply concerned for the safety of his heir, had drastically reduced the Crown Prince’s responsibilities and ordered him to take some time off. For a workaholic like the Crown Prince, this was far from ideal.

He rarely went out as it was, and now, after barely surviving an attack while visiting the library—after such a long time—he felt nothing but frustration. Still, governing a nation required a clear and sound mind, so the Crown Prince accepted his temporary leave.

But after years of relentless work, having nothing to do left him feeling restless. Of course, he couldn’t just meet anyone. Among the nobles involved in the “Prayer Association,” there were those who hadn’t realized they were siding with the Temple until their betrayal came to light.

The Crown Prince considered who among his acquaintances he could safely meet. It didn’t take long for him to think of Asuka. Not only had Asuka saved his life, but he had also appeared at the last moment like a savior, leaving a favorable impression. The Crown Prince even felt a desire to strengthen their bond as cousins.

If Asuka harbored ambitions to become the Grand Duke of House Farnese, it would be advantageous to have the future ruler of the empire view him favorably. But Asuka had no such aspirations. To him, a cousin in power was someone he preferred to avoid altogether.

The Crown Prince had repeatedly sent messengers to summon Asuka, but Asuka had evaded these calls by citing classes and other excuses. It was an uncomfortable situation for Asuka. He had never been one to cater to others’ whims, and if their relationship soured due to his usual blunt behavior, it could lead to problems.

Even if he somehow gained the Crown Prince’s favor, it wasn’t necessarily a good thing. If he later decided he couldn’t adapt to the role of Grand Duke and declared so, the Crown Prince might oppose his desire for a free life, regardless of what his father thought.

But this time, evasion seemed impossible. The Crown Prince had sent a knight of the rank equivalent to an aide to the Imperial Knight Commander, delivering a letter.

*“I hope you’ll accept my invitation. I’d rather not use the word ‘command’ with my dear cousin.”*

It was clear that refusal would result in a command—and defying a command meant treason.

*“I’d appreciate it if you and your new guest could briefly alleviate my loneliness. I hear one of your guests is an exceptional swordsman.”*

As Asuka recalled the contents of the letter, his face flushed with anger.

“This guy thinks I’m his personal entertainer? Asking me to ‘alleviate his loneliness.’”

But what could he do? The other party was the Crown Prince, the future ruler of the empire.

Asuka realized the letter was an invitation for Helmut to accompany him to the palace. After all, among the three of them, Helmut was the only swordsman.

‘Would Father know about this?’

Grand Duke Farnese was meticulous, and Helmut was officially a guest of the ducal household. This wasn’t something the Crown Prince had unilaterally decided.

Asuka shrugged.
“If you don’t want to go, you don’t have to. I’ll handle it myself.”

If it were up to his father, Asuka could probably manage things, but dealing with the Crown Prince was another matter entirely. Things could escalate quickly—perhaps even to the point where the Crown Prince might order Helmut’s execution on the spot.

Still, if this was part of the Grand Duke’s test, accepting the invitation was the right move.

Helmut nodded.
“No, I’ll go too.”

[I’m going as well.]

At that moment, Elaga suddenly interjected. After having his fur shaved by Asuka’s mother, he had moped around for a few days but seemed to have adapted to his new look and managed to revive his spirits.

Perhaps he had grown too accustomed to mimicking cats, because he hadn’t resisted at all when she had done it. For a while, he had wandered around cursing the Grand Duchess as a witch and fleeing in panic at the mere sight of her shadow.

[I’ll protect you.]

Though this declaration could have been touching, Helmut shot him a frosty glare.

Asuka added coldly,
“You can’t bring pets to meet the Crown Prince.”

[Who are you calling a pet?! You arrogant brat!]

Although Elaga’s claws had left marks on Asuka’s arm, in the end, Helmut and Asuka managed to leave Elaga behind and entered the Imperial Palace.

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