Helmut: The Forsaken Child - H.F.C Chapter 378 (Part 2): The Wind Rising in the Empire

‘If Michael learns of this, he’ll start seeing me as a threat again,’ she thought.

But it didn’t matter anymore. She had already completely turned her back on him.

Shaking off those thoughts, Charlotte turned her focus forward.

She was greeted by the head maid sent personally by the Emperor.

“Your quarters in the palace have been prepared. You must be tired from your long journey. Please rest.”

Unlike Michael—who had shown his face at the royal palace on numerous occasions—Charlotte had not been here since a single childhood visit.

She suddenly felt a gaze from above but did not look back.

Whoever was watching her arrival was surely no mere commoner. Eventually, she would meet them formally.

And her intuition proved correct.

—

“She is quite a beauty. Has the dignity befitting a grand duchess. She resembles her father far more than Michael does. And isn’t she also said to be a skilled swordswoman? Top of her class at Greta Academy’s Swordsmanship Department, just like Asuka.”

With his chin propped on his hand, the Crown Prince murmured to himself as he watched the Duchess of Renosa through the window.

Though she was far away, she stood out clearly. Dark hair, dark eyes.

She looked so much like Helmut that no one would doubt the three of them were related if Charlotte, Helmut, and the Grand Duke stood side by side.

The Crown Prince’s gaze glinted with keen interest.

“Asuka has quite the eye for beauty.”

She was a beautiful woman. Her delicate features stood out against her snow-white skin. Her elegantly styled black hair accentuated her graceful neck.

Her upright posture and the way she regarded others with clarity in her eyes—none of it seemed ordinary. Hers was a refinement neither fragile nor naive.

Though she was a swordswoman, the training grounds at Greta Academy were not under a scorching sun that would leave her skin and hair irreparably damaged. Whatever rough edges might have formed from her training had apparently been tended to with great care on her journey here.

Except for her unique aura, Charlotte appeared to be a perfect, impeccable noble lady.

“She’s almost too good for him, no?”

He realized, somewhat amused, that his words reflected his true feelings.

He found Charlotte quite appealing. He hadn’t fallen for her at first sight, but he was definitely intrigued.

That was enough. After all, he was the Crown Prince. Having an advantage over someone like Asuka was a given.

And there was one thing he felt certain of:

‘She can’t possibly have feelings for Asuka.’

Asuka’s mouth was notoriously foul. Even at Greta Academy, he constantly got into fights while pretending to be a commoner among the other nobles.

While his appearance was somewhat befitting of royalty, his temperament and actions detracted from it.

From a glance, the Duchess of Renosa seemed to have lofty standards. No matter how much Asuka hovered around or tried to woo her, it was unlikely she’d ever see him as a romantic prospect.

Aware of the person beside him, the Crown Prince muttered:

“To my eyes, the Duchess of Renosa looks perfectly suited for the position of Empress.”

A cold smile flickered across his lips. Though everyone whispered about it, it was clear that the Crown Prince was narrow-minded.

He had not forgotten what Asuka had done in their last competition. Though he pretended to be generous and told the Farnese Grand Duchess—Asuka’s mother—that he would overlook it, that was nowhere near enough to satisfy him.

As Crown Prince, disciplining his subjects was only natural.

It was all the more justified when it came to putting his brash, amusing, yet irritating cousin in his place.

‘Well, it’s also true that I find her quite appealing,’ he thought.

The Crown Prince, with a smile spreading across his face, turned to the person beside him.

“What do you think, Uncle?”

“Yes, Your Highness?”

Grand Duke Farnese wore an unusually troubled expression as he regarded the Crown Prince.

He, too, had been taken aback at the sight of Charlotte.

Though he had seen her portraits, he had assumed they were idealized. He hadn’t expected her to be such a beautiful noble lady.

He had also pictured a more muscular, solidly built female swordsman, which he thought would suit Asuka’s tastes. Seeing this graceful lady who appeared wholly incompatible with his son caught him off guard.

To make matters worse, the Crown Prince had taken a liking to her. This was a significant development indeed.

Still speaking in that deceptively gentle tone, the Crown Prince continued:

“Grand Duke Farnese, if it comes down to me and Asuka competing for her hand, surely you would side with Asuka, would you not?”

Grand Duke Farnese had spent far more time with the Crown Prince than with his own son, who had lived away from home at Greta Academy since childhood.

The bond between them was strong. Even so, he could not place the Crown Prince above his son.

The Duchess of Renosa was a prime opportunity to keep Asuka tied to the Empire.

Hiding his unease, the Grand Duke responded indifferently:

“The choice is hers to make, Your Highness.”

“Then, you wouldn’t mind if I approached the Duchess of Renosa?”

“…As long as you do not prevent Asuka from doing the same, Your Highness, I have no cause to raise objections.”

“Good. I shall take that as your permission.”

Leaving it at that, the Crown Prince turned to leave. A quiet sigh escaped the Grand Duke’s lips.

If the Crown Prince truly set his sights on her, Asuka would be in for a difficult battle.

In terms of ‘stature and decorum,’ there was no comparison between Asuka and the Crown Prince.

Whether Charlotte wanted neither of them was irrelevant. The moment she stepped into the palace, the fate of the Duchess of Renosa had been cast into a tempest beyond her control.

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