Helmut: The Forsaken Child - H.F.C Chapter 379 (Part 1):

The Imperial Palace was in an uproar. Charlotte had arrived, flying the banner of Renosa, as this was an official visit.

It was the first time Duchess Charlotte of Renosa, who had always remained shrouded in mystery, officially appeared in the Empire.

On top of that, although she was entirely different from Michael, she was a spitting image of the Grand Duke himself—only in the form of a striking beauty.

With marriage talks already circulating, it was no wonder the entire palace was in a frenzy.

The only one who was completely oblivious to this fact was Asuka.

Alea had already heard about Charlotte’s arrival, thanks to maintaining contact with her; however, she hadn’t bothered to inform Asuka.

Truth be told, Alea wasn’t particularly friendly, and unless absolutely necessary, she saw no reason to engage in conversation with Asuka.

“Is it true the Duchess of Renosa is visiting the Imperial Palace?”

Only after Sian returned from the Imperial Library and told him did Asuka finally learn about it.

Though the official reason given was merely to offer greetings, the Empire had an unmarried Crown Prince and Imperial Princes of marriageable age, as well as Asuka—who had recently come into prominence.

Naturally, talk of marriage was unavoidable.

Asuka, who often came and went from the Imperial Palace and had even attended balls, found it strange that he had heard nothing about such a significant event.

His mother would typically inform him in advance about important occasions. Why was he left in the dark about this one?

‘Could it be? No way…’

“Seeing Charlotte dressed up like a proper duchess and dancing at a ball… It’d be a pretty unusual sight,” Asuka mused.

“Since when do commoners go to fancy balls?” Sian mumbled under his breath.

Annoyed by Sian’s grumbling, Asuka immediately snapped at him before storming off to confront Grand Duke Farnese.

“Father, what is going on? Don’t tell me you summoned Charlotte here because of me?”

In the back of his mind, Asuka was aware that if he were to become Grand Duke Farnese’s successor, he might be expected to form a marriage alliance with Charlotte. But he never imagined it would come crashing down on him without so much as a warning.

His father’s immediate response was a sharp reprimand.

“She has come here officially as a member of the Renosa ducal family. Even if she is your junior, I will not tolerate you calling her so casually by name. It seems you need etiquette lessons again.”

Starting out tough is a natural tactic to get the other person to back down. Moreover, mentioning a return to etiquette training usually made Asuka shrink back at once.

Yet this time, Asuka stood his ground.

“This is an unofficial meeting, and I’m asking if Charlotte came to the Empire because of me. She’s still a student—she hasn’t even graduated. What on earth is this?”

Suspicion flickered in Asuka’s eyes. If she had indeed been summoned here for him, for the sake of marriage talks, the thought alone made him feel oddly embarrassed and want to back away.

Clearly, Asuka was nowhere near ready for something like this. It was far too soon.

“It was the Grand Duke of Renosa’s decision. Do you honestly think I have the authority to arrange her visit?” Grand Duke Farnese replied calmly.

Grand Duke Farnese skillfully dodged the point. Of course, it was true that the Grand Duke of Renosa had made the decision. But given the debt Renosa owed after the crown prince’s assassination attempt, it was clear that they had been pressured into it.

“So, you’re saying you had no involvement?” Asuka pressed.

“His Highness the Crown Prince seemed quite taken with her. Though he’d heard she was a swordswoman, it appears he didn’t realize she would be quite so beautiful. And she carried herself with the poise befitting a Grand Duchess of Renosa.”

“You met her yourself, Father? Seriously? Did Charlotte actually show up wearing a dress? That doesn’t suit her at all,” Asuka grumbled.

But hearing someone praise the woman he liked—well, Asuka couldn’t help feeling oddly mollified.

Grand Duke Farnese watched his son’s reaction intently. ‘If Charlotte were to be taken by the Crown Prince, would Asuka truly accept that?’

When it came to matters like this, even Grand Duke Farnese couldn’t predict his son’s behavior. After all, Charlotte was one of the main reasons Asuka had chosen to remain here in the Empire he once so loathed. He might well grab the Crown Prince by the collar—and that would be a mild reaction.

Still, Asuka also seemed rather vulnerable when it came to the Duchess of Renosa. Maybe he would accept her rejection without fuss—no one could be certain.

‘The biggest variable is where the Duchess of Renosa’s heart lies.’

Right now, Asuka and Charlotte were merely close senior and junior. Even if the Crown Prince got involved, the situation wasn’t romantic enough to cause a major scandal. And at the level of an arranged marriage between countries, Asuka’s little crush was a trivial matter.

From Charlotte’s point of view, the Crown Prince might seem like a better match. If she were pushed aside as the heir due to her distant relationship with Michael, staying in Renosa would be burdensome. Becoming the empress of the empire would be the highest position she could attain.

All things considered, between Asuka and the Crown Prince, the Crown Prince would be deemed superior in status.

‘This is troublesome. It would have been better if they had built a relationship,’ the Grand Duke thought.

But if they had simply invited her to the Farnese mansion without an official visit as the Duchess of Renosa, there was no guarantee she would have accepted.

Grand Duke Farnese was also aware of Charlotte’s precarious position between Renosa and Helmut. With her brother Helmut visiting, it would have been inappropriate to summon her to the ducal mansion. Even if Charlotte agreed, it would have caused complications. The likelihood of Renosa discovering Helmut’s presence would increase, and it could give the impression that Grand Duke Farnese was siding against Renosa or interfering in the succession.

Burdened by these complex thoughts, Grand Duke Farnese decided to tell Asuka what he needed to know.

“His Highness the Crown Prince has shown a keen interest in her.”

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