Helmut: The Forsaken Child - H.F.C Chapter 401 (Part 2):

“……Didn’t you say there was no need to decide on marriage proposals immediately?”

The moment he saw how splendidly his daughter had grown, the Grand Duke understood why the Emperor had been so eager about the marriage talks.

By tradition, there were no ugly ducklings in Renosa’s bloodline. Charlotte was its finest product—

Not only beautiful but intelligent, righteous, skilled with a sword, dignified, and the Duchess of Renosa.

‘It’s not just through a father’s eyes; she’s more than qualified for the position of Empress.’

The Grand Duke of Renosa thought, seemingly objectively. From Charlotte’s perspective too, men of suitable status for her were rare.

When a marriage proposal arrived, especially if it was from the best possible candidate, it was right for their side to consider it positively.

The Grand Duke had no intention of lowering his standards.

If Asuka had been a commoner seeking Charlotte’s hand, the Grand Duke would never have allowed it.

The Grand Duke asked insinuatingly.

“You’ve been with the Crown Prince all this time. It’s natural that feelings might develop.”

Charlotte blinked. They had mostly been buried in paperwork.

Though they saw each other nearly every day, their conversations revolved almost entirely around the tournament.

“He is the Crown Prince. I may have grown somewhat familiar with him, but I hold no other feelings toward him.”

Charlotte’s walls were steel. Unlike Asuka, the Crown Prince was a figure who could twist her life even if she refused.

She never forgot that. A pity for the Crown Prince, who had tried to approach her subtly all this time.

Reading her expression, the Grand Duke pressed,

“Hmm? Then what about the other one? The Grand Duke Farnese’s son—your senior in the swordsmanship department at the academy, wasn’t he? You’ve spent much more time with him.”

Charlotte sensed that the Grand Duke wasn’t speaking as the ruler of Renosa, but out of personal curiosity.

This attitude was unfamiliar and awkward.

Even the Grand Duke of Renosa wasn’t immune to prying into his daughter’s love life, just like any father.

The problem was, Charlotte found it uncomfortable.

Her expression hardened, and she cut him off curtly.

“Your Grace, the final match is about to begin. Let’s discuss this another time.”

Dismissing the matter as trivial, Charlotte made it clear she had no energy for such distractions.

With a sigh, the Grand Duke had no choice but to swallow his questions.

—

Meanwhile…

The Grand Duchess of Renosa, Margret, walked with a shawl draped over her shoulders. Though she had claimed to want to see the tournament grounds, in truth, she sought solace from her worries in the stroll.

‘Will Michael be alright?’

She couldn’t help but worry about her sickly son, left behind in Renosa.

Yet she had chosen to accompany the Grand Duke here.

If trouble arose from Renosa’s entanglement with the Temple, she was not without responsibility.

By showing her presence in strengthening ties with the Empire, she needed to prove she stood with the Grand Duke—not the Temple.

No matter how tensions between the Temple and the Empire escalated, Margret would act as the Grand Duchess of Renosa, regardless of her faith.

‘I feel strangely stifled.’

Margret sighed. Lately, she kept sinking into anguish. She, too, had her balance—but unlike Charlotte’s.

As the Grand Duchess of Renosa, a devout follower of Lumen, and a mother.

But lately, Margret felt that the roles she believed she had faithfully performed for decades were not being properly fulfilled.

A vague sense that something, somewhere, had gone askew.

The Grand Duke neither blamed her nor demanded anything. Reading his will and acting accordingly was second nature to her.

A couple who flowed together like water. Yet sometimes, she felt a faint wall between them.

Since when? Perhaps… since the moment he died and came back to life.

‘I don’t regret what happened then.’

Margret clenched her fists tightly.

Suddenly, she looked around as if to confirm where she was.

The tournament arena where the final match would be held was quiet. Following the Grand Ducal family of Renosa, the Emperor of the Empire would also visit this place. Because of this, the tournament grounds were under iron-tight security and perfectly controlled.

Margret asked Alonso, the commander of the Black Wing Knights, who was following behind her.

“Who are the favorites to win?”

“They are not well-known individuals. Since they are not knights, you likely wouldn’t recognize their names even if you heard them.”

Margret did not know what the Grand Duke had uncovered—that one of them was a holy knight sent by the Temple.

Just then, a man approached them directly from afar. Alonso narrowed his eyes warily and stepped in front of Margret.

“That man is one of the finalists—a participant called ‘Servant.’”

Strangely, the moment Margret saw him, she vaguely sensed his identity.

Despite never having met or heard of him before.

‘Does he belong to the Temple?’

The man bowed respectfully to Margret.

“It is an honor to meet Her Grace, the Grand Duchess of Renosa.”

His tone carried certainty. He hadn’t guessed from Alonso—he knew exactly who she was.

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