Helmut: The Forsaken Child - H.F.C Chapter 402 (Part 1):

Though she had been keeping a low profile recently, Margret was still under suspicion for her ties to the Temple.

Approaching her like this when she was trying to distance herself from them was problematic. A report would surely reach the Grand Duke.

Margret handled the situation deftly.

“How does a participant of the martial arts tournament know of me?”

“I have had the occasion to see your face from afar before.”

Even Margret, who rarely ventured out, had occasionally visited the Temple. It wasn’t strange for him to recognize her.

The man’s golden eyes deepened.

“What are Your Grace, the Grand Duchess of Renosa’s thoughts on the will of Lumen.”

Why, in this place, in this way. Was he testing her faith as a believer?

A headache pulsed. Margret answered like a sigh.

“How could I dare presume to know the will of a god?”

If it was Lumen’s will that she became the Grand Duchess of Renosa, then following the Grand Duke’s will and living for Renosa must also be Lumen’s will. That was what she had always believed.

“Then, if there is someone here who carries out the will of the god, would you pray for his victory?”

Margret’s eyes wavered. Praying for his victory meant praying for the Grand Duke’s defeat. It would mean ruining the very moment Renosa and the Empire joined hands.

But Margret had other calculations.

There must be a reason for his confidence.

The Empire had turned its back on the Temple, but Renosa had not. Officially, they still maintained neutrality.

If the Temple achieved their plans, shouldn’t Renosa leave itself some room to maneuver?

Perhaps the Temple also wanted to confirm that Renosa hadn’t fully sided with the Empire.

Moreover, as a believer, she was reluctant to refuse a holy knight’s request.

Margret offered a gentle smile and gave him the answer he wanted.

“May the will of the god be fulfilled through your sword.”

If that is Lumen’s will, then may you prevail. Margret’s words were exquisitely ambiguous.

Servant bowed in satisfaction before leaving. The Grand Duchess of Renosa still leaned toward their side, it seemed.

Margret quietly watched his retreating figure. If he won, she believed it would unfold in a way that benefited Renosa—that, too, must be Lumen’s will.

She didn’t realize that, until the very end, she had chosen someone other than Helmut. Her choices were astonishingly consistent.

Once he disappeared, Margret turned to Alonso and asked:

“Does His Grace the Grand Duke know that man is a holy knight?”

She immediately distanced herself from the Temple, probing the Grand Duke’s intentions. Margret was every bit the noblewoman.

Alonso’s eyebrow twitched. Gauging the Grand Duchess’s true thoughts wasn’t his role as a knight.

Yet, whenever he faced her, he couldn’t shake an inexplicable discomfort.

He had never grown accustomed to her deliberate mannerisms and speech—different from the Grand Duke’s, yet eerily similar to Michael’s.

“Yes, he is aware.”

“Wouldn’t it be troublesome if he were to win? The Temple wouldn’t have sent just any holy knight.”

Margret frowned, as if genuinely concerned.

“……His opponent in the final match is also not someone to be taken lightly.”

“So you believe he has the upper hand?”

Margret’s gaze sharpened. Alonso, commander of the Black Wing Knights, swallowed his words.

The Grand Duke’s firstborn. Helmut’s existence was foreign even to him. Back when he didn’t know Helmut’s identity, Alonso had been the one to say that if they couldn’t eliminate such a dangerous individual, they should send him away.

Only recently learning the truth, Alonso felt dizzy with disbelief.

‘How dare I…?’

As a knight sworn to protect the Grand Duke’s household, he had judged the Grand Duke’s own blood as a threat to Renosa.

His opinion must have heavily influenced the Grand Duchess’s choice.

Given the unimaginable circumstances, Alonso’s judgment hadn’t been reckless or wrong—he had only spoken as a knight commander should.

But he couldn’t help feeling responsible for the consequences, for the secrets revealed too late.

Now, silence was demanded of him.

With the Grand Duke’s household divided for their own reasons, he had to guard the secrets as a knight loyal to the Grand Duke.

“Do you perhaps know anything about that man? I heard that one of the finalists wears an iron mask.”

“He’s not a member of the Black Wing Knights, nor is he from the Empire, as far as I know. He’s believed to be from a distant land.”

“A hidden master… A mercenary, perhaps?”

“I don’t know the details.”

“Well, the tournament’s prize is substantial. We’ll see his true face in the final match, I suppose.”

Margret readily accepted Alonso’s curt reply.

“The luncheon will begin soon, won’t it? Let’s go to the Grand Duke. It’s been a while since I’ve seen… Charlotte.”

With smooth strides, Margret walked ahead.

Alonso followed silently, his face stiff.

‘The final is approaching.’

At last, everything would shed its veil and reveal itself clearly.

Otaku_Tensei

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