Helmut: The Forsaken Child - H.F.C Chapter 409 (Part 2):

The Grand Duke slowly turned. Their eyes, the same shade, met. Neither could be said to be lighter or darker. Neither deeper nor shallower.

Like two distinct oceans, their eyes were strikingly similar yet entirely different.

The resemblance was twin-like, but the gap of years was unmistakable.

Abruptly, the Grand Duke posed a question.

“Are you prepared to bear the weight of Renosa?”

There were no warm greetings or affectionate words for his son.

What existed between them was a cold transaction.

To Helmut, that was preferable.

Affection could betray, but necessity did not.

And since the moment called for a ‘yes,’ Helmut answered.

“Yes.”

Unlike Charlotte or Michael, Helmut had not lived a life groomed to carry Renosa.

It was not a duty prepared for him.

But what was there that he couldn’t do? He had accomplished things far harder, things deemed near impossible.

‘I was already prepared.’

Yet, even for Helmut, that resolve had required anguish.

He knew the burden would be far from light.

But once decided, he had no intention of turning back.

People adapt to the roles they take on. Just as he had learned to become human at the academy, Helmut would grow to fit the role of Renosa’s heir.

“You carry the Seed of Darkness within you. That is true, isn’t it.”

Helmut answered clearly.

“Tell the temple that the Seed of Darkness no longer affects me. They were wrong, and what they did to me twenty years ago was, in the end, nothing but a slander against Renosa’s bloodline.”

The Grand Duke’s eyes narrowed, as if weighing the truth of his words.

Helmut intended to shatter the temple’s justification. They had sent him to the Forest of Roots because he was a bearer of the Seed of Darkness, destined to go mad and wreak havoc.

But if Helmut did not go mad, if the Seed of Darkness was merely a controllable factor, then the temple had sacrificed innocent lives based on the uncertain risk of potential madness.

And if one of those innocents was meant to be the heir of a nation, that was a grave issue.

A matter that would shake the temple’s credibility to its core.

“Is there a way to prove it?”

“There is.”

Instead of pressing for details, the Grand Duke changed the subject.

“Unlike Charlotte or Michael, you were not raised in Renosa, nor educated as a member of the grand duchy. For you to be readily accepted, you’ll need supporters. When you return to Renosa, I will arrange your betrothal.I will look for a suitable match.”

Helmut’s eyebrow twitched. Surely, the Grand Duke knew full well that Helmut had a lover, yet he spoke of a betrothal?

‘A test.’

With a cold expression, Helmut said,

“You seem to forget—I saved you.”

Having saved the Grand Duke of Renosa’s life, Helmut could leverage that to get his way.

His expression and tone carried an unyielding resolve.

It was a natural response, but also one given with the keen awareness that Alea might be listening.

A misstep here could spell trouble. That thought was somewhat daunting.

The Grand Duke’s voice lowered.

“Your saving me is a debt Renosa can never repay. However, that is a separate matter from acting as a fitting heir to Renosa.”

Just as the Crown Prince had once implied to Asuka, the Grand Duke was telling him to use the opportunity to demand repayment for the favor in a different way.

No, this was a warning.

The declaration of Helmut as Renosa’s heir was weighty, but not irrevocable.

If Helmut proved unsuitable, the Grand Duke would not hesitate to retract it.

This was a reminder of that fact.

The corner of Helmut’s mouth curled fiercely.

“Is betrayal the family motto of the Grand Duchy of Renosa?”

The Grand Duchess, who had been silent, lifted her head.

“Is betraying the lover who risked her life to rescue from the Forest of Roots the one abandoned even by his own blood the qualification of an heir?”

Even facing such blatant criticism, the Grand Duke didn’t bat an eyelid and maintained his stance.

“You said you would bear the burden of Renosa.”

“Bearing Renosa means upholding its honor. Honor lies in not betraying trust. Just as your daughter, my sister, Charlotte, has done.”

Helmut’s gaze remained fixed on the Grand Duke, so he could not see what expression the Grand Duchess wore at those words.

But he clearly saw the Grand Duke’s eyes waver.

Unable to deny Charlotte, the daughter he himself had praised, the Grand Duke faced a reprimand.

“You insist on walking the difficult path, leaving the advantageous one behind.”

“What matters is not advantage or disadvantage. There is only one path I can choose, so I will walk it.”

To begin with, weighing the position of Renosa’s Grand Duke against Alea was impossible.

“If you thought I would meekly follow your will, you’re gravely mistaken. The qualification isn’t something you gave me—it’s something I claimed.”

Helmut’s dark eyes gleamed coldly.

“Do not test me.”

Otaku_Tensei

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