Helmut: The Forsaken Child - H.F.C Chapter 415 (Part 2):

“What? Come to see me in this pathetic state? You must be satisfied now.”

It was absurd that their reunion happened this way.

Michael responded with a defiant expression.

Charlotte approached him, taking a deep breath. Then, with all her strength, she swung her fist.

*Thud!* A trained swordmaster’s strike was not something Michael could dodge.

If only she had done this every time he provoked her.

His head slammed against the sofa’s headrest from the impact. His mouth bled, and his cheek swelled instantly.

Michael stared at her in disbelief.

Charlotte hitting him? It was a situation he’d never experienced.

In his memory, Charlotte was not someone capable of striking him.

Shock and confusion gave way to a delayed protest.

“W-What are you doing!”

“Be grateful you survived today.”

A icy fury blazed across Charlotte’s face.

Had she ever looked at Michael with such a cold expression?

“Michael, from now on, I don’t care whether you live or die.”

Michael shouted, as if possessed.

“Where did you learn such barbaric behavior? At Greta or from your brother?”

“You deserved it. I didn’t realize that before. But now I do.”

Michael had ignored her, treated her cruelly, and tried to hurt her. For years, Charlotte had simply endured it.

Because Michael was her frail, sickly brother, whose life could end at any moment.

“You’re pathetically weak, and I’m strong. But that doesn’t mean what you did to me didn’t affect me.”

“Charlotte!”

“Don’t ever speak to me so carelessly again. Whether you’re bedridden or on the brink of death, I won’t show you any mercy anymore.”

With those words, Charlotte turned sharply. Her fierce aura kept him from stopping her.

For a while, Michael sat stunned, clutching his throbbing cheek.

Twice in one day, he had been humiliated.

Though he had steeled himself for death, all that remained was the disgrace of swallowing a vile insect and being beaten like an animal.

And that disgrace would follow Michael until his dying day.

Tears welled in his bloodshot blue eyes.

Not born of pretense or manipulation, but a pitiable sorrow emanated from him.

With no choice, Michael had to summon the healers back.

The only one who would comfort and console him was his mother, Margret.

*

The heir to Renosa. Naturally, this implied that Helmut could command the Black Wing Knights.

However, few among the Black Wing Knights were willing to accept this new reality readily.

Even if it was the command of the Grand Duke of Renosa, whom they served.

Helmut, who had appeared out of nowhere, was an unfamiliar presence that sparked resistance among the knights.

Most of them had lived their lives believing Michael would one day ascend to the Grand Duke’s seat.

Had the heir they were to serve been Charlotte, the Black Wing Knights might have grudgingly accepted it.

Her mentor was the commander of the Black Wing Knights, and Charlotte had proven herself by graduating top of her class at Greta Academy with exceptional swordsmanship.

But for the heir to be neither Michael nor Charlotte, but someone else entirely?

Few Black Wing Knights had witnessed Helmut’s skills firsthand.

Though he had won the martial tournament, doubts lingered.

An unknown figure, whose face they had never even seen. Could Renosa be entrusted to such a person?

Skepticism and suspicion fed into one another.

Though frail, Michael had been involved in the Grand Duchy’s internal affairs as a member of the family.

He had already proven his competence.

Unlike the straightforward Charlotte, Michael had charmed them with his human appeal.

His delicate health evoked a protective instinct, amplified by his tragically beautiful appearance.

Despite his critical limitations, he had devoted his life to Renosa as a member of the Grand Duchy.

And now, the Grand Duke’s eldest son had appeared out of nowhere to seize the heir’s seat.

Moreover, on his first visit to Latona, he had assaulted the frail Grand Prince!

To them, Michael seemed like the tragic protagonist of a story.

As the matter concerned the honor of the Grand Duchy, the details involving the Grand Duchess and Michael were hushed up and scarcely known.

Pity and resentment combined, making it difficult for most Black Wing Knights to mentally accept that they must follow Helmut.

“It’s up to your ability to bring them under your control.”

The Grand Duke of Renosa had thrown out the challenge.

Helmut knew exactly what he needed to demonstrate in this situation.

As he had done in Basor, there was always an easy method available to him.

Otaku_Tensei

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