Helmut: The Forsaken Child - H.F.C Chapter 64 (Part 1):

“So you were trying to sell me out?”

‘He heard.’

Helmut responded with silence because it was true that he had tried to sell her out. After a brief pause, he spoke.

“It’s because of you.”

“Are you saying I told them to catch you and question our relationship? You should have known this would happen if you left the tutoring to me.”

‘How could I have known that?’

He thought, but even if he had known, there were no other options.

“Why couldn’t you shake them off? You actually enjoyed being surrounded by girls, didn’t you?”

As Alea asked with a hint of sarcasm, black eyes pierced through her.

“Do I look like I’m enjoying this?”

His voice had sharpened slightly.

“…No.”

Strangely, Alea’s mood seemed to lighten at his words. Her always sharp expression softened a bit, and her lips curved into a slight smile. It was an accident that she got involved, and it would be fine to say goodbye and turn away now. But Alea did not do that.

“What are you doing here?”

Over the past fortnight, Alea had come to understand Helmut’s patterns of behavior. Not that she was one to talk, but he was incredibly dull. He would either eat, sleep, study, or train. He wouldn’t have been lying in bed after an exam or meeting someone.

‘It seems like he doesn’t have any friends.’

Those with secrets are often like that. Since she was in a similar situation, she could guess. Helmut then spoke.

“I came to pick a birthday gift.”

“For whom?”

“For myself. Today is my birthday.”

“Oh, I thought…”

Alea asked back, surprised.

“Your birthday?”

Helmut nodded. Even though this birthday had just been decided today.

“Did Ethan Kudrow, your guardian, tell you to pick a gift?”

“Right.”

‘Birthday, huh.’

Alea’s mind was in turmoil. It wasn’t really her business whether it was his birthday or not. But hearing such news out of the blue made her feel like she should say something, yet she didn’t know what to say. Helmut turned to leave first.

“Then I’ll be off.”

He didn’t want to waste more time on strange girls. He planned to look around the shops. However, Alea instinctively reached out to grab him. No, she tried to. Helmut caught the hand touching his shoulder by reflex and turned back to look at Alea with dark eyes.

“Why.”

“You’re so sensitive. Let go.”

After Helmut let go of her hand, Alea frowned and checked her wrist. It wasn’t grabbed hard enough to hurt, but she couldn’t move at all. It felt like she was overpowered. And Helmut was looking at his palm, becoming more certain of his guess.

‘The skeleton.’

A wrist fine enough to fit perfectly in his palm. The skin wrapped around his palm was soft, comparable to silk or white bread. Somewhere in his chest tingled.

‘Is something hurting?’

Unknowingly, Helmut touched the area near his heart. Alea asked.

“Ah, are you hungry? Have you eaten?”

“I have.”

“…What about snacks?”

“I haven’t had any.”

Ethan Kudrow, being a noble, would enjoy a snack and tea time shortly after meals. Despite being a swordsman, he had high-class hobbies rather than being crude. That’s why his mansion and the academy’s room were decorated in an antique style.

But to Helmut, having tea shortly after a meal felt like a waste of time. It was like eating the meal in two parts. Why bother? Helmut, having never enjoyed such a thing, heard Alea say generously.

“That’s good. Then follow me. I’ll buy you something.”

She decided it would serve as compensation for the unpleasant incidents caused by her followers on his birthday. Alea came to that conclusion, setting aside the fact that she was not usually one to care about such things.

“Let’s go.”

Alea promptly led Helmut away. Thinking about it, it seemed a good idea to follow Alea and have her help pick something suitable. She had been in Baden for a long time, after all.

Soon, they were sitting across from each other in a café. The seats were separated by partitions, indicating the café’s luxury and high prices. A quick look at the menu confirmed that the prices were at least ten times those of a regular diner. Alea appeared to be a frequent visitor here, choosing the menu with ease. Helmut realized belatedly.

‘He’s rich.’

No wonder. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been able to casually return 50,000 marks. The surroundings were quiet, and the separated partitions hid them from other customers. Given Alea’s attention-grabbing appearance and her fervent followers, this seemed like her kind of place.

Helmut hadn’t noticed, but on the way here, not only Alea but also he had drawn attention. With his hair groomed and dressed neatly, he looked like a noble’s son. His well-built body, tall stature, and pale, aristocratic skin made him a handsome and sharp-looking young man. Only Alea’s followers seemed unable to properly recognize him.

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