NOVEL WEB Chapter 5
My beloved daughter, Rosalyn Wenford.
How’s life at Bronde Academy?
I’m glad to be able to deliver good news to you, my dear.
A long letter filled with splendid news flew to her, bringing a stream of tears as Rosalyn Wenford, Sir Wenford’s daughter, gently embraced it.
“Father…”
Her hair, a resplendent shade of red like summer roses.
Bright green eyes, fresh like young leaves.
A graceful face with a pure yet intellectually charming allure.
A soft smile blossomed on her lips, regarded as one of the academy’s top beauties along with Princess Diana.
It had already been several years since her father had fallen out of favor with the Emperor and was demoted to the outskirts.
After her family lost power, Rosalyn’s life had turned into hell in an instant.
Friends she had gotten close to turned their backs on her.
All that returned were disrespectful and cold glances, and indirect neglect.
Thus, the daily excitement that her peers would welcome at the academy was merely an extension of her being treated as a transparent person.
However, as the saying goes, “Every cloud has a silver lining,” her family’s fortunes dramatically changed overnight.
Now, her father was appointed as the Minister of the Army, commanding the empire’s ground forces.
She was elevated in status as the one and only precious noble daughter of the Army Minister.
And this miracle was all thanks to one play.
“Phantom Writer…”
Whether he actually wrote the script based on the Emperor and Father Wenford, she didn’t know.
However, regardless of his intentions, the ripple effect from this was beyond imagination.
“Thank you. Really, thank you.”
To Rosalyn, who had lived a life of tragedy, Phantom was not just a mere creator.
He was her savior from a painful existence.
A hero, akin to a prince riding a white horse from a fairy tale.
Of course, it wasn’t just the grace that made her admire Phantom.
Even without external factors, [Admiral Lee] was undoubtedly a masterpiece.
Simply because the content was interesting wasn’t enough.
Phantom’s script held an inexplicable power that pulled people in.
His characters were not mere creations; they felt alive and breathed with the audience.
The immersion that could never be found in half-hearted narratives drew in the audience.
Who else but a literary genius could write such an immortal masterpiece?
“……Puhuhuh.”
While praising Phantom for quite a while, she suddenly burst out laughing without realizing it.
How long has it been since she could feel this at ease and joyful?
It felt like returning to the carefree days of childhood when there were no worries or troubles.
As she delicately folded her father’s letter and stored it away, Rosalyn quietly turned the doorknob to the dormitory.
A day of unexpected joy had come to her.
Naturally, there were people she needed to share this happiness with.
<><><>
Shortly after the premiere of [Admiral Lee: The Final Battle].
“What, the theater company just got…”
My mind was foggy as I blankly asked.
“Funding! A substantial amount of funding just came down from the royal family! They want the whole imperial family to attend the next performance!”
Renoir replied brightly.
“The young prince passionately convinced His Majesty! Apparently, that man is a huge fan of Admiral Lee! He even joked that if the sequel was delayed even a tad, he might have mobilized the royal guards to arrest you!”
…Was that a joke? Please tell me that was a guard joke!
“Let’s go inside and talk about it! We have to discuss how to distribute the funding. Most of it will go to you since the script’s merit is immense, haha!”
Laughing heartily, Renoir patted my shoulder.
Thanks to Phantom, the theater’s reputation was also soaring, bringing a pleasant vibe.
But honestly, I couldn’t laugh along with him at all.
<><><>
“Haa…”
As I returned to the dorm after leaving Killgrewber.
Having changed back into my original uniform, I let out a long sigh.
‘There’s no way I could return the funding, right?’
If I were the previous Ha Eun-seong, I would be overjoyed to the point of my eyes popping out.
The immense dividends from the performance revenue, and the royal funding on top of that.
Just from two works, I’d made a fortune piling up mountains of money in my bank account.
However, as Balthazar Arture, my position was somewhat different.
‘This is on a whole different level compared to an ordinary rich person sponsoring!’
Funding was Phantom’s way of encouragement, but it also put an unspoken pressure to hurry up and release the next chapter.
If I didn’t release it soon after so generously providing, there would be an immense risk of anger.
The next chapter had to be of high quality while satisfying his tastes and retaining the essence.
Suddenly, a horror movie from the 1990s flashed through my mind.
‘Aaaah! How dare you kill my Misery!’
‘I’m doing all this for you, and you still slack off? Ungrateful little writer!’
‘Your work is the best, Paul! So I’ll break your legs so you can’t go anywhere!’
The film adaptation of Stephen King’s novel, Misery, portraying the worst nightmare of an acclaimed writer.
In my previous life, it was just an entertaining whim, but here, it may actually become a reality.
“Ew, gross! I got chills!”
I shivered at the thought of Annie Wilkes breaking the protagonist’s legs.
But it was all spilled milk now.
I knew already that I couldn’t return the money.
If I turned it down out of burden, that would be disloyal.
If I took it and did a runner, that would be treason.
Moreover, if I backed out here, the poor folks from the theater company would suffer.
Finding another playwright who could guarantee a hit like Phantom would be akin to plucking stars from the sky.
In the end, I trudged back to the dorm with a throbbing headache.
And the moment I opened the door, I was met with a greeting.
“Yo, roommate.”
A slightly tipsy Maurice waved from his bed.
“Balthazar! You’ve come!”
And for some reason, Rosalyn was in the male dormitory room too.
“Rosalyn? What brings you suddenly to my room?”
Rosalyn Wenford, with whom I hadn’t made any friends due to political reasons, was now here.
Only Maurice and I had somewhat maintained closeness with her.
Our families had a long-standing relationship from the past.
Still, I couldn’t ignore the Emperor’s watchful eye, so I had to act somewhat aloof.
“Well, today my father was officially appointed as the Army Minister. His Majesty finally recognized my father’s loyalty.”
“Is that so?”
I had heard some rumors over the past few days.
A loyal general, Sir Wenford, who had been exiled to the outskirts by the Emperor’s dislike.
I had considered it merely gossip until now, but seeing Rosalyn’s reaction, it seemed like 100% confirmed news.
“This is all thanks to the Phantom Writer. Because of the play he wrote, my father is returning to the capital.”
At that moment, Rosalyn clasped her hands as if in prayer and her eyes sparkled.
“Phantom, he must truly be a genius sent by heaven. His delicate lyrics that touch the heart, the strong delivery and engagement of the characters, and the perfect balance of pacing. He is like a savior to my life and soul, Balthazar.”
…That Phantom is me.
The feeling was strange, hearing such embarrassing praise about my alternate identity right before my eyes.
Wheek!
Maurice, trying to tease me, whistled behind me.
His grinning face was so annoying that I wanted to punch him.
Feeling a bit embarrassed, I hurriedly shifted the topic in another direction.
“That’s great to hear. But did you come all this way just to brag about Phantom Writer? You know girls shouldn’t be in the male dormitory.”
Bronde Academy strictly separated male and female living quarters.
No male or female students could invade each other’s common spaces according to school rules.
Of course, many troublemakers disregarded this due to youthful vigor, but it was surprising to see the typically well-behaved Rosalyn breaking the rules.
“Um, no, that’s not why I’m here.”
With a gentle smile, Rosalyn stepped forward, whispering.
“I just wanted to thank you and Maurice. Especially you.”
“A thank you?”
“Thanks to you, I was able to endure the difficult academy life. When others treated me like a bug and ignored me, your warm words and gentle gaze allowed me to hold on.”
“……”
“You said once, right? That anger and happiness circulate like a spiral. Life is unpredictable, but if you endure, the sunlight will brighten your path again.”
Gently grasping my hand, Rosalyn lowered her head.
A blush like peaches spread across her cheeks.
“Thank you. Because of your one kind word, I didn’t give up and was able to taste a miracle like today. You and the Phantom Writer are my lifelong benefactors, Balthazar.”
If you endure, the light will shine again.
In reality, it wasn’t a special fortune I had come up with.
It was just a word of comfort for her, who had become the target of bullying for no reason.
Adding my age from both lives sums up to 50 years of life experience.
Having gone through various storms, the saying “Every cloud has a silver lining” seemed the most plausible.
But it was surprising to see my casual encouragement and those two trivial plays save her life.
A feeling of pride I had never felt before gently blossomed in my chest.
I thought my parents back home would be very proud of their son’s ‘achievements’ if they could see me now.
‘…By the way, they still don’t know that I’m Phantom.’
Only Maurice knew that I was Phantom.
Having returned to the boarding school soon after finishing the script, I missed the chance to explain things to my parents.
That led to a mishap of receiving two tickets for [Admiral Lee] in the mail, supposedly to take a lovely lady on a romantic date.
‘But honestly, I have no energy to care about a date right now.’
Considering the funding just came from the royal family, that was even more true.
I needed to churn out material and finish the script as soon as possible.
One that matched the likes of General Yi Sun-sin, while also catering to the tastes of the Emperor’s family and nobility.
But surprisingly, I was at a loss for ideas as the situation arose.
I mean, it’s not like a spectacular figure rivaling General Yi Sun-sin was just going to pop into my mind.
Not knowing this, Maurice raised a glass from the common table and shouted.
“Hey, Balthazar! Hurry and sit down! Rosalyn brought top-quality wine to celebrate! When you come, we’ve got a dice game ready for the three of us!”
“Forget the wine! What dice game are you talking about? Are you a child?”
“S-sorry, Balthazar. Actually, I wanted to play, that’s why I mentioned it. Was it too childish after all?”
“……Well, every adult should maintain a touch of childlike innocence and pure interests, dear Rosalyn! Having hobbies that don’t change even after becoming an adult is part of who we are!”
Damn it. The word “silly” just popped out.
As I anxiously glanced at Rosalyn to gauge her reaction, an excited Maurice pointed at my usual seat, urging me.
“Hurry, sit down! We need to start! This dice over here has already been rolled!”
“Aah, you’re so noisy.”
What dice? I’m dying of a headache.
I couldn’t care less about any dice game… Wait?
The dice was already rolled?
‘That’s it!’
A brilliant idea sparked like lightning in my mind.
I silently rejoiced and clenched my fists.
[Admiral Lee]’s sequel by Phantom Writer.
I had an inkling of who the protagonist should be.