The Secretary of the Northern Grand Duchess Has Run Away

Chapter 46:  Securing a Big Shot (6)

Ten years ago.

「The court declares the defendant, Bennet Tolkien, guilty of violating national security.」

The Imperial Court, Scales of Leonil.

From the massive judgment stand, the judge spoke.

「However, in consideration of his cultural contributions to date, I sentence him to exile instead of imprisonment.」

The judge looked down at Bennet, who stood in the defendant's seat, with a piercing glare.

He delivered the verdict in front of everyone.

「As of today, Bennet Tolkien is permanently expelled from the Empire’s ‘arts circle’.」

With those final words, the trial concluded.

Afterward, Bennet was dragged out of the courtroom under the escort of guards.

“Sir Bennet, why did you secretly help the refugee children escape!!”

As he descended the tall stairs,

reporters swarmed around and surrounded him.

“I no longer want my music to be used for political purposes.”

Perhaps because it was the last chance he had to speak in the capital,

Bennet calmly revealed his long-hidden truth.

“Rather than inciting young people with false songs, I wanted to help the victims of war.”

The sincerity of his answer silenced them for a moment.

Then, with eyes that declared he would never regret it, the once-great singer added,

“No matter what their nationality is.”

With those words, he said nothing more.

For just then, his wife, Miriam, had pushed through the crowd of reporters and approached him.

“Bennet……!!”

With a sorrowful expression, she embraced her husband.

The touching embrace between the singer and the noble family’s daughter drew the media’s attention.

“Miriam…….”

But—

Despite holding each other, their true feelings told a different story.

“I told you not to stand in my way.”

Contrary to her wistful expression, her whispered words were chilling.

“I should’ve never taken in a bastard without parents.”

At that close distance, her expression was cold and ruthless.

“Once you leave the capital, never come back. Spend the rest of your life with lowly orphans like yourself.”

She had married him only to use his popularity as a singer to boost her own status in high society.

Now that Bennet’s value had diminished, her face twisted in open disgust.

“Stand aside, everyone!!”

“Starting today, the sentence is being carried out! Bennet Tolkien must leave the capital!!”

As the guards cleared the way, the angry crowd, now pushed back, hurled stones at him.

“Ugh……!!”

A sharp edge struck his forehead, and blood began to trickle down.

Amidst the chaos, Bennet was dragged away by the guards, his eyes empty.

The love he once received as the singer of the century had instantly turned into harsh condemnation.

「――――――.」

Dale Town, a slum in the Empire’s northern city, Nord.

In a back alley there, a homeless man opened his eyes.

“Another same dream.”

He pushed up the hat he’d been wearing.

Then, with his one remaining eye, he looked out over the wide boulevard.

“Cough, cough……!”

Bennet grimaced and barely managed to swallow his saliva.

Overwhelmed by thirst and cold, my body trembled violently.

“You’re awake, singer.”

“Yes… How long was I asleep?”

An old vagrant who had been sitting beside me, lighting the end of a cigarette butt, raised his hand and formed the number eight with his fingers.

“Don’t know how long you slept, but it’s eight in the morning now.”

He then pointed toward the boulevard filled with swarming crowds.

“With that many people hustling around, I’m surprised you managed to sleep at all.”

“I must’ve been tired after stepping out for the first time in a while. Where are they all headed…?”

When I asked, rising on tiptoe to see, he chuckled and answered.

“Where else? Old Luton.”

He said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“Today’s the day, isn’t it? Her Majesty the Empress and His Highness the Prince are coming!!”

“They’re coming all the way here from the Imperial Palace…?”

“Yeah, to the Erian Hotel or whatever… I heard they’re coming to watch the performance there.”

Bennet’s lips parted as if he had just remembered something he’d forgotten.

And then, the promise he’d made four weeks ago flashed through his mind.

――――――.

At the sound of loud wheels clattering from the direction of the boulevard, he lifted his head.

“There you are, Sir Bennet!!”

And soon, he recognized the voice he had forgotten.

The only person who had approached him after he’d been cast out by the Empire.

“I’ve been looking for you everywhere!!”

I leaned my face out of the carriage window.

And with the most foxlike grin in the world, I smiled brightly at the once-great singer I had finally found.

“Aren’t you… President Roger of the Erian Hotel?”

“Yes. The stage you promised is ready, so I’ve come to escort you.”

The carriage came to a stop in front of Bennet.

I stepped down with the driver, who had his hat pulled low over his face, and paid him proper respect.

“Please, step inside. I promise you the finest seat, one you won’t regret.”

As the carriage door opened, a long red carpet unfurled.

Luxurious silk rolled out over the poorest road in the Empire.

Leading to the man who had once been the singer of the century—Bennet.

“Alright, let’s see what kind of grand stage you’ve prepared.”

After a moment’s hesitation, Bennet slowly stepped onto the red carpet.

And just as he climbed into the carriage—

“Hm…?”

One of his eyes suddenly gleamed.

Because inside, a man in a white gown was waiting for him.

“He says he’s a fan of yours, Sir Bennet. When he heard you’d be returning, he came personally to help.”

A man with black hair and blue eyes rose from his seat.

He politely gestured for the singer of the century to sit down.

“I’m Healer Harry. It’s an honor to meet you, sir.”

“This young man will be doing a full check-up on your health today.”

Bennet sat down on the cushioned seat, still looking stunned.

Then, a young mage, just about twenty, began carefully examining his body with sincerity.

“I’ll start by casting a vitality spell. Your body’s in pretty bad shape.”

“Thank you… I didn’t expect a young man like you to know who I am…”

Amal gave a gentle smile at Bennet’s words and lightly took hold of his arm.

Then, placing a hand over Bennet’s artery, he began the healing.

“Once treatment is done, we’ll get your clothes fitted right away. There’s not much time before the evening performance.”

“I never gave a definite answer that I’d be performing.”

The middle-aged gentleman drew a line, wearing a complicated expression.

Still, I kept smiling, unfazed by his reluctance.

“I believe you’ll end up taking the stage, whether you plan to or not.”

“Thanks for the treatment, but… this much isn’t nearly enough to convince me.”

Bennet muttered while watching the young mage, as if to say he’d experienced this kind of pampering plenty during his prime.

“But doesn’t your body feel just a bit better?”

“……”

He didn’t answer my question right away.

Then, after a moment, he quietly replied with a faint smile.

“Well, I suppose… it does feel warmer.”

As the treatment continued, the carriage made its way toward the hotel.

But suddenly, it began to slow down.

“Is there a traffic jam?”

I leaned my face out the window to check.

With carriages packed all the way to the horizon, the royal visit was beginning to feel real.

“This isn’t good. We’re cutting it close, especially if we’re going to fit in a rehearsal.”

I muttered while rubbing the back of my head.

Then, the quiet coachwoman finally spoke up.

“Shall I take a detour through the back alley?”

“The road’s narrow there. Will you be able to manage it?”

In response, the coachwoman turned her head.

Then, looking directly at Bennet with striking blue eyes, she said,

“Yes, I can. I majored in equestrian studies at the academy.”

The rare female coach driver took off her hat.

She tied her hair tightly to one side…

And with a confident shout, she grabbed the reins firmly.

“It may get a little bumpy.”

With her warning, the carriage slowly turned left.

Then, as it entered the alley,

it smoothly navigated the narrow country road with surprising agility.

Ku-gu-gu―――.

“I-Is this really alright…?!”

“Don’t worry. I told you, didn’t I?”

I placed a hand proudly over my chest and said,

“I promised to give you the best experience of your life today.”

Leaving the dumbfounded Bennet behind, I climbed into the passenger seat.

And, guiding the coachwoman myself, I gave her directions.

Toward my hotel—

Toward ‘Erian,’ where the greatest stage on earth would unfold.

Thus, Bennet Tolkien returned to the hotel after four weeks.

Dressed like a shabby vagrant, he strolled into the hotel without a care.

“I’ve reserved a seat for you on the second floor.”

The entrance was filled with high-ranking guests who had come for tonight’s performance.

They looked on in confusion at the sight of Bennet, who didn’t match the elegant atmosphere in the slightest.

“Here they are—the top-tier tailor and barber I brought in just for today.”

As we climbed the spiral staircase, the professionals who had been waiting in advance welcomed Bennet.

After finishing a detailed order for the dress code, I stepped back to watch his transformation from a distance.

“Let’s start by taking your measurements. And please wash your face while you’re at it.”

“Yes, understood. Would you follow me this way?”

The tailor, a woman with blue eyes and black hair, smiled brightly.

Bennet didn’t react much to her pure smile, but he obediently followed her.

“Let’s begin with your sleeves.”

As if accustomed to having suits tailored, Bennet lifted his arm.

The tailor skillfully began to measure him.

“Do you work here at the hotel?”

“No, I’m here on a short assignment, you could say.”

The middle-aged man, who had once been part of the Empire’s upper class, nodded with little expression.

After that, a quiet stillness filled the hotel’s tailoring room as she continued taking his measurements.

“You must’ve had a rough time.”

The one to break the silence was the tailor herself.

Like a seasoned professional, she gently softened the mood as she measured Bennet’s arm.

“No one escapes the passage of time. Once you pass middle age, you just start withering away.”

The singer of the century responded flatly, indifferent to her warm approach.

“Do you have any children?”

“No. Got divorced before I even had the chance.”

Divorce.

That single word alone was enough to bring a chilling hush over the atmosphere in the room.

But that had been Bennet’s intent all along.

As if testing me—the one who had boldly declared I’d give him the finest stage.

“I see.”

Surprisingly, though, the tailor’s expression didn’t falter.

Instead, with a somber look in her eyes, she offered him empathy.

“You must’ve felt very lonely all this time.”

“……”

A typical young person might’ve gone quiet, cursing under their breath at such a response.

But for some reason, this tailor continued to adjust herself to Bennet’s emotional state.

Perhaps because of that,

the middle-aged man spoke to the young tailor with a slightly remorseful expression.

“I wasn’t lonely.”

Bennet let out a deep breath.

And then he turned his gaze out the tailor shop window, toward the city of Nord.

“Even though I didn’t have children, I had other kids who were just as precious to me.”

The majestic northern mountain range that surrounded Nord.

Beyond that lay the kingdom that once went to war with the Empire.

“When I imagine how those kids must’ve gone back and grown up well…”

Bennet recalled the children he had sent away to safety.

The children who, even while leaving, had cried and thanked him.

“I don’t feel lonely at all.”

There must have been moments when he regretted helping those children.

When he was cast out from the capital and the world turned its back on him—

For someone once honored as the singer of the century, it must have been unbearable.

“……”

But just for this moment, while speaking of them, a spark of life returned to Bennet’s eyes for the first time.

The tailor, who had been quietly observing him, lowered her head and spoke softly.

“Your arm has gotten very thin. I’ll need to make some alterations to get the fit just right.”

“Is that so…? Sorry to trouble you.”

Bennet reverted to a neutral expression, as if regretting the unnecessary comment.

But the tailor simply shook her head with a gentle smile.

“No trouble at all. I’ll make the adjustments quickly, so please just relax.”

After finishing the measurements, Bennet headed to the barbershop.

Perhaps because he had looked so much like a vagrant,

it took quite a long time for him to come back out.

But once he stepped into the hallway again, the transformation was striking.

“……”

The clear sound of polished shoes echoed from afar.

A sleek navy suit and crisp white shirt.

A clean-shaven face and neatly combed gray hair, slicked back with pomade.

“You’ve returned, Sir Bennet.”

With my hands behind my back, I faced him—restored once more to the singer of the century.

The middle-aged gentleman looked noticeably more relaxed, as if he didn’t mind how he looked now.

As if he had finally put on clothes that truly fit him.

“I never thought the day would come when I’d wear something like this again.”

Though it was a formal suit, to someone like him—born for the stage—it looked far more comfortable than the rags of a vagrant.

“It seems everything is ready now.”

“Yes. Let’s go take a look, shall we?”

I gestured politely toward the elevator.

An antique marble floor moved with mana stones beneath it.

We stepped onto it together.

――――――.

The elevator slowly ascended toward the top floor of the hotel.

As if rising closer to the blue moon.

“Here we are.”

When we reached the ninth floor, a massive door at the end of a long hallway came into view.

Bennet stared intently at it.

He had spent a lifetime standing on stages, and his instincts told him this was the entrance.

“Shall we go up?”

The middle-aged gentleman walked the hallway alone.

And the moment he pushed open the door and looked inside—

The sight of the performance hall reflected in Bennet’s dimmed eyes.

The grand vision of the Erian Hall, completed after a month of major construction.

“What do you think, Sir Bennet?”

I slowly followed after him and asked.

In a magnificent concert hall with 250 seats, even though it was an indoor stage.

“……”

Bennet didn’t respond immediately.

But soon, I saw the reaction I’d been hoping for.

“It’s a well-built venue.”

The great singer turned to look at me gently.

At that warm expression, I cheered inwardly.

“I’m glad you like it.”

I approached calmly and stood beside him.

Together, we looked out at the empty audience seats with satisfaction.

But—

With his next words, all the joy drained from my face.

“However… I don’t think I’ll be going up on that stage.”

Despite his calm demeanor, he had just turned down the performance.