The Secretary of the Northern Grand Duchess Has Run Away

Chapter 49: Securing a Big Shot (9)

The day after the performance.

The Gold Morning newspaper was filled to the brim with stories from last night.

「Singer of the Century, Bennet Tolkien, Finally Returns.」

“Wow—. They really dressed it up to score a suite room.”

I read the newspaper at the entrance of the dormitory.

With a warm coffee in one hand.

Breakfast wasn’t particularly necessary.

Because each article here filled me up just fine.

「Her Majesty the Empress Praises the Performance. Declares She Will Visit Old Luton Regularly to Attend Future Concerts!!」

This article, in particular, was very sweet.

She said she would come regularly whenever the imperial family went on tour.

‘This practically means she’s marked the Erian Hotel as the cultural center of the North.’

I should turn some of the plots I acquired into music-themed shopping areas under the Erian Foundation.

If the neighboring town Eden was known as the city of private education, then we could craft this one into the image of a city of music.

「Today’s Real Estate: The Miracle of Old Luton.」

Lastly, I glanced at the real estate section placed at the very bottom of the newspaper.

This one, too, was far more extravagant than usual.

‘From 20th to 11th in the city economy rankings…!’

The Erian Hotel had become the landmark of northern imperial culture.

The two Grand Duke’s daughters' shopping districts surrounding it.

The streets lined with premium goods from ducal families and upper-class citizens.

Plus, the annual fashion show in the first half of the year and the year-end music festival in the second.

And to top it off, Bennet Tolkien’s concerts held monthly on a regular basis.

The city’s total market value still sat mid-tier within Nord.

But if sorted by recent growth rates...

‘A whopping 2nd place…!!’

Excluding the newly developed New Luton, which was backed by the Grand Duke’s house, it was essentially in first place.

“Damn... Should’ve invested earlier.”

“Come on, who would’ve guessed it would rise like this? Unless you knew the future, it was impossible.”

My classmates, who came out with the newspaper in hand, clicked their tongues from early morning.

They glanced at me, who had come out first, then coughed awkwardly and walked ahead.

“What’s with the sly grin this early in the morning?”

Lucun’s shadow fell over me from behind.

I lightly patted the shoulders of the guy who looked tired.

“How can I not smile? I had the best night ever.”

“Well... I saw in the paper that you brought Sir Bennet.”

Lucun crossed his arms with a slightly regretful look.

As if he always ended up being the one helping me gain all the benefits.

“Don’t worry. I already told them that all tour performances should start with your side first.”

I gave Lucun a few more reassuring pats on the shoulder like a massage.

Then, I casually slipped the now-read newspaper into my pocket and spoke.

“Who knows? Her Majesty the Empress might visit to coincide with that.”

“Sometimes I think... you must have been a famous sycophant in your past life.”

He looked at me like I was a sly fox riding on his back.

Still, it seemed like he didn’t exactly hate it, since it worked out in his favor.

“Come on, let’s get to work. Today’s the results presentation.”

I let out a chuckle and put on an expression like I had experienced all the worldly affairs already.

At that old-soul air of mine, Lucun let out a deep sigh.

“Yeah, let’s go.”

Together, we headed to the estate carrying our briefcases full of presentation materials.

In the lobby, the other candidate trainees had already arrived.

All of them looked completely worn out from recruiting musicians and preparing to greet Her Majesty the Empress.

Only Tobang still looked relaxed.

“So, you found Sir Bennet while he was practically a vagrant and now you think you’ve got this in the bag, Roger?”

From what I’d heard, the singer he’d secured last night was also a big name.

And on top of that, he was in charge of none other than New Luton, under the firstborn, Eric.

“A concert is one thing, but when it comes to city tours, I’ve got the clear win.”

There’s no way the Empress would turn down the continent’s most bustling district.

His eyes gleamed with confidence, declaring that he wasn’t going to be easy competition this time.

“We’ll see when it’s time.”

I replied to him in a laid-back tone.

Then, the sharp sound of high heels echoed from the second floor, making us straighten up again.

“Is everyone gathered?”

Chief Secretary Debier of the Grand Duke’s house.

With his hands clasped behind his back, he quickly scanned the group.

“Yes, Chief Secretary!!”

The lady of the house descended to the first floor and glanced at her wristwatch.

“Everyone prepared their presentation materials properly, right?”

“Yes, perfectly.”

Each of us gripped our briefcases even tighter.

Then Debier, with a meaningful expression, took the lead.

“Alright, everyone follow me upstairs.”

Wearing a solemn expression, I followed Debier into the meeting room.

――――――

At the long table sat the children of the Grand Duke’s house.

With their characteristically severe, unreadable expressions, they commanded the atmosphere with sheer presence.

“All secretary candidates have been gathered.”

“Good work, Debier. Let’s begin right away.”

While the Grand Duke was away, his firstborn, Eric, presided over the meeting.

Seated at the head of the table, he opened his mouth with a sharp gaze.

“Let’s present in the order Her Majesty visited each city.”

Freya, who was assigned to Nordia—the first place Yekaterina visited—raised her hand.

In response, Lucun, who had been in charge of the area, stepped forward.

“Then, I’ll begin the presentation.”

He took a mana-infused document from his briefcase and laid it on the table.

At that moment, the text on the paper floated into the air and formed a large headline.

「Report on Nordia Inspection and Performance Schedule」

“Our city boasts the longest history and tradition in the North.”

Lucun continued his presentation in a confident voice.

Since Nordia was the hometown of his family, he had a deep understanding of its geography and culture.

“So every time Her Majesty visits, she’s always been satisfied.”

He placed another document on the table.

Immediately, the floating text transitioned to the next page in the air.

“However, performances with the same feeling and atmosphere each time naturally grow dull and reduce expectations.”

With those meaningful words, Lucun pulled out a poster.

“So this time, we showcased a passionate stage featuring recently rising new talents.”

From the perspective of an empress who loved culture, it must have been quite a satisfying show.

That was why Lucun could speak with such confidence.

“Well, it’s Nordia. Her Majesty always favored the place…”

“A decent attempt to break away from the usual old-fashioned sense of tradition.”

Edward nodded with a calm expression, and Echina also seemed pleased with the impressiveness of the concept.

Freya smiled faintly at the sight of her siblings.

“Chief Secretary, what did Father think of it?”

Though the Duke of Luton was currently on a business trip to the capital, he had surely been receiving real-time updates.

As expected, Debier held onto the duke’s evaluation, which had arrived at dawn, in the form of a letter.

“His Grace the Grand Duke responded to the report with this.”

The chief secretary adjusted his monocle.

Then, with an eerily sharp gaze resembling that of the Duke, he began to read.

「Her Majesty enjoyed the performance, but she was troubled by the injured child during the event.」

An injury had occurred.

Lucun tightly shut his eyes, clearly burdened by that fact.

「Because of that child, she said she couldn’t remember any part of the inspection.」

Even if it had been a mistake, the consequences were significant.

And responsibility also lay with Lucun, who had organized such a daring stage.

「You understand what this means, don’t you, Freya?」

Naturally, the scrutiny extended to his final approver—the eldest daughter.

As a result, the atmosphere in the meeting room turned ice-cold, despite the Grand Duke not being physically present.

“I see.”

Thankfully, she didn’t express her anger openly.

However, since she had already undervalued both Tobang and Windsor, it was clear she wouldn’t be giving Lucun high marks either.

“Please tell Father I apologize, Debier.”

Lucun also seemed well aware of that, bowing his head with a resigned expression.

Afterward, the evaluations for Brook’s and Windsor’s presentations were nothing short of disastrous.

「He said the Eden region was the most boring during the inspection. Edward, have you made no progress at all?」

「If you thought being the youngest would earn you leniency, drop the family business right now, Ed.」

At least in Lucun’s case, the only issue had been the artist’s mistake—aside from that, there were no major flaws, so he still remained in the lead.

If things continued like this, this year's Founding Festival imperial inspection would spiral into the worst one yet.

“Then, next is Lord Eric’s inspection report.”

This time, Tobang stepped forward.

He offered a respectful bow under the full gaze of the eldest son.

“I will now report the inspection results of the New Luton region.”

Like Windsor, Tobang placed his presentation document on the table.

Following the same procedure, he began to lay out the achievements he had made.

“Her Majesty spent the longest time touring our city, New Luton, and even watched every performance in full.”

He had every reason to be confident.

The region under his charge was currently the most prosperous district in Nord.

And his family had long-standing connections with the empire’s top music associations.

“The singer I secured for this event was Paul Newman.”

Paul Newman.

When Bennet stepped out of the spotlight, the title of “Singer of the Century” had naturally passed to him.

He, too, was recognized as a master vocalist.

“Paul Newman, huh… You pulled some serious strings.”

“A candidate getting him must’ve taken a lot. Impressive.”

Freya, experienced in the arts, let out a slight chuckle.

Even Echina, who usually spent all her time at the Academy, nodded in recognition.

“Her Majesty’s favorite singer is said to be Sir Newman.”

The eldest son looked toward Debier with eyes full of certainty.

To be exact—toward the letter from his father that Debier held.

“His Grace the Grand Duke shared Her Majesty’s reaction as follows…”

Everyone’s gaze tensed in anticipation, waiting for the result.

Then, the moment the chief secretary opened his mouth—

All their faces went pale.

「She said it was the most boring performance in the world.」

Despite hiring such a renowned artist, the Empress’s reaction had been brutal—completely unexpected.

“What… did you say?”

Eric repeated in a chillingly emotionless voice.

At the shift in his mood, Tobang’s fingers began to tremble faintly.

「Paul Newman. He’s certainly a great singer—undoubtedly the rightful successor to Bennet Tolkien.」

Debier continued calmly.

「But are you aware that his concerts are held at the Imperial Palace once a month?」

Newman wasn’t just talented—he was also infamous for his extreme level of activity.

Because of that, he was often invited to imperial events, and the Empress had encountered his performances frequently.

‘And now, even up here in the far North, she had to listen to the same show again.’

Tobang had been lured by Newman’s fame and ended up making the best, yet worst, possible choice.

This was exactly why I hadn’t picked him, even though he was among the connections recommended by Mansachs from the music industry.

“But still, Her Majesty did listen to every piece performed…!! She even looked pleased…”

Tobang, flustered, hurried to add his defense.

However, that too could be explained easily.

“The other stages she’d seen so far were far below royal standards, so she probably sat through the familiar one simply because she had no better choice.”

Echina, arms folded, spoke up in my place, revealing what I was truly thinking.

At the chill in her gaze, sweat streamed down Tobang’s face.

「She said the experience in Nordia was actually better. Though there was an injury, at least it was more engaging.」

Upon hearing that, Freya allowed a subtle smile to form on her lips.

Lucun, too, let out a silent sigh of relief and placed a hand over his chest.

But—

Eric, who had received an even worse evaluation, had a faint twitch beneath his eye.

He, who had pursued perfection all his life, now stared daggers at Tobang, who had failed spectacularly.

「Lastly, the evaluation for Old Luton.」

In the tense silence of the meeting room, it was finally my turn.

Everyone had already received the Grand Duke of the North’s cold assessments.

And now, the verdict on Old Luton—the most underdeveloped area of them all...

「It was the place where Her Majesty stayed the least amount of time.」

As expected, it didn’t sound too promising.

“Nothing more to hear, is there? Let’s start preparing for work,” Edward muttered, getting up from his seat.

Echina, too, sighed quietly with an unreadable expression.

However, unlike with the others, they didn’t seem inclined to blame me.

It felt more like they simply understood our father’s sharp nature.

But—

The following lines from the Grand Duke were unlike anything before.

「And that’s why she said she regretted it.」

Even from the handwriting alone, there was a trace of pride.

「She said that had she arrived earlier, she would have stayed much longer.」

He was merciless toward incompetence, but generous with reward to the capable.

That was who the Grand Duke of the North truly was.

「He said the experience at Old Luton was the best in the history of the inspections.」

Debier’s lips twitched into a faint smile as he read aloud.

He looked straight at me, as if he could see right through me, and declared proudly:

「He said Her Majesty promised to return without fail next time.」

Halfway out of her seat, Echina asked in a dazed voice,

“Is that… really true?”

And she wasn’t the only one shocked.

Everyone in the room turned to me with wide, stunned eyes.

“Yes, it’s true. I have no reason to lie about the Grand Duke’s words,” Debier said, laying the letter openly on the table.

Then, having already memorized it, he began to recite its contents himself.

「After hearing Her Majesty’s high praise, His Majesty has approved the expansion and development of Old Luton.」

The expansion of Old Luton—resumed after five years.

Everyone in the room wore stunned expressions.

「However, as it will be a joint project with the Imperial Family, the one responsible for the city’s symbol, the Erian Hotel…」

At the mention of the Erian Hotel, all the rulers of the North turned their eyes toward me.

Under those stares, I received the Grand Duke’s words with a solemn expression.

「Julius Roger is to personally enter the palace and present the construction proposal.」

From the Grand Duke’s perspective, “appropriate reward” meant something massive in scale.

「That is all.」

He was speaking to me now.

If you have the confidence—then come take on the challenge.

Even if your opponent is the massive mountain range that is the Grand Duke of the North.