The Secretary of the Northern Grand Duchess Has Run Away

Chapter 53: The Greatest Masterpiece on Earth (3)

That afternoon.

When every member of the mansion had set out in search of the missing masterpiece—

The Grand Duke of the North, Baylis Luton, sat alone in his office, sipping tea.

It was clearly a situation where he had lost one of his most cherished, immensely expensive paintings.

Yet he didn’t seem particularly concerned, simply looking over the state documents received from the Imperial Court.

“Your Grace, it’s Debier.”

「Come in.」

The Grand Duke pushed his teacup aside.

Then, placing his hand on his thick jaw, he asked,

「So, how are the children approaching the matter?」

“I’ll begin with Lord Eric.”

Debier began his report in a calm tone, eyes sharp as ever.

“The eldest son is said to have met with Count Archmond, lord of the region where the incident occurred.”

「He must be planning to conduct a joint search with the local guards.」

Just from hearing who he had met, the Grand Duke guessed Eric’s movements.

He gave a quiet nod at his son’s methodical response.

“Yes, he quickly checked the list of carriages that passed through on the day of the incident and is now questioning people with the guards.”

「Not bad. Are the others doing the same?」

The Grand Duke asked again, gazing at the tea leaves floating on the hot surface of his cup.

At that, the chief secretary, with his right fist placed against his left chest, added,

“Second son Edward has concluded it was a planned crime, and is interrogating the escort guards.”

「The result?」

“Unfortunately, no one has confessed yet. On top of that, since most of them are from noble families, requests to go easy on them keep pouring in.”

The Grand Duke remained silent for a moment at the mention of his second son’s approach.

Then, pressing his temple with his thumb, he spoke again.

「What are Freya and Echina doing now?」

“Lady Freya has deployed surveillance forces, focusing on pawnshops that frequently deal in artworks.”

Perhaps finding the eldest daughter’s method impressive, the secretary raised his monocle as he replied.

The Grand Duke, seemingly in agreement, let his expression soften.

「She’s directly targeting the smuggling network.」

Luton looked down at the tea leaves swirling in the hot water.

「And what about Echina?」

“Well…”

For the first time, Debier, who had been responding without pause until now, hesitated.

At this, the Grand Duke lifted his golden eyes and asked,

「Well what. Did something happen to Echina?」

“No, Your Grace. It’s just… she’s so different from the other young lords and ladies.”

The secretary let out a short breath and steadied his voice.

Then, with a meaningful look, he answered the Grand Duke.

“Lady Echina is currently at the Imperial Art Association.”

「……?」

At the sudden mention of such an unexpected place, the Grand Duke furrowed his brow deeply.

Still holding the spoon he had picked up to strain the tea leaves, he asked again,

「The Art Association—do you mean the Nord branch…?」

“Yes. From what I’ve heard, she went there with Secretary Candidate Roger.”

Julius Roger.

The moment he heard that familiar name, the Grand Duke immediately showed interest.

With an expression far more intrigued than when hearing of his children's actions.

「What did she do there with that fellow?」

“Well… she submitted this to the Association.”

In response to Luton’s question, Debier pulled a document from the inner pocket of his suit.

It was a copy of a thesis, provided by the Association.

「…….」

The instant the Grand Duke saw the document,

the lines between his brows—already stern like a lion’s—deepened even further.

The thesis claimed that the five-part series by Deyan, which he had purchased at the price of a castle, was a forgery.

Snorting like a wild beast, he flipped through the pages.

Eventually—

「――――!!」

That ever-imposing Grand Duke suddenly burst out laughing in front of his subordinate.

So heartily that the windows rattled.

「Debier, when exactly was I first informed that the masterpiece had gone missing?」

“It was two days ago at 13:00.”

The chief secretary reported the exact time without delay.

At that, the Grand Duke spoke again, his expression one of utter disbelief.

「Right, then Roger must’ve received the news two days ago as well. And from that moment, he was preparing this.」

Debier, too, lifted his monocle with a look of disbelief.

Even Baylis Luton, who had weathered countless storms throughout his life, felt the same.

As he turned the pages with a stunned expression,

he eventually let out a dry chuckle, seemingly realizing something in the highly detailed content.

「Do you understand what this thesis means?」

Debier, the chief secretary who had managed countless assets and artworks as the lady of the house would,

answered calmly, his gaze sharp like an eagle’s.

“Since this thesis has been submitted, the value of Deyan’s five-part series will be called into question.”

「Exactly. From now on, no one will dare purchase the work.」

The Grand Duke rose slightly from his desk.

Then, with his hands behind his back, he gazed out at the vast northern plains of the Empire and spoke.

「Who would waste hundreds of billions of gold on a painting that might be fake? The boy has seized control of the entire smuggling operation in an instant.」

“That’s right. Until the thesis is verified, all trade involving the artwork will be halted.”

The Grand Duke let out another chuckle and shook his head.

At the same time, he waved the thesis in his hand with a bitter look in his eyes.

「How can my own children fall short of a secretary?」

He placed the thesis down carelessly.

Then, picking up his teacup, he spoke in a composed voice.

「All their actions amount to nothing more than cleaning up after their subordinates.」

Luton looked down at his reflection in the surface of the tea.

「They’re only scrambling to catch up after the incident’s already blown wide open.」

The chief secretary, seemingly in agreement, nodded silently.

At that, the Grand Duke took a sip of tea and continued.

「If they were true commanders, their approach would’ve been different from the start.」

The Grand Duke turned his gaze toward the map of Nord hanging on the office wall.

He had always approached every matter with the all-seeing perspective of a god, penetrating all things from the highest vantage point.

「Seize control of society and reshape the current into one’s own design.」

While everyone else was busy running about with their own feet—

He alone, from the office, had secured a means to control the culprits.

「That is the true role of one who holds power.」

The Grand Duke crossed his arms alone.

With the radiant sunlight at his back, his golden eyes shone within the aura that surrounded him.

「But of all people… a secretary…」

He let go of his pleased smile and returned to his usual cold expression.

His gaze was a mix of satisfaction and complexity.

「If he could write something like this in just two days, there’s no way he’ll be satisfied here.」

「――――――」

The next morning.

A breaking article was published by Gold Morning, the leading newspaper of the Empire’s North.

「The masterpiece of the century—Deyan Renoir’s Lover of the Four Seasons is under suspicion of forgery!!」

A thesis has been submitted suggesting that some of the works by Deyan, who was active 400 years ago, may be forgeries.

At the heart of the issue was the cobalt blue pigment used in the blue paint.

「This pigment was developed only 150 years ago, which doesn’t align with the period in which Deyan was active.」

“Deyan’s painting might be fake…?”

“Can you believe that? It was a piece I always hoped would hang in our hotel one day…!!”

「Therefore, we demand that all trade of the artwork be suspended until the matter is properly verified!」

At the entrance of the Erian Hotel, staff preparing for their morning shift were reading the newspaper.

They weren’t the only ones—countless citizens in the streets were murmuring, stunned by the possibility that one of Nord’s most iconic pieces might be a fake.

“No wonder… it always felt a little too sophisticated.”

“But it’s still just speculation, isn’t it? There’s no way the Grand Duke’s House would buy a forgery.”

The middle-class citizens commuting through Old Luton had decided, for now, to wait calmly for the investigation results.

However—

“……”

A man in a coat walked silently past them.

With his fedora pulled low over his face, he bit his lip and turned into an alley.

It was a narrow passage so dark, not even sunlight could reach it. At the end, a small iron door appeared.

He knocked on it discreetly.

――――――.

As the door creaked open slightly, he slipped inside.

And finally let himself collapse into his hideout.

“Damn it, what the hell is going on…!!”

A broker colleague waiting inside rose to his feet.

Dark mana flowed around his body, and his gaze carried the cold sharpness unique to a seasoned knight.

“All the stolen paintings turned out to be fakes. Do you have any idea how much trouble I went through working the escort guards?”

“Calm down. There’s no way the Grand Duke’s House would be transporting forgeries.”

The man with long black hair swallowed hard and tried to reason with his companion.

Yet, even he seemed uneasy, tapping the soles of his feet repeatedly.

“We just need to pass off Deyan’s work to the Kingdom, take the money, and head back to the casino.”

It was then that a middle-aged man, who had been gazing out the window, spoke to them.

He pulled back the curtains, let the messenger birds inside, and remained composed.

“News has arrived. Everyone, get ready.”

The manager untied the notes strapped to the legs of the messenger birds and spread them across the round table.

While swiftly scanning through the details to confirm the meeting location with the smugglers—

“Hmm…?”

He suddenly furrowed his thick, grim-looking brows.

“What is this? They’re halting smuggling operations all of a sudden…?”

Even for a high-ranking officer of a major casino backed by the Third Prince, dealings with the Grand Duke’s House were intimidating.

So the string of disastrous updates had shaken them.

“If even the smugglers are acting this cautious, the forgery controversy must be real.”

The long-haired broker clutched his head.

Even as a seasoned former knight, he clearly showed his displeasure—this was the first time he’d encountered such a situation.

“The real issue isn’t whether it’s fake or not. The point is, we can’t move it anymore.”

The seasoned manager placed both hands on his hips and let out a long sigh.

“At this rate, it’ll be better to handle it within Nord.”

Though the situation had changed, it wasn’t entirely hopeless.

Being an experienced operator, he had backup plans in place.

“We have those black markets we contacted in advance, just for cases like this.”

“That’s right. We may not get the full price, but even a fraction would be a big catch.”

With a sharp glint in his eyes, the casino manager unfolded the notes he had collected in advance from the messenger birds.

And began checking the replies from the various black markets.

However—

「We will not conduct any transactions until the authenticity is confirmed.」

From the very first letter, the news was devastating.

Even the black markets, known for dealing in just about anything, had refused the trade.

“Not a good start.”

The middle-aged man, unfazed as if this sort of setback was routine, moved straight to the next response.

But then—

「Sorry, but considering the price, it’s going to be difficult until it’s confirmed to be genuine.」

The next letter.

And the one after that.

Out of seven, six contained firm rejections.

“This is a mess. Not a single smuggler is willing to take the artwork…!”

“The price is so high that it’s probably the risk that’s scaring them off.”

Even in the black market, no one could afford to spend millions of gold on an item that might be a fake.

They, too, were choosing to wait until the authenticity was determined.

“Looks like we’ll need to leave the city for now.”

“Let’s lay low, and once the thesis is published, we’ll sell it then.”

The operators discussed their next plan calmly enough.

But the middle-aged transporter’s voice remained cold.

“We have the painting right here—how are we supposed to determine whether it’s real?”

A veteran in these matters, the middle-aged man held his throbbing head.

Then, with a characteristically ruthless gaze, he muttered,

“Besides, Grand Duke’s knights are inspecting roads all over Nord right now.”

He slammed a finger down on the round table as he spoke.

His face was filled with decisiveness.

“We have to deal with this here, no matter what, and return.”

After his cold, calculated conclusion, the storage space fell silent, like death itself had passed through.

Then finally, the ones to speak up were the former knights from the escort unit.

“What’s the plan?”

In response to their question, the transporter pulled out the seventh and final message—still unopened.

And with a serious expression, like scratching off a lottery ticket, he spoke.

“It’s a little risky… but we have no choice but to head to the black market.”

The general black market in Dale Town.

They would buy absolutely anything—but offered no guarantee of safety.

“Turns out someone there has expressed interest in the piece.”

“Are you sure the buyer has enough money…?”

The brokers, who usually only dealt with the most elite clients even in the black market, looked hesitant.

“From what I heard, it’s someone from the Erian Foundation.”

The Erian Foundation.

At the mention of that name—an art collective from Old Luton currently experiencing a meteoric rise in reputation—the subordinates began to show interest.

After all, it was common practice to sell smuggled artwork to art-obsessed nobles.

“In that case, we should at least meet them.”

“Right. We won’t find a bigger fish in our current situation.”

The operators swiftly covered the painting, secured inside a mana-protected luxury case, with a canvas.

Then they loaded it onto a freight wagon and began moving.

To Dale Town in Nord.