The Secretary of the Northern Grand Duchess Has Run Away

Chapter 67: The Black Swan (8)

Before long, Luton Hall had been successfully built.

Its towering roof rose magnificently in the center of New Luton.

Crowds of people, like swarms of ants, had gathered to watch the commemorative performance for its completion.

From this moment until ten years into the future, this place would become the cultural heart of the Empire’s North.

The only difference between then and now was…

“Ladies and gentlemen, the next performance will be the stage of the Black Swan, Gehenna!!”

The grand opening of the much-anticipated stage was taken by a dancer from my own foundation.

――――――!!

A mural of mythical gods gathered in a feast was painted on the ceiling.

Beneath that dazzling sight, thousands of people filled the seats.

Their applause filled the vast performance hall.

“That dancer is the famous Black Swan, isn’t she?”

Those seated in the grandest VIP seats marveled at the appearance of the beautiful dancer.

They were all among the most powerful figures of the Empire.

“I heard she refused to perform for the Imperial Palace and stayed in the North out of loyalty…”

“As expected of the Grand Duke of the North’s house. Even now, they hold a status worthy of the Imperial Palace.”

From the Commander of the Imperial Northern Border Knights,

to the Speaker of the Imperial Assembly—who personally traveled from the capital because of his fondness for cultural performances—

all of them glanced toward the Grand Duke of the North, seated at the very center of the VIP section.

“What kind of offer did you make that kept a dancer who was about to leave for the Imperial Palace, Your Grace?”

The Grand Duke of the North, Duke Luton, chuckled at their question.

He slowly waved his hand in a dignified manner, as if it were nothing.

“I didn’t do anything in particular.”

The old man let out a deep breath.

Then, while gazing quietly at the performance, he spoke with ease.

“I simply said I wished for the Black Swan to remain in Nord, and it came to be.”

Speak it, and it is done.

Those close to Duke Luton knew exactly what that meant.

He had merely instructed his trusted aides, and they had carried out his wishes to the letter.

Which meant, his subordinates were competent, and his family still stood strong.

“Indeed… as expected of the great Luton family! Even your men are truly capable.”

“Sometimes I really envy you. How on earth do you train them?”

The Grand Duke of the North looked fondly at the Chief Secretary, who stood quietly behind him.

“Ask Debier. I wouldn’t know.”

“So he’s the legendary Chief Secretary indeed.”

“If I had someone like him, I would have retired from my position as Knight Commander long ago.”

The Commander’s hearty joke brightened the atmosphere in the VIP seats even more.

The Grand Duke, who normally upheld a strict and solemn air, made no attempt to restrain the lighthearted mood tonight.

He simply closed his eyes, savoring the fact that his influence still remained unshaken.

Arms folded in solitude.

But the satisfaction he felt was only the beginning of what was to come.

――――――.

The Black Swan on stage—Gehenna Natasha.

She displayed new movements she had never shown before, showing them off without restraint.

Her gaze acting—tinged with longing yet pure—bathed in the spotlight.

And the superhuman feat of standing on the tip of her big toe after countless hours of practice.

From there, she turned with the elegance of a true swan.

It was clear why she was called the most promising dancer of the next generation.

Gehenna executed every movement she could perform with flawless beauty, without hesitation.

In the past, she had been pushed so hard that every time she stood on stage, she had to force herself to give her all.

But after joining the Erian Foundation, she had been able to rest as much as she wished.

The condition she regained through that rest had transformed into the confidence that she could do anything.

“I’ve seen the Black Swan perform before, but she seems even more vibrant today.”

The Speaker of the Imperial Assembly, who had seen Gehenna’s stage in the past, confessed his impressions with an intrigued look.

“It’s as if today is truly a special day, and she’s put even more effort into it.”

Today really was a special day.

How one chose to interpret that would be up to them.

“Of course, since it’s a performance for the Luton family, she must have taken extra care.”

“Indeed… the scale of the Grand Duke’s stage is on another level.”

Most of the guests seemed to believe this was all a performance in honor of the Grand Duke of Luton.

But my thoughts, as I watched the performance with Echina from just below the VIP seats, were quite different.

The woman dancing freely before my eyes now—

she had escaped the many pressures surrounding her and was leaping about at will, alone in a beautiful lake.

She was letting her talent bloom perfectly, unrestrained.

The guests marveled at her appearance and passion.

――――――!!

The sound of applause and cheers, enough to make one’s ears ring, filled the hall.

Some even tossed their fedoras onto the stage.

But—

Gehenna paid it no mind.

Rather, she was overwhelmed with emotion for finally bringing to life the stage she had dreamed of.

As if offering thanks to one man who had made such a stage possible—

she simply lowered her head gracefully, presenting the image of a Black Swan in full bloom.

“…”

The Grand Duke of the North seemed to notice this gesture from Gehenna, and the smile left his face.

Then he realized that the accomplishment of the man he had ordered to bring her here was even greater than he had expected.

“Debier.”

The Grand Duke slowly turned his head.

And from the entrance of the VIP section, where he had been waiting with his hands clasped behind his back, he called for the Chief Secretary.

“Bring Echina from the second floor. I have something important to discuss with her.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

The Chief Secretary respectfully accepted the order and headed for the back door of the VIP section.

On the way, I made eye contact with the other children seated in the back row.

As expected, their expressions were far from pleasant.

The eldest son, Eric, had lost Nordique, one of his own hands and feet.

The eldest daughter, Freya, had suffered considerable losses during the completion of Luton Hall due to the marble incident.

And the second son had personally moved to acquire Deyan’s painting, only to have it snatched away right before his eyes.

But—

their displeasure had only just begun.

“You called for me, Your Grace.”

Echina ascended to the highest VIP section.

For the first time in her life, she attended the hall not in uniform, but in a dress.

“Yes, were you enjoying the performance?”

Dressed in a white silk gown unlike her usual attire,

with earrings that sparkled like snowflakes at her ears, she answered him calmly.

“Yes, I was.”

“How was it, seeing the one you personally placed on stage?”

At the Grand Duke of the North’s question, Echina quietly turned her gaze toward the stage—

toward the Black Swan, bowing to the audience with a heart full to bursting.

“It was a very fine sight.”

“Good. As you can see, true talent will always repay its lord when given the right environment.”

Yet Luton’s eyes were fixed solely on Echina.

The silk dress that embraced her hourglass figure—

a reminder that she had already grown into an adult, no longer merely a northern knight but someone capable of drawing out the full potential of others.

“And this time, it seems you have succeeded.”

The VIP guests seated at his sides also smiled warmly, as if in agreement—

as though they hoped their own children might grow to be just as capable.

“Well done, Echina.”

The first praise she had ever received in an official setting.

For a moment, Echina could not give any reply.

She only stared intently at her father before her, her golden eyes unblinking.

“This time, you produced the best possible result despite being in an unfavorable position.”

The Grand Duke of the North was not a man of coldness alone.

When his children or his closest aides achieved clear results, he was capable of rewarding them.

“You not only turned the heart of the talent under your charge, but also elevated the prestige of our house.”

The Knight Commander and the Speaker of the Assembly at his sides knew it too—

just how pleased Luton was at this moment.

They naturally assumed the second daughter would be just as pleased.

However, the answer she gave was unexpected.

“Thank you, Father.”

It was a situation in which she could have been fully delighted, proud of herself even.

Yet in that moment, her expression did not waver in the slightest.

“However…”

Rather than bask in the moment, she was already thinking ahead, concerned for the future.

“I worry that what I’ve done may have an adverse effect on our relations with the Imperial Palace.”

Echina looked up toward the lofty ceiling of Luton Hall—

at the figure seated beside the king of the gods, yet turning his head away.

Gazing at the solemn face of the mountain god,

“If that worries you, have you also prepared in advance how to deal with it?”

The Grand Duke of the North crossed his arms.

He began to judge whether his daughter was merely a young lion cub who acted first and worried later,

or a fully grown lioness capable of managing herself perfectly.

“Yes, I have.”

Echina looked at her father and spoke calmly.

“According to my investigation, Miss Gehenna, the dancer, was showing early signs of malnutrition.”

It was known that dancers were strict about weight control, but to think she was actually malnourished—

like a graceful swan gliding on the surface while paddling frantically beneath the water.

“So I informed her parents, and they advised that she should remain in Nord until her health improved. With that, I also sent a letter to the Imperial Palace requesting their understanding.”

A solid reason: the performer was ill, and her parents had intervened.

It was perfect groundwork that would prevent any dispute between the Grand Duke’s house and the Imperial Palace, and Duke Luton nodded in approval.

“And she still needs to attend as a witness in the ongoing charges of exploitation and harassment by her former female secretary.”

Even dressed in a gown, Echina radiated the cool-headed presence of a northern knight.

“I also added that while she is under the protection of our Academy Knight Order and attending the trial, it would be difficult for her to appear at the Imperial Palace.”

“Well done.”

A faint smile formed at the corner of his mouth.

Then, lacing his fingers together, he spoke to his second daughter.

“You’ve accomplished your task properly, so you deserve a reward.”

Even before the eyes of everyone present, the Grand Duke mentioned the matter of a serious reward without hesitation—

as if to show all that Echina, too, was a part of the family’s work.

“If there is something you want, tell me.”

He seemed intent on hearing for himself what the usually composed and cold Echina might ask for.

“…”

A prize granted by the continent’s second-in-command—

it was enough to draw the attention of everyone, even Eric and Freya from their distant seats.

“To borrow Your Grace’s own words, if one is truly talented, I believe they should receive a treatment worthy of it.”

Echina continued her calm words, even in her beautiful dress,

her golden eyes shining just like her father’s.

“So, I would like you to grant a reward to Julius Roger, who led this matter.”

From within her lustrous black hair, the faint smile of a twenty-one-year-old woman stood out.

The Grand Duke’s eyebrows twitched at his daughter’s rare smile.

“…”

To give away her own credit to nothing more than a secretary candidate—

a brief silence lingered over the lofty VIP seats.

Especially for the second son, Edward, whose expression showed even greater disbelief.

For their father to bestow a reward meant…

at the very least, it would be a vast tract of land or a building.

But to hand such a prize to a mere temporary candidate not even formally appointed—

“A girl who claims she’s ready to join the family business, yet her head is still in the clouds.”

Second son Edward spoke as he grabbed a large handful of nuts from the table and tossed them into his mouth.

However, the eldest daughter, Freya, seemed to think differently.

“We can’t be sure yet—maybe she’s trying to appeal to Father with her own sense of chivalry.”

“…”

Eldest son Eric quietly took a sip of whiskey and simply watched the situation unfold.

“Yes, I’ve heard that candidate played a major role in this matter.”

The continent’s second-in-command seemed to acknowledge it as well, closing his eyes slowly.

Then, leaning on the black lion–headed cane handed to him by the Chief Secretary, he stood.

“I will promise him a formal secretary position in this half-year’s evaluation.”

A formal secretary.

Until now, only one person had ever become a formal secretary in the first half of the year in the entire history of the Luton family.

Among the 140 secretaries the family had ever had, that man had been a legend—

none other than Debier Luton.

This was the moment a new formal secretary would be born to carry on that legacy.

“A candidate becoming a formal secretary already—he must be quite capable.”

“Indeed. The North never runs out of talent.”

The Commander of the Northern Knights and the Speaker of the Assembly offered their sincere congratulations.

Everyone thought it would end there—reward given, good atmosphere preserved.

But—

“I think it’s still not enough.”

Echina was not satisfied.

It was as if a formal secretary position alone was not enough to keep the man she wanted by her side.

“…!”

At that resolute statement, even her siblings, and the guests who had been relaxedly offering their praise, paused.

No matter that she was his daughter—asking for excessive rewards was something the cold Grand Duke of the North would not easily tolerate.

“Is that so…?”

Indeed, the deep eyes of Duke Luton darkened like pitch.

A cold glint flashed within them, as if to say—are you daring to negotiate with me?

“Yes. I believe that by giving Roger a position truly befitting him, his talent will fully bloom.”

But Echina did not back down.

She herself could not fully understand why she was standing her ground so firmly against the father she had always feared.

Only one conviction had solidified within her—

that she had to keep her secretary, no matter what.

“Please grant Roger the position of my formal secretary and the ‘advisor’ to the Grand Duke’s house.”

A woman raised her entire life in her father’s cold shadow, molded by his commands—

for the first time ever, she openly demanded her own will from him.

With golden eyes rekindled with fire.