Chapter 48:  Securing a Big Shot (8)

Two members of the Imperial family entered the elevator with a famous singer.

Yuria, who accompanied them, cautiously pressed the button for the top floor.

――――――.

When the elevator stopped, a long corridor came into view.

The Empress, the Prince, and Cindy headed toward the main doors with their escorts.

“Your Highness, I have an assigned seat, so I shall take my leave here.”

Cindy placed her hand over her chest and offered a polite bow.

In response, the Empress gave a dignified nod with a composed smile.

“There must be a separate seat for you?”

“Yes, seats have also been prepared for Your Highnesses.”

At Yekaterina’s question, Yuria replied cautiously.

After that, she led the royal family to a balcony seat closest to the stage.

“They even have the lemon tea I always drink.”

The Empress looked at the beverage set on the table in front of the seat.

The lemon wedge tucked on the rim of the glass was a notable touch.

“Ah, the owner instructed us to prepare it in advance.”

“It’s as if he knew I would come. Don’t you think so, Leopold?”

The Second Prince quietly surveyed the VIP section.

As one of imperial blood, his gaze was fierce and intimidating, befitting the king of beasts.

“Seems that way. Fortunately, I don’t sense any strange mana flow.”

Yuria bowed respectfully.

Then, under the guidance of the escort knights, she slowly stepped back down the corridor.

“Whew……”

Once even the highest Imperial royalty had arrived, all 600 audience seats were soon filled.

It was the moment when the loneliest city in the North emerged as a cultural center.

―――――.

The promised time arrived.

All the lights in the audience dimmed, and radiant spotlights illuminated the stage.

At first, it was hidden behind a crimson curtain.

But soon, the curtain gradually rose, revealing the orchestra waiting behind it.

Musicians in black suits silently awaited the star of the evening.

Amid that hushed silence, even the audience held their breath.

Soon, a silhouette of a man stepped to the center of the stage.

At the sight, the audience burst into instinctive applause.

However, it was all just part of the formalities.

“Who is it that they’re dragging this out for?”

“I’m a little uneasy—it’s a performance in Old Luton, after all…”

The VIPs gathered here were not the sort to be easily impressed.

Even the exalted Imperial family wore expressions of half-skepticism, half-expectation.

――――――.

Finally, a polished shoe gleamed under the spotlight.

Then, as the performer began his first song…

“…!!”

The entire audience gaped in shock.

The main act of tonight’s stage was none other than…

「The capital’s splendid lights looked joyful, yet somehow sad.」

The singer of the century, who had once turned his back on the world.

A man whose voice was missed so dearly that the Imperial family forgave him first.

It was Bennet Tolkien.

「The river flowing through the city is beautiful too, but somehow, it looked lonely.」

Bennet stepped forward with a calm gaze.

Then, with his head bowed, he continued to sing.

「Everyone was smiling, so I had no choice but to smile along.」

Back when I first met him during his homeless days, his voice had sounded like scraping metal.

But now, standing on stage once again, his voice…

…felt as cozy and comforting as lying down on a bed after a long day.

「I’m tired of that kind of life now.」

Bennet slowly mustered the courage to raise his head.

Then, he quietly gazed at the fully packed audience.

But at that moment—

「And so…」

Bennet couldn’t bring himself to sing the next line.

He simply stared blankly at the 600 spectators he faced again after ten long years.

“What’s going on…?”

“He suddenly stopped singing.”

The audience murmured among themselves, exchanging glances at Bennet’s behavior.

The Empress, too, wore a troubled expression.

She remained silent at the sight of her favorite singer pausing mid-performance.

‘He must be nervous. It’s been so long since he stood on a stage.’

I watched Bennet seriously from backstage.

But I wasn’t particularly worried.

It was almost time for the final move I had prepared to shine.

「And so…」

Bennet’s lips trembled at the expressions of the audience, looking at him in confusion.

He took a deep breath, trying with all his might to suppress the rising anxiety.

No matter how great a singer he was, the obsession that had eaten away at him for ten years…

…wasn’t something that could be overcome easily.

As he stood there, taking deep breaths alone—

He soon forgot the pain and looked behind him.

「――――――.」

The clear sound of high heels echoed from afar.

That sound was drawing closer and closer to the stage.

「So now, I’m going back.」

At last, the quiet stage filled with a clear, resonant voice.

「To Nord, where the beautiful mountain range awaits.」

The audience slowly began to smile at the beautiful voice, the first they’d heard of its kind in the Empire.

But…

The one who was most overwhelmed with emotion was none other than Bennet Tolkien.

Unlike the others, he knew exactly whose voice this was.

“Mika…!!”

Among the refugee children he had once saved, she had been the one who sang best.

The girl who said his songs were beautiful, but also terribly lonely, and understood him.

That girl now stood before her savior, radiant in her beauty.

「Nord, where I left my heart, is calling me.」

Mika gracefully swept her beautiful brown hair to the side.

Then, she extended a hand to her life-saver, inviting him to sing together.

「Even if the cold air of the North makes my hands freeze, it’s okay.」

As Mika drew closer, Bennet’s eyes began to brim with tears.

The moment when he had sent off the refugee carriage beyond the border—

He was finally reunited with the girl who had once shouted that they would stand on stage together someday.

「Because the woman I love is waiting for me there.」

Bennet raised his head once more.

Suppressing the overwhelming emotions in his chest, he regained his composure.

The moment had come at last to fulfill the promise he had made with her.

There was no way a man who had already known great success would let this opportunity slip away.

Bennet gazed solemnly at Mika, who now stood before him.

The singer of the century, now known as Cindy.

「Beyond those grand mountains.」

The middle-aged man soon opened his lips again.

And with a remarkably steady voice, he began to sing.

At the sight, the VIPs rose from their seats in unison.

They were gradually being swept away by the enchanting performance of the two legendary singers.

「When we finally arrive home—」

The Empress watched the stage, her expression overwhelmed with emotion.

Then, at the moment when her favorite singer’s high note echoed through the skies—

She too stood and leaned her arms on the railing.

「The golden sun will shine down on us.」

The beautiful voices of the two singers filled the concert hall.

And then, as the song came to its close—

「――――――.」

The majestic swell of the orchestra surged like a crashing wave.

The audience, struck by the music, was lost in bliss.

Thunderous applause erupted.

The crowd showered Bennet with cheers for overcoming the hardships of life and making his return.

Some were so overwhelmed that they even tossed their hats into the air.

Even though they were all refined members of high society.

“Seems like the delay earlier was all part of the act. It made everything more dramatic…!!”

Bennet stood there, wide-eyed, as he took in the cheers and congratulations of the 600 spectators.

He had thought they would still suspect him of being a traitor, even after his return.

“To think the day would come when I’d stand on stage again…”

His chest ached with emotion at the sight of people genuinely supporting him.

“You’ve been through so much, mister.”

Mika handed him a bouquet she had prepared in advance.

The hands of the singer of the century trembled uncontrollably as he accepted it.

“There’s no one left who hates you anymore.”

With an overwhelmed expression, Bennet embraced Mika in a warm hug.

Realizing that something profound had happened between the two, the audience responded with even more fervent applause.

“Looks like Miss Cindy used to be one of the refugee children Sir Bennet rescued.”

“Seems so. She’d be just that age ten years later.”

To his mother’s remark, Leopold replied in a calm voice.

The two royals looked on fondly at Bennet, who had found peace of mind.

「It’s been a long time, everyone. I’m Bennet Tolkien.」

Bennet gently placed the bouquet atop the piano.

Then, with the lively gaze he had once carried in his prime, he introduced himself.

「I’m truly happy to see you all again.」

Mika handed him a handkerchief.

In response, Bennet slowly wiped his eyes with a trembling hand and continued speaking.

「To be honest, it’s been very difficult for me.」

As a seasoned performer, Bennet quickly spotted the Empress among the crowd.

「Her Majesty the Empress cleared my name, but I still didn’t have the courage to return to all of you.」

Yekaterina responded with a composed smile.

Bennet gave a small nod and opened his mouth again.

「I’ve been constantly fighting with regret and guilt.」

He glanced at Mika, the girl he had once saved.

Then his eyes moved to the children seated in the front row.

Receiving all their smiles, he finally spoke in a loud voice.

「But at last, I’ve been able to rise again.」

Bennet turned his head gently.

Then, he pointed toward me—standing alone backstage with my arms crossed.

「There was a man who told me something.」

Suddenly, the stage lights turned to me, hidden in the shadows.

Startled by the light like a fox caught off guard, I instinctively widened my eyes.

「He said a singer is someone who sings with their heart.」

Unlike before, Bennet now walked with confidence, just like in his prime.

He placed his thick hand on my shoulder and naturally led me onto the stage.

「He told me that if someone like that lives the rest of their life tormented by guilt, they’ll never be able to sing again.」

I scratched the back of my head under the gaze of hundreds.

I had tried so hard to orchestrate things quietly.

But I’d forgotten for a moment that I was dealing with a performer skilled in stagecraft.

「Thanks to those words, I’ve been able to stand before you all like this once more.」

Bennet spread his arms wide.

Then, in a loud voice, he shouted to everyone:

「Thank you so much for welcoming me back, everyone.」

――――――.

At his heartfelt words, the entire hall erupted in applause.

However, the clapping soon came to a halt.

Because Bennet raised a hand, asking them to wait a moment.

「And now, if I may, I’d like to say just one thing to all of you.」

It was his grand comeback and first official appearance.

With even most of the press in attendance, Bennet’s face grew serious.

“What do you think he’s about to say?”

“I wonder too. I’m really looking forward to it.”

The Prince and the Empress also watched the situation unfold with interest.

「I, Bennet, in gratitude to this place that gave me a second chance at life and allowed me to stand on stage again…」

A moment of silence fell over the vast concert hall.

Within it, the singer of the century spoke with a beaming smile.

「…will perform exclusively at the Erian Hotel from now on.」

It was a shocking statement that left not only the audience but even the Empress visibly taken aback.

“W-What did he just say…?”

“Then… to see Sir Bennet’s performances, we’ll always have to come here?”

The crowd looked at Bennet in stunned disbelief.

But the confident singer, full of conviction, added one more sentence.

「I’ve learned that the Erian Foundation supports young, underprivileged musicians.」

Unlike the astonished audience, I smiled broadly to myself inside.

As expected of a seasoned performer, Bennet had put forth a clear and respectable reason.

「I would like to support my juniors here by honoring that mission.」

Having grown up an orphan, forced even into a political marriage during his harsh youth—

Now he stood successful, choosing to help struggling musicians in turn.

‘Who’s going to openly criticize that?’

In the end, everyone was moved by his sincerity and gave him a standing ovation.

Bathed in that glorious applause, I wore the most devilish grin to myself.

However—

Not everyone was simply clapping.

Sitting in the Imperial VIP seats, Empress Yekaterina was actually finding the situation amusing.

“So we’ll have to travel to Nord every time to see Sir Bennet perform?”

“There’s no need for that. We’ll try persuading him on our end.”

Leopold calmly told his mother not to worry.

But the Empress—who had seized the throne through sheer force of leadership—shook her head.

“No, it’s fine. If my most cherished singer has just returned, we should at least give him that much.”

Yekaterina’s red lips curved into a subtle smile.

Even at forty-five, she remained elegantly beautiful.

“Still… so it was that boy who brought Sir Bennet back?”

“Yes, he’s the manager of the Erian Hotel and a secretary candidate for the Luton family.”

The Empire’s rulers had already gathered the information.

Among them, I locked eyes with the Empress.

“A secretary candidate, hmm…”

Yekaterina let out a soft laugh with a hint of amusement in her voice.

And at the same time, she took a clear look at my cheeky face.

“I wonder what kind of magic he used.”

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