Chapter 59:  Erian Foundation (4)

“May I ask what you’re doing right now?”

I blinked and asked.

Then Echina lightly rubbed the tip of her nose against my necktie and said,

“In our knight order, there’s a saying—if you can’t trust a fellow member, start by smelling them.”

Echina gracefully swept her bangs behind her ear.

Then, with sharp eyes, she looked up at me and spoke.

“I saw you getting out of Helena’s carriage earlier. What was that about?”

‘So it was about that after all…’

I realized why she had been giving me that sulky expression.

She must have been annoyed that I met with a rival family behind her back.

“I went to make a deal, briefly.”

I took a preliminary contract out of my briefcase.

Then, handing it to her politely, I continued.

“I’m planning to buy Luton Textiles. If the acquisition succeeds, I intend to give you a 10% stake.”

“To me…?”

Echina accepted the document with a dazed expression.

Behind the papers, she was met with my usual old-soul expression.

“Yes. I was only able to come this far thanks to you, my lady.”

“I thought you’d be busy managing the hotel, and yet you even prepared something like this?”

I leisurely clasped my hands behind my back.

Then I spoke to Echina, who was quickly skimming through the document with her round golden eyes.

“Yes. Now that you’ll have to start competing properly with the other heirs, after all.”

“If it was about that, you should’ve discussed it with me first. Handling it alone made me misunderstand.”

The Grand Duke’s daughter stared at me like a sulky cat.

Scratching the back of my head, I opened my mouth with the smoothest voice I could manage.

“Well, if I don’t want to report it to Edward, I need to act before my master orders me to.”

Echina slightly parted her lips, as if recalling that day.

Then she composed herself and hid her pointed canines.

“You always make it sound convincing…”

“But you don’t hate it, do you?”

I tilted my head to follow her gaze as she turned away, and asked.

The Grand Duke’s daughter quickly regained her expression and gestured.

“Just follow me. There’s someone who wants to see you.”

When flustered, Echina sometimes imitates the Grand Duke of the North’s way of speaking.

She returned to her usual calm face and took the lead, then opened the door to her office.

―――――

Upon entering, a man in his 30s, who had been seated on the sofa, rose to his feet.

A blond man dressed neatly in a navy-blue suit.

Wearing round glasses, he looked at me and greeted me with courtesy.

“You’ve arrived. I’m Harry, His Grace the Grand Duke’s attendant secretary.”

Even though I was merely a candidate, he still used honorifics.

Seeing that, I nearly smiled out of sheer relief.

Harry Stein.

An employee of the Luton Group—the largest of the Grand Duke’s businesses—and his personal secretary.

If Debier served only the mansion and the Grand Duke of the North, the attendant secretaries assisted with the family’s businesses.

Back when I was promoted to Chief Secretary, Harry had even congratulated me — that’s the kind of good-natured person he was.

He was also highly competent, and ten years later, he was promoted just like me to Chief of the Attendant Secretaries.

‘And like me, when Archduke Eric became the Grand Duke, he was immediately dismissed.’

“You have a remarkably calm gaze for a twenty-year-old. I expected no less.”

“Ah, thank you.”

After a brief handshake, we sat across from each other on the sofa.

Echina leaned her back against the wall, arms crossed, quietly observing us.

“Since you’ve come here personally, does that mean His Grace gave me specific instructions?”

“Yes. From now on, I’ll be delivering His Grace’s orders to both you and Mr. Roger.”

Even though Echina had clearly established her position, she still lacked real-world experience.

It seemed the Grand Duke had assigned someone to support her with that.

‘In that case, I might finally be able to step back.’

“This is good news, my lady. You’ll have someone skilled in administrative work by your side.”

Echina didn’t respond right away to my old-soul smile.

As if something didn’t sit right with her, she merely muttered softly.

“Well… I suppose it’s a good thing.”

Harry laced his fingers together.

At the same time, he explained the reason for his visit with a serious expression.

“His Grace currently holds you in high regard, Roger. You’ve already accomplished several feats that even official secretaries find difficult.”

He took a document from the briefcase he had brought with him.

“And so, he wishes to entrust you with another important duty.”

I checked the document Harry handed me.

On the cover, it read:

“Commemorative Performance Plan for the Construction of Luton Hall.”

“Once Luton Hall is completed, we’ll need someone to perform in its first continental-scale show.”

“Then, would it be acceptable to invite Sir Bennet?”

The attendant secretary slowly shook his head.

“No. He’s remarkable, yes, but this time His Grace has chosen dance for the opening performance.”

“We do have a few young dancers we’re supporting, but they’re not yet ready for a major stage.”

Harry adjusted his glasses, as if to say he understood.

Then he showed me a portrait of a woman and said,

“It’s fine. We’ve already confirmed Miss Gehenna for the performance.”

“If she’s already confirmed, is there anything else I can help with?”

In response to my question, the attendant secretary closed his eyes.

Then, letting out a short sigh, he added,

“In truth, the reason we called you today is because of her. She suddenly refused to perform.”

“What reason did she give?”

Harry pressed his fingers against the bridge of his nose, as if even thinking about it gave him a headache.

“We can’t figure it out. She just said she suddenly wasn’t feeling well.”

“Suddenly unwell, huh…”

I rested my hand on my chin and gently stroked it.

Because I had a rough idea of who this Gehenna was.

No—if you were from the Empire, it would be impossible not to know.

She was someone expected to rise as the Empire’s top dancer starting next year.

However, for now, she was still just one of the upper-tier dancers.

She hadn’t quite reached the top yet, and yet His Grace was already so actively recommending her.

‘Truly, a second-to-none judgment worthy of the continent’s number two.’

“Does it have to be her?”

“Yes. You know how His Grace is—once he chooses someone, it has to happen exactly that way.”

In truth, I already knew.

The reason Gehenna canceled her performance at Luton Hall.

Her agency was filled with people obsessed with wealth and fame.

So, while they had promised an opening performance at Luton Hall…

‘They caved to a surprise offer from the Imperial performance happening at the same time.’

That stage was met with critical acclaim, and thanks to it, Gehenna rose to stardom as a world-class Imperial dancer.

However, her golden era didn’t last long.

Her agency lost their heads over the flood of wealth and overworked her.

Because of that, she ended up with both physical and emotional illnesses.

She was just twenty—so young and in full bloom.

Even though she was loved by the public, she passed away early, overwhelmed by loneliness and suffering.

“Could it be she got a better offer?”

While I was thinking about her, Echina suddenly made a sharp remark.

“If she’s not sick and the stage has no issues, it’s a perfectly reasonable suspicion.”

“That’s definitely possible. Milia, the Imperial headliner, is currently injured.”

The attendant secretary had a good sense of the situation too.

He raised his brown eyes behind his glasses and said,

“They might try to snatch Gehenna, who’s scheduled to appear at Luton Hall, as a replacement.”

Harry clicked his tongue in displeasure.

No matter how great the Grand Duke’s influence was, if the Imperial family personally intervened, there was no way to stop it.

Unless Gehenna herself declined, there was nothing we could do.

“Then it’s clear what I need to do.”

I neatly arranged her portrait and the Luton Hall planning document.

“This month—do I just need to make sure she stands on the Luton Hall stage?”

“That’s correct. If this goes well, and she chooses the Grand Duke’s house over the Imperial family, our family’s reputation will soar.”

It was undoubtedly a good thing.

But the real reason I was smiling on the inside lay elsewhere.

The big name—Gehenna.

If I could bring her to Erian like I did with Sir Bennet, I’d have a living legend in both popular music and dance under my belt.

And if I succeeded in acquiring Luton Textiles, I could even recruit her as a model for the brand we’d produce.

“Understood. Could you schedule a meeting?”

There was no reason to say no.

“It’s already arranged—this weekend, at the Royal Nord Hotel in New Luton.”

A large hotel renowned as Nord’s top facility.

However, I slowly shook my head.

“If possible, I’d like to change the meeting location.”

“The location…? To where, exactly?”

Harry looked at me as if wondering whether a better venue could even exist.

I answered with the smoothest smile in the world.

“‘Mother’s Table’ in Old Luton.”

“Mother’s Table…? Is there even a restaurant by that name…?”

Harry tilted his head, puzzled at the mention of a fine dining place he didn’t recognize.

He looked just like a baffled retriever.

“Yes. Please make sure to tell her to come alone.”

“Understood, for now. His Grace said full authority over this plan was to be given to you and the Grand Duke’s daughter.”

As expected, he respected my judgment without bias.

There was a reason why our relationship had always been amicable, even in the past.

“Thank you. I’ll make sure to return with good news.”

Harry and I stood up from the sofa at the same time.

After a handshake, we left the office together with Echina.

“But why did you ask the dancer to meet alone?”

As we stepped into the corridor, the Grand Duke’s daughter asked.

I answered with a serious look.

“I think I’ll only be able to learn her true feelings if we meet one-on-one.”

I spoke simply, then fell into thought.

Suddenly, I was startled by a pair of golden eyes staring up at me, right by my side.

“Meeting a famous star, and you’re acting all solemn.”

I looked ahead at Harry’s back as he walked ahead and said,

“She’s under heavy pressure from her company. If we meet with them present, it’ll be hard to hear what she really wants.”

The attendant secretary halted momentarily upon hearing my words.

Echina also remained silent for a moment at my clear reasoning.

“That’s why I need to meet her alone, in a relaxed setting, if I want to hear her honest thoughts.”

The Grand Duke’s daughter seemed satisfied with my answer, her lips curving up slightly.

She then composed herself and headed down the stairs ahead of us.

“It’s a solid plan. A considerate one—very fitting for a secretary.”

The Grand Duke’s attendant secretary gazed quietly at Echina as she went down first.

Then, perhaps after noticing an unfamiliar expression on her face, his lips parted slightly.

“What’s the next step, Roger?”

“As I said, it’s the meeting with Miss Gehenna.”

Echina asked again once we arrived at the empty first-floor lobby.

All the other trainees had already gone ahead for dinner, so the place was deserted.

“No, not that. I meant tonight.”

“If you mean tonight, I was just about to have dinner.”

I answered calmly, and Echina nodded with a neutral expression.

Then, with a sensuous look, she glanced up at me and said,

“Then let’s eat together.”

A line that caught even me, someone who had returned in time, completely off guard.

“…Pardon?”

For once, I, who had maintained a relaxed expression throughout, was left looking just as dumbfounded.

However, Echina remained indifferent and expressionless, her hands clasped behind her back.

“I always ate from the mess hall in the knight order. Is that a problem?”

The Grand Duke’s daughter glanced back at me as I followed her down, a playful glint on her red lips.

Something about her expression almost made me chuckle without realizing it.

“Not at all. Let’s eat together.”

Harry, the attendant secretary, silently watched as we made our way toward the dining hall.

Then, with a warm, fatherly expression, he turned and left the mansion.

“……”

Sharp military boots echoed through the mansion’s hallway.

By the time we reached the entrance of the dining hall—

“This is the place?”

“Yes. Looks like it’s your first time here.”

Echina stood with her hands behind her back, lifting herself slightly on tiptoe as she curiously looked over the dining hall.

It seemed her frequent experience with group life made her unbothered by things like cafeteria-style meals—unlike other noble young ladies.

“It’s similar to the knight order’s dining hall.”

“Yes. I’ll go in first and see if there’s any food left.”

I pushed the door open wide and stepped inside.

And immediately, the room—previously buzzing with chatter—fell silent as Windsor and Brook looked over at me.

“Seeing as you’re late, you must’ve gotten properly crushed.”

Tobang said in a flat tone as he spread tomato purée on his bread.

Without even glancing in my direction.

“Should’ve known your place and held back.”

“When your background’s lowly, it’s no wonder you don’t understand your limits.”

Brook, seemingly still bitter about my association with Baron Obi, chimed in with a jab of his own.

However—

“……!!”

They soon found themselves speechless, lips parted in shock.

Because as I ignored them and turned toward the food-serving table—

“A pleasant aroma.”

Echina followed me in, exuding the delicate scent of figs.

“Yes, today’s dish is sausage marinated in tomato sauce.”

Just moments ago, she’d had that cold, unreadable expression.

Now, she radiated serenity, her presence soft and graceful—like a beautiful knightess.

And to think she had come to dine in a place this humble, right by my side.

Tobang dropped the bread he was holding onto his plate with a soft thud.

“I like sausage too.”

Echina picked up a plate and stood next to me in the serving line.

At that, the mansion’s cook, who had been serving the food, looked startled.

Clearly, he hadn’t even imagined that the Grand Duke’s daughter would come here to eat with us.

“Is the portion always this small?”

She even spoke casually to me, without any formality.

At that, everyone in the dining hall—except for Echina and me—fell completely silent.

“Please have mine too. I had coffee earlier at the hotel.”

“No, I think it’s because of me. With my presence, the number of people being served increased.”

Echina looked gently at the chef.

Then, in a warm tone, she spoke.

“From now on, I’ll provide a cash gift, so make sure to increase the portions for the cadets.”

“Y-yes, of course…!! Next time, I’ll make sure to prepare a special meal!!”

Unlike when I first met her, I could see a slightly softer side of Echina now, and I watched her fondly.

Even though our parting was drawing near, seeing her smile again after so long made me feel genuinely happy.

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