Who Brought the Head Maid Back? - Chapter 1

Amy lay curled on the damp, filthy floor of the prison. After being kidnapped by Lady Esmine and waiting only for the day of her execution, a group of thugs had stormed in the previous day. They had forcibly cut out her tongue, robbing her of her voice.

“…….”

She lifted her trembling hand into the air, inspecting it against the bright moonlight. She didn’t know how long she had been imprisoned, but her hand was already skeletal. Even the effort to hold it up was too much, and it fell back down with a thud.

‘How much longer must I live like this? Why won’t Lady Esmine just kill me and get it over with?’

Amidst her fading consciousness, a memory surfaced: the young Crown Prince sneaking into her room on a stormy night, clutching his pillow because he was afraid of the thunder. She recalled scolding him for being a coward while lifting the corner of her blanket to let him into her bed.

In truth, it was she who had slept soundly, comforted by his warmth and steady breathing. The Crown Prince she knew had never truly been afraid of thunder.

‘We shared so much… perhaps he will come to save me.’

That was the sole reason she clung to hope, even in this wretched state.

Just then, a voice echoed from the landing of the stairs.

“What could possibly be down here?”

Amy’s breath hitched. It was the voice of the Crown Prince, the one she had been waiting for.

Lacking the strength to move, she could only stare at the prison entrance with wide eyes. There stood the pale-faced Crown Prince, and beside him, Lady Esmine, clinging to his arm with a mocking smirk.

“Oh, Your Highness. Can’t you tell?”

The Lady gave a flirtatious smile. Amy ignored her, staring intently only at the Crown Prince. Her heart burned with a fiery joy.

Finally, he had come to rescue her!

“…….”

The Crown Prince’s golden eyes scanned the cell with indifference before his face contorted in disgust.

“What is that smell? Tsk, how unpleasant. Let us leave.”

“!”

As he turned his back, Amy gasped involuntarily. For a moment, the Crown Prince flinched and turned halfway as if to look back. Lady Esmine pulled him closer, laughing.

“I suppose I acted on a whim. Well, it was entertaining, at least.”

“…What is so entertaining about this?”

The two of them left the prison just like that.

“…….”

In the renewed silence of the cell, Amy gathered her shattered spirit to process the situation.

‘Did he… not see me?’

That was impossible. Though the cell was underground, a small gap at ground level allowed the moonlight to pour in, illuminating her clearly. No one who knew Amy could have failed to recognize her.

‘So that means the Crown Prince…’

Her reason reached a cold, hard conclusion.

‘He saw me… and he just left.’

The boy who had grown up with her, the one who used to cling to her and whine about wanting to marry her—seeing her collapsed in such a miserable state, he simply frowned, complained about the stench, and turned away without a second thought.

Amy slowly opened her eyes. That ancient memory still left a foul taste in her mouth.

‘Technically, I didn’t die then, but several years later…’

She looked around silently. The scene before her was identical to her memory.

‘This place is still bone-chillingly cold.’

The shackles on her ankles were the same; she almost wanted to let out a hollow laugh. Amy sat up straight on the icy floor. With every breath, a white mist escaped her lips.

After some time, she finally heard the sound she had been waiting for.

Tap, tap. Someone was approaching. Eventually, the footsteps stopped in front of her cell.

“…….”

Amy slowly opened her eyes. A noblewoman in extravagant dress stood before the bars, covering her mouth with a fan as she looked down at her.

“How dare a lowly thing like you summon me to a place like this?”

The voice was thick with anger and contempt. The woman in the cell—Amelia, nicknamed Amy, who had been the Head Maid of the Crown Prince’s Palace and was currently the Head Maid of the Second Prince’s Palace—responded calmly.

“Didn’t you want to hear a confession, Lady Esmine?”

“…….”

There was no verbal reply, but Amy could sense the Lady’s agitation at having her identity revealed. Amy sneered inwardly.

‘You’re someone who keeps a sharp eye on anything involving the Crown Prince. There’s no way I wouldn’t know what you’ve done.’

Amy spoke with outward politeness.

“As I have said from the beginning, this is all a misunderstanding, Lady Esmine.”

“…Lady?”

The noblewoman’s voice rose sharply at the end. Amy clicked her tongue internally. Is she going to drop the act now that she’s been caught? Amy corrected herself with a sweet tone.

“Ah, my mistake. I meant… Your Highness, the Future Crown Princess.”

“…Hmph.”

The Lady remained hidden behind her fan, but she couldn’t hide her satisfied grunt. Disgusting, Amy thought, suppressing the urge to gag while maintaining a composed exterior.

“You claimed I harbor feelings for the Crown Prince, did you not? But I have never held him in my heart for even a single moment.”

“Words are easy to say,” Lady Esmine replied coldly.

‘As expected, she won’t believe me easily.’

Amy lowered her head to hide her irritation. After a brief pause, she spoke again.

“If I must be specific… Your Highness has a younger brother, do you not? Baron Dorian. The future Duke of Esmine…”

“Why are you bringing him up now?”

The Lady’s beautiful face instantly soured. Amy grinned. Yes, that’s it. That’s exactly the reaction I wanted.

Amy stated firmly, “To me, the Crown Prince is exactly like him.”

“…What?”

“He is bothersome and requires a lot of care, but he is someone who will hold a high position in the future. I treat him with respect for that reason alone; I have no other feelings for him whatsoever.”

Feeling the burning sincerity in Amy’s words, the corners of Lady Esmine’s eyes softened slightly.

“…Is that the truth?”

At the skeptical voice, Amy raised one hand solemnly.

“I swear it upon the name of the Goddess Delial.”

Her voice then rang out loudly through the prison.

“I will never, ever desire the Crown Prince personally, not if I die a hundred times. No, a thousand times… no, ten thousand times… no…”

As Amy’s eyes rolled back while she increased the numbers, Lady Esmine stopped her in disgust.

“Fine, stop! I get it.”

“…I am glad the misunderstanding has been cleared,” Amy said, prostrating herself.

Lady Esmine cleared her throat awkwardly. Thinking about it now, she felt she might have been too hasty in capturing Amy. But…

‘That woman restricts every move the Crown Prince makes.’

Could she really have no feelings for him? The Lady narrowed her eyes and glared at Amy. Though Amy looked haggard from the harsh interrogation, she still possessed the refined beauty of a daughter from a once-prominent family. Realizing this, the Lady’s suppressed suspicions began to stir again.

Reading her mind, Amy delivered the final blow.

“Oh, did I mention?”

“Mention what?”

“I will be leaving for the Northern Grand Duchy soon.”

“What? Isn’t that a barren land where nothing exists?” the Lady asked, bewildered.

Amy nodded. “Yes. I am going there to live while serving the Second Prince.”

“You? With the Second Prince?”

“Yes.”

The Lady forgot to hide her face with her fan and stared blankly at Amy.

“I heard the Second Prince swore to the Crown Prince that he would never return. Does that mean you…?”

Amy affirmed calmly, “Yes, I suppose I will be buried there.”

“…Ha! You should have said so sooner!”

Finally, with a bright expression, Lady Esmine urged the guard to unlock Amy’s shackles. Amy bowed politely, as if she had never been mistreated. Pleased with this attitude, the Lady laughed, tapping Amy’s shoulder with her fan.

“See? How fortunate that you know your place. You almost lost your life. Be careful with your conduct in the future. There’s no guarantee you’ll encounter someone as generous as me next time.”

“Indeed. I will keep that in mind.”

As Amy continued to answer meekly, the Lady smiled broadly, looking as if a nagging toothache had finally vanished.

“Then you may go. You must have much to prepare for your journey to the North.”

“Yes, then I shall take my leave…”

Amy bowed deeply and limped up the prison stairs. Feeling the Lady’s gaze on her back, she gritted her teeth and moved one step at a time with extreme care. Her ankle, cracked from torture, hurt excruciatingly, but she didn’t let it show. Instead, she cursed inwardly.

‘Lady Esmine, I hope you trip and roll down these palace stairs exactly five times—no more, no less.’

The Crown Prince’s palace had exactly five sets of stairs. After casting that petty curse, Amy finally escaped the hellish palace.

In the distance, she could see the Second Prince’s palace. From its high towers down to its base, it was utterly dilapidated. Amy painfully turned her head to glimpse the Crown Prince’s palace. It was sparkling and looked brand new.

Amy clicked her tongue and clenched her jaw.

‘Living in such a fancy place won’t last much longer for you.’

Memories of the Crown Prince’s sweet and charming childhood flashed through her mind like a revolving lantern. She tightened her fists.

“I’m back.”

Arriving at the old, run-down Second Prince’s palace, Amy spoke in a weary voice. Immediately, there was a loud clattering sound, and two women in maid uniforms appeared. Their faces were filled with shock, as if they never expected Amy to return.

Amy glared at them.

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