Who Brought the Head Maid Back? - Chapter 12

As if waiting for the words to end, a figure suddenly flickered into existence from the shadows. It was the Mercenary Captain whom Amy had chosen after much deliberation. Amy was now accustomed to his ghost-like appearances, but Noah still narrowed his eyes, maintaining a wary gaze.

“As you instructed, I thoroughly scouted the surroundings while traveling here, but I saw no traps or hidden soldiers. You don’t need to worry much.”

At the Mercenary Captain’s report, Amy looked at Noah in surprise. When had he given such an order? Seeing a cautious side to him that surpassed his years made her feel a sense of trust. The weight on her shoulders, heavy from the burden of having to handle everything alone, felt naturally lighter.

Noah tilted his head slightly and whispered in a voice only Amy could hear.

“To be honest, I don’t trust that man completely, but since he is someone Amy trusts.”

Amy smiled and nodded. The most expensive mercenary in the Empire was proving to be worth his price. Though their relationship was bound by money, Amy trusted him. Because.

This man was someone who willingly threw away his life to protect his client in my past life.

The story behind it was like a fairytale. A young pair of siblings, who had lost their parents and had their lives threatened by an uncle over their inheritance, hired these mercenaries to reach their grandparents safely. The mercenaries had flatly refused the uncle’s offer to pay several times more, and in the end, they sacrificed their lives to deliver the children safely into their grandparents’ arms. It was an righteous incident that had set the Empire abuzz, reaching even Amy’s ears while she was locked in prison.

“I understand. Continue your hard work.”

As the Mercenary Captain bowed politely and vanished into thin air, Amy offered Noah her nightly greetings and headed to her own inner chamber. Before going to sleep, she reviewed her future plans. The top priority was, of course, arriving safely in the North.

I wonder if the smaller goals will be successful.

She grumbled inwardly about being dragged here when time was of the essence, but suddenly, a growl echoed from her stomach.

“Ah.”

The problem was that she had been so focused on recruiting Captain Vernon at the inn that she hadn’t filled her stomach properly. Amy bit her lip for a moment and eventually stepped out into the hallway. She intended to sneak into the kitchen and find something to eat.

It should be this way.

Based on the layout of a manor or castle, the location of the kitchen was obvious. As she headed toward the corner of the first floor, a faint light leaked through the gap of a door she presumed to be the kitchen.

To think there’s someone awake at this hour.

It would be troublesome if rumors spread that the Grand Duke’s aide was stealing in someone else’s castle. Regretfully, she was about to turn back while clutching her hungry stomach when a thin voice called out from behind.

“Oh? A guest?”

She turned around to see the young maid who had been beaten by the Baroness at the banquet. Despite the red welts on her face from the whip, the girl’s eyes sparkled as if she were happy to see her.

“What brings you here in the middle of the night? Ah!”

The girl seemed to guess something and added timidly while watching Amy’s reaction.

“You couldn’t eat properly because of me, right?”

“I just came out because I was a little hungry.”

Despite Amy’s cold reply, her tactless stomach growled once more. Amy’s cheeks flushed instantly.

“Would you like to have some of this?”

The girl answered briskly, taking out brown bread and a small jar from the bundle she was carrying. Amy stared at the girl blankly without answering. No matter how she looked at it, it seemed like food being snuck home, and she hesitated to take it.

The girl caught Amy’s concern and quickly continued.

“It’s humble food that commoners eat, but since the banquet ended so early today, the amount is quite generous. If you’re okay with it.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

Amy replied shortly. Ever since her regression, food had been more like fuel for survival than a matter of taste. The girl gave a bright smile, looking relieved. She seemed to view Amy as a savior who had rescued her from the Baroness’s whip. Well, there was no harm in that.

Entering the kitchen, the girl pulled a chair to the counter and sat Amy down. She then quickly sliced the bread, filled a bowl with oat porridge, and added fruit preserves from the jar as a side. She even brought honey and cider from the cupboard. In an instant, a simple meal was prepared.

“Then I’ll eat with gratitude.”

Amy took a bite of the bread. The maid sat opposite her, observing her intently with wide, sparkling eyes. Feeling like she might get indigestion from the stare, Amy reluctantly opened her mouth.

“By the way, what happened at the banquet earlier?”

The Baroness had reason to be angry. The quality of the food was low, but the order of the courses had been a complete mess. It was a blunder that could never happen in a properly disciplined manor.

“That’s because our Head Maid hasn’t been here for a while.”

“Ah.”

The situation made sense now. In high-ranking families, a Head Maid assists the mistress in managing the household. Looking at the Baroness, she didn’t seem particularly sharp, so the Head Maid likely handled everything on her own. As soon as the person in charge disappeared, things fell into this state.

The Crown Prince’s palace is likely in a similar state right now.

Chewing on goat cheese, Amy secretly cheered. She was an extraordinary Head Maid who did five or six times the work of others. Since she had left, the Crown Prince’s palace must be in total chaos. The Empress would be having a headache trying to keep the mouths of the maids shut.

If I were Lady Esmain, I would take this opportunity to plant my own person there.

Of course, she was no fool, so she likely already put that into action.

Lost in thought while eating, Amy felt a sharp gaze and looked up. The maid was still staring at her. Feeling embarrassed, Amy cleared her throat and said:

“I hope the Head Maid returns soon.”

However, the girl shook her head firmly.

“She’ll never come back. The Baroness kicked her out.”

“I see.”

Amy replied nonchalantly. Seeing the girl’s regretful expression, the Head Maid must have been quite respected. But wait a moment.

Why would they kick out such a talent? In a rural fief like this, where is it easy to find someone competent?

While she felt suspicious, the girl began to pour out the story without even being asked.

“It’s only been a week since the Head Maid left, and the manor is already a mess. She was strict, but it was easy for the subordinates. We just had to be faithful to our assigned tasks.”

The girl let out a heavy sigh and added in a small voice.

“Actually, I’m only working until tomorrow. Others are also looking for a chance to quit.”

Rats are the first to escape a sinking ship. This place was no exception. Amy had to keep hearing praises for the competent Head Maid until the end of her meal. As someone in the same industry, she felt intrigued because a leader respected by subordinates is rare.

Just then, a flash of inspiration crossed her mind.

Wait, I need a Head Maid to take charge of the Grand Ducal castle too.

Amy would handle the overall management, but for a vast northern lord’s castle, the more reliable hands, the better. Amy’s eyes sparkled as she smiled at the girl.

“That Head Maid who was kicked out. What is her name?”

The girl answered without hesitation.

“It’s Mrs. Weaver. I heard she used to be a wet nurse for a Viscount’s family. She is a truly wonderful person. If it wasn’t for that incident, she would have stayed here for a long time.”

That incident. Amy nodded.

“I see. By the way, what is your name?”

As Amy’s gaze rested on her, the girl answered quickly.

“It’s Viola. I’m a commoner, so I don’t have a surname.”

“Right, Viola.”

Amy gave a smirk. She never disliked a perceptive child. She took a silver coin from her pocket, tossed it lightly into the air, and caught it. Viola’s eyes sparkled like lamps.

“Don’t you want to have this?”

A strong sense of motivation burned in Viola’s eyes.

“Just tell me to do anything.”

Morning broke. Unlike ordinary nobles who wake up well after the sun is high, Noah and Amy had already started their day at dawn and were waiting for the Baronial couple to appear.

“What exactly are they up to, holding us here?”

At Noah’s question, the corners of Amy’s mouth curved slightly. It was because she had a rough idea.

“Who knows.”

Just then, Viola entered the drawing room and bowed politely.

“Breakfast is ready.”

She then gave Amy a quick wink. Amy nodded silently.

While they were eating the simple yet carefully prepared food in the dining room, the Baron and Baroness, who had rushed in late, entered busily.

“We apologize. We seem to have overslept.”

“We never dreamed His Grace would rise so early.”

The two sat down in a hurry. Viola and the other maids quickly brought out the meal. However, the couple ignored the food, exchanged glances, and finally spoke in an oily voice.

“Um, Your Grace. We heard that you were granted a truly vast territory along with your title.”

Their smiles resembled those of hyenas surrounding prey.

As I thought, it was about money.

Amy snorted inwardly. This was because she recalled the reason for Mrs. Weaver’s dismissal that she heard from Viola last night.

They tried to make her create a double set of ledgers for reporting to the Emperor.

In principle, all land in the Empire belongs to the Emperor. A noble only has the right to rule that land and keep a portion of the revenue. Imperial law treated tax evasion as a serious crime equivalent to treason. To ask a Head Maid, who wasn’t even an accounting expert, to do such a dangerous task—she didn’t know if the Baron was daring or just brainless.

Providing this place was obviously a scheme to coax the young Noah and take a cut. Amy felt like laughing. They had no idea that the person who managed the Crown Prince’s slush funds was standing right here.

And they didn’t even keep the mouths shut properly. How ridiculous.

Even a young maid knew the inside story. These people seemed to have a hobby of collecting evidence of their own crimes.

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