Who Brought the Head Maid Back? - Chapter 14

“Eden? Why are you here?”

As Vernon asked with a troubled expression, Noah muttered to himself as if recognizing him.

“That boy is.”

Amy recognized him too. He was the boy they had encountered while leaving the Baron’s manor. Eden spoke with a determined face.

“It broke my heart to see my uncle, who is so incredibly skilled, give up on his dreams to farm.”

Surprisingly, the boy was Vernon’s nephew. Vernon wore a complicated expression.

“It’s not because of you, it’s.”

“You said it was because of your injury, but I know enough. An opportunity like this won’t come again. Go, Uncle. Please, I beg you.”

As Eden pleaded, Jack and Bradley exchanged silent glances. Dwayne clenched his fists and cheered for Eden. But.

“I cannot go.”

Vernon bluntly cut off his nephew’s desperate wish. Dwayne was openly disappointed.

“Wow, that stubborn old fool is still the same!”

With a thumping sound, Jack’s fist smacked his head again. And once more, Dwayne rubbed the back of his head nonchalantly, as if a fly had merely landed on him.

“…”

Silence fell between them. Amy was flabbergasted by Vernon’s unexpected stubbornness.

Is this really worth refusing so adamantly?

To anyone else, these were excellent terms—an opportunity a farmer wouldn’t get again even if he died and came back to life. Then, it suddenly clicked. There had to be another reason for Vernon’s refusal.

“At any rate, I have made my intentions clear. Second Prince, I wish you a safe journey.”

Vernon offered a polite bow and turned away sharply. Dwayne, Jack, and Bradley sighed, huddled together, and began whispering amongst themselves.

Amy slowly approached Eden, who was standing alone in a corner.

“So, you’re Captain Vernon’s nephew?”

“Ah, yes.”

Eden nodded submissively. Then, he raised his eyes to stare clearly at Amy and asked point-blank:

“My uncle was the Captain of the Imperial Guard. If he goes to the Grand Duchy, will he be treated properly?”

“…”

Amy’s eyebrow arched. Look at this. This boy with ox-like eyes has a clever fox hiding inside. However, she didn’t dislike people who knew their own value and made bold demands.

“He will be treated according to his ability. His Grace is not a man who is stingy with talent.”

“I see.”

Eden breathed a sigh of relief. Just then, Noah, who had subtly approached, spoke up.

“You come along, too.”

“Pardon?”

Startled, Eden pointed at himself. Noah stared at him with wide, round eyes.

“If Vernon is refusing because of you, then wouldn’t the solution be for you to go together?”

“Ah.”

Eden trailed off. Noah grabbed his hand, pulled it up, and peered at it closely.

“These are hands that have practiced training.”

“!”

Eden’s face flushed red instantly. He pulled his hand back, hid it behind his back, and stammered.

“D-Dwayne looks over me sometimes.”

Noah nodded nonchalantly.

“As I thought, those three are not just simple farmers.”

Surprised, Amy asked, “How did you know that, Your Grace?”

“When they greeted me earlier, they clicked their heels together. That is the greeting of the Imperial Guard.”

“Ah.”

No wonder their movements were so disciplined. They must have been knights who followed Captain Vernon when he retired to the countryside. Amy spoke, her ambition flaring up again.

“Then we definitely have to take them all.”

Noah shot a glance at her.

“I thought you said it was Vernon’s freedom whether to go or not?”

“Oh, Your Grace, really. That’s just something I said. If he keeps being stubborn, I was planning on kidnapping him if necessary.”

As Amy laughed brightly and waved her hand, Eden looked horrified. Is this something you say in front of the target’s nephew? But the next thing out of her mouth was even more wild.

“If that’s what Amy thinks, then that’s what we’ll do.”

“What?”

Eden was aghast, but the master and servant acted as if nothing was wrong. To the slack-jawed Eden, Amy spoke in a low, suggestive tone.

“Try to persuade your uncle. Like you said, this isn’t a common opportunity.”

“Ah.”

“Once you reach the Grand Duchy, he won’t have to farm anymore. He’ll be leading the Guard.”

Noah leaned in and added a word of his own.

“And if you wish, I will recommend you to be a squire for a Northern noble.”

A squire is a boy who serves a formal knight before becoming an apprentice knight. Usually, only children of noble families become squires to lords or great lords, so it was a massive opportunity for a commoner.

“A squire? Me?”

Suddenly, Eden’s eyes flashed with brilliance. Amy rounded her mouth in an “O” shape and looked at Noah with an admiring gaze. When did he even think of this?

“Um, I think I might have a way.”

Eden, who had been thinking fiercely, spoke up hesitantly. As Amy and Noah’s faces brightened, he swallowed hard and poured out his words all at once, as if he had made up his mind.

“C-could you make me your squire, Your Grace?”

“!”

At the unexpected request, Noah arched an eyebrow. Amy quickly pressed him.

“You said you had a way? Is that true?”

“Yes, perhaps.”

“What do you mean ‘perhaps’? It’s no good if it isn’t certain.”

As Amy spoke sharply, Eden seemed to ponder for a moment before nodding.

“I will make it succeed, no matter what.”

“In that case.”

Amy gestured toward Noah with her eyes. To Noah, who looked confused as if asking “Why?”, she narrowed her eyes threateningly. It was a silent command to grant the request immediately. Noah spoke stiffly.

“I’m not a formal knight yet, but… well, why not.”

“!”

Eden’s face lit up. He huffed with excitement and bowed repeatedly.

“Thank you. Truly, thank you! I will work hard!”

“So, what is your plan?”

Amy crossed her arms and looked at the sky. The sun was already high. According to her plan, they had to depart today with Captain Vernon, so time was tight.

“Ah, just a moment.”

Eden peered toward the path leading to the mountain. Finding something, his expression turned into one of delight. He started running and waving his hand. Amy watched him and saw Eden shout:

“Mrs. Weaver!”

What? Amy’s eyes went wide. Who?

Mrs. Weaver and Eden stood by the road, exchanging a warm conversation. A calm voice and a cheerful one could be heard intermittently. Amy narrowed her eyes and observed Mrs. Weaver closely.

She looks to be around the same age as Captain Vernon.

The woman, with her ash-blonde hair neatly tied up, was dressed simply but cleanly. She took something like a cookie from the reed basket hanging on her wrist and offered it to Eden. Eden took it with a bright smile.

Tall stature, straight posture, and a composed manner.

She looked quite decent. However, since her great suffering in her previous life, Amy had vowed to be much stricter in selecting people. She tried not to jump to conclusions, but.

Just then, the trio of knights subtly approached Mrs. Weaver. Having received their greetings, the woman gave a slight nod. Dwayne, with a smooth face, started joking around and reached his hand into her basket.

“Dwayne!”

But before Jack could say anything, the woman’s hand sharply swatted Dwayne away. Slap!

“If you do this one more time, I will tell Vernon.”

The dry warning was an added bonus. As Dwayne pouted, claiming she was being too much, Jack, Bradley, and Eden stared at him as if he were a pathetic fool.

Amy sank deep into thought.

She doesn’t use the local dialect; she speaks perfect standard language. Her career might be more impressive than I thought.

If a family makes their employees use standard language, they are almost certainly from a prestigious house. Above all, she liked the woman’s upright gaze. She refused to participate in illegal acts despite threats from her previous employer. Amy’s lips twitched.

It’s just as I heard from Viola.

Finally, Amy made up her mind. Mrs. Weaver was the perfect person to be the Head Maid of the Grand Ducal castle.

But… why is he chatting with Mrs. Weaver when he said he would persuade Captain Vernon?

Amy’s gaze sharpened. Eden leaned his face close to Mrs. Weaver’s ear and whispered something fervently. Beside them, Dwayne circled around, still looking for a chance to raid the basket. Eden, seemingly used to it, stuffed the cookie from his own hand into Dwayne’s mouth, and Dwayne laughed happily as he chewed.

Huh?

Amy noticed Jack and Bradley watching Eden and Mrs. Weaver with desperate expressions. They, too, wanted Captain Vernon to go to the North as much as she did.

Does Mrs. Weaver have a way?

Their conversation ended quickly. Mrs. Weaver said goodbye to the knights and Eden, and disappeared back up the path.

Amy stroked her chin while watching the woman’s straight back. Mrs. Weaver must have known Noah was a noble, if not the Grand Duke, yet she made no effort to curry favor. That was impressive.

Eden ran back with a bright face and said to them:

“That lady is our neighbor, Mrs. Weaver.”

“I see.”

She already knew who she was but played along. Eden continued, looking longingly in the direction she had vanished.

“It’s not because of me that Uncle doesn’t want to leave. It’s because of Mrs. Weaver.”

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