Who Brought the Head Maid Back? - Chapter 15

“What?”

“So… before Uncle left for the capital to become a guard when he was young, they, uh, were in love…”

The young boy’s face flushed pink as he spoke. Noah and Amy’s eyes sparkled with interest. To think there was such a backstory! It was always difficult for a story about someone else’s romance to be boring.

Eden clenched his fists, looking frustrated.

“Uncle was so foolish—he didn’t ask her to go with him, and he didn’t tell her to wait… so eventually, she married a man named Weaver.”

Looking at Eden’s somber expression, Amy could roughly imagine what kind of man Weaver had been.

“Even then, he died early after falling while drunk. Since Mrs. Weaver was the Head Maid of the Lord’s manor, she had no trouble supporting herself and her son. But she lost her job just recently…”

This time, Amy let out a heavy huff through her nose like an excited bull. Noah looked at her suspiciously from the side. Regardless, Amy was jumping for joy on the inside.

I can’t believe I’m this lucky!

If things went well, she might be able to take them all in a “buy one, get one” deal! However, since this concerned the Second Prince, she had to be careful. Amy tried her best to calm her racing heart.

“She has a son? How old is he?”

At Amy’s cautious question, Eden’s face brightened.

“His name is James, and he’s nineteen. He’s incredibly smart—smart enough to help Mrs. Weaver with the ledgers. But he had an accident when he was young, so he has a physical disability.”

“An accident?”

The gentle boy’s face suddenly turned indignant.

“When Mr. Weaver was still alive, the two of them went somewhere… and James was trampled by the horse Mr. Weaver was riding. If he had been treated immediately, he would have been fine, but Mr. Weaver neglected him… Later, after they returned to the manor, Mrs. Weaver looked everywhere for a doctor, but they said it was already too late.”

“…”

Noah and Amy’s expressions soured. A healthy son had suffered a permanent disability because of his own father—one could only imagine the mother’s heartache. And for James himself, whose life was upended overnight.

“When his condition is good, he can stand or walk a few steps, but when the weather is bad, he can’t move at all and suffers in pain.”

Amy bit her lip. Aside from her sympathy for the mother and son, her expectations were being swept away like an ebbing tide.

The North is a cold place, so even if I ask them to go, it won’t do any good.

Eden seemed to realize this fact as he spoke. The boy asked worriedly:

“Um, is the weather very bad in the North?”

“It’s a place where snow flies except for three months of the year. For half of that time, you’re buried in snow and can’t even move.”

“Ah…”

It seemed Eden had thought Vernon would go if they could all go together. His face darkened. After thinking for a moment, Amy raised her head. She couldn’t give up here.

“Let’s go to your house.”

“Pardon?”

Eden was puzzled, but he readily led them to the house where he and Vernon lived. It was a cottage located on a hill a short distance from the village. As they entered the courtyard, Vernon came outside, sensing people.

He frowned when he saw Amy and Noah. Before he could even open his mouth, Amy strode over, grabbed his arm, and pulled him behind the house.

“Let’s talk for a moment.”

“Pardon?”

Vernon, who had been dragged away in a daze, spoke with Amy in hushed tones. Noah, worried about Amy, didn’t take his eyes off them for a second. Because Noah’s aura felt intense, Dwayne, Jack, and Bradley, who were standing nearby, kept glancing at him nervously.

The conversation between the two ended quickly. Vernon, with a complex expression, approached Noah and bowed politely.

“I look forward to serving you from now on.”

“!”

Noah’s eyes went wide, and Eden and the three knights let out a cheer. Noah stared at Amy as she approached with a blank face. She simply shrugged her shoulders.

Vernon went inside with Eden to pack their belongings. The three knights came out with their bags slung over their shoulders in the blink of an eye. Their luggage was very meager, as if they had nothing particularly precious.

Amy asked Dwayne, Jack, and Bradley point-blank.

“How skilled are you all?”

Jack swallowed hard and replied.

“Well, the least skilled among us is probably around Martin’s level.”

Noah tilted his head and asked.

“Martin? Are you talking about Captain Martin of the Guard?”

He was the one who had brought the Emperor’s decree before they left the Second Prince’s palace. Jack looked flabbergasted by his words.

“What? That guy actually managed to become the Captain?”

It seemed they were behind on information because they lived in the countryside. Dwayne and Bradley also rushed in, sounding indignant.

“Wow, the Vice-Captain really is something else.”

“He succeeded in the end.”

They had mocked him for being the Vice-Captain despite having less experience and skill than them, but to think he had successfully framed Captain Vernon and snatched his position… the three of them huddled together and started viciously badmouthing Martin.

They discussed where they would shove what, what they would do to his neck before throwing him to the dogs, and so on. Amy realized for the first time that there were such a variety of curses in the Imperial language.

She cut them off and asked again.

“So, exactly how good are your skills?”

Even if he rose to power with the Empress’s backing, Captain Martin wasn’t completely without skill. Dwayne spoke proudly.

“We are among the top few in the Empire.”

“…”

When Amy stared at them with a cold, unimpressed face, Jack winced.

“Well, if you had about thirty fingers, you could say we’re among those.”

“I see.”

To be among the top thirty in the Empire… Amy scrutinized them coldly before turning and walking to a corner of the yard. She signaled for Noah to stay back and called for the mercenary. The Mercenary Captain, who had been following them like a shadow, appeared.

“I want to modify the contract.”

“…”

At Amy’s following words, the Mercenary Captain arched an eyebrow and then nodded silently.

Vernon came outside with Eden, carrying a large bundle. The knights shared the load and followed behind Amy and Noah to the inn outside the village.

“You’re a bit late.”

Joseph, who had been waiting for them at the inn, came out and greeted Noah.

He then exchanged greetings with Vernon’s group, who would be joining the journey, and supervised the loading of necessary supplies onto the horses and wagons. Amy and Noah boarded the carriage and took their seats.

Just then, Bradley tilted his head.

“Wait. The presence has decreased?”

“You’re right.”

Their gaze turned toward the mercenaries. Noah, sensing something, looked at Amy across from him. Without looking back, Amy opened her documents and said softly.

“I had them protect Mrs. Weaver and her son. Since our combat power has increased unexpectedly, I figured it would be alright.”

“…”

With his sharp mind, Noah realized that this was the condition that had persuaded Captain Vernon. He also realized the fact that she hadn’t given up on Mrs. Weaver.

Amy quickly checked her documents, attached letters to carrier pigeons, and handled the backlog of work. Finally, when the preparations to leave were finished, she gave a small smile toward Noah.

“Shall we head to your land then, Your Grace?”

Neudelman Castle, North.

Melburn, who had been serving as the butler here for three generations, let out a groan as he looked at the carrier pigeon, the source of his recent headaches.

“It’s here again? What is it this time?”

Rita, a distant relative of Melburn and a maid at Neudelman Castle, asked as she gave the pigeon some dried grass. Only then did Melburn reluctantly take the letter tied to the pigeon’s leg and unfold it. His eyebrows twitched as he skimmed the contents.

“…It says a carpenter is coming.”

As Melburn sank into thought, Rita watched him and chimed in.

“Well, isn’t that a good thing?”

“What did you say?”

Melburn was puzzled. Rita spoke firmly while stroking the pigeon.

“Think about it. Hasn’t the capital looked down on us because the North is poor and lacks resources? All the Grand Dukes who came before just stayed in the warm south or near the capital and ruled half-heartedly…”

Pouting, Rita’s eyes scanned the interior of the castle.

“But this Grand Duke is ordering repairs before he even arrives. Not long ago, he sent stonemasons to fix the inner and outer walls, as well as the annex, the guardhouse, and even the training grounds…”

“Hmm.”

“The children are so happy because the wind doesn’t leak through the walls anymore. And seeing as he’s sending a carpenter now, it looks like he intends to properly renovate the castle.”

“That is true.”

The condition of the Grand Ducal castle where he had been born and raised had never been as good as it was lately. Although the exterior still looked gloomy, the interior was fully renovated, blocking the bone-chilling northern winds and improving heating efficiency. It was certain that the essential costs for surviving the winter would decrease.

“People are already making a fuss about being loyal to the Grand Duke. Well, even so, I doubt he’ll actually live here.”

Unlike her previous cynicism about Grand Dukes not staying in the territory, her tone was noticeably softer. It was understandable, as the northern weather was more than just harsh for someone from the capital—it was practically a natural disaster.

However, unlike previous Grand Dukes, this Second Prince was at least showing some sincerity. Furthermore, a normal lord would prioritize repairing the inner castle where they would stay, but the Second Prince repaired the outer castle for guests, the training grounds, and the annex where the servants lived first. He prioritized the people living there. Thus, they had no choice but to see him differently.

“Unless there’s treasure hidden under ice that’s been there for hundreds of years, there’s no way this North will ever become warm and prosperous.”

Rita thought that absently. She had no idea that her thought exactly matched that of the Head Maid who would soon arrive.

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