Who Brought the Head Maid Back? - Chapter 3

Amy thought it over carefully. It would be a lie to say she wasn’t tempted by a future of guaranteed wealth and honor, especially with the future Emperor following her around like a lovelorn puppy. However, her cold, rational mind put a stop to those vain dreams.

“I’d likely become a corpse faster than I’d become the Crown Princess.”

The Empress was the type of person who would rather strangle Amy with her own hands than see her become the partner of her precious son. She would do it as quickly and as cruelly as possible.

Would the Crown Prince rebel against the Empress for her sake?

“That is absolutely impossible.”

Amy shook her head.

To the Empress, the Crown Prince was a disappointing son who never quite met her expectations. Conversation between the two consisted entirely of one-sided scolding, rebukes, and apologies. The Crown Prince loved and respected his mother, but he also feared her more than anything in the world. In such a relationship, the son is inevitably unable to lift a finger against his mother. The Crown Prince was no different.

Amy took pride in having escaped her parents’ oppression to carve out her own life.

She had long since decided that she would use the small fortune she saved from her work as a maid to settle down in a warm southern country, raise cats, and live in comfort. A tragic death was definitely not part of her plan.

The conclusion was simple.

“For a peaceful retirement, I have to cut off this ridiculous affection first.”

The Crown Prince likely mistook the bond of growing up together for romantic love. Since they were comrades who had crossed the treacherous mountain of their parents together, it wasn’t surprising that he was confused.

Amy sank deep into thought.

The next day, she went to the Empress and revealed her plan. The Empress was suspicious of her motives at first, but since it was a welcome proposal, she gave it her full support. Amy immediately set to work. She selected young ladies from families that would please the Empress and orchestrated so-called accidental meetings.

“Oh, it’s the daughter of Duke Esmain. Crown Prince, please accept her greetings.”

As the Crown Prince stood there awkwardly, Lady Esmain approached and gave a graceful bow.

“I greet the Little Sun of the Empire. I am Catarina of Esmain.”

“Ahem, nice to meet you.”

Amy smiled secretly to herself as she watched the Crown Prince respond with dignity while his eyes kept drifting toward the lady. Since he had such an interest in the opposite sex, it seemed she wouldn’t have to worry about becoming his concubine.

After introducing him to several young ladies, Amy subtly tested the Crown Prince’s true feelings.

“Which lady did you like best?”

“Huh? What do you mean by that?”

“You’ve met four of them. Personally, I thought Lady Esmain was the best in terms of family background, appearance, and knowledge. What do you think, Your Highness?”

“Amy, I told you that I like you.”

The Crown Prince, who was now older and sharper, realized Amy’s trick to push him onto another woman and his face hardened. Amy let out a sigh. It seemed she still needed more time.

“Then I’ll give you an answer when I’m eighteen.”

Members of the Imperial family usually decided on their marriages around that age. By then, the Crown Prince would surely understand that his marriage was determined through complex political calculations.

At least she was lucky that the Crown Prince was not the type to use force. He might have been a weak character who was easily swayed by women, but he never forced Amy. Just like that, Amy bought herself another three years.

Her strategy was a success. During that time, the Crown Prince met many women and gradually began to forget Amy. Then, when the long-awaited year of eighteen arrived, just as the appointment of the Crown Princess was imminent, Amy was kidnapped by Lady Esmain and locked in a cold prison.

“Amy?”

The sound of her name snapped her out of her daze. The Second Prince, who had finished his meal, was staring at her.

“Ah, Your Highness. Are you finished?”

“Yes, Amy, you should eat quickly, too.”

The Second Prince always made sure Amy ate as well. He was so kindhearted, so why were there rumors in the palace that he had a fierce temper and had chased away all his servants? His eyes were so kind and clear that Amy’s heart ached for him.

“I’m fine.”

She cleared the dishes and tidied the kitchen. The Second Prince followed her around like a restless puppy. Amy arched an eyebrow.

“Is there something you want to say to me?”

She put down the dishcloth and asked directly. The Second Prince’s fair face turned bright red.

“Yes.”

“Then go ahead.”

“Well, you see.”

The Second Prince stalled, shifting his gaze and biting his lip. Amy tapped her fingers on the table. She was busy with work, and if he had something to say, she wished he would just say it instead of hesitating. Just then.

“I’ll give you this.”

The Second Prince took something out of his pocket and carefully pressed it into Amy’s hand. He then hurriedly backed away and wiped his hands on his pants. It wasn’t because he disliked touching Amy, but because he seemed embarrassed.

Amy furrowed her brows and instinctively opened her hand. Her eyes widened.

“This is.”

The Second Prince looked down with a nervous expression.

“My mother gave this to me a long time ago. She told me to make sure to give it to someone precious to me.”

He spoke with a solemn tone, almost as if he were proposing. In a way, it was similar. He was giving her his most prized possession.

He glanced up and watched Amy intently as she stared at the gem, lost in thought. Normally, she would have noticed his unusual behavior immediately, but Amy was preoccupied with something else.

Amy’s eyes wavered. Resting in her palm was a small gemstone. It was the exact same item the Second Prince had shyly handed to her in her previous life, just before she was kidnapped by Lady Esmain.

Amy stared blankly at the gem she had cherished until the moment of her death.

“You are giving this to me again.”

The Second Prince continued.

“You know my mother was a princess of the Southern Kingdom, right? She said this was rare even there and told me to keep it safe. She even said it might cause magic to happen.”

Amy blinked and repeated his words.

“Cause magic to happen.”

The Second Prince nodded happily, then quickly added.

“Not that I actually believe that.”

He seemed worried that Amy would see him as childish. But there was no need for that. Amy’s mind was as tangled as a ball of yarn a cat had played with.

“As I thought, this must be what caused my regression.”

Having a hunch, she swallowed hard and carefully lifted the gem to eye level.

“Was it always this brilliant?”

She tilted her head. Before her regression, the stone had seemed unremarkable, lacking both light and color. But now, it was incredibly sparkly.

“The color changes depending on the angle. It’s purple, then blue, and I even see red.”

How was this possible? Amy turned to the Second Prince and asked.

“What kind of gem is this?”

“Ah, that’s not a gem.”

The Second Prince brightened at Amy’s question and replied shyly.

“It’s a magic tool.”

“A magic tool?”

Amy’s eyes went wide. She looked back and forth between the stone and the Prince in bewilderment.

“Isn’t that an ancient relic used in the previous century?”

Magic tools were divine instruments that had been forgotten by humanity after the generation of the Crown Prince’s and the Second Prince’s great-grandfather.

History recorded that in that era, people used fantastic tools that regulated temperature and humidity, gave light in the dark, made water spring from dry land, and breathed fire in frozen places.

Magic tools were particularly abundant in the Southern Kingdom, where the divine remains were said to be buried, but the strange thing was that they could not be made by human hands. They appeared in the world at some point, and humans simply used them for their intended purposes. That was only possible until a century ago.

Modern magic tools did not work, like a doll whose spring had completely unwound.

“But the late Imperial Consort said it could cause magic.”

Since she was a princess of the Southern Kingdom, it wasn’t strange for her to possess a national treasure secretly passed down through the royal family. So, this must be what caused her regression. But if the color of the magic tool had changed, that probably meant.

“Since this is a magic tool, does that mean it can’t be used anymore?”

It must have exhausted its power by causing her regression. At Amy’s words, the Second Prince’s sparkling eyes immediately dimmed.

“What was that tingling feeling, like being struck by lightning, when I held the gem just now?”

He instinctively touched the black earring on his earlobe with a serious expression.

“Probably so.”

He seemed discouraged, thinking that Amy thought the magic tool was nothing special. But that wasn’t what Amy meant.

Amy stared at the Second Prince with a strange expression.

“And yet you’ve kept it so carefully. You’re giving something so precious to me?”

“Huh?”

“Even though the late Imperial Consort told you to give it to someone precious?”

“Uh, yes.”

The Second Prince’s face brightened again. He blinked, his cheeks turning slightly red, and whispered.

“Amy is the only person who is precious to me.”

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